Big Barda

History

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. 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.

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. 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.)

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. After his time with the JLI, the two leave Earth for New Genesis. However, they soon return to Earth 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.

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.) Their mission is to help mobilize Earth's heroes against the omnipotent Mageddon. Once Mageddon is defeated, Barda and Orion resign from the JLA.

Barda and Scott currently reside in the suburbs of Connecticut and are active adventurers. 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, and accepts an invitation from Oracle to become the heavy-hitter on the Birds of Prey.

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. 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 & Abilities

The beings of New Genesis call themselves Gods and live outside of normal time and space in a realm called the Fourth World. These New Gods have evolved due to their close proximity to the Source, a primeval energy, believed to be one of the ultimate foundations of the Universal Expression of Energy, along with their superior technology, into beings of genetic stability and evolutionary perfection. The denizens of New Genesis are immortal, stronger, faster, and smarter than homo sapiens, despite their resemblance to the same.

Weakness

Gallery

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