10 Superheroes Who Have NEVER Been Killed

4. Barbara Gordon

Daredevil Marvel
DC Comics

One of the most shocking moments in comic book history saw the Joker shoot Barbara Gordon at point-blank range in Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke. That attack saw a bullet go through Barbara’s spinal cord, resulting in her becoming a paraplegic. It was a truly shocking act, and one that DC didn't shy away from in the years following, with Babs remaining wheelchair bound until 2011's New 52 reboot.

Leaving the cape ‘n’ cowl behind her, Barbara used her intelligence and computer skills to become a different kind of hero: Oracle. So often, Oracle would be the one pulling the strings behind any plans the Bat-family were putting together. But then, well then things changed in 2011.

It was in 2011, you see, that the controversial decision was made to have Barbara regain her mobility and become Batgirl once more. DC argued that in a world of magical powers, alien forces, advanced technology and all matter of injuries and deaths being reversed, it was only fair that Barbara should regain the use of her legs. On the other side of the fence, many in the disabled community felt that this change took away a beloved superhero who they could relate to.

Regardless of all of this trauma, however, DC Comics has yet to kill off Barbara Gordon in its main continuity.

 
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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.