37 Years On, DC Just Gave Red Hood A Fate Far Worse Than Dying at the Joker’s Hands

It’s hard to imagine a worse fate for Red Hood than the one he suffered nearly 40 years ago. The second Boy Wonder infamously died at the Joker’s hands in the classic “Death in the Family” storyline, where Jason Todd was savagely beaten with a crowbar before perishing in an explosion. While he eventually returned to the land of the living, that moment has haunted Red Hood for years. But Jason wasn’t the only person traumatized by what happened that day, as Batman continues to view what happened to Jason as the Dark Knight’s greatest failure.

Speaking of Batman, the fears he harbors about his Robins are coming to light in the current DC K.O. Knightfight miniseries. Batman was eliminated in the preliminary round of the tournament for the Heart of Apokolips. However, a special armor revived Batman, giving him a second chance at competing. But now Batman is facing a challenge of his own, jumping between alternate timelines where his former sidekicks have all assumed his mantle. Now Bruce is coming face-to-face with Red Hood’s spin on the Batman legacy and seeing the darkest fate imaginable for him.

Red Hood Becomes Batman And Loses Everything Else

In DC K.O. Knightfight #2 by Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora picks up where the last issue left off, with Bruce facing Dick Grayson’s Batman. Unfortunately, Grayson’s too quick for Bruce, and the older Dark Knight finds himself overwhelmed. But Bruce takes advantage of Dick’s trusting nature and bests him in combat. Realizing that the Heart of Apokolips wants Bruce to show no mercy, Bruce attempts to stab this alternate Grayson. The Heart is satisfied, and Batman is transported from this timeline to a brand-new one, one where Gotham is protected by Jason Todd.

Bruce finds himself trapped in Arkham Asylum, where Jason’s Batman is holding him prisoner. Jason is convinced that Bruce isn’t Bruce, but rather Clayface posing as the hero. Batman knows this is all another one of the Heart’s tests, and while he doesn’t want to keep fighting his family, he attacks Jason and makes a break for it. However, he discovers that in this timeline, Gotham is a ghost town. An eerie green mist blankets the city while a suspiciously Red Hood-like dome covers Gotham entirely.

Jason explains to Batman that after a deadly gas attack by the Joker, Gotham had to be evacuated and sealed off. But Jason stayed behind, having learned how to be alone from Batman. For two decades, Jason has monitored Gotham, patrolling it for anyone foolish enough to try to break in and dealing with the result. Other than that, Jason has been in total isolation for the 20 years since Gotham was transformed, something that absolutely shocks Batman to his core.

A Life of Isolation is So Much Worse Than Death for Jason Todd

While none of this is real and it’s all generated by the Heart of Apokolips in an attempt to stymie Batman, this is an interesting approach to Red Hood. We all look at what happened to Jason in “Death in the Family” as one of the worst things that could have happened to a young hero, right? I mean, it was pretty brutal. But the Heart dug into Batman’s fears and revealed that what Bruce is actually scared of isn’t Jason dying again, but living an empty life.

I’m not trying to minimize the violent end Jason suffered several decades ago. But the potential future seen in DC K.O. Knightfight is arguably worse. Jason is completely alone, save for a handful of people who end up going crazy thanks to exposure to Joker’s toxin. And Jason’s been like that for 20 years. No family, no friends. Just a mission because he believes that’s exactly what Batman would do. Sure, Jason is alive, but if you’re living in literal isolation for years on end, is that really living?

What Jason went through in “Death in the Family” was awful. But what Bruce has just witnessed is, in my opinion, worse. Jason is someone who needs people, whether he admits it or not. The last thing he needs is an environment where he has no one and worse, believes he doesn’t need anybody. Thankfully, it’s just an illusion, but it really puts his most infamous moment in perspective by revealing how much worse things could get for Red Hood.

What do you think about the Red Hood’s fate? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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