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    Robin

    Concept » Robin appears in 1192 issues.

    The patron saint of superhero sidekicks, several young people have taken on the role of Robin, Batman's partner in the battle against crime: Dick Grayson was the first, followed by Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Stephanie Brown and currently Damian Wayne. The title of Robin is an honor all on its own comparable to that of Batman.

    Short summary describing this concept.

    Robin last edited by Hyjurocket on 07/04/23 06:23AM View full history

    Origin

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    Richard "Dick" Grayson was a circus acrobat alongside his parents, one night he watched his parents fall to their death, because the circus had been sabotaged by mobster Tony Zucco. Dick was adopted by Bruce Wayne (Batman) and, after being trained by Bruce, joined Batman in crime fighting, as Robin, the Boy Wonder.

    Creation

    Robin was created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson and first appeared in Detective Comics #38. Robin was originally created to attract younger readership. And Robin did attract more readership, as Batman related comic books sales doubled.

    Character Evolution

    Robin I - Dick Grayson

    Dick Grayson as the first Robin
    Dick Grayson as the first Robin

    Son of John and Mary Grayson, circus acrobats, Dick Grayson was born into his parents' famous circus act, " The Flying Graysons". The family were well known for performing without a safety net, and it was inevitable that one day it would be their downfall. While preparing for a performance Dick overhears two gangsters attempting to extort protection money from the Circus owner. The owner refuses, so the gangsters sabotage the trapeze wires with acid. During the performance where the trapeze from which Dick's parents are swinging snaps, sending them to their deaths. Before he can go to the police, Batman appears to him and warns him that the two gangsters work for Tony Zucco, a very powerful crime boss, and that revealing his knowledge could lead to his death. The two work together to bring down Zucco, and he was left an orphan. He was soon taken in, however, by Gotham's resident billionaire, Bruce Wayne. Then one night, while Dick was investigating his parents' death, the costumed vigilante known as Batman was doing the same. The two ran into each other and Batman, seeing a little of himself in the young boy, revealed that he was the very same man who had taken him in, Bruce Wayne.

    Teen Titans
    Teen Titans

    Batman then decided that he would train his young ward to become his sidekick, teaching him how to fight and the skills of a detective. Dick Grayson learned quickly and joined Batman on the streets of Gotham as Robin, the Boy Wonder. And soon, the Boy Wonder became a Teen Wonder, when the first Robin became a founding member and leader of the Teen Titans, a team of sidekicks like himself. The team consisted of Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Speedy and Wonder Girl.

    As time went on, Dick slowly moved out of the shadow of the Dark Knight and became an independent hero in his own right. And after an argument with his mentor, Dick left Wayne Manor behind to become his own man, away from Bruce. He took on the name Nightwing, following the advice of Superman and continued with his life. Eventually he and Bruce reconciled and became close once more. And following the apparent death of his mentor, Dick has taken on the role of Batman himself.

    Robin II - Jason Todd

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    Jason Todd had a hard life. His father left him and his mother died of illness. His neighborhood was full of crime and Jason lived alone in his mother's apartment, fending for himself with his knowledge of the streets. Until one fateful night in Crime Alley, when the young orphan tried to steal the tires off the Batmobile, and was caught in the act by the Dark Knight himself! Bruce saw this meeting as more than just a coincidence, as he was aware of the massive void in his life that Dick Grayson filled had suddenly opened up once more. So, after six months of training, Jason Todd became the second Robin.

    But it was soon incredibly clear to Batman that Jason Todd was no Dick Grayson. Not only did Jason lack the acrobatic prowess of his predecessor, he had much more rage. The new Boy Wonder was reckless and disobedient, going so far as to use a gun. After a short while and a conversation with Alfred, Bruce decided to pull Jason out of his duties as Robin. During this time, Jason discovered that Catherine Todd was not his mother at all, and set off to find his real mother, Sheila Haywood. Upon finding her, Jason found out that she was being blackmailed by the Joker and betrayed her son to the criminal in order to get out of it.

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    Jason was not prepared to deal with such a threat and was beaten savagely by the Joker with a crowbar. Joker then tied up mother and son and left them in a warehouse wired to explode. And while Batman raced to the rescue as fast as he could, the Dark Knight showed up too late to stop the disaster. Jason Todd was dead.

    And for years, he remained so. But eventually, Jason returned from the grave as the Red Hood. Following the apparent death of Bruce Wayne, Jason tried to take the mantle of Batman for himself, but was beaten by Dick Grayson and forced to return to his roots as the Red Hood.

    Robin III - Tim Drake

    Tim Drake as the third Robin
    Tim Drake as the third Robin

    Tim Drake had followed Batman and Robin’s careers ever since he saw the murder of the Flying Graysons. Tim had excellent instinct and deductive skills, later showed. One day, he saw Batman and Robin battle the Penguin on the television. Tim noticed that Robin performed a quadruple somersault, and he remembers seeing Dick do the exact move while with the Flying Graysons. Tim quickly made the connection that Robin and Dick Grayson were the same person. He continued to follow the Dynamic Duo’s career for years.

    After the apparent death of Jason Todd, Batman grew more violent and reckless. Tim noticed that this wasn't in Batman’s true character, and he sought out the help of Dick Grayson. At this time, Dick had been going by the code-name Nightwing. Tim tried to convince Dick to retake the mantle of Robin, saying it was the only way to keep Batman sane. Dick agreed to this, but said that he would only help Batman as Nightwing. Tim did not like Dick’s decision and continued to argue that Batman needed Robin. Eventually, he was able to get Alfred to assist in altering the Robin costume so that he could help Batman himself. Alfred and Dick gave Tim their approval as the new Robin, but only so he could keep Batman sane. However, Batman protested that he did not want a new partner but also added “The boy has potential.” Eventually, Batman skeptically accepted Tim as Robin but under one condition: Tim had to endure physical and mental training from Bruce before he could become Robin so that he would not suffer the same fate as Jason Todd.

    While Tim was still training, his parents Jack and Janet Drake were kidnapped by a mysterious stranger. Tim continued to focus on his work and foiled the plans of a hacker thief. Meanwhile, Batman went to rescue Tim’s parents. However, Batman arrived too late. Tim's parents were poisoned. His mother had died, and his father fell into a deep coma. With the tragedy that Tim and his parents went through, Batman became worried that Tim might go down the road of vengeance, and it would cloud his judgment. However, Tim proved Batman wrong when he saved Batman and Vicki Vale from the Scarecrow. Afterwards, Batman allowed Tim to take on the mantle of the Boy Wonder and gave him a newer version of the costume.

    Training

    First night in Gotham
    First night in Gotham

    Tim was an excellent detective. However, he lacked an important skill - martial arts. Right after Batman gave Tim the Robin mantle, he sent him to Paris to learn fighting skills from a master martial artist, Rahul Lama. He would learn healing techniques from the old master while learning martial arts from his grandson. Tim noticed an organized crime lead by King Snake, so he decided to try and stop them. However, Lady Shiva had been pursuing King Snake also. She soon discovered the potential that Tim had in martial arts, and took Tim in to train him herself. She also offered to teach him how to use one weapon of his choice. Tim chose the bo staff because it was the least deadly of all the weapons. Toward the end of his training, Lady Shiva and Tim had a sparring match in which Tim defeated her with the bo staff. Shiva then presented Tim with a gift, a retractable bo-staff that he could conceal. Meanwhile, King Snake was planning to release a plague, but he was stopped by Tim and Lady Shiva. While King Snake was hanging onto the building helplessly, Shiva orders Tim to kill him in order to “graduate.” Tim refused to do this.

    Tim returns to Gotham City and officially becomes Batman’s partner. Tim also began going on many solo missions, which included him fighting the murderer of the previous Robin: the Joker. He also teamed up with Huntress to battle King Snake again. Meanwhile, Tim still could not fully adjust to having an alter-ego. His father also came out of the coma around the same time, and their relationship had not been the same since.

    When Tim’s dad came out of the coma, he was paralyzed from the waist down. He realizes that his wife, Janet, had died and that he was in a coma for a long time. Jack wanted to reconnect with his son, but Tim’s duties as Robin and his relationship with Bruce caused a barrier between father and son. Jack would eventually be able to regain the use of his legs with the help of his therapist, Dana Winters. Jack and Dana began a romantic relationship, and she begins to fix the Drakes’ problems. She helped rid Jack of his anger towards his son, and helped Tim reconnect with his father. Dana and Jack eventually married.

    Tim began a romantic relationship as Robin with Stephanie Brown, the daughter of a criminal named Cluemaster. Batman would not allow Robin to reveal his identity to Stephanie, and she claimed that she didn't mind not knowing his identity. Later, she reveals to Tim that she is pregnant from a previous relationship. Tim helps her through childbirth, but eventually the child was given up for adoption.

    Broken Bat

    Tim distinguished himself from Jason Todd by being more reserved in temperament, and from Dick Grayson by being more of a detective and less of a great acrobat. He worked hard, mastering stick fighting and other forms of combat such as tae kwon do, karate, judo, and jeet kune do. Tim was also naturally intelligent and was a better detective then Dick and Jason. Tim proved himself to be a brilliant crime fighter on his own, as well as along with his mentor, Batman. However, Tim was under strict orders to never engage in a fight with a well-known killer like Two-Face or the Joker until he became more experienced.

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    Tim was in Gotham when Bane broke open Arkham Asylum and unleashed almost all the inmates on Gotham. Tim was the first person to suggest to Batman that it was Bane who was responsible for these actions. As Tim and Batman set out to catch the criminals, they got off to a good start by taking down Mad Hatter’s tea party and bringing half a dozen thugs with him. Batman decided that the two would separate to take down more criminals in a shorter time. Robin went after Bird, one of Bane’s lackey’s, and Batman went after Mr. Zsasz. Robin was briefly captured by Bane and Killer Croc, but escaped. Robin then tried to track down the villain Firefly and did eventually, but this left him mentally and physically drained. Batman later told him to sit this one out in the Batcave. Tim’s rest was short lived when the Riddler held a live hostage T.V. show. Although Riddler had a fake bomb, Robin defeated him and saved the hostage.

    Robin was with Alfred and Jean-Paul Valley when Bane broke Batman’s back and threw him off of a roof top in downtown Gotham. They acquired an ambulance and took Bruce back to the Batcave. Robin wanted to take Bruce to hospital, but it was too big of a risk to expose all the identities of the bat family. All Robin could do was stay by Bruce’s bedside and pray. Thankfully, Bruce did not die. When he woke up, he was psychologically scarred, and his defeat to Bane came as a big blow mentally. Tim could barely stand to watch his mentor so shattered, but he stayed the course and helped Alfred recruit Dr. Shondra Kingsolving to be Bruce’s personal physician. Once Bruce was in better spirits, Tim talked about the escalating violence and gang war in Gotham. Tim told Bruce about how someone should step in as Batman while Bruce heals. Bruce agreed, but turned down Tim’s suggestion that Nightwing should take the mantle of Batman, saying he is his own man now with his own responsibilities. Bruce picked Azrael. Tim gave Azrael the Batman costume, which he modified.

    Bruce’s condition was partially heartbreaking for Robin, given that his father, Jack, was still learning how to use his legs again after coming out of his coma. Robin went out on patrol with the new Batman and was dismayed with the amount of violence he used to capture the criminals. Tim had to keep reminding Azrael that there was more to being Batman than just a costume, but Azrael became more and more lost in his role and actually killed a criminal. Bruce realized that if Bane worked out his identity that meant he knew Tim’s as well. Bruce was right, and he and Alfred set off to the Drake's home to rescue Jack, who was kidnapped.

    Tim wanted to go and save his father, but Bruce told Tim that Gotham needed him and that Bruce would go and save him. Azrael kept getting more and more violent and started to reject Tim. Tim also found himself spending more time with Nightwing, and the two established an almost perfect partnership and stopped many villains together. Tim told Dick that he felt responsible for Azrael’s recklessness. Dick told Tim that it wasn’t his fault, and that he was surprised that Bruce did not ask him to take the mantle.

    Tim came across Azrael fighting Bane on a railway. Robin manages to save the people on the train, and much to his relief, Azrael does not kill Bane. Although Azrael did not kill Bane, he was still acting reckless. The “system” played havoc with Azrael, and finally he snapped under the strain. One night in the bat cave, Azrael attacked Robin, who only just escaped. After this, Azrael locked himself in the bat cave. Around this time Bruce and Alfred returned with Jack, and Bruce’s back was mystically healed by by an unknown man. Bruce was happy with Tim’s progress but was a angry at Tim for not stopping Azrael from killing someone. All Tim said is that Azrael was out of control and locked himself in the cave. Bruce decided to take the mantle back by force; this meant a trip to Lady Shiva for a crash course to get him back to his peak. Tim was very happy that Bruce and his father were back safely.

    Bruce “graduated” from Shiva’s training with the support of Robin and Nightwing, but Bruce wanted to face Azrael alone. He beat Azrael, but instead of starting as Batman straight away, Bruce decided that he needed some time off to train more. Bruce gave the mantle to the man who should have got it the first time - Dick Grayson. The new Batman and Robin got along very well and again formed a near perfect partnership. After some time, Bruce returned, and Dick gave back the mantle of Batman and regained his identity as Nightwing. Tim and Dick formed a brotherly bond and often teamed up.

    Teaming up

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    Tim began teaming up with other young heroes around his age but also teamed up with heroes like Superman and the Flash. Robin and Superboy eventually teamed up and realized that they worked so well together. As a result, the two of them created Young Justice. Robin was the leader of the group for a period of time before he had to take a temporary leave to assist in the Imperiex War. When Tim had to rescue the Young Justice from Apokolips, he discovers that more than half the team lost trust in him due to the actions of Batman with the Justice League. Many of the heroes discovered that Batman had been keeping tabs on everyone and had a plan that would defeat anyone if they crossed the line.

    When Tim returns to the Young Justice, the whole team decided to vote for a leader instead of letting Tim retake leadership. Wonder Girl wins the election, but Tim worked closely with her, helping her with leadership. The team still looked to Tim for tactical advice. The Young Justice eventually disbanded after the death of Donna Troy. Robin, Superboy, and Wonder Girl went on to join the new Teen Titans and fight alongside Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy. Even though Robin was one of the younger members and was not the leader of the Titans (Cyborg was the leader), Tim often took leadership amongst the young members.

    During the Identity Crisis, Batman and Robin were investigating the crimes related to the problem in the JLA. Oracle sends them a message saying that Tim’s father needs to speak with him immediately. Tim arrives and they figure that someone is threatening him. Jack assures Tim that whatever happens is not his fault. Eventually, the mystery man turns out to be Captain Boomerang. Jack and Captain Boomerang exchange shots and in the end kill each other. Batman and Robin arrived too late to save Jack. Afterwards, Bruce offers to adopt Tim, however, Tim did not like the idea. Instead, Tim decided to create fake records about an uncle living in Bludhaven. His fake uncle would be his legal guardian, and Tim would eventually move to Bludhaven. The reason his stepmother Dana did not take custody was because she checked into a mental hospital to help her deal with the death of her husband, Tim's father. Batman would eventually be able to uncover the tracks Tim tried to hide and discovers what he is truly doing. Batman was impressed with Tim rather than angry, and offered to teach him how to fully cover his tracks.

    Robin IV - Stephanie Brown

    Stephanie Brown as the fourth Robin
    Stephanie Brown as the fourth Robin

    Stephanie Brown, daughter of the villain Cluemaster, once took on the role of the fourth Robin. The Robin before her was Tim Drake, whom she had a romantic relationship with. Tim's father, Jack Drake, had found out he was Robin and forced him to give up the mantle. Tim quit and went on to try and live the life of a normal teenager. Stephanie, who was Spoiler at the time, had seen that the role of Robin was not yet filled, so she invited herself into the Batcave with a home-made Robin suit of her own. She came before Batman and asked him if she could fill the role of Robin. He was skeptical at first, but after realizing that he could gain Tim back by filling the position with his girlfriend, he accepted. Batman went on to train Stephanie but told her that she was still on probation. This meant that she would not be included in any of the big secrets, like the identity of Batman. Batman also made it clear that if she messed up once, she would be fired. Stephanie was trained like any other Robin, probably harder, considering she had to live up to Batman's expectations.

    She went on several missions with Batman while she was still on probation. And when she eventually messed up, she was fired. Stephanie took this very personally and felt that it wasn't right for Batman to fire her. So, she stole a file off of the Bat-computer. The file was a plan of Batman's; it was only to be put into action if the gangs in Gotham got out of control. Stephanie thought if she could put it into action, Batman would take her back as Robin. The plan involved several important figures and crime bosses, and Stephanie, as Spoiler, got them all together. Although, the plan centered around Matches Malone, Batman, but Stephanie didn't know that Malone was Batman's other secret identity. Matches didn't show up, and the plan went horribly wrong. The failed plan led into a huge gang war, which was all Stephanie's fault.

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    She ends up trying to do her best with cleaning up Gotham with fellow heroes, Robin (Tim Drake), Batgirl, Nightwing, Batman, Oracle, Orpheus, Tarantula, Onyx, and even Catwoman. Except, Stephanie falls into trouble with Black Mask, who is planning another takeover of Gotham. He thinks he can get some answers out of her, so he tortures her for hours. He leaves to pretend to be Orpheus, who he just killed in front of Stephanie, and she barely escapes with her life. She makes it to Leslie Thompkins clinic, and Leslie notifies Batman that Stephanie isn't going to make it much longer. Batman rushes over to the clinic in time to talk to Stephanie. Stephanie admits that the war was all her fault, but Batman denies that. She also talks about her baby and asks if Tim hates her. Batman says that he adores her and always has. Stephanie's heart stops, and she dies as a tear slides down her cheek. Tim then retakes the mantle of Robin.

    Later, a mystery villain began to appear claiming his alias as Red Hood. It would later be discovered that Red Hood was actually Jason Todd. Jason continued to make Batman suffer but was also intrigued with who had replaced him and why everyone claimed that he was so good. He broke into Titans Tower, wearing his old Robin costume. Jason defeated the other Titans and engaged in a battle with Tim. Jason had been angered by the fact of someone replacing him. Also, he states that he used to be a temporary Titan, yet they did not have a statue of him in the Hall of Fallen Titans. He beats Tim but does not kill him, instead he rips the R off his chest and leaves.

    Tim's Titans

    While attending the one year anniversary of Superboy's death, Robin joins the rest of the superhero community to have a memorial service to honor Conner Kent and all those who died during World War III and Infinite Crisis.

    Tim had been trying to rebuild the Teen Titans, but only he and Ravager, the daughter of Deathstroke, were on the roster. He attempts to convince Wonder Girl to return, but she refuses, feeling abandoned by Robin following Superboy's death. Jimmy Olsen ask why he has changed his uniform to red and black. Tim replies that it was "his colors" (Superboy).

    Unable to let his best friend go, Tim sets up a secret facility beneath for the express purpose of recreating Superboy via replicating his DNA. However, all his attempts failed. He also keeps Conner's costume similar to how Batman grieved the death of Jason Todd.

    Wonder Girl returns to the team full time and goes in search of Robin to inform him of her decision. During the search, she discovers his secret lab. Tim confesses how much he misses Conner, and the two share a passionate, unexpected kiss. Wonder Girl has attempted to speak to Tim about the incident several times, but Robin continues to avoid her.

    Later, Deathstroke's Titans East makes a full out assault on the Teen Titans, picking off each member except for Rose and Thorn. Tim has been personally targeted by Deathstroke who, with Batgirl, is holding him captive in an unknown underground location. In a mocking sort of gesture, Slade has surrounded Tim with trophy cases containing Superboy's costume, along with that of Stephanie Brown (Spoiler), clothing from his parents, Jack and Janet Drake, and his stepmother, Dana Drake.

    Deathstroke ordered Cassandra Cain to inject Tim with the same formula that once granted him control over Rose and current control over Cassandra. Tim managed to escape and inject Cassandra with an antidote that he developed in case Slade ever managed to re-inject Rose. With Batgirl now free of Slade's influence, she has joined Robin and the Titans against Slade's Titans East.

    Along with Duela Dent and past Titans, Nightwing, Donna Troy, Beast Boy and Flash ( Bart Allen) defeat the Titans East, although Slade and Inertia manage to escape. Batgirl, who attempted to murder Slade in revenge, is stopped by Nightwing, and disappears soon after.

    Since then, the Titans have experienced a bit of a rough patch. The introduction of the Terror Titans withdrew Ravager from their ranks, and soon after one of the teams tech-twins was murdered in an attack on Wonder Girl. The team did, however, regain an alliance with Bombshell, and Blue Beetle became a permanent member.

    Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul

    Another of Tim's good friends had died. When Bart Allen was killed by the Rouges, Tim showed a video made by Bart at his funeral and had a private ceremony with the Titans at the Tower. He was also being troubled by a rival named Dodge. Dodge had come out of his coma glowing with a strange energy. Dodge was giving a drug to kids so they would gain super powers and help him kill Robin, who he was still angry with.

    Meanwhile, Robin is fighting against Ra's al Ghul with the rest of the Batman family. Ra's has captured both Tim and Damian and intends to use one of them as his new host. Both Tim and Damian refuse, and Ra's intends to make Batman choose. Robin is still haunted by Ra's offer to bring back his loved ones. In the midst of a battle with Ra's ninjas, he breaks off and goes after the White Ghost, feeling it to be selfish of him to deny his parent's and friend's lives. The White Ghost tells Tim that he can restore them, but only if Tim swears his undying loyalty to Ra's Al Ghul and forsakes Batman. Tim agrees and is sent to a chamber with a Lazarus Pit. There, he is confronted by Nightwing, who swears to stop him. The two battle, and Nightwing convinces Robin not to join Ra's. Tim and the others battled Ra's Al Ghul at Nanda Parbat. They escaped when the monks summoned the power of their goddess Rama Kushina and completely cut off Nanda Parbat from the world.

    Batman R.I.P.

    Tim was also targeted by the direct conspiracy against Batman. He was hunted by a handful of lesser known bat-foes and managed to keep out of their grasps longer than even Nightwing. In the end, he managed to make it to the scene just in time to witness Batman's apparent demise.

    When Batman disappeared with no real explanation or trace, Robin knew it was his time to step into his spotlight. With the help of the recently returned Spoiler (who's death was faked in an earlier Batman Story Arc), Robin took on the gangs and villains of the city in an attempt to fill the void Batman left behind. He forged an alliance with GCPD Sgt. Harper. With her help, he was able to stay on top of police movement much the same way as Batman did with Gordon. He also made a tentative connection with the Penguin.

    However, things became more and more complicated as unexpected gang fights and alliances began to form, rippling chaos throughout the city. On top of the growing crime problem, the assassin known as the Scarab returned with her sights on Robin, and two different people claiming to be Jason Todd's known alter-egos Red Hood and Red Robin where both revealed to have had a part in the recent crime upheaval. Further shocking news came when Robin discovered that Spoiler was making deals with criminals behind Tim's back, including hiring Scarab to try and kill him. This revelation further revealed that Spoiler had orders from Batman to make sure Tim didn't find him, and she was to help him become a better Robin.

    Tim later found out that Anarky, who turned into a villain again, was behind much of the chaos that the city had been experiencing, including the gangs and the appearance of Red Robin (Anarky was the person pretending to be Red Robin). However, Robin didn't realize this until he was almost killed in one of Anarky's explosions. Tim escaped with serious burns to his body and the back of his head. This forced him to ditch his usual domino mask and don the Red Robin cape and cowl that he had apprehended.

    Tim found Anarky in the middle of the chaos, and in a last attempt to save his city, Red Robin starts to fight with Anarky while Spoiler tries to stop the chaos and Anarky's bombs. Anarky tries to distract Tim with pre-recorded speeches of himself, but this didn't work. Anarky was no match for Tim's fighting skills, and Tim defeated Anarky. Tim had planned for Officer Jamie Harper to get Ulysses's parents to come and try to stop Anarky, but he did not count on them to bring their other younger children, Hillary and Matthew. Anarky see's his parents but not his brother and sister, neither does Red Robin. Anarky manages to set off his last bomb, which is in a mail box next to the car his younger brother and sister where in.

    Red Robin saves Officer Harper but did not know about the children in the car and was not able to save them. Red Robin has a brief talk with Commissioner Gordon, in which he questions Tim about his decision to bring Ulysses's parents into it. Tim meets up with Steph and tells her that he knows about her and Batman's plans to make him better. He says that he loves her, and because of that he can't have Spoiler around messing things up any more. He then congratulates her on making him better. Jim Gordon accepts Robin and gives him his own signal.

    Robin V - Damian Wayne

    Damian Wayne as the fifth Robin
    Damian Wayne as the fifth Robin

    The son of Batman and Talia al Ghul, Damian Wayne has been raised by his mother in the harrowing world of the League of Assassins. After a battle with her new ninja Man-bats at an art gallery, Talia kidnapped the English Prime-Minster's wife and left Damian with Batman so he would slow down his work. As a spoiled and violent child, Damian at first had no respect for his father, Robin, Alfred, or Batman's war on crime. Robin was also angry about Damian, and after informing Batman about The Spook holding the mayor hostage he storms off. Damian threw a fit when he had his sword taken away from him, and when he wasn't allowed to get a laptop. However, after being shown his father's scary side, he was soon put in his place and gained a true but misguided want to help his father.

    Batman left to battle The Spook, and after saving an undercover officer and the hostages, he found The Spook's headless body. Tim returned to the cave and found that Damian had escaped. Damian says, "I fought crime. I can do that. I fought crime tonight. Crime lost." He showed Tim The Spook's head with a grenade in it. Damian detonated the grenade and began fighting Tim. During the fight, Tim had to save Damian from almost being eaten by the robotic T-Rex in the cave. After a short talk, Damian sucker-punched Tim and donned a Robin shirt and mask along with his assassin gear and a cloak and hood. He tracked down his father, and the two rushed back. Batman freed Alfred and told him to help Tim.

    After pleading with his father for help, he told him that his mother wanted a garrison at Gibraltar. After asking Kirk Langstrom for help, Batman went after Talia with Damian by his side. When they landed, Damian and Batman battled his mother's Man-bat's. Batman was going to give the two another chance, however, the ship they were on was destroyed by a torpedo. Batman survived and found only Damian's cloak. While they both survived, Damian required massive surgery and many organ transplants, which his mother gathered.

    Talia took Damian to Australia to learn of his grandfather's history from his servant the White Ghost. White Ghost then revealed that Damian was meant to be the vessel for the return of Ra's al Ghul after his death. Batman showed up to save Damian just in time. After Ra's returns, he informs Damian that he wants to use his body as a replacement for his damaged one. Damian refuses, and after battling his grandfather's ninjas, leaves to inform his father. He also has a run in with Robin while searching for his father. After meeting Robin, both of them are captured by Ra's al Ghul. Ra's intends to use either of them as a new host and is going to force Batman to make the choice.

    Batman instead offers his body to Ra's but Ra's refuses the offer, feeling he needs someone younger. Batman offers a third choice - the "Fountain of Essence," which contains the qualities like those of the Lazarus Pit. Batman and Ra's go in search of the fountain, leaving Tim, Damian, Nightwing, Alfred, and Talia to battle the Sensei. Damian leaves his mother and Tim for dead, while he goes off to be with his father. Unfortunately, he ends up being captured by Ra's and nearly loses his life to Ra's. Batman and the others manage to save him, and Talia takes her son and escapes.

    Battle for the Cowl

    Gotham has gone to hell in the wake of no Batman, and Robin and Nightwing are trying their hardest to set it right. They have developed the Network, which is made up of their best allies to help. Robin and Squire tracked and were about to take down some robbers, but before they could take them down someone else did. Robin and Squire don't see the person, but he leaves them a note saying, "I AM BATMAN." Before anything else can be said, Nightwing calls Robin for backup with a gang. They take the gang down. Meanwhile, a coach full of Gotham's most dangerous criminals is on its way to Arkham, but the coach is stopped by a small army of goons lead by Black Mask. After the criminals are off the coach, Arkham is blown up by Black Mask. Also, they have caught word that Batman is no longer around. Back in the Bat-cave, Nightwing is looking at all of Batman's different suits when Tim walks in and says that one of them [Tim or Dick] needs to become the new Batman. Nightwing shrugs this off , and Tim tells Dick about a man running around in a custom-made Batman suit who is fighting crime. Tim notes that he was no beginner, and he obviously was experienced and knew what he was doing.

    Tim uses his brilliant detective skills to work out where the phony Batman's hideout is, but Tim decides not to confront the fake Batman as Robin but as Batman. He uses the silver age Batman suit. Meanwhile, Damian is joy riding in a Bat-mobile with a friend when Oracle calls him to do a swoop of the docks. Damian's friend starts talking, and Oracle takes control of the car and presses the eject button on Damian's friend's seat. She goes flying into a small stream, where Killer Croc and Poison Ivy are trying to track the Bat-mobile. Croc eats the girl then knocks the car off the road into the stream. Damian is terrified and tries to talk his way out of it. Croc was about to eat Damian, but Nightwing flies in on a hang glider and saves Damian. While they're flying, they are shot out of the air. Once on the ground, they are immediately surrounded by goons. Suddenly, the phony Batman comes in shooting.

    Dick begins to fight this Batman. While they are fighting, Dick reveals he knows who the phony Batman is Jason Todd. Jason shoots Damian in the chest then flees the fight. Back at Black Mask's hideout, he is planning to blow up Gotham Police Headquarters with Firefly and Adam Bomb. Meanwhile, Tim, who is still dressed in a Batman suit, has found Jason's Batcave. Though, he is not alone. Catwoman has followed Tim, thinking he was the one killing people. At the same time, Dick discovers that Tim has taken the Bat suit.

    Jason sneaks up on Catwoman and knocks her out. Tim and Jason begin to fight with Tim obliviously the better fighter out of the two. Jason uses his knowledge of his cave to lure Tim into a pit, where he repeatedly slashes him with a Batarang. In the middle of the fight, Jason asks Tim to be his Robin, but Tim refuses and picks up a crowbar and begins to beat Jason

    with it. Jason manages to quickly stab Tim in the gut with the Batarang and leaves him to die.

    With Gotham on fire, Dick tells the network to hunt down the Black Mask, while he goes looking for Tim. Back at the Bat-Cave, Damian has recovered and wants to go out to help, but Alfred tells him it’s time to earn his keep and gives Damian his suit [the classic Robin tunic with the League of Assassin robs.] He tells him to go with Squire to find Tim. With Penguin caught by the Police, and Two-Face is forced to flee the city by the new Black Mask. Dick is deeply upset at his adopted brother’s disappearance and won't rest until he finds him. Dick manages to track Tim (by using an old tracking device in the Bat-suit Tim was wearing) to Jason’s cave, where he finds Tim’s cape and cowl hung on a cross. Dick picks it up and is electrocuted. Jason appears but before the fight can begin Dicks uses a holographic message that Bruce recorded before his death.

    The holographic Bruce says that Jason was his biggest failure, and that he need to be repaired mentally. He continues to say that he loved him, but it was a mistake to train him. Jason says that he's already heard it, but Dick yells that this time he needed to listen. Jason gets fed up with hearing the holograph and screams, "Enough!" Jason and Dick begin to fight, but as with Jason’s fight with Tim, Jason is the lesser skilled fighter of the two. Again Jason uses his knowledge of his cave and gadgets to try to beat his opponent, but this time it doesn’t work. Dick is going ballistic at Jason for telling him that Tim is dead.

    Meanwhile, in the tunnels of Jason’s cave, a wounded but a very much alive Tim makes his way out of the tunnels. He reveals that he used a martial art technique called the opossum reflex that Bruce taught him to slow his heart rate to eight beats per minute. This lead Jason to believe that he was dead, but he says that it was the Bat-suits heavy armor that saved him. Tim pulls out the remaining pieces of the rusted Batarang and passes out.

    Jason sets off bombs he laid in his cave. The explosions make all the tunnels cave in. Tim is too injured to move quickly, and the ground begins to collapse beneath him. Before he can fall to his death, Damian and Squire save him. The explosion forces Dick and Jason’s fight outside onto a moving train. Jason tells Dick that he is only mad at him because he didn’t take up the cowl. So Jason did, but Dick thinks Jason is only over-compensating for his past actions. Dick finishes the fight, but his final blow is more powerful that he expected. His powerful kick sends Jason to the edge of the train, just barely hanging on. Dick offers Jason his hand, in attempts to save him. Jason declines and lets go; he seemingly falls to his death.

    A few days later, a figure approaches the grand-father clock entrance to the cave below. Waiting for him are Alfred and Damian, who has become the new Robin. We then see that Dick is the new Batman.

    Batman and Robin

    No Caption Provided

    After the Battle for the Cowl, Dick decides it’s time he takes up the mantle of his mentor but says they have to do it his way. The first thing he does is move himself, Damian, and Alfred out of Wayne Manor. He locked the Batcave and moved into the penthouse in Wayne Tower, and they also used a massive secret bunker that Bruce built as their Batcave. Dick said “The Batcave was him, and this will be me.” Dick’s first act as Batman was to stop the Scarecrow unleashing his fear toxins on Gotham.

    Dick’s first big decision as Batman was to give the mantle of Robin to Damian so he could keep a eye on him, but he did this without consulting Tim. Tim feels betrayed, but Dick tells him he wants Tim to be his second in command, his partner not his sidekick. Their conversation is interrupted by Damian, who now wearing a new Robin suit and begins to mock Tim. He quickly regrets this when Tim punches Damian in the face and is only held back by Dick. Tim walks out with Dick shouting after him. Tim became Red Robin and traveled the world to find out if Bruce Wayne is really dead.

    Dick and Damian build a flying Batmobile, which they use for the first week of their partnership. Damian is hostile towards Dick often, saying he isn’t the real Batman.

    Dick and Damian respond to the bat-signal. When they arrive on the police station’s roof, they meet Jim Gordon and two other policemen. They are about to talk about Mr. Toad and his connections when the policemen are radioed about trouble in the police station. Batman and Robin set off quickly down the stairs to the front desk to help the police. When the Dynamic Duo leave the roof, Gordon and the two other Policemen comment on how different Batman and Robin are, saying they used to be taller.

    At the front desk, a man, who is on fire, is injuring and burning police officers. He is then joined by his assailants - fat man dressed in a tutu and three martial arts monks strapped together. Batman and Robin arrive to the front desk. Batman lets Robin fight the three monks, but he can only fight them to a stand still. He is unable to beat them, so Batman steps in and easily defeats them.

    Damian goes against Batman’s orders and goes after the fat man while Batman fights the other gang members. The fat man reveals they are there to free Mr. Toad, but he is stopped by Robin. The fat man is massive compared to Damian, but during the fight Robin brutally breaks the fat man’s arm and then violently interrogates him. Damian is only stopped when Dick has to physically restrain him. When Damian was fighting the fat man, someone managed to sneak into Mr. Toad’s cell and kill him.

    When they arrive back at the Bat-bunker, Dick and Damian yet again come to verbal blows. Damian calls Dick a mockery to Bruce’s legacy and then rips the Robin badge off of his uniform and tells Dick he will find a teacher he respects. He then gets on his motorbike a leaves.

    Dick confides in Alfred, telling him he’s having trouble adapting to his new role. After a lengthy conversion, Alfred tells Dick his Batman needs to be more of a performance and less of a memorial. Dick agrees and goes to look for Damian on a new Batbike called the Quad-Bat.

    Damian manages to track down where the fat man’s gang came from. He finds out that they came from a circus where he finds a girl with a mask on, crying and tided up. She begs Damian for help, but before he can help the girl he is attacked by a massive group of people, who are dressed in the same cloths as the girl and also have the same mask stuck on their face’s. Damian is overwhelmed by the numbers of the group, and a man wearing a pig mask walks out, talking to Damian while he tries to defend himself. A massive explosion is set off.

    Batman is tearing up the city looking for Robin; he begins to interrogate a prisoner from the circus, who tells him where Robin is. Meanwhile, Robin in a circus tent wakes up bound to a chair with ropes and is in the presences of a man wearing a pig mask, who is putting doll masks on other people. After a short conversation, the guy orders one of his goons, who all have the same plastic face burned on to their real face, to put one of the faces on Robin. Damian breaks the ropes that were holding him to the chair and starts to fight the goon’s. He easily beats them and Professor Pyg.

    Meanwhile, Batman stops one of Professor Pyg’s goons, who has a bomb. When Batman looks to disarm it, he finds out it is empty and realizes that they're not really bombs. Back at where Damian is being held, Robin is fighting more goons. He finds a teenage girl, with one of Professor Pyg’s plastic faces on her, asking for help. Damian says that he promises to get her out. In the same room is the girls father, who also has a plastic face on, and is being dragged around by Professor Pyg. The girl gets a Bunsen burner and burns him with it.

    Professor Pyg escapes through a window and jumps onto a roller coaster cart. Robin follows him, but he leaves the girl that he promised to get out. Professor Pyg is still on fire, and the two begin to fight. They both come flying off of the cart at the corner, and before Damian can get up Professor Pyg hits him over the head with a burning piece of wood. But before he could deliver the final blow to Robin, Batman speeds in on the Bat-Quad. Professor Pyg gets up and tries to escape, but he runs into a wall. Batman and Robin finish off the rest of the goons. Batman then realizes that this must be the place where they are keeping the deadly germs and goes looking for the antidote in case anyone was infected. He then calls Commissioner Gordon. Robin remembers the girl he left behind, but the room is empty. He assumes she got out.

    Later on, while talking to Commissioner Gordon, Batman reveals that Professor Pyg was Lazlo Valentin, and he created a new generation of narcotics and was selling it to Russian gangsters to finance his strange opposition with making doll people. He states that the drug is extremely addictive, and that he planned to hold Gotham City to ransom. Batman also finds another Domino. Later, they track down part of the Black Glove, the group that came close to killing Bruce and nearly lobotomized Dick.

    That night in Gotham hospital, the young girl that Robin left in Pyg’s room was going around the hospital killing all the other doll-face people, even her own father until she is caught by security. Before anything can be done, the security guards get their heads blown off by a mysterious man asking for her help to clean up Gotham. The mysterious man is revealed to be the new Red Hood.

    Batman: Streets of Gotham

    Harley Quinn is back on the streets and on the straight and narrow. She is mistakenly accused of robbing money from a store by the owner. The police are called, but it is obvious that she did not commit the crime. As she is walking away, she is yanked off the streets by Batman. Batman tells her to leave Gotham and start again; she attempts to attack Batman, but he simply dodges her. She is taken down by Robin, who asks if he can cut out her tongue for talking too much, but Batman told him next time.

    Later on that night, on the many red light districts in Gotham where pimps and prostitutes operate, a pimp is selling one of his girls called Cady services to a man for the night. Cady is twelve years old, but while her pimp and a client are talking about money. A large man approaches and starts talking about money, and the pimp does not like this. He attacks the man; the man moves in front of Cady and starts a fight with the pimp. The man breaks the pimps wrist with one hand, beats down the men in the limo, and punches the man who wanted to buy the Cady for the night with knuckle dusters that leave the word “abuse” on the man’s forehead. Before the mystery crime fighter drives off in the battered limo, Cady tells him her real name is Katy.

    Katy is still in shock from what she just saw and doesn’t notice a man walk past her and graze her arm. The man is revealed to be Firefly, who plans on setting Gotham on fire. Meanwhile, in Batman and Robin’s new home, Wayne Tower, they have holding cells where they keep the worst criminals until Arkam is rebuilt. Damian is playing chess with Tommy Elliot, who has now completely changed his appearance to that of Bruce Wayne, but before they can finish their game, they see on the news that Firefly’s plan is now taking effect, and it is revealed that Firefly had gone around placing small chips in people that make the person completely set on fire. Batman and Robin start to contain the situation and Damian proves that he is growing into his new role of Robin and has started to respect Dick as Batman. They soon realize that the fire is just not contained to that small area but almost all of Gotham is on fire.

    Teen Titans

    Damian has joined the Teen Titans because Dick thought he needed friends. He doesn't like being on the team, or more doesn't like being told what to do. The team doesn't like him much, because of his rude attitude, but Cassie allows him to stay on the team because of a request by Dick. He told Dick that Dick was abandoning him there, but Dick says that it's a place for Damian to learn to become a hero. Damian has issues working as a team. Ravager tries to connect to him, but Damian brushes her off. Later, when Ravager and Robin team up to take down a large group of kids who have been altered by Doctor Caligan.

    Major Story Arcs

    Infinite Crisis

    Robin aided all the heroes during Infinite Crisis and helped a few teams battle Superboy-Prime. Tim later was able to find a cure for Superboy in one of Luthor’s genetic research bases. After Blüdhaven’s destruction, Robin led a team to help rescue those that were caught in the middle, however, the heroes were kicked out of the city by the government. During this Tim lost his best friend, Superboy.

    After the events of Infinite Crisis, in which Nighwing was nearly killed, Bruce takes Tim and Dick on the training trip he went on to become Batman. On the trip, the training was brutal. They we’re trained in ancient martial arts and furthered their skills. Tim also modified his Robin suit, which was a tribute to his dead best friend, Superboy. This suit took on some of the designs of Batman’s suit and the colors of Superboy's suit.

    One Year Later

    After the year-long trip with Bruce and Dick, Tim returns to Gotham and moves into the Wayne estate. Tim soon receives an unknown message regarding Batgirl. Threats were sent to him regarding errands, and that failing to do them would result in her death. Tim rushes out to find Cassandra and comes upon a dead body in a Batgirl outfit. Shocked at first, Tim un-masks the woman and finds that it's Lynx, a hired assassin. Before Gotham's police arrive on the scene, Tim takes the mask in hopes of finding out who is trying to frame Batgirl. While running tests on the mask at Wayne Manor, Lady Shiva arrives to inform Tim of the recent death of Nyssa al Ghul, which left the League of Assassins up for grabs. Tim focuses on his investigation, vowing not to let another person close to him die. He finds a clue in Batgirl's cowl, written in a specific code. After deciphering it, Robin's next objective is with Cassandra's father, David Cain. Robin abides by what the code asks of him and breaks David out of Blackgate Prison. David informs Tim that his daughter is head of the League of Assassins. Tim, skeptical at first, finds out the truth after he confronts Cassandra.

    Cassandra believes that she is meant to be a killer and asks Tim to join her. Tim refuses as Cassandra shoots her father, apparently killing him. Tim then becomes hellbent in bringing Cassandra to the police. He single-handedly defeats all of her League of Assassin ninjas before an explosion interrupts the battle. When Tim returns to the scene, he finds Cassandra's league to be dead. His mini-camera was still intact, which recorded everything. Tim notices that David Cain managed to get away in the recording and is able to clear his name from the footage.

    Robin and the new Captain Boomerang handle the problems they have about their father's deaths. They even work together to stop a bomb that Joker wanted to use. During the battle, Dodge, a young superhero with the power to teleport due to a belt made by his father, shows up. Bruce also eventually adopts Tim, which Tim accepts. Robin is captured by the Joker and escapes on his own. Batman and Robin also face off against a terrorist named Vox, who kills himself at the end of their adventure.

    Robin and Dodge soon team up to capture a kidnapper. Robin throws some makeshift batarangs at him, and one hits Dodge's belt, causing it to send an energy feed back through his body.

    Blackest Night

    Dick and Damian go to Wayne Manor cemetery to clean up the mess Black Hand had left. When they arrive, they discover that Black Hand had dug up Bruce Wayne’s body and had taken his skull. Also he had dug up Thomas and Martha Wayne’s bodies but had not taken anything. Dick got extremely annoyed and decides that their bones will be moved to the Bat bunker. He begins to move them, but Damian gets spooked. Dick tells him to go to the Batmobile and wait for him.

    While this was happening, 25,000 feet above Gotham, the FBI has been informed of the dead villains and hero’s being brought back to live and are flying the remains of some villains to the JLA head quarters so that they would be save. Black Lantern Rings come and claim the dead bodies. Then turns them into Black Lantern’s. Amongst the new Black Lantern’s are Blockbuster and the Ventriloquist.

    Batman and Robin are on their way back to a cemetery to check on some graves and are disusing whether or not they are scared of death, when suddenly, Dick is possessed by the Deadman, who does not know that Dick is Batman and Damian is Robin. He is shocked when he enters Batman’s body and instantly starts shouting. Damian recognizes that something is wrong with Dick and starts punching Dick in hopes of getting the Deadman out of him. The combination of driving at 80 miles an hour and getting punched in the face make Deadman swerve off the road.

    Deadman then swaps bodies with Damian so he can talk to Batman; it is revealed that Deadman’s body had also been taken by the Black Lantern’s, and he could also hear them whispering, which was hurting him. They set off to the nearest cemetery, and on the way, Deadman tells Dick that Damian has some bad issue’s.

    They arrive at the cemetery, where Deadman starts to sense the Black Rings and leaves Damian’s body. It is revealed that the cemetery they are in is the final resting place of Jack and Janet Drake, and their bodies have become Black Lanterns. Dick calls Tim, who is in Paris dangling a man, who he has beaten up, off the Eiffel Tower. After Dick tells him what’s happened, Tim comes back to Gotham. Dick’s parents have also been brought back as Black Lanterns. Damian draws Batman's attention to the Bat-signal in the sky, which had been cracked and there are bodies lying on top of it.

    Powers and Abilities

    Skills

    Robins
    Robins

    All the Robins have been superb crime fighters and have been trained by some of the greatest martial artists in the world such as Batman (Tim and Damian have both trained with Dick, Tim has trained with Lady Shiva, and Damian was trained by Talia al Ghul). They have mastered many different forms of martial arts such as Taekwondo, Karate, Judo, Boxing, Kick-boxing, Jeet Kune Do.

    They are all extremely intelligent, which allows them to have a firm grasp on computers and science, they all remain in peak human form. All have superb agility which they use to great affect when fighting; this also helps them use their acrobatic skills much more effectively, but Dick remains the best acrobat among the four of them. Tim and Dick both prove to be brilliant leaders and tacticians. Damian, Tim, and Dick have both led The Teen Titans at some point, and Tim has lead Young Justice.

    They are all superb detectives, (Tim uncovered Batman’s and Nightwing’s identities with no help or training and he has also discovered the identities of Spoiler, Huntress, the Flash, and Captain Marvel). They are all masters of criminology, stealth, disguise and escapology all of which was taught to them by Batman (and Dick Grayson in the case of Tim & Damian).

    Weapons and Equipment

    Robin has most of the same gear and equipment as Batman.

    • Batarang and Robin-shakens : A shuriken of shakens, each designed like a boomerang and all with a boomerang effect. They are usually designed to look like a bat. Batarang shakens also vary in their sizes and effects, The Robin shankens are like ninja although very sharp the don't stab every deeply but can cause large amounts of damage.
    • Bo staff : Tim is considered one of the best stick fighters in the world by Batman, Tim carries two or three Bo Staff’s at a time, he keeps them on small hooks on the back of his belt.
    • Bolas: It is an explosive ball that when thrown at an opponent’s feet, explode and ties them up in a nylon cord. Robin can also give an electric shock with a button on his gauntlets.
    • Cuffs: These are bat-shaped handcuffs that are made of lightweight diamond-impregnated nylon. Theirs is a one-piece design. They slide open and closed so they can fit into his utility belt.
    • Tracer: Used to attach on opponents to track their location.
    • Communication device: Ear-bug to communicate with allies.
    • First aid kit: To heal injuries.
    • Gas Mask: Provides protection against various toxic gases.
    • Goo gun: A gun that fires adhesive substance to incapacitate an opponent.
    • Grappling hook: A gun that fires a line to swing from one area to another.
    • Laser torch: A laser that cuts through almost any material.
    • Oxy-acetylene torch: A newer version of the laser torch.
    • Line gun: Stronger version of the grappling gun in which the top clamps onto a big surface.
    • Lock picks: To pick locks, sometimes stored in Batman's gauntlets.
    • Micro camera: Mounted on his utility-belt buckle, it allows him to shoot photographs.
    • Miniature smoke grenades: These allow him to conceal himself from his enemies.
    • Miniature mines: Small explosives that detonate on touch.
    • Mini computer: A computer connected to WayneTech communications satellite.
    • Money: Whatever currency is needed.
    • Radar: Kept on his buckle, it emits a radar wave.
    • Re-breather: Allows Robin to breathe underwater or in a vacuum.
    • Remote control: Controls Robin’s motor bike or his Red-bird and other vehicles, and WayneTech satellites.
    • Smoke pellets: Used to conceal him during entrances and exits.
    • Stun grenades: A grenade that emits bright light, loud sounds, and stuns opponents.
    • Taser: This can incapacitate an opponent by means of non-lethal electrocution.
    • Thermite grenades: Burn through most materials.

    Costumes

    No Caption Provided

    The first Robin costume was a red and Green tunic with Green shorts and elf shoes a yellow cape and a green mask. The costume was worn by Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and even Carrie Kelly in The Dark Knight Returns. Tim Drake wore this costume briefly before switching to one with Green pants, ninja-style boots and something resembling red body armor. A version of this costume was worn by Stephanie Brown in her short tenure as Robin.

    Tim's second costume match's the Superboy red and black color scheme as homage to his late friend. These updates include long sleeves, the elimination of green from his costume, the addition of scallops to his gloves and cape, and the inclusion of an utility belt with pockets. The scallops on Robin's cape give an illusion of feathers much like Batman's scallops give the illusion of Bat-wings,He replaced the stylized "R" on Robin's chest with a more traditional one, though its appearance varies from artist to artist. Robin retains his "R" shuriken's, but he now carries them in his utility belt not his tunic. This costume seems to be inspired by the one he wore in the nineties animated series , The New Batman Adventures.

    Before becoming Robin Damian wore his own clothes or his clothes with the tunic and cape of Jason Todd's old costume in addition he wore his own mask and a cape with a hood. Currently Damian wears the familiar red green and yellow costumes making it a mix of the original costume and Tim's. His new cape is yellow with a black hood.

    Other Media

    Film and Television

    Live Action

    Robin first appeared on the big screen in 1943 in the serial movie "Batman". Robin was played by Douglas Croft and was directed by Lambert Hillyer. The movie was the Dynamic Duo’s first appearance outside of Comics. For his second appearance, in 1949's "Batman And Robin", Robin is played by John Duncan.

    Robin’s next TV appearance was in the 1960’s television series “Batman”, in which Robin had a starring role, appearing in every episode. Burt Ward played Dick Grayson. The show was known for its campy atmosphere [something that Batman and Robin are usually not]. The show lasted 3 seasons, but even though it had a short run, it had 120 episodes under its belt thanks to two new episodes being shown a week. Robin was given the catchphrase “Holy [something], Batman!” which he said almost every episode.

    Robin did not appear in Tim Burton’s two Batman films. This was an unusual move as the two 1940s serials as well as the 1966 movie and attendant TV show had presented the 'Dynamic Duo' as an inseparable pair. WB executive Mark Canton mandated that Robin make some kind of appearance in the movie. This was troublesome for Burton and his writers who disliked the character. The original Sam Hamm script had a sequence of when his parents are killed by the Joker. Burton cast blonde irish child actor Ricky Addison Reed as Grayson. Warren Skarren was chosen to write the shooting script when the cast were doing table reads at Pinewood Studios. Burton and Skarren were finally able to convince the studio to drop Robin from the movie and Reed was let go.

    History wound up repeating itself the second time around. The studio was keen to include Robin again. The Daniel Waters script of Batman Returns, he was portrayed as a technologically savvy street kid who would help Batman following his narrow escape when the Penguin tried to kill him. He would later play a crucial role in Batman's final confrontation with the Penguin. In that script, he was simply called "The Kid", has no known real name, and was to be played by Marlon Wayans. The only reference to him being Robin was a R-patch on his garage uniform. Once again, Burton replaced the screenwriter shortly before filming with new writer, Wesley Strick who removed the Wayans character entirely.

    After the 1980s, Robin appeared in Joel Schumacher's two Batman films, but not in Dick Grayson's classic costume. In Batman Forever, Robin was played by Chris O'Donnell. Grayson's parents were murdered by Two-Face during a hostage situation at the circus. Robin meets Batman and becomes a costumed hero as an adult male. O'Donnell reprised the role again in the film Batman & Robin. The film features tension between Batman and Robin, which some say is greater than in other adaptations. In Batman Forever, his costume closely resembles the Robin uniform worn by Tim Drake. In the latter film, Robin's costume resembles Dick Grayson's third Nightwing costume, but with a a cape and red/crimson coloring instead of blue. Robin has never appeared in Chris Nolan’s movies for fears of destroying of the new dark and gritty image of Batman.

    In the last of The Dark Knight Trilogy, "The Dark Knight Rises" Jason Gordon Levitt plays a police officer named John Blake who grew up in an orphanage that was funded by Wayne Industries, Officer Blake was able to deduce Bruce's double-life just like Tim Drake. The Death of Blake's parents had similar circumstances to the death of Jason Todd's parents. Blake's profession is Law Enforcement just like Dick Grayson in Bludhaven. Officer Blake was instrumental in helping free the trapped GCPD officers and delivering the kids from the orphanage that grow-up in to the only bridge that was functional.

    When all the legalities in Wayne Tower were being distributed, Officer Blake was talking to the Wayne employee and she commented that he should use his first name because it suits him "Robin". Officer Blake apparently was given a duffel bag with coordinates to the Batcave and the secret of Bruce Wayne.

    Animated

    Batman: The Animated Series

    Dick Grayson only made occasional appearances during the first season of Batman: The Animated Series. He was voiced by Loren Lester and only made occasional appearances due to Bruce Timm's insistence that Batman worked best as a solo hero as already proven in the first two Burton films. The second season of The Animated Series was known as The Adventures of Batman and Robin, due to the more frequent appearances Robin made throughout the season.

    No Caption Provided

    The New Batman Adventures

    Grayson becomes Nightwing, and his place as Robin was taken by Tim Drake, voiced by Mathew Valencia. The animated series continuity does not include Jason Todd by name, but the cartoons describe Drake as a combination of all three Robins. Between his origin and appearance in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, he mostly resembles Todd in storyline while bearing little resemblance to the comic book's Tim Drake. After the 2006 comic book story arc “One Year Later” Tim adopted a new Robin Suit very similar to the animated Drake's red and black outfit. A version of the Carrie Kelly Robin also makes a short appearance in The New Batman Adventures, in a dream sequence from the episode "Legends of the Dark Knight."

    Teen Titans

    Teen Titans GO!!!
    Teen Titans GO!!!

    The Cartoon Network series Teen Titans appears to be an adaptation of the New Teen Titans comic book series. One similarity is that both series have the character Robin, who also acts as the team's leader. Robin joins Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven when Jump City is threatened first by Starfire and then by the aliens who had captured her .Robin is respected by the others as the team's best leader, but on the inside he is driven by and an unhealthy obsession to win, which sometimes alienates him from his teammates. The Titan’s battle cry was also changed from “Titan’s Together” to “Titan’s Go”.

    In the comic book series, Dick Grayson is Robin. In the animated series, the style of his costume is still closely modeled on Tim Drake's, as in the 1990s; however, the colors are those of Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. Robin, voiced by Scott Menville, has not been directly referred to by any full name. This non-identity is intentional, according to both Sam Register and Glen Murakami. However, several clues (and confirmation of his identity in Teen Titans Go #47) have indicated that this Robin is Dick Grayson. For example, in a time-travel themed episode of the animated series showed a future where Robin has taken on the mantle of Nightwing. In a later episode, an alternate universe Robin with the exact same DNA shows up named "Nosyarg Kcid", which is "Dick Grayson" spelled backwards.

    In many instances, Robin's relationship to Batman is heavily referenced. In the Season 5 episode "Go", just before Robin attacks a thief, bats fly at him. After a while the thief says, "Aren't you supposed to be with..." only to be interrupted by Robin who says, "Just moved here. I work alone now", and throughout the episode, he says he doesn't want to be in a team again so soon. In another episode, "Haunted", Raven uses her powers to enter Robin's mind; one of the images she sees is Robin's shadow in a cave area swearing an oath to someone, and part of a circus ring. When Robin rejects Slade he mentions "I already have a father", and then the screen shows a shot of a dark sky with bats flying through it, also referring to Batman. In that same episode, a battle ensues on top of a Wayne Enterprises. This would indicates that this version of Robin is coming to the end of his spell as Robin and may take on the Nightwing mantle soon.

    Also in the show there is a reference to Jason Todd, when Beast Boy is coming up with possible identities for the new Red-X one of his theories is Jason Todd.

    The Batman

    In The Batman, Robin is voiced by Evan Sabara. Dick Grayson was an energetic, gifted acrobat and one of the main attractions of Hayley's Circus, along with his Mother and Father as part of the amazing Flying Grayson's act. His life was changed forever when Tony Zucco and his brothers tried to threaten circus manager John into taking a protection" policy. When John Grayson refused, an altercation resulted in the police and the Batman being called. The Zuccos were easily defeated for the moment one of Tony's brothers was even captured.

    An angered Zucco altered the rigs on the Flying Graysons trapeze act, causing John and Mary to fall to their deaths right in front of Dick during a performance. Young Grayson, with no surviving family members was taken in by Bruce Wayne, who saw shades of himself in Dick after his own parent's murder. After Dick discovered that Wayne was Batman, the two worked together to capture Tony Zucco. Dick chose the codename "Robin" because that is what his mother had called him.

    Grayson sports a costume much like comic book's Tim Drake first wore, although an early promotional photo showed a suit with a bit more originality. His costume and equipment are also influenced heavily by his "Teen Titans" counterpart, however, their personalities differ massively; whereas the "Teen Titans" Robin is a serious, focused and occasionally obsessive leader, this version of Robin is far less serious and genuinely enjoys his work as a vigilante, constantly spouting one-liners and generally acting in the mold of a typical teenager and his Golden Age comic counterpart. Some tension arose when Robin and the character of Batgirl met. Batgirl, having been active as a vigilante and wanna-be partner of the Batman some time before Robin appeared, was quite jealous of Batman's new "official partner". This was changed when Batman took the liberty of revealing his and Robin's identities to her and fully accepted her into the fold. Afterwards, Robin and Batgirl developed a more friendly, almost sibling-like working relationship.

    As depicted in a possible future during the episode "Artifacts," Dick Grayson gives up the "Robin" name and costume to become Nightwing. Barbara and Batman still persist in calling him by his original codename. Interestingly, the Police department who discover the Batcave in the beginning of the episode call Robin "The Red Robin", a reference to kingdom come and they theorize that Bruce Wayne was the Red Robin.

    In the animated film Justice League: The New Frontier Robin is seen wearing the original costume in a other media for the first time in years. Due to the fact the movie highlights the silver age it is most likely that this Robin is in fact Dick Grayson.

    Batman: The Brave and the Bold

    Robin is also seen in the episode "Sidekick's Assemble!" Robin teams up with Speedy and Aqualad to stop Ras Al Ghul. By the end of the episode he chooses to stop being a sidekick and become Nightwing.

    Bat-mite also mentions Jason Todd's death in "Emperor Joker!" This episode also starts with a mini fight of Batman and Robin against Firefly and his Rainbow Monster, a homage to an old Detective Comics issue.

    Also, in the episode "Knights of the Future!", the narrator goes over the history of Dick Grayson from Robin, to Nightwing, an then finally Batman. Damian Wayne is the son of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle only volunteers to become Robin after his parents are killed by the Son of Joker. After teaming up with Dick Grayson as Batman, he later takes on the cowl of Batman, and patrols the streets with his unnamed son, a future Robin.

    Batman: Under the Red Hood

    In Batman: Under the Red Hood we see the death of Jason Todd at the hands of Joker, and the birth of the Red Hood. Also mentioned by a captured criminal is the fact that Nightwing was the original Robin.

    Young Justice

    Robin appears in the animation "Young Justice" voiced by Jesse McCartney. This incarnation is shown as a thirteen year-old Dick Grayson and though he is the youngest member, he is the most experienced. Young Justistice is said to be primarily set on something similar to Earth-16 though there will be alterations here and there. Robin's costume appears similar to that of Tim Drake's second costume. He usually enters a fight with not being seen but being able to hear a psycho laugh in the background. He suggested that Aqualad lead the team.

    Alternate Versions

    All Star Batman and Robin

    In All Star Batman and Robin Bruce Wayne is a bachelor and just recently started his Batman career. He is going on a date with one of the most beautiful journalist in Gotham City, Vicki Vale. Alfred picks up Vicki at her apartment and informs her that they are going to watch a circus. Vicki was very excited that she is going on a date with Bruce Wayne. Bruce and Vicki meet up and they attend the show at the circus. Bruce becomes interested in a twelve year old boy named Dick Grayson and his acrobatic ability, and just as they finished their act, Dick’s parents were shot and killed right in front of him. Bruce leaves immediately without informing Vicki and gets into his Batsuit. Batman chases after the murderer and puts him down, the police are coming and Batman comments on how corrupt the men of the law are. Meanwhile, Vicki gets into a struggle with the policemen when they take Dick into their custody. They slap her across the face and leave. Vicki tells Alfred to get in the car and let her drive, she follows the policemen into the woods where they were about to beat Dick to death. However, a horde of bats arrive and start attacking the policemen. Batman then crashes through the police car, then grabs Dick and says, ”On your feet, soldier. you’ve just been drafted into a war.”

    Batman then tosses Dick into his Batmobile, and they drive off. Batman believes the kid is strong and will make a useful sidekick. Meanwhile, Alfred and Vicki were badly injured when Batman came crashing in. Alfred bandages the both of them up, while Vicki becomes enraged at what had happened to Dick. She then passes out from her loss of blood. Batman meanwhile, continues to drive and still refuses to speak to Dick. Dick asks Batman what he wants with him, Batman tells him that he is going to be his ward. Dick falls asleep, but soon wakes up when Batman is being chased by the Gotham police. Batman then turns his car around and rams it into the other police cars, while laughing like a maniac. The Batmobile then turns into a jet and they fly off. Dick begins freaking out but Batman slaps him over the head to make him stop. Batman then begins thinking why he is doing this to a twelve-year-old kid. Batman decides to tell Dick that he wants him to fight crime. Meanwhile, at a local bar, the Black Canary was the bartender. However, she wants to become a crime fighter too. The drunks at the bar begin hitting on her, in response to which she beats the drunks badly. Back in the Batmobile, Batman flies the Batmobile into the ocean and it changes into a submarine. Word about Dick’s kidnapping spreads quickly, as in Metropolis, Superman discovers about the kidnap and is angered. Batman finally arrives at the Batcave when Alfred calls him. He tells him that Vicki was in an accident and is in critical condition.

    Batman tells him to call Eckhart in Paris to help Vicki, Alfred tells him there’s no way Eckhart would do it. Batman then tells Alfred to get Clark Kent, to go fetch him, then hangs up. Batman smiles and was proud that he knew his secret identity already. Batman begins seeing himself in Dick, he then tells Dick that he is going to work and tells him to do whatever he wants in the cave. Alfred returns to the cave and gives Dick food. This angers Batman, because he wants Dick to go through the same thing he did. Wonder Woman has arrived in Metropolis for a meeting with Superman, the Green Lantern, and Plastic Man, the early Justice League. They begin discussing the Batman problem, and Wonder Woman gets angered that they just want to turn him into the authorities. Wonder Woman (who in this story arc is described as being much more misanthropic, or man-hating, than she had ever been shown to be before) just wants to hunt down Batman and beat him to death strictly because he is a man. Her comments anger Superman, and just as she was about to leave, muttering how much she hates men, she kisses Superman. Meanwhile, back in Gotham, Batman runs amongst rooftops patrolling his city. He beats up a few thugs and saves a damsel in distress.

    New wannabes have been turning up in Gotham, Barbara Gordon, a fifteen year old girl, is now running around in the city as Batgirl. Batman was patrolling the docks where the Black Canary was beating up a few thugs nearby. However, he does not get involved as he was waiting for some more corrupt cops who were transporting a criminal come by. Once they came, Batman kicks through the windshield and knocks the two of them unconscious. However, gunfire sounds off nearby and Batman knows immediately that the amateur needs help. After Batman saves Black Canary, she jumps into him and kisses him. Batman takes her home and then heads back to the Batcave. There, he brought the man who murdered Dick's parents and allowed Dick to do whatever he wishes with Jocko-Boy Vanzetti. Batman was testing whether Dick would kill Jocko-Boy or not, to his pleasure, Dick did not kill him. Instead, he beat him until he spilled a name, the Joker. Afterwards, Batman tosses Jocko-Boy back into the trunk and tells Dick to stay at the Batcave and come up with a mask and costume. Later, while Batman was driving, the Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) flashed his signal in the sky to get Batman's attention. He tosses Jocko-Boy into the harbor and heads to the Green Lantern. They have a quick chat and Batman returns to find Dick finished with his costume. Robin is now ready to go into action.

    Earth-Two

    The Robin of Earth-Two is a parallel version of the fictional DC Comics superhero, who was introduced after DC Comics created Earth-Two, a parallel world that was retroactively established as the home of characters which had been published in the Golden Age of comic books. This allowed creators to publish comic books featuring Robin while being able to disregard Golden Age stories, solving an incongruity, as Robin had been published as a single ongoing incarnation since inception. The Robin of this Earth is presumed dead along with the majority of the residents of Earth-Two due to the Crisis.

    Batman: Red Rain

    In this universe Batman is a vampire, the Flying Graysons are killed by the Batman, as shown in DC Infinite Halloween Special. Dick grows up to become an obsessive vampire hunter, hunting and slayer hundreds, but is turned by Batman in The Search for Ray Palmer: Red Rain, and becomes his partner.

    DC One Million

    In the 853rd Century, the current Batman is aided by the robot called Robin the Toy Wonder. This Batman's parents were guards on the prison planet of Pluto and died in a prison riot that turned into a mass slaughter of the guards. Robin is programmed with the personality of this Batman as a boy and acts as a foil/source of perspective so that he will not become consumed by darkness in his quest for justice. This Robin believes this was the same reason Bruce Wayne brought Dick Grayson into his life.

    The Dark Knight Returns (Earth-31)

    Carrie Kelly becomes Robin in the legendary Frank Miller series The Dark Knight Returns. Kelly was a thirteen year old schoolgirl and scout whom Batman saved from muggers on the night of his return from retirement. She then spent her lunch money on a Robin outfit and set out to attack petty con-men and to find Batman. Kelly used a slingshot and firecrackers as weapons. She also wore green-tinted sunglasses.

    In the series, Jason Todd's death had led to the Dark Knight's retirement, but Batman accepted her as Robin when she saved his life just as he was on the verge of being killed by an enemy. He often threatened to fire her but she showed considerable ability and improvisation which impressed him enough to give her a stay of dismissal even when she disobeyed his orders.

    The police, now led by newly-appointed Commissioner Ellen Yindel, took a very poor attitude to Batman and his methods and issued a warrant for his arrest. When she saw Batman with a young child leaping in mid-air and barely catching a passing hang-glider, Yindel added child endangerment to the growing list of charges against Batman.

    As Robin, Carrie played a crucial part in tracking down and confronting the Joker who, at a fairground, had poisoned several children and planted a bomb on a roller coaster. While Batman went after his age-old nemesis, Carrie managed to dispose of the bomb but got into a tangle with Fat Abner, the Joker's accomplice. As they grappled together, Abner suddenly fell and was killed, driving Carrie momentarily into shock and tears.

    Unnerved by Batman's activities, the US government sent Superman to bring him down. As the big battle was about to start, Carrie delayed Superman's arrival using the tank-like Batmobile and a slingshot, to which the Man of Steel simply replied "Isn't tonight a school night?"

    Using a variety of powerful weapons, including self-made Kryptonite, Batman managed to defeat Superman but died in the process. It later emerged that he had faked his own death and Carrie unearthed him from his grave soon after he revived. They then went literally underground in the Batcave where, with Green Arrow, they set about training the remaining members of the mutant gang to fight crime.

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