COMMISSIONER GORDON

Real Name: James Gordon

Class: Parallel Earth (Earth-2) human

Occupation: Police commissioner

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: Barbara (wife), Tony (son), John Gordon (great grandfather)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Gotham City, Earth-2

First Appearance: Detective Comics I #27 (May, 1939)

Powers: Gordon was a skilled law enforcement agent.

History: 

(Batman I #2) - Gordon and his men tried to keep Crime Syndicate Inc. from freeing the Joker from prison hospital, but were drawn away from the scene by Circus Charlie, a hood posing as Batman.

(Batman I #2) - Gordon investigated the murder of rich Harley Stone, and allowed his friend Bruce Wayne to come along to a reading of his will. Bruce, as Batman, deduced that Harley s lawyer Ward was the killer.

(Batman I #3) - Gordon assigned Detective McGonigle to track down the Ugly Horde, who were destroying beautiful works of art in Gotham City. McGonigle was obsessed with bringing Batman to justice, but Gordon wanted to dissuade him from arresting the vigilante that solved most of Gotham s major criminal cases.

(Batman I #3) - Cat-Woman made a fool of the police evading their best efforts while robbing the rich and famous, so Gordon put McGonigle on the case. Cat-Woman was stopped thanks to Batman, who gave McGonigle the credit.

(World's Best Comics #1) - Bruce Wayne was chatting away with Commissioner Gordon, who wished he'd find a serious pursuit in life when an officer informed them that mystery writer Erik Dorne had been murdered, and his butler reported the assailant as a witch. Bruce said the case sounded exciting, and Gordon allowed him toi follow the investigation. They examined the crime scene, and were soon greeted by demonologist Joshua Grimm, who knew Dorne, and was interested in his new work after he dropped a hint that it was about a witch. Dorne's publisher Mr. Wright arrived, shocked that his author was dead, and claimed that Dorne promised him a new manuscript. Bruce followed Gordon in following some leads, Dorne's aunt who looked like a witch and was bitter that Dorne never shared his publishing money, and his estranged wife Jane Ware, who was playing a witch in a theatre production, and was hoping her husband woulkd die so she could marry her lover. Bruce claimed the case was too complex for him, and wished Gordon good luck. Bruce changed to Batman, and realizing that Dorne was killed because of his manuscript, and deducing that Wright was the only one who fully knew its' contents, brought the publisher, who Dorne was trying to expose as a fifth columnist, to justice.

(Batman I #6) - Gordon investigated the deaths of Hobbs Clock Company stockholders, and Bruce Wayne helped him figure out that they'd been done in by boobytraps in their clocks. As Batman, Bruce foiled the killer, stockholder Atkins, who wanted to own Hobbs outright.

(Batman I #6) - Gordon let his friend Bruce Wayne know about the problems he was having on "Suicide Beat," a neighborhood run by gangster Fancy Dan. Every cop sent there ended up dying, so Bruce, as Batman, investigated.

(Batman I #7) - The Joker assembled a mob of practical jokers, and wrecked havoc in Gotham. The Joker sent a notice to the police, daring them to stop him, and mocked Batman. Commissioner Gordon was furious, but was calmed down by Bruce Wayne. Bruce, as Batman, foiled the Joker.

(Batman I #7) - Batman learned that Granda the Mystic was hypnotizing wealthy clients, learning their secrets, and blackmailing them. Batman tipped off Commissioner Gordon, but the Gotham City police failed to locate the secret room where Granda kept records of his victims confessing their secrets. Batman posed as a goon who hired Ganda to uncover Batman's identity. Ganda had his men kidnap Batman's friend Linda Page, but Batman stopped the abduction, and disguised himself as Ganda's goon. Granda was shocked to see the hero, and fled, leading Batman on a high speed chase before being caught by Batman and Gordon.

(Batman I #7) - Freddie Hill wanted to take over gangster Horatio Delmar's rackets, so he ordered his murder, and had his triggerman Weasel Venner frame Bruce Wayne. Commissioner Gordon had no choice but to arrest Bruce, and Robin promised to clear his name. Hill was worried Venner might confess to his crime, so he ordered his death as well. Robin tried to stop him, but Hill's men managed to run down Venner with a car, putting him in a coma. Hill had oe of his goons dress up as Batman to finish of Venner in the hospital, and although he was stopped, Batman became a wanted man. Robin broke out Bruce, and they confronted Hill, but were defeated, tied to weights and tossed off a pier. They escaped, subdued Hill, and took records of his crimes to the Gotham courthouse, where the court was having a hearing on the Wayne case. Hill demanded that Batman be arrested, and Gordon gave a rousing speech about the good Batman had done, and the occasional necessity of having people willing to work unhampered by the law. The nearly dead but conscious Weasel made his way to the courtroom and confessed to framing Wayne, putting the finger on Hill before he died.

Commissioner Gordon was erased from DC continuity by the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Comments: Created by Bob Kane & Bill Finger.