Big Barda
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Big Barda is a fictional amazon superhero published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Mister Miracle vol. 1 #4 (October, 1971), and was created by Jack Kirby.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
Barda is the wife of fellow superhero Mister Miracle. The two escaped from the planet Apokolips to Earth in order to find a peaceful life together.
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, Scott Free.
On Apokolips Barda was the leader of the Female Furies, a ferocious pack of warriors. She possesses the great strength and endurance befitting a warrior for Darkseid. Although she shares her husband's values of peace and justice, fighting is still her preferred response in the face of evil.
At 7-feet tall, Big Barda is one of the tallest heroes in the DC comics universe, towering over the power house 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 surpassed in height only by heroines such as Elasti-Girl who are capable of changing their size.
Barda has joined the Birds of Prey, making her first appearance (with Manhunter) in Birds of Prey #100.
Although a similar-looking character named Little Barda appears in issue #21 of 52 as a member of the Teen Titans, she leaves the group in that same issue. A picture of her with former members of the Titans is seen in the Titans' One Year Later storyline; her relationship to Big Barda is unknown.
[edit] Powers and abilities
- Barda has superhuman strength and endurance.
- 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.
[edit] Other media
Big Barda has appeared in both Batman Beyond and Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Farrah Forke. In Batman Beyond, she was a member of the Justice League of the future. In Justice League Unlimited, Granny Goodness kidnapped Oberon and blackmailed both her and Mister Miracle to rescue Kalibak from the clutches of Virman Vunderbarr in return for his safety. With the help of Flash, they managed to rescue Kalibak and trick Granny Goodness into revealing Oberon's whereabouts. After Oberon was safe, they left Apokolips, but not before Barda gave Granny Goodness a punch in the face.
[edit] Footnotes
- Jack Kirby reportedly based Barda's physical appearance on Lainie Kazan as she appeared in an issue of Playboy.1
- Note 1: Mark Evanier (Screenwriter, Jack Kirby biographer, and Kirby's assistant during the Fourth World comics): "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 betwixt Jack and his wife Roz. Of course, the whole 'escape artist' theme was inspired by an earlier career of writer-artist Jim Steranko." [1]
[edit] External links
- DCDP: Big Barda - DC Database Project
- Big Barda
- Woman of Valor - an appreciation of Barda by novelist Michael Chabon
