R E D H O O D O R I G I N
ORIGIN
Jason Todd began his journey as the second Robin by stealing the tires off the Batmobile. He managed to successfully detach three tires, a feat which had never been accomplished, before being caught by Batman. Batman put Jason into a school for troubled kids as a result, but eventually took Jason on as the second Robin when it was learned the headmaster was using the children for criminal activities. Due to his brash
nature and Batman was also worried that without guidance, Jason's brash nature would lead him down the path of a criminal. The vigilante worked to instill values of redemption, temperance, and an aversion to killing in Jason, which didn’t take hold. It’s suspected that Jason pushed Felipe Garzonasa, a foreign national who raped a young woman, who later committed suicide, off his apartment balcony.
TRAGEDY
It was later discovered by Jason that his mother, who died from an overdose, wasn’t his biological mother.
To find her Jason ran away, following a trail of leads that led him to Ethiopia, where his mother, Sheila, worked as an aid worker. Jason was ecstatic, but it was quickly dashed by the knowledge his mother was being blackmailed by the Joker.
To help his mother, Jason followed her to a warehouse in his Robin suit, intent on stopping the Joker. It was
soon revealed that it was a set up, and Sheila had handed Jason over to the Joker to hide the fact she was also embezzling funds from her work agency along with the Joker. The Joker beat Jason with a crowbar and eventually left the warehouse, leaving Jason and Sheila inside with a time bomb. They attempted to escape, but the bomb went off before they could. When Batman arrived, he was only in time to hold Jason’s lifeless body in his arms.
RETURN
Due to Superboy-Prime altering reality, Jason was brought back to life, breaking his way out of his own coffin. After walking for twelve miles, he collapsed from injuries the Joker had dealt him before Jason’s
death. He spent a year in a coma before word reached criminal Talia Head, who nabbed Jason from the hospital and restored his health and memory by submerging him in a Lazarus Pit. Shortly after, Jason
After War Games and War Crimes (other comics) Jason returned to Gotham and hijacked a shipment of kryptonite from the Black Mask. This turned into a fourway battle between Batman, Nightwing, Mr. Freeze, and Red Hood. During this battle, Jason handed the kryptonite to the vigilantes, learned from Talia that his death had never been avenged by Batman, so Jason traveled the globe to confront him. At the moment of confrontation, Batman expressed no remorse for sparing the Joker’s life despite him taking Jason’s, which pushed Jason to don the mantle of the Red Hood.
claiming he’d already gotten the, “lay of the land” he’d been pursuing. Shortly after, Red Hood gained control over multiple gangs in Gotham City, targeting Black Mask’s operation, intent on cleansing the city of all corruption and gang violence, as well as exacting revenge on the Joker.
Jason returned by holding the Joker hostage, aiming to lure Batman into Crime Alley. The plan worked, and Jason asked why Batman had never avenged Jason’s death, nor Batgirl, who had been crippled by the Joker after Jason’s death. Batman offered his own point of view about how killing the Joker would be easy, but he refused to walk that path. Jason, undeterred, said unless Batman killed Jason, he would kill the Joker. Jason held the Joker at gunpoint and counted to three. At the last second, Batman threw a batarang that sliced Jason’s neck, which the Joker took advantage of, escaping and detonating explosives set on the platform they were standing on.
NEW 52
After some other conflicts Jason formed the Outlaws, a group of heroes including Arsenal, Starfire, and himself in the hopes to make amends for his past actions. His costume included a version of the bat-symbol, which displayed Jason’s attempts at reconciliation.
In Red Hood & The Outlaws #8 , it’s shown that Jason and Tim are slowly building a cordial relationship after Jason had attacked Tim in the past. In one of Jason’s flashbacks, we’re shown Jason visiting Tim, and Tim inviting him to stay over for breakfast while they talk about Alfred’s waffles.
Throughout Red Hood & The Outlaws , Jason retained his aggressive fighting style but dialed back on his usage of guns and killing others. In the comic, he only used a gun three times, all of which were in self-defense. Despite this, Jason doesn’t hesitate to use violence and will exact it upon others if there’s no other solution.
Forming the Outlaws helped Jason considerably regarding building his own team and reconciling his conflicting emotions from being Robin to who he is now.
HAILEY MUZZI