He's the quintessential sidekick.
When it comes to fighting alongside Batman, there are many who would step up to the plate. But there's only one Robin. At least, only one Robin at a time.
There have actually been many Robins over the years, many youngsters who've worn his tights and mask. Each one is unique, with different fighting styles and strengths. Some lasted longer than others.
With today's release of We Are Robin #1 — which finds an entire army of teenagers co-opting the Robin symbol to protect Gotham — we thought the time was right to look back on the many crime-fighters who've taken the name Robin. We're only looking at the history of in-continuity Robins, so Carrie Kelley fans, you're out of luck.
Dick Grayson
The first Boy Wonder was first introduced in Detective Comics #38, way back in 1940. Grayson was the son of circus acrobats the "Flying Graysons," who were murdered by a mobster named Tony Zucco. Batman saw a kindred spirit in Grayson and agreed to train him in order to channel his anger toward the pursuit of justice.
He functioned as Batman's sidekick for decades until DC Comics allowed him to grow into an adult. It was then that he took on his new superhero identity, Nightwing. In 2014, he gave up that persona in order to join a covert ops organization called Spyral, where he's currently starring in the self-titled series Grayson.
Jason Todd
Easily the most controversial Robin ever, Jason Todd premiered in Batman #357 in 1983 — but not as Robin until issue #368 — after Dick Grayson graduated out of the sidekick gig. Aside from being brash and headstrong, Todd had the unfortunate fate of trying to follow Grayson's popularity among readers. Jason Todd never caught on, and after five years of trying, DC launched an unprecedented campaign: using a 900 number, readers could call in and vote on whether or not Todd should live or die.
More than 10,000 fans called in and voiced their opinion, and by a margin of less than one hundred callers, Todd's fate was sealed. He was murdered by the Joker in one of the clown's elaborate schemes. In 2005, a grownup Todd returned to life thanks to homicidal Superboy punching reality (don't ask), and became the Red Hood — a gun-toting antihero who fights crime.
Tim Drake
The third Robin, introduced in 1989's Batman: Year Three, deduced the secret identities of both Batman and Nightwing at the tender age of nine, proving his aptitude for detective work. Bruce Wayne was impressed, but refused to accept a new Robin (after Todd's death) without extensive training. Drake proved himself and became Batman's sidekick as well as the first Robin to star in his own ongoing solo comic.
When Batman appeared to die in 2009's Batman R.I.P., Drake showed no interest in "battling for the cowl" to replace him. He was the one individual who refused to believe that Bruce Wayne was truly dead. Taking on a new costume, he renamed himself Red Robin and set out to find Wayne. By the time Wayne returned as Batman, his son Damian had become Robin, so Drake remained in his Red Robin identity as a solo crime-fighter/detective.
In the future depicted in Batman Beyond, Drake becomes the new Batman after Terry McGinnis' death.
Stephanie Brown
The daughter of a third-rate criminal named Cluemaster, Stephanie Brown took up the Robin mantle in 2004's Robin #126, after Tim Drake resigned. Her time in the position was short lived; despite months of training by Batman, he fired her for not following his orders.
Before being Robin, Brown had operated as a self-made vigilante named Spoiler. She returned to her Spoiler persona after her brief Robin stint, but years later would prove her maturity, becoming the third Batgirl in the process.
Damian Wayne
The son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul was born to be a genetically-perfected living weapon, skilled in multiple forms of combat despite his pre-teen age. His father knew nothing of his existence until his mother left him in Bruce's care. Lethal, brutal, and remorseless, it took a loooong time for Bruce Wayne (and Dick Grayson, who was Batman while Wayne was believed dead) to bring him around to the idea of fighting crime without taking lives.
Though he's only existed for a short time (in comic book years), he's already had a storied history that includes fighting Red Robin (Tim Drake) multiple times almost to the death, paralysis, cloning, death, resurrection, nearly killing Joker with a crowbar, and gaining (and losing) superpowers. He remains arrogant, superior and strong-willed, but is fiercely loyal to his father and has seen the error of his past ways.
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