A Death In The Family

[A Story of a tragic event]

Written by Kal-El

We know that Batman has a side kick or a wing man named Robin, But the were 3 Robins, the 1st Robin was Dick Grayson who is now the current Nightwing, Then The Current Robin is Tim Drake whose got the new Robin Costume with full length Red Robin Pants, but there is one particular Robin that i dont hear about much and based on the comics that i was reading, Batman always seems to be remembering constantly in his mind. He's name was Jason Todd. So i did some research into it and would like to share it with you all on this weeks Secret Origins.

[Jason's First Appearance in a Robin Suit]

Jason Peter Todd came out back in 1983 and became the new Robin, sidekick to the superhero Batman (Feb. 1984), when the previous Robin Dick Grayson went on to star in The New Teen Titans under the name of Nightwing.

The initial version of Jason Todd had an origin that was "shamelessly reminiscent" of the 1940 origin of the first Robin, Dick Grayson. Like Grayson, Jason is the son of circus acrobats killed by a criminal named Killer Croc and is later adopted by Bruce Wayne. Sounds familiar huh, read on.

Distinguished by red hair, Todd is unfailingly cheerful, wearing his circus costume to fight crime until Dick Grayson presents him with a Robin costume of his own. At that point, Jason dyes his hair black, and in later stories blossoms under Batman's tutelage. Jason Todd possesses the normal human strength of a 6-foot, 180-pound young man who regularly engages in intensive physical exercise. By matching his former mentor in combat he has proven that he is physically superior to most Olympic athletes, just as Batman is. His reflexes, stamina, and endurance are roughly comparable to that of Dick Grayson. In his training to become Robin, Batman instructed him in acrobatics and martial arts. However Not like the first Robin, Jason Todd did not get any good ratings from the Fan.

It was in the late 80'(1988) when the comic publishers had suggested that an audience might be attracted to the comics by being afforded the opportunity to influence the creative process. Settling on the idea of telephone poll via a 1-900 number, This Poll is to determine the fate of Jason Todd. Even though Jason Todd was unpopular with readers, DC Comics could not decide what to do with the character, so they opted to present the choice to the readership whether to kill off the characther.

[A Narrow win of Death by the voters]

Then it happened, In 1988's Batman: A Death in the Family storyline, The character was killed off by a slim margin of votes. In this particular storyline Robin aka Jason Todd died at hands of the Joker, Batman's archnemesis. Subsequent Batman stories dealt with Batman's guilt over Jason's death. Jason Todd was beaten by the Joker and left to die in an explosion. The inside back cover of the issue listed two 1-900 numbers that readers could call to vote for the character's death or survival. Within the 36 hour period alloted for voting, the poll received 10,614 votes. The verdict in favor of the character's death won by a slim margin of 5,343 votes to 5,271.

[ Jason's Death Still Haunts Batman]

"A Death in the Family" storyline, Jason discovers his mother was not his biological mother, and runs away to find the woman who gave birth to him. After following a number of leads, Jason finally tracks his mother, Sheila, to Ethiopia, where she works as an aid worker. While Jason is overjoyed to be reunited with his real mother, he soon discovers that she is being blackmailed by the Joker, who is using her to provide him with medical supplies. Sheila herself has been embezzling from the aid agency and as part of the cover-up she hands her own son, who arrives as Robin, over to The Joker. The Joker beats the boy brutally with a crowbar, and then leaves him and Sheila in the warehouse with a time bomb. Sheila and Robin try desperately to get out of the warehouse but are still inside as the bomb goes off. Batman arrives too late to save them and is only able to hold Jason's lifeless body in his arms. The bodies are taken back to Gotham City for burial. For the next decade's worth of stories, Jason's death haunts Batman, who keeps Jason's costume on display in the Batcave. Batman considers this his greatest failure: not properly training Jason in his role as Robin and failing to protect him from the Joker. It was a tragic moment in the life of Batman, as it is to us comics fans all over the world. It was simply a Death in the Family.

Batman's shrine to Jason, from Batman: Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. Prior to the character's death, the fate of Jason Todd is foreshadowed by his conspicuous absence in the 1986 limited series The Dark Knight Returns, a non-canon telling of the last years of Batman. In this series, Jason Todd has been dead for ten years; his death is hinted as the reason Batman retired years ago. This miniseries shows the first appearance of what would become an iconic part of the Batcave after Jason's death in "A Death in the Family": Jason's Robin uniform suspended in a glass case as a shrine for the fallen Robin.

[A Mystery waiting to be unfold]

In 2003, In the Batman Storyline called 'Hush', a page of art from the issue by artist Jim Lee circulated the Internet, apparently revealing the mystery villain Hush, who was the focus of Lee's and writer Jeph Loeb's "Hush" storyline, as a resurrected Jason Todd. The following month's Batman #618 (October 2003) revealed that the appearance of Todd was in fact a ruse by the villain Clayface under the direction of Hush. While trying to discover the identity of a mysterious figure plotting against him, Batman discovers that the current Robin aka Tim Drake has been kidnapped. When he confronts the kidnapper he discovers, much to his surprise, that the kidnapper is apparently an adult Jason Todd. Batman subdues this mystery "Jason" and discovers that it is only Clayface impersonating Jason. It is later revealed that Jason indeed had died at the hands of the Joker, but when Superboy-Prime alters reality from the paradise dimension in which he is trapped (six months after his death), Jason is restored to life and breaks out of his coffin, but collapses thereafter and is hospitalized. After spending a year in a coma and subsequently as an amnesiac vagrant, he is recognized by Talia al Ghul, who restores his health and memory by immersing him in a Lazarus Pit in which her father Ra's Al Ghul is also bathing. It is suggested at that time that exposure to the Pit's energies together with Al Ghul might have affected Jason's personality. On Talia's advice, Jason determines his death was never avenged, and prepares to confront Batman by traveling across the globe in the same path of trainings as his mentor.

[Batman goes into battle with the Red Hood]

In 2005, it began a storyline that revolved around the mystery of the identity of the new Red Hood. The character's identity was revealed as Jason Todd. Jason Todd was brought back from the dead. Jason Todd battles Batman as the Red Hood. Shortly after the events of War Games and War Crimes, Jason Todd reappears in Gotham City as the Red Hood,hijacking a shipment of Kryptonite from Black Mask. In the midst of a battle with Batman, Nightwing, and Mr. Freeze, the Red Hood gives them the Kryptonite back, and tells them he has gotten what he truly wanted: a "lay of the land." Shortly afterward, the Red Hood finds the Joker and beats him with a crowbar just as the Joker had beaten Jason. Despite the violence of the beating, Jason has the Joker saved, intending to use him later against Batman.

[ "I'm Back!!"]

The Red Hood assumes control over several gangs in Gotham City and starts a one-man-war against Black Mask's criminal empire. Over all, he strives to cleanse the city of its corruption, such as drug dealing and gang violence, and to kill the Joker in revenge for his own death. Because of his anti-heroic activities he repeatedly comes to blows with Batman and several of his allies. A Robin mask was found in the Batmobile, which never belonged to Dick or Tim, but it was of the style that Jason wore as Robin. Around this time, Batman discovers that Jason's coffin has always been empty, and he begins to question whether or not Jason had actually died. Despite his return, Jason's Robin costume remains in its memorial display case in the Batcave; when Alfred asked if Bruce wanted the costume removed, Bruce replied that the return of Jason "doesn't change anything at all."

Knowing that Tim Drake has not only replaced him as Robin, but is reportedly a better Robin than he had been, Jason breaks into Titans Tower to confront Tim. Wearing an altered version of his own Robin costume, Jason quickly immobilizes the other Titans and strikes Tim down in the Tower's Hall of Fallen Titans. Furious that no memorial statue was made for him (despite his short tenure as a Titan), Jason demands that Tim tell him if he is really as good as Jason has been told. Tim says "Yes" and passes out. As he leaves, Jason tears the 'R' emblem from Tim's chest. In the Epilogue, Jason has apparently developed a grudging respect for his replacement as he states, "I'll admit. He's good". Jason is also left wondering if perhaps he would have been a better Robin and better person had he a life like Tim's and friends like the Titans.

Jason's return crescendos when he kidnaps the Joker and holds him hostage, luring Batman to Crime Alley, the site of their first meeting. Jason asks Batman why he has not avenged his death by killing the Joker, and Batman tells Jason that he will never cross that line. An enraged Jason explains that Joker deserves it, because he has done evil in the past and, according to Jason, is "doing it because he took me away from you". Despite this, Batman explains that it is not too hard for him to kill the Joker, it would be too easy; he has never once not fantasized about taking the Joker somewhere private and torturing him for maybe weeks before finally killing him, but refuses to go to that place. Jason offers Batman an ultimatum: Jason will kill the Joker unless Batman kills Jason first. Holding the Joker at gunpoint, Jason throws a pistol to Batman and begins to count to three while standing behind the Joker, leaving Batman with only a headshot if he wants to stop Jason pulling the trigger. At the last moment, Batman throws a batarang that cuts down an object and slices Jason's neck. The Joker takes advantage of the situation, detonating nearby explosives that engulf the platform they are on and send them plunging into the bay.

After his return, Jason expands on his training by learning from people of the same caliber as those who trained his ex-mentor, Batman. This has given him fighting skills that allowed him to fight his former mentor and Nightwing to a standstill. Jason has held his own against the Green Arrow in a sword fight, and overpowered Tim Drake at Titans Tower, proving himself to be a formidable adversary. Through Talia al Ghul, Jason has access to high-level civilian and military-grade weaponry, including firearms, explosives, and even rocket launchers. However, his dagger (which resembles a kris) still remains as his preferred weapon of choice for hand-to-hand combat. Although Jason does not possess the wealth of Bruce Wayne, his arsenal is nearly on par with Batman's.

["We are still a family"]

In One Year Later and The Countdown Storylines, Jason resurfaces again following the One Year Later shift in Nightwing, patrolling the streets of New York City as a murderous version of Nightwing. Jason shows no intention of giving up the Nightwing persona, and continues to taunt Dick Grayson by wearing the costume and suggesting that the two become a crime-fighting team. Grayson refuses to join his side and methods of crimefighting. Not long after the two Nightwings meet up, Jason is captured and imprisoned by unknown mobsters. Rescued by a reluctant Grayson, the two join forces to defeat the Pierce brothers. Jason leaves New York City and the Nightwing mantle to Grayson, along with a telegram telling Grayson he has returned to normal and still considers them family.

So who knows where Jason Is at this time, whether lurking behind some bad alley or whether the writers are just no longer going to include him in any DC Comics stories. but in or out, he will forever remain in memories of the Batman. By the way, if your ever in KL or Singapore, be sure to get Batman top Storylines like these ones. Myself and GL would like to recommend you Hush Vol 1 & 2, Batman: A Death in a Family, The Long Halloween, The Darknight Returns, Batman and Son, and If you even manage to find Batman: The Killing Joke, now that is a cool collectible storyline. It Reeks in Awesomeness... Thanks for reading.