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In his last years asRobin , Dick Grayson teamed up with many heroes out of doors of Gotham , but his most surprising pre - Crisis on Infinite Earthscollaboration was with NASA . When he ’s not working with Batman , Robin is commonly associated withBatgirl , especially in the years after Barbara Gordon ’s entry . But Dick ’s time as a college educatee opened his world beyond the submarine sandwich readiness , and with that come a number of strange cases — including those during the Space Race era .
Dick Grayson debut as Robin in 1940 and spend over 40 years as the Boy Wonder before passing on the mantle . In the late sixties and other seventies , Robin calibrate from Boy Wonder to Teen Wonder , and Dick began his first year as a college student at the fictitious Hudson University . Robin began take cases of his own , no longer rigorously go with Batman and the Teen Titans , though he would often team - up with Batgirl during this meter , too . Many of his suit took place on campus and had a " real world " topical bound — specially as the Space Race between the United States and the USSR became a major national interestingness .
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In a back - up story inDetective Comics#398 and # 399 by Frank Robbins , Bob Brown , Joe Giella , and John Costanza , Dick Grayson ’s campus is hosting a Russian exchange professor , who plans to accept a moon rock’n’roll shard from NASA as a gesture of peace . The rock and roll seems to turn a fellow student hopeful green , andRobin works with NASAto aid the student and solve the slip . In an era - await move , the Soviet professor is behind it all , need to sow scare over American blank geographic expedition . Not only does NASA help Robin and his fellow educatee , the literal lunar module saves the day by pink out the professor which allows Robin to conquer him .
Not only is this case distinctive for Dick Grayson ’s Robin of this epoch , it also illustrate what made so many superhero comic strip of the 60s and 70s interesting — comical ledger writer were skilled in explore " real life " issues and interests . Robin working with NASA in this story fits the international captivation with the Sun Myung Moon landing place and distance geographic expedition during this decade , and even the outside political science regarding the Russian professor is pulled from American anti - Soviet sentiments at the time . Plainly put , Robin working with NASA is just homely fun , and is a honorable change of stride from hero - plus - hero team - ups readers typically see . With NASA , once again , in the news with photograph from the Webb Telescope , DC should reckon bringing back " real existence " enthrallment with quad and NASA into their stories .
Dick Grayson ’s affable nature means he often teams up with other heroes , from Batgirl to Superman . But his time as Robin — and as a college pupil — expanded the roster of organisation with whom he ferment . These stories fromDetective Comics#398 and # 399 see him collaborating with NASA , but he also investigates student protestors , drama students , and a whole host of other non - superhero entity . Robin’sworld moved beyond Gotham , Batman , and Batgirl in the 60 and 70 , and his team - up with NASA proves just how great those account can be .
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