YET ANOTHER NEW ROBIN FOR BATMAN....... ENTER THE GIRL WONDER !

The next person to become Robin was as different as those of who had come before.

This Robin would only serve for a very short period, more of a fill in for Tim Drake, rather than a real replacement. This Robin would not be called The Boy Wonder, as this Robin was a GIRL!

Stephanie Brown was the daughter of Arthur Brown aka The Cluemaster, who was himself a 2nd rate Criminal in Gotham City. As her father was not a very successful criminal, he spent most of her early life in prison, or on the run from the law. So Stephanie grew up with some Daddy issues and with a feeling of abandonment. However, in her early teens, Stephanie's Dad told her that he was giving up crime, and on his release from Jail told his family he was now rehabilitated.

The CLUEMASTER, a 2nd Rate Villain with a 3rd Rate costume

However, it was not long before Arthur returned to his life as The Cluemaster. A villain who operated in a similar way to The Riddler, by leaving Clues to the crimes he had committed. However unlike Edward Nigma aka The Riddler, the Clues that The Cluemaster left usually lend him to being  arrested.

When Stephanie found out that dear old Dad was committing crimes again she decided to take matters in hand herself.

But this time Arthur had changed is way of operating. Instead of now leaving Clues to his Crimes, he decides that he would not. Thus making him not accountable for his crimes. Stephanie unhappy that her Father is committing Crimes follows him, and leaves Clues so that he will be eventually court and therefore punished for his crimes.

To hide her identity she dons a costume and take the name SPOILER, as she wants to SPOIL her Fathers Crimes.  She would spend months playing Cat & Mouse with her Father, who did not suspect his own daughter was both following him, and trying her up most to have him arrested.

The SPOILER

The Spoiler's actions eventually come to the attention of Bat-man (Bruce Wayne) and therefore Robin (Tim Drake), and together WITH  The Spoiler, they capture The Cluemaster.....BUT after her father has been Jailed again, Stephanie decides that she has enjoyed  being The Spoiler and goes on to build a secret life for herself as a costumed vigilante. This would bring her in to contact with both Batman & Robin, with her working with the Boy Wonder on an unofficial standing.

As both Batman & Robin knew Stephanie's identity and relationship with The Cluemaster, this would make contacting her easy. However, as she did not know the identities of the Dynamic Duo, she had no idea who Robin really was. BUT this did not stop her from falling In love with him.

Eventually Stephanie would learn Tim's identity and they would be romantically linked. When Tim's father discovers that his son is Robin he forbids him from continuing this dangerous life style, and for a time Tim is forced to hang up his cape.

YOUNG LOVE, TIM & STEPHANIE 

Stephanie uses this as an excuse to offer her services as Tim's replacement, and after a lot of training she takes over the role as ROBIN, now The Girl Wonder.

ROBIN, THE "GIRL" WONDER 

However, on a mission Robin aka Stephanie is captured and killed.

This would turn out to be a ruse, although Tim is convinced that his beloved Stephanie is dead and after the Death of his own father, would return to being Robin again. Unlike the other fallen Robin, Jason Todd, Batman refuses to have a copy of Stephanie's Robin suit put on display in the Batcave. He tells Tim that she died as a result of her not following orders, and therefore he will not her a memorial of her as a result. Tim is unhappy with this, but Bat-man will not be moved on his decision.

Batman suspected that Stephanie was not truly deceased, and many months later when The Spoiler returns to fighting crime on the streets of Gotham, he and Tim unmask her as being Stephanie. She had faked her own death in order to protect Bat-man and Robin's identities from other villains. Bat-man had suspected this, therefore he had not placed a memorial in the BATCAVE.

Later he would add Stephanie costume to those on display in the Batcave, as a tribute to her, as he had done with Dick Grayson's early Nightwing costumes.

Stephanie would later be asked by Barbara Gordon to become Bat-Girl, with her working under the guidance of Barbara as Oracle.

From Robin to Bat-Girl

Next Time, another New Robin, and a New BATMAN !


Until then Enjoy !