Batman's Sensational Sidekicks...Not Grayson, the Other Ones!

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The Tragic Tales of Jan Haasen and Jason Todd are ones of bitter loss and uplifting recovery. These two lads once had happy lives, crushed by cruel men who left them as orphans, until two caped crusaders of their World's Greatest Heroes took them under their wings. The result was two brave lads.

Jason was the son of Joseph and Trini Todd, star acrobats from Hill Circus. When they accidentally discovered Batman of Earth-One's alter ego, they volunteered to aid him and Robin in exposing Killer Croc for his extortion of protection money from the Circus. When the couple perished at the hand of Croc, their son swore vengeance. Bruce Wayne then adopted Jason.

Eventually, he dyed his blonde hair black and created a patchwork of the Boy Wonder's spandex suit. Although initially opposed to Jason engaging in a costumed career, Bruce saw the same potential in Jason he had seen years earlier in Dick. Both were trained in circus life to be adept acrobats, with natural skills tailor made for a crimefighting career. And so Batman allowed Todd to accompany him on some preliminary cases. Initally, Jason considered aliases such as the Flying Ace, Bluejay, Cardinal, Eagle and Domino.

Jan Haasan was an orphan from Holland during the early days of World War II. Due to the invading armies from Germany which left both his family and fellow villagers dead, Jan sought guidance and support. He found this in the Atom who, along with other members of the Justice Society of America, were delivering Hawkman's food capsules to impoverished residents of various European countries.  As Atom escaped this occupied zone following this adventure, it is assumed he brought along with him Jan, as the lad was next seen under American protection.

Inspired by the Atom's courageous example, Jan joined several other orphans under the tutelage of Captain Rip Carter as the Boy Commandos. This elite team were freedom fighters helping to restore order to the lands of their birth, helping to liberate them from oppression. During these adventures, the Boys meet another member of the Justice Society and his sidekick, Sandman and Sandy. On one occasion, Jan and his fellow Boy Commandos met the Earth-Two Batman and Robin in Detective Comics 65.

Following several years working with his pals in the Commandos, Jan learned that he still had an uncle and other relatives who had survived the War. Welcoming back into their home, Haasen reluctantly parted company with his team, to resume the idealic life he once led as a younger, more innocent, lad. He would later briefly reunite with the Boys.

Jason earned the right to adopt the mantle of Robin. This occurred when Dick decided he had outgrown both the costume and the reputation of the Teen Titan and decided to become the more mature Nightwing. Jason would acquit himself well, even saving Superman's life when that hero was threatened by the machinations of the alien Mongul. Jason would also team of with Nightwing's New Teen Titans from time to time. 

Sadly in at least one alternate future succumbed to tragedy when he became a victim to the Joker's malicious schemes, which in that timeline cost him his life. Thankfully, this future never happened in the main timeline of Earth-One.

Now on Earth-Two, instead of Jan, the second Robin to appear was Rajah Rahbin, who was secretly a young ruler Maharaja Shundu in India who sought to combat the illegal threat to this people of the lawless Thuggee gang. Adopting the Boy Wonder's costume and style of crimefighting, the original Robin Dick Grayson trained Rajah Rahbin. Together, they defeated the Thuggees, and the two lads parted as friends. On Earth-One, Maharaja Shundu's counterpart was the criminal known as the Birdmaster, who led a gang of henchmen dressed as birds as well as hordes of trained attack birds.

In June of 1951, a new masked marauder Wingman arrived in Gotham from a Northern European country. Inspired by the successful career of Earth-Two's Batman, Wingman joined him on a month's worth of cases in Gotham in order to train under the more experience mystery man. Since Robin would be laid up in a cast for six weeks while recovering from an injury, this provided the Dark Knight with capable help. Evidence suggests this is a Jan Haasen in his late teens, assuming a costumed identity

Wingman took advantage of this opportunity to acquire the needed edge to become an experienced superhero under the tutelage of Batman. This caused a rivalry between Wingman and Robin, until the Boy Wonder finally discovered that Wingman would be returning to his native home in Europe to engage in a solo career. Any further tales of Jan as Wingman are untold.

While on the surface it wouldn't seem that Jason Todd and Jan Haasen weren’t counterparts, they each after signifcant parallels. Both lads were daring blonde hairs boys, left orphaned at the same age. Each was inspired by a blue cape and cowled crimefighting crusader in Batman and Atom. Both were under the protective guardianship of brave brunette heroes in Bruce "Batman" Wayne and Rip Carter. Also, the two dressed in similarly colorful garb, equipped with a wide array of gadgets and weaponry. Jan would eventually leave his guardian behind to live with an uncle. Todd eventually lived was Natasha "Nocturna" Knight who sought to adopt him.