Richard Grayson (Earth-2A)


 * You may be looking for Robin, Junior SuperFriends Team Member and former Teen Titan.

Justice Society Team Member

The youngest in a family of Gotham City acrobats known as the "Flying Graysons", Dick watches a mafia boss kill his parents in order to extort money from the circus that employed them. Batman (Bruce Wayne) takes him in as a legal ward and the crime-fighting partner Robin. Dick grew up to become a lawyer and the ambassador to South Africa, continued to fight crime as Robin, and became a member of the Justice Society of America.

Background Information
In the parallel universe of Earth-Two (Earth-2A in the SuperFriends Universe), Richard Grayson was born in the late 1920's. He was the son of circus performers John and Mary Grayson. The three formed the trapeze act, the Flying Graysons, as part of the Haly Circus. In 1938, the circus was under pressure from a local racketeer, "Boss" Zucco, to pay "protection" money. When the circus owners refused, Zucco arranged for the murder of the senior Graysons, leaving Dick an orphan. Millionare playboy Bruce Wayne was in attendance that evening. As young Grayson raged in grief against Zucco and criminals in general it reminded Wayne of his own tragic youth after the murder of his own parents. When Grayson decided to contact the police, Batman intercepted him and took him into his home. He convinced the lad that contacting the police would simply alert Zucco to his knowledge and he would have been quickly dispensed with. Instead, took in the orphaned boy and revealed his secret identity. Young Grayson became Wayne's legal ward who then trained the boy in a variety of detective and martial skills, finally giving him the costumed identity of ‘Robin, the Boy Wonder’. Together they apprehended Zucco and his gang.

Grayson would go on to become the millionaire's constant companion. Wayne saw that Dick got the best in formal education as well as private tutelage in detective work, criminology, and martial arts. Robin became a skilled ‘mystery-man’ in his own right, joining Batman in pursuit of dangerous criminals like the Joker Cat(woman), the Penguin, Two-Face, the Scarecrow and the Riddler. The duo first teamed-up with Superman in December of 1941, when they all appeared at a USO benefit. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor both Batman and Robin became active in a loosely-organized group of ‘mystery-men’ called the All-Star Squadron during World War II. Both attended the first full meeting of the Squadron in February of 1942.

Later in the War years, as he approached adulthood, Robin began to work more independently, working his own cases and defeating several professional criminals such as No-Face, the Clock and the Fence.

Unlike many of the other mystery-men of the 1940s, after the War, Robin remained active into the 1950s due to his relationship with Batman and the Gotham City Police Department. During this time, Grayson went on to earn a law degree and eventually started his own firm. He later became a partner in the law firm of Crantson and Grayson, which became Crantson, Grayson, and later Wayne when Helena Wayne, future daughter of Bruce Wayne, joined the firm.

Dick was in attendance on a landmark occasion, when Bruce married Selina Kyle (the reformed Catwoman) in 1955. Months later, Dick attended an anniversary party for Clark Kent and Lois Lane Kent as Batman, while Bruce Wayne filled in for Superman, allowing both heroes to appear without jeopardizing Superman's dual identity.

When Batman entered semi-retirement in the 1960s, Robin became one of Gotham City's leading crime-fighters and changed his costume to one that combined elements of his and his mentor's (a gray bodysuit, a yellow utility belt, and a high-collared yellow cape). He used his own Bat-Jet, emblazoned with "R" emblems and bat-wings. Robin officially joined the Justice Society and participated in one of their regular team-ups with the Justice League on Earth-One.

During the Carter Administration, Grayson was granted a diplomatic appointment the United Nations (initially to South Africa).

While in South Africa, Doctor Fate and the Flash visited Robin in Cape Town, to enlist his help in obtaining discreet medical care for Hourman, who had been badly injured in a battle with the Injustice Society. Their visit made Dick suspicious because several JSA members were behaving erratically. He sent a telegram to Bruce Wayne explaining the situation and asking for advice. By this time, Bruce Wayne had become the Police Commissioner of Gotham City (He also had begun acting strangely). When Grayson returned to the U.S. with the recovering Hourman, he met with Bruce to devise a plan to apprehend the rest of the strangely acting Justice Society. Wayne enlisted Robin and other inactive members of the to help apprehend their former teammates. Superman and Doctor Fate ultimately discovered that Bruce was under the thrall of the Psycho-Pirate. Afterwards Bruce gave an emotional apology for his actions.

As a mentor and friend to Bruce's daughter, Helena Wayne, Dick had deduced that young Helana had been fighting crime as the Huntress. Dick promised Helena not to tell Bruce. Following the death of Batman from Earth-Two, Robin considered taking up the role of his mentor, but he and Helena decided to let Batman's legend end with him. Robin did briefly wear the Batman costume to stop the aging Joker, who escaped from Arkham after Batman's death to determine if the Dark Knight was truly dead.

When Dick’s appointment as Ambassador ended in 1981, he returned to Gotham to resume his partnership in Crantson, Grayson, and Wayne. Young Helena, had become a Junior partner while he was away. And subsequently, his hero persona had decreased so he could focus more on his legal career, allowing Batman's daughter, the Huntress, to take his place.

Over the years, Robin and the Huntress chose to attend reunions with the JLA in order to catch up with Earth-One's Batman.

Abilities

 * Acrobat
 * Disguise
 * Escapology
 * Investigation
 * Law
 * Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)
 * Martial Arts
 * Boxing
 * Jujutsu
 * Medicine: Richard was trained in surgery by Bruce, which proved useful whenever Batman was injured in combat
 * Swordsmanship
 * Weaponry

Equipment

 * Utility Belt

Transportation

 * Batmobile
 * Batcycle

Weapons

 * Batarang

Appearances
SuperFriends Comic Book:
 * Super Friends #7 and Super Friends #8 references the following cross-universe story:
 * All-Star Comics, #68 (October 1977) -- implied only
 *  Justice League of America, Vol. 1 #147 (October, 1977) -- directly referenced
 *  Justice League of America, Vol. 1 #148 (November, 1977) -- directly referenced
 * All-Star Comics, #69 (November 1977) -- implied only