DC: I Became A Godfather

James Gordon—the future Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department—is also one of Batman's most loyal allies and most trusted confidants.

Let's set aside the countless versions of his character across reboots. Before DC's major timeline resets, Gordon was portrayed as a man of ideals and ambition, with a firm belief in law and justice. A military veteran injured on the battlefield (hence the nickname Captain Gordon—see the animated film Gotham Knights), he later served in the Chicago Police Department before being transferred to Gotham.

But when he arrived in this city, he discovered a hard truth: Gotham was already entrenched in rot. Politicians, gangsters, criminal syndicates, and drug lords held the real power, and even the police—who were supposed to protect the people—had become a part of the disease.

Gordon clung tightly to his principles, but soon realized how difficult it was to act righteously in Gotham. He believed in the law, but here, even Batman—the masked vigilante protecting the city—was technically a criminal, a symbol of justice who nonetheless operated outside the law.

Eventually, after crashing into wall after wall, Gordon compromised. He chose to cooperate with Batman, relying on the vigilante's strength to fight crime together. Even so, Gordon still held onto legal constraints, treating them as his final line of integrity.

To Adam, Gordon was the only truly good cop in Gotham—a tragic figure who gave everything for justice. In the GothamTV series, Gordon's girlfriend Barbara was dragged into gang wars because of his position and eventually descended into darkness. His second girlfriend, Leslie Thompkins (nicknamed "Xiao Lai" in some adaptations), contracted a virus due to Gordon's indirect involvement—and had to "leave Gotham" to go star in Deadpool in the Marvel Universe (jokingly speaking, of course).

In the comics, his wife Sarah Essen was a fellow officer. She was once captured by the Joker, who had kidnapped a group of babies. He announced that unless Sarah committed suicide, he wouldn't release the children. Strong-willed and unwavering, Sarah shot herself without hesitation. She collapsed in a pool of blood, so unexpectedly that even the Joker was shaken. (This was one of the few moments pre-reboot where the Clown Prince of Crime showed a flicker of humanity. True to his word, he released the babies and vanished into the shadows of Gotham.)

Gordon's daughter later became Batman's disciple. In the infamous The Killing Joke storyline from 1988, the Joker shot her through the spine. Though she survived, she was left permanently paralyzed.

Gordon himself has survived countless assassination attempts, revenge plots, and gang ambushes. Unlike Batman—armed with wealth, gadgets, and armor—Gordon stood between Gotham and chaos with nothing but grit and a badge. He endured pressure from both the criminal underworld and the corrupt political elite, silently doing the dirty work that held Gotham together.

In The Dark Knight Returns, an aging Gordon finally retired. With his badge gone, he lost the only protection he had. Yet even then, broken and stripped of power, he still used his knowledge and experience to assist Batman—fighting for Gotham until the very last embers of his strength faded.

—

Now, overhearing the conversation in the commissioner's office, Adam couldn't help but listen closely through a gap in the blinds.

"This morning, Father Donelli from the Grundy neighborhood came by and gave Gordon fifty bucks during a handshake!" a furious voice shouted. It was Detective Flass, practically seething with rage. "And that bastard Gordon—he looked at the money like it was crawling with germs, then threw it back in the priest's face! Can you believe that?!"

Across the desk, Commissioner Loeb's expression was dark. He toyed with the pen in his hand like someone who had just bitten into something rotten.

"Then he trained with the recruits for two hours and gave Sher a probationary badge. He's playing with fire!" Flass roared, his voice like an enraged Tyrannosaurus. Even from outside the office, the sheer volume was overwhelming. "Gill, this can't continue! I can rally the boys, show him the rules of Gotham, make him submit! I swear, it's not just me—plentyof others are sick of him!"

Loeb's granite features finally cracked. As someone who ruled by control, he hated when things got noisy. But clearly, Gordon had stepped on the wrong toes. If Loeb continued to ignore the rising resentment, that discontent might eventually turn toward him. And that wouldn't do.

"Hmph. If Gordon could follow Adam's example, I might still have some hope for him," Loeb muttered with a sigh. Among the senior officers, only Adam and Gordon had refused to bend the knee to him. But Adam's performance that morning had left Loeb pleasantly surprised… while Gordon, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly intolerable.

"But now's not the time. The press has been sniffing around lately, looking to stir up trouble. I can't afford to be too visible," Loeb continued. "I've got a lecture at the Met in two weeks—until that's over, I want things quiet. Wait until then. Then we act."

Hearing enough, Adam silently slipped away from the office. He pretended as if he'd never been there, turning and leaving quickly without drawing attention.

Looks like Gordon's in trouble, he thought, heading back down the hallway. Maybe this was just years of resentment catching up with him. All they needed was an excuse.

He paused, deep in thought.

Should I help Gordon?

According to the plotlines Adam remembered, Gordon would eventually rise to control Gotham's entire police force. From that angle, Gordon was definitely someone worth building a relationship with.

But Gordon was a man of unwavering principle—immune to bribery, intimidation, and corruption. Once he gained real power, it'd be difficult for someone like Adam, a black-market hustler dealing in pirated discs, to even approach him.

Still... the old saying goes, "Help someone before they rise, and they'll remember you forever." This might just be the right opportunity. If he let it slip by, it'd be a waste.

Having made up his mind, Adam nodded to himself and headed back into the Gotham Police Department, ready to launch his new side hustle: a strategic investment in goodwill.

…

…

It was said that Gordon was just leaving the Personnel Office, his face drawn with frustration. His eyes were tired—exhausted, even. Today marked his fourth attempt to apply for a shift change.

His daughter was about to take the ACT exam, and as a father, he felt the need to be there for her—cheering her on, helping her with daily life, supporting her through the stress.

Since President Obama enacted the SCA-5 Act—an initiative requiring universities to consider racial diversity over pure academic performance—competition for college admission had become fiercer than ever. (For more, search California SCA-5 on Baidu.) With a limited number of seats available, Gordon had every reason to worry.

"Damn it... they ignored my last three applications," he thought bitterly. "This time, they told me someone else would have to agree to cover my shift—otherwise it's a no-go. But who in this precinct would voluntarily take over for me?"

Frustrated, Gordon pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He lit up, despite knowing full well his wife and daughter would scold him for it when he got home. But in moments like this, nothing calmed his nerves like a cigarette.