10 Times Superheroes Weren’t There To Save The Day

When Batman's second Robin, Jason Todd, learned his mother, Sheila Haywood, was very much alive, he asked Batman to help locate her. When they tracked her down in Ethiopia, Batman learned that the Joker was supplying terrorists with biochemicals. While Batman followed the Joker's cargo trucks, he asked his sidekick to guard a warehouse filled with the supervillain's supplies.

Although Batman assumed Jason was safe with his mother, he could have never anticipated that Sheila would betray her son to his nemesis. Sheila led Jason straight into a trap, letting the psychotic clown batter him with a crowbar. The Joker then tied Sheila and Jason up and left them in the warehouse with a ticking bomb. Although they broke free from their restraints, the explosive detonated before they escaped, killing them both. Batman arrived seconds later and could do nothing but helplessly cradle his sidekick's body.

Jason came back to life years later after a Superboy from another dimension punched time (long story). When he confronted Batman, Jason said he forgave him for letting him die, knowing his mentor did everything in his power to save him. Nevertheless, Batman sees Jason's demise as his greatest failure.