Warning: contains spoilers for Batman Incorporated #8!In an unexpected move, Red Hood’s father has returned to DC lore – as a superhero! In the pages of Batman Incorporated, Ghost Maker has reunited Batman, Inc, gathering together a group of Bat-themed heroes from across the globe – including the mysterious Wingman. Fans have speculated for months as to Wingman’s identity, and in issue eight it stands revealed as Willis Todd, the father of Red Hood – but what will this mean for Jason Todd?
The issue, part one of the ‘Joker Incorporated’ arc, is written by Ed Brisson, drawn by John Timms, colored by Rex Lokus and lettered by Clayton Cowles. At one of Batman Incorporated’s safe houses in Melbourne, Australia, Wingman and Dark Ranger wait out a suspension, spending their time working on equipment – or in Wingman’s case, drinking beer. As the two chat, Dark Ranger confirms that – much to Wingman’s chagrin – he’s seen him without his mask and knows he’s Willis Todd. While this is huge news, it’s something fans had suspected all along.
Red Hood’s Father Is a Batman Inc. Operative
There have been multiple characters in the DC Universe who have used the alias Wingman, including Jason himself. Willis was a petty criminal who was sent to jail when Jason was young. Jason erroneously believed his father died, but in fact he was experimented upon. Years later, he escaped prison, eventually taking the name Wingman. As Wingman, Willis was a faithful ally to Red Hood, but the latter never suspected Wingman was his father. Red Hood and Wingman eventually parted ways with Jason none the wiser. Willis apparently kept the Wingman name and joined this new incarnation of Batman Incorporated, and is still committed to keeping his identity a secret.
Wingman Changes Red Hood’s World Forever
Red Hood does not know Wingman is his father, which leads fans to wonder: what will happen when Jason inevitably finds out? How will he react to learning that a man he grew up hating and fearing is now not only a good guy, but working for his former mentor? Red Hood has had a tense relationship with Batman since his resurrection, one that has only thawed in recent years and is on perpetually shaky ground. Finding out Batman apparently recruited his father for potentially deadly hero work could drive a new wedge between Jason Todd and his mentor.
Yet deep down, Red Hood and Wingman’s quests are one and the same: they have done terrible things, and they are now seeking atonement. Both father and son were born in violence and fear, and both rose above their station to become heroes; furthermore, they were heroes who Batman deemed worthy of his support – high praise for anyone. Both Red Hood and his father have been on lifelong journeys of redemption, quests that are still not over. Red Hood’s father returning to the DC Universe as a hero is the perfect parallel to Jason’s own situation, though fans will be on tenterhooks waiting for the former Robin to find out his long-lost father is part of the same crime-fighting alliance.
Batman Incorporated #8 is on sale now from DC Comics!
