DC Comics took Robin out of the Teen Titans—in order to help keep children from using illegal drugs. In the early 1980s, DC Comics produced a series of anti-drug public service announcement (PSA) Comics, starring the New Teen Titans, but thanks to licensing reasons, Robin was nowhere to be found—and in his place was a new character: The Protector.
New Teen Titans was, alongside Uncanny X-Men, one of the most popular comic books of the early 1980s. Writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez revamped the team, mixing in classic members such as Robin and Wonder Girl in with newcomers Raven, Cyborg and Starfire. Around the same time, the United States government significantly ramped up the decade-old “War on Drugs” programs, such as “Just Say No” and D.A.R.E. were created to deter children from trying illegal drugs. In 1983, DC Comics, in conjunction with The President’s Drug Awareness Campaign, produced a series of anti-drug comics starring the then-popular New Teen Titans—minus one of their founding members: Robin! Years prior, DC had licensed Robin’s likeness to Nabisco, and the anti-drug comics were produced in conjunction with the Keebler Company—taking Robin off the table. Unfortunately, art for the initial special, featuring Robin, had been completed, forcing inker Dick Giordano to replace all appearance of the Boy Wonder with a new character, created for these specials: The Protector.
The Protector first appeared in the initial New Teen Titans drug issues and can be seen ordering the team into battle—just as Robin would. The Protector’s real name is Jason Hart, who became a hero to save his younger cousin from a life of substance abuse; this would bring onto the Titans radar, leading to a slot on the team. A total of three specials were produced, each starring the Protector in Robin’s place as the Titans’ leader; however, after the specials, the character slipped into obscurity.
Despite only appearing in a scant handful of issues, the Protector is still officially part of the DC Universe; his appearances since the specials have been few and far between as well, most notably in 2018’s Heroes in Crisis. The Protector also has an entry in Who’s Who, a guidebook to the characters of the DC Universe. The Protector’s absence can easily be explained: he was created due to corporate politics, to be a fill-in for a more popular character—naturally he will be resented. The Protector’s characterization is shallow and simplistic as well, lacking the depth of his teammates. When all of this is considered, the Protector ends up becoming an unremarkable character, notable only because he was created to be a temporary replacement. For fans reading these Teen Titans anti-drug specials in 1983, the Protector’s appearance must have been jarring; here was a totally new character, bossing the Titans around…as if he was Robin.
PSA comics, such as the anti-drug Teen Titans comics, are nothing new, but DC, thanks to corporate politics. added a twist to it by replacing Robin with a whole new character.