Warbird

(War Machine + Robin)

Name: Jim Drake

Biography: Despite supposedly being a lone wolf, Iron Bat (Iron Man + Batman) is recognized for his friends just as much as his foes. The most notable of which is his sidekick, Warbird.

The Warbird name has been passed down to various youths who fought by Iron Bat's side; starting with the blind ex-acrobat Matt Grayson, who grew up and became the guardian angel of Hell's Kitchen, Devilwing (Daredevil + Nightwing). Tony built the original Warbird armor just for him, but he discarded it when he set out to find his own identity.

Eventually, Tony gave it to the second and arguably most volatile Warbird, Jason Castle (Jason Todd + Frank Castle). Jason's partnership with Iron Bat came to a tearful conclusion when Jason was lured into a trap by the Titanium Joker (Joker + Justin Hammer), beaten with an inch of his life, and then left for dead with a ticking time bomb. Iron Bat tried to save him, but it was too late.

The death of his son nearly broke Tony, and Iron Bat became more brutal, more reckless, and more impulsive. Tony brought the last two Warbirds under his wing because he felt that they needed him. But the next one would come because it was clear to see that Iron Bat needed Warbird.

Enter Jim Drake, a well-to-do young man with a good head on his shoulders and dreams of being a fighter pilot. At a young age, Jim was there at the circus the night Matt's parents died. When Warbird came into the scene, Jim recognized the acrobatics the new hero performed from the circus and was able to deduce both his and Iron Bat's identities. Ever since then, he's been keeping an eye on the both of them.

When Jason died, and Iron Bat started behaving differently, Jim realized just how much Iron Bat needed a Warbird. So he left to speak with Devilwing at the headquarters of the Teen Champions (Teen Titans + Champions). Devilwing refused to be Warbird again, but he did take Jim to the Batcave and then left, as Devilwing, to help Iron Bat take on the Melted Face (The Melter + Two-Face).

A.L.F.R.E.D (JARVIS + Alfred) convinced the young Jim to take up the Warbird mantle. After putting on the armor and helping Iron Bat and Devilwing beat the Melted Face, he was put on a trial basis. After several months, he officially became the new Warbird.

Jim has proven to be an invaluable ally and friend to Tony, he even took up the title of the Armored Crusader himself when he was struggling with alcoholism. But eventually the constant near-death experiences, coupled with his parents getting killed, started getting to Jim. So, using the engineering skills Tony taught him, he upgraded the Warbird armor to better live up to the "War" part of the name.

Given Tony's aversion to killing at all costs, especially with guns, this caused a rift between the two and Jim left to be a hero without Iron Bat.

Despite this, Iron Bat knows he can always count on Jim when he needs him and that the feeling is mutual with his former ward. And that Jim has more than lived up to the Warbird legacy. It's just a matter of time before everyone starts calling him the World's Greatest Detective.

Powers & Abilities: Like any good Warbird, Jim had received extensive training from not just Iron Bat, but from Devilwing as well. This includes stealth, hand-to-hand, detective work, engineering, hacking, and driving vehicles. He is especially proficient with planes and other forms of aircraft, since he had already been studying planes to become a fighter pilot when he grew up.

But as impressive as Jim is, he still can't compare to what the Warbird armor is capable of. It comes with the traditional fare of flight, super-strength, repulsor blasts, uni-beams, batarang launcher, and a utility belt with every tool a good detective could ever want. It also allows a surprising range of movement for its wearer, considering how bulky it is.

But it's what Jim did to the armor that really makes it stand out. The new-and-improved Warbird armor comes with a shoulder-mounted Gatling gun capable of firing 6000 rounds a minute. It can also target enemies without Jim consciously aiming it and has 360 degree coverage.

The suit also comes with missile launchers, arm-mounted machine guns, and a concussive melee weapon that he dubs "the War Hammer."

Appearance: The original Warbird armor was designed to appear very similar to Iron Bat's, including the cape. The main differences were that the armor had a red and green color scheme rather than a gold and black one, and a W engraved over where the heart would be. The utility belt, however, was still yellow and the cape was still black in the back and yellow in the front.

That changed with Jim's new upgrades. The green parts of the costume had been replaced with a more gunmetal grey. The cape had also been removed and a large Gatling gun has been placed on the armor's left shoulder.