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TITLE:
The Origin of Robin
STORY ARC: None
WRITER:
E. Nelson Bridwell
ARTIST:
Ross Andru
INKER:
Mike Esposito
EDITORS:
E. Nelson Bridwell
CHARACTERS:
Batman (Bruce Wayne); Robin (Dick Grayson); George "Boss" Zucco; John Grayson; Mary Grayson;
Jack Haly
PLOT:
Dick Grayson, a young boy, is part of the Flying Graysons acrobatic troupe in the Haly Circus. He is horrified to see his parents fall to their death one night when the ropes of their trapeze break during a performance. Later, still grieving, Dick passes by the office wagon of Jack Haly, the owner, and overhears hoods warning Daly to pay up protection money or suffer more such "accidents". Dick is about to run to the police and tell what he knows when a gloved hand on his shoulder restrains him. The Batman tells Dick that if he did so, "Boss" Zucco, who is the crooks' boss and secretly runs nearby Newtown, would have Dick killed within the hour. Batman drives Dick off in the Batmobile, intending to get him to a place of safety. On the way he tells Dick that his parents were also killed by a criminal. Dick insists on being given a chance to avenge John and Mary Grayson's deaths, and finally breaks Batman down with his pleas. Batman takes Dick to the Batcave, makes him swear to fight crime and corruption and never to swerve from the path of righteousness, and then unmasks before him, revealing himself as Bruce Wayne.
Since Bruce is a bachelor, a Gotham judge denies him the right to adopt Dick, but allows him to become Dick's guardian. Dick soon gets a crash course in physical combat and criminology from Bruce, and wins the right to wear a costume himself. Bruce does not tell him that he once wore a suit similar to the one he gives Dick, and that he is passing along the name which detective Harvey Harris once gave him--"Robin."
Dick takes up the disguise of a newsboy in Newtown and gets shaken down by "Boss" Zucco's thugs. Trailing them to Zucco, he overhears the ganglord order the hoods to shake down small businessmen for more protection money. With the information, Batman is able to clobber the racketeers and tell them to have Zucco lay off, or face his wrath. In days to come, Batman breaks up Zucco's gambling rackets and smashes his strong-arm men. Finally, he sends Zucco a live bat in a box, with a note to stay away from the half-completed Canin Building. Baited, "Boss" Zucco orders his men to come with him to the Canin Building and help him blow it up.
Robin meets them on the building skeleton with his fighting prowess and a sling, fighting the hoods off smartly. But, when Robin is caught at a disadvantage, Batman swings in to save him and combat Zucco and his hoods. Batman dangles Blade, one of Zucco's men, at the end of his Batrope and tells him that he will drop acid on his rope if Blade does not sign a confession that he killed the Graysons. Choosing the better part of discretion, Blade does so. But Zucco pushes Blade to his death, knowing a dead man cannot back up a confession. However, Robin has taken a picture of Zucco's deed with an infra-red camera, and has evidence that will soon send Zucco to the electric chair. They turn him over to the police.
After the trial, a new administration vows to clean up political corruption. Bruce Wayne, learning that Dick wants to continue his crimefighting career as Robin, allows that he'll give him a chance. Dick Grayson is only too willing to take it. |
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