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Jason Todd facts for kids

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Jason Peter Todd
JasonTodd.png
Jason Todd as Red Hood. Interior art from Batman #638; art by Doug Mahnke
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance as Jason Todd:
Batman #357 (March 1983)
as Robin:
Batman #366 (December 1983)
as Red Robin:
Countdown to Final Crisis #14 (January 2008)
as Wingman:
Batman Incorporated (vol. 2) #1 (July 2012)
Created by
  • Gerry Conway (writer)

Don Newton (artist)

In-story information
Full name Jason Peter Todd
Team affiliations Batman Family
Batman Inc.
Teen Titans
Challengers From Beyond
The Outlaws
League of Assassins
Partnerships Batman
Arsenal
Starfire
Rose Wilson
Damian Wayne
Artemis
Bizarro
Notable aliases Red Hood, Robin, Batman, Nightwing, Wingman
Abilities
  • Skilled hand-to-hand combatant
  • Skilled marksman
  • Utilizes high-tech equipment

Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character that exists in the DC Comics Universe. He was created in 1983 to fill the role of DC's Robin when it appeared that the character's role in the Teen Titans was taking him too far from his role in the various Batman series. Although it's apparent that Todd was meant to have his own look and identity, the original Robin became renamed and redesigned as Nightwing and Jason took up the identity of Robin. While he was originally similar to Dick Grayson in his background and personality, he was re imagined as a juvenille delinquent whom Batman rescued from a life of crime.

Character history

Red Robin Todd
Jason Todd taking the role of Red Robin; art by George Pérez

DC was initially hesitant to turn Dick Grayson, the original Robin, into Nightwing and to replace him with a new Robin. To minimize the change, they made the new Robin, Jason Todd, who first appeared in Batman #357 (1983), almost indistinguishable from a young Grayson.

Jason Todd was also the son of circus acrobats killed by a criminal (this time the Batman adversary Killer Croc), adopted by Bruce Wayne. In this incarnation, he was red-haired and unfailingly cheerful, and wore his circus costume to fight crime until Dick Grayson presented him with a Robin suit of his own. At that point, he dyed his hair black.

After the mini-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, much of DC Comics continuity was rebooted. Dick Grayson's origin, years with Batman and growth into Nightwing remained essentially unchanged, but Todd's character was completely revised. He was now a twelve-year-old black-haired street orphan who first encountered Batman when he attempted to steal tires from the Batmobile. Batman saw that he was placed in a school for troubled youths.

Weeks later, after Dick Grayson became Nightwing and Todd proved his crimefighting worth by helping Batman catch a gang of thieves, Batman offered Todd the position as Robin.

Unlike Grayson, Todd never blossomed under Batman's tutoring. He was impulsive, reckless, hard-headed, and full of rage. This would sometimes provide him with great strength and courage, but would more often lead him to take unfounded chances and risks.

Death

Readers never truly bonded with the character and Todd was subsequently murdered by The Joker. Jason Todd's death haunted Batman, who keeps his costume under glass in the Batcave as a reminder of his greatest failures.

Resurrection-The New Red Hood

A short time later, Jason Todd apparently returned to life, going under the alias of the Red Hood and causing trouble for both Batman and Black Mask. Batman is still trying to find out how Todd was resurrected but has been unsuccessful so far. His original coffin has been discovered to have been empty all along, so it is possible that Jason never died in the first place.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Jason Todd para niños

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