Fans know that Batman and his allies have a history of shocking passionate affairs, but there’s one hook-up that is positively guaranteed to make fans want to hurl. While Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul have had their shocking moments over the years, the latter shared an unbelievable moment with someone quite close to the Dark Knight.
In Red Hood: The Lost Days #6 by Judd Winick and Jeremy Haun, Jason Todd is out for payback. Eager to make Joker suffer after the former Robin’s infamous death, Todd nearly kills the Clown Prince of Crime, but stops himself. Instead, he retreats to Talia al Ghul, who’d been looking after him since his resurrection in the Lazarus Pits.
Talia Tells Jason Todd to Cross the Line DC
Jason admits he doesn’t want to kill Batman either, but Talia insists that Jason punish the Dark Knight by taking his city (setting up Jason’s return in “Under the Red Hood”). Talia pulls Red Hood in for a kiss, and the two end up sleeping together, with Talia later leaving everything Jason needs for his new mission against Batman.
Talia al Ghul Slept with Red Hood in Wild Batman Story
Jason Todd’s Return was Masterminded by Talia
Talia Kisses Jason Todd DC
Jason Todd was infamously killed during the “Death in the Family” arc, but he was restored to life in Infinite Crisis and found by Talia al Ghul. Talia looked after Jason for several years, helping restore his mind thanks to the Lazarus Pits. They became quite close, with Talia exerting influence on the former Robin during his recovery.
Make no mistake, this isn’t as simple as a hero hooking up with a villain for a questionable dalliance. This was incredibly inappropriate. While Jason’s age around this period is murky, Talia had been his caretaker for years and was someone Jason trusted. What happened in this issue crosses a major boundary and puts Talia in an extremely negative light.
Talia Manipulating Red Hood Has Thankfully Been Forgotten
This Moment Has Been Rightfully Ignored for Years
Red Hood in brown leather jacket and full mask
Of course, Red Hood is responsible for his own actions afterward, but that doesn’t make what Talia did right. It’s a major violation, and it was a reveal that almost no fan enjoyed seeing. Thankfully, with the way continuity works, creators have mostly been free to pick and choose canon, and no one has ever brought this moment up again.It’s expected to see villains doing bad things in comics. But this sort of thing only served to damage Talia’s character. Talia and Jason bonding during his recovery was an interesting story, but having her cross such a line was a major disservice to her and stands out as one of the most shocking moments in Batman history.
Created By
Bob Kane, Bill Finger
Alias
Bruce Wayne
Alliance
Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family
Race
Human
Franchise
D.C.