Red Robin's History
Red Robin is a vigilante and member of the Batman Family. He became the third Robin at a young age, succeeding Jason Todd as Batman's sidekick. Eventually he would outgrow this position and begin wearing the costume of Red Robin when he's replaced by Damian Wayne.
Origins
Timothy Drake, then a young boy, was in attendance at the circus on the night the Flying Graysons were murdered. Some years later, he saw footage of Batman and Robin apprehending the Penguin, and the lad was deeply impressed when Robin performed a quadruple somersault (a rare maneuver that only Dick Grayson and a few others could perform). When Tim eventually learned that Grayson was Bruce Wayne's ward he (quite impressively) deduced that Wayne had to be Batman, and Grayson, Robin.
Tim followed the adventures of the Dynamic Duo over time, and when a new hero, Nightwing, appeared Tim rightly deduced that he was Dick Grayson who had struck out on his own and assumed this new identity. As a result, Tim began to consider approaching Bruce Wayne in hopes of convincing him that Batman needed a Robin, and that it was him who should assume that mantle.
Batman, eaten up with grief after the death of Jason Todd (at the hands of the Joker), became ever more reckless and dangerous, thus convincing Tim even more strongly that a "replacement" Robin was needed, finally driving him into action. But Tim (much like his soon-to-be mentor, Batman) does not act rashly nor impulsively, instead opting to wait for the optimum time to arrive.
His chance came when he learned that Nightwing had left the Titans for a short time in order to find himself. So Tim followed Dick and convinced him that Batman needed help. Grayson then took Tim to the Batcave and left, as Nightwing, to help Batman deal with the vile Two-Face. Alfred (always the helpful one) insinuated that Tim was brought to the Batcave to help Batman as the new Robin. But with Clayface on the loose, Tim and Alfred became worried about the safety of Batman and Nightwing, and went out to help them.
Tim donned the costume of Robin and with the help of Alfred Pennyworth, and managed to rescue them. Batman accepted Tim as the new Robin on a trial basis. He trained over several months, first with Alfred, then Batman, and, finally, Nightwing.
The Obeah Man captured Tim's parents during a trip to the Caribbean. Janet died in the resulting conflict, and Jack was left with paralysis, this despite Batman's help. He now required the care of a nurse/physical therapist, Dana Winters.
After assisting in the defeat of Scarecrow, Batman finally deemed Tim was ready to fulfill his role as the new Robin. He was given a new costume that set him apart from the previous Robins.
Starting on the Path
Tim had his doubts about becoming the new Robin, but Bruce told him that he had every confidence in Tim being his new partner. Bruce also confided in Tim that he was looking for someone with smarts, not just guts, and Tim had that and more. All that was necessary was for Tim to go through some intensive training before taking to the streets in Gotham. This would involve a tour overseas, helping Tim understand who he was in addition to learning how to be a great fighter.
His first stop was Paris, to learn from Rahul Lama, a Chinese martial arts master. In Paris, Tim crossed paths with some thugs working for King Snake, who was himself being shadowed by Lady Shiva. Shiva actually joined with Robin and a man named Clyde Rawlins (who wanted revenge against Snake for the death of his family) to help take down King Snake's heroin trafficking in the area. It was not that Shiva was opposed to it for any moral reason, she simply wished to learn for herself if King Snake was truly as dangerous as rumors made him out to be; a good challenge for her talents. Together, they discovered that King Snake was interested in more than just drugs: he was going into chemical weapons and manufacturing his own bubonic plague. They followed the trail to Hong Kong, and whilst there, Shiva continued to train with Robin and it was during this time that he acquired his collapsible fighting staff. King Snake's plan was to unleash his plague into Hong Kong so as to leave it a rotting cesspool before the Chinese reclaimed it from the British. The team split up when they breached his lair. Clyde found him first and was quickly killed by Snake. Robin managed to defeat him, but refused to kill him when Shiva ordered him to. He returned to Gotham, ready to take his place alongside the Batman.
Tim distinguished himself from Jason Todd by being far more reserved in temperament and from Dick Grayson by being more cerebral a detective and less a great acrobat. Whereas Dick had been brought up from a very early age to be acrobatic, Tim had to work hard for it. He proved himself more than capable of holding his own alongside the Batman. However, Batman did have strict orders with Tim--whenever Tim came across a known killer (Joker, Two-Face), he was supposed to withdraw and summon help. Tim also started dating a classmate around this time, a young girl named Ariana Dzerchenko, who was the niece of Russian immigrants.
Knightfall
Tim was in Gotham City when Bane broke open Arkham Asylum, unleashing nearly every inmate into the city, and was the first to suggest to Batman that Bane was responsible. He set out with the Batman at first, and initially they had some good progress busting up the Mad Hatter's tea party and bringing in a half dozen or so thugs along with him, however they got separated when Robin decided to pursue Bird (one of Bane's lackeys) while Batman went after Zsasz. Robin was briefly captured by Bane and Killer Croc, but managed to escape. Tim then did some detective work regarding Firefly, but a physically and emotionally drained Batman ordered him to stay in the Batcave while he took on Firefly by himself. Tim saw some action when Riddler held a live TV show hostage (although he had a fake bomb) and helped to apprehend the self-appointed Prince of Puzzler's.
Tim was with Alfred and Jean-Paul Valley when Bane broke the Batman's back and threw him from a rooftop in downtown Gotham. They acquired an ambulance and took Bruce back to the Batcave (despite Tim's initial protestations that he should go to a hospital). He contacted Jim Gordon to get some medicine that Bruce needed. After that, there was nothing he could do but wait and pray alongside Alfred.
Thankfully, Bruce did not die, though when he awoke, he was psychologically scarred, as his defeat at the hands of Bane coupled with months of exhaustion, was a major blow. Tim could barely stand to see his mentor so shattered, but he stayed the course, helping Alfred recruit Dr. Shondra Kinsolving to be his personal physician and wrecking the Porsche to explain how Bruce Wayne could have sustained such injuries. Once Bruce was feeling in better spirits, Tim went to talk to him about the escalating violence and gang wars in Gotham suggesting that someone would have to step in for Bruce until he could recover. Bruce turned down Tim's suggestion to get Nightwing, reasoning that Dick was his own man now with his own responsibilities, which left the task to Azrael, Jean-Paul Valley. Tim gave him the costume and taught him a few of Batman's tricks.
Bruce's condition was particularly heartbreaking for Tim, given that his own father was still paralyzed (although Jack had been making remarkable progress; while still wheelchair-bound, he had much more feeling and could move his arms much better). Robin went on patrol with the new Batman (sometimes referred to by fans as "Az-Bats") and was dismayed when Jean-Paul kept getting more and more aggressive, pushing the edge when it came to defeating criminals. Robin kept trying to remind Jean-Paul that there was more to being Batman than just the costume, but Jean-Paul had quickly lost himself in his role. Meanwhile, Bruce surmised that since Bane had guessed his secret identity, Bane may also have guessed Tim's. So he went to Drake Manor ? too late, for Jack Drake was kidnapped just before Bruce arrived.
Tim continued to try and steer Jean-Paul in the right direction, but he became much more erratic and even lashed out at Robin calling his overtures interference. Tim discovered his father was missing when he headed home after Jean-Paul having made it clear that he would not take directions from Tim. Bruce and Alfred had left Gotham to go search for Jack Drake and Shondra Kinsolving, who had also been taken. Tim kept up the pretense that his father had planned his trip.
Tim felt shut out of the team and the Cave by the time Nightwing dropped by. Tim filled him in on the situation, saying that he blamed himself partly for Jean-Paul's behavior, as it had been Tim who had designed Jean-Paul's original costume, which was very similar to a villain Bruce had recently defeated. That, combined with "the System," (a kind of brainwashing Azrael had undergone) might have been the cause of his recklessness. Nightwing told Tim not to blame himself and also admitted that he was surprised Bruce hadn't asked Tim to fill in while he was injured. Robin showed up when Bane and Jean-Paul had their second sparring and managed to save the passengers of an elevated train while Az-Bats took down Bane. Much to Tim's relief, Jean-Paul did not kill Bane.
Flying Solo
Despite the fact that Azrael did not kill Bane, he was still acting reckless, even out of control in some instances. The System kept playing havoc with Azrael's psyche, and finally he snapped and attacked Robin in the Batcave. Tim might have died if Jean-Paul hadn't overcome the System. Robin decided it was time to leave because the team was dead without Bruce. So he took his custom-made vehicle, the Redbird, and left.
Tim met up with Ariana Dzerchenko, his girlfriend, for their first date in weeks, doing his best to put Jean-Paul, Bruce, and even his Dad's disappearance aside for a few hours. There was some excitement at the party they attended when some masked thugs, the Speedboyz, tried to carjack another student's vehicle and Tim had to intervene. Later that night, Robin decided to try and track them down, only to be confronted by a local county cop, "Shotgun" Smith, who mistook Tim for one of the carjackers. Robin managed to evade arrest and got to work tracking down the Speedboyz. He managed to bust up their gang and leave a phone call for Shotgun, letting him know who to thank.
Going back home, Tim had to blow off Ari, who was beginning to think that he was seeing someone else. Tim decided to make it up to her by taking her to the movies. However, his mind kept wandering having just learned that the Cluemaster, and some other thugs, had escaped from prison. One was the Electrocutioner. Another was Czonk, who decided to create a new identity for himself, the Baffler. The others didn't like the name, so he changed it to Headbanger. Robin got to work investigating, stumbling into Spoiler soon enough. Unsurprised at this, because he knew that Stephanie was the Cluemaster's daughter and had reasoned that she'd turn up eventually. He went to the last known location of the gang and here Robin discovered a clue that the Baffler had left for the police. He followed the clue to the gang's heist: an armored car robbery. He and Cluemaster got sealed inside the car, and the other two (not knowing the car is occupied) put it in a pit and started covering it with cement. Robin could only wait until the others came back but they arrived much earlier than planned because the cops were onto them. With some help from Spoiler, Robin was saved and Cluemaster and his buddies were sent back to jail by Smith.
Robin bumped into Huntress and helped her get out of a jam from her involvement in a gang war with Mandy Paul. Tim reaffirmed that while he had discovered her real identity, he had never told Batman. They came to Mandy's lair only to find a man calling himself Deathangel, trying to "send all sinners to God" with a pair of pistols. After a firefight where Deathangel fled the scene, Robin and Huntress split up, with Robin following Mandy to a church. Huntress found Robin and Deathangel at the church, after correctly guessing that he was really Danny DePaolo, Mandy's brother, a priest at that very church. He was suffering from a delusion caused by his sister's wickedness. Everything led to a final confrontation with Mandy and her goons. Deathangel could not pull the trigger, but his sister could, and she gunned down her brother. Robin kept Huntress from killing him.
Bruce kept his word. He and Alfred found Jack Drake and they returned to Gotham City. Bruce even had his broken back mystically healed during the trip. Once back, Bruce confessed to Tim that he was thinking of permanent retirement. That all changed when he learned that Azrael had let Abattoir die. Bruce was a little angry at Robin for not doing more to stop Azrael, but Tim replied there wasn't much else he could do, considering that Jean-Paul had sealed off the cave and nearly killed both of them in their fight. Breaking into the Batcave, Bruce and Tim found Jean-Paul, who was beyond reason. He did not even refer to himself by name anymore, but simply was the Batman. Bruce decided he would have to retake the mantle by force, but he would need a crash course to return to his physical peak, and that meant going to Lady Shiva. Tim was just happy to have Bruce and his father back safely.
Robin joined with Nightwing to help Bruce, once he had "graduated" from Shiva's training. In the end, Bruce had to confront Jean-Paul himself. Batman told Robin the job was still his, and the dynamic duo was back in action. Jack decided to buy his son a car, or more precisely, a van (one that was wheelchair accessible). Tim had another fight with Ari when he fell asleep while she was trying to talk to him.
Soon after Bruce's return, Zero Hour came into swing, a crisis in time itself. The effects dropped a young Dick Grayson (in his first or second year as Robin) into the present and he and Tim worked together before Zero Hour began to erase everything. Afterward, Bruce decided he needed some time off, and this time he handed the mantle over to the right person, Dick Grayson.
Robin and the new Batman got along great, working against the likes of Two-Face. In his home life, Tim kept trying to make it up to Ari while his dad kept insisting on some bonding time because of his absence. Jack also hired Dana Winters to be his personal physical therapist. On a date with Ari, some teens picked a fight, and Tim had to take some hits, not wanting to reveal his martial arts training (which would lead to his secret identity being revealed). He vented his frustration later that night when he went out with Dick. On another night, when he ran into the teens alone, he got his revenge, but it was spoiled when he visited Ari and found out her uncle had been attacked at his shop by gangsters.
Dick's tenure as Batman quickly came to an end when Bruce decided to return to the job. That event also brought some long needed healing between Bruce and Dick, who were very much like father and son. Bruce redesigned his costume, making it darker than ever.
Robin then had a run in with the KGBeast, but unlike their last encounter, he did not have backup. KGBeast was perfectly willing to kill Tim and destroy most of Gotham City. KGBeast had already put down Harvey Bullock, who only survived due to Robin's knowledge of CPR. The battle against the KGBeast was tough. Robin was tempted to use Bullock's sidearm, but refused. He managed to defeat him just as Batman showed up. Bullock was comatose for a while, but recovered.
Robberies were up recently, and Batman discovered that someone was sending very lame clues to the police department from inside Blackgate Prison. Figuring it was the Cluemaster and the villain would talk to Robin, Batman took Tim to the prison. Cluemaster told them that he was being blackmailed to plan some crimes by some thugs on the outside and that they had kidnapped Stephanie to ensure his cooperation. Batman tracked down their lair and Robin came along. Robin saved her life and rescued her, and after changing into her costume, she insisted on coming along. Batman was not amused, but Stephanie told him that Cluemaster had conned them and was in on the whole thing. While Batman went for another chat with Cluemaster, Robin and Spoiler stayed put until he pointed them in the right direction, where they rounded up the rest of the gang. Spoiler acted like the whole thing was a date, despite Tim's protestations that it was serious business (and that he had a girlfriend already). Afterward, Stephanie paid a visit to her dad in jail.
In an attempt to expand his criminal empire, King Snake came to Gotham. After a brief encounter with King Snake's enforcers alongside Huntress, Robin was told to back off by Batman. Robin next saved the life of Mayor Krol from a disgruntled city employee, but the credit went to another man, someone who had recently been fired for trying to blow the whistle on safety violations around the city.
Following a couple bizarre heists, such as a missing lion, Robin stumbled across Ulysses Armstrong, recently released from juvenile hall. Ulysses had recruited a vagrant who was under the impression he was Julius Caesar (having been influenced by an equally vagrant Maxie Zeus) and together they plotted a crime spree. With some help from Shotgun Smith, Robin foiled the plot. Returning home, he discovered Ari was in his bedroom. She told him she had run away because her uncle was planning on moving away from the city because of the attack on his shop.
Tim might have been in some trouble with his father and maid for Ari spending the night if Jack's physical trainer hadn't come out of Jack's bedroom that morning. Dana had worked wonders on Jack in more ways than one, and he was up and walking about with a cane. Robin got to take his mind of things by helping Batman investigate a string of local robberies perpetrated by a gang of amateur ninjas, one of whom died when he fell off a rooftop. The deceased turned out to be a classmate of Tim's and he learned that the kid had gone to a Ninja Camp. Robin followed another classmate and easily defeated some of the ninjas, though they managed to escape. Tim decided to go undercover and enrolled at the camp using his alias, Alvin Draper. He impressed the camp leaders enough that they let him in on their outfit, provided he could pass one last test. Robin passed with flying colors and arranged for the ninjas to be arrested. Tim got home and learned that Ari's uncle had sold his store and they would be moving at the end of the week.
But things weren't so bad, thanks to a little help from Bruce Wayne. Bruce arranged for Lucius Fox and Wayne Enterprises to buy the store at a very generous price, enough for the family to open another store in a better neighborhood and remain in the city. Ari would even be going to the same school as Tim. Robin felt great. That night on patrol, he heard that Killer Moth had broken out. Figuring Moth for a third tier super lightweight, Robin went after him on his own. Moth had just sold his soul to Neron during Underworld Unleashed and been transformed into Charaxes. The monstrous being shredded its way through some cops and evaded a shootout with Sheriff Smith while capturing Robin, hoping to devour him. Robin was saved by an unknown party before Batman could turn up, and Charaxes was gone.
Robin met the new Green Arrow about that time. Green Arrow and Spoiler joined Robin to take down some gunrunners who were selling guns around Tim's high school. One of Tim's classmates, Karl Ranck, had been given a gun by his dad to protect himself, prompting Tim to tell his father. Jack had a talk with Karl's dad, who took the gun away. Karl then took one of his dad's guns and was killed in a shootout at the school. Tim was so angry that the beat-down he gave the gunrunners might have been much worse had Stephanie and Connor not been there. Tim spotted Stephanie at Karl's funeral and tried to avoid her, prompting Ari to misread the situation. Luckily, Tim managed to straighten that out easily enough. Robin and Spoiler then went after the guy who shot Karl, who was part of a larger street gang. They had to be saved by Batman, who was not happy that Robin decided to go at the gang without more backup than Spoiler. He also reminded Tim that Karl had made the choice to pick up the gun and become a target.
Contagion
Batman sends Robin to track down a plague survivor named Kendall Stuart when the Apocalypse Virus breaks out in Gotham. He reluctantly teams up with Catwoman, but they're both beaten by a bounty hunter named Tracker. Azrael intervenes to save them, but Robin fails when Stuart is shot dead by the Order of St. Dumas. He fights rioters with Nightwing and Huntress, then gets infected when one of them spits in his face. Alfred is forced to take care of him in the Batcave, and Tim hallucinates while dying. He's saved when Azrael deciphers the cure, and dutifully helps the relief efforts even in his weakened state.
Ariana briefly bleaches her hair blonde, and Tim is distressed to realize that she's jealous of Stephanie. He's captured by Maxie Zeus and Julie Caesar, but manages to defeat them both without help. When he meets Wildcat at a car show, he is thrilled to team up with a legendary hero against the Speedboyz.
When Armand Krol dies during Legacy, they realize the Apocalypse Virus was never cured and Tim still has it in a dormant state. Batman travels to the Sudan with Nightwing and Robin where they track down an ancient cure. It's revealed that Ra's al Ghul is controlling the virus, and they're forced to fight through an army of assassins while he escapes. Nightwing and Robin chase his acolytes to Paris, where they stop a terrorist attack on the Louvre. Robin beats up Shen Chi in a surprise showdown, and is forced to work with Henri Ducard. Batman destroys the last of the plague in Gotham, and Robin pursues Ra's with Huntress and Nightwing. They track down his boat The Shrike, and Robin steals data from his computers before escaping while it explodes. Bruce and Tim blame themselves for the number of deaths, and Alfred reminds them they should count everyone they've saved.
Final Night
Robin met Impulse for the first time when their respective classes went on the same skiing field trip in Colorado. Alfred went with Robin, for they had extra business, a plot involving a group called White Heat and Mystral. Tim met Bart early in the trip, and once he saw Bart in uniform, he was able to instantly guess who his identity, much to Bart's surprise. This would mark the beginning of a long and close friendship.
Tim hated that he kept having to mislead Ari ; trouble seemed to come up everywhere, even at a student outing to "Macbeth on the Beach" where Tim had to avoid Helena Bertinelli so she wouldn't recognize him. Tim cared for Ari very much, even if Spoiler kept making passes at him. During the Final Night, the Robin and Spoiler were trapped in a snowdrift along with a thug who tried to kill them with a chainsaw. Spoiler could not understand why Robin tried to save the thug trapped in the snow. While they were digging him out, they found a woman and her child also trapped in the snow and rescued them.
"General" Ulysses Armstrong got out on parole and Robin decided to visit him at home, and remind him that he should stay in line. He knew that Armstrong would not do so, and sure enough, the kid soon joined up with the Toyman (Winslow Schott) to try and steal the toy collection of a local eccentric, Phillip Crouch. Robin tracked them to Crouch's manor, where a fight broke out with some hi-tech, deadly toys. Toyman betrayed Armstrong, and Robin had to rescue him and stop them both. Both were arrested.
As a young child, Bruce Wayne enjoyed watching Roy Raymond, a TV criminologist. His son, Roy Raymond Jr., had a TV show that aired dramatizations of crimes on which he called himself Manstalker. Tim thought the show was a joke, but it couldn't take his mind off things. Ari had been a little distant lately, and his friend Ives was keeping secrets too. On patrol, Robin found Slyfox and his crew trying to rob an insurance company, and of course, Manstalker and his TV crew arrived on scene during a special episode. Robin had to destroy the tape in the camera before heading after the hoods, whom he apprehended.
While Spoiler was out getting into some trouble with Lynx and her goons, Tim was spending time at Ari's. He got the shock of a lifetime while they were alone at her house and she walked out of her room in her underwear, wanting to sleep with him. Tim finally learned what was bothering her; when she had dyed her hair, she had hung out with another guy and the guy tried to rape her. It was an unsuccessful attempt, but it left her feeling very scared and vulnerable. Tim told her that he loved her and said it would be best if they waited to have sex. While Tim and Ari were sharing a tender moment, Ari's uncle and aunt walked in and was cross with them. Ari's uncle was not in the mood to listen to an explanation. Tim had to flee before Ari's uncle strangled him. He decided to go on patrol, where he ran into Spoiler and she explained about Lynx's Ghost Dragons. Robin agreed to work with her, but the Dragons proved too much for them to handle on their own. Robin knew he should tell Stephanie to give up being Spoiler, but he just couldn't do so.
Soon Tim learned that the only secret Ives was keeping was that he had a job dressing as a giant mouse at a kid's restaurant. Ari, however, was transferred to an all girl's school. Tim kept thinking about Spoiler, and when he went to meet her, he found out she had been kidnapped by Czonk, who was back to calling himself the Baffler. Despite being one of the dumbest goons in Gotham, Baffler managed to tie up Robin and Spoiler and planned on leaving them to die in an old project building that was being demolished. He managed to knock himself out, and they ended up having to save him as well as themselves. Afterward, Robin told Stephanie she might have to stop being Spoiler. When he got home (early the next day), he found his dad back from his recent lecture tour and Jack had spoken to Ari's uncle. Tim was grounded, but even when forbidden to leave his room, he managed to solve a crime by watching the news.
Second Sabbatical
During the Genesis crisis, Robin was unable to save a hood who had to tried to kill him from drowning. Feeling depressed, Robin headed for the frontlines. Armstrong was back, this time as adviser to Ali Ben Khadir, a claimant to the throne of the Karoccan Emirate. His rival was being backed by Qurac. With Nightwing's help and a Wayne Tech jet, Robin went over to the war-torn country (the conflict was escalating with the appearance of more mercenaries on either side, such as Deadline). Nightwing managed to stop two armies from clashing outside the capital while Robin penetrated Armstrong's lair. He found that Armstrong and his employer had experienced a falling out, so the boy was arrested and Robin withdrew. Robin had Nightwing drop him off in France, saying that lately he'd been feeling lost and decided he needed to step back for a while. He thought Paris was the right place to start, since his training had never really ended there.
Knowing that Rahul Lama was dead, Tim decided to train in the course of the Iron Master, although he remained in his identity as Robin. He stopped a former student from stealing from the master and also met a girl named Dava Sborscs. The girl was there to learn a single move to add to her arsenal of lethal moves. She wanted to be able to fight in the war that was destroying her native country of Transbelvia. After she left, Lady Shiva arrived looking for her. Robin had to withdraw, leaving the Iron Master to fight her alone, and Shiva killed him. King Snake was also involved again, this time selling weapons to Transbelvia. Robin went after Dava to warn her about Shiva. Back in Gotham, Jack Drake, Ari, and Spoiler were all wondering what had happened to Tim. Robin found Dava, a rebel fighting against the oppressive regime using a special chemical called Aramilla that allows her to move at super speed. Together they easily took down some military thugs, but then Shiva turned up. Not willing to step aside and let her murder Dava, Robin attacked, using the Aramilla to his advantage. Not even Shiva could stand up to Robin moving at super speed. Losing control, Robin beat her to death, just as King Snake sauntered in. While Dava fought King Snake and his minions, Robin performed CPR and managed to revive Shiva. Shiva had absorbed some of the Aramilla, and at super speed, she took down all of King Snake's men and went after King Snake herself. Robin left them to fight each other and brought an injured Dava to safety. But the war continued, and Robin decided it was finally time to return home.
Cataclysm
Robin joined with Batman and the rest of the "family," overwhelmed at the near total destruction of the entire city. There was little that Robin could do in such chaos, and Batman asked him to stay out of most of the city. Luckily, the Drake home, in one of the outer neighboring communities, suffered only minor damages and they were able to effect repairs. During the Aftershock, Ari and Stephanie were both staying in a shelter with their families. Stephanie asked Robin to retrieve her costume, worried someone would steal it and learn her secret. Cluemaster was waiting there, but Robin took him down and turned him in to the National Guard.
After spending more time with Stephanie, Robin decides he really does care for her, and that he has to break things off with Ari rather than keep her hanging on. Fortunately, Ari feels exactly the same way about a breakup, although she says it is because they are too young to pursue a relationship. Ari is not seen again. (see the Talk page for more on this development)
At this same time, Robin also became one of the charter members of Young Justice. See that entry for more information about his details with that team.
Tim and Spoiler got along wonderfully. She didn't pry about his real identity, and he could share being Robin with her. After their first real date, Stephanie told him that she was pregnant. Robin was not responsible for her condition, but he stood by her. Disguised as Alvin Draper, he went to lame classes and told her that she had to give up being Spoiler until after the baby was born. Later, Robin had to save his friends Ives and Hudson from Steeljacket. At school, a friend of Tim's was found dead in the woods and two bullies were suspected of killing him. While Tim initially believed they were innocent, he soon found evidence of their guilt, which led to their arrest.
With all of Gotham in ruins, Jack Drake decided the family should relocate from Gotham Heights for a while. He decided to move to Keystone City. When they arrived, Robin teamed with the Flash to take on the Riddler and Captain Boomerang. They also got some help from Superman to stop a bomb threat. While they were in Keystone, Stephanie went into labor (earlier than expected) and needed a C-section. Flash got Robin back to Gotham in time for him to come to the hospital. The baby was born and Stephanie gave the child up for adoption. Jack was furious with his son for running home to Gotham, but admitted that he had hated Keystone and also wanted to come back. Robin even managed to help Shotgun Smith take down three monstrous thugs who held hostage an emergency room.
No Man's Land
Recalled to Gotham City by Batman, Robin and Nightwing had to crawl through an extensive system of tunnels and underground chambers, as the bridges were all down and patrols kept them from crossing the river. They had a tussle with Tommy Mangles and Gearhead, but Nightwing easily defeated them and got into the city. Robin was depressed by the despair and desperation he witnessed in people fighting to survive. Batman put Robin to work immediately, ordering him to track down a cache of food from an old shelter. Robin found it and discovered the Ratcatcher there. Robin had to flee from the Ratcatcher and his legions of rats, though a combination of rat bites and exposure to sewage gave him a fever. He managed to stave it off with some antibiotics, and was found by a group of children known as the Wolflings, including a kid Robin knew from his school who was calling himself Aragoth. The Wolflings decided to find the stores, and Robin was too sick to follow them at first. The kids found it, but so did the Ratcatcher and Mister Freeze. Robin managed to defeat both Freeze and Ratcatcher, arranging for them to be arrested. Batman was impressed with Robin's actions. Robin did not have much time to recover, as he knew Batman and the others were fighting for their lives. Robin was captured by Killer Croc, who was planning an all-out battle with Penguin and his police allies. Alfred helped free Robin and he rallied with Bullock and Penguin to defeat Croc. He then had to make the hard decision to call his father and tell him that he was in Gotham and that there was no way out. Jack made a lot of noise, and Washington took notice. Federal agents were ordered to stage a rescue. Tim was told to come to Grant Park to be extracted. The rescue site turned into a fire fight, but Tim was successfully lifted out with some help from the new Batgirl.
Brentwood Academy
Jack decided to enlist his son in Brentwood Academy, a private high school not too far from home. Because of Tim's many absences, Jack also insisted that he board at the school. His first roommate was Ali Ben Khadir, the religious leader of a small country called Dhabar; Ali also had a bodyguard, Zugir. Bruce assigned Alfred to be Tim's personal valet for the rest of the semester. Tim decided life at the school wasn't so bad. He still got to see Spoiler and even created a new hi-tech skateboard. There were some people who had been transformed into Man-Bat-like creatures that warranted investigating. With help from Nightwing, he learned that the bats were Kirk and Francine Langstrom and their child. He had to ask Jason Bard for help. Bard had been entrusted with an antidote by Man-Bat years ago. The serum worked on the parents, but not the child.
Young Justice
Much like Dick Grayson, Tim Drake has allied himself with the other superheroes in his age demographic. He mostly worked with the Gotham City heroes, but on occasion joined forces with other heroes such as Superman, the Flash, Superboy (who became Tim's best friend) and Impulse. During one adventure where a preteen boy was given god-like powers, Robin, Superboy and Impulse joined forces to defeat him. The boys worked so well together that they created their own team of heroes called Young Justice. Robin acted as the leader of the team until he temporarily quit following the Imperiex War. During that mission, the group was tortured on Apokolips. Afterward, Robin discovered that over half the team, including Superboy, Wonder Girl, Impulse and Cissie King-Jones (formerly Arrowette), no longer trust him. The Justice League had discovered that Batman kept contingency plans on them, and the younger heroes began to wonder if Robin might also have plans to defeat or even kill them. Secret, who has deep feelings for Robin, along with new members Empress and Lil' Lobo however remained trusting of Robin. Still, feeling hurt as well as strained by problems in his personal life, Robin quit temporarily.
When Tim returned, the team agreed to elect their leader, and Tim lost to Wonder Girl. The team still looked at Tim as its tactical expert, aiding Wonder Girl, in leadership, similar to Batman's own position in the JLA. Unwilling to quit Young Justice a second time, Tim took on the identity of "Mister Sarcastic" at a point where Young Justice agreed to become reality TV stars. Soon after, Secret was turned evil by Darkseid, and it was Tim who managed to save the world by reminding Greta of her humanity.
Graduation Day
The Titans and Young Justice are both approached by the corporation Optitron who want to fund them as a massive tax write-off, but Nightwing angrily refuses. Outside this building they're attacked by an android named Indigo, but the team is decimated by bad coordination. Robin broods over his hospitalized teammates believing it's his fault for letting them get hurt, and the android releases a rogue Superman Robot that kills Omen. There's a massive battle and Donna Troy is killed. In the wake of this tragedy, Young Justice decides to disband because their lack of experience gets people hurt. Cyborg offers to mentor them instead.
Teen Titans
Beast Boy, Cyborg and Starfire decide to mentor the next generation of heroes as the new Teen Titans. They establish a Titans Tower in San Francisco and invite Robin alongside Impulse, Superboy and Wonder Girl to join them on a weekends-only basis. Their first battle is against Deathstroke who attacks them saying that kids shouldn't wear costumes, although he's revealed to be possessed by Jericho. They end their first weekend when the Justice League visits and the two teams battle over a misunderstanding, with Robin fighting his mentor until Nightwing tells the League to trust the next generation.
On his 16th birthday, Tim is so busy that he forgets and his friends plan him a surprise party. He receives a present that appears to be a hologram of Alfred from the future. This message tells him that one member of the Batman Family will betray the rest, and turn Gotham into a subjugated nightmare. Robin works hard to determine which of his friends could be the traitor. Eventually it's revealed that this was a hoax engineered by Batman to test Tim's detective skills.
Unmasked!
Beginning his junior year at the unfamiliar Louis E. Grieve Memorial High School, Tim quickly makes friends with Bernard Dowd and Darla Aquista. Batman gives him a new motorcycle, and his parents catch him with a black eye after fighting crime. Robin Tim Drake 0068
The hitman he was fighting gains powers and becomes Johnny Warlock. Warlock takes over crimelord Henry Aquista's business, then seemingly dies trying to kill Robin and Spoiler. During his weekend with the Titans, Robin takes a joyride in a stolen Batmobile and helps rescue Raven by defeating Brother Blood. Warlock hires the assassin Scarab to kill Robin when he's forced to leave the country. Jack Drake catches his son lying about the black eye, and confronts Bruce Wayne after finding Robin equipment hidden in Tim's room. Tim's father demands that he quit being a superhero, and threatens to expose their secrets. Tim reluctantly accepts that he has to give up being Robin.
This puts a strain on his relationship with Stephanie, although Tim says being normal gets easier every day. Stephanie catches Darla kissing Tim and begins avoiding him. Batman agrees to train her as Tim's replacement when she makes her own Robin costume and sneaks into the Batcave. When Tim learns of this he tries to talk to Steph, but she continues to avoid him. Scarab begins systematically murdering teens who look like Tim in an effort to complete her contract on Robin. Superboy visits Gotham and deduces Tim's identity by careful listening. He tries to persuade him to come back to the Titans, but Tim insists he is happier giving up the responsibilities of being a superhero. Batgirl protects Tim while Batman and Robin go after Scarab. Bruce eventually fires Stephanie for disobeying orders.
War Games
When the city is plunged into gang war, Tim's dad urges him to stay at home although he is uncomfortable. Darla is targeted by the Odessa Mob and the Ventriloquist, who send hitmen to kill her at school. Tim is forced to protect other students in his civilian identity, although Darla still gets hit by a bullet. Batman, Batgirl and Nightwing finally arrive to help him deal with the situation. They prevent any deaths, but Darla still leaves in critical condition. Tim decides to break his promise and become Robin again to help. Batman is not surprised to see him back, and they partner up again. He asks Nightwing for advice on his situation. Robin is alerted with all the others when Batman realizes the gangwar was one of his "war game" contingency plans. Tim confesses to his dad that he's become Robin again, and his dad begrudgingly realizes that the city needs him. Jack Drake and Dana Winters volunteer at the Thompkins clinic. Robin helps GCPD hold their barrier at the Robinson Park riot. He rescues Batman and allows him to go after the Orpheus impostor revealed to be Black Mask. Robin takes down Mr. Fun, the Ravens, and Trickster, then takes a break and spends time with his dad. When they rally at the siege on Gotham Clock Tower, Robin takes down Scarebeast by parlaying with the cops ordered to shoot on sight. The crisis ends, but Stephanie dies of her injuries in the Thompkins clinic. Bruce told Tim about her death afterwards, and noticed that he did not cry or make a sound. Tim returns to active duty with the Titans shortly afterward.
Titans Tomorrow
Tim encounters his future self in the identity of Batman after his mentor dies in a crisis. This future happens despite his repeated statement that he does not want to be the next Batman, and is rather content being Robin. In this timeline, Tim is now the leader of the future Titans with himself as Batman. After Bruce Wayne's death, Tim has the Titans take control of the entire West Coast. He orders any rebellions put down by Dark Raven absorbing the people's free will and hope. He even hunts down most of Batman's Rogues Gallery and kills them with the handgun that was used to kill Thomas and Martha Wayne. As he explains to his younger self, 'It took me years to do it.' He even begins a relationship with Bette Kane, who becomes his partner, Batwoman. He later kills her during an argument. Wracked with guilt, he made a deal with Ra's al Ghul to restore her using the Lazarus Pit. Once revived, she joined the Titans East (led by an older version of Cyborg) and opposed Batman and his team. His latest victim before the younger Teen Titans show up was Duela Dent, the Joker's daughter, whom he murders out of revenge for the death of assorted people including Cassandra Cain and Alfred Pennyworth.
Identity Crisis
Tim, along with the rest of the superhero community, tries to keep all of his loved ones safe after some tragic attacks upon the family members of the Justice League. One night, while Batman and Robin were investigating these crimes, they receive an incoming transmission from Oracle that Tim's father needs to speak to him immediately. It turned out that there's an intruder in the Drake home and a mysterious note with a gun was for Jack suggests that he protect himself. Jack tells Tim that he is proud of him, and that he is not responsible if something bad happens. The intruder is revealed to be the hired killer Captain Boomerang. Jack fired as Captain Boomerang unleashed a razor boomerang and the two killed one another before Batman and Robin could make it back to the scene. Like Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson before him, Tim Drake had now lost both of his parents to crime.
Bludhaven
After Identity Crisis, Bruce Wayne offered to adopt Tim, who was not initially fond of the idea. Tim falsified records to create an uncle who would become his legal guardian. He then moved in with his 'Uncle Eddie' in Bl�dhaven (Nightwing's previous stomping grounds), while his stepmother received treatment at a psychiatric hospital. Although Tim covered his tracks well, Batman was still able to figure out the truth. Rather than being angry, Batman is impressed with Tim's subterfuge. He even offers to teach Tim to cover his tracks completely.
To Kill a Bird
Soon afterward, a military superhero legend called the Veteran attempted to recruit Robin. Tim, now concerned with his own mission rather than Batman's, took the Veteran's offer under consideration and went on a mission with his team to get a feel for the job. Tim eventually turned down the offer. Some time after this, Jason Todd, long thought dead, returned as the new Red Hood. Angered that someone has replaced him as Robin, Jason broke into Titans Tower wearing a version of his own Robin costume (only previously seen in the back-pages of volume one-era Teen Titans). Quickly immobilizing the other Titans, Jason confronted Tim to see if the new Boy Wonder was really as good as everyone claimed. The two Robins fought, until at last Jason struck Tim down in the Hall of Fallen Titans. Although Tim was defeated, Jason demanded to know if he still believed himself to be as good as people say, to which Tim replied with a defiant 'Yes' before Todd rendered him unconscious. Jason spared Tim's life, simply tearing off the 'R' shaped emblem from his chest. In the epilogue of the story, Jason has developed a grudging sort of respect for Tim, wondering if he would have been a better Robin and a better person, had he had friends like the Titans.
Infinite Crisis
As in the events surrounding the Infinite Crisis storyline, Robin, along with the Veteran's forces, had to defend the city of Bl�dhaven against an army of OMACs who had captured dozens of metahumans for immediate extermination. After a virus deactivated the cyborgs (see also: The OMAC Project), Tim, the Shadowpact and the Veteran's team captured the metahumans. With Bl�dhaven safe, Wonder Girl arrived on the scene asking Robin for help. Along with the Teen Titans, the Doom Patrol and the Justice Society of America, he battled against Superboy-Prime, who had violently assaulted their world's Superboy. The fight overwhelmed Conner's body to the point where it began eating away at itself for energy.
After Robin's departure from Bl�dhaven, the city was destroyed by the Society. Although he worried about his stepmother, his "uncle" and Nightwing, Tim continued to Titans Tower. He then led a successful assault on one of Lex Luthor's genetic research bases to find a cure for Superboy. With Bl�dhaven still in chaos, Superman left Robin in command of all the superhero rescue efforts. But when the government put the city on complete lock down, the Titans were kicked out. Following the discovery of Superboy's death at the North Pole, Robin joined the rest of the world's heroes in a final battle against the Society in Metropolis. Although the heroes won the battle, many on both sides were injured and killed.
52
After the Infinite Crisis ended, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Tim Drake went on a trip to retrace Bruce Wayne's original journey around the world in his quest to become Batman. At a ceremony honoring Superboy one year after his death, Robin attended in a new costume made up primarily red and black. When asked why by Jimmy Olsen), he explained that they were the colors of Conner's costume.
One Year Later
When Batman and Robin return to Gotham, they work better together and start a crime-purge. Having trained together, they are able to wipe out major super-crime in a month. Bruce informs Tim that since his parents died he has decided to adopt him, and Tim joyously accepts. Robin is framed for murder when Lynx turns up dead in a Batgirl suit and Cassandra Cain goes missing. He is forced to break David Cain out of prison for the ransom, but it turns out Cassandra is responsible. Cassandra has turned evil and taken over the League of Assassins, now wanting Tim to fight at her side. He refuses and barely escapes alive. It's shown that Tim leads the new Teen Titans, and he tries to put the team back together with Cyborg. When Wonder Girl learns he is trying to clone the dead Superboy, they share a grief-stricken kiss.
Teenage Wasteland
When Robin goes undercover to stop a crew of kidnappers, the wannabe super-hero Dodge interferes and is put into a coma. Tim blames himself for this, but talks through these problems while convincing a teenager not to commit suicide. He teams up with Klarion the Witch-Boy and Teekl when a Limbo Town resident named Uriah attempts to create a Judgment Beast. Tim goes on a successful date with his classmate Zoanne Wilkins, although they are interrupted by the super-villain Jitter. On Halloween he goes after the serial killer Scary Mary. Jamie Harper enlists him to fight a metahuman street gang called Lords of the Avenues, and Cassandra returns to murder his enemies. Zoanne breaks up with Tim because she believes he is not ready for a relationship. Deathstroke puts together his own team of super-villains called the Titans East to battle the Teen Titans.
The Big Leagues
On his first Father's Day with Bruce, Tim plans a nice evening and has to fight the Jury so he can make it home in time. Dodge returns to take revenge with a crew including the villains Brutus, Cheater, Macro, Micro, Skill and Tapeworm. Robin takes them down with the help of Zatara and Ravager posing as Skill to be their spy. Dodge realizes his mistake and dies a hero, protecting Robin as his powers finally kill him. Tim has a relapse into violence on the anniversary of his father's death, but swears to honor him by improving. The Teen Titans have another encounter with the Titans Tomorrow despite two of their present day deaths.
The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul
Damian arrives in the Batcave to warn everyone that Ra's al Ghul has returned. They have a rematch when Robin doesn't believe him, although Alfred scolds Tim. Wayne Manor is attacked by the League of Assassins, and Nightwing is forced to let them be captured while he rescues the Insect Girls. Ra's asks Tim to serve at his side and realize his true potential, promising to resurrect his parents. Batman is forced to choose whether Ra's will use Robin or Damian as his new host body, and Batman offers to take him to Nanda Parbat instead. Robin and Damian escape and fight their way through White Ghost's ninjas. Tim reconsiders the offer Ra's made and decides to sacrifice himself for his lost friends and family. Nightwing fights to stop him until I-Ching breaks them apart. Tim is allowed to make the decision on his own and chooses not to, breaking down in tears. They travel to Nanda Parbat and fight an army of ninjas, until Rama Kushna saves them from Ra's in his new body. The four men realize it's Christmas on the plane-ride home, and toast to family.
Violent Tendencies
Robin begins chasing a new vigilante who reminds him of Spoiler named Violet. He takes down Condiment King, and Harper puts him in contact with her corrupt superior officers Marcus Wise and Roman Cavallo. They are working for the Penguin and use Robin to wipe out his competition, starting with Maxie Zeus's illegal casino. Sebastian Ives is diagnosed with treatable cancer and Tim supports him. He chases Violet to a Korean counterfeiting operation, where they're interrupted by someone wearing a Spoiler costume. He loses track of both women, but later hunts down "Spoiler" with Batman. She reveals that she is actually Stephanie Brown, having only faked her death. Tim gives her a huge kiss and they talk through the details. Robin and Spoiler become a crime-fighting duo again, although this creates a rift between Tim and Zoanne.
Batman R.I.P.
Batman and Robin take the new Batmobile out for a test drive, stopping a wannabe named Green Vulture. Tim worries about Bruce's mental health since the Th�gal Ritual, and is angry that no one will tell him the results of Damian's paternity test. Batman goes missing and Robin searches the city for him with Spoiler, believing he has lost his mind. He takes down the Sprang Bridge Soldiers, makes a deal with Penguin and brings Jamie Harper deeper into his confidence. While Robin is reading through the Black Casebook, he's ambushed by Pierrot Lunaire and Swagman of the Club of Villains. Robin tears the city apart, vowing that he will either save Batman or take him down. It's revealed that Spoiler has been sabotaging his efforts, and she explains that Batman asked her to. Believing that Tim will have to take over when he's gone, Batman ordered Stephanie to make sure he doesn't intervene. Tim is furious at Stephanie. Robin escapes from Pierrot and Swagman to alert Knight and Squire. He rallies the Club of Heroes and they deal with the Black Glove all over Gotham. Robin arrives at Arkham in time to see Batman fighting Doctor Hurt. He explains the situation to Gordon as Hurt's helicopter goes down.
Search for a Hero
Robin tries to protect Gotham in Batman's absence, as the gangs and police begin rioting. Jason Todd tries to take control of the gangs, but Robin has him put in Blackgate. Spoiler continues testing Robin, hiring mercenaries like Jaeger and Scarab while he's already fighting Lynx. Jason Bard takes down Cavallo and Wise, making them work for Robin, then begins dating Jamie Harper. The General returns as Red Robin, then becomes Anarky while Lonnie Machin is paralyzed. When the riots reach a climax at Anarky's manipulation, Tim wears the Red Robin costume and adopts a grimmer persona. Spoiler worries that to make him a better hero she's made Robin a worse person, and Tim recognizes that he must do whatever it takes to keep Gotham safe.
Lady Shiva challenges Robin to a fight to the death. He makes peace with his loved ones and breaks up with Zoanne Wilkins. Shiva breaks three of his ribs, but he defeats her by poisoning her food earlier in the day. Tim also fights the Obeah Man when he gets out of prison in Haiti, and has him extradited to a US prison.
Battle for the Cowl
Bruce Wayne is apparently killed by Darkseid during Final Crisis, leaving a power vacuum in Gotham City. There's a massive gang war and the entire Network is enlisted to help, leading Robin to team up with Squire. Tim tries to convince Dick to become the new Batman, but Dick refuses and Jason Todd begins wearing a Batsuit to gun down criminals. Tim responds to this by putting on a Batsuit and taking to the streets, but Todd impales him with a Batarang through the chest. Tim is barely rescued from dying by Damian and Squire when Jason's make-shift Batcave collapses, and Dick avenges him by defeating Jason and deciding to finally become Batman.
Red Robin
Tim believes Bruce is still alive somewhere after seeing a painting of his "ancestor" Mordecai Wayne in Wayne Manor. He is angered when Dick chooses Damian Wayne to be Robin instead of him, and nobody believes him when he insists that Bruce is still alive somewhere. Traveling to Europe to investigate Bruce's disappearance, he begins wearing the Red Robin costume as it will allow him to become darker without tarnishing an existing symbol. In Paris he's attacked by Owens, Pru and Z of the League of Assassins but it's revealed that this is Ra's al Ghul reaching out to help him. These assassins help him fight the Wild Huntsman when he infiltrates a museum, and Ra's is explains that they are completely in Tim's service. This leads him to a cave painting that proves Bruce is lost in time, but outside they're attacked by Widower of the Council of Spiders who kills Owens and Z.
Blackest Night
Red Robin is called back to Gotham by Batman and Robin when their old enemies start rising from their graves as members of the Black Lantern Corps. He arrives in the Batplane to save them from a siege at GCPD Headquarters by sweeping the building with flame-throwers and airlifting them out. His father Jack Drake becomes a zombie and reenacts his own death with Captain Boomerang, to get an emotional response from Tim and feed off his life-energy. Dick and Tim use Mister Freeze's Freeze Gun to avoid the zombies' detection, then have Deadman unfreeze them and pass on their information to others.
Council of Spiders
Ra's al Ghul has Red Robin and Tam Fox kidnapped by the White Ghost. Drake is put in charge of the League of Assassins while they're attacked by the Council of Spiders, as Drake is the only person to survive an encounter with the council. He sets up fake assassinations across the world to bait the Spiders, but they slaughter his men and infiltrate the League's headquarters to kill Ra's. Drake is barely able to save Tam and Ra's is seemingly killed by their leader the Wanderer. Despite the entire League of Assassins having been killed by them, Drake takes on all of the Spiders simultaneously and wins. Before leaving with Tam he uses the League's computers to blow up all of their facilities across the planet, and Ra's announces he will retaliate by destroying Wayne Enterprises.
Collision
Tim reunites with Conner Kent in Paris, while trying to look for a Mother Box in order to get to New Genesis. After looking for one of Lex Luthor's labs in the catacombs of Paris, Tim broke down and told Conner of the hardships he'd faced. Conner emotionally supported him, also believing that Bruce is alive.
Returning to Gotham, Tim takes down Killer Moth and tries to reconcile his new grim persona with his old life. Ra's announces that he will kill those dearest to Bruce Wayne, and Tim teams up with Batgirl to save Leslie Thompkins. Pru gives them inside information on Ra's plans, but they are ambushed by the Seven Men of Death. They are able to survive these assassins, and Tim enlists Batman and Robin to help as he believes Ra's is planning something larger. Tim uses his connections in the Network and the Titans to rescue the hostages, explaining that unlike Batman he has friends. To stop Hush from transfering control of the company to Ra's, Lucius Fox has Tim appointed CEO of Wayne Enterprises. Ra's is outraged and kicks Tim out a window, although he calls him "detective" and privately admits he'd like Tim to father an heir. Tim apologizes to his friends for the dark direction he's taken, and reveals his evidence that Bruce is still alive. Vicki Vale publishes an article saying he is engaged to Tam Fox. Alfred designs a modified costume for Tim, allowing him to truly become his own person.
The Hit List
After dealing with Ra's al Ghul's attempt to destroy the Bat-family, Tim Drake began a new quest of his own to take down several of the Bat-family's currently active foes, starting with the new Lynx. He also enlisted the help of Lonnie Machin (formerly Anarky) to be his "Oracle," had a confrontation with Damian Wayne, and captured Ulysses Armstrong, who had stolen the Anarky persona. When Bruce Wayne returned after being lost in time, he sought out Tim and helped him defeat the Council of Spiders in a battle at Amsterdam, with a little help from Prudence, Tim's ally, formerly of the League of Assassins. Later, after Bruce had established Batman Incorporated, Tim, as Red Robin, traveled to Hong Kong, where he contacted Cassandra Cain, the former Batgirl. Cassandra was still affiliated with the Bat-family, but had no interest in returning to Gotham City. Nevertheless, he gave her a duplicate of her old costume, which she accepted. After he returned to Gotham City, Red Robin sprang Lynx from prison, the latter having claimed to be an undercover Hong Kong Police Officer, who kissing him in return. Batman was mildly annoyed by this, but gently offered to give Tim advice on his dealings with Selina Kyle, as Tim considered Lynx to be on the road to becoming his own personal Catwoman. Tim then revealed that a Neon Knights center had been established in Gotham City, and that they would be preventing young people from turning to crime while the Bat-Family fought crime.
The Rabbithole
Tim's next mission was to investigate the supervillain communications network, the Unternet, and discern how to either control it, or destroy it. He traveled to Russia, with Tam Fox in order to find out whether or not industrialist Viktor Mikalek had anything to do do with it. He was met with an icy reception from Red Star, who told him to be careful when dealing with Mikalek, as his actions had contributed greatly to the Russian economy. Tim and Tam arrived at Mikalek's headquarters, and were discussing a proposal to set up a Neon Knights center in Moscow, when a vigilante calling herself Promise broke into the meeting room and started to attack Mikalek. Red Star appeared to resolve the situation, but Promise managed to escape. Later, as Red Robin, Tim looked for Promise with the help of Lonnie Machin, who has been rendered catatonic following torture by [The General], and was now only able to communicate by a special computer, thus allowing him to hack anything. Tim tracked Promise to her hideout, and after a brief conversation, Red Star attacked them, thinking that Red Robin was in league with "the terrorist." Meanwhile, Tam and Lonnie had hacked into the Unternet, and Red Robin had given Promise a comlink. After a fierce chase, Red Robin found himself aboard Red Star's ship, where he discovered dozens of missiles. At this moment, one of the Calculator's (who had set up the Unternet) defenses was activated, which resulted in Red Robin, Tam, Promise, and Lonnie being knocked unconscious and their consciousness being absorbed into the Unternet. There they discovered a very surreal world where all of the persons inside manifested as they saw themselves, with the Riddler representing Tim Drake's mind figuring things out. After a series of scuffles with manifestations of the likes of the Joker and Deathstroke, they encountered Promises's manifestation, who revealed to them the meaning and purpose of the Unternet, and that Viktor Mikalek wished to regulate it, and make the world's supervillains pay him to use it. Tim, Tam, and Promise were able to escape, leaving Lonnie behind as a spy and to police the Unternet.
Shortly thereafter, Tim discovered that the Calculator had constructed hundreds of androids that looked like him, and had sent one such android to kill Tam Fox (the attempt failed) in an attack instigated by Catman. Tim realized that he would need some help tracking down the real Calculator. Thus, he contacted the Teen Titans, who met with him. The Titans were very happy to see him, with the exception of Damian Wayne, who had joined the Titans as Robin. The group set out in the Teen Titan's jet, and found that the Calculator's base of operations seemed to be in Istanbul. They used Damian to draw out one of the Calculator's androids, and followed it to one of the city's most popular nightclubs. After the Calculator android explodes, Kid Flash barely got Robin out of the way. Red Robin then realized in shock that there are several Calculator androids scattered throughout the crowd. Acting quickly, the group destroyed the Calculator robots and entered the location where Calculator's signal was originating; a nightclub. Digging underneath the building, the team stumbled across what appeared to be Calculator himself, who revealed to them that he had tortured and killed Kid Eternity. He then deployed a set of other more powerful robots against the Titans. Red Robin worked with Robin to destroy a few of these robots, and helped him to realize that this Calculator was also an android, the latter destroying it a few minutes later. In the aftermath of this occasion, Red Robin rejoined the Teen Titans, but Robin resigned, telling the former that the team "already had a Robin." Tim eventually discovered that the source of the Unternet was the Madmen, who had been turned by Darkseid into living servers for it. Red Robin lured them to Gotham City where he was forced to fight with them. He finally managed to render them catatonic, and thus disabling the Unternet, by contriving for them to hooked up to the Gotham City power plant.
