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This page covers the DC comicbook hero Jason Todd also known as Red Hood , Robin , Boy Wonder , Red Robin , Nightwing . If this is not the page you were looking for check here.
Jason Todd is the second person to be Robin. He was brutally killed by the Joker. He was brought back due to the events of Infinite Crisis and acted as Red Hood, before becoming Red Robin.
The Boy Wonder
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Pre-Crisis
Before the Crisis, DC was nervous and reluctant to change Robin too much, fearing a drop in sales. When Dick Grayson (now Nightwing) quit as Robin, Jason Todd took over, so DC made him almost exactly alike. Jason Todd was a young boy, the son of two acrobats, when his parents were murdered by Killer Croc. He was adopted by Batman to be his ward. Jason was happy and thought before he acted. He even dyed his hair black to be similar to Grayson. He is thoughtful and cheerful-but the Crisis changed all that.
Batman and Robin
Post-Crisis
The Crisis on Infinite Earths happened soon after Jason's introduction. Many characters were dramatically altered-one of which was Jason Todd. Jason's origin went like this. Jason Todd's parents were namedWillis and Catherine Todd. They lived a moderate life until Willis went t prison. Jason's mother fell. Despite being free Willis was out of the picture and Jason thought he had went back to prison he began to steal tires and sell them to take care of his mother. Jason's mother soon died from an overdose and ran away after juvenile authorities tried to take him. One night Batman heard something in the Batcave. When he investigated, he found a Jason in there-trying to jack the wheels off the Batmobile! Bruce, annoyed, stuck Todd in boarding school for troubled kids and went on. But the boy helped Batman stop a group of thieves and turn them in. Bruce thought that Jason's rage could be channeled against criminals, so Todd became Robin. Although he didn't have acrobatic skills, he was skilled enough that he was relatively useful. Jason would soon discover his father had been killed by Two-Face and Batman had known all along. Jason stayed in bed the whole day and let his anger out on Batman, but was able to handle his rage against Two-Face and let him be arrested.
However, Jason had lots of problems as Robin. He was impulsive, reckless, and violent. He often used force to stop criminals, hurting them far beyond where he needed to. When Alfred assured him that Batman's method of fear was more useful than brute force, Jason responded that no matter how scared they were, they were they wouldn't die. Also, he was impulsive. He took unnecessary risks often, and even when Batman would assign him to keep surveillance, he would attack anyway, destroying the entire plan and making life hard. When a criminal named Felipe Garzonas raped a young woman and walked due to his father being a diplomat he may or may not have let him fall to his death.
One of his successes was helping Batman take Gotham City back when Joseph Blackfire overrode and ran it. This is documented in the graphic novel "Batman: The Cult".
Death in a Family
Death
DC set up a contest. People could call a 1-900 number and vote as to whether Jason should live or die. The die side won. Jason Todd heard that his mother was actually still alive, and in the Middle East and the woman he thought was his mother was actually his stepmother. He escaped to go look for her. At the same time, Joker was in the Middle East trying to hijack a nuclear warhead. When Joker noticed him, he scared Todd's mother so badly that she sold out her son to him. Joker found Jason, beating him savagely with a lead pipe. When Todd awoke, he and his unconscious mother were next to a bomb in a warehouse. His last action was to try to shield his mother from the blast. Batman came in time to see the warehouse explode. He kept Todd's Robin costume in a glass case in the Batcave to remember him.
Resurrection(False and Real)
After much time, Batman was trying to find out who was plotting against him(it was Hush). He discovered that the current Robin(Tim Drake) had been kidnapped. When he investigated, he found that the kidnapper was none other than Jason Todd-or not. It was actually a malevolent Clayface, simply impersonating the boy. Many more years passed.
Recently, DC had the Infinite Crisis happen. Again, it shook the DC world, and a major thing happened in Batman continuity. Superman Prime banged on the temporal pillars of the universe and altered reality, making it so Jason woke up in his coffin. He busted out, but collapsed and was comatose. After a year comatose and another a hobo, he was found by Talia al Ghul. Talia recognized him and bathed him in a life-restoring Lazarus Pit, restoring Jason's health and mind. It was one that the villian Ra's al Ghul was also in, affecting Jason's personality. She kissed him and told him that Batman never killed Joker and avenged his death. Furious, he went on the same path a young Bruce Wayne did for years, then traveled to Gotham to exact revenge.....
Todd as Red Hood
Red Hood
A new masked vigilante appeared in Gotham, the Red Hood. Red Hood hijacked a shipment of Kryptonite from Black Mask. While fighting Batman, Nightwing, and Mr. Freeze for it, Red Hood flees and gives it to them. Later, he found Joker and exacted revenge, beating him savagely with a crowbar as Joker had beaten him with a pipe. However, he kept Joker alive as a weapon, and wages war on crime. He waged a brutal one-man war on all crime, killing when he judged needed and shutting down gangs and drug dealers. He often fought Black Mask and his criminal mob, including Batman(who has not found out that Red Hood is Jason).
Realizing that Tim Drake replaced him as Robin(and most said he was better at it), Jason was enraged. Jason broke into Titans Tower wearing his old Robin costume, dispatched the other Titans, and confronted Tim. They fought, and Todd realized that there was no memorial statue for him, becoming even madder. Tim passed out, and Jason tore the R from his suit. Later, it makes Jason wonder if he would of been better off making friends and working together like Tim did.
Later, he kidnapped the Joker and ventured to Crime Alley, where they first met and where Bruce Wayne's parents died. He questioned Batman about why he didn't murder Joker to avenge him, and Batman said he refused to kill. They argued, and Jason finally gave him a choice-kill Joker or he would. He counted down from three after tossing Batman a loaded gun, but Bats sliced his neck with a Batarang. Joker detonated explosives then that exploded the platform they were on, ending the fight.
Return as Nightwing
One Year Later
When continuity skipped a year forward, Jason came up again as another Nightwing. He fought Dick Grayson, the real Nightwing, murders someone, and nearly kills a criminal. He also is currently fighting with Green Arrow in an ongoing story. Grayson refuses to join his side and methods of crimefighting. Not long after the two Nightwings meet up, Jason is captured and imprisoned by unknown mobsters. Rescued by a reluctant Grayson, the two join forces to defeat the Pierce brothers. Jason leaves New York City and the Nightwing mantle to Grayson, along with a telegram telling Grayson he has returned to normal and still considers them family.
Challengers From Beyond
At the start of Countdown, Jason Todd resumes his persona as the Red Hood and rescues a woman from Duela Dent. After a Monitor shoots and kills Duela, he attempts to kill Jason, but is stopped by a second Monitor. This second Monitor apologizes to Jason before they both disappear, leaving Jason alone with Duela's body. Later, at Duela's funeral, Jason hides until all of the Teen Titans have left except Donna Troy. Jason tells her what happened the night of Duela's death, and about the dueling Monitors. He knows that both he and Donna Troy have come back from the dead, and wonders which of them is next on the Monitor's hit list. The two are then attacked by the Forerunner, but before she can kill them, the apologetic Monitor stops her, and recruits Jason and Donna for a mission to the Nanoverse, in an attempt to find Ray Palmer. It was Jason who thought to name the Monitor "Bob" after finding that they have no names of their own.
It is possible that he has feelings for Donna as he was upset that the Green Lantern Kyle Rayner her former boyfriend joined them in the search for Palmer. During their trip the group meets alternate versions of themselves and Todd has become Batman. This version was a much better fighter and beat Todd with ease. This world was recently destroyed by Superman-Prime. During a battle with the Monarch and Extremists Jason kills Barracuda and offers to join Monarch's side. To prove his worth he steals one of Bob's weapons and blasts Donna. However this was revealed to be a plan between Bob and Jason so the group could escape. This has caused Donna and Kyle to begin to distrust both Jason and Bob.
The group move on to a universe resembling the Batman Beyond series. Jason confronts Bob over his inability to find Ray Palmer, but they are interrupted by the arrival of the Earth-12 Monitor. He tells them the other Monitors have all taken on names and rallied behind the Earth-8 Monitor, who now calls himself Solomon. Earth-12's Monitor's name is Nix Uotan, and he tells Bob Ray Palmer is insignificant and that he lives "a life of no consequence". They are evenly matched in a fight until Kyle intervenes and Bob is able to stun Nix. The distraction allows the group to escape into the Bleed.
Bob realizes that Solomon has seen through his tricks and is getting closer to finding them, but also that Nix unintentionally revealed the location of Palmer. The gang arrives on a near-perfect world, whose president is Liberty Belle. They find Ray, living the life of the deceased Atom and Bob tells him that he must die. The Challengers attack Bob and Jason throws a knife into his back. Donna grabs Jason and flies him away from the battle as Kyle escapes with Ray.
Donna leaves Jason on a rooftop, where he is attacked by one of Monarch's soldiers. Jason is saved by the Earth-51 Batman and brought to his Bat Bunker. Batman explains that he is not afraid to use lethal force. Batman threatens Jason, not believing he is Jason Todd, stating that he has ten seconds to confess before he shoots him. The Earth-51 Batman explains to Jason that he killed the Joker after Jason's death and then proceeded to kill all the supervillains on the planet which is why Earth-51 is so "perfect". The alternate Batman explains that they must wait for the right moment to strike back against Monarch's armies. Jason calls him crazy, saying he has friends out in the middle of the battle. Jason angers Batman by saying that he's been dead inside for years. Batman agress to help him, allowing him to put on the suit he made for the late Jason Todd of his world. Jason puts it on and Batman declares that he is now Red Robin.
Batman and Red Robin jump into the battle and Jason cuts out the eyes of Superwoman. Batman and Jason take cover as they become surrounded by Monarch's men. Donna arrives with an army behind her. Kyle and Ray find Jason and Batman and reunite with Donna. They are attacked by some of Monarch's minions including an alternate Joker. Jason and Batman fight them but Ultraman arrives and punches a hole in Batman's head. Kyle dispatches Ultraman and Jason mourns for the dead Batman. The alternate Joker laughs at Jason for being sad and Jason crushes his head with a stone. Donna recieves a message that says they should go to Apokolips.
The Earth-51 Monitor transports the Challengers away from the battlefield and off the planet. The Challengers arrive on Apokolips. They wonder why they were informed to come here. Not even Ray knows and Kyle explains that there must be some reason why they were brought there. Tired of Ray's whining, Jason breaks away from the rest of the group and travels around Apokolips. He discovers Brother Eye assimilating the planet. Jason realizes Brother Eye might be his only way back to his world. Jason bumps into Karate Kid trying to save his friend Una after she is assimilated by Brother Eye. Red Robin tries to help by blowing Una up by Karate Kid knocks the bomb away. Jason tells Karate Kid to suit himself and leaves. Jason follows an OMAC into Brother Eye's core where he rescues Firestorm and Karate Kid. The other Challengers arrive at the scene.
When Piper blasts Eye off of Apokolips, Jimmy Olsen meets the Challengers. Solomon, the Monitor transports them all back to Earth. Jason heads back to Gotham but is brought back to the Challengers by Kyle when they discover this isn't their Earth and that the Great Disaster is upon them! The Challeners finally manage to make it back to their Earth. Jason says he's threw with capes and cowls and ditches the group in Metropolis. He then joins up with Harley and Holly, saying he got rid of the Red Robin costume in a trash can. They then head to Gotham. Later, Jason stands on a rooftop in Gotham, watching the Bat signal. He wonders about Bruce and decides it's time for him to have his own identity. He has a criminal tied up and gagged and pulls out a knife, hoping to learn some information.
Powers
He has no powers, but Jason is an amazing hand-to-hand combatant, even fighting Batman to a standstill. He has beat on Tim Drake and is a relatively skilled acrobat. Jason also has access to military-level weaponry through Talia al Ghul, including firearms, explosives, rocket launchers, and more. Jason is also a skilled swordsman holding his own during a sword fight with Green Arrow. His preferred weapon is the kris. His arsenal is nearly equal to Batman's.
Jason Todd Appears in These Volumes
All Topics from the Jason Todd Forum
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Red Hood , Robin , Boy Wonder , Red Robin ? >> |
Mach Started Apr 14, 2008 |
Mach >> Post Apr 14, 2008 |
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More Dirty Vigilance >> |
Bacon Started Mar 25, 2008 |
Bacon >> Post Mar 25, 2008 |
Jason Todd |
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I Love Jason Todd >> |
Grim Started Jun 24, 2007 |
Ralph >> Post Mar 13, 2008 |
227 | Jason Todd |
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A new name, costume. Still not original tough >> |
Nighthunter Started Jan 24, 2008 |
sliverwing >> Post Jan 25, 2008 |
154 | Jason Todd |
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