Friday 28 February 2014

A New Boy Wonder for Batman Part Four ...... An Unhappy Reunion for ROBIN and a lesson from the JOKER

After returning to his old home in Crime Alley, Jason discovers that the person who believed was his Mother, Catherine Todd was NOT his true biological Mother. Catherine had died many years before from a drugs overdose, now Jason believed that it was possible that his real Mum was still alive. And if so he was going to find her.

Determined to find his birth Mother, Jason sorts through his late Fathers papers and discovers various leads and names in his Dad's old Diaries and address books. This confirmed that his Willis Todd had been his father, but Jason was a result of an affair with another Woman. Using this information along with more leads obtained via the Bat Computer, Jason narrows the list down to three names, and ultimately one.  a Sheila Haywood !
Jason discovers the location of Sheila Haywood..... his Mother ?

Dr Sheila Haywood had been a Doctor working in Gotham City, she had fallen in love with Jason's father Willis Todd and had had a child Jason.  Willis was already married at the time and would end up taking the child to be raised as his and his wife's own.

The main reason that Sheila abandoned her infant child was due to her having to leave Gotham after she caused the death of a young girl whilst performing an illegal back street abortion.  Where she went was a mystery to all, including Willis Todd, who appears not to have any further contact with sheila.

In a story that includes Bruce-Batman aiding Jason's search for his Mother, and visiting the 2 other "MAYBE" Mothers just in case, Jason and Bruce arrive in Ethiopia where  Dr Sheila Heywood was now residing and working as for a medical aid charity.

Bruce Wayne, as himself, introduces himself to the Doctor, but as he is known to Sheila from her days in Gotham she tells him he needs no introduction, BUT is puzzled why he was there. Bruce  then introduces Jason Todd to her, and from her reaction Jason knows she is his mother.

Mother and son Reunited. Could this be a Happy Ending ?

But like all good stories there are many secrets still to be relieved. After Jason tells his Mother about his life including that  he is Robin, Sheila confesses about her past  and the Death she caused as a illegal abortionist.  However what she does not tell Jason is that she has been embezzling monies from the organisation she now works for and that she is now being blackmailed by Batman's greatest foe....... The Joker !
THE EVIL MAD MAN    THE JOKER !

It turns out Mummy Dearest Sheila is not the nice person Jason believes she is, and when  she betrays her son to the criminal madman as part of a deal to cover up her embezzlement, she believes that she will again be able to get away from her past sins.

On orders from The Joker, Sheila lures Jason, dressed as Robin into meeting with her at a warehouse. What Jason does not know that this is a trap orchestrated by her Blackmailer.... The Joker !

Arriving at the warehouse Robin is set upon by the Jokers Goons, but then The Joker steps in to administer his own brand of personal punishment. He wants to teach Robin a lesson he will remember for the rest of his life........

The JOKER comes to Party in his own peculiar manner 
ROBIN meets the Jokers NEW Friend     MR CROWBAR !

 Jason is beaten nearly to death  by the Killer Clown and his trusty CROWBAR !, whilst his mother watches on without attempting to intervene. This shows what a cold  hearted person she really was, but it is unclear if this behaviour is the result of her real character or how low she has sunken  over the years.

The Joker not wanting just to cause maximum pain to the now near death Boy wonder, now decides to make Robin's death monumental. He traps both Jason-Robin and  Sheila (who he has double crossed) in the warehouse with a Bomb. At the same time lures BATMAN to the same location, but as Batman arrives at the Warehouse the bomb explodes.

This was how the story finished in the Third Issue of Death in the Family. This is where the readers of DC got to choose what happened next. Two Voting Lines were set up.  One Line for Robin LIVES and other for Robin DIES.



Next time we will learn the out come of the vote, and what effect this had on the readers, media and BATMAN himself.

Until then    ENJOY !


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