Robin_History

History:

Timothy Drake is the third to lay claim "continuity-wise" to the name Robin.

Coincidentally, Timothy Drake's story begins at the same place as the original Robin, Richard Grayson, at the Haly Circus. Young Tim had never been to a circus, and despite his mother Janet's initial wishes against it, his father convinced her that it would be a great idea for the family to go. Little did they know what tragedy was to occur that very day...the death of the Dick Grayson's parents, John and Mary, part of the Flying Graysons. Tim met the Flying Graysons pryor to their performance and a photo was taken of his family with them. Dick Grayson promised to do a special trick just for Tim. The boy was all eyes and ears as he watched the red and green clad figures defy gravity almost with their fabulous feats. As promised Dick performed his special trick, a quadruple somersault that Dick was only one of three who could perform. Never before had something so captivated the full attention of Tim.

How unfortunate for him because soon afterwards, Dick's parents fell to their doom after their ropes had broken. There was no net. It was removed after Dick's act to create more suspense. Both Dick and Tim witnessed this tragedy.

A dark figure soon appeared to Dick. TIm called out to him to watch out, but his parents restrained him. Tim watched and soon realized that the dark figure was friend not foe. The Batman. Nightmares of the event plagued Tim's dreams for years. Some time had passed and a news broadcast showed clips of Batman and Robin apprehending some felons. Tim turned to watch because of his interest in anything Batman related. He saw Robin perform a quadruple somersault in the clip and it clicked...Dick Grayson is Robin. If Dick was Robin, then his guardian, Bruce Wayne, must be Batman thought Tim. Tim kept it a secret for some time and did anything to get his hands on information relating to Batman and Robin from that point on.

When Dick became Nightwing, Robin "disappeared." When Bruce adopted Jason Todd, Robin "reappeared. Fortunately, Tim did not divulge this information to anyone or else it would pretty much be a sure thing that Bruce Wayne would have a serious child endangerment case against him. When Jason Todd was reported dead Robin again disappeared. This confirmed his idea that Dick was indeed Robin and thus Bruce was Batman.

Tim noticed Batman's recklessness and daredevil demeanor that followed Jason's death. Tim concluded that Batman needed "a Robin" to keep Bruce stable and that Dick was the answer. Tim confronted Dick and pleaded for him to once again don the red and green. Dick explained that "you can't return to your past."

Tim proved his keen detective skills in discovering Batman's identity and proved his agility, strength, fortitude, and skill in aiding Batman and Nightwing take down Two-Face. Bruce reluctantly allowed Tim to become his partner as the new Robin, but was much stricter and restrictive in Tim's training. He wasn't going to let another Robin die. The Drakes "conveniently" moved next door to Wayne Manor.

Soon after Jack and Janet Drake were kidnapped in a hijacked flight over Haiti by the Obeah Man. He held a one million dollar ransom from Jack's company Drake Industries. Batman attempted to rescue Tim's parents but refused to let Tim accompany him. At this point Tim still hadn't officially gone out publicly as Robin. His training was not complete as far as Batman was concerned. Batman had not returned from his rescue mission and Tim grew worried. Tim disobeyed Batman's orders and went out to find out help rescue his parents. But just Tim. There was no "Robin." Batman ended up getting captured and witnessed the Drakes' being poisoned. After Tim had taken down the Obeah Man almost single handedly, Batman sent the Obeah Man to prison. Janet later died from the poisoning and Jack was left a parapeligic confined to a wheelchair.

Batman rewarded Tim with a brand new Robin costume, a variation of the original design despite Tim's disobedience. The "rules" have to be broken sometimes. Tim made a name for himself as the new Robin, although Batman still rarely "let him out." Tim never felt his training was ever complete and continued to learn more detecting skills as well as knowledge in the martial arts.

Gradually Batman gave him more slack, but not that much. During the event known as Knightfall, Robin had his hands full keeping new Batman, Jean Paul Valley in line. Valley proved too much for Robin to handle so Robin left him. "Batman" was now a solo act only. Robin spent much of this time cleaning up Valley's mess by keeping a watchful eye and only interfering if it appeared Valley was about to take a life. When Bruce returned to reclaim the mantle of the Bat, he soon realized Tim's worth and how valuable an asset he is. Tim now goes on his own solo adventures as Robin and even gets to drive his own "Batmobile" dubbed the Redbird.

Robin has continued to prove himself as the great hero that he is, and in many ways more so than his predecessors. Tim, unlike his predecessors, has tried the hardest to balance a normal life with his alter-ego. He's pretty much the every guy you watch in a movie and hope gets the girl in the end. Speaking of, Tim has gone through some rough relationships with Lynx (a very skilled martial arts gang villainess), Ariana Dzerchenko (a confused Russian born recovered drug addict whose guardians hate Tim), and lastly the Spoiler (villain Cluemaster's daughter, Stephanie Brown - everyone's favorite whom Tim can only see in his Robin identity [secret identity thing].

Not long after Robin, along with Impulse and Superboy, formed the superhero group Young Justice. They have added Captain Marvel Jr. and Iceman to their ranks most recently. Young Justice has fallen into the public's criticism of being compared to either another Teen Titans or "Junior Justice League." This is the case especially because Robin leads YJ similar to a Robin's leadership of the Teen Titans (and later as Nightwing).

Jack Drake has regained his mobility, remarried to his nubile physical therapist, Dana Winters, and moved Tim and himself to Keystone City.