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Robin is the fictional kid sidekick to the also fictional Batman, a super-hero character owned by DC Comics.
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson was the first character to call himself Robin.
Origin
Dick was a member of a circus family that did a trapeze act called "The Flying Graysons". When the circus owner refused to cooperate with a mob shakedown, Boss Zucco ordered the trapeze sabotaged, and, with their young son watching, Dick's parents fell to their deaths. Bruce Wayne was in the audience that night. As Batman, when he determined that the Graysons were murdered, he saw himself in young Dick. Bruce took Dick in and made him his legal ward, and trained him to assist him in his private war against crime. Dick's life training as an acrobat made him a natural for the physical part of the job. Batman created the costume and identity of Robin for Dick, and together the two saw to it that Boss Zucco paid for his crimes.
History
As Robin, Dick was Batman's junior partner through the Golden Age of Comics, the 1950s, and the Silver Age of Comics. During the Silver Age, Robin was a founding member of the Teen Titans, whose late Bronze Age incarnation would become one of the most popular team books ever. In the 1980s, Dick, said now to be twenty years old, ended his partnership with Batman and took on the super-hero identity of Nightwing. As both Robin and Nightwing, Dick was the leader of the The New Teen Titans and a solo hero in his own right. Nightwing now has his own long-running comic book.
Jason Todd
Jason Todd was the second character to call himself Robin.
Origin
Jason was a homeless street kid that Batman caught trying to steal the tires off the Batmobile. Figuring that he was already lost to crime, Batman took in Jason as he did Dick. After a very long trial and training period, Jason officially became Robin, wearing the old costume that Dick used to wear.
History
Jason proved to be wilder, more brutal than Dick and, unknown to Batman, might even have taken a criminal's life in one instance. Some Batman readers didn't like this wild teen as Robin. Then Batman Editor Denny O'Neil staged an event where Jason's life was in mortal danger, and gave fans a chance to vote by calling a 1-800 phone number on whether they wanted Jason to survive or not. O'Neil was shocked to find that, by a narrow margin, the fans voted against Jason continuing. So, in a story called "A Death in the Family", Jason was murdered by Batman's arch nemesis, the Joker. Batman took Jason's death very hard, and vowed there would no longer be a Robin. Some years later, Jason was brought back to life (by a combination of the events of Infinte Crisis altering reality and Talia and the Lazarus Pit) and became the Red Hood, a Punisher-like anti-hero who believed that Batman should murder criminals like the Joker. As such, he now finds himself Batman's nemesis as well.
Tim Drake
Tim Drake was the third character to become Batman's Robin.
Origin
Jason was a bit of a Batman and Robin fan, and was in the audience (as a young child) when Dick's parents died. Struck by the coincidence of Robin's appearance soon after the incident, Tim used his natural intelligence to figure out Batman's true identity, and was even able to trace the career of the first two Robins. Tim eventually confronted Bruce with his conclusions. Batman was impressed with Tim's detective skills, but at first seemed determined not to put another child in danger after Jason. Tim believed deeply that "Batman needs a Robin," and eventually convinced Bruce to go back on his vow and begin training him for the job.
History
Unlike the Robins before him, Tim not only trained with Batman but, like Bruce before him, was trained to fight by martial arts masters like Rahul Lama and Lady Shiva. As a result, Tim developed his own style of fighting, often using a bo staff when battling criminals. He was also the first of the three Robins to seriously update the costume. After a couple of hit mini-series, this Robin has sustained his own solo comic book, which is still published today. He has also worked extensively with Nightwing, and, following in Dick's footsteps, helped found the now defunct group of teen heroes called Young Justice. Currently, he is also a member of the modern incarnation of the Teen Titans.
Other Robins
Comic book creators imaginations being what they are, there have been various other Robin characters over the years. There was the Earth-Two adult Robin that was a member of the Justice Society of America during the Silver Age of Comics. There have been several "Elseworlds" Robin characters that are not in continuity. An example was "Robin 3000", who works against alien invaders a thousand years from now. There was even the Robin of a more distant future, the artificial "Robin, the Toy Wonder" from the maxi-series DC One Million. Most memorable of all alternate reality Robins was undoubtably Carrie Kelly, the first female Robin. She was featured in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, the graphic novel/mini-series that so captured the media's attention.
Of all these Robins the only one who's existence is actually included in the present continuity is Stephanie Brown. Whether or not Stephanie counts as the actual fourth Robin is debated by comics fans and creators. Though she first appeared in the role of the vigilante The Spoiler, Stephanie certainly was in training to be the next Robin when it looked like Tim couldn't continue in the role. She died trying to prove herself to Batman after he fired her for disobeying his orders.
Robin Portrayals
External links
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