(JLA #88) - The Burning needed fire and chaos to reproduce, and the JLA stood in his way, so in order to distract them he sent out mental waves that would make people attack the JLA’s loved ones on sight. Robin and Batgirl saved Alfred from an incensed mob.

(Superman / Batman #5) - President Luthor blamed Superman for the kryptonite asteroid heading towards Earth, and put out a warrant for his arrest. He prematurely announced the capture of Superman, and Batman, who was aiding him, leading members of the Superman and Batman Families, including Batgirl, to raid the White House to rescue their friends. The Batman Family made it to the oval office, but Luthor knocked them out with nerve gas, but Batman and Superman broke into the White House and freed their friends.

(Detective Comics I #790) - Batgirl accompanied Batman in questioning G.H.D. dealer Derek, who only talked about his supplier after Batman threw him out a window. Batgirl was worried about Batman, because he seemed more violent and intense than usual. Batman took Batgirl to the grave of Jason Todd, and told her it would have been his 18th birthday today.

(Batgirl I #51, 52) - The GCPD were in a highspeed chase with criminals, and Batman blew out their tires with a batarang while Batgirl saved a homeless man they almost ran over. The old man was distracted because he was making chalk drawings on the sidewalk, and he told Batgirl he was drawing his vision of a perfect Gotham city that he’d seen in dreams. Batman worried about the man’s mental stability, but admitted some nights he wished Gotham City could actually be replaced by a utopia. Oracle dragged Cassandra Cain to Chris Colson’s art opening. Colson was an installation artist known for transforming environments, and Bruce Wayne funded his project of transforming two city blocks of Gotham destroyed during the earthquake into art. Cassandra wasn’t keen on going, but Barbara reminded her there was more to life than crimefighting and she needed to experience new things. Bruce Wayne unveiled the project, with Colson having transformed the blocks into a luscious garden he proclaimed as a recreation of the original Garden of Eden. Bruce Wayne fell ill and had to leave the event, and Cassandra was disturbed that the garden had a strange effect on the patrons, as they stripped nude and gave into base desires. Cassandra had to leave, changing into Batgirl and returning to her comfort zone, fighting ninjas. As night fell the patrons turned more animalistic and started attacking each other savagely and Batgirl investigated. Oracle was in a feral state and attacked Batgirl, who had to restrain her. Batgirl found Chris Colson tied up in vines and hanging from a tree. He told batgirl that Poison Ivy inspired his art installation and grew the entire garden from a single seed, but he never knew what she was planning. Colson’s garden was spreading out across the city, and when he questioned Poison Ivy she told him she no longer had a use for him. Poison Ivy gathered the patrons, telling them she was glad the hallucinogenic properties of her garden’s flowers had forced them to return to nature, and said they should reject city life, which mother nature considered an abomination. Poison Ivy bragged about how her garden would turn all of Gotham into a new Garden of Eden, but Batgirl foiled her, setting the garden on fire. Batman commended Batgirl on her actions, and Batgirl checked in on her homeless friend dreaming of a better Gotham, and nodded approvingly.

(Batgirl I #53) - Batgirl broke up an arms deal, but when the crooks broke out a hi-tech gun she called Batman for backup. Batman sent his new Robin Stephanie Brown her way, and they brought the hi-tech gun to Oracle. Oracle told them the gun was a Masami NK-4, commissioned by the British government and manufactured in an arms lab in Kyoto. Only five were made, and they were all promptly stolen. Penguin was behind the arms deal and had already gotten his hands on the other four. Batgirl and Robin went to confront him, and Robin was overjoyed that Batman had chosen her to be his new partner, saying it was a dream come true. Batgirl and spoiler leaned heavily on Penguin’s men, learning that he was using his underlings with children to have their kids courier the remaining guns. Melanie, the daughter of Penguin henchman Roy brought a backpack to a bar, delivering the gun to a crook named the Gouger. Gouger decided not to pay and Melanie said she’d call the cops because she wouldn’t let him rip off her dad so gouger ordered his men to kill her. Batgirl and Robin showed up in time to protect Melanie and subdue Gouger and his men. After the rest of the NK-4s were recovered Batgirl and Robin confronted Penguin, who was irritated that they’d foiled his business operation but assured them his underlings would serve jail time but he wouldn’t because he had the best lawyers in Gotham. Robin attacked him but Batgirl pulled her off. Robin said she remembered when her father the Cluemaster was arrested for the first time, and she didn’t know who to hate more, her father, the police or the world for letting it happen. Robin wished she knew what it would take to remove people like Penguin from the lives of children.

(Batgirl I #54) - Batgirl and Oracle investigated when author Simon Sherwood was killed during a book signing and the book store was burned down. Oracle’s research showed that Sherwood was the author of The Mars Conspiracy, and the publisher’s office and distributor’s warehouse had both been blown up. The only remaining copy of Sherwood’s book was at Gotham’s central library. Batgirl went to the library after hours and the librarian Emily presented her with the Mars Conspiracy, but a robot broke into the library. Batgirl kept Emily safe and evaded the robot, who was shooting up the library. Emily skimmed the book, which was about Sherwood’s time working for a shadowy group to develop the AI for a cybernetic assassin named Project Mars. He regretted working for them and his book was an expose on their terrifying goals. Batgirl reasoned that the shadowy group didn’t want their secrets exposed, and was having their robot destroy every last copy of the book. Batgirl wanted to take Emily to safety, but she couldn’t bear to let Project Mars destroy the library. The book hinted that their was a self-destruct command for Project Mars, and Batgirl fought with the robot to buy Emily time to find it in the book. Emily found the command and circled it with a highlighter, but Project Mars knocked her out. Batgirl still couldn’t read, and tried describing the letters via headset to a frustrated Oracle, who blew up at her for spending all her time studying martial arts and not knowing the alphabet. Batgirl presented the book to Project Mars, who read the highlighted command “Peace” and blew up. Oracle wished their was some way to trace the group that created Mars, but when he blew up so did the last copy of the Mars Conspiracy. Oracle apologized for blowing up on Batgirl in the heat of the moment but Batgirl was deeply hurt by her comments. Spoiler approached Batgirl, telling her that Batman had fired her as Robin because she couldn’t cut it. Spoiler thanked Batgirl for her friendship and said she wasn’t giving up on crimefighting and would prove to the whole Bat-Family that she was worthy.

(Batgirl I #55) - During Gotham’s gang war Oracle and Batgirl did their best to contain the situation. Batgirl stopped the Odessa Mob from killing a four year old boy who’s family was in the mafia, and Oracle realized things were escalating beyond control. Oracle received a report that after a botched hit there was a major gun battle at Louis Grieve Memorial High, Tim Drake’s school, and phoned in Batman. Batgirl was distressed that no one knew where Stephanie Brown was and found her trying to quell the gang war as Spoiler. Spoiler said she was only trying to help and Batgirl begged her to go home and stay out of it. Spoiler agreed, but Batgirl sensed she was lying to her. Orascle coordinated while Batman and Batgirl slipped into Louis Grieve when shots suddenly rang out.

(Batgirl I #56) - The gang wars turned Gotham City into a warzone, and Batgirl did her best to deal with the carnage. She visited Leslie Thompkins at her clinic, which she was operating under triage conditions to deal with gang war casualties. Batgirl asked Leslie where Spoiler was, but Leslie said she had no idea. She blamed Batman for starting the gang war, and said she had lives to save. Lynx claimed Leslie’s clinic as the Golden Dragons field hospital, and while Leslie said she’d treat anyone she couldn’t allow Lynx to drag the clinic into turf battles. Lynx was ready to attack Leslie when Batgirl defended her, so Lynx ordered her men to kill them both.Batgirl was more than a match for the Golden Dragons, so Lynx entered a trance to channel the ghost dragon martial arts. Lynx and Batgirl fought throughout the clinic, and when the fight turned in Batgirl’s favor one of Lynx’s underlings tried to interfere. He unsheathed his sword and swung, but accidentally struck Lynx, seemingly killing her. Leslie ordered Batgirl out, saying she’d turned her clinic into a morgue.

(Batgirl I #57) - Oracle contacted Batgirl, asking her to check in with Onyx, who was dealing with Killer Croc’s gang. The gang beat Onyx, demanding to know what batman did with Croc, but she refused to speak. Batgirl waded into the conflict, making short work of Croc’s men. One of them put a gun to Onyx’ head demanding Batgirl stand down but Onyx disarmed him. Onyx told Batgirl someone had evidently taken control of the gang wars situation, and it wasn’t the Bat-Family. The Escabedo Family, Odessa Mob and ghost Dragons got a message to rendezvous at Gotham Central. Black Mask told reporter Arturo Rodriguez he had quite a scoop for him and forced his cameraman to film him. Black Mask declared himself the undisputed crime lord of Gotham, a man with a heart as dark as the city, which proved they deserved each other. Black Mask said Batman was part of gotham’s darkness, as he’d beaten and crippled countless individuals in his war on crime, and claimed Batman was no better than those he fought against. Black Mask said Batman’s time was through, and said he was going to reveal the location of the Batcave.

(Robin II #132, Batgirl I #58) - At Batman’s suggestion Batgirl started keeping a tape recorder on her to record a journal of her activities, and she moved her operations to Bludhaven to keep an eye on Robin. Shrike attacked Robin, saying he was making several underworld bosses uncomfortable, and beat him brutally until Batgirl arrived to save Robin. Batgirl beat Shrike until he was in danger of dying from blood loss and called EMTs, but Shrike refused to talk about why he targeted Robin or who he worked for. Batgirl consoled Robin about Spoiler’s death, saying spoiler was one of the few friends she made in her life and she wasn’t sure how to handle her loss. Batgirl said Batman told her she and Robin could learn from each other, and he agreed to work with her. They planned on meeting Nightwing’s contacts in Bludhaven PD and investigating sightings of the supposedly deceased crimelord Blockbuster. Bludhaven PD officers Amy Rohrback and Gannon Malloy were skeptical about working with Batgirl and Robin, but Commissioner Phil Addad insisted that Bludhaven needed them with Nightwing gone. Rohrbach admitted that Bludhaven PD were keeping Blockbuster’s body in the morgue for the D.E.O., but when they came to retrieve the corpse it had vanished. Rohrback suggested Batgirl and Robin speak to Blockbuster’s attorney Calvin Westbrook, who had control of his estate. Addad wasn’t sure if Blockbuster was still alive, but knew that someone had already made moves to take control of his criminal empire. The duo broke into the estate only to be confronted by the seemingly still living Blockbuster.

(Robin II #133, Batgirl I #59) - It turned out that Penguin had moved to Bludhaven and took over Blockbuster’s criminal empire. At no small expense Penguin had Blockbuster’s corpse stuffed, mounted and put on display to assert his dominance. Penguin said he specifically came to Bludhaven to get away from the Bat-Family, and was angered Batgirl and Robin hadn’t been driven off by Shrike. Penguin had his criminal army, including the Trigger Twins and Brutale attack the heroes. Batgirl and Robin were outnumbered, but Penguin’s gun-happy goons kept taking each other out with friendly fire. Penguin’s henchman Gas Bag released a knockout gas and when Batgirl and Robin woke they found themselves tied up. Penguin planned to unmask the heroes to expose their identities and then kill them. His henchman Two-Ton asked if he could have the honor of unmasking them, as it would boost his rep. Several other goons started bidding for the honor, so Penguin decided to auction off the unmasking rights, calling in several other gang leaders including Little Willie, Fat Willie and Lavender Bob. Little Willie won the auction, but realizing they had hours to kill before Willie could arrive in Bludhaven Penguin decided to free the heroes and pit Batgirl against Robin, with all his goons placing bets on the winner. Penguin said he didn’t want anyone to feel cheated, so he declared it a fight to the death. Robin hoped that Batgirl could read him and work with him on a plan. Batgirl and Robin fought, taking time to work out some personal issues, especially with how they related to Batman. Batgirl took the dive, and Penguin handed Robin a gun, demanding he finish her off. Robin shot Batgirl, aiming for her shoulder, and when Penguin checked on her she attacked him. Penguin ordered Gas Bag to gas them, but he was recalcitrant, saying Penguin tried to fix the fight. Batgirl and Robin fled Penguin’s estate, taking out both Brutale and the Trigger Twins. Back at Robin’s Nest he apologized that he had to hurt Batgirl to escape, and she revealed that she’d been shot many times before by her father David Cane during her training. Batgirl respected Robin for wanting to be his own man, but she said she intended to replace Batman one day. They disagreed over how Batman handled the gang wars, with Robin saying Batman went too far and Batgirl saying he didn’t go far enough. They agreed to go their own ways operating in Bludhaven, because their goals and methods were too different.

(Batgirl I #60-62) - Batgirl called in Onyx to continue her training, knowing that training with her would be different than training with Batman because she was once an assassin like Batgirl’s father David Cane. Onyx was impressed with Batgirl’s killer instinct, but said she needed to connect with the people of Bludhaven on a personal level or there would be no point in fighting for them. Batgirl needed to flex her muscles and knew trouble wouldn’t be hard to find in Bludhaven. She foiled a deli robbery, doing her best impression of Batman to intimidate the perps. They led her to their boss, Marquis, who she intimidated into becoming her criminal informant. Alfred visited Batgirl, informing her he’d set her up with her own remote Batcave with Bruce Wayne’s help. Bruce purchased an apartment complex with a passage to an abandoned subway station equipped with its’ own Batcomputer. Marquis called up Batgirl to inform her that Penguin had smuggled in arms and somehow got them through customs. Batgirl decided to explore her new neighborhood as Cassandra Cain and visited the Fort Joseph cafe she met Alfred in. Brenda Miller was the owner, and was dealing with McSweeny Realty, who were buying up the neighborhood and pressuring her to sell to them. Cassandra commiserated with Brenda, who recognized that there was something very different about her customer. Batgirl visited the Island Point houseboat of customs agent Parker, who’d let Penguin’s shipment slip through. She found Parker’s corpse; Penguin hired the Brotherhood of Evil to ensure he got his arms, and Brotherhood member Gemini killed Parker and disguised herself as him. Batgirl was ambushed by the Brotherhood, who beat her severely. During the fight a fire started, blowing up the houseboat. Batgirl survived, but found herself drowning in the harbor. As her life flashed before her eyes she had a vision of Spoiler, who said she should come with her. Spoiler showed Batgirl her life, and she relived her own birth and was confident she recognized her mother’s voice even though she’d never met her. The vision of Spoiler told her she had to fight and had to survive. Batgirl’s instincts kicked in as she swam to the surface. She studied tapes of the Brotherhood fighting the Justice League of America and the titans to learn their strengths and weaknesses. She realized Gemini was the daughter of original Brotherhood member Madame Rouge and felt for her, wondering if her mother corrupted her like David Cain tried to corrupt Batgirl. Penguin was ready to complete the arms deal, meeting with Society members Lex Luthor, Deathstroke and Calculator. The Brotherhood had assured him Batgirl would no longer be a problem, but Deathstroke was skeptical, knowing how resilient and dangerous Batgirl was. Batgirl defeated the Brotherhood and tipped off Amy Rohrbach and Gannon Malloy of the GCPD, but Penguin got tipped off that the arms deal was a buist and flew away from his meeting with the Brotherhood.

(Batgirl I #63, 64) - Batgirl told Batman about how McSweeny Realty was buying up Bludhaven and forcing business-owners out of the city. Batman issued grants through the Wayne Foundation to save Batgirl’s new friend Brenda Miller’s cafe from McSweeny. Batman commended Batgirl on being interested in community building. He also warned her that when she foiled Penguin’s arm deal she hurt his standing with The Society, and he’d be seeking revenge. Brenda threw a party to celebrate her windfall, and invited Cassandra, saying that whatever she did with her free time she clearly needed a night off. Cassandra pushed herself to socialize and was thrilled to have her first experience in a mosh pit at the party. A fire started at the Braunstein’s business, so Cassandra changed into Batgirl to investigate. Deatstroke, who’d been contracted by Penguin, had started the fire and snapped Mrs. Braunstein’s neck in front of Batgirl. Deathstroke and Batgirl fought across Bludhaven, and Batgirl could sense he was toying with her. Deathstroke admitted as much, and introduced his daughter Ravager to Batgirl, saying he was saving-the killing blow for her. Ravager was incredibly skilled, but during their fight Batgirl realized how inexperienced she was and temporarily knocked her out. Batgirl saw a lot of herself in Ravager, since both their fathers raised them to be killers. Deathstroke hadn’t interfered in the fight and didn’t retaliate when Batgirl called him pathetic for what he’d done to his daughter. Ravager recovered, promised her father she wouldn’t fail him, and pursued Batgirl, who truly felt for her because it was obvious everything she did was to win her father’s approval. Batgirl fled to an underground tennel system, not wanting any onlookers to get hurt when Ravager caught up to her. Ravager soon found her, with Deathstroke still observing. During the fight Batgirl staid on the defensive and waited for ravager to look to her father for approval and took the opportunity to disarm her. Batgirl used Ravager’s own sword to stab her in the throat, forcing Deathstroke to save his daughter and get her emergency medical treatment. Batgirl knew their fight was far from over, and that Deathstroke would force Ravager to complete her test and go after Batgirl again one day.

(Batgirl I #65) - With Father’s Day coming Batgirl fell into a depressive move. She started wondering who her mother was, and asked Batman if he had any idea. They both suspected that her mother might be Lady Siva, and Batman remembered when he erred thinking Shiva was Jason Todd’s mother. Batman offered to help Batgirl in any way he could finding her mother, but she decided to embark on the quest by herself. Since she was in town Batgirl rang up Onyx, asking for a sparring session to blow off some steam. Onyx noted that her fighting style was more ruthless than usual, and said she felt light she was going a round with Lady Siva. Batgirl asked her if she thought Shiva might be her mother. Onyx only knew Shiva after when someone Batgirl’s age would have been born, but did remember that she had a complicated relationship with David Cain. She visited Cain in prison as Cassandra Cain, and he was pleased to really talk to her in the first time in years. She said she needed something, and Cain said he’d help her any way he could, but when she asked who her mother was he clammed up. She later broke into the prison as Batgirl and fought Cain, who said he wouldn’t reveal her mother’s identity even if she killed him because he’d made a promise. Cain had lost his edge in prison and batgirl had become more skilled over the years so she was able to dominate him and beat him to a pulp. Cain was pleased with her progress, but still wouldn’t talk, and he cracked a smile when she left a flower and a Father’s Day card on his battered body.

(Batgirl I #66) - Cassandra made the decision to leave Bludhaven and find Lady Shiva to find out if she was really her mother. She was sad to leave, finally having a place to call a home after so long on the move, and gave her houseplant to Brenda Miller, asking her to take care of it until she returned. She ran into the mysterious but somehow familiar boy she’d seen around and he introduced himself as Zero. She took him on a motorcycle ride and they talked into the night, even sharing a kiss before she left town. Shiva’s last known address was in Detroit, so Cassandra rode out, stopping to get food at a roadhouse called the Chomp ‘n Chug. The bar was crowded with bikers, and when one of them disrespected Cassandra beast of a man named Verraco, the road hog clocked him. He tried to intimidate Cassandra, and was impressed when she stood up to him. He was even more impressed when she broke one of his fingers after he put his hand on her shoulder and was itching to fight her. Cassandra downed him with a judo toss and continued on her journey. She found Shiva’s former apartment building and showed a picture of Shiva to an elderly neighbor, hoping she’d recognize her. Verraco had followed her all the way to Detroit, wanting a rematch. They fought across the neighborhood, and an enraged Verraco threw a car at Cassandra. She ducked, but the car hit the old woman. The woman turned out to be an OMAC, and quickly neutralized Verraco before flying off with him. Cassandra was intrigued by what had just happened, but was focused on continuing her quest.

(Batgirl I #67) - Batgirl went to see Ben Turner, who’d quit the life of a mercenary to open up Tiger’s Dojo in Detroit. Ben assumed she wanted revenge for his part in raising her to be a living weapon, and he said he deserved whatever she had in mind. Batgirl had no interest in revenge, only wanting to know more about her past and Lady Shiva. Ben told her that when Ra’s al Ghul became distrustful of most of his mercenaries he was willing to listen to David Cain’s ideas on raising a child to be a loyal assassin. Ra’s provided him with test subjects, who went mad within months of training and all ended up dead at each other’s hands except for one young boy nicknamed Mad dog who Ra’s decided to have an Ubu put down. Cain then narrowed his plan to raise but one living weapon and had a few failures before Cassandra was born. Ben admitted his suspicions that Shiva was her mother, but said only she could tell her for certain. Ben was still ashamed of his passed, but humbled that the League of Assassins had raised Batgirl to be a killer but found her own path as a hero. Batgirl reluctantly contacted Oracle and the Birds of Prey, who picked her up on Aerie One. Oracle promised to dig up whatever intel she could on Lady Siva’s whereabouts. Black Canary took Batgril aside, saying she had a surprise for her and asked her to spar. Batgirl was shocked when Canary started using some of Lady Shiva’s moves and started choking her. Canary didn’t realize Batgirl was on Shiva’s trail and confided in her that she’d learned some of Shiva’s moves because they’d been in contact through letters. Shiva was offering to train and mentor Canary, but for now she was keeping it a secret from the other Birds of Prey. Oracle was keeping tabs on Nyssa Raatko, who was taking over what remained of Ra’s al Ghul’s criminal empire and still had connections with the League of Assassins. Batgirl speculated that Nyssa might recruit Shiva to be the League’s new Sensei and Lady Blackhawk flew her to Nyssa’s strong hold in the Balkans. Oracle made an effort to reconcile with Batgirl, saying she was incredibly special to her. Batgirl was amenable, and even listened when Oracle insisted she put effort in learning to read and write if she ever wanted to take over for Batman. Oracle did a brain scan and realized Batgirl’s language centers were spread all over both hemispheres of her brain, and that traditional ways of learning to read and write wouldn’t work well for her, so they’d come up with something else. Before they could continue the conversation Aerie One arrived in the Balkans, and Batgirl promised Oracle she wouldn’t be a stranger.

(Batgirl I #68-70) - Batgirl was correct that Nyssa had assembled a new League of Assassins and recruited Shiva as Sensei. Nyssa’s security systems detected Batgirl, but she wanted to see what would happen when she confronted Shiva. Batgirl found herself in Shiva’s dojo, where the new League all bowed down before her, calling her the One Who is All. Shiva said they respected her for being the League’s perfect living weapon and for having defeated Shiva in personal combat. Batgirl disliked their adulation, and liked it even less when Shiva said she’d be their teacher too. Shiva attacked Batgirl, reminding her they were supposed to have fought to the death, but admitting that she was grateful in a sense because Batgirl humbling her forced her to relearn. Batgirl demanded to know if Shiva was her mother, but she was evasive and asked Batgirl if she saw her creation or her destruction in Shiva’s eyes. Nyssa was intrigued, but didn’t want to risk either Batgirl or Shiva dying, and summoned her scientist Mr. Freeze, who froze Batgirl solid, putting an end to the fight. Nyssa told Shiva that Batgirl was her father’s investment in human engineering and she had every right to claim her property, but paused to see if Shiva would object, which she did not. Nyssa asked Batgirl if she was hoping Shiva would fight for her, if that would prove anything. Nyssa allowed Batgirl to remain frozen and told Shiva to carry on with instructing her students. Shiva broke up a sparring match between Alpha and Mad Dog to demonstrate her skills on Mad Dog, complementing his raw talent, but criticizing his focus and badly hurting him. Batgirl wondered what point she was trying to make, and realized that against her better nature watching Shiva elegantly hurt people gave her a feeling of exhilaration. Nyssa had a video conference with Society members Talia al Ghul, Penguin, Deathstroke, Merlyn and Calculator, telling them all was going well with Mr. Freeze’s research to create a machine that could freeze half the world’s oil supplies. She surprised them by revealing she had Batgirl as her captive and told Penguin he should pay her the bounty on Batgirl’s head. She also mocked Deathstroke, who still hoped his daughter Ravager would be the one to take Batgirl out, saying his daughter should set her sights lower and go after third-stringer Flamebird. After the conference Talia confided in Batgirl that she was only working with the Society for her own ends, and hoped to initiate a hostile takeover of the group alongside Talia. Nyssa was sure the Society would conquer the world and told Batgirl that once she was in charge Batgirl could fulfill her destiny as the finest product of the League of Assassins. Instead of busting drug gangs and supervillains she could help Nyssa stop the corporate greed that starved some people and killed other due to making medicine unaffordable or unavailable. Batgirl was unconvinced and Nyssa put her in Mr. Freeze’s lab to reflect on her offer. Mr. Freeze had only agreed to work with Nyssa and the Society because he’d been promised the Lazarus Pit could resurrect his wife Nora Fries. Batgirl convinced him he was being used as a useful tool, and both he and Nora deserved better. Freeze unfroze Batgirl and together they fought past the Ubus Nyssa set up as security for Freeze’s lab. They made their way to the Lazarus Pit and Freeze pushed Nora in, but she emerged furious and insane. Years of alterations by Mr. Freeze’s machines had altered Nora’s biochemistry, allowing her to internalize the fires of the Lazarus Pit. She blamed Mr. Freeze for turning her into a monster, and rechristening herself Lazara she started raising zombies from the grounds of Nyssa’s stronghold. Nyssa admitted that she built her stronghold on one of the sites where Milosevic committed genocide, saying she never wanted to forget what true evil was. Lazara’s powers also resurrected Joey N’Bobo. Nyssa confirmed that the resurrected were not truly alive, and Batgirl had no reason not to hold back against them. Shiva was impressed, and sent her League into the fray. Batgirl took time during the fight to tell Alpha he didn’t belong with the League, and that his belief that he was a born killer was ruing his life. Alpha saw wisdom in what she said and ducked out of the fight. The zombies threatened to overwhelm them, and killed Los Gemelos. Nyssa tried to kill Lazara, but Batgirl staid her hand, saying there had to be a better way. She admitted to Freeze that she’d made a terrible mistake, and asked him to freeze Lazara again. He said he would not, but he did have a plan to stop the carnage he’d inadvertently caused. He blew up the freeze machine he’d been working on for the Society, and Nyssa’s stronghold began collapsing under tons of ice. Batgirl fled to safety with League members Ox, Tigris and White Willow. She witnessed Mr. Freeze and Lazara making their escape as Freeze chased after his wife, begging her to stop her rampage. Ox, Tigris and Willow looked to Batgirl for guidance as to what to do next, and she wondered if she could show them a life path that would lead them away from being hired killers. Shiva survived, and told her students Mad Dog, Kitty Kumbata, Wam Wam and shrike that she had a contest for them, hunting Batgirl and her defectors.

(Batgirl I #71-73) - Batgirl, Ox, Tigris and White Willow fled into the woods with Shiva and her League of Assassins in pursuit. Batgirl reflected on the death and destruction her quest to learn about her past and her parentage had already caused, and wondered if her motives weren’t selfish. She missed Bludhaven and finally having a life of her own. Shrike, Kitty Kumbata, Wam Wam and Mad Dog ambushed them as Lady Shiva hung back and watched the action unfold. Unbeknownst to both groups Alpha was watching them from a nearby treetop. Batgirl ordered Ox, Willow and Tigris to flee while she dealt with the assassins, saying that none of them had the skills to live up to Shiva’s expectations or replace her one day, which is what Batgirl assumed they all hoped for. Her new allies returned to surprise the League, but when Ox bearhugged Wam Wam, Mad Dog stabbed him from behind with a sword, killing both combatants. Kitty Kumbata told her fellow assassins to flee, saying Mad dog was out of control and would kill them all. White Willow tried to attack Mad Dog, only for him to rip her throat out with his bare hands. Batgirl finally realized that Mad dog was David Cain’s first, failed experiment in creating the perfect assassin. Mad dog could so no goal further than killing whoever was around him when ordered, and called Batgirl his sister, promising he’d kill her too. Lady Shiva had convinced that Batgirl had stolen Mad Dog’s birthright after David Cain abandoned him. Alpha made his presence known, and tried to shoot Mad Dog, but Batgirl staid his hand as her adversary fled into the woods. Alpha told ?Batgirl that Mad dog could not change and was beyond redemption unlike them, but Batgirl insisted there would be no more killing under her watch and pursued Mad Dog by herself. Batgirl fought Mad Dog, insisting she could save him from himself, but he would not listen. Their fight ended when he stabbed Batgirl through the chest. Before she slipped into unconsciousness she told Alpha and Tigris she hoped she proved to them that they were worth saving and they could start a better life. Shiva picked up Batgirl’s lifeless form, saying she wasn’t supposed to die this way, and carried her off. Batgirl hallucinated Spoiler carrying her in her arms, saying she had a story to tell her before she died. Batgirl told Spoiler she finally wanted to live because she had a home, family and friends. Spoiler told her things didn’t always end the way you wanted them too and showed her a vision of Bludhaven, destroyed after the Society detonated Chemo over the city during the Battle for Bludhaven. Batgirl was shocked back to life when Lady Shiva put her in the Lazarus Pit. Shiva admitted to being Batgirl’s mother, but said Batman had taught her how to be her own person, which the League of Assassins could and would never do. Shiva told Batgirl how David Cain murdered her sister Carolyn Wu-San to bring out the rage in her. She originally wanted to kill Cain, but realized her sister had been holding her back and Cain had shown her what she was truly capable of. Batgirl asked Shiva how many she had killed after Batgirl spared her life. Shiva replied forty-eight and said she would never stop killing, but that Batgirl could stop her. Batgirl was ready to put an end to their conflict, and after an intense fight Batgirl snapped Lady Shiva’s neck. She wanted to put Shiva in the Lazarus Pit, but Shiva pleaded with her to allow her to die. Batgirl hung her from a meat-hook over the pit and shiva thanked her as she walked away. Cassandra no longer felt like she deserved the name Batgirl, considering herself just a runaway named Cain.

Comments: Created by Kelley Pucket and Damion Scott. 

Batgirl received profiles in Batgirl Secret Files and Origins #1, Batman Allies Secret Files and Origins 2005, Batman: No Man's Land Secret Files #1 and Birds of Prey Secret Files 2003. Batgirl received a profile in Batman: No Man's Land Secret Files #1 under the Batsquad entry.

Batgirl had a cameo in Batman I #683.

There were pin-ups of Batgirl in Batman: No-Man’s Land Gallery #1.