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Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake is a
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, commonly in association with the superhero
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
. Created by
Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's ''The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's '' The New Te ...
and
Pat Broderick Pat Broderick (born November 26, 1953) is an American comics artist, known for his work on the ''Micronauts'' and ''Alpha Flight'' for Marvel Comics, and ''Legion of Super-Heroes'', ''Captain Atom'' and ''Green Lantern'' for DC Comics. Broderick a ...
, he first appeared in ''Batman'' #436 (August 1989) as the third character to assume the role of Batman's crime-fighting partner and
sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
Robin. Following the events of '' Batman: Battle for the Cowl'' in 2009, Drake adopted the identity of
Red Robin Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised ...
. In 2019, Tim returned to his original Robin persona and had a brief stint in which he used the mononym "Drake". As a young boy, Tim was in the audience the night
Dick Grayson Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics' ...
's parents were murdered and later managed to discover the identities of Batman and the original Robin through their exploits. After the death of the second Robin,
Jason Todd Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in '' Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, the superhero Batman's vigilante partn ...
, and witnessing Batman spiral into darkness, Tim attempted to convince Dick to resume the role of Robin, stating that "Batman needs a Robin". However, Dick refused to return to being Batman's sidekick, and instead, Tim was appointed as the third Robin.
Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Supe ...
redesigned the entire ''Robin'' costume specifically for Tim Drake's character, with the sole exception of the redesigned "R" logo by the late
Norm Breyfogle Norman Keith Breyfogle (; February 27, 1960 – September 24, 2018) was an American artist, best known for his comic book art on DC Comics' Batman franchise from 1987 to 1995. During this time, he co-created the villains Ventriloquist and Ratca ...
. Subsequent stories emphasize Tim's superior detective skills compared to the previous two Robins, which make him more similar to Batman. He succeeded Dick as the leader of the
Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
, and later led his superhero team,
Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
. He was briefly followed in the role of Robin by Stephanie Brown, and later for a longer period by Batman's biological son,
Damian Wayne Damian Wayne, also known as Damian al Ghul (Arabic: دميان الغول), is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, commonly in association with Batman. He is the son o ...
, during the time Tim operated as Red Robin. Tim has been shown to have a close friendship with Superboy (Conner Kent). He has had romantic relationships with superheroes Stephanie Brown and
Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) Cassandra "Cassie" Sandsmark, also known as Wonder Girl, is a superheroine appearing in DC Comics. She was created by John Byrne and first appeared in ''Wonder Woman'' (vol. 2) #105 (January 1996). The second Wonder Girl, Cassie is a sidekick of ...
, and more recently his former schoolfriend Bernard Dowd. In 2011, Tim Drake was ranked 32nd in
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes. The character has been featured in various adaptations, including several animated television series set in the
DCAU The DC Animated Universe (DCAU; also referred to as the Timmverse or Diniverse by fans referring to the creators and producers Bruce Timm and Paul Dini respectively) is a shared universe consisting primarily of superhero-based animated televi ...
beginning with ''
The New Batman Adventures ''The New Batman Adventures'' (often shortened as ''TNBA'') is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, which aired on Kids' WB from September 13, 1997 to January 16, 1999. Produced by Warner Bro ...
'' (1997–99) and also in ''
Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
'' (2010–present), and the video game series '' Batman: Arkham''. In 2021, Tim made his live-action debut starting in the third season of the
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
series ''
Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...
'', portrayed by
Jay Lycurgo Jay Lycurgo (born 6 February 1998) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Tim Drake in ''Titans'' (2021-present), Nathan Byrne in the Netflix series '' The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself'' (2022) and a gang member in ''The Batman'' ( ...
.


Publication history

Tim Drake was named after
Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...
, director of the then-upcoming 1989 film. The character first appeared in 1989's '' Batman: Year Three'' by the writer
Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's ''The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's '' The New Te ...
and interior penciler
Pat Broderick Pat Broderick (born November 26, 1953) is an American comics artist, known for his work on the ''Micronauts'' and ''Alpha Flight'' for Marvel Comics, and ''Legion of Super-Heroes'', ''Captain Atom'' and ''Green Lantern'' for DC Comics. Broderick a ...
, before having his origin detailed in ''Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying'', a crossover story between the ongoing series ''Batman'' and ''New Titans'', written by Wolfman and penciled by
George Pérez George Pérez (; June 9, 1954 – May 6, 2022) was an American comic book artist and writer, who worked primarily as a penciller. He came to prominence in the 1970s penciling ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' and ''The Avengers (co ...
and
Jim Aparo James N. Aparo (August 24, 1932 – July 19, 2005) was an American comic book artist, best known for his DC Comics work from the late 1960s through the 1990s, including on the characters Batman, Aquaman, and the Spectre, along with famous stories ...
(the latter with inks by
Mike DeCarlo Mike DeCarlo (born March 14, 1957) is an Americans, American comics artist. He is best known for his work for DC Comics in the 1980s Inker, inking the artwork of such artists as George Pérez, Greg LaRocque, Keith Giffen, and Jim Aparo. DeCarlo ...
), in which he first introduced himself to
Dick Grayson Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics' ...
and impressed the former Robin with his skills. This led Grayson and later
Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, ...
, Bruce Wayne's butler, to support Tim's request to be Batman's new partner. Not wanting to make the same mistake as he did with
Jason Todd Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in '' Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, the superhero Batman's vigilante partn ...
, Batman had Tim endure an intensive period of training that was never given to his predecessors. As such, Tim remained a non-superhero supporting character for the first year of his regular appearances in the ''Batman'' title, mainly operating in the
Batcave The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...
. The ensuing Tim Drake storylines, authored by the late Alan Grant and penciled by
Norm Breyfogle Norman Keith Breyfogle (; February 27, 1960 – September 24, 2018) was an American artist, best known for his comic book art on DC Comics' Batman franchise from 1987 to 1995. During this time, he co-created the villains Ventriloquist and Ratca ...
, coupled with the 1989 release of Burton's ''
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'', spurred sales of both ''
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' and ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
''. For the latter title, Grant attested in 2007 that "when the ''
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' movie came out, the sales went up, if I recall correctly, from around 75,000 to about 675,000." 1989-90 was indeed the "Year of the Bat:" Capital and Diamond City Distributors reported that the '' Year One''-inspired '' Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight'' dominated four out of the five spots for preorders (''not'' total sales and second printings). The only exception was the third preorder spot, snagged by ''Batman'' #442, the conclusion to Tim Drake's "A Lonely Place of Dying" storyline. The "Year of the Bat" continued into the first half of 1990. Preorders for ''Batman'' and ''Detective Comics'' issues featuring a revived Joker and
Penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
began to compete with, and even edged out, the last three parts of
Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narrative A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, w ...
's and
Klaus Janson Klaus Janson (born January 23, 1952) is a German-born American comics artist, working regularly for Marvel Comics and DC Comics and sporadically for independent companies. While he is best known as an inker, Janson has frequently worked as a penc ...
's ''
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
'' storyline in ''Legends''.
Todd McFarlane Todd McFarlane (; born March 16, 1961) is a Canadian comic book creator, artist, writer, filmmaker and entrepreneur, best known for his work as the artist on ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and as the creator, writer, and artist on the superhero horro ...
's ''Spider-Man'' arrived in the second half of 1990, inaugurating six months of Spidermania (or Mcfarlamania, depending on the reader). DC closed out 1990 with vendors under-ordering issues, prompting the publisher to push ''Batman'' #457 and the first part of the ''Robin'' mini-series into second and then third printings. The next year, 1991, witnessed the ascension of
Chris Claremont Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Claremont, Chris. ''Marvel ...
's,
Jim Lee Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...
's, and Scott Williams's ''X-Men'' against
Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
, as well as
Fabian Nicieza Fabian Nicieza (born December 31, 1961) is an Argentine-American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as ''X-Men'', ''X-Force'', ''New Warriors'', ''Nomad'', ''Cable'', ''Deadpool'' and '' Thunderbolts ...
's and
Rob Liefeld Robert Liefeld (; born October 3, 1967) is an American comic book creator. A prominent writer and artist in the 1990s, he is known for co-creating the character Cable (comics), Cable with writer Louise Simonson and the character Deadpool with wri ...
's ''
X-Force X-Force is a fictional team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants#New Muta ...
'', into the top of the preorder rankings. The only exception to this X-mania was, again, Tim Drake and the sequel to the ''Robin'' miniseries, the first variant issue of which garnered the third spot, firmly wedged between variant issues of ''X-Force'' and ''X-Men''. The mini-series pitted solo Robin against the Joker, in response to fan demands for a matchup since "A Death in the Family." The 1990s comics booming bust had begun. In a supplemental interview with Daniel Best, Alan Grant added that "every issue from about that time fter the 'Year of the Bat'that featured Robin sales went up because Robin did have his fans." Although both Grant and Breyfogle initially believed that their '' Anarky'' character could potentially become the third version of Robin, they were quick to support the editorial decision to focus on Drake. The
social anarchist Social anarchism is the branch of anarchism that sees individual freedom as interrelated with mutual aid.Suissa, Judith (2001). "Anarchism, Utopias and Philosophy of Education". ''Journal of Philosophy of Education'' 35 (4). pp. 627–646. . ...
duo adopted the character as their
own Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...
in the early 1990s, during Grant's shift to
libertarian socialism Libertarian socialism, also known by various other names, is a left-wing,Diemer, Ulli (1997)"What Is Libertarian Socialism?" The Anarchist Library. Retrieved 4 August 2019. anti-authoritarian, anti-statist and libertarianLong, Roderick T. (201 ...
but before his late 1990s emphasis on Neo Tech. Breyfogle agreed that "it was a big thing to bring in the new Robin, yes. I know my fans often point specifically to that double-page splash where his costume first appears as a big event for them as fans and I usually have to point out to them that
Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Supe ...
was the one who designed the costume. The 'R' symbol and the staff were all that was mine." In the "Rite of Passage" storyline for ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'', Grant and Breyfogle intertwined 1) Drake matching wits with Anarky; 2) a criminal and anthropological investigation into an apocryphal Haitian ''Vodou'' cult (revealed by Batman, asserting anthropological and investigative authority, as a front for extortion and
crony capitalism Crony capitalism, sometimes called cronyism, is an economic system in which businesses thrive not as a result of free enterprise, but rather as a return on money amassed through collusion between a business class and the political class. This is ...
); 3) the murder of Drake's mother by vilified cult leaders; 4) the beginning of Drake's recurrent nightmares and
trauma Trauma most often refers to: * Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source * Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event *Traumatic i ...
; as well as 5) the perspective of a child of one of the cult's Haitian followers, unknowingly and inadvertently orphaned by Batman at the end of the four-issue arc. Tim Drake eventually transitioned from preadolescence to adolescence, becoming the third Robin throughout the storylines "Rite of Passage" and "Identity Crisis," with all issues scripted by Alan Grant and penciled by Norm Breyfogle. Story arcs that included Drake only in
subplot In fiction, a subplot is a secondary strand of the plot that is a supporting side story for any story or for the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or thematic significance. Subplots often involve supporting cha ...
s or featured his training in criminal investigation, such as "Crimesmith" and "The Penguin Affair," were either written or co-written by Grant and Wolfman, with pencils by Breyfogle, Aparo, and M. D. Bright. Immediately afterwards, the character starred in the five-issue miniseries ''Robin,'' written by
Chuck Dixon Charles Dixon (born April 14, 1954) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s. Early life D ...
, with interior pencils by
Tom Lyle Thomas Stanford Lyle (November 2, 1953 – November 19, 2019) was an American comics artist, best known for his work on ''Starman'' and '' Robin'' for DC Comics, and ''Spider-Man'' for Marvel Comics. Career Tom Lyle's comics career began in th ...
and cover art by
Brian Bolland Brian Bolland (; born 26 March 1951)Salisbury, Mark, ''Artists on Comic Art'' (Titan Books, 2000) , p. 11 is a British comics artist. Best known in the United Kingdom as one of the definitive Judge Dredd artists for British comics anthology '' 2 ...
. The new Batman and Robin team went on their first official mission together in the story "Debut," again written by Grant and penciled by Breyfogle. Lauren R. O'Connor contends that, in early Tim Drake appearances, writers such as Grant and
Chuck Dixon Charles Dixon (born April 14, 1954) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s. Early life D ...
"had a lexicon of teenage behavior from which to draw, unlike when Dick Grayson was introduced and the concept of the teenager was still nascent. They wisely mobilized the expected adolescent behaviors of parental conflict, hormonal urges, and identity formation to give Tim emotional depth and complexity, making him a relatable character with boundaries between his two selves." In the ''Robin'' ongoing series, when Drake had fully transitioned into an adolescent character, Chuck Dixon depicted him as engaging in adolescent intimacy, yet still stopped short at overt heterosexual consummation. This narrative benchmark maintained Robin's "estrangement from sex" that began in the Grayson years. Erica McCrystal likewise observes that Alan Grant, prior to Dixon's series, connected Drake to Batman's philosophy of
hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...
ic or
anti-heroic An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform action ...
"
vigilantism Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
" as "therapeutic for children of trauma. But this kind of therapy has a delicate integration process." The overcoming of trauma entailed distinct identity intersections and emotional restraint, as well as a "complete understanding" of symbol and self. Bruce Wayne, a former child of trauma and
survivor guilt Survivor guilt (or survivor's guilt; also called survivor syndrome or survivor's syndrome and survivor disorder or survivor's disorder) is a mental condition that occurs when a person believes they have done something wrong by surviving a traumati ...
, guided "other trauma victims down a path of righteousness." Tim Drake, for example, endured trauma and "emotional duress" as a result of the death of his mother (his father was in a coma and on a ventilator). Drake contemplated the idea of fear, and overcoming it, in both the "Rite of Passage" and "Identity Crisis" storylines. Grant and Breyfogle subjected Drake to recurrent nightmares, from hauntings by a ghoulish Batman to the disquieting lullaby (or informal nursery rhyme), "My Mummy's dead...My Mummy's Dead...I can't get it through my head," echoing across a cemetery for deceased parents. Drake ultimately defeated his preadolescent fears "somewhat distant from Bruce Wayne" and "not as an orphan." By the end of "Identity Crisis," an adolescent Drake had "proven himself as capable of being a vigilante" by deducing the role of fear in instigating a series of violent crimes. As the character continued to appear in the main Batman titles, the original ''Robin'' miniseries was followed by the four-issue miniseries ''Robin II: The Joker's Wild!''(December 1991-February 1992) and the six-issue miniseries ''Robin III: Cry of the Huntress'' (December 1992-March 1993) both also written by Dixon. Due to the success of these miniseries, DC launched the first ongoing monthly ''Robin'' series in its history, once again written by Dixon, with Tim Drake as its main adolescent character. The ongoing series continued for over 15 years, ending with issue #183. Mike Mullins on ''
Newsarama Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by FutureUS. History N ...
'' has stated:
Throughout he entire Robin series the character of Robin has been captured consistently, showing him to step up to greater and greater challenges. Robin is a character who shows initiative and is driven to do what he views as right. He knows he is living up to a legacy left by Dick Grayson and strives to not disappoint Bruce Wayne, Batman. Tim is a more natural detective than previous Robins and is talented with computers, which allows him to stand in his unique spotlight. Unlike his predecessors, Tim is not the most proficient combatant and has had to work on his fighting technique, taking up the bo staff to give him an edge that Batman does not need. Tim almost always seeks to analyze a problem and outthink his opponent but has shown the ability to win a fight when necessary.
During this period, the character also featured prominently in the comic series ''
Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
'', written by Peter David, as a core team member from 1998 to 2003. Subsequently, Tim Drake also became a prominent team member in the new incarnation of ''
Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
'' written by Geoff Johns, from 2003 to 2011. The ongoing series ''Robin'' (vol. 4) was written by Chuck Dixon until issue #100, in which the series was handed off to Jon Lewis. Lewis's run as a writer concluded with issue #120. Bill Willingham wrote the series for issues #121-147. As part of DC Comics' "One Year Later" relaunch initiative, in which the events of all ongoing titles skipped forward one year, Adam Beechen took over as writer on ''Robin'' with issue #148. Later, a return to the title by Chuck Dixon was aborted abruptly upon his departure from DC again. The final nine issues of the series were written by Fabian Nicieza, tying into the then-ongoing "Batman R.I.P." storyline. Following the miniseries ''Batman: Battle For the Cowl'', Tim Drake took on the new identity of the Red Robin as the character
Damian Wayne Damian Wayne, also known as Damian al Ghul (Arabic: دميان الغول), is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, commonly in association with Batman. He is the son o ...
was made the new Robin. The character began starring in a new ''Red Robin'' ongoing series, written for its first twelve issues by Christopher Yost and thereafter by Fabian Nicieza. The series was canceled along with the rest of DC's publishing line for
The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
reboot. In ''The New 52'' period, Tim Drake primarily appeared as a main character in the ''Teen Titans'' series, with some guest appearances in the Batman titles, under the superhero name Red Robin. Tim was also the main character in the 26-issue weekly series ''Batman and Robin Eternal'' alongside the other former Robins. Meanwhile, a version of Tim from five years into the future was also a main character in the weekly series '' The New 52: Futures End''; this alternate-future version of Tim would become the title character in the subsequent ''Batman Beyond'' series up until its relaunch with ''DC Rebirth''. As of the ''DC Rebirth'' relaunch, Tim Drake became the main character in the series ''Detective Comics'' written by James Tynion IV where it was reinvented as a team book. The character featured in issues #934-940 and #965-981, with some flashback appearances in the interim. The character has subsequently become a main character in the relaunched ''Young Justice'' series written by Brian Michael Bendis. The character received widespread media attention when it was revealed that he was
bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
in DC's relaunch initiative
Infinite Frontier Infinite Frontier is a 2021 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles in 2021. It is the follow-up to the 2016 DC Rebirth relaunch. The relaunch and event was sheph ...
through ''Batman: Urban Legends'' #6 (August 2021), and is notable for being one of the most prominent LGBT characters in comic books. He subsequently received a story in DC Pride 2022 and his own ''Tim Drake: Pride Special'' before DC announced a new ongoing solo series written by Meghan Fitzmartin that will launch on September 27, 2022.


Fictional character biography


Introduction

Tim Drake is the son of
Jack Drake Jack Drake is a fictional character from DC Comics books, specifically the '' Batman'' titles. Jack is the father of Tim Drake, formerly the third Robin. Fictional character biography Initial history and family A well-respected businessman and a ...
and Janet Drake, coming from the same social class as Bruce Wayne. When he was a young child, he visited the circus for the first time with his parents. The Drakes asked the Flying Graysons for a photo together, resulting in a momentary bond between Tim and
Dick Grayson Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics' ...
as they met for the first time. Dick Grayson's parents were murdered that night, as witnessed by Tim from the audience. Growing up, Tim's parents were frequently absent for months at a time as they traveled around the world on archaeological digs and thus he was left in a boarding school with relatively little adult supervision. By the age of nine, Tim, who had a very sharp intellect, had deduced the identities of Batman and Robin as Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, after witnessing a gymnastic maneuver by Robin that he previously saw Grayson display in the Haly Circus. Inspired by the heroes' exploits, Tim trained himself in martial arts, acrobatics, detective skills, and scholastics to better himself both physically and intellectually. When Tim reached the age of thirteen, he saw that Batman had grown reckless and violent following the second Robin (
Jason Todd Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in '' Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, the superhero Batman's vigilante partn ...
)'s murder by the Joker. Reasoning that "Batman needs a Robin," Tim at first approached Dick Grayson – who had since become
Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although ...
– to ask him to become Robin again. Dick refused, but Tim's actions in an encounter with
Two-Face Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). As one of Batman's ...
prompted him and Alfred Pennyworth to see Tim as a potential third Robin. Batman agreed to mentor Tim, train him, and use his assistance in the Batcave, but at first refused to involve Tim in the field out of concern for the boy's safety, not wanting a repeat of Jason's fate. After a series of events involving Tim's mother's death and his father's paralysis, and Tim rescuing Batman in an encounter with the
Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley B ...
, Batman eventually enlisted him as the third Robin at the age of fourteen.


''Robin'' (vol. 2) (1989–2009)

Before joining
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
as the third Robin, Tim Drake was given a modern redesign of the Robin costume and sent to train abroad with numerous experts to refine his martial arts. When Bruce Wayne retires after ''
Knightfall "Knightfall" is a 1993–1994 Batman story arc published by DC Comics. It consists of a trilogy of storylines that ran from 1993 to 1994, consisting of "Knightfall", "Knightquest", and "KnightsEnd".On the comic book covers, only the third part ...
'', Robin goes solo to defend
Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his allies and foes. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, the cit ...
. Robin would eventually go on to co-star with other teenaged superheroes in ''
Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
'' and ''
Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
''. He also made guest appearances in other DC comic books such as ''
Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although ...
'' and ''
Azrael Azrael (; , 'God has helped'; ) is the angel of death in some Abrahamic religions, namely Islam, Christian popular culture and some traditions of Judaism. He is also referenced in Sikhism. Relative to similar concepts of such beings, Azrael ...
''. Robin would also become increasingly closer to fellow teen vigilante Stephanie Brown, also known as the Spoiler. Although at first, he regarded her as reckless in operating without Batman's guidance, the two would eventually become romantically involved. For a brief period when Tim's father found out about him being Robin and he retired from the role, Stephanie temporarily replaced him as the new Robin. Following the death of his father in ''
Identity Crisis In psychology, identity crisis is a stage theory of identity development where it involves resolution of a conflict over the 8 stages of the lifespan.(Schultz, 216) The term was coined by German psychologist Erik Erikson. The stage of psychosoci ...
'' (2004) and the presumed death of Stephanie in '' Batman: War Games'' (2004–2005), Tim relocated to Blüdhaven, the city where
Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although ...
fights crime, for a period of time to escape the "ghosts" of Gotham City and to stay close to his stepmother Dana Winters, who was admitted into a Blüdhaven clinic after going into psychological shock over Captain Boomerang killing Jack Drake. Tim Drake was then given another redesign of the Robin costume with a red and black color scheme. The colors are those of
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
's costume, in tribute to his best friend
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
after he also died in battle in ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, a ...
'' (2005–2006). Once Dick takes over the role of Batman after Bruce's apparent death in '' Batman R.I.P.'' and ''
Final Crisis "Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely b ...
'', he fires Tim from the Robin mantle and gives it to
Damian Wayne Damian Wayne, also known as Damian al Ghul (Arabic: دميان الغول), is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, commonly in association with Batman. He is the son o ...
, due to Dick believing he and Tim are equals. Tim, believing that Bruce is still alive, assumes the identity of
Red Robin Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised ...
and leaves Gotham City to go on a worldwide search for Wayne.


''Red Robin'' (2009–2011)

''
Red Robin Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised ...
'', which was launched in late 2009, depicted Tim Drake's search to find evidence that Bruce Wayne was still alive after cutting himself off from the rest of the Bat-family. He was approached by
Ra's al Ghul Ra's al Ghul, commonly pronounced correctly as ''Re'sh'', hence or ; "The Head of the Demon" or, in a rougher translation, "The Chief Demon". is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary o ...
's assassins, who were also interested in finding out what happened to Batman. At the same time, Tamara "Tam" Fox, Lucius Fox's daughter, has been sent to find Tim Drake to bring him back to Gotham. Tim goes to Iraq and manages to discover definitive proof that Bruce was alive and lost in time, but was ambushed by an assassin from the Council of Spiders. He manages to drive himself and Pru (one of the assassins working for Ra's al Ghul, who had become an ally of Tim's) to Tam's hotel room, and they are promptly abducted by the League of Assassins. Although initially reluctant, Tim Drake allied with Ra's before nearly bleeding to death due to their encounter with the Council of Spiders. He was put in charge of the
League of Assassins The League of Assassins (sometimes renamed the League of Shadows or Society of Shadows in adapted works) is a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The group is depicted as a collective of assassins who ...
by Ra's and used the time to simultaneously plan how to stop the Council of Spiders and destroy the League of Assassins. After failing to foil all but one of the Council's assassination attempts, Tim realizes that the Council will be attacking the League's base, and realizes that he left Tam in danger at the base. Rushing back to base, he simultaneously manages to delay the Council of Spiders, blow up the League's base, and escape with Tam. After crippling Ra's' League of Assassins, Drake returns to Gotham City to overthrow Ra's' plans to use
Hush Hush may refer to: Film and television * ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young * ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi * ''Hush'' (2005 film), starring ...
(surgically altered to resemble Bruce Wayne) to gain control of the Wayne family resources and destroy all that Batman held dear by directing his assassins to target all of the Batman's associates. Realizing that these attacks are a smokescreen and that the real target is coercing Hush to sign away Wayne Enterprises, Red Robin decides to confront Ra head-on. He calls upon all of his friends to protect the various targets. Drake has since moved back to Gotham City and reestablished ties with his family and friends. After Bruce Wayne's return, Tim begins to aid his plans for expanding their mission globally with Batman, Inc. Tim is eventually appointed as the head of the newest incarnation of the
Outsiders Outsider(s) may refer to: Film * Outsider (1997 film), ''Outsider'' (1997 film), a 1997 Slovene-language film * Outsider (2012 film), ''Outsider'' (2012 film), a Malayalam-language Indian film * Outsiders (1980 film), ''Outsiders'' (1980 film), a ...
that now serve as Batman Inc.'s black-ops wing. Red Robin eventually rejoins the Teen Titans and takes over leadership from
Wonder Girl Wonder Girl is the alias of multiple list of superheroines, superheroines featured in comic books published by DC Comics. Donna Troy, the original Wonder Girl, was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani and first appeared in ''The Brave and the ...
. He remains the team's leader during their climactic battle against
Superboy-Prime Superboy-Prime (Clark Kent, born Kal-El), also known as Superman-Prime or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain and an alternate version of Superman. The character first appeared in ''DC Comics Presents'' #87 (November 198 ...
and the new
Legion of Doom The Legion of Doom is a group of supervillains who originated in ''Challenge of the Super Friends'', an animated series from Hanna-Barbera based on DC Comics' Justice League. The Legion of Doom has since been incorporated into the main DC Univers ...
. Following an adventure with the Black Bat where he faces Ra's al Ghul's sister, Tim stalks and attempts to kill a revived Captain Boomerang during the ''
Brightest Day ''Brightest Day'' is a 2010–11 crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of a year-long comic book maxiseries that began in April 2010, and a number of tie-in books. The story is a direct follow-up to the ''Blackest Night'' storyli ...
''. Though Tim ultimately stops himself from killing Boomerang, he is chastised by Batman for his actions.


''The New 52'' (2011–2016)

In September 2011, ''
The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
'' rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, ''Teen Titans'' (vol. 4) #0 revealed Tim Drake's new origin, showing a large departure from his original origin, removing his connections to Dick Grayson's origin story. In ''The New 52'', Tim is a talented athlete and computer genius who comes close to discovering Batman's identity, but never totally figures it out. When Tim finds the Batman and gets rejected for the role of sidekick, he decides to bring the Batman to him, by hacking the
Penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
's bank account and donating millions of dollars, thus putting his family in danger. The Penguin's goons come after Tim and his family, but Batman saves them. Tim's parents are forced to go into witness protection, but they believe Tim deserves better and ask Bruce to take care of him for them. The Witness Protection Program renames him "Tim Drake," and he takes on the identity of the "Red Robin", rather than that of "Robin", out of respect to Jason Todd. In later issues, he is shown to be a founding member of the Teen Titans as well as their leader and he shows feelings for Wonder Girl which are reciprocated. Tim was unwilling to meet with the rest of the Bat-family at the Batcave after he was infected with the Joker's new compound "HA". He was present when Damian was killed by the Heretic and admitted to Bruce that even though he had a dysfunctional relationship with Damian that he did grieve for him. He was also at the final battle between Batman and the Heretic when Talia killed her son's clone and blew up Wayne Tower. Tim was also part of the Bat-family's assembled team which went to Apokolips to retrieve Damian's body. As their mission focused on retrieving Robin, Tim, Jason, and Barbara wore costumes that resembled Damian's colors and each wore a Robin symbol. Following the completion of their mission and the revival of Damian, he handed him the Robin symbol on his suit to welcome Damian back to life and the role of Robin. In the Pre-''Convergence'' timeline of ''Futures End'', refugees from Earth-2 are given a signal from Brother Eye, which allows them into the Earth-0 Universe, but start a war when
Darkseid Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby to serve as the primary antagonist of his "Fourth World (comics), Fourth World" metaseries, and was firs ...
follows them, leading to the deaths of the Teen Titans, except for Drake. Tim abandons his Red Robin mantle and becomes a bartender until an attack by
Brainiac Brainiac is a colloquial adjective used to describe exceptionally intelligent people. It may also refer to: Culture Fictional entities * Brainiac (character), a fictional supervillain in DC Comics, and an enemy of Superman * Brainiac (story arc), ...
, where changes to the timeline are made. Brainiac is captured, and Terry McGinnis dies at the hands of Brother Eye's Batman-Joker hybrid. Tim dons the Batman Beyond suit and goes back in time and prevents Brother Eye from sending the signal to Earth-2, creating a new future where there is less destruction, and the events of ''Convergence'' and everything afterward takes place. Tim is launched into the new future, 35 years later, where he becomes the new Batman and destroys a weakened Brother Eye.


''DC Rebirth'' (2016–present)

In ''
DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the D ...
'', Tim Drake still operates under the Red Robin alias. He gains a new and third overall Red Robin suit similar to his first Robin suit except with two "R"s as his logo instead of one. It is revealed later on in ''Detective Comics'' #965 that Tim Drake's origin story has reverted to that of the original universe, where he discovers Batman and Robin's identities after Jason Todd's death and became Robin before adopting the Red Robin persona. Tim is primarily featured in ''Detective Comics'' as part of Batman and
Batwoman Batwoman is a name used by several characters of DC Comics, both in mainstream continuity and Elseworlds. The best known Batwomen are Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Kathy Kane and Kate Kane. History * The first Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Batwoman, Kathy Ka ...
's new team in Gotham, along with
Orphan An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...
,
Spoiler Spoiler is a security vulnerability on modern computer central processing units that use speculative execution. It exploits side-effects of speculative execution to improve the efficiency of Rowhammer and other related memory and cache attacks. Ac ...
, and
Clayface Clayface is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Most incarnations of the character possess clay-like bodies and shapeshifting abilities, and all of them have been depicted as List of Bat ...
. Batman and Batwoman were preparing this group to combat enemies known as the Colonists, later revealed to be a military group under the command of Batwoman's father, Jake Kane, who have modeled themselves after Batman in a more violent matter. After the team rescues Batman and Tim hacks their database to discover their plans, Jake sends two waves of Bat-Drones to take down the "League of Shadows," which will kill hundreds of innocents in the process. As his teammates evacuate the locations the drones were sent to, Tim hacks the drone's mission directive to make himself the sole target, knowing that the drones will stop once the target is eliminated. While Tim manages to take down the first wave of drones, he is killed apparently by the second wave, devastating the Bat-family and his former Teen Titans teammates. However, just before Tim was blasted by the second wave, he is teleported to an unknown place by Mister Oz and kept prisoner. Tim swore that his friends will find him. Later, Batman learns from Ascalon, a robotic entity created by the Order of St. Dumas, that Tim is still alive, with Batman resolving to find Tim. In Mr. Oz's prison, Tim is forced to relive his memories of the past by Mr. Oz. Realizing that Mr. Oz is using
Kryptonian Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race within the DC Comics universe that originated on the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman. The stories also use "Kryptonian" as an adjective to re ...
technology, Tim easily hacks into it and frees himself as Mr. Oz reveals his identity as
Jor-El Jor-El, originally known as Jor-L, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Jor-El first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 with Superman. ...
and disappears. As he tries to find a way out, Tim finds Batman but discovers this version of Batman is Tim Drake from the ''Titans Tomorrow'' future. Unable to accept a future where he decides to become Batman, Tim is forced to aid his older self in evading and containing a freed
Doomsday Doomsday may refer to: * Eschatology, a time period described in the eschatological writings in Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios of non-Abrahamic religions. * Global catastrophic risk, a hypothetical event explored in science and fict ...
. Tim learns from his future self that Dick, Jason, and Damian all tried to be Batman, but either retired or was forced to be put down by Tim (in the case of Damian). After Doomsday is lured back to his cell, both Tims teleport out of Mr. Oz's prison and arrive in Gotham in the ''Titans Tomorrow'' future. Before being sent back, Tim is asked by his future self to apologize to Conner, but the younger Tim has no idea who Conner is, although he later admits that the name is tugging at his heart, though he does not know why. Tim is incapacitated by his future self, as the latter decides to go back in time to kill Batwoman, the apparent cause of Tim becoming Batman. Tim returns to Gotham and is reunited with the Bat-family, but warns them about Future Tim. After a battle with Ulysses Armstrong and Brother Eye, Tim leaves Gotham to investigate the alternate timelines, and Tim's restored memories of his past friends from Young Justice. This leads him to Metropolis, where he is reunited with Wonder Girl and Impulse, and meets Teen Lantern and Ginny Hex. The five young heroes later travel to Gemworld, where they are also reunited with Superboy and meet Princess Amethyst. Soon lost in the Multiverse, Young Justice struggles to return home, with Tim taking on the new identity of Drake during an attack by his Earth-3 counterpart. However, this identity was retired shortly after returning to his universe, and Tim returned to being Robin. Following
Infinite Frontier Infinite Frontier is a 2021 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles in 2021. It is the follow-up to the 2016 DC Rebirth relaunch. The relaunch and event was sheph ...
, Tim's history is smoothed over again, restoring his pre-New 52 histories as Batman's third apprentice and re-establishing him as having been Robin since that time. In ''Batman: Urban Legends'', it is revealed that he and Stephanie Brown broke up off-panel and he reconnected with a friend from earlier volumes, Bernard Dowd. Bernard is kidnapped, sending Tim on a rescue mission while still trying to understand what he truly desires from life. During the rescue, Bernard tells Robin that his friend Tim helped him
come out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
and understand himself, prompting Robin/Tim to have the same realization for himself. Afterward, out of costume, Bernard asks Tim on a date, which Tim accepts.


Skills and abilities

Like Batman and other members of the Batman Family, Tim Drake possess no inherent super-powers and relies on both a combination of his combat skills, technology, and deductive abilities; As Robin, Tim Drake underwent training under numerous masters, including
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
,
Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although ...
, Henri Duncard, Batgirl (Cassandra Cain), and
Lady Shiva Lady Shiva (real name Sandra San or more recently Sandra Wu-San) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was co-created by Dennis O'Neil and Ric Estrada, and first appeared in ''Richard Dra ...
. Overtime, the character became adept in the usage of technology and became versed in several expressed styles of martial arts such as
Aikido Aikido ( , , , ) is a modern Japanese martial art that is split into many different styles, including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practiced in around 1 ...
,
Karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
,
Boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
,
Judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...
,
Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...
,
Tai Chi Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called "shadowboxing", is an neijia, internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and medita ...
,
Krav Maga Krav Maga ( ; , ; ) is an Israeli martial art. Developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), it is derived from a combination of techniques used in aikido, judo, karate, boxing, and wrestling. It is known for its focus on real-world situation ...
, and esoteric Tibetian martial styles in which includes healing arts (which utilizes pressure points). In battle, he also favored a
bo staff Bo or BO may refer to Arts and entertainment Film, television, and theatre * Box office, where tickets to an event are sold, and by extension, the amount of business a production receives *'' BA:BO'', 2008 South Korean film * ''Bo'' (film), a ...
and was trained in its usage by
Lady Shiva Lady Shiva (real name Sandra San or more recently Sandra Wu-San) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was co-created by Dennis O'Neil and Ric Estrada, and first appeared in ''Richard Dra ...
herself. Overtime, Tim's skills developed, his intelligence improving to a level where he was able excel in computer science and gain a grasp of assorted scientific techniques, including biology, engineering, and genetics, which he has witnessed his attempts at re-cloning Superboy. As Red Robin, these skills became more advanced and he would be considered an expert martial artist and possess a genius with an IQ of 142, whose forte within the Batman Family includes his intelligence, detective skills, and computer hacking capabilities. His high level of intelligence has also lent him praise from Ra's Al Ghul, being one of the few Batman Family members he addressed distinctively as "Detective". Tim is also capable of speaking several languages beyond his native English, including Cantonese, Russian, Spanish and German. Tim is also considered a natural leader, having led teams such as the Teen Titans and Young Justice. As a precaution, Bruce inoculated Tim, as well as his other close allies, against several toxins the
Batman family A collective of fictional characters appear in American comic books published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman as the main protagonist. Since Batman's introduction in 1939, the character has accumulated a number of recognizable suppo ...
has encountered, including Joker Venom, the Scarecrow's fear toxin, and some of Poison Ivy's pheromones. While this does not create a full immunity, it does give them a strong resistance, allowing them to continue fighting or escape when exposed to the substances.


Costumes

Tim Drake's original Robin costume had a red torso, yellow stitching and belt, black boots, green short sleeves, gloves, and pants. He wore a cape that was black on the outside and yellow on the inside. This costume was different from that of his predecessors in that it provided increased protection with an armored
tunic A tunic is a garment for the body, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the knees. The name derives from the Latin ''tunica'', the basic garment worn by both men and women in Ancient Rome ...
and
gorget A gorget , from the French ' meaning throat, was a band of linen wrapped around a woman's neck and head in the medieval period or the lower part of a simple chaperon hood. The term later described a steel or leather collar to protect the thro ...
, long boots, an emergency "R"
shuriken A ''shuriken'' ( ja, 手裏剣; literally: "hidden hand blade") is a Japanese concealed weapon that was used as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect. They are also known as throwing stars, or ninja stars, although they were ...
on his chest in addition to the traditional
batarang A batarang is a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon used by the DC Comics superhero Batman. The name is a portmanteau of bat and boomerang, and was originally spelled baterang. Although they are named after boomerangs, batarangs have become mor ...
s and a collapsible bo staff as the character's primary weapon. Following ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, a ...
'' and ''52'', Tim Drake modified his costume to favor a mostly red and black color scheme in tribute to his best friend,
Superboy (Kon-El) Superboy (also known as Kon-El or Conner Kent) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A modern variation on the original Superboy, the character first appeared as Superboy in '' The Adventures of Superman'' # ...
, who died fighting Earth-Prime's
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
. This Robin costume had a red torso, long sleeves, and pants, with a cape that was black on the outside and yellow on the inside. It also had yellow stitching and a matching belt, a black domino mask, gloves, and boots. Tim Drake resumed the motif of a red and black costume when he took on the identity of the
Red Robin Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised ...
. The Red Robin costume consisted of a long-sleeved red tunic, along with black boots, tights, gloves, cape, and cowl. It also included a black-and-gold utility belt that carries Drake's weaponry, such as his bo staff and throwing discs. After Drake's confrontation with Ra's al Ghul in ''Red Robin'' #12, the costume was slightly altered with spiked gauntlets, a cropped tunic, and a new utility belt. The theme of a red and black costume continued in 2011 with Tim Drake's ''
New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new series ...
'' Red Robin outfit. The costume was altered considerably, as it was a single-piece red and black costume, with assorted belts on his waist and legs. The full cowl was replaced with a black domino mask, similar to his previous two Robin costume designs. His chest harness was attached to a set of rocket-powered wings, designed by Virgil Hawkins a.k.a.
Static Static may refer to: Places *Static Nunatak, a nunatak in Antarctica United States * Static, Kentucky and Tennessee *Static Peak, a mountain in Wyoming **Static Peak Divide, a mountain pass near the peak Science and technology Physics *Static el ...
, that allow the Red Robin the ability to fly. He continued to use his bo staff and other assorted equipment. In the 2016 ''
DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the D ...
'' relaunch, Tim Drake maintains the role of the Red Robin. This Red Robin costume serves as a homage to his first Robin costume. His costume is returned to a similar look as his original Robin costume consisting of a red torso, yellow utility belt, black pants, green short sleeves, gloves, and boots. He also has a new cape that is black on the outside and yellow on the inside, similar to the Robin cape. While his Red Robin suit is similar to his first Robin suit, it has two "R"s as his logo instead of one, to show that he is no longer Robin and now the Red Robin. The mask is similar to his ''New 52'' domino mask. His bo staff remains his primary weapon. With the revived ''
Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
'' series, Tim has returned to the identity of Robin. His new costume shares similarities with his ''DC Rebirth'' suit; however, it has various adjustments and revisions. His suit still has the red torso, black pants, and armored sleeves; however, his pants now merge into split-toed boots with green highlights, losing the green leg guards. He has replaced the bulkier arm guards with smaller arm guards with blades similar to Damian Wayne's Robin suit. His cape, while still black and gold, is now scalloped to look similar to his later OYL cape. Tim's double-R logo has been replaced with his original single "R" logo. He continues to use a bo-staff as his primary weapon. For a brief period in ''Young Justice'', Tim adopted the Drake identity, wielding a bo staff and wearing a capeless brown suit with black on the arms and boots and gold accents, before returning to his original Robin costume in ''Young Justice'' (vol. 3) #19.


Alternate versions


''Batman Beyond''

Set after the events of ''Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker'', Tim Drake serves as a supporting character in the ongoing ''
Batman Beyond ''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration ...
'' comic book series. It is suggested that, after a series of examinations, he is freed from the Joker's control although the experience has left him with doubts and he continues to struggle to keep his sanity intact. His wife is revealed to have been aware of her husband's heroic and tortured past and implied to have met Tim and his former mentor at some point before he retires as Robin. Bruce offered Tim a job in his company, which he accepted after he merged it with Lucius Fox Jr.'s company Foxteca and renamed the company Wayne Incorporated. The condition was that Tim would not get himself involved with the superheroic activities of Bruce, Terry, or the JLU, and Bruce would pay for his children's college tuition. He is currently working as a communications expert, handling satellites and other associated technology.


''Titans Tomorrow''

In the "Titans Tomorrow" story arc during writer
Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim. He serve ...
' run on ''
Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
'', Robin and the rest of the team encounter future versions of themselves from a time after all of their mentors have been killed. As a brutal new Batman, Tim Drake personally hunted down every member of his mentor's Rogues Gallery, turning
Arkham Asylum The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane (), commonly referred to as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital/prison, named after the city of Arkham which appeared first in the stories of H. P. Lovecraft, and later appear ...
into a cemetery filled with the graves of the original Batman's enemies, whom Tim killed using the same pistol that
Joe Chill Joe Chill is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the character first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #33 (Novemb ...
used to murder
Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...
and
Martha Wayne Martha Wayne ( Kane) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. She is the mother of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and wife of Thomas Wayne, Dr. Thomas Wayne as wel ...
when Bruce was a child. Tim had difficulty accepting that he could ever adopt such brutal methods as the direct successor to Batman, who always maintained a strict policy against murder. In a final battle culminating in both present and future Titans colliding, the battle ends in a stalemate. Using a Cosmic Treadmill in the adult Tim's Batcave, Robin and his team return home to contemplate the future they have seen. Following the reboot of the DC Universe during the '' Flashpoint'' storyline (also by Johns), resulting in ''
The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
'', a new timeline with new history, this future was replaced by a war-torn dystopian one overrun by
Brother Eye The OMACs (; Omni Mind And Community, originally Observational Metahuman Activity Construct and alternatively One Man Army Corps.) are a fictional type of cyborg appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. They are based on the Jack Kirby c ...
, taking place in the future of Prime Earth. Brother Eye murders the
Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
, mechanizing their corpses into horrific cyborg operatives and taking over their
Watchtower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...
. With most of all the superheroes dead, new heroes have taken up their mantles, with
Terry McGinnis Batman (Terrence "Terry" McGinnis Wayne) is a fictional superhero appearing in media published by DC Entertainment. The character was created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini and first appeared in the pilot episode of the animated television series ...
becoming Batman.


''Injustice: Gods Among Us''

In this reality, based on the video game of the same name, Tim Drake was a new member of the Teen Titans as the Red Robin at the time the Joker's nuclear explosion went off in Metropolis. The Titans tracked down Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, where he attempted to stop Superman. Tim tries lifting the Phantom Zone projector, but cannot because Superman placed a safety cap that weighs 100 tons. When Superboy is mortally wounded, Tim and the other Titans are sent by Superman to the Phantom Zone. In the prequel to ''
Injustice 2 ''Injustice 2'' is a 2017 fighting game, fighting video game it is the sequel to 2013's ''Injustice: Gods Among Us'' and is the second installment in the ''Injustice (franchise), Injustice'' franchise based upon the DC Universe. It is developed ...
'', Tim and the Titans (minus Superboy) are finally rescued by the remaining heroes. But just as he is reuniting with Batman, General Zod escapes the Phantom Zone and kills Tim by piercing Tim's heart with his heat vision.


''DC Bombshells''

Tim Drake appears in the ''
DC Bombshells DC Comics Bombshells refers to a line of figurines released by DC Collectibles depicting DC Comics superheroines in a retro 1940s look based on designs by Ant Lucia.Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
after Terry McGinnis dies. In 2015, Drake stars in the new ''
Batman Beyond ''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration ...
'' series. In the series, Tim Drake faked his death during the war between Prime-Earth and Earth-2 and became a bar owner by the name of Cal Corcoran. He assisted Terry McGinnis, who had come back through time to prevent the creation of Brother Eye. After Terry was killed in action defending Drake from Brother Eye's Batman/Joker hybrid (a Brother Eye-controlled fusion of Batman and the Joker from Terry's timeline), he passed on his futuristic Batsuit to Tim and, in his dying words, asked him to become the new Batman and go back through time to prevent the war between Prime Earth and Earth 2, which he believed will prevent the creation of Brother Eye. He successfully travels back through time five years using a time band and convinces Brother Eye to not send a beacon to attract the surviving heroes of Earth-2, thus preventing the war with Earth 2. Following the completion of his mission, Brother Eye sends Tim back to Terry's timeline, hoping to find Terry alive so he can return the Batsuit to him. However, what he finds is still the same future Terry came from; realizing that Terrifitech is a constant and Brother Eye cannot be defeated in the past, Tim declares that Brother Eye has not won yet. A few days later, Tim stops a break-in at a Wayne-Powers facility by Jokerz who is attempting to steal a critical component that keeps Brother Eye from detecting Gotham City. He later meets up with Terry's brother Matt, who is angry at Tim for wearing his brother's costume and, in private, declares that he should have been the one who succeeded Terry as Batman. Following the meeting, Tim heads outside Gotham City to an internment camp that is holding all people captured by Brother Eye. Before he can break into the facility, he is attacked by a Brother Eye-converted Superman, who attempts to kill him. Knowing he cannot kill Superman, A.L.F.R.E.D overloads the Batsuits power reserves, temporally injuring Superman. As a result, the Batsuit deactivates itself, leaving Tim in his civilian attire and defenseless against Brother Eye's army. He is then captured and placed in a detention center, where he meets Terry's friend Max Gibson and, to his surprise, Barbara Gordon. However, following the return of the original Wally West from the Pre-'' Flashpoint'' timeline, during ''
DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the D ...
'', the present resets to accommodate his existence, and ripples across reality end up bring Terry McGinnis back to life, allowing him to resume his role as the Future Batman. The future ''New 52'' Tim has been erased due to the timeline change; however, the ''Titans Tomorrow'' version of Tim returns in his place, who goes on to become an anti-hero against the
Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
.


''Nightwing: The New Order''

In this alternate reality, Nightwing ends an ongoing feud between superpowered beings by activating a device that depowers 90% of the superpowered population. This builds to a future where superpowers are outlawed and any superpowered being must take inhibitor medications or be contained and studied should the medications not work on them. In 2040, Tim retired from his Red Robin days and is now raising his three children. When Dick becomes a fugitive after it is discovered his son Jake had superpowers, Tim uses his computer skills to help Dick locate Jake. Tim believes that Dick made the right choice in depowering the population.


''DCEASED''

Drake, along with Dick Grayson, is among the first superheroes to be infected by the
Anti-Life Equation The Anti-Life Equation is a fictional concept appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. In Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting, the Anti-Life Equation is a formula for total control over the minds of sentient beings that is sought by ...
. Batman attempts to talk to them, only to be infected by both of them. Tim is killed off-panel, with his corpse left in the Batcave, and is later found and buried by Jason Todd.


In other media


Television


Live Action

* Tim Drake is mentioned by
Barbara Gordon Barbara Gordon is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Gardne ...
in the ''
Birds of Prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predators ...
'' episode "Slick". * Tim Drake made his live-action debut on the third season of ''
Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...
'', portrayed by
Jay Lycurgo Jay Lycurgo (born 6 February 1998) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Tim Drake in ''Titans'' (2021-present), Nathan Byrne in the Netflix series '' The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself'' (2022) and a gang member in ''The Batman'' ( ...
. This version is a young Gotham City resident who works as a delivery boy and idolizes Batman. After hearing news of
Jason Todd Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in '' Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, the superhero Batman's vigilante partn ...
's death, he deduces
Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although ...
's identity and approaches him to become the new Robin, but is turned down. Despite this, Tim still wishes to help the
Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...
and assists them in tracking down Jonathan Crane and the resurrected Todd/
Red Hood The Red Hood is an alias used by multiple characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The identity was first used in the 1951 storyline "The Man Behind the Red Hood!", which provides the earliest origin story for the Joke ...
, only to be shot by the former. In the afterlife, Tim meets
Donna Troy Donna Troy is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is the original Wonder Girl and later temporarily adopts another identity, Troia. Created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani, she first appeared in ''The ...
and
Hank Hall Hank Hall is a fictional character that appears in DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Showcase'' #75 (June 1968) as Hawk of Hawk and Dove. He later became the supervillain Monarch in the crossover event limited series ''Armageddon 2001''. After tha ...
, and teams up with them to escape. Later, he reunites with Donna and together they discover that Crane plans to have corrupt police officers on his payroll assault Tim's city block, prompting Donna to lead the residents in fighting back. Eventually, Tim meets and teams up with the rest of the Titans and helps to save Gotham from Crane. Afterward, Dick Grayson praises Tim's fighting skills, but tells him that he needs proper training and invites him to join the team in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
.


Animation

*Tim Drake makes his animated debut as the second incarnation of Robin in the
DCAU The DC Animated Universe (DCAU; also referred to as the Timmverse or Diniverse by fans referring to the creators and producers Bruce Timm and Paul Dini respectively) is a shared universe consisting primarily of superhero-based animated televi ...
, voiced by
Mathew Valencia Mathew Valencia (born December 12, 1983) is a former American actor. Career Valencia is best known as the voice of Tim Drake in a starring role in ''The New Batman Adventures'' (1997-1999) and in a supporting appearance in '' Superman: The Animat ...
. Tim first appears in ''
The New Batman Adventures ''The New Batman Adventures'' (often shortened as ''TNBA'') is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, which aired on Kids' WB from September 13, 1997 to January 16, 1999. Produced by Warner Bro ...
''. His Robin costume looks identical to Dick Grayson's Robin costume from ''Batman: The Animated Series'', but with black sleeves, gloves, and briefs with red leggings, similar to his appearance post-''Infinite Crisis''. He is an amalgamation of both Jason Todd and Tim Drake and is much younger than in the comics. He has some of Jason's background, including his origin as a young street thief whose father, Steven "Shifty" Drake (based on Jason's father Willis Todd) was murdered by
Two-Face Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). As one of Batman's ...
as well as Jason's somewhat rebellious personality. The tie-in comic '' The Batman Adventures: The Lost Years'' revealed that Tim witnessed a fight between Batman, Robin and the Joker one night which also happened to be the same night Dick Grayson quit as Robin after a falling out with Batman and had found a Batarang which he began using for himself as depicted in the episode "Sins of the Father" which details his origin story and how he first met Batman. *Robin made guest appearances on other DCAU productions, teaming up with
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
in '' Superman: The Animated Series'' in the episode "Knight Time", wherein Valencia reprises his role, and
Static Static may refer to: Places *Static Nunatak, a nunatak in Antarctica United States * Static, Kentucky and Tennessee *Static Peak, a mountain in Wyoming **Static Peak Divide, a mountain pass near the peak Science and technology Physics *Static el ...
in the ''
Static Shock ''Static Shock'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero List of animated television series, animated television series based on the Milestone Media/DC Comics superhero Static (DC Comics), Static. It premiered on September 23, 2000, on the W ...
'' episodes "The Big Leagues" and "Future Shock", where he is voiced by
Eli Marienthal Eli David Marienthal (born March 6, 1986) is an American actor. Family & Personal life Marienthal was born in Santa Monica, California in 1986, the son of Penny Marienthal and Joseph Cross. He has two siblings, actors Harley Cross and Flora Cr ...
and Shane Sweet, respectively; in the ''Static Shock'' episode "Hard as Nails", he is also confirmed by Batman to be a member of the
Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...
. *Tim Drake made a few
cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...
s in ''
Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
'', as an alternate version of himself in the first part of the three-parter finale of the first season "The Savage Time" and in Superman's funeral in the second season episode "Hereafter". *Tim Drake appears as a supporting character in '' Young Justice: Invasion'', voiced by Cameron Bowen. This iteration's Robin costume is similar to his "One Year Later" costume with some modern influences, and he uses a bo-staff like in the comics. He is introduced in the episode "Happy New Year" as the third version of Robin. In the episode "Satisfaction", he is seen observing
Jason Todd Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in '' Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, the superhero Batman's vigilante partn ...
's memorial. Tim is shown as initially hesitant to take on leadership roles, something he feels is somewhat forced on by Nightwing. Despite this, the two are shown to have a brotherly connection to one another. This familial relationship also extends to the more experienced Batgirl. Like Dick Grayson in season one, Tim is forbidden from revealing his secret identity to the team, wearing concealing sunglasses when out of costume. In "Endgame", it is shown that he is in a relationship with
Wonder Girl Wonder Girl is the alias of multiple list of superheroines, superheroines featured in comic books published by DC Comics. Donna Troy, the original Wonder Girl, was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani and first appeared in ''The Brave and the ...
after
Kid Flash Kid Flash is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino Carmine Michael Infantino (; May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013) was an American comics ...
's demise gave Wonder Girl the courage to kiss him. Due to the large cast of this show, Tim's role was mainly as a background character and was only highlighted on certain occasions. His detective skills were imperative in helping the
Blue Beetle Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes who appear in a number of American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939. The most recent of the companies to own rights to Blue Beetle is DC Comics, which bought the ri ...
overcome control by the Reach. Tim would later feature in '' Young Justice: Outsiders'', where he, along with
Arrowette Arrowette is a superheroine that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. Publication history The Bonnie King version of Arrowette appears in ''World's Finest Comics'' #113 and was created by Dave Wood and Lee Elias. The Cissie Ki ...
and Stephanie Brown, leave the team as part of
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
's planned resignation from the Justice League to combat the metahuman trafficking crisis without being restricted by the United Nation's charter. Tim, Arrowette, and the Spoiler then form their team under "Batman Inc.", along with
Orphan An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...
, with Tim serving on the heroes' "Anti-Light," along with Batman,
Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although ...
,
Miss Martian Miss Martian (real name: M'gann M'orzz; alias Megan Morse) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Sharon Leal portrayed the character in the Supergirl (season 2), second season of the Arrowverse series ''Supe ...
, the
Oracle An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination. Description The word '' ...
,
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
and
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
. Throughout the season, Tim faces relationship issues with Cassie, due to his decision to leave the team to join Batman's team and continue to keep secrets from her. At the end of the season, he rejoins the team. In ''Young Justice: Phantoms'', he switched over to the
Outsiders Outsider(s) may refer to: Film * Outsider (1997 film), ''Outsider'' (1997 film), a 1997 Slovene-language film * Outsider (2012 film), ''Outsider'' (2012 film), a Malayalam-language Indian film * Outsiders (1980 film), ''Outsiders'' (1980 film), a ...
. He attended
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
and
Miss Martian Miss Martian (real name: M'gann M'orzz; alias Megan Morse) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Sharon Leal portrayed the character in the Supergirl (season 2), second season of the Arrowverse series ''Supe ...
's wedding in the season four finale and appears to be having a relationship with Spoiler similar to the comics. * In the ''
Teen Titans Go! ''Teen Titans Go!'' is an American animated television series developed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network. It premiered on April 23, 2013 and is based on the DC Comics Teen Titans, fictional superhero team. The series was ...
'' episode "The Best Robin", it is implied that the Robin, voiced by
Scott Menville Scott David Menville (born February 12, 1971) is an American actor who is known for his voice work in animated films, television series and video games. Life and career Menville was born on February 12, 1971, to television animator and writer C ...
, in the series is Tim Drake. This would be contradicted in several episodes, however, when it is stated that he is Dick Grayson. * Tim Drake's Robin costume from ''
The New Batman Adventures ''The New Batman Adventures'' (often shortened as ''TNBA'') is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, which aired on Kids' WB from September 13, 1997 to January 16, 1999. Produced by Warner Bro ...
'' appears as an easter egg in the ''
Justice League Action ''Justice League Action'' is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero team Justice League. The series is produced by Jim Krieg, Butch Lukic, and Alan Burnett. The show debuted on Cartoon Network UK on Nov ...
'' episode "Play Date".


Film

*Tim Drake also played a supporting role in the animated film '' Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman'' helping Batman stop
Batwoman Batwoman is a name used by several characters of DC Comics, both in mainstream continuity and Elseworlds. The best known Batwomen are Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Kathy Kane and Kate Kane. History * The first Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Batwoman, Kathy Ka ...
's violent rampage and also briefly befriends one of the suspects Rocky Ballantine, a new employee at Wayne Tech, he is again voiced by Marienthal. *Tim Drake appears as a central character in the animated film '' Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker'', where Valencia reprises his role as the younger version, while
Dean Stockwell Robert Dean Stockwell (March 5, 1936 – November 7, 2021) was an American actor with a career spanning seven decades. As a child actor under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he first came to the public's attention in films including ''Anchors A ...
voices the middle-aged version of the character. A flashback reveals that sometime after Tim left Gotham following the end of ''The New Batman Adventures'', the Joker and
Harley Quinn Harley Quinn is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker (character), Joker in ''Batman: The An ...
kidnapped him while he was on solo patrol and tortured him to the point of insanity, transforming him into a crude, miniature version of the Joker dubbed "Joker Jr." or "J.J". After three weeks he was found by Batman and Batgirl. The Joker after a brief but fierce battle with Batman ordered Tim to kill the Dark Knight, but Tim's loyalty to Batman overcame the Joker's programming and he killed him instead, before suffering a complete nervous breakdown. While Tim was able to recover with help from
Leslie Thompkins Leslie Maurin Thompkins (sometimes spelled Tompkins) is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, usually as a supporting character in stories featuring Batman, of whom she is an ally. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil a ...
, he was completely traumatized by the incident and retired from his role as Robin. By 2039, Tim managed to leave his crime-fighting past behind and become a communications engineer with a wife and two children and has become resentful of his past life and Bruce, though he keeps in touch with Barbara. However, Tim is unwittingly transformed into the Joker via stolen genetics technology embedded in his spine during his captivity. He is finally freed from Joker's control when the new
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
destroys the microchip and Tim is taken to the hospital to fully recover from his trauma. In the ''
Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and ...
'' episode "Epilogue", it is revealed that the technology with which Tim was brainwashed belonged to
Project Cadmus Project Cadmus is a fictional genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. Its notable creations included the Golden Guardian (a clone of the original Guardian), Auron, Superboy (Kon-El) (a clone from Superman's DNA), and Dubbilex (a D ...
and was presumably stolen by Joker off-screen. * The Tim Drake version of Red Robin makes his animated debut in '' Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts'' and '' Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem'', voiced by
Yuri Lowenthal Yuri Lowenthal (born March 5, 1971)Birthday references: * * * is an American voice actor, producer and screenwriter known chiefly for his work in cartoons, anime and video games. Some of his prominent roles in animations and anime include S ...
. In the former, he is called "Red Robin" only once and by his original moniker every other time in ''Animal Instincts'', but is consistently addressed by his new name during the latter. However,
Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, ...
does once refer to him by his real name, confirming this version of the Red Robin is Tim Drake. He is mentioned but not seen in the sequel, '' Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants'', where Alfred says he left Gotham to lead his team. * A young boy named Tim "Timmy" Drake appears in '' Batman: Gotham by Gaslight'', voiced by
Tara Strong Tara Lyn Strong (née Charendoff; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian-American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as ''The New Batman Adventures ...
. He and two other orphan boys, Dickie and
Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...
, try to rob a couple, but Batman stops them and defeats the
Fagin Fagin is a fictional character and the secondary antagonist in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist''. In the preface to the novel, he is described as a "receiver of stolen goods". He is the leader of a group of children (the Artful Dod ...
-like a criminal who is ordering them to steal. * A
Feudal Japan The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to Japanese Paleolithic, prehistoric times around 30,000 BC. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millenni ...
version of Tim Drake / Red Robin appears in ''
Batman Ninja is a 2018 animated superhero film directed by Junpei Mizusaki, produced by Warner Bros., and animated by Kamikaze Douga and YamatoWorks, which features the DC Comics character Batman. Takashi Okazaki, the creator of '' Afro Samurai'', is the c ...
'', voiced by
Kengo Kawanishi is a Japanese voice actor. He was formerly affiliated with Office Kaoru, but is now represented by Mausu Promotion. Filmography Television animation ;2006 *''Atashin'chi'' as Costumer D *''Angel Heart'' as children *'' Kanon'' as Audience *''D ...
in Japanese and by
Will Friedle Will Friedle () (born August 11, 1976) is an American actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Eric Matthews on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000). In animation, he voices Terry McGinnis / Batman on ''Batman Beyond'' (19 ...
in English. * Tim appears in one of the alternate storylines of the interactive film '' Batman: Death in the Family'', voiced by Nick Carson. In one end, he saves Jason Todd / Red Robin from Two-Face and convinces him not to murder him, as it would go against Batman's moral code. This leads to Jason changing his ways and adopting Tim as his new sidekick Bat Kid.


Video games

* Tim Drake appears in '' Batman: Dark Tomorrow'', voiced by Jonathan Roumie. * Tim Drake appears as a playable character in '' Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu'', voiced by
Scott Menville Scott David Menville (born February 12, 1971) is an American actor who is known for his voice work in animated films, television series and video games. Life and career Menville was born on February 12, 1971, to television animator and writer C ...
. * Tim Drake appears in ''
DC Universe Online ''DC Universe Online'' (''DCUO'') is a free-to-play action combat massively multiplayer online game set in the fictional universe of DC Comics. Developed by Dimensional Ink Games and co-published by Daybreak Game Company and WB Games, the game w ...
'', voiced by
Wil Wheaton Richard William Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor. He portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film ''Stand by Me (film), Stand by Me'', Joey Trotta in '' ...
. * Tim Drake appears as a playable character in '' Young Justice: Legacy'', voiced again by Cameron Bowen. * Tim Drake appears in ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, a ...
'', voiced again by Cameron Bowen. * Tim Drake appears as one of the four main playable characters in the 2022 video game '' Gotham Knights'', voiced by Sloane Morgan Siegel.


Lego

* Tim Drake appears as one of the main two playable characters, alongside Batman, in '' Lego Batman: The Videogame'', voiced by
James Arnold Taylor James Arnold Taylor (born July 22, 1969), also known by his initials JAT, is an American voice actor, writer, producer and podcaster. He is known for portraying Ratchet in the ''Ratchet & Clank'' franchise, the main character Tidus in '' Final Fa ...
. * Tim Drake appears as a main character in '' Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes'', voiced by
Charlie Schlatter Charles Thomas "Charlie" Schlatter (born May 1, 1966) is an American actor who has appeared in several films and television series. He is perhaps best known for playing Dr. Jesse Travis, the resident student of Dr. Mark Sloan (played by Dick Van ...
. His Red Robin incarnation is also playable in the
Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
,
Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
,
PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territo ...
,
IOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
, and Android versions. * Tim Drake appears as a main character in '' Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham'', with Charlie Schlatter reprising his role. * Tim Drake appears as a non-playable character in ''
Lego Dimensions ''Lego Dimensions'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform crossover video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox One and Xbox 360. It fo ...
'', voiced by
Scott Menville Scott David Menville (born February 12, 1971) is an American actor who is known for his voice work in animated films, television series and video games. Life and career Menville was born on February 12, 1971, to television animator and writer C ...
. He is one of three characters, alongside
Frodo Baggins Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, and one of the protagonists in ''The Lord of the Rings''. Frodo is a hobbit of the Shire who inherits the One Ring from his cousin Bilbo Baggins, described familiarly as "u ...
and MetalBeard, to be kidnapped by Lord Vortech due to possessing
Kryptonite Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous r ...
, which is one of the Foundation Elements that the villain seeks. The three are later fused into a robot called the Tri, which is defeated by Batman,
Gandalf the Grey Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels '' The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a wizard, one of the ''Istari'' order, and the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" from the Old Nor ...
, and
Wyldstyle This is a list of characters from ''The Lego Movie'' franchise produced by Warner Animation Group and The Lego Group, which consists of the animated films (and LEGO sets from that film), 4D film and TV series: ''The Lego Movie'' (2014), '' The ...
, and separates back into the trio. * The Tim Drake version of the Red Robin appears as a playable character in ''
Lego DC Super-Villains ''Lego DC Super-Villains'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure game, action-adventure Platform game, platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales. The fourth installment in the ''Lego Batman'' series of games, it is a spin-off that focuses e ...
'', voiced again by Cameron Bowen.


''Batman: Arkham''

The Tim Drake version of Robin is a supporting character in
Rocksteady Studios Rocksteady Studios Limited is a British video game developer based in London, England. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and the studio is best known for its work in the '' Batman: Arkham'' series. History ...
' '' Batman: Arkham'' series. This version is grittier and darker than his depiction in the comics, which the producers found to be fitting with the overall tone of the series. His costume incorporates the traditional red and yellow colors, but he sports a more muscled appearance with a short buzz-cut (similar to Dick Grayson's hairstyle in '' Batman & Robin''). He is also shown to be dating
Barbara Gordon Barbara Gordon is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Gardne ...
, whom he eventually marries. * Robin first appears in '' Batman: Arkham City'', voiced by
Troy Baker Troy Baker (born April 1, 1976) is an American voice actor and musician. Baker is known for his video game roles, including Joel Miller in ''The Last of Us'' (2013) and its sequel (2020), Booker DeWitt in ''BioShock Infinite'' (2013), Samuel ...
. He makes a brief appearance during the main story, while Batman is following a
League of Shadows The League of Assassins (sometimes renamed the League of Shadows or Society of Shadows in adapted works) is a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The group is depicted as a collective of assassins who ...
assassin to find
Ra's al Ghul Ra's al Ghul, commonly pronounced correctly as ''Re'sh'', hence or ; "The Head of the Demon" or, in a rougher translation, "The Chief Demon". is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary o ...
. Robin explains that he was called by
Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...
to assist Batman in Arkham City, but the latter declines his help and asks him to look after Gotham in his absence, as well as analyze a sample of the Joker's infected blood. Robin is a playable character with the addition of the ''Harley Quinn's Revenge'' DLC, set after the main story, wherein he rescues Batman after the latter is taken captive by
Harley Quinn Harley Quinn is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker (character), Joker in ''Batman: The An ...
in Arkham City. Robin is also playable in the game's challenge maps, and has two alternate costumes: his classic Red Robin suit from the comics, and Dick Grayson's Robin costume from '' Batman: The Animated Series''. * Robin appears as a boss in the mobile game '' Batman: Arkham City Lockdown'', set a few weeks before ''Arkham City''. While attempting to apprehend Poison Ivy, who escaped from
Arkham Asylum The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane (), commonly referred to as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital/prison, named after the city of Arkham which appeared first in the stories of H. P. Lovecraft, and later appear ...
, he is placed under her mind control, and later forced to fight Batman when he arrives to capture Ivy. Batman ultimately defeats both of them and releases Robin from the mind control. * Robin plays a major supporting role in '' Batman: Arkham Knight'', voiced by
Matthew Mercer Matthew Christopher Miller (born June 29, 1982), better known as Matthew Mercer, is an American voice actor. He is best known for his work with Studiopolis, Funimation, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Viz Media, and NYAV Post in anime, cartoons, and ...
. Throughout the game, both he and Barbara attempt to convince Batman to allow him to assist in taking down the
Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley B ...
, but Batman insists that Robin looks after the patients infected with the Joker's blood, whom they are keeping at their hideout at the abandoned Panessa Studios. Batman also tells Robin to work on a cure, but avoids revealing that he too is infected. When Harley Quinn and her gang attack Panessa Studios to liberate the patients, Batman and Robin team up to stop her, and in the process, Robin finds out that Batman is infected with the Joker's blood. Robin insists that Batman be locked up for his own safety and let him handle the Scarecrow, only to be locked up himself after Batman refuses, not wanting Robin to get himself killed. Near the end of the game, the Scarecrow kidnaps both Robin and James Gordon to force Batman to surrender to him. While Batman manages to subdue the Scarecrow, his secret identity is exposed to the public in the process. At the end of the game, Batman seemingly commits suicide to protect his loved ones, leaving Robin and Barbara to continue fighting crime in Gotham. **Aside from the main story, Robin appears in the ''Batgirl: A Matter of Family'' DLC, set before the series' first installment, wherein he and Barbara (as Batgirl) infiltrate a defunct oil rig to rescue Gordon and other police officers who are being held hostage by the Joker. He is also the main character of the ''A Flip of the Coin'' DLC, set after the events of the main story, where he tries to apprehend
Two-Face Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). As one of Batman's ...
at Hell's Gate Disposal Service while struggling to live up to Batman's legacy. Eventually, Robin was made a playable character in all of the game's challenge maps via an update, and given four alternate costumes: his classic, ''
New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new series ...
'', and ''
One Year Later "One Year Later" is a 2006 comic book storyline running through books published by DC Comics. It involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Universe following the events of the ''Infinite Crisis'' storyline, to explore ...
'' suits from the comics, and Dick Grayson's Robin costume from the 1960s ''Batman ''TV series. * Robin makes a brief appearance in '' Batman: Arkham VR'', voiced by
Tom Austen Thomas Michael Carter (born 15 September 1987), known professionally as Tom Austen, is an English actor, known for his television appearances portraying Jasper Frost on '' The Royals'' and Guy Hopkins on ''Grantchester''. Early life Born in t ...
. Checkmark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources. He is captured and later killed by
Killer Croc Killer Croc is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery. Originally a ...
in the sewers, despite Batman's efforts to save him. At the end of the game, it is revealed that a Joker-possessed Batman orchestrated Robin's death, though it is also implied that the game's events were merely a nightmare in Batman's mind.


''Injustice''

* Tim Drake, as Red Robin, appears on a card in the iOS version of '' Injustice: Gods Among Us''. His name is also listed on a hit list during
Deathstroke Deathstroke (Slade Joseph Wilson) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, the character debuted in '' The New Teen Titans'' #2 in December 1980 as Deathstroke the ...
's victory outro. * Tim Drake, as Red Robin, makes a cameo appearance in ''
Injustice 2 ''Injustice 2'' is a 2017 fighting game, fighting video game it is the sequel to 2013's ''Injustice: Gods Among Us'' and is the second installment in the ''Injustice (franchise), Injustice'' franchise based upon the DC Universe. It is developed ...
'' in
Cyborg A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.
's ending as one of the deceased Teen Titans brought back to life by Cyborg with
Brainiac Brainiac is a colloquial adjective used to describe exceptionally intelligent people. It may also refer to: Culture Fictional entities * Brainiac (character), a fictional supervillain in DC Comics, and an enemy of Superman * Brainiac (story arc), ...
's powers.


Collected editions

Tim Drake's earliest appearances as Robin were reprinted in trade paperback form shortly after their original publication. However, the ongoing series ''Robin'' was not regularly reprinted in trade paperbacks until the beginning of Bill Willingham's run as a writer with issue #121. The entire series was reprinted from that point onwards, as was its successor ongoing series ''Red Robin''. All trade paperbacks from this period have since gone out of print. Beginning in 2015, DC began publishing new editions of trade paperbacks collecting Robin-centric stories starring Tim Drake. These collections began with the story arcs "Rite of Passage" and "Identity Crisis", and continued onward to include the three ''Robin'' miniseries and begin collecting the ''Robin'' ongoing series. Publication of these trade paperbacks stopped after five volumes.


Other collected editions

* ''Batman: A Lonely Place Of Dying'' * ''Batman: Knightfall Vol. 2: Knightquest'' (new edition) (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #7) * ''Batman: Knightfall Vol. 3: KnightsEnd'' (new edition) (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #8–9 and 11–13) * ''Batman: Prodigal'' (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #11–13) * ''Batman: Contagion'' (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #27–28) * ''Batman: Legacy'' (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #32–33) * ''Batman: Cataclysm'' (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #53) * ''Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 2'' (modern edition) (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #67) * ''Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 3'' (modern edition) (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #68–72) * ''Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 4'' (modern edition) (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #73) * ''Batman: New Gotham Vol. 2: Officer Down'' (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #86) * ''Bruce Wayne: Murderer?'' (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #98–99) * ''Batman: War Games Vol. 1'' (modern edition) (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #121, 126–129) * ''Batman: War Games Vol. 2'' (modern edition) (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #130–131) * ''Teen Titans Vol. 5: Life and Death'' (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #146–147) * ''Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul'' (''Robin'' (vol. 4) #168–169 and ''Annual'' #7) * ''Batman: Gotham Shall Be Judged'' (''Red Robin'' #22)


See also

*
Alternative versions of Robin Robin (character), Robin is a fictional character in publications from DC Comics. Robin has long been a fixture in the Batman comic books as Batman's sidekick. Since 1940, several different youths have appeared as Robin. In each incarnation, Robin ...
*
List of Batman supporting characters A collective of fictional characters appear in American comic books published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman as the main protagonist. Since Batman's introduction in 1939, the character has accumulated a number of recognizable suppo ...
*
List of DC Comics characters This is lists of DC Comics fictional characters. Alphabetically * List of DC Comics characters: 0–9 * List of DC Comics characters: A * List of DC Comics characters: B * List of DC Comics characters: C * List of DC Comics characters: D * List ...


References


External links


Robin
at DC Comics' official website
Tim Drake
at DC Comics' official website * * * *
Tim Drake
on
IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

Tim Drake's Bibliography

Podcast interview with Robin comics artist Freddie Williams II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Tim Batman characters Characters created by Marv Wolfman Characters created by Pat Broderick DC Comics sidekicks Comics characters introduced in 1989 DC Comics male superheroes DC Comics martial artists DC Comics child superheroes DC Comics LGBT superheroes DC Comics orphans Fictional acrobats Fictional blade and dart throwers Fictional bojutsuka Fictional business executives Fictional gymnasts Fictional hackers Fictional bisexual males Fictional male detectives Fictional stick-fighters Fictional criminologists Robin (character) Superheroes who are adopted Teenage characters in comics Vigilante characters in comics