Jason Todd
| Jason Todd | |
|---|---|
| File:Redhood.jpg | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | As Jason Todd: Batman #357 (March 1983) As Robin: Detective Comics #526 (May 1983) As Red Hood: Batman #635 (February 2005) |
| Created by | As Robin: Gerry Conway Don Newton As Red Hood: Judd Winick Doug Mahnke |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Jason Peter Todd |
| Team affiliations | Talia al Ghul, Batman Family, Teen Titans, Hush |
| Notable aliases | Robin, Red Hood, Nightwing |
| Abilities | None; master combatant, skilled martial artist/acrobat; access to civilian and military weaponry. |
Jason Todd is a fictional character and anti-hero in the DC Universe. He first appeared in Batman #357 (1983) to replace Dick Grayson as Robin, when Grayson went on to become the superhero Nightwing.
Character history
Pre-Crisis
DC was initially hesitant to replace Dick Grayson with a new Robin. To minimize the transition, they made Jason Todd almost indistinguishable from his predecessor. Originally, Todd was also the son of circus acrobats killed by a criminal (Killer Croc) and later on adopted by Bruce Wayne. In this incarnation, he had red hair and was unfailingly cheerful, wearing his circus costume to fight crime until Dick Grayson presented him with a Robin suit of his own. At that point, he dyed his hair black.
Post-Crisis
After the mini-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, much of DC Comics continuity was rebooted. Dick Grayson's origin years with Batman and transformation into Nightwing remained virtually unchanged, but Todd's character was completely revamped. He was now a twelve-year-old street orphan who first encountered Batman while attempting to steal tires from the Batmobile. Jason was living in a hollowed out building and was a typical bad teenager, an example of which is that he was smoking. Bruce Wayne saw to it that Todd was placed in a school for troubled youths. However, the school was a front for a criminal organization and Jason brought this to Batman's attention.
A short while later, Todd proved his crimefighting worth by helping Batman apprehend a gang of thieves. The Dark Knight then awarded Todd the position of Robin. While Jason didn't have the skill that Dick Grayson had, Batman believed that by channeling the young boys rage, he could make him a productive crimefighter. He also believed that if he didn't help the boy, Jason would eventually meet his death.
Unlike Grayson, the Post-Crisis Todd never blossomed under Batman's tutelage. He was impulsive, reckless, and full of rage. Although his hard-headed personality would sometimes fuel him with great strength and courage, it would more then often lead him to take unfounded risks. Even on missions where he was just asked to watch and gain intel, he would attack, ruining months of planning for the Dark Knight. Jason also had bursts of rage where he would use excessive force to subdue criminals. After one such misson, Alfred told the youth that the fear that Batman created was more important than actual violence. Jason responded by saying, no matter how much the criminals feared Batman, they knew that he wouldn't kill them. One story implied that Todd actually allowed the death of a man who had brutally raped a woman and got off with no charges due to being the son of a diplomat.
Frank Miller's 1986 story Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, set many years in the future, implied that Jason Todd had died while working as Robin; the grief over the death of this "good soldier" is one of the many psychological traumas that troubles Miller's Batman.
A Death in the Family
Readers never truly bonded with Todd. So in 1988, DC made the controversial decision to poll fans using a 1-900 number (1-900-720-2666), as to whether or not Todd should be killed. They voted yes by a small margin (5,343 to 5,271, an approximate 50.339% majority) and Todd was subsequently murdered on April 27, 1986 (in comic book time) by the Joker in the Batman: A Death in the Family storyline, after attempting to locate his biological mother. While they were rumors of widespread cheating (the same people calling from diffrent phones to kill Jason off or keep him alive), DC resolved to keep Jason dead. Also, since the new Batman movie was just around the corner and DC was going to celebrate the characters 50th aniversery, DC wanted to bring Batman back to his solo roots.
The event received more attention in the mainstream media than any other comic book event before it, and some outside the comic book community mistakingly believed that DC was considering killing off the original Robin.
For the next few years, Todd's death haunted the Dark Knight, who kept Todd's costume under glass in the Batcave as a reminder of his greatest failure: Not saving the boy from the Joker nor properly preparing him for his role as Robin. Whether this was a tribute to the Frank Miller Dark Knight returns storyline is unknown.
While some people believed the plan had always been for Todd to die, the artwork for both possible outcomes of the vote was indeed drawn, and samples have appeared in assorted books.
Under the Hood
In Batman #635 (2005), the real Jason Todd returned to life, going under the alias of the Red Hood. He enters Gotham's underworld by hijacking a shipment of Kryptonite from Black Mask, the city's criminal kingpin. In the midst of a battle with Batman, Nightwing, and Mr. Freeze, the Red Hood says they can have the Kryptonite back, since he has gotten what he truly wanted: a "lay of the land". Shortly afterwards, he kidnaps the Joker and beats him with a crowbar (mirroring the way Jason himself died).
The new Red Hood assumes control over various gangs in Gotham City and starts a one man war against Black Mask's criminal sectors. He actively tries to cleanse the city of corruption (such as drug dealing and gang violence), but in an anti-heroic way, coming to blows against Batman and several of his allies.
While trying to uncover the mystery behind Todd's return, Batman discovered that Todd's original coffin had been empty all along, thus raising doubt if the boy had ever died in the first place.
Resurrection
In Batman Annual #25 (2006), Jason Todd's resurrection was finally explained. Todd indeed had died at the hands of the Joker, but when Superboy-Prime broke out of the paradise dimension created by Alexander Luthor, the current reality was altered, thus restoring things to the way they were meant to be (in this case, Todd was never supposed to die). From there, a temporal anomaly partially regenerated Todd's decaying body, allowing him to break out of his coffin. Suffering from shock (due to his head trauma and wounds), he wandered the streets in a catatonic state, until a lost couple found him and brought him to a hospital. There, he lapsed into a coma and was subsequently transported to a convalescent home.
A year later, Todd regained consciousness and escaped. Suffering from complete amnesia, he became homeless and began living in an alley, relying on pure instinct, stealing food and clothing in order to survive. One night when Todd was attacked by another homeless man who accused him of sleeping "in his spot", his memory was jogged and his combat skills kicked in. Thomas Cabone, a one time gun-runner who was taken out by Batman and Robin years earlier, recognized the troubled teen as the former Boy Wonder, and quickly informed Talia al Ghul, who took possession of Jason in an attempt to rehabilitate him with Ra's al Ghul's permission.
When another year passed and Todd still remained in a vegetative state, Ra's ordered his daughter to send the boy away. Talia refused, and submerged Todd in a life-rejuvenating Lazarus Pit, while Ra's al Ghul himself was bathing in it. When Todd resurfaced, his physical and mental health were fully restored, including the hazy memory of his own murder. Talia then helped him escape, and urged him not to seek out Batman, but instead "to learn the truth" about what happened. Right before letting Todd go, she bestowed upon him a kiss and proclaimed "you remain unavenged".
Todd began researching the history of his demise, discovering that Batman had not avenged his death. Feeling betrayed, he began training intensely in order to be able to match wits with his former mentor, and eventually entered into a pact with Hush to confront Batman in the cemetery where he was supposedly buried. He then switched places with Clayface and observed the two do battle from afar, hoping to see some trace of regret in Batman's eyes. But when the Dark Knight expressed no such remorse for sparing the Joker's life, Todd was angered further and took up the mantle of the Red Hood.
Infinite Crisis
Template:Spoilers During Jason's time as the Red Hood, he had not forgotten that someone had replaced him as Robin. Tim Drake had not only taken his place, but also done a far more satisfactory job at it than he had. Furious at his so-called replacement, Jason broke into Titans Tower wearing an oddly-fashioned version of his own Robin costume. Quickly immobilizing the other Titans, Jason confronted Tim to see if the new Boy Wonder was really as good as everyone claimed.
The two Robins fought, until at last Jason had struck down Tim in the Hall of Fallen Titans. Jason revealed his anger at how he had once been a temporary Titan, and yet no statue was made of him, as if he were forgotten. He then demanded of Tim, who lay broken at his feet, if he was really as good as everyone claimed he was, to which Tim said 'Yes' before passing out. Jason could have easily killed Tim, but instead simply tore off the 'R' shaped emblem from Tim's chest.
Jason Todd's return reached a crescendo when he kidnapped the Joker and held him hostage, luring Batman to Crime Alley. There he demanded to know why the Dark Knight had not avenged his death by killing his arch nemesis.
Batman told Jason that he would never cross that line (no matter how many cemeteries the Joker had filled with his victims). Jason wasn't talking about the other victims of the Joker however, he asked why he never avenged him...that the fact that the Joker took him away from Bruce. Jason offered his former mentor an ultimatum: "Either you kill him, or I will". He then threw a pistol to Batman and, holding the Joker at gunpoint, gave the Dark Knight to the count of three before he would pull the trigger himself.
At the last second, Batman threw a batarang that sliced Todd's neck, possibly rupturing a main artery. The Joker took advantage of the situation, detonating nearby explosives that engulfed the platform they were on and sent them plunging into the bay. How all three survived is unknown at this time.
One Year Later
One Year Later, Jason Todd has resurfaced in New York City, patrolling the streets as a murderous version of Nightwing. In his attempt to battle the criminal element, he executes a kidnapper, nearly beats a rapist to death, and even slices Dick Grayson's hand while the two spar on a rooftop (both wearing the Nightwing costume).
It appears that Todd does not plan on giving up the Nightwing persona, as he continues to taunt Grayson by wearing the costume. Currently, Todd's intentions have not been revealed. The story is ongoing. Template:Endspoilers
Skills and abilities
According to Batman Villians: Secret Files and Origins 2005, Jason Todd stands 6-feet tall, and weighs 180 pounds. He is in peak physical condition, and a master combatant. In the role of Robin, he was trained by Batman in acrobatics and martial arts. Whereas Dick Grayson is an acrobat and Tim Drake a detective, Jason is primarily a fighter (due to his upbringing as a street punk).
After his resurrection, Jason expanded on his training, enabling him to fight his former mentor to a stand still. He has also proved to be a worthy adversary, overpowering Tim Drake (Robin III) in the Hall of Fallen Titans, as well as Nightwing on the rooftops of New York.
Through his contact with Talia al Ghul, Jason has access to high level civilian and military-grade weaponry, such as firearms, explosives, and even rocket launchers. However, the kris still remains 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.
In other media
Even though Jason Todd's death has had a significant impact on the Batman mythos, he has had little role outside the comic book world. In The New Batman Adventures television series, the Tim Drake Robin is presented with a background more like Jason's than his own.
While the short-lived series Birds of Prey has referenced Jason by name, it is the Teen Titans that has portrayed a visual incarnation of the character. There is some (unfounded) speculation that Beast Boy, in this episode entitled "X", is correct in asserting that the person behind the mask of Red X is really Jason Todd. However, with no supporting evidence, this remains only theory.