Week of Wonder: Jason 1.0 in For the Robin Who Has Everything...

[alicemacher]

...including an awkward reaction to meeting Wonder Woman -- poor kid. But he does get to save Batman and Superman.


From "For the Man Who Has Everything," Superman Annual #11 (1985).


Bruce, Pre-Crisis Jason and Diana travel to the Fortress of Solitude to give Kal-El their birthday gifts.







Unfortunately, Superman's in no condition to receive them, as his old extraterrestrial foe Mongul has rendered him insensate with his own "gift": the Black Mercy, a parasitic organism which latches onto a sapient host's chest, reads their mind, and traps them mentally in an inner world of their heart's fondest desire.

As some part of Superman's mind resists the Black Mercy, twisting his dream of life on a never-exploded Krypton into a nightmare featuring Jor-El as aspiring führer, the outmatched Wonder Woman does her best to keep Mongul distracted with combat. Meanwhile, Batman helps Superman further snap out of his dream, and has Robin fetch the giant gauntlets Mongul had used to handle the plant-fungus. Unwisely, he decides not to wear them as, finding the tendrils loosening, he just yanks them off by hand. A few seconds later, he's the one trapped in a private inner Happyland (in which young Bruce witnesses his father easily disarm and subdue Joe Chill).

Superman is awake, and VERY pissed off. He makes a beeline for Mongul, tagging in for Diana but finding him as much of a challenge as she did. So it's up to Jason to save the day. First, he uses the gauntlets to pry the Black Mercy from Bruce's chest. Then he goes looking for Superman.







Mongul finally gets the drop on the momentarily-distracted Superman, and prepares to deal the finishing blow. Then, from above, a voice says, "Excuse me..."









That's that for the parts of the story significantly involving Jason. Except for this subtle but telling background appearance as Moore coyly teases the Diana/Kal-El shippers.







Poor kid! Well, just keep thinking those clean thoughts, chum. I mean, one of us has to.