Cassandra Cain & Jason Todd
| Gen Relationship | |
|---|---|
| Relationship: | Cassandra Cain & Jason Todd |
| Alternative name(s): | |
| Fandom: | Batman, DC Comics |
| Type: | Familial, friendship |
| Canonical?: | Canon in DCeased |
| Prevalence: | |
| Archives: | |
| See also: | Cassandra Cain & Damian Wayne |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Cassandra Cain & Jason Todd refers to the rare familial relationship or friendship between Cassandra Cain (also known as Batgirl, Black Bat, and Orphan) and Jason Todd (known as the second Robin and Red Hood).
Background
Cassandra Cain and Jason Todd are both the adopted children of Bruce "Batman" Wayne, making them sister and brother, though Jason died years before Cass joined the Batfamily. The two have very few notable interactions with one another in any official media.
They first interact in the New 52 rebooted continuity, when they get into a brief scrap due to a misunderstanding (Batman & Robin Eternal).
In the post-apocalyptic series DCeased, Cass and Jason are on good terms, valuing each other as two of the very few surviving members of the Batfamily, the last Robin and Batgirl team-up, other than the displaced Stephanie Brown & Damian Wayne.
In the 2022 limited series Task Force Z, Cass is part of a small Batfamily team sent to intercept Red Hood due to his concerning behavior. While Red Hood claims he's not afraid of Nightwing and Robin, the creepiest Batgirl's arrival causes him to curse; in the following issue he mentions her mere presence as a succinct explanation of his now-battered appearance, acknowledging her skills.
Fan community
General reception
Some fans are put off by the fanon portrayal of this relationship, believing that the characters canonically have such irreconcilable differences (namely in moral systems) that a positive relationship would be untrue to their characters. Cassandra deeply values human life, and refuses to ever kill, no matter who her opponent may be; whereas Jason is known to deliberately kill his enemies in the course of pursuing his goals.
Some fans enjoy headcanons of a good relationship between Cass and Jason without much regard for canon.
Some believe that Jason would be more amiable to Cass compared to other Batfamily members, possibly due to his fraught history of relationships with other men, her ability to physically subdue him very quickly if he's disobedient, and also due to the lack of any relationship baggage. Fanon also speculates that Cass' skill at reading body language would allow her to see past Jason's angry exterior and detect hidden vulnerability and affection.
Among those who care about such things, it is universally agreed that Cassandra Cain would deck Jason Todd in a hand-to-hand fight.
Age
In the Post-Crisis/Pre-Flashpoint continuity, Cassandra and Jason are around the same age.[1] Given that Cassandra's birthday is in January, Jason's birthday is in August, and Cass and Bruce observed Jason's 18th birthday in a story published (and likely set) many months after the story celebrating Cass' 18th—Cassandra Cain may be older than Jason Todd by nearly seven months.[2] Due to the rebooted chronology of the New 52 and Rebirth continuities, canon Cass has been deaged to be around Tim Drake's age, some years younger than Jason; however, for many Cass & Jason believers, big sister Cass can only be pried from their cold, dead hands.[3] Fanon Cass often addresses Jason as "little brother" and flaunts her big sister status at every opportunity, to Jason's amusement and/or annoyance.[4]
I know I’ve talked about this before, but I cannot stress enough that (at least in Post-Crisis canon) Cass is 100%, unquestionably, no-wiggle-room older than Jason, by at least several months. Yes, even if you count the time he spent dead. Cass is already 18 in Batgirl Vol 1 #39, published June 2003. Jason’s 18th birthday happens in Detective Comics #790, published January 2004. Cass’s birthday is January 26, and Jason’s is August 16. If they were born in the same year, Cass is fully eight months older.[5]
Long-Lost Family
In Jason Todd's ill-fated search for his birth mother, he found Sandra "Lady Shiva" Woosan as a possible candidate. Under the effects of a truth serum, Woosan claimed that she had no children, seemingly settling the issue. However, the introduction of her daughter, Cassandra Cain, would later prove that Lady Shiva managed to lie despite the influence of the truth serum, leading a small section of fans to entertain the headcanon that Jason is, in fact, her son and Cass' long-lost brother by blood. The possible seven-month age difference is either eliminated to make them twins, or slightly expanded to make them Irish twins.
Comments
Cass and Jason’s interactions have been largely confrontational, and it’s likely that further encounters would be similar, as she is strongly opposed to lethal force and would endeavor to stop him if she could.[6]
As someone writing an AU where Jason and Cass are the closest out of Bruce’s children, I needed to prove that I know they would canonically dislike each other. Their personal philosophies are directly oppose the other’s![7]
Fan works
Meta
- [Video] 3 Common Misconceptions About Jason Todd & Cassandra Cain (& The act of Killing) by Xel Writer
Art
- https://dimethyloctopus.tumblr.com/post/12807795156/unstoppable-fighting-force
- https://artbyavasan.tumblr.com/post/624034461125935104/i-refuse-to-acknowledge-main-timeline-and-how-dc
- https://itsmespicaa.tumblr.com/post/642470076225929216/the-same-aged-siblings-dtiys-on-ig-this
- https://writtenskyes.tumblr.com/post/167067314524/learning-shakespeare
art by snowhills (2013)
art by m-alejandritaArchived (10 Sept 2016)
#jasontodd tutoring #cassandracain ? 🤔Archived by natotally (2022)
Comics
- i feel like jason and cass are the kind of siblings that sort of get along but also argue constantlyArchived by uncharted-constellations (2018)
- Street Siblings AUArchived by a_sketchy_character (2020)
Fan fiction
Averts the One Year Later storylines for both characters.Pre-Flashpoint AU based on canon what-if Lady Shiva was not only Cassandra's biological mother, but Jason's, too. Mostly focuses on Cass and Jason's relationship, and how that fact changes the dynamics in Batfamily.
Set during the Superheavy arc.Jason and Cass have a mission. Infiltrate. Acquire target. Do not get caught.
Part of a Dark Batfamily AU.Cassandra and Jason are both too alike and too different in all the places where it matters.
External links
Fan communities and archives
- Archive of Our Own (AO3): Cassandra Cain & Jason Todd
Notes
References
- ^ https://lysical.tumblr.com/post/167756241592/batgirl-65-august-2005-i-know-ive-already
- ^ https://lysical-secondary.tumblr.com/post/158428611311/mad-cackling-cass-is-older-than-jason-her-18th
- ^ https://lysical-secondary.tumblr.com/post/158265769116/
- ^ https://malaarte.tumblr.com/post/629873512612560896/yep-cass-18th-birday-was-in-batgirl-37-april
- ^ https://flybynightwing.tumblr.com/post/664161465082707968/i-know-ive-talked-about-this-before-but-i-cannot
- ^ https://littlemissonewhoisall.tumblr.com/post/182098372509/guide-to-writing-cassandra-cain
- ^ https://archiveofourown.org/works/27902890/chapters/74699028#chapter_5_endnotes