When Barbara Gordon's parents died in a car wreck, she was shipped off to live with her uncle Jim and aunt Barbara. This would be the event that changed her life forever, and made her become the woman she is today.

One night, Barbara went up to the roof of police headquarters to find Gordon, and, upon opening the door to the roof, found Gordon talking to Batman and Robin. She exchanged a glance with the Boy Wonder, but was quickly ushered downstairs by Gordon.

Shortly afterwards, Barbara was to accompany Jim to a costume party at Wayne Manor. Deciding to wear something that would get under Jim's skin like any teenager, she made a costume similar to that of Batman, and called herself Batgirl. That night, she would become a superhero by coincidence. Barbara arrived at the party without Jim, because he was running late and was supposed to meet her there. The Killer Moth tried to kidnap Bruce Wayne from the party, and Barbara jumped in, disarming the moth and his men and forcing them to flee.

With the thrill of heroing in her veins, Barbara tried to get some help training. She tried the Black Canary, but couldn't get in touch with her. Then Batman and Robin took her to the Batcave. They ran her through tests, through her paces, and after some time, she was taken in as one of the family. Bruce revealed his identity to her, and Barbara spent a few years working with Batman. Barbara met a young police officer named Jason Bard, who was wounded during her early adventures, and the two began a relationship, one that ended in an aborted engagement.

Barbara decided to retire from the super hero life, and she went about living a normal life for a brief time. And then, one day while visiting her father, she opened the door to the apartment. Waiting outside was the Joker, who had decided to kidnap Gordon as leverage against Batman. He looked at Barbara as she stood there, and fired one shot. It severed her spinal column, and she collapsed, crippled from the waist down.

Barbara was not going to let this stop her from living and helping people. With the help of Richard Dragon, she learned to fight using only her upper body and fighting sticks, and focused her intellect and computer skills to work. She became Oracle, the all knowing heroes resource. For a time she worked with the US government and Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad, but eventually she became a free agent again, and began working regularly with Batman again.

Barbara decided she needed to get agents of her own, and recruited Power Girl initially, but after a falling out, she recruited Black Canary, and this time it stuck. They became known as the Birds of Prey; Oracle providing the info, Black Canary carrying out the missions. Throughout these early adventures, Oracle maintained her anonymity. She also became an official member of the JLA.

During the No Man's Land crisis, where Gotham was cut off from the US, Oracle stayed behind and ran a network within the city, coordinating with the remaining members of the GCPD and Batman. One of her runners was a young girl of exceptional fighting skills who she called Cassandra. This girl would become the new Batgirl, who Oracle would watch over and try to teach how to live in the world. Also, the flirtation that had been between Oracle and Dick Grayson, the first Robin and now Nightwing, came into its own, and the two became a couple.

After No Man's Land, some of Barbara's computer machinations caught up to her. Blockbuster, the crime boss of Bludhaven, had heard about her, and sent his agents to kidnap her. In protecting her, Black Canary finally met her face to face, and the two became close friends. Oracle also finally faced her feelings about the Joker during his escape from the Slab, and let go of her anger as best she could.

Recently, Black Canary was kidnapped by the blackmailer Savant, who wanted Oracle to tell him Batman's true identity. To save her, Oracle called on the Huntress. Seeing that they all worked well together, Oracle invited her to become her second full time agent, and the three have been working together well since.

Oracle has a natural photographic memory, as well as excellent intuitive deductive skills. She is trained in many forms of unarmed combat, as well as the use of escrima sticks. Her computer skills are second to none, with no encryption being able to stand against her.