Jim Gordon (character)

Commissioner James Gordon
Detail from the cover art for Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Commissioner Gordon #1 (December 2010). Art by Shane Davis
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
Created by	Bill Finger Lawrence Donovan Henry Ralston John Nanovic
In-story information
Full name	James W. Gordon, Senior
Team affiliations	Gotham City Police Department
Supporting character of	Batman Robin
Abilities	Military- and policed-trained tactician, marksman, and hand-to-hand combatant Trained in criminology

Commissioner James "Jim" W. Gordon, Senior is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. The character debuted in the first panel of Detective Comics #27 (May 1939), also Batman's first appearance. The character was created by Bill Finger, but credited to Bob Kane. Gordon's name was taken from the earlier pulp character Commissioner James W. "Wildcat" Gordon, also known as "The Whisperer", created in 1936 by Henry Ralston, John Nanovic, and Lawrence Donovan. Commissioner Gordon made his debut as an ally of Batman, making him the first Batman supporting character ever to be introduced.

In most incarnations of the Batman mythos, James Gordon is the Police Commissioner of Gotham City. He shares Batman's deep commitment to ridding the city of crime. In Golden and Silver Age Comics and on the 1960s Batman television show, he fully trusts, and is even somewhat dependent on Batman. In most modern stories, he is somewhat skeptical of Batman's vigilante methods, but nevertheless believes that Gotham needs him. The two have a mutual respect and tacit friendship. He has been married twice: to Barbara Kean Gordon, and then to Sarah Essen Gordon. Gordon is also the father of James Gordon, Jr. and the father or adoptive father (depending on the continuity) of Barbara Gordon, the first modern Batgirl and the information broker Oracle.

James Gordon is an important part of the Batman mythos and has appeared in most other media adaptations of the character. This has included video games, animation, and the live-action films. Gordon has been played by Lyle Talbot in the serial film Batman and Robin, Neil Hamilton in the television series Batman, Pat Hingle in the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher film series, Gary Oldman in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight film series, and Ben McKenzie in the television series Gotham. In 2011, James Gordon placed 19th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes. Beginning with Batman #41 in June 2015, Gordon himself became the new Batman following Wayne's apparent death in Batman #40.

Fictional character biography

Gordon had served in the United States Marine Corps prior to becoming a police officer. This gave him a set of skills that would serve useful in the future. In most versions of the Batman mythos, James Gordon is at one point or another depicted as Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department. Gordon frequently contacts Batman for help in solving various crimes, particularly those committed by supervillains. Generally it is Gordon who uses the Batsignal to summon Batman, and it has become a running joke of sorts that the Dark Knight will often disappear in the middle of the discussion when Gordon's back is turned. Gordon is usually silver-haired, tall and thin with a mustache and glasses. In most incarnations, he is seen wearing a trenchcoat and a tie along with a suit. On occasion, he wears a fedora. He is also sometimes pictured with a cane, although it is not revealed why he uses it. Because DC Comics retconned its characters' history in the 1985 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths, and because of different interpretations in television and film, the details of Gordon's history vary from story to story.

Early characterizations

In the original pre-Crisis version of his history, Gordon is a police detective who initially resents the mysterious vigilante's interference in police business. He first appears in Detective Comics #27, in the very first Batman story, in which they both investigate the murder of a chemical industrialist. Although Batman fights on the side of justice, his methods and phenomenal track record for stopping crimes and capturing criminals embarrasses the police by comparison. Eventually, Batman meets up with Gordon and persuades the detective that they need each other's help. Batman is deputized and works with Gordon as an agent of the law.

In Batman Special #1, it's revealed that Gordon, as a young cop, shot and killed two robbers in self-defense in front of their son. The results of this event would lead the boy to become the first Wrath, a cop killer with a costume and motif inspired by Batman, who would come after Gordon for revenge years later.

Post-Crisis

Batman: Year One

Cover to Batman #407, featuring Batman and Jim Gordon, by David Mazzucchelli

The post-Crisis version of the character was introduced in the 1987 storyline Batman: Year One, written by Frank Miller. In this version, James W. Gordon is transferred back to Gotham City after spending more than 15 years in Chicago. A man of integrity, Gordon finds that Batman is his only ally against the mob-controlled administration. One of the most significant differences in this version is that Batman is never deputized and Gordon's relationship with him is kept out of the public eye whenever possible. It is also added that he is a special forces veteran who is capable in hand-to-hand combat; he retaliates against an intimidation attempt by corrupt fellow officers with equal violence. He is depicted as having an extra-marital affair with a fellow detective, Sarah Essen. Essen and Gordon correctly deduce Batman's identity at one point, but never investigate their guess more fully in order to confirm it. Gordon breaks off their affair after being blackmailed by the corrupt Police Commissioner, Gillian B. Loeb. Mob boss Carmine Falcone sends his nephew, Johnny Viti, to abduct Gordon's family; Batman saves them, however, and helps Gordon expose Loeb's corruption. After Loeb resigns, Gordon is promoted to Captain.

The 1998 miniseries Gordon of Gotham takes place nearly 20 years prior to the current events of the DC Universe and two months before his arrival in Gotham in Batman: Year One. It reveals that Gordon, during his tenure in Chicago, struggled with his wife over conceiving a child while taking university night classes in criminology. He becomes a minor celebrity after a foiling a late-night robbery attempt. However, after deciding to investigate a corrupt fellow officer, he is assaulted and discredited. Gordon then uncovers evidence of rigging in the city council election and brings down two of his fellow officers, which leads to his commander recommending that he take a detective position opening in Gotham.

The story Wrath Child, published in Batman Confidential, issues 13-16 retcons that Gordon started his career in Gotham, but transfered to Chicago after shooting a corrupt cop and his wife (the parents of the original Wrath); the transfer was arranged by Loeb, then a captain, to prevent in an attempt to keep himself and other cops corrupt cops from being exposed and threatens Gordon with the future Wrath's life in order to force Gordon to comply with the transfer. Gordon transfers back to Gotham around the same time Batman starts his career.

While still a Lieutenant in the force, Gordon convinces Loeb's successor to implement the Bat-Signal as a means to contact Batman and also to frighten criminals. It is around this time that the first Robin, Dick Grayson, becomes Batman's sidekick. Gordon initially disapproves of a child joining in Batman's adventures, but soon grows to not only accept the boy but trust him as much as he does Batman.

In the following years, Gordon quickly rises to the rank of Commissioner after he and Batman weed out corruption within the department. After the death of his brother and sister-in-law, he adopts his niece, Barbara. Soon after he adopts Barbara, he divorces his wife, who returned to Chicago with their son James, while he retains custody of Barbara, who eventually becomes Batgirl. Gordon quickly deduces the heroine's true identity, and attempts to confront her about it, going so far as to search her bedroom for proof. However, he was semi-tricked out of this belief, when Batman (after sanctioning Batgirl officially) had Robin dress up as Batgirl while Barbara is on the roof with her father. Gordon would continue to believe his daughter is indeed Batgirl, but would not confront her about it again, until years later.

Batman: The Killing Joke

In the 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke, the Joker kidnaps Gordon after shooting and paralyzing Barbara. He then cages Gordon in the freak show of an abandoned amusement park and forces him to look at enlarged photos of his wounded daughter in an effort to drive him insane, thus proving to Batman that even seemingly normal people can lose their minds after having "one bad day". Batman eventually apprehends the Joker and rescues Gordon. Despite the intense trauma he has endured, Gordon's sanity and ethical code are intact; he insists that Batman apprehend the Joker without harming him in order to "show him that our way works."

Marriage

Soon after Sarah Essen returns to Gordon's life, they rekindle their romance and get engaged. However, Essen cannot comprehend why Gordon needs Batman so much, which occasionally puts a strain on their relationship.

In Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #2, shortly before their planned wedding, former Lieutenant Flass (Gordon's former partner) beats Gordon and kidnaps James Jr. for ransom in exchange for letting a corrupt judge go free. Batman saves James Jr., while Gordon, Essen, Flass and the judge are trapped and must work together to escape.

For a brief period following the Knightfall and Prodigal storylines, Gordon is removed from his post as Commissioner and replaced by his own wife, due partly to his own disinclination to trust Batman after two substitutes — Jean-Paul Valley and Dick Grayson — assume the role and do not bother to tell him about the switch.

No Man's Land

The No Man's Land storyline takes place after Gotham is destroyed by an earthquake and isolated from outside assistance. Inside Gotham, Gordon struggles to maintain order in the midst of a crime wave. Batman is mysteriously absent for the initial three months, and Gordon feels betrayed. He forges an uneasy alliance with Two-Face, but the partnership doesn't last; Two-Face kidnaps Gordon, putting him on trial for breaking their "legally binding" alliance. Gordon escapes, however, and later meets with Batman once again. In this confrontation, Gordon berates Batman for letting Gotham "fall into ruin". Batman offers to prove his trust by revealing his secret identity, but Gordon refuses to look when Batman removes his mask. Eventually, the two repair their friendship.

At the end of the No Man's Land storyline, the Joker kills Sarah Essen-Gordon. An enraged Gordon barely restrains himself from killing Joker, shooting the Joker's knee instead. Not long afterward, Gordon is shot by a criminal seeking revenge for a previous arrest. Though seriously injured, he survives, and eventually makes a full recovery.

Retirement

Gordon retires from the police force after having served for more than 20 years. He remains in Gotham, and occasionally enjoys nighttime visits from Batman. Despite being retired, Gordon often finds himself drawn to a series of life-and-death circumstances, such as the Joker sending him flowers during Last Laugh, or being contacted by the temporarily reformed Harvey Dent to stop Batman from killing the Joker, to being kidnapped by Francis Sullivan, grandson of one of Gotham's notorious serial killers, during the Made of Wood storyline. After the attack by Sullivan, Batman gives Gordon an encrypted cellphone, the so-called Batphone, in case he needs to contact him, which also carries a transmitter in case of trouble. He also still has contacts with the country's law enforcement agencies, which the sheriff's departments request Gordon to contact Batman to help investigating a series of unusual murders on a suburb territory outside the city's limits; it turns out to be a paranormal case involving black magic, occult rituals, and the supernatural. Commissioner Michael Akins has taken his position, with many officers expressing reluctance to follow him. Even Harvey Bullock at one point attempts to humiliate Akins in front of other officers.

After Barbara requires surgery to counter the life-threatening effects of the Brainiac virus, Gordon visits her in Metropolis. She reveals to him her current role as Oracle, as well as her past as Batgirl. Gordon admits that he knew of her life as Batgirl, but is pleasantly surprised to know of her second career as Oracle.

Return

As part of DC's "One Year Later", Gordon has once again become Gotham's Police Commissioner. He rebuilds the Bat-Signal, but still carries the mobile Batphone that Batman gave him. The circumstances behind this are currently unknown, though there have been allusions to extreme corruption within the GCPD. These allusions are supported by events within Gotham Central, especially involving Detective Jim Corrigan. Gordon survives an attempt on his life by the Joker (Batman #655), who had drugged him with Joker Venom in an attack on the GCPD. He is taken to the hospital in time.

Blackest Night

During the Blackest Night crossover, while mourning the passing of the original Batman, who was apparently killed in action during Final Crisis, Gordon and his daughter witness Green Lantern crash into the Bat-Signal, after being assaulted by a reanimated version of the deceased Martian Manhunter. After offering the hero a spare car, the Gordons then find themselves fighting for their lives against the reanimated versions of the original Batman's rogues gallery at Gotham Central, where Gordon makes short work of serial killer Abattoir (in Black Lantern form) with a shotgun. They are rescued by the current Dark Knight, Robin, Red Robin, and Deadman, but are later attacked by Batman and Red Robin's parents, the reanimated Graysons and the Drakes. While Batman and Red Robin battle the Black Lanterns, Robin takes the Gordons to their underground base. It is later shown that Alfred Pennyworth tends his wounds (Gordon is unconscious, thus protecting the team's secret identities) along with Barbara's at the bunker's infirmary.

The New 52

File:New Batman.jpg

Commissioner Gordon as the new Batman. Art by Greg Capullo.

In The New 52, Gordon is still the commissioner of the GCPD and a former Marine but is younger than his traditional portrayal; he still has the red hair and mustache from Batman: Year One. He is still married to his wife Barbara, and he and Barbara are the biological parents of Barbara "Babs" Gordon (aka Batgirl).

During the Forever Evil storyline, Commissioner Gordon enters Blackgate Penitentiary in order to save the warden. When a turf war erupts between the Arkham inmates, Gordon helps to evacuate the citizens from Gotham City.

Following Bruce Wayne's apparent death in battle with the Joker during the events of Batman #40, Gordon will take up the mantle of Batman using a mecha style suit to fight crime in Gotham City. Gordon first appears as Batman in Divergence #1, DC Comics 2015 Free Comic Book Day issue, in which he is shown to be sponsored by the mega-corp Powers International. He also notes that this is "the worst idea in the history of Gotham," as he suits up, but agreed to the offer when various sources argued that there was nobody else capable of understanding Gotham the way Batman had done over the years, Gordon contemplating the merits of a Batman who works with the system rather than outside it. However, he begins to recognize the issues of this approach when he discovers that some of his past arrests have been murdered while out on parole and he is forbidden from investigating the crime himself. Gordon later meets the currently-depowered Superman when Clark comes to Gotham to investigate evidence that the weapons currently being used against him were created in Gotham, but their initial meeting results in a fight as Superman doesn't believe that Gordon is the new Batman and Gordon doubts Superman due to him currently working with Luthor.

Gordon and Batman's identity

In most versions of the mythos, Gordon is ignorant of Batman's identity. There is usually the implication Gordon is smart enough to solve the mystery, but chooses not to in order to preserve Batman's effectiveness and maintain his own plausible deniability. In the 1966 Batman film, Gordon explicitly states his desire not to know for such a reason. In Batman: Year One, Gordon claims not to see the unmasked Batman well (whom his wife at that time, Barbara, also sees) because he doesn't have his glasses on. Gordon suspects early on that Bruce Wayne may be Batman, though he never follows up on his suspicions, although Sarah Essen is correct in her suspicions, even guessing Bruce's motivation. In Batman: The Animated Series, Gordon has implied he deliberately avoids deep investigation on the subject of Batman or Batgirl's identity.

Likewise, in the 1980s Detective Comics storyline Blind Justice, the world at large incorrectly supposes Batman is dead and Gordon comments to Bruce Wayne that Batman has earned the right to retirement if he so desires. He then rather pointedly asks Bruce's advice on whether or not he should reveal that Batman still lives.

During No Man's Land, Batman attempts to regain Gordon's trust by revealing his identity. Gordon refuses to look at him after he removes the cowl, however, stating that if he wanted to know Batman's identity, he could have figured it out years ago, and even cryptically saying, "And for all you know, maybe I did."

Barbara reveals her identity as Batgirl to her father in Birds of Prey #89. Gordon then reveals that he was well aware of her status as Batgirl all along, though he purposefully avoided looking into what she was doing after she was paralyzed. Batman chides her for revealing herself, saying it was a mistake, but she counters that, while he taught her to fight criminals, it was her father who taught her to be human.

Knowledge in other continuities

In Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, Gordon and Bruce Wayne are portrayed as close friends, with Gordon having discovered his identity years before around the time of Bruce's retirement.

In the Batman: Year 100 storyline, which takes place in 2039, Captain Jim Gordon, grandson of Commissioner Gordon, finds an old laptop in the attic of a country home owned by Gordon and discovers a secret file which he assumes contains long-lost information on Batman. After unsuccessfully trying numerous passwords with relevance to the Batman universe he inputs "Bruce Wayne" and is granted access to the file contents.

In the Flashpoint universe, Gordon knows about Thomas Wayne's identity as Batman and works with him in both his identities.

In the Batman - Vampire trilogy in the Elseworlds series, Gordon is shown to be aware of Batman's connection to Alfred Pennyworth, working with Alfred as Batman succumbs to his new, darker nature, but his knowledge of Batman's identity as Bruce Wayne is virtually irrelevant as Batman had abandoned his life as Bruce Wayne after he was transformed into a full vampire while fighting Dracula.

Family

Pre-Crisis

Tony Gordon

In Pre-Crisis continuity, James Gordon is the biological father of Anthony "Tony" Gordon. Originally referred to as a college student, Tony later disappears while hiding from Communist spies. He is later reunited with his sister Barbara and dies in a battle with the Sino-Supermen (Batman Family #12, Detective Comics #482). In Post-Crisis continuity, there has been no mention of Tony Gordon.

Barbara "Babs" Gordon

Barbara "Babs" Gordon is the biological daughter of James Gordon in Pre-Crisis continuity. She also leads a double life as a librarian and as costumed crimefighter Batgirl. Barbara is also the link of the DC Universe Oracle. Her father is aware of her crime-fighting career, and is proud of her for it.

Post-Crisis

Barbara Eileen-Gordon

Barbara Eileen-Gordon (née Kean) is Gordon's ex-wife. In one Post-Crisis story, Gordon and Babs visit the grave of his late wife. This story is later retconned and it is revealed that she is not dead, but instead they are divorced and she is living in Chicago with their son, James Gordon, Jr.

During the "One Year Later" storyline, Gordon makes a reference to his ex-wife "doing well." Melinda McGraw portrayed Barbara Gordon in The Dark Knight. Grey DeLisle voiced her in Batman Year One. Erin Richards portrays Barbara in Gotham.

Barbara "Babs" Gordon

Main article: Barbara Gordon

Barbara "Babs" Gordon (later Batgirl and Oracle) is the daughter of James Gordon's brother Roger and Roger's wife Thelma. When Babs was 12 or 13, Roger and Thelma died. Babs moved to Gotham City and lived with her uncle, aunt and cousin. Eventually, James and Barbara adopted her. The couple divorced and Barbara moved to Chicago with James, Jr. (Secret Origins #20). James Gordon stayed in Gotham and maintained custody of Babs.

It has recently been revealed that James had dated Thelma before either of them was married and that he might be the biological father of Babs (Batman: Gotham Knights #6). Following The New 52 reboot, it is revealed Barbara "Babs" Gordon is the biological daughter of James Gordon and his wife Barbara, and is the older sister of James Gordon, Jr.

James Gordon, Jr.

Main article: James Gordon, Jr.

Gordon and his wife Barbara Kean-Gordon are the parents of a son named James Gordon, Jr. (Batman #404-407). James Jr. and his mother moved to Chicago after she divorced the elder Gordon. After his introduction in Batman: Year One, the character appeared almost exclusively in comics set during the Year One era, and went virtually unmentioned in present day. Scott Snyder's story Batman: The Black Mirror reintroduced James Jr. as an adult, and establishes that he is sociopath who kills and tortures for pleasure. He is institutionalized as a teenager after he disfigures a school bus driver who insulted him. After he is released years later, he commits a series of brutal murders, while trying to frame the Joker for his crimes. After nearly killing his mother, and capturing his step-sister, James Jr. is apprehended by his father and Batman (Dick Grayson), and institutionalized in Arkham.

In The New 52, James Jr. appears in the Batgirl series. He escapes from Arkham, and begins stalking his sister, whom he views as a rival for his father's affection. The series reveals that he deliberately caused the divorce of his parents: he killed a cat his mother had bought for Barbara and then threatened to kill his sister if she did not leave the family and threatened to kill Barbara if she tried to contact them ever again.

A different version of James Gordon, Jr. appears briefly in the films Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, in which he is portrayed as the young son of James and Barbara Gordon. In the latter film, Two-Face tries to kill the boy in order to get back at Gordon, whom he blames for the death of his fiancee, Rachel Dawes. Batman saves James Jr. by tackling Two-Face off of a roof, killing him.

Sarah Essen

Sarah Essen (Batman Annual #13, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #2) was first referenced as Gordon's wife during the future tale The Dark Knight Returns. She first appeared fully in Batman: Year One as a co-worker with whom Gordon has an extra-marital affair. After realizing they could not be together, she transferred out of state. Years after Gordon divorces his wife, Sarah returns to Gotham, and the two continue their relationship. After marrying Gordon, Sarah is murdered by the Joker at the end of the No Man's Land storyline. Following the events of Flashpoint, The New 52 retcons the timeline, Sarah's marriage to Gordon never happened, and Barbara Gordon, Sr., is the only woman James Gordon ever married. Sarah's status in this new continuity is unknown.

Other versions

The Dark Knight Returns

James Gordon appears in the limited series Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, which presents a future where a retiring Gordon not only knows Batman's identity, but is good friends with Bruce Wayne. He then makes a cameo on Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Now retired, he has written a book about Batman, who is believed to be dead.

Gordon is also referred to in the first issue of the series, All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, set in the same universe as and prior to The Dark Knight Returns. He made a full appearance on issue #6, as a police captain, having a conversations with his ex-partner, Sarah Essen, about Batman. He's still married to Barbara Kean Gordon, who is now an alcoholic, and has a son, James Jr. Just as other continuities, his daughter, Barbara, who is 15, becomes Batgirl. Frank Miller has commented that the series is set in his Dark Knight Universe, which includes all of the Batman works by Frank Miller, therefore Barbara's inclusion confirms that Gordon had two children during Batman: Year One, at least in Miller's version of the continuity.

JLA: Earth 2

On the Anti-Matter Earth, where the evil Crime Syndicate of America live, James Gordon's counterpart is a crime boss named Boss Gordon, an ally to Owlman. Boss Gordon is the city's leading crime boss until his empire is toppled by Batman and Commissioner Thomas Wayne.

JLA: The Nail

In a world where Superman was never found by the Kents, reference is made to Gordon having been murdered shortly before the events of the story, resulting in Gotham's police department being granted extra powers of authority in his absence, although these are never fully explained.

Batman: Gotham Noir

In the Elseworlds title Batman: Gotham Noir, Jim Gordon is an alcoholic hard-boiled private detective who had left the police force following a failure to solve the disappearance of a judge. He is Selina Kyle's former lover and Bruce Wayne's wartime partner.

Batman: In Darkest Knight

In the Elseworlds story Batman: In Darkest Knight, Jim Gordon is an honest cop who distrusts the Green Lantern (who in this reality is Bruce Wayne) because of his near-limitless power. Green Lantern comes to Gordon in order to find the identity of the man who killed his parents, but Gordon rebukes him. Later on, he changes his mind and starts investigating, but he is then interrupted and killed by Sinestro, who ruptures his heart.

Vampire Batman

In the Vampire Batman Elseworlds trilogy that began with Batman & Dracula: Red Rain, Gordon learns that a coven of vampires, led by Count Dracula himself, is behind a series of murders. Dracula captures him, but he defies the vampire even as he is bled from a cut on his neck, with Batman arriving in time to save Gordon from bleeding to death before confronting Dracula, the Dark Knight now a vampire himself thanks to the aid of renegade vampires opposing Dracula. In the sequel Batman: Bloodstorm, he and Alfred collaborate to form a team to eliminate a new family of vampires in daylight while they sleep, culminating in him and Alfred being forced to stake Batman after he succumbs to vampirism and drains the Joker's blood. The third part of the trilogy— Batman: Crimson Mist— sees Gordon and Alfred forced to work with Two-Face and Killer Croc to stop the vampire Batman, returned from the staking and having already targeted and killed Penguin, Riddler, Scarecrow and Poison Ivy, Gordon grimly stating that, even if he is only killing criminals, the man they knew would never have killed. The story concludes with Gordon being crushed by debris from the Batcave roof after explosives are planted to destroy it, thus exposing Batman to the sunlight and ending his reign of terror.

Earth-8

In Lord Havok and the Lord Havok and the Extremists #3, an alternate version of Gordon, known as Zombie Gordon is featured as part of Monarch's army. A flesh-hungry beast, Zombie Gordon is kept in line by Bat-Soldier, via a large chain.

Flashpoint

In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, James Gordon is the chief of police, instead of being commissioner, and also works with Thomas Wayne, the Flashpoint version of Batman. Later, Gordon tries to convince Batman that he does not have to fight villains by himself, however Batman refused. When Gordon locates the Joker was in old Wayne Manor, he goes in without any help or backup. Gordon is then tricked into shooting Harvey Dent's daughter, having been disguised as Joker, as she had been taped to a chair and had her mouth taped shut with a smile painted on the tape. Joker then appears and slashes Gordon's throat, and Gordon dies by Joker venom before Batman confronts Joker.

Earth One

In the graphic novel by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, Batman: Earth One, Jim Gordon is featured as a central character. In the story, he's a broken man who has given up on fighting corruption until the emergence of Batman. He is also partnered with a young Harvey Bullock. On the trail of the "Birthday Boy" killings, Gordon and Batman put aside their differences and stop the killer while saving Gordon's daughter Barbara. In the sequel, Gordon begin his alliance with Batman to combat the Riddler, who plots to takeover the remnant of Oswald Cobblepott's criminal empire.

Injustice: Gods Among Us

While making a cameo appearance in Year One, it is not until Year Two that Jim appears as a prominent character. Superman confronts him on the roof of the GCPD, demanding to know where Batman is. Jim honestly does not know, and makes it clear he has no intention of aiding Superman in his new way of forcing law and order. Jim is left stunned when Superman informs him (after using his x-ray vision) that he has lung cancer that has already spread to the point that it is fatal. Later on he, Harvey Bullock, and Renee Montoya join forces with the Insurgency to combat the Regime, especially in light of intergalactic war. During the Green Lantern and Regime war, Jim aids Batman's Insurgency by attacking the Hall of Justice. Batman's inside man, Lex Luthor, notes that Jim is dying of cancer as a result of taking the super pills that give people extraordinary superhuman abilities; Jim is aware of this but continues to take them. Jim takes two of the super pills to stop Cyborg on the Watchtower from tracing Batman and his daughter, weakening him in the process. After Lex leaves him alone to die in peace, he thanks Batman and says goodbye to Barbara as he dies looking down on the Earth.

In other media

Television

Live-action

Neil Hamilton as Commissioner Gordon in the 1960s Batman TV Series.

Ben McKenzie as Detective Gordon in Gotham.

• In the 1960s Batman series, Commissioner Gordon was played by Neil Hamilton, and is portrayed as not only having the Bat-Signal at his disposal, but also a red emergency hotline telephone (known as the Bat-Phone) that connects directly to the Batcave, the Batmobile and (unbeknownst to Gordon) Bruce Wayne's study. Gordon's switchboard operators are twice shown to be able to trunk incoming lines into the Batphone circuit, enabling him to telephone Batman from remote locations (ironically once from Wayne Manor, and the other from a phone booth adjacent to that being used by Bruce Wayne). Batman and Robin are regular visitors to his office. The series occasionally made light of his dependence on Batman. In "The Devil's Fingers", when Batman is apparently unavailable, Gordon and Police Chief O'Hara lament that they will have to solve a case by themselves; this contrasted the cold open of the pilot episode "Hi Diddle Riddle", in which Gordon reluctantly decides to summon Batman only after O'Hara and all of his bureau chiefs gather and unanimously agree that the Riddler is beyond their abilities. This version of Gordon has at least two grown children; the elder of whom is unspecified but has given him at least two grandchildren, and the younger being Barbara (and, unbeknownst to her father, Batgirl), but no mention is made of his wife.
• In the 2014 Fox drama Gotham, James "Jim" Gordon is played by Ben McKenzie and is portrayed as an idealistic rookie detective in the corrupt Gotham City Police Department and a war veteran of the United States Army. His late father was Gotham's district attorney, whom crime boss Carmine Falcone claims was on his payroll. Gordon is the first police officer to interview Bruce Wayne after his parents are murdered in the pilot episode, and vows to solve the murders. He is quickly drawn into the city's underbelly, thanks to his shady partner Harvey Bullock and small-time criminal Oswald Cobblepot. He also makes two new allies: a teenaged street thief named Selina Kyle who witnessed the Waynes' murder and Gotham's young assistant district attorney Harvey Dent who pledges to help Gordon find the killer. In the episode "LoveCraft", Gotham's corrupt mayor Aubrey James makes Gordon the scapegoat for corrupt businessman Dick Lovecraft's death and reassigns him to guard detail at Arkham Asylum. Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb later gives Gordon his job back after apprehending Jack Buchinsky, a homicidal maniac who terrorizes Gotham as "The Electrocutioner". The series also portrays his turbulent romances with Barbara Kean and Arkham physician Leslie Thompkins and his efforts to rid the GCPD of corruption.

Animated

• Actor Ted Knight provided the voice of James Gordon in The Batman/Superman Hour.
• James Gordon makes two appearances in Super Friends:
  • He first appeared in Challenge of the Superfriends, voiced by Danny Dark. In the episode "Superfriends, Rest In Peace", the Riddler and Cheetah hold Gordon hostage so they can kill Batman with the Noxium Crystal.
  • The second is in The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians. In the episode "The Fear", Gordon and Jonathan Crane try to find and arrest the Scarecrow. Gordon and Batman are both unaware that Crane is Scarecrow.
  • He also appeared in some of the comics related to the show.
• In Filmation's 1977 cartoon series The New Adventures of Batman, Commissioner Gordon is voiced by Lennie Weinrib.
• The character has been featured in the DC Animated Universe, voiced by veteran voice actor Bob Hastings:

File:Commgordon1.jpg

Commissioner Gordon in Batman: The Animated Series.

• • Commissioner Gordon initially appeared in the 1990s cartoon Batman: The Animated Series. His relationship with Batman was similar to that in the comics. Many scenes in the series portray Batman and the Commissioner having clandestine meetings at the Bat-Signal. A flashback in the episode "Robin's Reckoning" depicts the young version as having red hair. In the episode "I Am the Night", it is revealed that Batman sees Gordon as a surrogate father - the same age had his own father still been alive - and is deeply affected when Gordon is seriously wounded by the criminal Jimmy "The Jazzman" Peek. Commissioner Gordon also appeared in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and in Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero.
  • Commissioner Gordon has appeared in The New Batman Adventures. Like the rest of the cast, Gordon was redesigned for the new series. Although his design remains relatively similar to before, his build became more slender than previously, and his hair was then cropped into a flat-top design. In the episode "Holiday Knights", it is shown that Batman and Gordon meet every year on New Year's Eve in a diner to celebrate 'survival' as Gordon puts it. In the episode "Over the Edge", Barbara Gordon suffers from the Scarecrow's fear toxins, producing a nightmare where Batgirl dies in battle without telling her father her secret. Gordon blames Batman for Barbara's death, and launches a manhunt against his former ally after discovering his secret identity on Barbara's computer. After the nightmare, Barbara tries to admit about being Batgirl to her father, but he says that he trusts Barbara with whatever choices and that his daughter doesn't need to tell him anything. The episode implies that Gordon already knows that his daughter is Batgirl, but keeps it to himself. Commissioner Gordon also appeared in Superman: The Animated Series. In "World's Finest" (Part One), he investigate a robbery where a dragon statue made of Kryptonite is stolen. In "Knight Time", Gordon waits for Batman with Detective Renee Montoya. What Gordon doesn't know is that he is speaking with Superman in disguise. Commissioner Gordon appeared in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman as well.
  • Commissioner Gordon appeared in Static Shock. In the episode "Hard as Nails", Batman and Static visit him when Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn hijack a cargo ship carrying gold bricks.
  • The spin-off Batman Beyond portrays Barbara Gordon following in her father's footsteps as Gotham's new Police Commissioner with a picture of Jim Gordon appears on Barbara's desk. In Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Barbara Gordon reveals to Terry McGinnis that her father is one of the few people who knew what happened to Tim Drake, implying that he also learned and kept secret Batman's true identity.
• James Gordon appeared in The Batman animated series, voiced by Mitch Pileggi. This version is depicted as a newly appointed Gotham City Police Commissioner after an incident involving the Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler. He ends the manhunt against Batman and goes public with his support for the crime fighter in order to help make Gotham safer for his daughter Barbara Gordon.
• Commissioner Gordon is alluded in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. In "Deep Cover for Batman!", Batman called the Commissioner up telling him that the Riddler's crossword puzzle crime spree was thwarted. In "The Color of Revenge", a flashback reveals that Batman got a call from Gordon that Crazy Quilt had broken into the museum to steal the Stimulated Emission Light Amplifier. At the episode's end, Batman gets a message from Gordon stating that Killer Moth had hijacked the Gotham Bank Money Train. In "The Super Batman of Planet X", his Zur-En-Arrh counterpart is Chancellor Gor-Zonn (voiced by Corey Burton) who informs the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh of Rothul's attacks. In "The Knights of Tomorrow", Gordon makes an appearance at Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle's wedding as part of a story that Alfred Pennyworth was writing. He also appears with no lines in the episode "Joker: The Vile and The Villainous".
• Commissioner Gordon appears in the Young Justice episode "Misplaced", voiced by Corey Burton.
• Commissioner Gordon appears in the Super Best Friends Forever series of shorts.
• Commissioner Gordon makes cameo appearances in Teen Titans Go!. Most of his appearances have him in the company of Batman. In "La Larva de Amor", while Silkie is floating down a river in a bucket, Silkie floats past Batman and Gordon who are fishing on a dock. In "Girls Night Out", Gordon is seen in his police car laughing with Batman when they see Starfire, Raven and Jinx speed by with the police in pursuit. After that, they continue laughing.
• A younger version of James Gordon appears in Beware the Batman, voiced by Kurtwood Smith. He starts out as a lieutenant who distrusts Batman, clashing with Barbara's support for him. Gordon reluctantly teams up with Batman to save Barbara from Tobias Whale and Phosphorus Rex, and gradually begins to trust Batman and work alongside him, even installing the Bat-Signal. In "Nexus," Gordon is promoted to police commissioner after the Commissioner Correa is killed by ninjas working for the League of Assassins.

Film

Live-action

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Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon in Batman (1989).

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Gary Oldman as Gordon in Batman Begins (2005).

• In the 1949 15-episode movie serial Batman and Robin, Commissioner Gordon was portrayed by Ed Wood regular Lyle Talbot.
• Commissioner Gordon was played by Neil Hamilton in Batman: The Movie, based on the 1960s TV series. He advised Batman and Robin which supervillains were at large.
• In the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher film adaptations of Batman, Commissioner Gordon is portrayed by Pat Hingle.

• In Batman (1989), Gordon regards Batman as a rumor at best and vigilante at worst, though by the end of the film, Gordon publicly acknowledges the hero's usefulness and helps present the Bat-Signal. Gordon's wife briefly appears in Batman, but isn't seen or mentioned in the sequels.

• In Batman Returns (1992), when the Penguin has Batman framed for murder, it is implied Gordon is not entirely convinced, as he is not willing to use lethal force in order to apprehend him, and publicly refers to Batman's batarang in the crime scene as "purely circumstantial".

• In Batman Forever (1995), Gordon is shown to be fairly well acquainted with Bruce Wayne. He arrives at the scene of Wayne Enterprises employee Fred Stickley's apparent suicide, unaware that he was actually murdered by Edward Nygma.

• Although Barbara Gordon is his daughter in most continuities, in Batman & Robin (1997), Batgirl is characterized as Alfred Pennyworth's niece, Barbara Wilson. In Commissioner Gordon's last appearance in the film, Poison Ivy uses her pheromones to make him fall in love with her in order to get the keys to police headquarters and the Bat-Signal, almost killing him with her toxic kiss.

• In the reboot Christopher Nolan Batman film trilogy, Gordon is played by Gary Oldman.

• Batman Begins (2005) concerns Gordon's rise from beat cop to Sergeant and Lieutenant by the end of the film. In the beginning of the film, Gordon does his best to comfort the eight-year-old Bruce Wayne after the murder of his parents, when Commissioner Loeb comes in and tells Bruce that the police apprehended Joe Chill. Bruce later recognizes him as one of the few honest cops in the city and always remembers the kindness he showed Bruce as a child, and thus, after he becomes Batman, Gordon is the first person in law enforcement that Batman contacts. The two form a secret alliance against Carmine Falcone's criminal empire. Gordon proves important when Batman fights Ra's al Ghul. Batman gives Gordon the task of destroying a monorail track using the Tumbler, halting Ra's' plan to destroy the city. He is promoted to lieutenant and presents the Bat-Signal. The movie ends with Gordon talking about another criminal robbing banks and leaving a calling card in the form of a Joker playing card. Many critics, and writer David S. Goyer, have noted that Gary Oldman's portrayal bears a strong resemblance to the way the character was drawn by David Mazzucchelli in Batman: Year One.

• In The Dark Knight (2008), Gordon is leading the GCPD Major Crimes Unit and forms a tenuous alliance with Batman and the newly elected district attorney Harvey Dent to take down what remains of Gotham's organized crime syndicates. When the Joker reveals that Commissioner Loeb is one of his upcoming targets, Gordon arrives at his office with other officers to offer protection, but he is unable to stop Loeb from drinking a glass of poisoned Scotch. At Loeb's funeral, Gordon foils the Joker's attempt on Mayor Garcia's life, in the process faking his own death to protect his family. After Harvey claims to be Batman, Gordon disguises himself as a SWAT officer and commandeers the armored truck that is carrying Harvey to the county lockup for processing. Following a vehicular battle with the Joker, Gordon rescues both Batman and Dent, captures the Joker, and is promoted to Police Commissioner by the Mayor. Hours later, two corrupt cops and the Joker's men abduct Dent and Rachel Dawes, placing them in separate buildings with oil drums rigged to explode. While Batman is able to rescue Dent, Gordon arrives at Rachel's location just as the bomb explodes and kills Rachel. Disfigured in the explosion and driven insane by grief, Dent turns into the vigilante Two-Face and seeks vengeance against Gordon for Rachel's death. Two-Face kidnaps Gordon's wife and two children, and forces Gordon to plead for their lives at the site of Rachel's death. He flips his trademark coin to decide whether Gordon's son should die, but Batman tackles Two-Face off the building, killing Dent. In order to preserve Dent's image as the city's 'White Knight', Batman decides to take the blame for all of Two-Face's murders, so that the public will never know of Two-Face's rampage and Dent's prosecution of the mob will remain intact. Gordon reluctantly agrees. After eulogizing Dent as a hero to the city, Gordon destroys the Bat-Signal in front of the GCPD and calls for a manhunt against Batman. As Batman flees, Gordon assures his son that Batman is not just a hero: Batman is a 'Dark Knight'.

• In The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Gordon feels remorse for concealing Harvey Dent's crimes, and contemplates resigning and revealing the truth to the city. By now, Gordon's wife has left him and taken their children. Bane's men shoot Gordon, putting him in critical condition. A disguised Bruce Wayne visits him in the hospital, and Gordon implores his former ally to return to crimefighting. He also befriends John Blake and promotes the rookie police officer as a detective after seeing in the young man the dedication and idealism he once had. After Bane defeats Batman and traps most of the Gotham City Police Department underground, Gordon gets himself out of bed and defeats the League of Shadows operatives who tried to kill him in his hospital room. Bane publicly exposes Dent's crimes and Gordon's complicity in the coverup, and takes Gordon and his men prisoner. Gordon and the police officers with him are later apprehended by Bane's man and taken to Jonathan Crane's show trial (which Crane refers to as a "sentencing hearing") where they are given a choice between death or exile. Gordon tells Crane that they aren't going on the ice willingly and would rather prefer death. Crane sentences Gordon and his men to "death by exile" (being forced to walk across the frozen river only to fall in part way across upon coming onto the thin ice), but is saved by Batman who takes out the men overseeing this sentence. Gordon later finds a truck carrying a nuclear bomb meant to annihilate the city and places a device on it to block the trigger signal. In the final battle against Bane, Talia al Ghul, and the League of Shadows, Batman cryptically reveals his true identity to Gordon before apparently sacrificing himself to thwart the League of Shadows' plan to destroy the city. After giving the eulogy at Bruce Wayne's funeral, Gordon discovers the Bat-Signal has been repaired.

Animated

• In Justice League: The New Frontier, the character makes a cameo appearance in the interrogation scene with King Faraday and Martian Manhunter.
• James Gordon appeared in Batman: Gotham Knight, voiced by Jim Meskimen.
• Commissioner Gordon makes a cameo appearance in Batman: Under the Red Hood (voiced by Gary Cole albeit uncredited) during the showdown between the Joker and the Red Hood.
• Emmy award-winner Bryan Cranston voiced Lt. James Gordon in the animated film adaptation of Batman: Year One.
• Commissioner Gordon appears in the two-part Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, voiced by David Selby.
• Commissioner Gordon appears in Lego Batman: The Movie - DC Super Heroes Unite, an adaptation of the video game of the same name, with Townsend Coleman reprising his role.
• Commissioner Gordon appears in Son of Batman, voiced by Bruce Thomas.
• Commissioner Gordon appears in Batman: Assault on Arkham, voiced by Chris Cox.
• Commissioner Gordon appears in Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts, voiced by Richard Epcar.
• Commissioner Gordon appears in Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem, voiced again by Richard Epcar.

Video games

• James Gordon appears in the Batman Begins video game tie-in voiced by Fred Tatasciore
• Commissioner Gordon appears in Lego Batman: The Video Game for the PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Wii, PlayStation 2, PC, and Xbox 360. He serves as a boss in the villains' story (with the exception of the DS version) and is a playable character. His vocal effects are provided by Keith Ferguson.
• Commissioner Gordon appears in Batman: Arkham Asylum, voiced by Tom Kane. He is introduced accompanying Batman with the readmission of the recently captured Joker in the beginning of the game. Once Joker breaks free Batman tells Gordon to alert the Warden and goes after Joker. Once Batman follows Joker to the other end of intensive treatment, Joker shows video footage of Frank Boles (a guard working with Joker) taking Gordon hostage. On the way to free Gordon, Batman encounters the Scarecrow dragging Gordon away and apparently kills him. It is later revealed the dead person Batman found earlier was actually a guard who had been seen as Gordon due to Scarecrow's gas. Though Boles is quickly killed once Joker realizes the guard was being tracked by Batman, Harley Quinn keeps Gordon under watch in the medical facility. Batman arrives to stop Harley and frees Gordon informing him that Bane is also in the area. After the battle with Bane, which results in the Batmobile destroyed and Bane underwater, Gordon boards a ferry with a guard to be sent back to Gotham by Batman to handle the bomb case. Gordon isn't seen again until the end of the game when Batman confronts Joker for the final time. Once the Dark Knight defeats the two Titan-induced guards and multiple Joker goons, Gordon is dropped from the ceiling tied up (how, when and why he returned to the island is never explained but the officer driving the boat could have been another one of Joker's "inside men"). Joker aims the Titan dart gun at Gordon and pulls the trigger, but Batman quickly jumps in front of Gordon taking a hit for him. Joker then uses the Titan on himself. Gordon is later seen on the roof strapped to an electric chair while Titan Joker and Batman (who uses the cure on himself) battle. Once Joker is defeated, Gordon and Batman are quickly joined by multiple members of GCPD and SWAT members. Gordon is talking to his daughter Barbara Gordon (a.k.a. Oracle) about the events that night. Gordon offers a ride home to Batman, considering the Batmobile was destroyed, when an alert on Gordon's radio states that Two-Face has robbed Gotham's second national bank and watches as Batman takes off in the Batwing. It is also mentioned in a Scarecrow-induced flashback that Gordon was the only officer who was sympathetic to the young Bruce Wayne on the night his parents were murdered. He also appears in the Joker challenge maps on the PS3 version where he joins Arkham guards on fighting Joker.
• Commissioner Gordon appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by Ken Webster. He appears as a supporting character for the heroes.
• Commissioner Gordon appears in Batman: Arkham City, voiced by David Kaye. He sends cops led by Sergeant Tom Miller to find out what Arkham City is really about. He appears at the end of the game right before the credits, repeatedly asking an unresponsive Batman about what happened within Arkham City while Batman was carrying away the Joker's corpse. Scanning the radio for the GCPD signal shortly after Bruce Wayne's arrest in the game will give the player a sound bit of him telling a dispatcher to inform all officers to take arrests to GCPD instead of Arkham City because as he puts it "Wayne's lawyers will have a field day with this.". Gordon also appears in the DLC Harley Quinn's Revenge, being another one of the Dark Knight's allies that is concerned about his mental state since Joker's death.
• Commissioner Gordon appears in Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, voiced by Townsend Coleman.
• Commissioner Gordon makes a cameo appearance in Injustice: Gods Among Us. In the opening scene (which takes place in an alternate reality), he is seen watching the news about the Joker destroying Metropolis with a nuclear missile. In Batgirl's ending, it was revealed that the alternate version of her father was killed by the Regime for aiding the Insurgency.
• James Gordon is featured in Batman: Arkham Origins, voiced by Michael Gough. He still has his orange hair and is depicted as a GCPD Captain. Being set over a decade in the past, Gordon has yet to forge an alliance with Batman, seeing the Dark Knight as a menace and a lunatic, as opposed to his daughter Barbara Gordon seeing the vigilante as a hero he is. During Batman's break-in at the GCPD, Batman runs into Gordon while trying to escape and harmlessly disarms him, futilely trying to explain that they're on the same side. After saving Gordon's life when SWAT leader Branden nearly shoots him by accident, he escapes, though Gordon is knocked out in the process. Gordon later appears arresting Joker after the firefight at the Royal Hotel, and later again when he takes control of the police to stop Firefly from demolishing the bridge. When Batman arrives, he refuses to listen to his warnings about the bombs and insists Batman surrender to Firefly. Eventually he sees reason and the bomb squad disables the last bomb, allowing Batman to defeat Firefly. When the Joker takes over Blackgate Prison, Gordon arrives to stop the chaos only for his life to be put in danger when Joker straps him to an electric chair that will go off if Batman does not kill Bane in time. Batman momentarily stops Bane's heart in time to save Gordon, and the two work together to defeat Joker. Though Gordon still feels obligated to arrest Batman, the latter disappears, and Gordon decides the city needs Batman. He later reluctantly requests Batman's help in rounding up several escaped Blackgate prisoners.
• James Gordon is featured in Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate.
• Gordon appears in Batman: Arkham Knight, voiced by Jonathan Banks. In the story, Gordon loses trust in Batman after Barbara is kidnapped by Scarecrow and Batman revealed that she was kidnapped because she was working with him. He tries to go after Scarecrow himself but gets captured and witnesses the confrontation between the Arkham Knight and Batman, making him discover that Batman's Bruce Wayne. They confront Scarecrow on the roof of the building where Scarecrow orders Gordon to kill Batman to save Barbara. He shoots Batman but Crane throws Barbara regardless. However Gordon shot Batman in the chest piece on purpose (since it has extra armor) and Batman saves Barbara as Gordon is kidnapped by the Scarecrow with Robin. Scarecrow forces Gordon to unmask Batman on live television. When Batman finally defeats Scarecrow, Bruce tells Gordon to look after Tim and Barbara as it is the end for Batman. In the epilogue, Gordon became the mayor of Gotham City and goes to meet with his daughter.
• The Dark Knight Trilogy iteration of James Gordon appears in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.

Miscellaneous

• In the "Batmobile" OnStar commercial, Batman calls Gordon to tell him he will be coming to meet him. An unknown actor says "Gordon here" when Batman calls.
• In several comics during 1992, such as Action Comics #673, DC ran full-page advertisements on behalf of the American Heart Association showing a picture of Gordon in a hospital bed. The text of the ad explained that Gordon had a heart attack due to stress, poor diet, lack of exercise and tobacco use. Since then, DC has had Gordon living a more healthy lifestyle.
• James Gordon is portrayed by Lauren Lopez in the web-musical, Holy Musical B@man!
• In the Saturday Night Live digital skit "Commissioner Gordon Learns Batman has no Boundaries", he is portrayed by Steve Buscemi (who was hosting the episode that this sketch was in).

External links

• James Gordon on DC Database, a DC Comics wiki