User:J Greb/Pasteup
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| Nightwing | |
 Dick Grayson as "Nightwing". |
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| Publisher | DC Comics |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Superman as Nightwing: Superman #158 (January 1963) |
| Created by | Edmond Hamilton, Curt Swan |
| Characters | Kal-El/Clark Kent Van-Zee Dick Grayson Tad Ryerstad Jason Todd Power Girl Cheyenne Freemont |
Nightwing is the name used for several characters in the DC comics universe.
The name was first used within Superman stories of the 1960s as a Batman-style identity for Superman to use while in the shrunken city of Kandor. Later stories had the identity adopted by a Kandor native named Van-Zee, Superman's look-a-like cousin. In 2006 the identiy was again used within the Superman mythos by Power Girl.
The name was later adapted into Batman stories as the "adult" identity of Dick Grayson. In later stories others have take the name following in Grayson's footstpes. These include: Tad Ryerstad, Jason Todd, and Cheyenne Freemont.
The Dick Grayson Nightwing is the title character of Nightwing, a monthly series, and has also been the featured character in various limited series and one-shot publications.
Contents |
[edit] Publication history
[edit] Character Histories
[edit] Kal-El
[edit] Silver Age
The name is originally used by the pre-Crisis Superman, when he and Jimmy Olsen act as vigilantes during trips to the bottle city of Kandor. Later, Superman's cousin Van-Zee uses the name. Post-Crisis, Superman attributes the name to a historic Kryptonian crimefighter. The Superman-related heroes serve as an inspiration for Dick Grayson when he sheds his Robin identity.
As first depicted in the story "Superman in Kandor" in Superman (Vol. 1) #158 (January 1963), Nightwing is an alias used by Superman in Edmond Hamilton-penned pre-Crisis adventures in the city of Kandor, a Kryptonian city that was shrunken and preserved in a bottle.
In Kandor, Superman has no superpowers and, in the story, is branded an outlaw there due to a misunderstanding. To disguise themselves, Superman and Jimmy Olsen create vigilante identities inspired by Batman and Robin. Because neither bats nor robins lived on Krypton, Superman chooses the names of two birds owned by Superman's Kandorian friend Nor-Kan: "Nightwing" for himself and "Flamebird" for Olsen. The Dynamic Duo of Kandor create costumes evocative of the birds' plumage. Nightwing and Flamebird rename Nor-Kan's underground laboratory as the "Nightcave", and use it as their secret headquarters. They also convert Nor-Kan's automobile into their "Nightmobile", and use "jet-belts" to fly into battle.
[[Image:S158s2.png|thumb|left|225px|Superman and Jimmy as Nightwing and Flamebird. From Superman #158 (1963). Art by Curt Swan.]]In Jimmy Olsen #69 (June 1963), "The Dynamic Duo of Kandor" introduces Nightwing's dog Nighthound. In "The Feud Between Batman and Superman" in World's Finest #143(August 1964), Batman and Robin themselves visit Kandor with Superman and Olsen and the two Dynamic Duos team up.
[edit] Modern age
[[Image:NightwingKandor.jpg|thumb|175px|Power Girl as Nightwing. Art by Ed Benes.]] In 2001's Superman: The Man of Steel #111, Superman and Lois Lane travel to Krypton. Labeled as criminals, Superman and Lois become fugitives, adopting the Nightwing and Flamebird identities to survive, just as had Superman and Olsen in Superman #158.
[edit] Van-Zee
The name is originally used by the pre-Crisis Superman, when he and Jimmy Olsen act as vigilantes during trips to the bottle city of Kandor. Later, Superman's cousin Van-Zee uses the name. Post-Crisis, Superman attributes the name to a historic Kryptonian crimefighter. The Superman-related heroes serve as an inspiration for Dick Grayson when he sheds his Robin identity.
In Superman Family #183 (May-June 1977), Superman's look-alike second cousin Van-Zee and his niece's husband Ak-Var take up the Nightwing and Flamebird identities. The vigilantes take on crime in their city as had Superman and Olsen before them.
[edit] Dick Grayson
The teamup between both Nightwing and Flamebird teams along with their inspirations, Batman and Robin, for an adventure in Kandor proves important to the young Dick Grayson. When Dick later gives up his role as Robin, he recalls the Kandorian adventure and renames himself Nightwing, in homage to both Batman and Superman. After the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths re-boot the DC continuity, Superman no longer has knowledge of Kandor; instead, he remembers Nightwing as an urban legend of Krypton, which he shares with a young Dick Grayson. Grayson, who considers Superman his favorite superhero, takes the identity in his honor.
[edit] Tad Ryerstad
In Blüdhaven, a sociopath named Tad Ryerstad becomes a superhero, inspired by the retired hero Tarantula. He takes his name, Nite-Wing, from an all-night deli specializing in chicken wings. Unstable, Nite-Wing beats people for minor offenses. On Nite-Wing's first night out, he is shot and Dick Grayson as Nightwing, Blüdhaven's protector, defends him from Blockbuster's gang, who think it is Nightwing who has been injured. After Nite-Wing is released from the hospital, he kills the gang who put him there. Not realizing how violent Ryerstad is, Grayson agrees to train him. The two attack Blockbuster's organization but are captured and separated. After an undercover FBI agent frees Nite-Wing, Ryerstad beats him to death, and when he realizes what he has done, Ryerstad flees. Nightwing tracks him down and incarcerates Nite-Wing.
[edit] Jason Todd
In the 2006 One Year Later storylines, multiple characters join Dick Grayson in using the name "Nightwing". Bruce Jones' Nightwing run features Jason Todd prowling the streets of New York City under the guise of Nightwing, copying Grayson's costume. Additionally, a metahuman fashion designer named Cheyenne Freemont dons a modified Nightwing costume to help Grayson. In Greg Rucka's Supergirl (Vol. 3) #6, Power Girl and Supergirl assume the identities of Nightwing and Flamebird in a story set in Kandor, just as in the original stories featuring Superman.
[edit] Power Girl
In the 2006 One Year Later storylines, multiple characters join Dick Grayson in using the name "Nightwing". Bruce Jones' Nightwing run features Jason Todd prowling the streets of New York City under the guise of Nightwing, copying Grayson's costume. Additionally, a metahuman fashion designer named Cheyenne Freemont dons a modified Nightwing costume to help Grayson. In Greg Rucka's Supergirl (Vol. 3) #6, Power Girl and Supergirl assume the identities of Nightwing and Flamebird in a story set in Kandor, just as in the original stories featuring Superman.
[edit] Cheyenne Freemont
In the 2006 One Year Later storylines, multiple characters join Dick Grayson in using the name "Nightwing". Bruce Jones' Nightwing run features Jason Todd prowling the streets of New York City under the guise of Nightwing, copying Grayson's costume. Additionally, a metahuman fashion designer named Cheyenne Freemont dons a modified Nightwing costume to help Grayson. In Greg Rucka's Supergirl (Vol. 3) #6, Power Girl and Supergirl assume the identities of Nightwing and Flamebird in a story set in Kandor, just as in the original stories featuring Superman.
[edit] In other media
[[Image:Nightwing RIDE.jpg|170px|thumb|The Nightwing ride at Six Flags New England]] Dick Grayson is the only character to use the codename of "Nightwing" in media other than comic books.
[[Image:Nightwing01.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Nightwing from The New Batman Adventures. Art by Bruce Timm.]]
Dick Grayson appears as Nightwing in The New Batman Adventures, voiced by actor Loren Lester, the actor who had voiced Grayson as Robin in Batman: The Animated Series. The episode "Old Wounds" explains that Grayson, as Robin, fought with Batman over the latter's controlling nature and what the former saw as an unnecessarily harsh approach, causing Grayson to leave Gotham as a result. However, he returns years later as Nightwing. Although he works with Batman several times during the course of the series, he never fully reconciles with his former mentor.
In the television series Batman Beyond, which is set many years in the future, the Nightwing uniform (or at least one copy of it) still hangs in the Batcave. Terry McGinnis (the new Batman) borrows the mask from that costume in the episode "Lost Soul," when the Batsuit is reprogrammed with the personality of a dead businessman. In Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, McGinnis asks Commissioner Barbara Gordon (the former Batgirl) if all of the original Batman's associates were bitter when they left. She replies "...look up Nightwing someday. Has he got stories," implying that he is still alive and using the identity in the timeframe of the series.
In the film Batman Forever Dick Grayson (Chris O'Donnell) suggests "Nightwing" as a name for himself. In the next film Batman & Robin, the costume Robin wears is just like the costume in the comic books with Nightwing, except the main symbol across his chest and arms is red instead of blue in the comics.
Nightwing also has a cameo as a silhouette in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Grudge Match". As Black Canary enters Blüdhaven, Nightwing can be seen on a rooftop next to two gargoyles.
thumb|left|150px|Robin and the alternate future Nightwing from the Teen Titans animated series.
In the Teen Titans animated series episode "How Long is Forever?", Nightwing appears as the future identity of Robin. He also appears in the Teen Titans Go! comic series based on the series. [1]
[[Image:Nightwing TheBatman.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Nightwing, as he appeared on The Batman.]] The Batman animated series episode "Artifacts", set in the year 3027 with flashbacks to the year 2027. The flashback sequences feature Nightwing, voiced by Jerry O'Connell. Although Dick has been active for ten years as Nightwing, Batman and Oracle persist in calling him "Robin."
Bruce Timm is currently working on 3 new animated movies set for release sometime soon.[citation needed] One is based on the Teen Titans story arc The Judas Contract in which Robin becomes Nightwing.
In several Six Flags amusement parks, there is a ride called Nightwing located in the DC Superheroes area.
[edit] Powers and Abilities
[edit] Other uses in comic books
- In the DC Comic "Tangent Comics" fifth-week event, "Nightwing" is a mystical society.
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