💥Robin's New Power Officially Makes Him Immune to a Classic Superman Weakness💥
0Robin's New Power Officially Makes Him Immune to a Classic Superman Weakness
Only Robin has a secret power that allows him to deal with something Superman never could. A glimpse into the future shows Damian Wayne and Jonathan Kent looking after Wonder Woman's daughter Trinity only for her to fall victim to the insidious Black Mercy. Fortunately, Robin's got a special ability that renders the evil plant inert.
In Wonder Woman #4's backup story, "World's Finest Part 2" by Tom King and Belen Ortega, Damian and Jon are in serious trouble when they discover Trinity has come into contact with the Black Mercy. While the duo argues over whose fault this is, Trinity imagines fighting the two in combat.
Knowing that a Black Mercy feeds on positive feelings and that Damian has few of those, Jon comes up with a plan: He has Damian take hold of the Black Mercy and pulls him (essentially using Robin like a pair of gloves). After a brief struggle, the two manage to free their friend from the Mercy's grip.
Robin's Negativity Beat the Plant That Once Trapped Superman
Fans may recall the Black Mercy from the classic story "For the Man Who Has Everything" in Superman Annual #11. The story saw the alien despot Mongul use his malevolent plant to trap the Man of Steel in a fantasy world. Batman freed Superman from the Black Mercy, only to fall under the plant's influence himself. It wasn't until Robin Jason Todd used Mongul's gauntlets to remove and contain the Black Mercy that the threat to the heroes passed. Since then, the Black Mercy has remained a recurring threat in the DC Universe and has ensnared other powerful heroes like Green Lantern and Supergirl.
Most people who encounter a Black Mercy wouldn't dare consider touching one without any sort of protection. But as Jon points out, Damian doesn't outwardly display the things that attract Black Mercies. It's not that Robin doesn't feel positive emotions like happiness or hope, it's just that his negativity masks it enough to disarm the psychic plant. Someone like Superman obviously never had a chance of not being trapped by the Black Mercy since he's one of the most exuberant people in the DC Universe. But Damian's cynicism gave him an advantage that helped him avoid one of the worst fates that ever befell Superman.
Robin's Cynicism is Just as Useful as Superman's Hope
Sure, Robin's not exactly a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, but in this instance, that's exactly what was needed. Superman might be able to move planets, but his, and other similar heroes' optimism is what makes them targets for something as sinister as the Black Mercy. But Damian's outward expression of gloom offsets that just enough so that the plant doesn't even register him as a threat or victim. While it's a very specific circumstance, Robin's hidden 'power' helped him completely avoid something that once got the better of Superman.
Wonder Woman #4 is on sale now from DC Comics.