The Dynamic Duo

Batman

It's an omen!!!

Batman

Now in his early thirties Bruce returned to Gotham to come good on his promise to rid his city of crime. When Bruce returned he was one of the richest men on the planet and was the sole owner of Wayne Enterprises, even though the world saw him as a multi-millionaire playboy but he took his company to new heights with his new idea’s and designs. Bruce used his bottomless pit of money to invest in state of the art technology [battle armor, high-tech computers, gadgets and of course the Batmobiles].

Bruce took on the cape and cowl of Batman. Batman had a massive impact on Gotham but never revelled himself to the media like other hero’s and many people believe him to be a urban legend. Batman made many enemies such as the Joker, Riddler and Penguin but in his third year as Batman he felt himself slipping into a darker place and even speculated that Bruce Wayne was the mask for Batman not the other way round, so he took in a young orphan called Dick Grayson. 

Robin

The First Robin

Dick as Robin

Dick enjoyed his first year as Robin describing it as an adventure; he fought villains such as Penguin, Joker, Mr. Freeze and Scarecrow. Dick went on many missions with Batman and at a young age he was good enough to go out on patrol on his own. But one of their most significent mission was when Two-Face kidnapped the new District Attorney and Batman, each suspended from a hangman’s noose in a double gallows death trap. Batman told Robin to save the D.A. Robin obeys Batman and throws a batarang that cuts the rope holding the D.A. It works, but Robin doesn't take into account Dent's obsession with killing the D.A. It was a two-fold trap and the floor gives way before Robin can get to him, Robin jumps into the water after the D.A, but is pulled out by Two-Face. Robin is surprised by this and received a very savage beating from Two-Face as a restrained Batman watches in horror. Batman eventually is able to free himself and stop Two-Face. However this event haunts Dick to this day [Dick would go on to badly beat him many times as Robin and Nightwing], this would also scare Batman so much that he suspended Dick for a time.
 

The evolution of Dick Grayson

Jason Todd

Jason with Batman

A death in the family

Tim Drake

Tim as Robin in the new Robin suit.

After the apparent death of Jason Todd, Batman had grown more violent and reckless. Tim notices that this is not how Batman’s character is and seeks out the help of Dick Grayson. At this time Dick had been going by the code-name Nightwing, so Tim tried to convince Dick to retake the mantle of Robin because it was the only way to keep him sane. Dick agreed but would only help Batman as Nightwing. Tim did not like Dick’s decision and continued to argue that Batman needed Robin. Eventually he was able to attain the help of Alfred to take the Robin costume so he could help Batman. Alfred and Dick accepted Tim to be the Robin that Batman needed so he could keep Batman sane. However, Batman did not want a new partner and would continue to say ,"no”, but also added “the boy has potential.” Eventually Batman sceptically accepted Tim as Robin, but under one condition, Tim had to endure physical and mental training from Bruce before he could become Robin so he does not suffer the same fate as Jason Todd – death, Batman stated the training would be harder and longer that Dick’s training.

While Tim was still training, his parents Jack and Janet Drake were kidnapped by a mysterious stranger. Tim continued to focus on his work by foiling a plan of a hacker thief. Meanwhile, Batman went out to rescue Tim’s parents. Batman arrived too late though, and his parents were both poisoned. His mother died but his father fell into a deep coma. With the tragedy Tim and his parents went through, Batman became wary that Tim would go down the road of vengeance and it would cloud his judgment. However Tim would prove Batman wrong when he saved Batman and Vicki Vale from the Scarecrow. Afterward Batman allowed Tim to take the mantle of the Boy Wonder and gave him a newer version of the costume.

Training

Tim was an excellent detective, however he was missing an important skill: martial arts. Right after Batman gave Tim the Robin mantle, he sent him to to learn fighting skills from a master martial artist, Rahul Lama. He would learn healing techniques from the old master while learning martial arts from his grandson. Tim noticed an organized crime group lead by King Snake, so he decided to try and stop them. However, Lady Shiva had also been pursuing King Snake, and she discovers the potential that Tim had in martial arts. Lady Shiva takes Tim in and decides to train him herself. She also offered to teach him how to use only one weapon of his choice. Tim chose the bo staff because it was the least deadliest weapon. Nearing the end of his training, Lady Shiva and Tim had a sparring match in which Tim defeats her with the bo staff. Shiva then presents Tim with a gift. It is a retractable bo staff that he could conceal. The King Snake was planning to release a plague but was stopped by Tim and Lady Shiva. While King Snake was hanging onto the building helplessly, Shiva orders Tim to kill him in order to “graduate.” Tim refused to kill King Snake.

The New Robin

Tim with Batman on his first night out.

When Tim’s dad came out of the coma, he was paralyzed from the waist down. He realizes his wife had died and that he was in a coma for a long time. Jack wants to reconnect with his son, but Tim’s duties as Robin and his relationship with Bruce caused a little controversy between the father and son. Jack would eventually be able to regain the use of his legs with the help of a therapist Dana Winters. Jack and Dana began a romantic relationship and she begins to fix the Drakes’ problems. She helped rid Jack of his anger towards his son and helped Tim reconnect with his father. Dana and Jack would eventually marry.

Tim began a romantic relationship as Robin with the daughter of a criminal named Cluemaster, Stephanie Brown. Stephanie had the alter ego of "Spoiler". Batman would not allow Robin to reveal his identity to Stephanie. Later she reveals to Tim that she is pregnant from a previous relationship. Tim helps her through childbirth but eventually the child was given up for adoption.

Stephanie Brown 

Damian Wayne 

Events

Tim was in Gotham when Bane broke open Arkham Asylum and unleashed almost all the inmates. Tim was the first person to suggest to Batman that it was Bane who was responsible for these actions. Tim and Batman set out to catch the criminals. They got off to a good start by taking down the Mad Hatter’s tea party and bringing half a dozen thugs with him. Batman decided that the two would separate to take down more criminals in a shorter time. Robin went after Bird, one of Bane’s lacky’s and Batman went after Zsasz. Robin was briefly captured by Bane and Killer Croc but escaped soon after. Robin would try to track down the villain Firefly, he eventually tracked down the villain but Robin was mentally and physically drained, so Batman told him to sit this one out in the Batcave. Tim’s rest would be short lived when the Riddler held a live hostage T.V show [although he had a fake bomb] Robin beat the Riddler and saved the hostages.

Robin was with Alfred and when Bane broke Batman’s back and threw him of a roof top in downtown . They acquired an ambulance and took Bruce back to the Batcave. Robin wanted to take Bruce to hospital but it was too big of a risk to expose all the identities of the Bat Family. All Robin could do was stay by Bruce’s bedside and pray. Thankfully Bruce did not die but when he woke up, Bruce was psychologically scared, as his defeat to Bane came as a big blow to Bruce's mentally [in addition to his broken back]. Tim could barely stand to watch his mentor so shattered, but he stayed the course, helping Alfred recruit Dr. Shondra Kingsolving to be Bruce’s personal physician. Once Bruce was in better spirit’s, Tim talks about the escalating violence and gang war in Gotham, Tim told Bruce about how someone should step in as Batman while Bruce heals, Bruce agrees but turns down Tim’s suggestions that Nightwing should take the mantle of Batman saying he is his own man now with his own responsibilities [the real reason that Bruce did not want to take the mantle is because he was scared that Dick would run into Bane and get injured like he did], so Bruce picked Azrael [Jean-Paul Valley]. Tim gave Azrael the Batman costume [which Azrael modified].

Bruce’s condition was partially heartbreaking for Robin, given that his father, Jack was still learning how to use his body parts again after coming out of a coma. Robin went out on patrol with the new Batman and was dismayed with the amount of violence Azrael used to capture the criminals, and Tim had to keep reminding Azrael that there was more to being Batman than just a costume, but Azrael came more and more lost in his role and actually killed a criminal, Abattoir. Bruce realized that if Bane worked out his identity that meant he knew Tim’s as well. Bruce’s was right and he and Alfred set of to the Drake home to rescue Jack, who was kidnapped.

Tim wanted to go and save his father but Bruce told Tim that needed him and that Bruce would go and save him. Azrael kept getting more and more violent and started to reject Tim, Tim also found himself spending more time with Nightwing, the two established a almost perfect partnership stopping many villains together, Tim told Dick that he felt responsible for Azrael’s recklessness, Dick told Tim that it wasn’t his fault and that he was surprised that Bruce did not ask him to take the mantle.

Tim came across Azrael fighting Bane on a railway, Robin manages to save the people on the train, the new Batman beats Bane, and much to the relief of Robin, Azrael does not kill Bane. Although Azrael did not kill Bane he was acting reckless. The “system” played havoc with Azrael and finally snapped under the strain of the system and one night in the Batcave he attacked Robin. Robin only just escaped. After this Azrael locked himself in the Batcave. Around this time Bruce and Alfred returned with Jack, Bruce’s back was mystically healed by by an unknown man. Bruce was happy with Tim’s progress but was a bit mad at Tim for not stopping Azrael killing someone. All Tim said is that Azrael is out of control and has locked himself in the Batcave, so Bruce decided to take the mantle back by force. This meant a trip to Lady Shiva for a crash course to get him back to his peak. Tim was very happy that Bruce and his father where back safely.

Bruce “graduated” from Shiva’s training with the support of Robin and Nightwing but Bruce wanted to face Azrael alone. Bruce beat Azrael but instead of starting as Batman straight away Bruce decided that he needed some time off to train more. Bruce gave the mantle to the man who should got it the first time, Dick Grayson. The new Batman and Robin got along very well and again formed a near perfect partnership again. After some time Bruce returned and Dick gave back the mantle of Batman and he regained his identity as Nightwing. Tim and Dick have formed a brotherly bound and often team up.

One Year Later

After the year-long trip with Bruce and Dick, Tim returns to Gotham and moves into the Wayne estate, gesturing a healthy relationship towards Bruce. Tim soon receives an unknown message regarding Batgirl, threats sending him on errands, and failing to do them would result in her death. Tim rushes out to find Cassandra, and comes upon a dead body in a Batgirl outfit. Shocked at first, Tim un-masks the woman and finds that it's Lynx, a hired assassin. Before Gotham's police arrive on the scene, Tim takes the mask in hopes of finding out who is trying to frame Batgirl. Whilst running tests on the mask at Wayne Manor, Lady Shiva arrives to inform Tim of the recent death of Nyssa al Ghul, leaving the League of Assassins up for grabs. Tim focuses on his investigation, vowing not to let another person close to him die. He finds a clue in Batgirl's cowl written in a specific code. After deciphering it Robin's next objective is with Cassandra's father, David Cain. Robin abides by what the code asks of him, and breaks David out of Blackgate Prison. David informs Tim that his daughter is head of the League of Assassins. Tim, skeptical at first, finds out the truth after he confronts Cassandra.

Cassandra believes that she is meant to be a killer, and asks Tim to join her. Tim refuses as Cassandra shoots her father, apparently killing him. Tim then becomes hellbent in bringing Cassandra to the police. Tim single handily defeats all of her league League of Assassins' ninjas before an explosion interrupts the battle. When Tim returns to the scene, he finds Cassandra's league dead, and his mini-camera still intact, which recorded everything. Tim notices David Cain managed to get away in the recording, and is able to clear his name from the footage.

Batman R.I.P.

Tim ready to defend Gotham

When Batman disappeared with no real explanation or trace, Robin knew it was his time to step into Gotham's spotlight. With the help of the recently returned Spoiler (whose death was faked in an earlier Batman Story Arc), Robin took on the gangs and villains of the city in an attempt to fill the void Batman left behind. He forged an alliance with a GCPD's Sgt. Harper. With her help, he was able to stay on top of police movement much the same way as Batman did with Gordon. he also made a tentative connection with the Penguin.

However, things became more and more complicated as unexpected gang fights and alliances began to form, rippling chaos throughout the city. On top of the growing crime problem, the assassin known as the Scarab returned with her sights on Robin, and two different people claiming to be Jason Todd's known alter-egoes. Red Hood and Red Robin were both revealed to have a part in the recent crime upheaval. Further shocking news came when Robin discovered that Spoiler was making deals with criminals behind Tim's back, including hiring  Scarab to try and kill him. This revelation further revealed that Spoiler had orders from Batman to make sure Tim didn't find him, and to help him step up in the ranks of Super heroism.
 Tim later found out that Anarky, a villain turned hero turned villain again, was behind much of the chaos the city had been experiencing, including the gangs and the appearance of Red Robin (Anarky was the person pretending to be Red Robin). However, Robin didn't realize this until he was almost killed in one of Anarky's explosions. Tim escaped with serious burns to his body and the back of his head, the latter forcing him to ditch his usual domino mask and debut with the Red Robin cape and cowl that he had apprehended.

Tim found Anarky in the middle of the chaos, and in a last ditch attempt to save his city, Robin starts to fight with Anarky, while Spoiler tries to stop the chaos and Anarky's bombs. Anarky tries to distract Tim with pre-recorded speech's of himself but this didn't work. Anarky was no match for Tim's fighting skills and Tim beat Anarky badly. Tim had planned for Officer Jamie Harper to get Ulysses' parents to come to try and stop Anarky, but he did not count on them bringing their other younger children (Hillary and Matthew). Anarky sees his parents, but not his brother and sister (neither does Robin). Anarky manages to set off his last bomb which is in a mail box next to the car his younger brother and sister were in.
 
Robin saves officer Harper but did not know about the children in the car, and was not able to save them. With the chaos stopped, Robin has a brief talk with Commissioner Gordon in which Gordon questions Tim decision to bring Ulysses' parents into it. Tim meets up with Stephanie and tells her that he knows about her and Batman's plans to make him better and that he loves her. And because of that he can't have Spoiler around messing things up any more, he then congratulates her on making him better.

Two weeks later, with his burns healed and looking normal again, Tim pays Jason a visit in prison. Tim tells Jason the JLA teleport code that he and Dick had hacked so that Jason could have one last chance. Jim Gordon decides it is time to move forward and makes Robin Gotham's new protector, even giving him his own Robin Signal [much like the Bat-signal]. Gotham has a new protector, and his name is Robin.

Battle for the Cowl

Will Dick be the new Batman?

Tim uses his brilliant detective skills to work out where the phony Batman's hideout is, but Tim decides not to confront the fake Batman as Robin, but as Batman. He uses the silver age Batman suit. Meanwhile Damian is joy riding in a Batmobile with a friend when Oracle calls him to do swoop of the docks, Damian's friend starts talking, Oracle takes control of the car and presses the eject button on Damian's friend's seat and she goes flying into a small stream where Killer Croc and Poison Ivy are trying track the Batmobile, Croc eats the girl then knocks the car of the road into the stream, Damian is terrified and tries to talk his way out of it, Croc was about to eat Damian but Nightwing flies in on a hand glider and saves Damian, but while their flying they are shot out of the air. On the ground they are quickly surrounded by goon but suddenly the phony Batman comes in shooting the goons. 

Dick begins to fight the phony Batman. While their fighting Dick revels he knows who the Phony Batman is, Jason Todd, Jason shoots Damian in the chest and flees the fight. Back at Black Mask's hide out he is planning to blow up Gotham police headquarters with Firefly and Adam Bomb. meanwhile Tim [dressed in the Silver Age Batman suit] has found Jason's Batcave but he is not alone, Catwoman has followed Tim thinking he was the one killing people. At the same time Dick discovers that Tim had taken the Bat suit.

Jason sneaks up on Catwoman and knocks her out. Tim and Jason begin to fight with Tim obviously the better fighter out of the two, but Jason uses his knowledge of his cave to lure Tim into a pit where he repeatedly slashes him with a Batarang. In the middle of the fight Jason asks Tim to be his Robin, but Tim refuses and picks up a crowbar and begins to beat Jason with it, but Jason manages to stab Tim in the gut with the Batarang and leaves him to die.

With Gotham on fire, Dick tells the network to hunt down the Black Mask while he goes looking for Tim. Back at the Batcave Damian has recovered and wants to go out to help but Alfred tells him it’s time to earn his keep and gives Damian his suit [the classic Robin tunic with the League of assassins robe] and tells him to go with Squire and find Tim. With Penguin caught by the police instead of making a move for the city Two-Face is forced by the new Black Maski to flee the city. Dick is deeply upset at his adopted brother’s disappearance and won't rest until he finds Tim. Dick manages to track Tim by using a old tracking device in the Bat-suit Tim was wearing to Jason’s cave, where he finds Tim’s cape and cowl hung on a cross. Dick picks it up and is electrocuted, Jason appears but before the fight can begin Dicks uses a holographic message that Bruce recorded before his death.

The holographic Bruce says that Jason was his biggest failure and that he need to be repaired mentally, he continues to say that he loved him but it was a mistake to train him. Jason and Dick begin to fight but as with Jason’s fight with Tim, Jason is the lesser skilled fighter of the two, but again Jason uses his knowledge of his cave and gadgets to try to beat his opponent. This time it doesn’t work. Dick is going ballistic at Jason for telling him that Tim is dead.

In the tunnels of Jason’s cave a wounded but a very much alive Tim Drake [Wayne] makes his way out of the tunnels. He revels that he used a martial art technique called the possum reflex that Bruce taught him, the technique enables Tim to slow his heart rate to eight beats per minute which lead Jason to believe that he was dead but he says that it was the Bat-suit's heavy armor that saved him.

Jason sets off bombs he laid in his cave, the explosions make all the tunnels cave in. Tim is to injured to move quickly and the ground collapse beneath him,  but before he can fall to his death Damian and Squire save him. The explosion forces Dick’s and Jason’s fight outside on to a moving train. Jason tells Dick that he is only mad at Dick because he didn’t take up the cowl, so Jason did, but Dick thinks Jason is only over-compensating for his past actions. Dick finishes the fight, but his final blow is more powerful that he expected and sends Jason to the edge of the bridge, Jason only just hangs on, Dick tries to save Jason but Jason refuses to take his hand and lets go of the edge seemingly falling to his death.

The New Batman and Robin

Dick Grayson as Batman, Damian Wayne as Robin

Dick’s first big decision as Batman was to give the mantle of Robin to Damian so he could keep a eye on him but he did this without consulting Tim, Tim feels betrayed but Dick tells him he wants Tim to be his second in command, his partner not his sidekick, but their conversation is interrupted by Damian, now wearing a new Robin suit. He begins to mock Tim but he quickly regrets this when Tim punches Damian in the face, and is only held back by Dick. Tim walks out with Dick shouting after him. Tim became Red Robin and travelled the World to find out if Bruce Wayne is really dead.

Dick and Damian build a flying Batmobile which they uses for the first week of their partnership, Damian is hostile towards Dick often saying he wasn’t the real Batman.                         

These events take place in Batman and Robin
                     
Dick and Damian respond to the bat-signal, when they arrive on the police station’s roof they meet Jim Gordon and two other policemen where they are about to talk about Mr. Toad and his connections, when the policemen are radioed about trouble in the police station. Batman and Robin set of quickly down the stairs to the front desk to help the police. When the Dynamic Duo leave the roof Gordon and the two other policemen comment on how different Batman and Robin are, saying they used to be taller.

At the front desk a man who is on fire is injuring and burning police officers and is then joined by a very, very fat man dressed in a tutu, and three martial arts monks strapped together. Batman and Robin arrive at the front desk. Batman lets Robin fight the three monks, but he can only fight them to a stand still and is unable to beat them, so Batman steps in and easily defeats them.

Damian goes against Batman’s orders and goes after the fat man while Batman fights the other gang members. The fat man revels they are there to free Mr. Toad but he is stopped by Robin. The fat man is massive compared to Damian but during the fight Robin brutally breaks the fat man’s arm and then violently interrogates him. Damian is only stopped when Dick has to physically restrain him. When Damian was fighting the fat man someone managed to sneak into Mr Toad’s cell and kill him.

When the arrive back at the Bat-bunker Dick and Damian yet again come to verbal blows. Damian calls Dick a mockery to Bruce’s legacy and then rips the Robin badge of his uniform and tells Dick he will find a teacher he respects. He then gets on his motorbike and leaves.

Dick confides in Alfred telling him he’s having trouble adapting to his new role. After a lengthy conversion Alfred tells Dick his Batman needs to be more of a performance and less of a memorial, Dick agrees and goes to look for Damian on a new Batbike called the Quad-Bat.

Damian manages to track down where the fat man’s gang came from. He finds out they came from a circus, where he finds a girl with a mask on crying and tied up begging Damian for help, but before he can help the girl he is attacked by a massive group of people who are dressed in the same cloths as the girl and also have the same mask stuck on their face’s. Damian is overwhelmed by the numbers of the group and Professor Pyg walks out, talking to Damian while he tries to defend himself. One of the people in the masks then sets of a massive explosion. 
  
Batman is tearing up the city looking for Robin, he begins to integrate a Prisoner from the circus who tells him where Robin is, meanwhile Robin in a circus tent wakes up bound to a chair with ropes and in the presences of a man wearing a pig mask and he is putting doll masks on other people, after a short conversation, the pig Professor orders one of his goons, who all have the same plastic face burned on to their real face, to but one of the faces on to Robin. Damian breaks the ropes that where holding him to the chair and starts to fight the goon’s and easily bets them and Professor pig.

Meanwhile Batman stops one of Professor pyg’s goons who has a bomb but when looks to disarm it he finds out it empty and realizes that their not carrying bombs their carrying germs and protects himself from the goon spitting germs at him. Back at where Damian is being held, Robin is fighting more goons, he finds a teenage girl with one of Professor pyg’s plastic faces on her asking for help and Damian says that he promises to get her out, in the same room is the girls father who also has a plastic face and is being dragged around by Professor pyg, the girl gets a Bunsen burner and burns him with it.

Professor Pyg escapes through a window and jumps onto a rollercoaster cart, Robin follows him but he leaves the girl he promised to get out, Doctor Pig is still on fire, the two begin to fight but come flying of the cart at the corner, before Damian can get up Professor Pyg hits him over the head with a burning piece of wood but before he could deliver the final blow to Robin, Batman speeds in on the bat-quod, Professor Pyg gets up and tries to escape but runs into a wall. Batman and Robin finish of the rest of the goons. Batman then realises that this must be the place where they are keeping the deadly germs and goes looking for the antidote in case anyone was infected and calls Commissioner Gordon. Robin remembers the girl he left behind but the room is empty so she must have got out.

Later on while talking to Commissioner Gordon Batman revels that Professor Pyg was Lazlo Valentin and he created a new generation of Narcotics [drugs] and was selling it to Russian gangsters to finance his strange opposition with making doll people [the goons with the plastic faces] and that the drug is extremely addictive [this is the same drug one of the doll people tried to spray Batman with] and he was going to hold Gotham city to ransom. Batman also finds another Domino.

Later they track down part of the Black Glove, the group that came close to killing Bruce and nearly lobotomized Dick.

That night in Gotham hospital the young girl that Robin left in Pyg’s room was going around the Hospital killing all the other Doll face people even her own father until she is caught by security but before anything can be don the security guards get their heads blown off by a mysterious man asking for her help to clean up Gotham, the mysterious man is revelled to be the new Red Hood.      
    

Batman: Blackest Night 
 
Dick and Damian go to Wayne Manor cemetery to clean up the mess Black Hand had left. When they arrive they discover that Black Hand had dug up Bruce Wayne’s body and had taken his skull. Also he had dug up Thomas and Martha Wayne’s bodies. Dick was extremely annoyed and decides that their bones will be moved to the Bat bunker, and begins to move them but Damian gets spooked and Dick tells him to go to the Batmobile and wait for him.