Here, Andrew Zubko gives us an epic rematch of the classic battle between Batman and Shark. For the uninitiated, round 1 was during the 1966 Batman film starring Adam West, seen below. It was also yet another example of Batman’s ‘superpower’ of ultra-preparedness.
This infamous photoshopped ode to striking a curious friend has been making the rounds on the internet. Oh Golden Age Batman, is there nothing you won’t do?
And below is the unedited original from World’s Finest #153 in 1965. To give Batfans some context, it was a wholly imaginary story where Batman played the role of the evil Lex Luthor.
A thrill seeking redhead, skilled gymnast, and defiant daughter of Commissioner James Gordon, Barbara Gordon is the person most people recognize as Batgirl. She was created explicitly to allow the 1960s TV show to introduce a liberated female heroine.
Wearing a homemade Batman-inspired costume to a masquerade ball, she accidentally disrupted a crime. Against her better judgement, the teenage Barbara continued wearing the costume until she caught the attention of the Bat family. Batman attempted to discourage her from continuing, but eventually relented, and began to train and work with her.
Barbara led a long storied career as Batgirl until Alan Moore’s ‘The Killing Joke’ was published in 1988, in which the Joker senselessly shot and crippled her from the waist down. Unwilling to let her disability put a stop to her crime fighting days, she now serves under the guise of Oracle, world class technology “infojock” for Batman, and leader of her own team of heroes, the Birds of Prey.
A literal reenactment of a duel between two cult classics. Adam West’s Batman was on the air from 1966 -1968 and William Shatner’s Star Trek was on the air from 1966 -1969.