The "Batman Slapping Robin" meme, commonly referred to as "My Parents Are Dead," features a single comic panel where Batman slaps his protégé Robin during a conversation. Originating from a 1965 edition of the DC Comics book "World's Finest #153", this image shows Batman, clad in his traditional gray and black costume, raising his hand in a backhand slap to Robin, who is depicted recoiling from the impending hit. The format is widely recognized for its speech bubbles that are typically altered to fit various humorous scenarios, gaining popularity on platforms like 4chan and Reddit.
The iconic comic panel from which the "Batman Slapping Robin" meme derives was first introduced in the comic book "World’s Finest #153," published in 1965. The narrative of this comic presents an alternate reality storyline, where Batman harbors a belief that Superboy and Superman had a hand in killing his father. This particular scene quickly became a base for parody when the earliest altered version of the meme surfaced on the image-sharing platform SFWChan on June 10th, 2008. In this variation, Robin innocently asks Batman what his parents got him for Christmas, only to receive a slap as Batman dramatically exclaims, "My parents are dead!!" The meme thus sets the format of changing the dialogue for comedic effect.[1]
Origin: 2008