Commissioner James Gordon

Few supporting characters in comics history carry the weight of Commissioner James Gordon, who has stood at the heart of Gotham City's law enforcement since his very first appearance in Detective Comics #27 in 1939 — the same landmark Golden Age issue that introduced the world to the Dark Knight himself. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Gordon has endured across an astonishing 87 years of publication, racking up nearly 500 catalogued appearances and 16 collector-significant key issues, a testament to how indispensable he truly is. His world is populated by some of DC's most iconic figures — Robin, Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth, and even Superman and Clark Kent have shared his pages — and his name is synonymous with the twin pillars of Batman and Detective Comics. If you want to understand Gotham, you start with the man who has kept vigil over it longer than almost anyone else in comics.