Young Justice: Outsiders - 6 Major Questions After The First Three Episodes

4. Was Batgirl Shot By The Joker?

Young Justice Outsiders 1
DC Universe

One of the show's most subtle changes could actually have had major repercussions for one of Season 2's core characters.

Throughout the Season 3 premiere, Dick received intel from Barbara Gordon via his comms, who was now using the Oracle codename. Barbara has been sort of a regular presence on the show since the beginning, cameoing in Season 1 at Dick's high school before becoming a fully-fledged member of the team in Season 2 as Batgirl. While evolving into another persona is the natural progression for any superhero, the shift to Oracle is a rather troubling one.

Fans of the comics will know that, in the infamous Killing Joke arc, Barbara's career as Batgirl comes to an end when she is shot and paralyzed by the Joker. Unwilling to stop fighting the good fight, she adopts the Oracle moniker and assists the Bat-Family from the Batcave, watching their backs from the Bat-computer and providing them with valuable intel via comms.

Could Babs' sudden persona-change suggest that she suffered a similar fate to her comic book counterpart? It's certainly plausible, given how unhinged the Young Justice Joker is. But until we actually see her (or hear about the event from another character), all we can do is speculate. However, her unknown Oracle origins doesn't necessarily explain her (and Dick's) seemingly unusual behaviour.

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Michael Patterson is an experienced writer with an affinity for all things film and TV. He may or may not have spent his childhood obsessing over WWE.