Warning: Contains Spoilers For From the DC Vault Death In the Family Robin Lives #4Few characters in the DC Universe have gotten through as much trauma asRed Hood. Even after DC revealed a timeline where Jason Todd wasn’t killed byThe Joker, he’s still not spared from trauma, nearly pushed to do the unthinkable and cross the one line he swore to never cross.
DC has recently been exploring a timeline where Jason managed to survive his once fatal encounter with the Joker. Instead of being killed, Jason was left severely traumatized and injured. Despite therapy, Jason hasn’t been able to get over it and instead decides to go after the Joker for revenge. This doesn’t play out, andJoker captures Jason and transforms him into his new sidekick, as seen inFrom the DC Vault: Death in the Family - Robin Lives#3 by J.M. DeMatteis and Rick Leonardi.
After the Joker manages to capture Jason Todd, he spends a decent amount of time attempting to brainwash Jason, as well as using drugs. Eventually, Joker takes his new sidekick out on the town, deciding to attack a therapist in his own home. This resulted in Jason nearly beating the therapist to death with a baseball bat, mimicking his own trauma from the Joker, but thankfully, he managed to snap out of it.
Jason Nearly Repeated His Darkest Trauma
From the DC Vault: Death in the Family - Robin Lives!#3 by J.M. DeMatteis, Rick Leonardi, Rico Renzi, and Taylor Esposito
One of the worst things to ever happen to Jason Todd was his encounter with the Joker during the events ofDeath in the Familyby Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo. In this story, Jason Todd tries to rescue his mother but is instead betrayed by her and handed over to the Joker. This resulted in the iconic scene of the Joker beating Jason Todd with a crowbar, before finishing the young Robin off with a bomb, which also kills Jason’s mother. After Jason returned, a persistent fear that haunted him was the idea he would become the Joker one day, but Jason just proved why that would never happen.
DC has toyed with the idea ofJason Todd becoming the Jokerseveral times over the years. This was a main plot thread inThree Jokersby Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok and has been shown to be a fear of Jason a few times. But even in his darkest moment, traumatized by the Joker and brainwashed by him, Jason still refuses to cross that line.While it’s true Red Hood has a history of being a villain, he’s never killed an innocent person, and he still holds to that in this timeline, managing to break free of Joker’s control before inflicting the traumatic event he went through on someone else.
Jason Proved He Will Never Become The Joker
No Matter How Far He’s Pushed
Jason has worked for years to prove himself as a true hero and to break away from his death at the hands of the Joker, which has defined him for many years. It’s often the fear of victims that they’ll repeat the abuse down to them, and Jason is no exception. Time and again, DC has tried to put Jason in the position of becoming the Joker, but this one moment, as traumatic as it is, proves thatJason Toddwill never becomeThe Jokerand put someone through the same trauma that he experienced.
From the DC Vault Death In the Family Robin Lives #4is on sale from DC Comics on October 23rd.
Red Hood
Jason Todd is a complex figure known for his tumultuous journey as Batman’s second Robin. Initially impulsive and rebellious, he’s resurrected after a tragic death, becoming the vigilante Red Hood. Armed with intense combat skills and a moral ambiguity, he challenges Batman’s methods, navigating a path between heroism and anti-heroism in Gotham’s unforgiving streets.
