ut ▁of ▁Bat g irl " ▁( 1 9 6 7 ). ▁In ▁the ▁debut ▁story , ▁while ▁driving ▁to ▁a ▁cost ume ▁ball ▁dressed ▁as ▁a ▁female ▁version ▁of ▁Bat man , ▁Barbara ▁Gordon ▁interven es ▁in ▁a ▁kid n apping ▁attempt ▁on ▁Bruce ▁Wayne ▁by ▁the ▁super ▁villa in ▁K iller ▁M oth , ▁attract ing ▁Bat man ' s ▁attention ▁and ▁leading ▁to ▁a ▁crime - f ight ing ▁career . ▁Although ▁Bat man ▁ins ists ▁she ▁give ▁up ▁crime - f ight ing ▁because ▁of ▁her ▁gender , ▁Bat g irl ▁dis reg ards ▁his ▁ob jections . ▁ ▁In ▁her ▁civil ian ▁identity , ▁Dr . ▁Barbara ▁Gordon ▁Ph . D . ▁is ▁dep icted ▁as ▁a ▁career ▁woman ▁with ▁a ▁doctor ate ▁in ▁library ▁science , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁being ▁head ▁of ▁Goth am ▁City ▁public ▁library , ▁" pres umably ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁public ▁libraries ▁in ▁the ▁DC ▁Comics ▁version ▁of ▁reality ." ▁She ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁regular ▁backup ▁slot ▁in ▁Det ect ive ▁Comics ▁starting ▁with ▁issue ▁# 3 8 4 ▁( F ebru ary ▁ 1 9 6 9 ), ▁altern ating ▁issues ▁with ▁Robin ▁until ▁issue ▁# 4 0 4 , ▁after ▁which ▁she ▁had ▁the ▁backup ▁slot ▁to ▁herself . ▁Frank ▁Rob b ins ▁wrote ▁nearly ▁all ▁of ▁these ▁back ups , ▁which ▁were ▁pen ci led ▁first ▁by ▁Gil ▁K ane ▁and ▁later ▁by ▁Don ▁He ck . ▁Barbara ▁Gordon ' s ▁Bat g irl ▁exceed ed ▁the ▁earlier ▁Bat