Jason Todd: The Most Tragic DC Tale
By RedRobin92 17 Comments
When we first meet Jason Todd, he is a lowly street urchin in Gotham City fighting to survive. One night he came across the batmobile and decided to steal it's tires, but didn't get very far because its owner had arrived. Batman took pity on the boy realizing his situation. He was alone, completley and utterly alone. With the recent loss of Dick Grayson as Robin, Batman saw an oppurtunity to rehabilitate and watch after the troubled youth. Batman dubbed Jason the second Robin, telling him it was a desicion he wasn't making lightly.
For once in his life Jason had something good going for him, fighting along side Gotham's Caped Crusader. Unfortunatley, the good times wouldn't last. On multiple occassions, Jason's teenage angst and aggression got under Bruce's skin and caused problems between the Dynamic Duo. What would become his last adventure as Robin The Boy Wonder, seemed promising for the youth. Jason discovered the whereabouts of his biological mother and he travels to Africa to reunite with her. Unfortunatley, his mother is a pawn in one of the Joker's grand schemes. His mother betrays him to the Joker, who proceeds to beat the boy to the edge of death with a crowbar. The Joker then blows up the building Jason and his mother are in, killing the second Boy Wonder.
During the 'Hush Arc', Jason Todd has returned from the dead from an altering reality and the help of Ra's al ghul's lazarus pits. Jason is distraught to see that his death has not been avenged and the Joker has not been made to pay for his crimes. After this Jason goes through a series of other identities including the Red Hood and a dark and murderous Nightwing. He commits notorius crimes in these guises and beats the Joker with a crowbar, just as he did so many years ago. During Countdown to Final Crisis, it appears as if the returned Jason has had a change of heart.
He becomes the Red Robin and works with other heroes to find Ray Palmer. For awhile he seems to have returned to the just side of the law, but once again it is short lived.
After Batman's death in Final Crisis, the Batman Family is trying to decide Batman's legacy and Gotham City is in shambles. During this time a malicious gun-slinging Batman appears in Gotham killing off the criminals plauging the streets and taunting the Batman Family. He explains Batman feared that one day Jason would become his enemy, but those were never his intentions. Instead he only dreamed of replacing Bruce and that time was now, revealing himself as Jason. Since Nightwing won't take up the legacy of Bruce or deal with the growing threat of Jason has become, Tim Drake (The Third Robin) decides to go after him himself. He follows Jason to his own makeshift Batcave deep in the ruins of a destroyed subway station. A vicious battle ensues with Tim savagely beating Jason with a crowbar and then Jason ending the battle by stabbing Tim in the chest with a batarang. Nightwing finally goes after Jason and confronts him in his 'batcave'. During their battle, Nightwing replays Bruce's final message to jason. Bruce tells jason how he still considers him his greater failure and pleads for him to get the help he needs. This only angers Jason more and their battle leads to the top of a moving train. Nightwing kicks jason off the train who at the last minute grabs hold of the side of a bridge. Nightwing pleads for Jason to give him his hand and tells him he can still reform. Jason refuses and lets go of his grip, plunging into the water below. he hasn't been seen since.
Jason has been alone most of his life and everytime something seems to be going well for him it ends in tragedy.
So do you agree? disagree? why? why not?