CW For Mentions Of Sexual Assult

CW for Mentions of Sexual Assult

There is a part of Jason Todd’s violent streak that authors have always either totally missed or skimmed over when it comes to his original (Batman 1940-) Robin run and that is his very specific triggers revolving around sexual assult. Post-crisis Jason’s Robin run was vaguely 20 issues long (and Starlin didn’t like child sidekick characters so his involvement in those issues is limited) but there was a very clear character path Jason was on which is “good kid plagued by the past” which totally makes sense given his background.

In the whole run there are only two recallable outburst which are not sex assult related. The first against Two Face, when Jason found out his dad had been murdered (and Bruce hid it from him for over six months ouch) but by the end of the issue Jay had calmed down and saves Dent’s life in the end. The other I see referenced is the issue where he throws Scarecrow into his own fear toxin because he thought he should taste his own medicine which is a bit reckless, but rather than leaving him for the cops he takes him to the cave for treatment (I always viewed this outburst as more plot convient than a show of Jason’s recklessness essentially since Bruce does something similar later in the issue). But other than those literally all of Jason’s outbursts are against sexual predators.

We have Jason fighting a pimp who had been threatening a prostitute directly before this

Then in the dumpster slasher serial killer storyline (Someone every couple weeks is killing pretty blonde women and dumping them in dumpsters, Bruce struggles greatly with this case and it spans a couple issues) before Batman can even arrest the killer a woman (who’s sister was murdered) revenge kills the murder and we have this reaction from Jason

Then the most famous example of Jason (possibility) pushing a man to his death. That issue started out with Jay breaking into a penthouse apartment because he heard screaming and he finds a woman named Gloria whos been sexually assaulted by Felipe Garzonas. They take Gloria to the police station but won’t arrest Felipe because he has diplomatic immunity. Later they get Felipe on a drug charge so in retribution (specifically against Robin) he calls Gloria and threatens her right there in the police department. Jason rushes over to see if she’s okay but it was too late. Batman’s solution to this is getting Felipe deported back to his country but Jason doesn’t find that an adequate solution and goes after Felipe himself - Felipe falls to his death and we’re forever left to wonder if Jason pushed him or if he slipped and Jay just let him fall.

Directly after this is the Death in the Family storyline - which starts out with Jason jumping into breaking up a child porn operation before Batman’s ok (Batman was waiting for police backup for some reason idk) but he throws Jason the photographer

Basically it drives me crazy to hear about how wild, unpredictable, and crazy Robin Jason was by current authors because he wasn’t. He was basically the most predictable person who had very obvious triggers, and honesty it’s just another thing they missed about Jason’s character. Even if he isn’t a victim of assult (at least he’s never been confirmed to be one) his hatred and disgust of it is validating to victims (myself included). Robin Jason is relatable to not just assult victims but people with trauma who have trouble dealing with their trauma and to have that be disregarded as him being a bad egg is infuriating. Jason Todd is a hero. His Robin is a hero. But before he was a hero he was a victim and he understands that anger and desperation that comes with it. That is what I want to see from authors. I don’t want them to forget about these outbursts or turn them into something far worse because they think Jason is bad for this. I want to see it addressed and talked about. Jason is such an interesting character and his mindset is barely ever touched by cannon.

He isn’t Bruce and Dick his life wasn’t ruined by one single night, it was so many things, and it was never really good to start. He wasn’t them, he didn’t need a cape (at least not right then) he needed some kind therapy and help. Which Bruce realizes way too late.

If Jason’s Robin run hadn’t been cut short then who knows what could have happened. His story could have been about personal growth and over coming your demons but instead we got a dead kid and decades of slandering a really good story about mental health. Worst things worst as good as Jason’s triggers and reactions tell a story about him, I don’t even think Starlin did it on purpose. He wanted fans to hate Robin, and somehow beating up predators was his way of doing that. Even so I love Jay’s Robin run it’s cathartic (until the end then it just hurts) in a way, and I wish there was a focus on Jason and his unaddressed trauma rather than making him out to be something bad.