| May 2048 | Edition nº122 |
Jason Todd: From Robin to Red Hood
Red Hood: A Fan Favourite
As a member of the Batman family, it isn’t that strange that Jason Todd is a well-known character within the DC Universe. But not just because he is one of the sons of Batman and the second Robin, he is so loved by the DC Universe. Jason’s story is a complex one. He went from a boy to a Robin to someone who didn’t know who he was, to Red Hood. And he is so relatable for many people. Which is why he is so beloved. So let’s get into that!Red Hood: From A Boy to a Vigilante
The family Jason grew up in was not exactly perfect. To not go too much into detail, they were the perfect text-book example of a family which was not how it was supposed to be. Throughout that troubled youth, however, Jason did already have a meeting with Dick - through, from far away, when he went to the Circus where Dick was working at the time.First Time being Called Red Hood
Jason was only a teenager when he first received the name of Red Hood. Or, actually, Red Hood Four at the time. When he received the mask of a deceased Red Hood gang member from a friend, to join the gang's revival after the Zero Year. It was before Batman that he also met Talia al Ghul, who already became interested in Jason when she fought against the new leader of the Red Hood Gang.
Jason Todd Meets Bruce Wayne
The first time Jason ran into Batman was after his father was arrested, for a crime commited by the Penguin. How? Because Jason figured it was a good idea to try and steal the Batmobile. Obviously, this wasn't and Batman caught him. Instead of hurting him, Batman offered Jason some good and gave him a chance; and a conversation Jason would remember for years to come. It was only some time later (after accidentally putting Jason in a school where they trained boys to become criminals), that Bruce officially took Jason in as his new Robin.Only after six months, Jason went out into the field for the first time. After which, plenty of times followed. Fighting Ra's al Ghul, Two-Face, Killer Croc, the Joker, and more villains. It was not only Batman who trained the new Robin, but also Nightwing who could teach Jason on various martial arts. Which might have added to Jason's behaviour, the kind that Batman did not deemed fit and put him on monitor duty for. But even that, Jason managed to ruin - when he found a picture of his alive birth mother. So he made a trip to the Middle East.
Actually Being Red Hood
It turned out that it had been the Joker who had set this all in scene and was luring Jason toward his mother. It did not end well - for both Jason and his birth mother, who passed away. Despite that, Jason still had many years to come. As he wasn't even the Red Hood yet at this point. Talia al Ghul found him again (or rather, had never kept her eye of him since Zero Year) and took him to the Lazarus Pit, where Jason's body and mind were restored to full health - or as full as they could be. Jason joined Talia to the All-Caste, where he was trained, until he deemed it finished there. Which lead him back to Gotham, where he got called a villain, the Red Hood. It was an alias he had taken over from the Joker - in order to get revenge on both him and on Batman, but that didn't fully succeed, and instead, Jason became a new vigilante.Red Hood’s Powers & Abilities
Of course, we cannot discuss a DC character without also discussing their abilities. And let’s just say, that Jason has many of those! Most of Jason’s abilities are physical skills which he earned by many years of training super hard. However, his time in the Lazarus Pit also gave him some magical abilities.
Jason Todd’s Magical Abilities
Let’s start with those magical abilities! The first one Jason received through the Lazarus Pit is the ability of magical negation. This is arcane magic which Talia Al Ghul trained with him. It’s basically a way to strip other people of their abilities. Something which is incredibly powerful and quite a handy skill.Red Hood’s other magical abilities lie in summoning. Not the summoning of demons or any of that sort, but of blades. Specifically, the all-blades. These are mystical blades which are actually a part of Jason’s very own soul. And they can help him fight any magic-based opponent.
Jason Todd’s Skills
As for Jason’s other skills… let’s just say that is a long, long list. So let’s get over the most interesting ones! In his sense of fighting, Jason (just like the Robin before him, Dick Grayson) uses a lot of acrobatics, but also plenty of forms of martial arts. He has quite some stealth and is very tactical. He is skilled in thievery, occultism, and knows a heck lot of languages. Oh, and did you know that Jason is also immune to most forms of poison? Yep, he is very skilled.Jason Todd’s Equipment
The equipment Jason has with him most of the time, is obviously his Red Hood suit. The suit with his signature red colour. Next to this, Jason is also often seen wielding quite a lot of different weapons. Obviously, the All-Blades, but he is also quite skilled with the familiar batarangs and with combat knife. And to not forget a crowbar, of course!What do you love about Red Hood? Let us know in the comments and receive a little gift!