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

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Few things are as tragic for Red Hood as his death nearly 40 years ago. As the second Robin, Jason Todd was brutally beaten and killed by the Joker in the famous “Death in the Family” story, dying in an explosion. Though he later came back to life, that event has deeply affected Red Hood ever since. However, Jason wasn’t the only one scarred by the tragedy; Batman still considers it his biggest failure.

The current DC K.O. Knightfight comic series is revealing Batman’s anxieties about his former Robins. After being knocked out early in a tournament for the Heart of Apokolips, Batman was unexpectedly brought back into the competition thanks to special armor. However, he’s now battling versions of himself from different timelines—timelines where his former sidekicks have become Batman. This forces Bruce Wayne to confront how others interpret his legacy, including the particularly grim vision of Red Hood, and to face a potentially devastating future for himself.

Red Hood Becomes Batman And Loses Everything Else

The second issue of DC K.O. Knightfight continues the battle between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson’s version of Batman. Dick proves to be faster and initially overpowers Bruce, but Bruce uses Dick’s good nature against him to win the fight. Knowing that the Heart of Apokolips wants him to be ruthless, Bruce tries to seriously injure Dick. This satisfies the Heart, and Batman is then sent to another timeline where Jason Todd is Gotham’s protector.

It’s just… heartbreaking, seeing Bruce locked up in Arkham, held captive by Jason, who thinks he’s Clayface! Bruce knows this is another one of the Heart’s twisted tests, and he doesn’t want to hurt Jason, not his family, but he had to fight his way out. What’s even worse is what he found when he escaped. Gotham… it’s a ghost town. A creepy green fog hangs over everything, and the whole city is sealed off under this weird, Red Hood-shaped dome. It’s terrifying, and I’m so worried about what this means for everyone.

Jason tells Batman that after the Joker’s dangerous gas attack, Gotham City was evacuated and closed off to the outside world. However, Jason remained, remembering the lessons Batman taught him about surviving alone. For the past twenty years, he’s been secretly watching over Gotham, stopping anyone who tries to enter and cleaning up the aftermath. Beyond that, Jason has lived in complete solitude since the city changed, a revelation that deeply disturbs Batman.

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

This entire scenario isn’t real; it’s a creation of the Heart of Apokolips designed to hinder Batman. However, it offers a fascinating take on Red Hood. We often consider Jason Todd’s death in “Death in the Family” as a terrible tragedy for a young hero. But the Heart has tapped into Batman’s deepest fears, revealing that Bruce isn’t afraid of Jason dying again—he’s afraid of a meaningless existence.

I don’t want to downplay the tragedy of Jason Todd’s death years ago. However, the future depicted in DC K.O. Knightfight might actually be more bleak. Jason is utterly isolated, surrounded only by people driven mad by the Joker’s toxin, and has been this way for two decades. He’s lost all family and friends, and continues his work solely out of a sense of duty to what he believes Batman would want. While he’s technically alive, spending years in complete isolation raises the question of whether that’s truly living.

Okay, so “Death in the Family” was rough for Jason Todd, no doubt. But seeing what Bruce just went through? Honestly, I think it’s even more disturbing. Jason, deep down, needs connection, even if he acts like he doesn’t. To be completely isolated, to feel like you don’t need anyone… that’s a terrifying place for him to be. Thankfully, it turns out to be a false reality, but it really reframes Jason’s most well-known tragedy. It makes you realize things could have been so much worse for Red Hood, and that’s a chilling thought.

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2025-12-06 01:43