The early 2000s were a magical era for action cartoons. Ask any twenty-something. Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and even Disney Channel used to air complex, engaging, impactful shows that got kids standing on their sofas.Teen Titansremains one of the best-remembered entries in the genre. Despite a recent crossover with its more comedic spin-off, the show ended triumphantly after five excellent seasons and a movie.Teen Titansstill left one of its most notable mysteries willfully unanswered. Just who was Red X?
Teen Titansseries creator Glen Murakami chose to downplay secret identities among his young superheroes. This was one of the most intriguing creative decisions behind the show. Most characters never address the idea of a double life or hidden details. Though Cyborg, Beast Boy,and Starfire have"real" names (Raven is Raven’s real name), the show rarely, if ever, mentions them. Only Robin feels like a hero with something to hide. Murakami worked to avoid explicitly revealing which Robin he worked with, never outright saying who was under the mask. He took that strategy again with Red X.
Who is Red X inTeen Titans?
Red X first appeared in the ninthepisode ofTeen Titans. Robin, the team’s dedicated leader, creates Red X as a masked alter ego. Robin dons a black suit powered by a mysterious chemical compound called Zynothium and a skull mask. He plans to defeat his friends with his extensive knowledge of their powers and weaknesses, then use that act of villainy to sell himself to series antagonist Slade as a new cohort. Robin’s obsession with uncovering Slade’s evil plan leads him to lose himself in his constructed identity. When he reaches Slade, he reveals himself to his allies and attacks. Slade, a master of psychological warfare, torments Robin by noting the Titan’s betrayal of his friends. Robin wins the fight, only to discover Slade has kept him busy with one of countless robotic doubles. Robin explains himself to Starfire, damaging their bond andbranding Robin as ruthlessas his nemesis. Red X is a sad phase for a hero who let himself get carried away by his drive to save the day.
Red X returns 19 episodes later, withoutRobin behind the mask. A mysterious thief broke into Titan Tower and stole the Red X suit. The new Red X is the enigmatic anti-hero wearing the mask for the remainder of the series. He returns in “X,” where he seeks to acquire more Zynothium to power the suit. The Titans fight X at every turn, eventually realizing that the risk of an evil professor using the compound is greater. X and Robin dance around each other, leaving X without the Zynothium or the belt that weaponized it. X briefly takes a heroic role to save Starfire and Robin’s lives before escaping captivity. He appears again in the 61st episode, four entries before the finale, “Revved Up.” That strange entry is a broadWacky Racesparody in which most of the cast enters a desert rally with Robin’s unnamed prized possession as the trophy. X enters to sell Robin’s property to the highest bidder, but after Robin saves his life, he launches one of the finest action set pieces in the series' history to guarantee Robin’s victory. X is absent for the rest of the main series and only pops in for a gag ortwo in the spin-offs.
Red X in DC Comics
Teen Titansinvented Red X. He isn’t based on a specific comic character. He did, however, sneak into the comics after his debut on the small screen. The most recent iterations of Red X first appeared in 2021. He remains unnamed, but he describes himself as a thief with a grudgeagainst Dick Grayson. He stole Dick’s Red X suit and set out to destroy the Titans. His most notable project was executing a pair of abusive parents raising foster kids to sell as goons to Black Mask. He raised one of the children, Brick Pettrosso, to hate and hunt down Nightwing. Another unnamed thief took the Red X name, accomplishing nothing during his tenure. Brick donned the suit, becoming the fourth Red X and the first with a known name. Brick and his adopted dad attacked the Titans. The second Red X executed Brick when they failed to kill the Titans. Brick’sstrong anti-hero stancewas also as close as Red X ever got to a concise motive. He explained it like this:
You want order. Which you see as freedom. I want true freedom. I want to cut everyone’s puppet strings. I want to set everyone free from the limitations the world puts on them.
Red X is an intensely compelling character. The manbehind the mask doesn’t matter. Glen Murakami knew that identities aren’t as important as actions. The mystery behind Red X became iconic, but the world doesn’t need to know who he is to love, hate, fear, or enjoy him.
Teen Titans
Based on the characters from DC Comics, Teen Titans follows the adventures of Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy as they fight to protect the world from various evildoers and make a name for themselves. The original animated series spans 5 seasons, and was the basis for the more comedic Teen Titans Go!
