Pride Month: Favorite Characters Part 4: Robin (III)/Red Robin (Tim Drake)

     Tim Drake had been fascinated with Batman, and especially Robin ever since he was a young child. He first met Dick Grayson, the soon-to-be-original-Robin, when Dick was still performing with his circus. Tim was amazed at the moves of the Flying Graysons and would remain enamored with them.

    Years later, after the death of Jason Todd and the resulting downward stability of Batman, Tim appeared at the doorstep of Dick Grayson. He revealed he knew Dick was Robin - now Nightwing, Jason Todd was the Robin who had just passed away, and Batman was Bruce Wayne. He had recognized the moves of Robin as being eerily similar to the moves the Flying Graysons used. Proving to be an incredible detective, he soon began piecing together all the clues. He then convinced Dick to return to Bruce, after their falling out several years previously, and Tim even helped Dick and Bruce take down Two-Face. 

    After convincing Bruce that Batman needed a Robin, Tim then proved he was more than fit to take that role. Over the years, Tim would prove himself to be formidable fighter, single-handily taking down both the Riddler and the Joker on separate occasions. He also continued to hone his detective skills, prompting Ra's Al Ghul to later give Tim the honorific "The Detective," a title he had previously reserved for only Batman. Even Bruce himself would admit that he believed Tim would some day surpass him in his investigative skills. He was also a natural leader, co-founding and leading Young Justice and later leading the Teen Titans. 

    Tim would go through many changes throughout his teenage years, often with heartache. He lost his mother, his father, his best friend Connor Kent (Superboy), another best friend Impulse (Bart Allen), and Bruce (though the latter three would all eventually return). He even lost the role of Robin when Damian Wayne was chosen to replace him. Tim instead became Red Robin and was no longer a sidekick, but a hero in his own right. 

    Tim has had several romantic relationships over the years: Ariana Dzerchenko, Tamara Fox, the second Lynx, and most notably, Stephanie Brown (she herself was Robin briefly, was also briefly Batgirl, but mostly known as Spoiler). Tim and Steph had a rocky relationship with many ups-and-downs, and it wasn't always the healthiest relationship. However, they always seemed to work it out, staying together for many years. Recently, though, Tim came to a realization about himself that had been denying for years. He was attracted to his one of his good friends, Bernard Dowd. Admitting his feelings for him, he came out as bi and he and Bernard are currently dating.