BIG BARDA

'Big Barda' is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. She first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' vol. 1 #4 (October, 1971), and was created by Jack Kirby.

Contents

Fictional character biography

Powers and abilities

Other versions

In other media

Trivia

External links

Fictional character biography

Barda was born of the race of New Gods about 250 years ago, on Apokolips. She is a product of Granny Goodness' Home for Orphaned Youth. Granny's motto is "Die for Darkseid" (the planet's evil ruler). Granny grooms Barda to one day lead the Female Fury Battalion, a ferocious pack of women warriors. However, during a raid Barda meets Scott Free, Darkseid's adopted son, and, sensing a peace about him, falls in love.
Barda risks her own safety to help Scott escape from Apokolips. Eventually, Barda turns her back on Granny, and comes to Earth herself. (''Mister Miracle'' vol. 1 #4, 1971) Scott has become an escape artist called Mister Miracle, and is teamed with Oberon, his diminutive manager. Scott and Barda are married by Scott's father, the Highfather of New Genesis. (''Mister Miracle'' vol. 1 #18)
In a reversal of the stereotype associated with female characters at the time of her creation, Barda is physically more powerful than her husband, is more than willing to use her strength in battle, and is very protective of her husband.
For a number of years, Barda follows Scott and Oberon on tour. Eventually they retire as superheroes and move to Bailey, New Hampshire. (''Mister Miracle'' vol. 2 #1) However, despite their best attempts, a normal life eludes them. Disasters plague them; Barda, Scott, and Oberon leave Bailey and move to a loft in Greenwich Village, New York City. Barda forms a defense-training program for women called the New Female Furies. (During this time, Barda and Superman are captured and mind-controlled by Sleez, who plans to force the two to perform in an adult film. At the last moment they are rescued by Mr. Miracle. ''Action Comics'' #592-593)
Though naive regarding Earth customs, Barda relishes her roles of wife and housekeeper. However, when duty calls she never hesitates to assume the posture of a warrior, and when Scott joins the Justice League, Barda participates in several missions. (''Justice League America'' #7, 28) After his time with the JLI, the two leave Earth for New Genesis. (''Mr. Miracle'', v.2 #28). However, they soon return to Earth (''Mister Miracle'' vol. 3 #1-2) and take up temporary residence aboard the Justice League Refuge. During this period the couple separate briefly due to Scott's lack of consideration for her feelings. (''Mister Miracle'' vol. 3 #4-5)
Barda has served as a member of the JLA in her own right: at Takion's order, she and fellow New God Orion are sent as agents of New Genesis to serve on the team. (Takion predicts that the Earth faces a grave threat. ''JLA'' #17) Their mission is to help mobilize Earth's heroes against the omnipotent Mageddon. Once Mageddon is defeated, Barda and Orion resign from the JLA. (''JLA'' #41)
Barda and Scott currently reside in the suburbs of Connecticut and are active adventurers. (''Orion'' #25) Barda never hesitates to lend a hand to her friends when her power and expertise are needed.
Barda accompanies Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman to Apokolips to rescue Supergirl from Darkseid's clutches (''Superman/Batman'' #11, 12), and accepts an invitation from Oracle to become the heavy-hitter on the Birds of Prey. (''Birds of Prey'' #100)
A similar-looking character named Little Barda appeared as a member of the Teen Titans in ''52''; the character leaves the group in the same issue. (''52'' #21) Her relationship to Big Barda is unknown.
In a confrontation with the Secret Six, she engages Knockout, another ex-Fury, in hand-to-hand combat. Although the fight was long and was continued above all other worries, it ended in a draw.

Powers and abilities

★ Barda has superhuman strength and endurance.

★ At 7-feet tall, Big Barda is one of the tallest heroes in the DC comics universe, towering over Wonder Woman and other heroes, both male and female. Among female DC heroes, she is equalled in height only by Grace Choi of the Outsiders and Rampage, and is surpassed in height only by heroines such as Elasti-Girl who are capable of changing their size.

★ She wields a high tech weapon called a 'Mega-rod', which produces extremely powerful concussive bursts.

★ She also uses ''Aero-disks'' which allow her to fly, and wears Apokaliptian armor.

Other versions

★ Barda appears in the limited series ''Kingdom Come'' by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, which is set in an alternate future timeline of DC continuity. Orion has overthrown Darkseid and is the reluctant ruler of Apokolips. Barda (now sporting an eye-patch) and Scott Free work to teach the "lowlies" to think for themselves, with Orion's approval. The two have a daughter, Avia, who deploys a mega-rod and wears an outfit that combines elements of those of her parents.

★ In Frank Miller's '', as America decends into anarchy and chaos, a former porn star called Hot Gates takes up the mantle of "Big Barda" in order to declare herself dictator of Columbus, Ohio.

★ ''Superman/Batman'' #24 depicts 'Big Bard', the male version of Big Barda from a reverse gender universe, who is married to Miss Miracle.

★ In '', Barda becomes a Green Lantern Corps member, although her power ring having fused to her Mother Box has made her a rather unique Green Lantern. Mister Miracle's consciousness also inhabits the ring and he can project himself as a spectral green figure.

In other media

★ Big Barda appears in ''Justice League Unlimited'', voiced by Farrah Forke. In the episode "The Ties That Bind," Granny Goodness kidnaps Oberon and forces Barda and Mister Miracle to rescue Kalibak from the clutches of Virman Vunderbarr. With the help of Flash, they rescue Kalibak and trick Granny Goodness into revealing Oberon's whereabouts. After Oberon is safe, the couple leaves Apokolips, but not before Barda punches Granny Goodness in the face.

★ In the two-part episode titled "The Call" of ''Batman Beyond'', Barda is a member of the Justice League fifty years in the future, along with Warhawk (Batman Beyond), Superman, Green Lantern, Aquagirl, and others. At Superman's request, Batman (Terry McGinnis) investigates the members of the Justice League to find a traitor who has been trying to kill off the members one at a time.

Trivia

★ Jack Kirby based Barda's physical appearance on Lainie Kazan, who appeared in an issue of ''Playboy''. Mark Evanier, Kirby's assistant during the Fourth World comics, has stated: "Jack based some of his characters (not all) on people in his life or in the news.... Big Barda's roots are not in doubt. The visual came about shortly after songstress Lainie Kazan posed for ''Playboy''...and the characterization between Scott 'Mr. Miracle' Free and Barda was based largely — though with tongue in cheek — on the interplay Jack and his wife Roz. Of course, the whole 'escape artist' theme was inspired by an earlier career of writer-artist Jim Steranko." [1]

External links

★ - DC Database Project

★ Big Barda

★ Woman of Valor - an appreciation of Barda by novelist Michael Chabon