Alternate versions of Robin
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Robin is a fictional character published by DC Comics. Robin has long been a fixture in the Batman comic books as Batman's sidekick. Since 1940, several different youths have appeared as Robin. In each incarnation, Robin's brightly colored visual appearance and youthful energy have served as a contrast to Batman's dark look and manner.
This page is a list of the alternate versions of Robin in comic books, including DC Comics, the multiverse, Elseworlds, et cetera.
Contents |
[edit] In mainstream comics continuity
- Dick Grayson is the original Robin. Though he stops being Robin in the comics, Grayson is the most commonly portrayed version in other media.
- Jason Todd becomes Robin after Grayson, though his superheroic career is ended by his untimely death at the hands of The Joker.
- Tim Drake assumes the Robin identity after Todd, but quits at the request of his father. After his replacement is killed, he reclaims the mantle and has remained the current Robin.
- Stephanie Brown was Drake's girlfriend and a superheroine of her own design, but later took on the Robin name in place of Drake. She is killed by Black Mask.
- Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths
- In a Batman story from the 1950s, Bruce Wayne assumes the identity of Robin, though it is no longer canon.
- Richard Grayson of Earth-Two.
[edit] Alternate versions
[edit] Bruce Wayne Junior
In a story from 1961, Alfred writes a tale about an imaginary future: Bruce Wayne married Kathy Kane and they had a son named Bruce Jr. As Bruce Sr. retires from being Batman, that post is filled by Dick Grayson. Dick's post as Robin is filled by Bruce Jr. The future dynamic duo wear the same costumes as the present versions, but with a II added on the chest of each. The villains featured in the story are the Joker and his son.
Robin's mantle was also carried on by Bruce Wayne Jr. in the epilogue of the Batman/Captain America crossover from 1996. Characters similar to the Batman/Dick Grayson and Robin/Bruce Jr./"BJ" also appear in the miniseries Batman/Superman Generations I and II.
[edit] Robert Chang
In the digitally rendered tale Digital Justice, James Gordon the grandson of his namesake, Commissioner Gordon, takes on the mantle of the Batman. A character named Robert Chang, who is somewhat reminiscent of the post-Crisis Jason Todd, takes on the mantle of Robin.
[edit] Kingdom Come Red Robin
In Kingdom Come, Dick Grayson reclaims the Robin mantle and becomes Red Robin, not at the side of his former mentor Batman, but rather with Superman's League. Age has not slowed him down, as he possesses all of his stealth and fighting skills. In this story he has a daughter with Starfire; the beautiful Nightstar. Starfire has apparently died by the time of the story, according to the Elliot S. Maggin novelization, and Nightstar calls Bruce Wayne "Grandpa", despite no blood relation. At the end of the novel, Bruce and Dick had reconciled.
Red Robin is slated to appear in the DC Countdown event; however, Dan Dido revealed it will not be Dick Grayson, but rather Jason Todd who will appear under the cape and cowl.[1]
[edit] Stan Lee's Robin
DC did a version of Robin for Stan Lee's Just Imagine... line of comics, where a few DC Comics characters were re-imagined by Marvel Comics luminary Stan Lee. Robin was an orphan who had been controlled by Reverend Darkk, the series' main villain, into becoming a thief and a murderer. He met Batman, when Darkk assigned Robin to kill him. Batman survived the attack and in return showed Robin what kind of a man Darkk really was. Robin joined the good side for a time, but in the crisis issue it was revealed that Robin had in fact been working with Darkk the whole time; in the end he was transformed into a Hawkman, before being reborn through Yggdrasil as The Atom.
[edit] DC One Million
In the 853rd century, the current Batman is aided by the robot called 'Robin The Toy Wonder'. This Batman's parents were guards on the prison planet of Pluto and died in a prison riot that turned into a mass slaughter of the guards. Robin is programmed with the personality of this Batman as a boy and acts as a foil/source of perspective so that he will not become consumed by darkness in his quest for justice. This Robin believes this was the same reason Bruce Wayne brought Dick Grayson into his life.
[edit] The Dark Knight Universe Robins
These stories are set in Frank Miller's Dark Knight Universe, which take place in a future that has not come to pass in current DC continuity, and therefore is not considered canonical. Miller has stated that the Dark Knight Universe consists of: All Star Batman and Robin, the Spawn/Batman crossover, The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Again and the upcoming Holy Terror, Batman! [1]
[edit] Richard Grayson
In Frank Miller's Dark Knight Universe, Grayson's origin differs in various ways to the official DC Comics Universe. As seen in the All Star Batman and Robin title, he is a twelve-year-old boy who performs in the circus with his two parents, as the Flying Graysons. Bruce Wayne had come to the show many times to watch him perform his stunts. One night, while Wayne watched the show with reporter Vicki Vale, the Graysons performed an amazing feat. The audience began to cheer and clap when suddenly a man arrived and shot Dick Grayson's parents in the head. They fell to the floor and died. Batman took out the gunman while some corrupted Gotham City Police officers took young Dick Grayson into custody, and absconded with him. They took him to a place outside Gotham City, into a deserted stretch of forest where they tortured and/or executed people, but Batman came to the rescue, and attacked the corrupt cops, forcing them into flight. Batman rescued Dick and took him in the Batmobile and asked him to join him in his crusade against crime in Gotham City. Dick agreed to join the crusade. Upon arrival in the Batcave, Batman intended Dick to survive in the cave without any help, however Alfred Pennyworth took pity on Dick and gave him food, and a decent place to sleep. Batman is displeased, as he wants Dick to go through the same things he did, whether Dick likes it or not. The story is still ongoing.
Years later, in the Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, it is revealed that after a rocky relationship, Batman fires Grayson for disobedience, replacing him with the much preferred Jason Todd. Though Grayson went on to become Nightwing, he always harbored a dormant yet virulent resentment for Batman.
After Todd's death caused Batman to retire, Wayne remained inactive as a superhero until a crisis in Gotham forced him to don the cape and cowl once again at the age of 55. After faking his own death to continue to fight crime under ground, Grayson reemerges as a genetically altered and seemingly unkillable supervillain, taking on the persona of the recently deceased Joker. After maiming and killing a number of famous DC characters, he seeks out Carrie Kelley (see below), the new Robin/Catgirl, intending to kill her in order exact his final revenge on Batman. His plan fails, however, when Batman arrives to save Catgirl and eventually kills Grayson.
[edit] Carrie Kelley
The 1986 limited series Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986), written and drawn by Frank Miller, introduced Carrie Kelley as the first female Robin in the Batman franchise's history. In that series, which takes place in the non-DC Continuity Dark Knight Universe, Kelley was a Batman fanatic who instantly took it upon herself to become Robin after Batman returned from retirement. In this series, Todd's death led to the Dark Knight's retirement, but Batman still accepted Kelley.
By the time of the 2001's sequel Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Kelley had taken the identity Catgirl, but continued to accompany Batman and his allies.
In an interesting scene in Teen Titans Vol. 3, #18, when the Titans were transported 10 years into the future, we are shown a graveyard full of deceased Batman allies and villains. One tombstone reads "Carrie Kelley".
In The New Batman Adventures episode, "Legends of the Dark Knight", a girl who closely resembles Carrie Kelley, called "Kelly", is one of three kids telling what they believe the Batman is really like. The story she tells is similar to the scene where Batman drives up in his tank and battles the mutants in Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
In the Alex Ross-illustrated Kingdom Come graphic novel, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman meet for lunch in a superhero-inspired restaurant. They are served by a waitress dressed as Robin and who may have been modeled on Carrie Kelley.
[edit] Elseworlds
- See also: Elseworlds and List of Elseworlds publications
[edit] Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred is a familiar character in the Batman books as Bruce Wayne's elderly butler. However, in Batman: Dark Allegiances, set in the World War II era, a young Alfred is Robin to that era's Batman.
[edit] Richard Graustark
In the 1960s set Batgirl and Robin: Thrillkiller, in which Bruce Wayne became a cop, Richard Graustark is a thrill-seeking circus performer who takes the identity of Robin to impress Barbara Gordon.
[edit] Robin Drake
The main character in JLA: The Riddle of the Beast, young Robin Drake brings together all the heroes of The World to battle the Beast (Etrigan).
[edit] Rowena Wayne
In the French Revolution set Batman: Reign of Terror, Bruce Wayne's sister learns his secret identity, and designs a Robin outfit to aid him.
[edit] "Rodney"
Dark Knight Dynasty features three generations of Waynes, past, present and future. In the future section, Brenna Wayne is aided by an ape with augmented intelligence.
[edit] Redbird
In the American Civil War set The Blue, The Gray and the Bat, Captain Bruce Wayne is aided by a Native American named Redbird. Redbird's family were killed by white men, and, until he got his revenge, he wore war paint in a design similar to a domino mask.
[edit] Robin 3000
In the futuristic Robin 3000, Earth is controlled by aliens. Batman (Bruce Wayne the 20th) is killed trying to stop them, but his mission is continued by his nephew, Tom Wayne. This was originally written as Tom Swift 3000, but rewritten as a Robin story when the original plans fell through.
[edit] Tengu
In the Robin 1996 Elseworlds annual, an unnamed young warrior in 16th century Japan, is raised by the Bat-Samurai, and nicknamed Tengu, after the bird-spirits, by a female Cat-Ninja. Tengu was later revealed to be the rightful heir to the imperial throne, and the usurper (believing he knew this and plotted against him) attempted to kill him. He killed the usurper in self-defense but, since he had already sworn loyalty, was constrained to suicide as a result of this dishonor.
[edit] Robin Redblade
In the Detective Comics 1996 Elseworlds annual, an orphan on the streets of 17th century Kingston, who became cabin boy to Leatherwing the pirate.
[edit] Tris Plover
In the Robin 1998 Legends of The Dead Earth annual humanity is trying to reach other worlds in generation ships. On one of these, a group called the Proctors have seized control and everyone else are slaves who are executed on their 30th birthdays to conserve the ship's resources.
Tris Plover, a 29 year old slave, rebels against the Proctors. She meets another rebel, called the Batman, who gives her the Robin identity. At the cost of their lives, they succeed in defeating the Proctors and Robin sets the ship on a course for the planet New Gotham.
[edit] Deals and Geela
In the Detective Comics LOTDE annual, three kids on a war-torn planet redesign a soldier-robot to resemble Batman. Two of them then design Robin costumes (the third is told he can be "Alfred Gordon").
[edit] Darkbird
This is the name of Batman's partner in the somewhat garbled fables told on another colony world, as featured in the Batman LOTDE annual. While the name is based on Nightwing, the costume is in Robin's colours.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.newsarama.com/NYCC/2007/DC/DCU.html NYCC '07: DC NATION PANEL] by Kevin Huxford, Newsarama.com
| Robin | |
|---|---|
| Creators: | Bob Kane and Bill Finger |
| Secret identities: | Dick Grayson • Jason Todd • Tim Drake • Stephanie Brown |
| Allies: | Batman • Alfred Pennyworth • Batgirl • Nightwing • Oracle • Teen Titans |
| Antagonists: | Tony Zucco • The Joker • Catwoman • King Snake |
| Locations: | Batcave • Gotham City • Wayne Manor • Blüdhaven |
| Miscellanea: | Other media • Alternate versions of Robin |
