Batgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books publishe by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts to superhero Batman. Originally created by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff, the first incarnation of the character, the Bat-Girl—Bette Kane—debuted in Batman #139 (1961). Following the promotion of Julius Schwartz to editor of the Batman related comic book titles in 1964, the Bat-Girl character was removed from publication and subsequently replaced by the "new" Batgirl—Barbara Gordon—introduced in Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino's Detective Comics #359 entitled "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl" (cover-date 1967, released late 1966).