Red X’s True Identity in DC Comics Explained—and the Mystery That Remains

A Reveal With Another Twist

In Teen Titans Academy #12, Brick Pettirosso reveals himself as the student known as Red X. But another person wearing the mask appears almost immediately, reveals who orchestrated the scheme and kills Brick.

The unmasking settles who one Red X was, not who the second one is. That distinction keeps the character’s central mystery alive and gives Nightwing fresh cause for concern.

The Mystery Began On Television

Red X first appeared in Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans animated series. Dick Grayson created the disguise to infiltrate Slade’s operation while keeping his identity as Robin concealed. After the mission was exposed, he dropped the costume.

Another person later took up the identity and became a dangerous rival to Robin. The impostor displayed similar combat and acrobatic abilities, while a utility belt offered teleportation, invisibility and weapons. The series never identified the person behind the mask.

Red X Enters Comic Continuity

DC brought Red X into its mainstream comic-book continuity through the 2021 Future State event. In that bleak future, Titans Tower stood as a memorial to young heroes who died defending the world. Nightwing, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven were among the survivors.

In Future State: Teen Titans #1, the remaining heroes sought help from Red X, a former Titans Academy student whose motives initially seemed uncertain. He joined their effort against a catastrophic threat tied to an Academy student.

Red X continued fighting beside Nightwing, Raven and other survivors in the second issue, facing the Four Riders of the Apocalypse. In that story, he was part of the effort to save the world, rather than an enemy of Raven.

Brick’s Identity Leaves Questions

While Future State explored a possible future, Teen Titans Academy developed Red X’s origins in the present-day series. Readers wondered which student was wearing the mask until Brick revealed himself.

Brick’s death at the hands of the second Red X leaves the successor’s identity unresolved. The comics therefore answer one part of the question while preserving the mystery that also went unanswered in the animated series.