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Quote1Not everybody likes to play the big villain, kid. I'm a thief. I'm not threatening your precious city, just looking out for number one.Quote2
―Red X[src]

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Beast Boy recommends this article! It has been featured on the Main Page.

Red X is an anti-hero and a former "villain identity" employed by Robin.

Physical Appearance

Red X's appearance is that of a person dressed in a completely black bodysuit that has a red-x placed right over his left pectoral muscle, an ash-gray utility belt with matching gloves that have red Xs on the palms and back of the hands, a pair of black boots with steel-soles and a black cape that has an ash-gray interior.

His mask consists of a white skull, which has no lower jaw, on a black full-face mask and a red x starting on his forehead and with a point of the x is ending beneath his right eye. The eyes are white reflective lens, which seem to act like Robin's mask as making facial changes to his actions, and are outlined in black. 

The new wearer of this outfit is shown to be of similar built yet a couple inches taller than Robin.

Character History

Robin

Red X was originally a cover identity Robin had conceived as an attempt to get closer to Slade. Mystified by the enigma the shady villain presented, Robin approached Professor Chang for the necessary items - particularly Xenothium for a power source - to create the Red X suit, and, posing as a superpowered master thief, Robin stole several computer chips Slade was after and offered them with a proposition to enter a partnership.

File:Robinredx.jpg

Robin as Red X.

However, Robin's haste in trying to get too close exposed his identity to Slade, and in fear that if he told his teammates about his plans, they wouldn't play their parts convincingly, he chose not to tell them. But the plan went awry; Slade revealed his knowledge of Robin's identity, and while Robin managed to retrieve the chips, Slade managed to elude him yet again. Robin was back at square one, with one additional step backwards: he had lost the trust of his friends.

Since the Xenothium power core could not be disposed of safely, Robin stored the suit inside a vault in Titans Tower, never to be used again.

The New Red X

011

The Red-X suit has found a new owner.

Some time later, however, the suit came into the possession of an unknown culprit who intended to use it for his own financial gain. Because the Xenothium supply in the suit's power belt was nearly exhausted, Red X stole a scanner which could locate the substance. Not knowing where to look for him, Robin coerced Professor Chang into revealing the most likely location where Red X could get his hands on more Xenothium: a highly secured tech company at the city's south end. Red X managed to penetrate the facility, with the Teen Titans in pursuit—but Professor Chang's henchmen were following them; Chang intended to swipe the Xenothium for his own to power a gigantic disintegrator cannon of his own construction. In order to ensure no interference from Robin, he captured the other Titans and held them hostage.

Robin confronted Red X about his self-serving attitudes, while Red X kept taunting Robin about the one mistake which helped create him. Unimpressed and willing to make amends, Robin went after Chang himself, but almost ended up his victim as well. At the last moment, Red X saved Robin from certain death and aided him in freeing his teammates, including preventing Chang from attacking the Titans with his laser, and eventually helped Robin bring him down. With Chang defeated, the Titans and Red X were back to being enemies. Red X attempted to abscond with enough Xenothium to last him a while, until Robin showed Red X that he had his power belt, rendering the Xenothium useless to him. Red X then threw the Xenothium tube on the ground as a diversion to jump off the edge and quickly get away.

Later on, Red X was seen as a recruit among the ranks of the Brotherhood of Evil. With his power belt replaced, he participated in a race initiated by Ding Dong Daddy for Robin's most prized possession, his intention being to sell it to the highest bidder. A bomb dropped by Daddy blew him off the road, but he was saved by Robin at the last instant. Red X ungraciously remarked that "Saving me was a mistake!", but then proceeded to attack the other villains participating in the race, thoroughly disabling their vehicles. His last target was a bus driven by Raven and Starfire, from which he withheld after recognizing them. He asked the two girls to "Tell Robin we're even... For now", and disappeared.

Red X did not appear in the final confrontation with the Brotherhood afterward, implying he quit the organization. His current whereabouts and activities are unknown.

Personality

R&R

Red X and Robin teaming up against Professor Chang

Quote1Robin: I thought you didn't like playing the hero!
Red X: Doesn't mean I don't know how.
Quote2
―Red X and Robin

Red X's personality is the one major difference between him and Robin. While Robin was Red X, he was even more serious than normal and kept his goal of capturing Slade as his top priority. The new X, however, is a thief who is "just looking out for number one", stealing purely for monetary gain. This Red X is revealed to be far less serious, finding his battle with the Titans amusing and voicing derogatory quips as he immobilizes them with his gadgets. He even flirts with Starfire, indicating that he and Robin both share similar tastes when it comes to girls though it might also be an example of his flippant sense of humor.

On the other hand, despite being a self-serving robber, he is not without heroic qualities. He rarely preforms acts of true evil and, when the time comes for him to use his powers to prevent disaster, he tends to rise to the occasion. In his initial appearance, in the episode "X", he ends up helping Robin against Professor Chang and freeing the rest of the Titans. Later, in "Revved Up", he enters the race for Robin's personal secret, but, after Robin saves his life, he repays the favor by taking out the other villains participating in the race and disappears right afterwards. He has since become one of the most popular characters to have appeared on the series.

Powers and Abilities

Quote1I created Red X. Every system, every weapon.Quote2
―Robin

Physically, Red X is an accomplished acrobat and martial arts fighter on par with Robin. In fact, their combat techniques are quite similar, giving weight to the common suspicion that both once had the same tutor (which would be Batman).

File:Belt X.jpg

Red X's belt

Red X's powers derive from his suit's belt. The belt relies on power from a (possibly artificial) element called Xenothium. The suit is also fitted with an invisibility or cloaking device, and a teleportation device. The palms of his gloves can also form x-shaped manifestations which can act as shuriken, wrist-mounted blades, restraints (by constriction or adhesion), timed explosives, instant openings, or any other conceivable function (see Gallery, below, for known effects).

Robin noted that he created Red X's main weapon systems as specific ways to beat each of his fellow Titans.

In the episode X at the end Robin reveals that he took his belt. Red X smashes the xenothioum in his hand and jumps into the clouds. At his next appearance he somehow had stolen it back.

Identity

Quote1Face it, Red X could be anyone. Anyone smart enough to find the suit, and dumb enough to take it for a joyride.Quote2
―Raven
TheRedXTheory

Beast Boy's theories on the identity of Red X.

Many fans of the series believe Red X's identity to be Jason Todd, who served as Robin after Dick Grayson, the current Robin in the series, left Batman and became Nightwing. In the episode "X", a humorous reference to this possibility is made through a theory table set by Beast Boy about the identity of the new Red X, which includes Jason Todd as a candidate.

BB's other theories included: an evil twin; "a bionic monkey infused with Robin's DNA"; Larry, the inter-dimensional imp that the Titans had met in "Fractured"; or a time-traveling version of Nightwing, Robin's future identity. (In DC comics, Dick Grayson gave up the identity of Robin in Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (July 1984) and became Nightwing.)

These theories were poked fun at in the New Teen Titans short "Red X Unmasked", in which they capture him and tie him to a chair. At first, it appears that Beast Boy may be correct, as removing his mask reveals him to be Jason Todd. But this also turns out to be a mask covering a mask of Speedy. As more masks come off, the Titans see the faces of Newfu, Alfred PennyworthBatman, Silkie, Larry and Slade, at which point the body turns out to be a bomb which detonates. As the Titans recover from the shock, the real Red X appears and tells them to "Keep guessing, kids!" before making his escape. Beast Boy sticks to his theory by indignantly shouting at Red X, "I still think you're Jason Todd!" upon which X throws a gag on his mouth to shut him up. The true identity of X is still unknown.

Relationships

Robin

Red X seems to respect Robin, despite their difference in morality, and they're very much alike; perhaps one reason why Red X finds himself supporting Robin in the end. There is a possibility that Red X is Jason Todd; however, this theory has never been proven.

Starfire

Starfire-Red-X-teen-titans-couples-21090090-480-359

Red X trying to flirt with Starfire

In one of their battles, Red X flirted with Starfire after pinning her to the wall with one of his gadgets. He called her "cutie" and remarked that the "only crime" between them was that they hadn't gone on a date, but she blasted him with her starbolts through her eyes in response.

Brotherhood of Evil

At the end of the episode "Homecoming - Part 2", Red X is among the many recruits to the Brotherhood of Evil, joining forces with the Brain in order to destroy the Titans and their allies. Later in "Revved Up", he and many of the other villains participate in a race for Robin's most prized possession, organized by Ding Dong Daddy. However, when Robin saves his life, X returns the favor by attacking and disabling his fellow Brotherhood members and their vehicles. When Gizmo splutters "Whose side are you on, barf-brain?", X simply answers "Mine!", before destroying Gizmo's own vehicle. He is not present at the final battle between the Brotherhood and the Titans.

Appearances

Video Game

Trivia

  • In the Teen Titans Go comic, it was said that Red X had a daughter known as Pink X. It was later revealed that this was really Kitten in disguise.
  • Some fans believe that Red X is actually Jason Todd.
  • There are some proofs about Red X being Jason Todd, which relate to his explosives skill, acrobatics skill, knowledge of the Robin and the Titans, as well as his self-serving and violent tendencies.
  • Red X may be an alternate name for Red Hood (similar to Deathstroke using the name Slade in this show), due to speculations that Red X is Jason Todd who adopted the Red Hood identity in the comics. Furthermore, Red Hood is an antihero similarly to Red X
  • Red X is similar to Renegade in the comics, an alias Robin uses to infiltrate Deathstroke.

Gallery

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