Now I know that we all know that the Girl of Steel and the Boy Wonder knew each other and were on good terms and were amicable but why weren't they closer? I'm not talking romantically though they would make a cute couple. But as friends and confidants? They were in an unique situation to share their experiences as the true heirs to two of the greatest super-hero legacies and give each other the support and encouragement that they may have been lacking from their elders. So consider the following:
- Robin was one of the few "normal" people on Earth who knew about Supergirl's existence. As they were both teens, they should have naturally gravitated towards each other. Unless this was prevented.
- Did they know each other's true identities? Robin knew Superman's but did Supergirl know the Dynamic Duo's?
- They always portrayed Kara/Linda Danvers as being a bit older than Dick Grayson. She did enter college before him. But that wasn't always the case. At one point, they had to be around the same age but for some reason, she was ageing faster than him, graduating high school, entering and graduating college and starting several careers while he languished at Hudson University for nearly a decade!
- Even if Supergirl was, say, four years older than Robin, so what? That shouldn't have prevented them from being friends and colleagues. In fact, I can't recall any story where they worked together which is odd. Somehow it was presumed that she was a more natural pair with Batgirl while he got stuck with Jimmy Olsen!
- Given the emotional deficiencies of their mentors, it would have been very believable that the two would unite with this common bond.
- Granted, Robin was not exactly "Mister Sensitivity" himself. Look at his role models. But he did get better, probably due to his friendship with Wonder Girl as opposed to Kid Flash and Speedy drooling over her.
- Supergirl grew stronger emotionally on her own, choosing to separate herself from the super-hero world where her cousin was KING!
- She even distanced herself from the Legion of Super-Heroes with the comradeship and love that they offered.
- We talked (and joked) about her love life but she never had a close friend either while Robin had the Teen Titans in three different incarnations.
- Unfortunately there seemed to be no room on any Teen Titans team for Supergirl (or the Justice League for that matter).
- These two should have been close friends. They shared so much in common: parents killed in a tragedy, taken in by heroes who give their lives purpose, living in the shadows of legends and being trained to carry on in the future.
- Plus they dress alike!!
Agree or disagree?
Replies
Did he know about Kara's existence before the rest of the world? My memory is a little foggy on this. I don't recall an instance where they crossed paths in her "secret weapon" phase.
Also, it's highly likely they didn't spend time together because of their different editors. Think about it: wouldn't Kara have been perfect for the Teen Titans?
I do recall Kara being so lonely that she time-traveled to play with Superboy.
Neither Bruce nor Clark were presented as being "emotionally deficient" at the times when it would have been most likely for Dick and Kara to interact. Still, one thinks she would have gravitated to groups like the Titans because of her loneliness and the chance to be among peers.
She was kind of pointless and extrabeiys as a member of the Legion, and was likely only there because Mort Weisinger said so.
I really do think it just came down to Kara being under Mort's thumb. Otherwise, yes, they should have been friendly.
Possibly they paired Supergirl with Batgirl because she was also about four years older than Robin? Considering Superman and Batman were always hanging out together in World's Finest it is strange Supergirl and Robin never got together, but then Robin hung out with Batman a lot more than the Super cousins hung out together. I remember Robin turning up in WF a lot but don't recall seeing Kara there. I've read a couple of her Adventure stories and while she had a boyfriend in one (which I didn't see again) I don't remember any friends.
While today they seem to think nothing of Storm and Wolverine being in both X-Men and Avengers, back then if you were in one team you didn't join another, so being in the Legion would have kept her out of the Titans. (Superman didn't count since Superboy didn't really seem like the same character. I can't recall any stories where Superman would reference his adventures in the Legion.)
Superman Family #200 featured an imaginary story, set in the future, made up of sub-stories about the different members of the Superman Family. Clark and Lois were married, and had a teen daughter; Jimmy was married to Lucy, and editor of the Daily Planet. Supergirl was a governor and had mystery boyfriend who could be taken for Dick Grayson.
Sad that there was no existing character for her to be paired with and someone had to be made up for the story. And she's not even married to him yet, even though she must be pushing 40 if Clark and Lois have been married long enough to have a teenaged kid.
Morgan Edge? Did people think it was him because there they assumed it had to be a Superman character and there was nobody left (except a presumably by then elderly Perry White?)
Robin was never paired with Batgirl either back then. The Batman show hinted at something developing between Batgirl and Batman.
It would have made for some interesting pairings. I think the closest we could ever come to that was the the recent Hellena/Karen relationship when they were Robin and Supergirl on Earth 2.
Randy Jackson said:
Both Robin and Batman knew of Supergirl's presence on Earth considerably before Superman revealed her existence to the world. The dénouement of "Supergirl's Busiest Day", from Action Comics # 270 (Nov., 1960) reveals a surprise party thrown by Superman for his cousin's "sweet sixteenth" birthday. As the panel I attached below shows, the Dynamic Duo were on hand to participate in the celebration.
Action Comics # 270 also addresses one of Philip's questions above:
"Did [Supergirl and Robin] know each other's true identities? Robin knew Superman's, but did Supergirl know the Dynamic Duo's?"
She did, indeed. Although the moment of relevation was never shown "on camera", the Girl of Steel was privy to the knowledge that the Batman and Robin were Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. This was shown earlier in "Supergirl's Busiest Day". In order to keep Supergirl too busy to realise that a surprise party was being arranged in her honour, Superman and the others aware of her existence on Earth set up false predicaments, from which she would "save" them.
In the instance of the Dynamic Duo, the Girl of Steel rushes to Gotham City, and . . . .
Hope this helps.
Just how old was Robin supposed to be when Supergirl was 16?
It would be strange if it was an older Dick Grayson kept in the shadows yet he's pictured on the cover!
Even stranger that Kara in her twenties is still called Supergirl but by the time she's forty, it's okay to call her Superwoman!
Luke Blanchard said:
Dick Grayson/Robin had a major crush on Batgirl in their "Dynamite Duo" days in Batman Family.
"Come on, hey!" Classic Bat-dialogue!
Philip Portelli said:
Dick Grayson/Robin had a major crush on Batgirl in their "Dynamite Duo" days in Batman Family.
Dick having a crush on Batgirl isn't hard to understand. A young teen boy having a crush on an older or much older attractive girl or woman is par for the course.
I think her being called Batgirl led a lot of people, fans and even writers, to view Dick and Barbara as the same age.
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