BruBabs

BruBabs is the het ship between Bruce Wayne and Barbara Gordon from the DC Comics and DC Animated Universe fandom.

Canon
Bruce originally knew Barbara as the younger daughter of the police commissioner who supports Batman and his allies. This has their paths cross a few times, even when he is his Bruce Wayne self and comes across Barbara when she is with her father or the Robin she was dating (Dick, Jason or Tim; depending on the universe). Being the daughter of a police officer has Barbara wanting to do her part in protecting Gotham, and her agreeing with Batman's way of crime fighting led to her creating Batgirl. Without Batman's okay on the matter when she first started out and took it upon herself to train herself, from when Batman tried to convince her to quite. As he didn't want her to place herself in the line of fire, but Batgirl was proven to be just as stubborn as Batman. In the end Bruce decided to help Batgirl with the rest of her training, so she'll be able to take care of herself on the field. Even though it first started out with Bruce knowing who Batgirl is while Babs was left in the dark of who Batman is, Bruce eventually decided to share his true identity with her.

When Babs got shot by the Joker and lost the ability to walk, Batman felt guilty for allowing her to become part of his war with Gotham's criminals. Barbara on the other hand wasn't going to let her injury stop her from aiding Bruce and the others. Since she could no longer help Batman as Batgirl, but is still able to use her tech and computer skills, Babs creates a whole new persona known as Oracle. As she uses those said skills to help Batman from the safety of the Batcave or her own secret base that is filled with high tech computers. There have been universes that have Babs recovering from the injury to her spine and goes back into the field, or remains Oracle.

DC Animated Universe
Bruce's friendship with Jim Gordon had him knowing Barbara since she was a kid, before she left for school. Years later Bruce was happy to see the young woman Babs had grown into when she returned to Gotham. Bruce also supported her relationship with his ward, Dick. There have been times Batman has saved Barbara's life, for when she has become a target of a villain or has taken it upon herself in do her own investigation. That relates to her father having his life being in danger. This is what got her to create Batgirl, after Batman had refused to make an appearance that would help her father, a choice that got her to dress herself up as Batman before later using the suit as a base for her Batgirl suit. After Jim Gordon was saved and his name cleared, Babs over heard Bruce and Dick talking about Batgirl. Wondering if she'll ever return to aid Batman and Robin again.

Sometime after Babs broke up with Dick, her time with Bruce got her to develop feelings for her mentor. Dropping hints of those feelings to Bruce from time to time, but the mission always got in the way. When a mysterious Batwoman appeared in Gotham, Bruce had assumed that it was Babs, who was away attending a school outside the city and called her to see if she was still there, or if she was Batwoman. During the call Barbara secretly dropped one of her hits to how he felt about Bruce, before he ended the call. In order to search for other leads and theories on the Batwoman case.

The Batman Beyond universe revealed that Barbara and Bruce did dated, along with Bruce having pictures of her among the photos of women he was close to. In one of the continuum comics of the DCAU universe even revealed that the two had slept together when Babs was still with Dick, an action that got Barbara pregnant and ended up losing the baby after she got beaten by a group of muggers. Bruce refusing to walk away from the mission he dedicated his life to, while Babs found the courage to do so created a rift that led to them drifting away. While Bruce continued on as Batman on his own, Barbara joined the police force and becomes commissioner, like her father before him. Babs hating the way Bruce had treated his partners led to her becoming bitter towards him, as it was Bruce who got both Dick and Tim to leave the Batfamily. Being a man who has collected a number of items from his past battles, Bruce kept Barbara's Batgirl suit and had it patched up before placing it with the other suits they and their fellow bat allies wore. Before he finally decided to walk away from the mission, like Babs did.

Even though the two hadn't spoken to one another in years, Bruce still considered her as someone within the police force who can be trusted. Knowing that she is her father's daughter, and from what he knows of her. When a new Batman appeared in Bruce's place, Babs tried to convince him to not let someone else carry the mental of Batman. From what the two of the have seen and done in the past, along with her not being happy with Terry's record. In the end she began to see what Bruce had realised when Terry McGinnis had put on the suit. Knowing that it would be pointless to change either of their minds, Barbara decided to simply support Bruce's choice while watching Terry's back on her end. Along with her and Bruce being on speaking terms again.

The Joker's Return film also revealed a dark secret Bruce and Barbara share from their cape and cowl days. Along with them wanting to protect Tim Drake from what he went through at the Joker's hand. That is why both of them refused to let Terry what happened to the original Joker, and how the outcome of that final battle affected them. After Bruce was attacked within the Batcave and Babs came over to see how Bruce was recovering, she knew that she had to tell Terry the truth, if they ever hopped to stop the new Joker; and save Tim from him again. Barbara was both happy and surprised to see Bruce paying Tim a visit after Terry saved him.

The Batman (2006)
The 2006 series has Barbara as Batman's first on field partner, before he meets Dick. Along the series having Babs being much younger than her other comic or DC media counterparts when she became Batgirl.

With Barbara being forbidden to attend the police academy by her father and has her focusing on gymnastics, Babs was forced to find other means to do some kind of good. Even it was joining Pamela Isley in her mission to help save plants life. Until Babs saw Batman in action and realised that she wants to be more like him. A hero who puts the bad guys away and saves people in need. She gets the idea to become a cape and cowl hero like him after Ivy was hurt and later saw became of her friend. She tries to show Batman the costume she made when she was informing him of Ivy's transformation, but he took off before she could bring up the idea of her becoming his sidekick. A sidekick that Batman didn't wanted and tried to tell "Batwoman" to go home before she gets hurt. Babs was upset that he figured out who she was on the spot and that everyone was calling her "Batgirl" than woman. After Batgirl saved Batman and her father from Ivy, she assumed that he was going to tell her father what she was doing behind his back, but Batgirl proving herself has Batman deciding to give Babs a chance. Allowing her to carry on as Batgirl and to serve as his partner.

With Batman knowing who she is behind the mask, Barbara begins to wonder who he is. She came close to discovering that he is in fact Bruce Wayne, but Bruce's memory loss at the time threw her off when she saved him from Penguin. Along with her getting herself captured by Penguin after Bruce escaped. Despite not remembering the memories and skills that make him Batman, he still goes to her rescue and managed to save her in time. Bruce does reveal his true identity to Batgirl after she met Robin and later brings her back to the Batcave with them. Knowing that they had to trust each other if they were to ever become a propper team. Babs wasn't happy that Batman had got himself a second sidekick, until she later began to except Robin and the fact that the three of them would be working together.

Arkhamverce
In Arkham Origin, Barbara was portrayed as the Gordon who supports Batman before her father realised what she did. That they need the Dark Knight to help them keep Gotham safe. Jim Gordon tells Batman that his daughter calls the Dark Knight a hero, before he tried to arrest him. When Barbara had encountered Batman in the police station, she lends him a hands by sharing some computer skills tips he could use himself.

An Arkham Knight DLC showcased Babs's time as Batgirl, before she became Oracle for the rest of the game series. That has Batman connecting her than Alfred for assistance that she can provide him from her computer base lab. Most of the Arkham Asylum game had Batman talking to Oracle, as he goes around the taken over asylum he and her father got trapped on. Babs aiding Batman with background checks and facts that can help him around the island.

Gotham Knights
Before the events of the 2022 game, Barbara's father was shot in the line of duty. It was revealed that Bruce made time to be there for Babs and to help her through the pain of her loss. Jim was his friend and done a lot of good for Gotham, before and after Batman became the city's protector. He also knew the pain of losing a father. After years of serving as Oracle, Barbara was given the chance to be Batgirl again once her damaged spine was healed. Barbara was aware of the video Bruce made for when the mission gets him killed, and that he had made a few of them to match the cause of his future demise. Babs and the three Robin brothers even joked about them when they went to fetch him for the family meal he promised them. To ensure he leaves the cave, Babs assessed the Bat-computer without asking him for his password, as she didn't need it. Knowing that Code Black would be sent out after the cave gets destroyed, Bruce created a backup Bat base at the Belfry, along with leaving Babs and the others the money and tech they'll need to continue the mission.

On the night Bruce was attacked by Ra's al Ghul within the Batcave, he managed to send out a signal to Batgirl and the others, along with sending them a file of his most recent case. Knowing that he'll be dead before his young partners would arrive, but had faith that Batgirl and his three adopted sons will be able to carry on his mission without him. By the time Batgirl and the others arrived at the manor to aid their leader, they found what remained of the building before finding a dead Bruce in its rubble. Babs was kneeling beside Bruce's body as Dick closed his eyes, before the four of them carried his lifeless body away. Because no one outside the Batfamily knew that Bruce and Barbara were more than just "acquaintances" from when she dated Dick, Babs was forced to wear dark shades glasses while standing with the rest of the mourners at Bruce's funeral.

Despite knowing who killed him, Babs and the others didn't know the why or how it connects to the encrypted case file he sent them. This got them to look into it in hopes that it will given the four their answers. Even though it had them neglecting Gotham, before remembering that Bruce would want them to put the city before him. Just as Bruce was there for Babs during her time of loss, she tries to help Bruce's wards with their loss. Along with her trying to live up to faith and trust Bruce had placed in her. Since Babs questioning her photographic memory, from having trouble remembering her father's face, had Babs questioning herself and her place in the Gotham Knights. Alfred even tells Babs that she and Bruce were the only two people he knew that would see the Belfry's tech as out of date.

Fanon
Due to the age gap between Bruce and Barbara in a few notable DC universes, like the 2006 The Batman animated series, BruBabs don't have a huge following and is sometimes seen as a crack ship. Even though the ship does have support from versions and universes that do have the two as lovers, were shown to have cared for one another or had shared a romantic moment. That is why the ship has a small under of supporters from the DCAU fandom.

The age gap that has people being unsure about BruBabs, however, tend to portray the het ship as a friendship or familyship; to prevent it from becoming a target for ship haters. Along with Babs being a loyal, faithful member of the Batfamily, who as served as a sister-like figure to some of the BatKids, who are also part of the other Young Bats beside her, it got fans to wonder if Bruce possibly saw her as a surrogate daughter. Before Steph and Cass came into his life. Along with people thinking that Bruce is old enough to be Barbara's father, or uncle. Some fanfics do have Babs view Bruce as a second father, from him being the "dad" of the Batfamily.

Fandom

 * FAN FICTION


 * TUMBLR

Variations

 * Batfamily refers to the ship between Bruce, Babs and the rest of the Batfamily
 * BruDickBabs refers to the ship between Dick Grayson, Bruce and Babs