Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for DC K.O.: The Joker vs Red Hood #1
Since he first took the name 20 years ago, Jason Todd’s identity as Red Hood has been pretty inseparable from his greatest trauma in the DC Universe. His murder at the Joker’s hands in Death in the Family has very much defined him and his name, feeling as though it was an inevitable title following his resurrection rather than something chosen…until now.
The new DC K.O. crossover finally changes things, as Jason and Joker himself are pitted against each other in the ongoing King Omega tournament. As seen in the pages of DC K.O.: The Joker vs Red Hood #1, Jason’s vigilante name is reframed as something bigger, going far beyond the connections to Joker alone.
Jason Todd Reveals The Full Origin Of The Red Hood Name
During Jason’s brutal DC K.O. showdown against the Joker, Red Hood is told by the overseeing Heart of Apokolips is pick his “form” for the final round against the Clown Prince of Crime. This leads to a major revelation from Jason, who explains that the Red Hood name existed long before it belonged to the man who would become Joker after falling into a vat of chemicals.
According to Jason, the “Red Hood” name is actually a piece of Gotham slang often heard in the sketchier parts of the city where Jason grew up, with phrases like “The Red Hood did it” or “Blame the Red Hood.” A boogeyman in the shadows, the “Red Hood” was blamed for crimes in Gotham no one else wanted to own.
Furthermore, Jason also reveals the Red Hood was a big part of his childhood imagination, having played a Red Hood game where one kid was the Red Hood who’d chase the others. Jason even used to draw the Red Hood, imagining what he might look like.
As a result, we now know that Red Hood was a concept in Jason’s life long before he became Batman’s second Robin and was eventually murdered by Joker. This is the final form that Jason ultimately chooses: his own Red Hood in the future, who’s fashioned a legacy all his own.
Jason Todd’s Red Hood Is No Longer Defined By Joker Alone
Overall, this revelation serves as a major reclamation when it comes to Jason’s overall identity as Red Hood in DC Comics.
The Red Hood is no longer a name inherently connected to The Joker’s past, but instead a far greater legend pulled from Jason’s and Gotham City itself. By anchoring the Red Hood name to a Gotham legend, there’s now an exciting means for Jason Todd to step fully out of both Batman and Joker’s shadows, as Jason builds a legend all his own.
Now, it couldn’t be clearer that Jason Todd is Red Hood by choice rather than trauma. Furthermore, Jason says it best in this issue after successfully beating Joker, confirming that redefining the name means “Joker is no longer my boogeyman. I’m his.“
DC K.O.: The Joker vs Red Hood #1 is on sale now from DC Comics.
