James Gordon
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Real Identity: James Worthington Gordon
Appearances: Hunted, Secrets, Tests, Broken, Allies, Control, Sacrifice, Attraction, Darkness, Reckoning, Nexus, Games, Animal, Hero, Choices, Epitaph, Twist, and Alone
Appearances (Comics): Tobias Awaits, Son of Man-Bat, and Suitable for Framing
Powers/Skills: Law Enforcement
Voiced By: Kurtwood Smith
James Gordon is a Lieutenant employed by the Gotham City Police Department and is the father of Barbara Gordon. He doesn't trust the Batman because no one should ever take the law into their own hands. After Tobias Whale was acquitted on smuggling charges, Gordon vowed justice. Soon after, Gordon refused to confirm reports Simon Stagg, Michael Holt, and Alfred Pennyworth were saved by Batman then refused to answer anymore questions from the press.
After investigating Joe Braxton's warehouse, Gordon found Lunkhead's files and a Batarang. He found Lunkhead and learned he was in an experiment with an inmate named Margaret Sorrow. Gordon concluded Sorrow was Magpie and went alone to the Miskatonic Psychiatric Hospital. He shot off several of Magpie's talons and ordered her and Batman to stand down. Magpie gathered the talons and wounded Gordon in the right shoulder. Gordon still tried to stop Batman. Batman wouldn't have any of it and went off to stop Magpie while Gordon freed Bethanie Ravencroft from her restraints. After a disagreement about justice and the law, Gordon revealed he wasn't going to arrest Batman that night. As far as he was concerned, they were even and nothing had changed. Gordon was on-scene when Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog were re-arrested near Gotham's wheelhouse.
Lieutenant Gordon was on scene when Ice Pick Joe was found in a giant toy soldier. Just as Gordon ordered the Jaws of Life to pry him out, Batman intervened and informed them the soldier had enough explosives to level the entire block. Gordon ordered everyone to arrest Batman but he was already gone. Gordon had Joe relocated 300 feet underground to a blast bunker. To Gordon's dismay, Batman still was able to call his cell phone by hacking it and modifying its SIM chip. Gordon attempted to dispatch police to round up Tobias Whale, the next target, but he lost reception. Batman later approached Gordon in his office at Gotham City Police Department headquarters to discuss the string of victims. While annoyed Batman came in as he pleased, Gordon admitted the victims were all connected to Humphry Dumpler. Gordon tried to get Dumpler to testify against Whale but failed. Dumpler, now Humpty Dumpty, was going after those who wronged him. He attacked Gordon at his home. Gordon was imprisoned in a toy soldier but rescued by Batman.
Lieutenant Gordon and several officers moved in on a theft at a Stagg Industries warehouse after Batman arrived and attacked Tobias Whale and his men. Gordon ordered Batman's arrest but he left the scene. Back at police department headquarters, Gordon believed he had Whale dead to rights but he was given a strange deal. Whale's lawyer Milo Match gave Gordon four hours to release Whale and drop all charges. Gordon laughed and left the interrogation room. Soon enough, Barbara was kidnapped by Match. Gordon went straight to Whale's prison cell and assaulted him. Two officers pulled Gordon away. He returned home and looked around his daughter's room. Gordon got an idea and rigged a Batsignal. Batman arrived and once again reiterated he and Gordon should start trusting each other since they were on the same side. Gordon refused and emphasized he only needed Batman's help to save Barbara. Gordon directed Batman to Milo Match and soom learned of a siege at the Cauldron. He wrangled Whale and drove straight for the neighborhood. Gordon thanked Batman and Katana for saving Barbara and advised them to leave before the police entered the warehouse. Batman handcuffed Gordon to his surprise. Batman refused to let Gordon go down for breaking Whale out of prison and devised a story he forced Gordon to do so in order to locate Barbara Gordon. Batman wanted to preserve the duality he was a vigilante and Gordon was the hero, in order for both of them to continue protecting Gotham City.
William Benjamin was picked up by an officer. Benjamin was in a state of disarray and kept muttering "Cypher" and about being in his control. Gordon assumed Cypher was the name of a costumed individual and activated the Batsignal once more. Gordon showed Benjamin to Batman and went over his background. Batman realized the League of Assassins were making another move for the Ion Cortex. Gordon later reported that Benjamin made a full recovery. Lieutenant Gordon responded to a breach at the Contagion Research Center and ordered a perimeter around it to be evacuated. Gordon learned of Batman's involvement after Officer O'Brien accessed the center's security feed and managed to have the Mayor's authorization to initiate breach protocol rescinded to buy Batman more time. Gordon, however, was unable to stop the center's Executive Director Jocelyn Kilroy from getting authorization from the Governor. Luckily, Batman applied the anti-serum to himself, Katana, and two infected assassins just in time. Batman waived all clear to the cameras. Gordon recognized it and had the protocol rescinded. In an alley, Gordon apprised Batman and Katana all personnel were accounted for and the two assassins would be sent to Blackgate Penitentiary.
Gordon worked with Batman on a ploy to arrest Whale and destroy a sunken ship filled with weapons. Gordon went to a salvage company with known ties to Whale and put in a purchase order for the maritime salvage of the SS Blackfish. As Batman anticipated, Whale took the bait. He spoke to Gordon through a communicator dubbed the "Bat-Phone" after he left. Before Gordon could make good on his threat to run a trace, he was forced to toss the phone before it detonated. Gordon waited near Gotham Sound with harbor patrol. As Whale surfaced, Gordon had him arrested on charges of attempting to defraud Gotham City with a bogus salvage contract.
After watching Ra's Al Ghul's address, Gordon felt it would safer at the precinct. He activated the Batsignal but only Katana showed up. She informed him about the Ion Cortex and revealed it could be destroyed through hacking. Gordon wasn't keen on stealing one of the police's mobile command units but relented. Katana gave him a communicator to stay in contact. However, no one from computer crimes was present. Barbara Gordon volunteered her skills but was turned down. He left her in his office to help deal with the threat of the Ghosts invading the city but knew she could try to steal the mobile command unit. She convinced him she could be the hacker he needed. Gordon tried to take a shortcut through Broadway but the Ghosts made it past the roadblock on Kensington. Gordon tried to fight them off but realized they had to retreat. Batman picked up Barbara's distress call and saved them. After comparing notes, Batman left Gordon to protect his daughter while she worked on hacking the Cortex.
Gordon drove the unit to the outskirts of the Fallpoint Underground Power Substation so his daughter could get enough signal strength to hack. He was amazed at her level of skill. However, he had to fend off League ninja. During a skirmish, the command unit's satellite was destroyed. Much to his delight, they had to sneak into the substation. As he shot at ninja, Barbara Gordon was able to incite a kernel overload and destroy the Cortex. They left the facility. Gordon was proud of his daughter but made her promise to keep the mission a secret, especially the part about stealing the mobile command unit. In the next six months, Gordon was promoted to Commissioner. His tenure started off with a bang when Anarky framed Batman with bombing Mayor Grange's office. Gordon was at odds with District Attorney Harvey Dent, who presented himself as Gotham's anti-caped crusader and wanted to arrest Batman. Gordon refused to accept circumstantial evidence but when video was recorded of Batman kidnapping Dent, he had no choice but to act.
Gordon called for a S.W.A.T. unit to arrest Batman. They intercepted him at Symbion Business Park. Batman attempted to convince him to stand down but Gordon promised if he surrendered, they would work it out together. Once Katana arrived with Anarky not far behind, Gordon had S.W.A.T. stand down and was convinced of Batman's innocence. He was kidnapped by Humpty Dumpty and forced to work with Batman, Katana, Mayor Grange, and Tobias Whale. They made their way through a house armed with death traps and tried to solve clues to a crime. Eventually, Gordon realized he was guilty of arresting the wrong man, Ernie Croskey, in a weapons smuggling case. Once Humpty was defeated, Gordon promised to handle Dent and to deal with Humpty, Whale, and Croskey.
Commissioner Gordon became very concerned when Detective Brown mentioned Harvey Dent arrested Batman and took him to Blackgate Penitentiary. Faced with a prison take over, Gordon had no choice but to order a police force in blind. He ordered them to use tear gas and non-lethal force. However, Dent intervened on Deputy Mayor Hull's authority and had Gordon stand down. He was relieved when Katana arrived and proceeded to infiltrate Blackgate. Eventually, Gordon gambled and went to issue a statement to the press on how nothing was done on Dent's orders. Dent caved in and let Gordon storm Blackgate. In the aftermath, Gordon told Batman and Katana Blackgate was secured, prisoners were being reprocessed and the Key would be taken back to the precinct. Like any father and police commissioner, Gordon assigned two off duty detectives to monitor his daughter's date. Detectives Samuels and Thomas staked her out at the restaurant but lost track when she and her date, Creed Courtman, drove off to the Ninth Street terminal and encountered Killer Croc. Oddly, he found himself the one admonished after the date came to an end.
During another one of Dent's campaign rallies, Gordon was surprised to see Batman in the crowd but was punched out. This imposter then shot Bruce Wayne. Gordon took the lead on recover efforts but found nothing after six hours. As Bad Batman's attacks increased, the last straw was when he shot up Wayne's funeral proceedings. Dent and Gordon formed a joint commission between the Gotham City Police Department and Special Crimes Unit. The manhunt ran Gordon ragged and he rarely went home. On one occassion, Gordon stopped at home for a shower. Gordon refused to comply with Dent's planned execution of Batman after he compelled Acting Mayor Hull to declare martial law. Dent then ordered Hull to relieve Gordon of his authority. Gordon quit, turned his badge in, and stormed off. He aided Batman in confronting Deathstroke atop the Watson Building but was knocked out. Gordon found Dent and Anarky in time. He shot Anarky's knife out his hand and saved Dent from certain death. Dent suggested Gordon to think about running for Mayor and walked away leaving Gordon confused.