Shadow of the Bat Part II

"Shadow of the Bat" is the two-part second season premiere of Batman: The Animated Series . It originally aired on September 13 and 14, 1993. It depicts the first appearance of Batgirl, a new identity adopted by Barbara Gordon when her father is arrested on charges of corruption.

Plot
Batgirl and Robin run into each other on a rooftop outside Mason's apartment. Robin tells her that she's an amateur and should stay out, but she refuses. Just then, Mason receives a phone call summoning him to a meeting.

They follow him to an old subway entrance, where Two-Face shows "Matches" to Mason, asking if he's an undercover cop. Mason says no, and complains about being called out for such a trivial thing. Two-Face reminds him who's boss, revealing his plan to the listening heroes: he has been the one giving Mason tips, eliminating his gang rivals while boosting Mason's popularity; soon, Mason will replace Commissioner Gordon as Commissioner. Because of the recent snooping, Two-Face has decided to break Commissioner Gordon out of jail that night and then do away with him.

Batgirl trips, revealing their presence. Two-Face and his thugs open fire, then flee with Mason, using explosives to collapse the building entrance. To make doubly sure, Two-Face detonates a bomb left on the wall of the abandoned line, letting in the river to flood the tunnel.

Batman blasts a hole in the wall of the tunnel, then sends Batgirl up with his grapple gun. Before she can lower it down again, another surge of water sweeps both of them away.

Batgirl calls the police station, but it is too late: Commissioner Gordon has already been broken out, and the damage to the phone lines caused by the explosion makes it impossible for them to understand her warnings. It's up to her now.

In the tunnel, Batman and Robin manage to bust out by throwing the brake of an old subway car, which skids to the end of the abandoned track and smashes a hole in the wall, emerging above the river.

At Bayshore Wharf, Commissioner Gordon is being held prisoner by Two-Face and his gang, and Mason is preparing to execute him personally. But Batgirl appears and distracts them with a gas grenade, letting Commissioner Gordon escape. Reinforcements appear in the persons of Batman and Robin, who quickly subdue Two-Face and his gang. When Mason jumps into a boat and speeds away, Batgirl runs after him and grabs one of the mooring ropes.

As Batgirl is dragged along, Mason empties his gun at her, but misses. Catching up to him, there is a struggle in the boat, and he rips off her mask. Momentarily shocked to see it is Barbara, Mason lets go, and she delivers a kick that knocks him back and he hits his head on the transom. As the boat careens toward the Gotham Statue of Liberty, she (reluctantly) pulls him free before it crashes.

Commissioner Gordon is exonerated. At a press conference, he reports that Mason is still in a coma, but has been indicted nonetheless. In response to questions about Batgirl, he states that she is as welcome in Gotham as the Batman. Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are also in attendance, and Wayne muses that they will see her again someday. Barbara, standing nearby, beams.

Continuity

 * Barbara first appeared in "I Am the Night" and first aided Batman in "Heart of Steel," but did not adopt a costume.
 * Although Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson are shown dating in later episodes, he does not become aware of her secret identity until The New Batman Adventures .
 * Mason apparently never awakes from his coma, since his first act would likely be to expose Barbara.