Everyone knows the origin of Batman and Robin. As a child, Bruce Wayne witnessed the murder of his parents. Having no other living relatives, he was raised by the family butler, Alfred Pennyworth.
After dedicating his life to creating the Batman persona to put a stop to crime, he eventually gained a partner, Robin.
Robin's story was similar to Batman's. Dick Grayson's parents were killed by a mobster and Bruce took him in as his ward as Grayson didn't have any immediate family either. He was eventually trained and become the other half of the Dynamic Duo.
Despite later taking in Jason Todd, seemingly an orphan at the time, Batman has enlisted or endorsed other superheroes in his fight against crime. They may not have all been his official partner but more and more have become part of his inner circler of crimefighters. Some of these other heroes working as part of the Bat-Family do have alter egos and families.
What precautions does Batman take in dealing with relatives should any of his allies die in the line of duty?
== TEASER ==
Tim Drake was the first Robin that wasn't an orphan. Batman had decided there wouldn't be another Robin after Joker killed Jason Todd. It was Tim Drake's detective skills and persistence that convinced Batman he did need a Robin. One of the problems was Tim had parents. His mother did die early during his crime fighting career but he still had to tiptoe around his father…until he discovered his secret.
Because Batman had already lost a Robin, he knew it would be a possibility. It's one thing to bring in someone with no other family connections. Bruce did insist Tim get the absolute best training before officially allowing him to be Robin but despite being fully prepared, it just takes the slightest mistake or bad timing that could result in Tim's death. If that did happen, how would Bruce explain it to Tim's dad?
Stephanie Brown is another character in Batman's inner circle. She spent most of her time as Spoiler but also was a Robin for a brief period. During the War Games arc, Stephanie seemingly died. Batman was there during her final moments and she brought up the fact that she had a baby before. Batman mentioned that she'll "never want for anything." What exactly does that mean? As soon as someone is brought into his inner circle, does he start up college or retirement funds for the families? What did he tell her mom? Does he make sure he immediately gets to the scene of a fallen comrade to dispose of their costume? Does he keep spare clothes in the trunk of the Batmobile to prepare for that situation?
Clearly Batman can not always be there.
In the pages of BATWOMAN, Flamebird got in over her head and basically got her butt seriously kicked. She ended up being discovered by the police and brought to the hospital. Batman does have preparations for this unfortunate situation. He makes sure there aren't any records, fingerprints, DNA files on anyone in his circle. This helps to avoid anyone discovering his secrets but doesn't explain what he does for the families of the fallen.
What about Barbara Gordon? She kept her time as Batgirl from her father. What would happen if she was injured or killed while in action? Does Batman have a story to tell Commissioner Gordon should that ever happen? Would Jim approve of the fact that his old friend Batman has secretly allowed his daughter to place herself in harm's way for so long? Would Batman tell him the truth or try to find a way to hide her time as Batgirl?
Batman is a crafty guy. Of course he places his secret identity high on the list but also that of others. He will make sure his allies are properly trained before hitting the streets. But you have to wonder what his plans are for the families if his allies ever die in action.
Batman is known for being prepared for any situation. He tries to take in partners that don't have other ties. But there are those that force their way into his circle that do have families. Batman will do everything in his power to ensure they are properly trained and ready to face the criminal element. But should an extreme unfortunate situation happen, you know he'll have at least five plans already set in motion to protect the families, the identities of the rest of the Bat-Family as well as a way to offer peace and condolences to the families.
Thanks to @jonsoderling for suggesting the topic.
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