The Protector

The Protector is a teen hero created specifically for a 1983 anti-drug promotional comic distributed by the American Soft Drink Industry, substituting for Robin alongside the Teen Titans to deliver a drug-awareness message without DC's permission to use the Boy Wonder in sponsored material.

Born in the Bronze Age boom of DC's most beloved young-hero franchise, The Protector made a memorable debut in 1983 courtesy of Marv Wolfman and Ross Andru in a uniquely distributed New Teen Titans issue — part of a promotional wave that brought comics to unexpected places. Sharing pages with luminaries like Wonder Girl, Donna Troy, Raven, and Victor Stone, this character moves in genuinely elite company. With appearances stretching across nearly three decades and showing up everywhere from the main New Teen Titans series to the charming all-ages world of Tiny Titans, The Protector carved out a surprisingly durable niche for a figure with such an unconventional origin. A true curiosity for the dedicated DC collector — eight catalog appearances that represent a fascinating footnote in Bronze Age publishing history.