Dick Grayson

Dick Grayson

Dick as Nightwing on the cover of Nightwing vol. 2, #150 (January 2009). Art by Don Kramer.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance As Robin:
Detective Comics #38
(April 1940)
As Nightwing:
Tales of the Teen Titans #44
(July 1984)
As Batman:
Robin #0
(October 1992)
As Target:
Nightwing: The Target #1
(September 2001)
As Agent 37:
Grayson #1
(July 2014)
Created by Bill Finger
Bob Kane
In-story information
Full name Richard John Grayson
Team affiliations
Partnerships
Notable aliases Robin, Boy Wonder, Nightwing, Batman, Agent 37
Abilities

Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940 as the original incarnation of Robin. In Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (July 1984) the character retires his role as Robin and assumes the superhero persona of Nightwing, created by Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez.

The youngest in a family of acrobats known as the "Flying Graysons", Dick watches a mafia boss kill his parents in order to extort money from the circus that employed them. Batman (Bruce Wayne) takes him in as a legal ward (retconned as an adopted son in some cases) and the crime-fighting partner Robin. He is written by many authors as the first son of Batman.[2] As well as being Batman's crime-fighting partner, Dick establishes himself as the leader of the Teen Titans, a team of teenage superheroes. As a young man, he retires as Robin and takes on his own superhero identity to assert his independence, becoming Nightwing. As Nightwing, he continues to lead the Teen Titans and later the Outsiders. In the first volume of his eponymous series (1996–2009), he becomes the protector of Blüdhaven, Gotham's economically troubled neighboring city, the locale the character is most closely associated with. He has also served stints protecting the streets of New York, Chicago and Gotham in other runs over the years.

Dick Grayson has taken on the identity of Batman on a few occasions. In the aftermath of "Batman: Knightfall", Grayson initially declines taking up the mantle of Batman while the original was recovering from a broken back as he feels Nightwing is a hero in his own right and not Batman's understudy, but after the events of the Zero Hour miniseries later that year, he replaces Bruce Wayne as Batman, beginning in Robin #0 (1994) and extending throughout the Batman: Prodigal storyline in 1995. Dick again assumes the mantle following the events of "Batman R.I.P." (2008) and Final Crisis (2008–9). As Batman, Dick moves to Gotham City following his mentor's apparent death and partners with the fifth Robin, Damian Wayne. On Bruce's return, both men maintained the Batman identity until 2011, when Dick returned to the Nightwing identity with DC's The New 52 continuity reboot. In a 2014 comic story, Dick is forced to abandon the Nightwing identity after being unmasked on TV and faking his death, setting up Tim Seeley's Grayson comic book, Dick becomes Agent 37, Batman's mole in the nefarious spy organization Spyral. Following the conclusion of the Grayson series, and the restoration of his secret identity in the series' final issue,[3] Dick returns to being Nightwing as part of the DC Rebirth relaunch in 2016.

Dick Grayson has appeared as Robin in several other media adaptations: the 1943 serial played by Douglas Croft, the 1949 serial played by Johnny Duncan, the 1966–1968 live action Batman television series and its motion picture portrayed by Burt Ward, played by Chris O'Donnell in the 1995 film Batman Forever and its 1997 sequel Batman & Robin. Loren Lester voiced the character as Robin in Batman: The Animated Series and later as Nightwing's first screen adaptation in The New Batman Adventures. In May 2011, IGN ranked Dick Grayson #11 on their list of the "Top 100 Super Heroes of All Time".[4] In 2013, ComicsAlliance ranked Grayson as Nightwing as #1 on their list of the "50 Sexiest Male Characters in Comics".[5]

Publication history

Robin, The Boy Wonder

Dick Grayson as Robin in his first appearance, with Batman. Cover of Detective Comics #38 (April 1940). Art by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson.

The character was first introduced in Detective Comics #38 (1940) by Batman creators Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Robin's debut was an effort to get younger readers to enjoy Batman. The name "Robin, The Boy Wonder" and the medieval look of the original costume are inspired by the legendary hero Robin Hood, as well as the red-breasted American robin, which parallels the "winged" motif of Batman. He was born on the first day of spring, son of John Grayson and Mary Grayson, a young aerialist couple.

In his first appearance, Dick Grayson is a circus acrobat, and, with his parents, one of the "Flying Graysons". While preparing for a performance, Dick overhears two gangsters attempting to extort protection money from the circus owner. The owner refuses, so the gangsters sabotage the trapeze wires with acid. During the next performance, the trapeze from which Dick's parents are swinging snaps, sending them to their deaths. Before he can go to the police, Batman appears to him and warns him that the two gangsters work for Tony Zucco, a very powerful crime boss, and that revealing his knowledge could lead to his death. When Batman recounts the murder of his own parents, Dick asks to become his aide. After extensive training, Dick becomes Robin. They start by disrupting Zucco's gambling and extortion rackets. They then successfully bait the riled Zucco into visiting a construction site, where they capture him.

Robin's origin has a thematic connection to Batman's in that both see their parents killed by criminals, creating an urge to battle the criminal element. Bruce sees a chance to direct the anger and rage that Dick feels in a way that he himself cannot, thus creating a father/son bond and understanding between the two. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, DC Comics portrayed Batman and Robin as a team, deeming them the "Dynamic Duo", rarely publishing a Batman story without his sidekick; stories entirely devoted to Robin appeared in Star-Spangled Comics from 1947 through 1952.

The character history of the Earth-Two Robin accordingly adopts all of the earliest stories featuring the character from the 1940s and 1950s, while the adventures of the mainstream Robin (who lived on "Earth-One") begin later in time and with certain elements of his origin retold. Both were depicted as separate, though parallel, individuals living in their respective universes, with the "older" Earth-Two character eventually reaching death in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Teen Titans

Dick Grayson in his original Nightwing costume; from Tales of the Teen Titans#59 (November 1985)

1964's The Brave and the Bold #54 introduces a junior version of the Justice League of America; an all-star superhero team of which Batman was a part. This team is led by the modern-day Robin, residing on Earth-One, and was joined by two other teenage sidekicks, Aqualad (sidekick of Aquaman) and Kid Flash (sidekick of the Flash), to stop the menace of Mr. Twister.

Later, the three sidekicks join forces with Speedy and Wonder Girl in order to free their mentors in the JLA from mind-controlled thrall. They decide to become a real team: the Teen Titans. By virtue of the tactical skills gleaned from Batman, Robin is swiftly recognized as leader before the Titans disband some years later.

In 1969, still in the Pre-Crisis continuity, writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams return Batman to his darker roots. One part of this effort is writing Robin out of the series by sending Dick Grayson to Hudson University and into a separate strip in the back of Detective Comics. The by-now Teen Wonder appears only sporadically in Batman stories of the 1970s as well as a short lived revival of The Teen Titans.

In 1980, Grayson once again takes up the role of leader of the Teen Titans, now featured in the monthly series The New Teen Titans, which became one of DC Comics' most beloved series of the era. During his leadership of the Titans, however, he had a falling out with Batman, leading to an estrangement that would last for many years.

Nightwing

In pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity, the maturing Dick Grayson grows weary of his role as Batman's young sidekick. He renames himself Nightwing, recalling his adventure in the Kryptonian city of Kandor, where he and Batman meet the local hero of the same name. He maintains this identity during his role in the Teen Titans, and occasionally returns to assist Batman and his successors as Robin in the form of Jason Todd and Tim Drake, Tim in particular becoming a younger brother figure to him.

When Bruce's back is broken by Bane during the Knightfall story arc, Bruce selects Jean-Paul Valley as his replacement as Batman as he doesn't want to burden Dick with the role and fears that Dick may go after Bane in revenge. However, when Valley proves to be too unstable to be Batman, Bruce undergoes a rigorous recovery and training program with the aid of Doctor Shondra Kinsolving and Lady Shiva to restore him to full health, defeating Valley with Dick and Tim's aid. However, feeling that he needs to re-evaluate Batman and his mission after Valley's defeat, Bruce leaves Gotham once again, after appointing Dick as his successor during the "Prodigal" story arc. While acting as Batman, Dick is left with a clearer idea of the psychological stresses Bruce must endure in the role, as well as facing some of Bruce's newer enemies — such as Killer Croc, the Ventriloquist and the Ratcatcher — while settling his own long-standing issues with Two-Face.

Miniseries and ongoing

In Nightwing: Alfred's Return #1 (1995), Dick Grayson travels to England to find Alfred Pennyworth who resigns from Bruce Wayne's service following the events of KnightSaga. Before returning to Gotham City together, they prevent an attempted coup d'état against the British government that involves destroying the Channel Tunnel under the English Channel.

Later on, with the Nightwing miniseries (September to December 1995, written by Dennis O'Neil with Greg Land as artist), Dick briefly considers retiring from being Nightwing forever before family papers uncovered by Alfred reveal a possible link between the murder of the Flying Graysons and the Crown Prince of Kravia. Journeying to Kravia, Nightwing helps to topple the murderous Kravian leader and prevent an ethnic cleansing, while learning his parents' true connection to the Prince; they witnessed the original Prince being killed and replaced with an impostor who became as bad as his predecessor (Although Zucco killed the Graysons before the conspirators could do anything about it). In the aftermath, Dick returns to his role as Nightwing, recognizing that, for all his problems with Bruce, Bruce never made him become Robin or join his crusade, accepting that he imitated Bruce's example because Bruce was worthy of imitation.

In 1996, following the success of the miniseries, DC Comics launched a monthly solo series featuring Nightwing (written by Chuck Dixon, with art by Scott McDaniel), in which he patrols Gotham City's neighboring municipality of Blüdhaven, relocating there to investigate a series of murders and remaining as he recognized that the city needed protection. He remains the city's guardian for some time, facing foes such as Blockbuster and new villains such as Torque, dividing his duties between Bludhaven and Gotham after a devastating earthquake and the subsequent decision to declare Gotham a No Man's Land until it is fully rebuilt. When the Justice League vanished into the past fighting ancient sorceress Gamemnae, Nightwing was selected as the leader of the reserve League created by an emergency program Batman had established in the event of his League being defeated, Batman describing Nightwing as the only person he could have picked to lead the new team.

Eventually, the original League are restored, and Nightwing departs along with some of his League- although others remain as some of the original team take a leave of absence- although Batman notes that his leadership of the League proves that he is ready for more responsibilities. Eventually, however, the death of Blockbuster prompts Nightwing to leave Bludhaven to his crisis of conscience; Blockbuster was killed by vigilante Tarantula and Nightwing didn't stop it even when he had the chance to do so. While Nightwing returns to Gotham to heal after assisting Batman in dealing with a series of gang wars, Blüdhaven is destroyed by the Secret Society of Super-Villains when they drop Chemo on it.

During the battle of Metropolis, Grayson suffers a near-fatal injury from Alexander Luthor, Jr. when he shields Wayne from Luthor's attack.[6] Originally, the editors at DC intended to have Grayson killed in Infinite Crisis as Newsarama revealed from the DC Panel at WizardWorld Philadelphia:[7]

It was again explained that Nightwing was originally intended to die in Infinite Crisis, and that you can see the arc that was supposed to end with his death in the series. After long discussions, the death edict was finally reversed, but the decision was made that, if they were going to be keeping him, he would have to be changed. The next arc of the ongoing series will further explain the changes, it was said.

After spending some time away with Bruce and Tim to heal and rebuild after their harsh times prior to the Crisis, Dick relocates to New York, but has trouble finding work as both Dick Grayson and Nightwing. During the "Batman R.I.P." storyline, Nightwing is ambushed by the International Club of Villains. He is later seen being held in Arkham Asylum, where one of the surgeons, in reality also the civilian identity of ICoV member Le Bossu, arranged for Nightwing to be admitted under the name of Pierrot Lunaire (Another ICoV member) and be kept both heavily drugged and regularly beaten by staff to subdue him. Scheduled for an experimental lobotomy by Le Bossu himself, he manages to free himself and come to Batman's aid for the finale of the story arc.

Batman: Reborn

Dick Grayson as Robin (left), as Nightwing (middle), and as Batman (right).

Following the events of Batman's apparent death during the Final Crisis, Nightwing has closed down shop in New York so as to return to Gotham, where after the events of "Battle for the Cowl", he assumes the identity of Batman, with Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne's biological son, as the new Robin.[8]

The new team of Batman and Robin is the focus of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's Batman and Robin series.[9] Their dynamic reverses the classic dynamic of Bruce and Dick, by having a lighter and friendlier Batman paired with a more intense and dark Robin. Over time, Dick's experience as the Dark Knight would harden his personality as his mentor.

During this period, Dick Grayson as Batman also features as a member of the Justice League in a short-lived run by writer James Robinson. After an intense confrontation with the Club of Villains and the mysterious Doctor Simon Hurt- who has established fake evidence that he is actually Bruce's father Thomas Wayne- Hurt is defeated when Bruce returns to the present. However, Bruce leaves Dick to continue to act as Batman in Gotham with Damian as his partner while he sets up the new 'Batman Incorporated' program, Bruce publically identifying himself as Batman's financial backer to justify a global Batman-themed operation where he funds multiple other vigilantes.

The New 52 (2011–2016)

Dick Grayson is re-established as Nightwing following DC's Flashpoint crossover event, after which the publisher relaunched all of its titles and made alterations to its continuity as part of an initiative called The New 52. In the new status quo, Bruce Wayne is once again the only Batman, and Dick like the other members of adoptive family is a few years younger. Dick, despite being 19 is drawn a bit shorter than in his pre-relaunch frame. This is likely due to adding believability to his acrobat past.[10] According to various interviews it is stated that Dick was adopted at 16, as opposed to 12. This is due to the DCNU's timeline existing for 5 years.[11] Dick Grayson is shown in flashbacks as Robin with a revamped version of the Robin costume in Nightwing vol. 3, #0 (November 2012) and Batman and Robin Annual vol. 2, #2 (March 2014).

Dick Grayson in his New 52 Robin costume from Batman and Robin Annual vol. 2, #2 (March 2014). Art by Doug Mahnke and Patrick Gleason

In his civilian identity he is attacked by an assassin named Saiko who insists that he's the fiercest killer in Gotham.[12] The series Batman Incorporated relaunches with a second volume, continuing its story while taking into account the New 52's continuity changes; Dick is now depicted as Nightwing, and not as Batman, but the change is not addressed in the comic itself. In Nightwing, Dick inherits the deed to the circus from a dying C. C. Haly and begins a relationship with his childhood friend acrobat Raya Vestri. Saiko tortures Haly for information on Nightwing's secret identity, and the old man dies in Dick's arms after telling him the circus holds a terrible secret.[13] Investigating leads, he tracks down a super-villain named Feedback who used to be a childhood friend but does not learn anything.[14] Following Haly's clues, he finds a mysterious Book of Names in the circus that holds his on the last page.[15] Later the circus announces they will be doing a memorial show on the anniversary of the night Dick's parents were murdered, and Saiko attacks by detonating a massive explosion.[16]

It is then revealed that the circus has been training assassins for years, and Saiko was a childhood friend using Raya as an accomplice. Grayson had been selected to become a new Talon for the Court of Owls, but when Batman adopted him Saiko took his place. The killer plummets to his death, and Raya turns herself in. Returning to the Batcave, Bruce reveals to Dick that the current Talon is his great-grandfather William Cobb.[17] During the Night of the Owls event Dick faces Cobb who was revived while protecting Mayor Hady.[18] Following the event, Dick decided to keep Haly's Circus in Gotham and plans to invest in turning an abandoned amusement park into their new location without Bruce's money.[19] He works with Sonia Branch, the daughter of Tony Zucco, the crime boss who murdered Dick's parents, into getting a loan for this plan by investing his entire trust fund despite being a high-risk due to Saiko's recent attack. The problems arise because of the guilt Sonia feels towards her father's actions [20] and many members of the circus are afraid for their lives because of the previous disasters and accuse Dick Grayson of being a flake making it hard for those who choose to stay.[21]

The "Death of the Family" crossover event across Batman-related comic books led to a major shift in Nightwing's status quo. During the storyline, one of Dick's friends Jimmy Clark who worked as a circus clown was murdered by the Joker because Joker felt like Jimmy was a knockoff of him. Nightwing later discovers Joker broke Raya out of prison and infected her with his toxin and has forced her to fight while wearing a makeshift Nightwing costume. The toxin eventually killed Raya, though Nightwing tried in vain with an anti-toxin to save her. Nightwing then discovered that Joker left a message on Raya's abdomen that he was targeting Haly's Circus next.[22] However upon arriving there, Joker unveils his plan to burn the circus to the ground and then infects Nightwing with his gas that not only causes him to experience hallucinations of Jimmy and Raya, but he is soon attacked by the other members of Haly's Circus that were also affected by the toxin allowing Joker to capture him.[23]

Nightwing as he appears in the New 52. Art by Brett Booth.

In the aftermath, Haly's Circus is gone, with Dick broke as a result for having lost his investment. While the other circus members survived since Joker used a different toxin on them they blame Dick and decide to leave after Raya and Jimmy's funeral though deep down they know it is not his fault. Dick becomes bitter from his loss. After he used excessive force to bring down some criminals that tried to plunder valuables from the remains of the circus, Damian, having been monitoring him, is able to talk some sense into Nightwing that helped him recover.[24]

Nightwing is later deeply affected by the death of Damian following his murder at the hands of Damian's clone, the Heretic, in Batman Incorporated. With Damian's death and potential resurrection becoming an obsession of Batman's, Dick is shunned by Bruce when he tries to tell him to move on, in Batman and Nightwing (a retitled Batman & Robin #23).

Dick Grayson as Robin in Nightwing vol. 3 #0 (November 2012).

Later, the Nightwing series changes its setting to Chicago, Illinois. Sonia Branch reveals to Dick an e-mail that indicates that her father Zucco is still alive. After giving the address to Red Robin to try and track down who sent it, Robin uncovers that Zucco is residing in Chicago. Nightwing moves to Chicago in order to find and arrest Zucco, who is now living under the assumed identity of Billy Lester, an assistant to the mayor. Soon after arriving in Chicago, Dick meets his new roommates, a photojournalist named Michael, and a computer specialist named Joey. After leaving the apartment to meet with Johnny Spade, a borderline criminal who steals and sells information, their meeting is interrupted by the police. A short chase results in the accidental destruction of a newly rebuilt subway. Meanwhile, a criminal hacker called the Prankster tortures, maims and kills criminal con men who are untouchable to the police.

The Chicago story is later abruptly ended by Nightwing's role in a larger company-wide crossover event. After the Crime Syndicate invade Earth Prime at the conclusion of the "Trinity War" Justice League storyline, and defeat the Justice League, the DC crossover story Forever Evil depicts Nightwing's capture by the Crime Syndicate, who expose his secret identity to the world. Following their escape from the Syndicate, Batman and Catwoman decide to rescue him. He then is invited by Owlman to help defeat the Crime Syndicate, which he accepts. Nightwing is severely beaten by Ultraman and is attached to a device from a parallel world known as the Murder Machine, which is controlled by his heart rate and is reportedly impossible to escape from alive. When Batman and Lex Luthor arrive to free him, Lex stops his heart in order to fool the system so he can disarm it. However, Batman, enraged over what Lex has done, attacks him. Luthor explains it is not too late to save Grayson.[25] In an uncharacteristically heroic moment, Luthor injects Grayson's heart with adrenaline which successfully revives Grayson. Cyborg enters having defeated Grid, and Grayson joins Batman, Cyborg and Catwoman in freeing the Justice League from the Firestorm Matrix. After the defeat of the Syndicate, Grayson is seen with Batman in the Batcave. Batman tells him that he has to send him on the most dangerous mission he could possibly undertake.

Grayson

The Nightwing title concluded in April 2014 at issue 30, and was replaced with a new title, Grayson, which depicts Dick having given up his life as Nightwing at age 22 and going undercover as an agent of the Spyral organization where the former Batwoman Kathy Kane works.[26] Written by Tim Seeley and former CIA counter-terrorism officer Tom King, the career change for Dick Grayson comes from the urging of Batman himself, who convinces him to remain dead to the world. Seeley stated that the series will be "leaning into" Grayson's sex symbol status. The character's look also is resigned with no mask but a blue-and-black outfit calling back to his pre-New 52 Nightwing counterpart with an addition of a "G" on his chest, said to be reminiscent of the Robin "R".[27][28]

In the "Agent of Spyral" storyline, Dick (known as Agent 37) is enlisted by Mister Minos, the Director of Spyral, after having been chosen by Helena Bertinelli to serve as a new candidate. However, Dick serves as a mole under Batman due to their agenda of unmasking heroes by collecting the Paragon organs, organs in which contains the DNA of the Justice League and bestows meta-bioweapons the ability to use their powers. He assists Spyral's agenda to know more about Minos and his endgame, resulting in Spyral attaining most of the scattered organs. In a later story arc, Minos betrays Spyral and attempts to leak its secrets. To his surprise he finds the new Agent Zero, who reveals she along with the upper echelon of Spyral had used Minos to attract Dick into Spyral and kills Minos as he has outlived his life full of humor .[29][30]

During Batman and Robin Eternal, Grayson finds himself working with various other members of the Bat-Family- during the time when Bruce Wayne is amnesic after his resurrection- against the ruthless villain known only as 'Mother', who it is revealed briefly met with Batman early in Grayson's career as Robin, believing that he shared her views on using trauma to make people stronger. Mother intends to trigger a global collapse with the reasoning that the survivors will rebuild a stronger world after being broken by tragedy and without the hindrance of parents to force their ideals on them, but Grayson and the rest of the Family are able to defeat her, Dick affirming that Batman helps the Robins become their own people who can avoid the mistakes he made in dealing with his own trauma rather than Mother's belief that she and Batman each teach people to use their trauma to define themselves. At the conclusion of the storyline, Dick meets with the restored Batman, assuring Bruce that, unlike Mother, he never forced his ideals on them, but simply gave them all an example that they chose to emulate while avoiding following it so exactly that they became like him.

When the Court of Owls plant a bomb inside Damian Wayne, they are able to blackmail Dick into officially joining their organization, although all sides are aware that Grayson intends to try and use his new position against them.[31] The Grayson series ended at Issue 20, where in the final issue, it was revealed that all knowledge of Dick's identity was erased from most of the world with one of Spyral's satellites, allowing Dick to resume his superhero activities as Nightwing once again.[3]

DC Comics Rebirth

Nightwing as he appears on the cover of Nightwing vol. 4, #4 (November 2016). Art by Ivan Reis.

Starting with the "Rebirth" relaunch in 2016, Dick returned to being Nightwing with his black and blue costume. He uses his new skills and expertise in espionage moving forward.[32] Nightwing is featured in two Rebirth books: the fourth volume of Nightwing, his own solo book, and Titans, where Dick teams up with the other original Teen Titans after Wally West returns to the universe; through Wally, Dick remembers events of his life prior to Flashpoint and The New 52.[33]

In his solo book, Dick is paired with a vigilante named Raptor and the two plan to bring down the Court of Owls from the inside. Barbara criticizes Dick's willingness to trust him and doesn't agree with his methods. Though Raptor seemed willing to play by Dick's rules of not killing, he tricks Dick into agreeing to a plan that results in the deaths of all of the Parliament of Owls in Sydney. After knocking Dick out, Raptor goes to Gotham and kidnaps Bruce during a conference. Nightwing confronts him alone in the ruins of a circus in Paris. Raptor reveals that he grew up in the circus as a child and fell in love with Dick's mother, Mary, as they stole from the rich and powerful in Paris. Raptor watched over Dick in the shadows as he grew up, and developed a hatred for Bruce Wayne as he represented everything he and Mary were against and felt it was dishonoring her memory to have Dick raised by him. Dick defeats Raptor and rescues Bruce in time.[34]

After joining forces with the pre-Flashpoint Superman to defeat the latest attack of Doctor Destiny, Dick contemplates checking out Bludhaven based on Superman's reference to how the pre-Flashpoint Grayson acted as the city's guardian for a time[35] and ultimately decided to go there.[36] While there he meets a super-villain rehabilitation group called the Run-Offs, all of which were villains he and Batman defeated in the past. He finds that most of them are being framed for crimes around the area and works with them to find the true culprits.[37] After solving the case and clearing their names, Dick begins dating their leader Shawn Tsang, known as the former criminal, the Defacer.[38] Shawn is kidnapped by Professor Pyg after Dick discovers she might be pregnant with his child, and he teams up with Damian to track Pyg down and rescue her.[39]

Skills, abilities, and resources

Dick Grayson possesses peak athletic strength and endurance who regularly engages in intensive physical exercise. His martial arts skills rival those of Batman. He is a master of several martial arts disciplines and was rigorously trained by his mentor in everything from escapology to criminology, fencing, stealth, disguise, and numerous other combat/non-combat disciplines. Dick Grayson is 5' 10" (1.78 m) and 175 lbs (79 kg).[40] He is shown to have natural skill in reading the body motion of others[41] like that of Cassandra Cain and Lady Shiva have shown in the previous continuity and is able to anticipate and predict one's next action and detect if someone is lying or not. Like that of Batman, he also possessed a will strong enough to withstand even telepathic attack.[42] He is also a master of espionage, his skills even further shown as a spy within the tremendously powerful intelligence organization Spyral.

Nightwing is a master in various forms of unarmed combat, such as Aikido[43], Boxing[44], Capoeira[43], Eskrima, Hapkido, Jeet Kune Do[45],Judo[43], Jujitsu, Karate[46], Savate[43], Shaolin Kung Fu, Taekwondo, and Wing Chun, and is armed with twin Eskrima sticks made from an unbreakable polymer. He also carries several dozen modified batarangs (called wing-dings) along with de-cel jumplines and gas capsules.[40]

Grayson is a prodigious natural athlete, master acrobat and aerialist possessing a peak level of agility/acrobatic skills. He is regarded as the greatest acrobat in the DC Universe. He is the only human on Earth who can do the quadruple somersault (formerly one of three, the other two being his parents). Having had the finest education as Bruce Wayne's ward, he fluently speaks in French, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, the alien language of Tamaran, American Sign Language and his native language is English. He is also a brilliant and experienced strategist with superlative leadership skills, having served as leader to the Titans, the Outsiders, and even the Justice League. Additionally, Dick's interpersonal skills and efforts to remain in contact with other heroes makes him a master at rallying, unifying, and inspiring the superhero community, a skill in which he has surpassed his mentor;[47] when the pre-Flashpoint Superman received the praise of the New 52 Nightwing, Superman noted that, in any reality, it is high praise to be vouched for by Dick Grayson.

Besides his resources as Bruce Wayne's adopted son and heir, Dick's parents also left him a trust fund which Lucius Fox turned into a small fortune. Although it is not comparable to Bruce Wayne's wealth, it has been enough to maintain his Nightwing equipment, purchase the rights to Haly's Circus (saving Dick's former home from financial troubles),[48] and secretly buy his former Blüdhaven apartment building at 1013 Parkthorne Avenue.[49]

Costumes

Dick Grayson's Robin costume alluded to the American robin and Robin Hood. The cape was alternately depicted as yellow or green. The costume also featured the poulaines of crakows, which some artists would discard from the portrayal.

Nightwing's blue and black costume as it appears on the cover of Nightwing vol. 2, #153 (April 2009). Art by Don Kramer.

Dick Grayson's Nightwing costume was made of a version of the Nomex fire-resistant, triple-weave Kevlar-lined material. It was an excellent protection against damage, and was also insulated against electricity. Specifically tailored to his style of fighting, Nightwing's costume had fewer body-armor inlays than Batman, anticipating a decreased need for shock absorption and an increased capacity for motion. Against opponents both fast and strong, Nightwing had supplemental body-armor overlays he could attach to his gauntlets, boots, shoulders, and mask. Instead of a black cape to keep him hidden, which Grayson dislikes wearing,[50][51] the suit was light sensitive, darkening when there was more light in the area. The mask, in the form of his symbol, was fixed in place with spirit gum, and included a built-in radio transmitter/receiver and Starlite night vision lenses. The third costume, with its stylized blue "wing" across his shoulders and extending to his hands, coloring his two middle fingers, over a black bodysuit, made its first appearance in Nightwing: Ties That Bind #2 (October 1995), and was designed by the cover artist Brian Stelfreeze. His suit was also equipped with wings that allow him to glide in the air or fly.

As Batman, his Batsuit featured a lighter cape to accommodate his more acrobatic fighting style[50] and a utility belt with a bat-shaped buckle.[52] He also developed "para-capes" for his and Damian's costumes which gave them the ability to glide.[52] Grayson is noticeably shorter than Bruce Wayne.[51]

Post-Flashpoint with his return to Nightwing, Dick wore a similar suit, albeit with the blue "wing" being red throughout the New 52. Previously in New 52's continuity as Nightwing, he formerly owned an armored suit which was blue and yellow, resembling a modern take of his previous first costume in the previous continuity and another that was an armored suit that sported a red bat symbol, in which is currently being used by Jason Todd though slightly modified for Jason's taste.[53] Formerly before having to leave the Nightwing mantle post Forever Evil, his suit was made up of sturdy but flexible material that not only suited his strength in speed and acrobatics, but also was durable enough to take bullets from machine guns. His former costume was a stylized red "wing" across his shoulders and extending to his hands, coloring his two middle fingers, over a black torso and legs. He also has gauntlets much like Batman's own suit. Nightwing's costume is tailored specifically to his unique style of crime-fighting. He also has variants of his costume in which one of his stylized red "wings" reach only to his shoulders, another to his wrists, and one in which has hip and finger stripes.

Some version's of Dick's story as Nightwing do not make clear whether the public at large knows that the first Robin is now Nightwing, or whether he is simply an entirely new hero. A metafictional foreword (said to have been made by a future historian) to a trade paperback for "A Death In The Family" made the claim that the public at large always thought there was just one Robin. In versions that do address it, Dick and Bruce seem to want to spread the belief that Nightwing started his career as an adult, the better to hide their true identities. The series Grayson seems to indicate that the public does not know, as Midnighter did not think to study Robin's techniques in preparation for his fight with Grayson, an advantage the latter exploited.[54]

During his time as Agent 37 for Spyral, Dick uses identity protection implants that ensure that cameras nor the memory of e.g. target persons can't capture his face. Additionally he still carries a pair of Escrima Sticks. He was required to carry a gun as part of Spyral protocol.[55]

Starting with Rebirth, Dick returns to being Nightwing, once again in black and blue. The "wing" is replaced by a thinner, v-shaped bird that starts and the chest and goes up to the shoulders and around to the back. His domino mask is now blue, instead of black. The shins and calves of his legs feature a big "swish" of blue. He wears a black leather strap and buckle on each of his forearms. The intention of this redesign is to harken back to the iconic black and blue look of the third Nightwing costume introduced in 1995, maintain the simplicity of the aforementioned iconic look, creating a more visible bird symbol, while also highlighting Dick's face with a lighter coloured mask and his legs which can allow for more dynamic art when he is in motion.[56]

Other versions

Kingdom Come (Post-Infinite Crisis Earth 22)

Dick Grayson as an alternate version of Red Robin in Kingdom Come. Art by Alex Ross.

In the Elseworlds mini-series Kingdom Come, a middle-aged Dick Grayson reclaims the Robin mantle as Red Robin and takeover his mentor's position on the Justice League. He also has a daughter, Nightstar (Mar´i Grayson), whom he fathered with Starfire. Nightstar aligns herself with Batman's Outsiders and romantically involves with his and Talia al Ghul's son, Ibn al Xu'ffasch. After Ibn and Mar´i marries, they have a daughter and son, and thus Dick and Bruce Wayne become in-laws and grandfathers of their respective progenies' children. Dick and Bruce reconcile at the end of the story.

JLA: The Nail and JLA: Another Nail

In the Elseworlds mini-series JLA: The Nail, Dick Grayson (as Robin), along with Barbara Gordon (as Batgirl), are tortured to death by the Joker with his Kryptonian gauntlets, driving Batman temporarily insane after he witnesses their ordeals and demise. The grief-stricken hero then kills the Joker for revenge. Later, in the sequel JLA: Another Nail, Dick returns as a spirit after the Joker escapes from Hell. He helps Batman defeat the villain once and for all, and seeing Dick is at peace after his death gives Batman the strength to move on.

Batman Beyond (comics)

The 2010 comic book limited series Batman Beyond features Terry McGinnis facing a new Hush. After ruling out Tim Drake as a suspect, Terry questions Dick Grayson who now runs an athletics training course after retiring as Nightwing due to sustaining severe gunshot wounds (including the loss of an eye) in a battle between the Joker and Batman.[57] Though Dick gives an alibi, Hush later incapacitates Terry and removes his bandages to reveal the face of Dick with both eyes intact.[58] It is later revealed that Hush is actually a clone of Grayson, created by Project Cadmus under the guidance of Amanda Waller in order to ensure that the world will always have a Batman.[59] Hush later dies during a final confrontation with Terry, the real Dick Grayson, and a new Catwoman, after they thwart the villain's plan to destroy Gotham. He is told over the comlink with Bruce that he is still his heir but Dick rips off the connection still too hurt to talk to Bruce.

Dick later serves as a supporting character for the ongoing series. When a GCPD detective discovers Dick's past as Nightwing due to Hush's recent actions, Terry and Maxine "Max" Gibson attempt to convince the public otherwise by having Terry masquerade as his former identity while Max plants numerous false alibis for Dick throughout the internet. In the end, Dick partially admits the truth to Gotham without jeopardizing his allies' secrets, claiming he was a paid agent of Batman Inc., as the new Batman. The detective who threatened to expose Dick still plans to sue Dick but is "persuaded" not to by Terry.

It is revealed that, after the events in the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker flashbacks and after what happened to Tim, Barbara gave up her Batgirl identity and broke off her relationship with Bruce, which Dick never knew about. Barbara resumed her relationship with Dick but was hesitant to confess to him that she had dated Bruce. Dick planned to propose to Barbara. Bruce himself ultimately confessed to their relationship after finding out that he had gotten Barbara pregnant; furthermore, he wanted to be involved in the life of their child. Barbara, however, unable to leave behind her vigilante life, fought a mugger and ultimately miscarried her child. These events, as well as her sense that she destroyed the bond between Dick and Bruce, caused Barbara's relationship with Dick to disintegrate and eventually led her to marry Sam Young. Losing Barbara caused Dick to become estranged from Bruce for his role. In the parallel universe where the Justice Lords reside, Dick's counterpart is happily married to Barbara's and they had a son named after his father, John Grayson, together. Bruce's Justice Lord counterpart was happily married to Wonder Woman as well until her Justice Lord counterpart killed him. The events in the Justice Lords' world cause Dick envying of the life his counterpart leads with his wife. Terry also becomes friends with Dick's counterpart, helping him training his own into the new Batman in Justice Lords' world.

In the 2013 Digital Comic Batman Beyond 2.0 it is revealed that Terry has now left Bruce's employment since leaving high school and is now working for Grayson as Batman with Dick taking on the role of support for Terry. While Terry finds working with Dick easier than Bruce, Dick reminds Terry of his commitment to his family and to his education.

Flashpoint

In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Dick Grayson and his parents are part of the Haley Circus acrobats, featured in a show alongside Boston Brand. In a vision that Doctor Fate gives Boston Brand, Boston is standing over Dick's body. Before the next show, Boston tries to convince Dick to perform solo. However, Dick tells him that family means too much to him. Dick poses the question that Boston's seeming fearlessness could stem from his insecurity of being alone.[60] During the attack on Haley Circus by the Amazons, Dick's mother falls to the ground in the ensuing madness. When Dick, along with the circus, is running away from the Amazons, they are rescued by the Resistance member Vertigo. While they are hiding, Dick's father is fatally wounded by the Amazons. Boston tells him to leave his father but Dick refuses. Later, Dick's dying father makes Boston promise to protect his son.[61] Afterwards, Dick and Boston run at the countryside looking for reinforcements, when they are soon caught in an explosion. Dick survived, but his friend Boston is killed. When he walks towards his friend's body, he is unaware of the fact that he walks through the ghost of Boston. Dick manages to kill the Amazons (including Starfire, who had joined with them) in a gasoline explosion. Meeting up with the Resistance, Dick becomes the new Doctor Fate. He is aided by the ghostly Boston, who lets him know that he is not alone.[62]

Injustice: Gods Among Us

In the alternate world of Injustice: Gods Among Us, Dick remains firmly aligned with Batman's views of law and order even as Superman begins a more forceful approach of ending crime. When he announces his plan to take away the inhabitants of Arkham Asylum, Dick joins Batman in going to stop him. Batman's biological son Damian, however, believes in Superman's cause and sides with him. During a skirmish at the asylum Damian inadvertently kills Dick by throwing his kali stick at him, causing Dick to fall over and break his neck when he lands on a rock positioned in just the wrong location. After this action, Batman and Damian's relationship as father and son ends, Bruce later proclaiming that Dick was his son and Damian lost the right to that title after Dick's loss. In the Year Two annual, Clayface takes the form of Dick to infiltrate Barbara Gordon's base for Superman, but is eventually discovered and stopped by Jim Gordon, Barbara, and the Birds of Prey. In the Year Three series Dick's spirit is called upon by the dying Deadman to replace him, allowing Dick to return to action as he investigates who the Spectre is after finding Jim Corrigan, under the influence of Joker Venom, in Arkham Asylum. Near the end of the series he has a talk with Bruce on how he has no regrets about his life despite the way it ended, declaring love for his adopted father. It is revealed in the annual that before his death he left the Titans to join the Justice League. After the explosion kills Beast Boy and Kid Flash he warns the Titans to stay out of anything to do with Superman. He also had romantic feelings for Starfire at one point, as she urges him to rejoin the Titans, but Dick insists that Batman needs him by his side. In chapter 14 of Year Five he returns to watch over Damian, who has been going through an identity crisis. As the youth goes on to fight several criminals at once Dick notes that while Damian has great skill he is reckless and arrogant, and is forced to intervene when Damian is overwhelmed. He leaves his old outfit with Damian and bemoans that Damian chose to leave Batman, as it has allowed him to fall for the dark influence Superman has.

Superman/Batman: Generations

Dick Grayson is first seen going off to college in a scene set in 1949, after working with Batman for almost ten years, going on to become a lawyer in New York. At some point between 1959 and 1969, Dick takes on the mantle of Batman with Bruce Wayne Jr. as Robin after Bruce is forced to retire due to old age. Dick is killed by the Joker's latest scheme, with Bruce Jr. taking Dick's costume so the legacy of Batman can live on, claiming that the Joker 'merely' killed Robin. In Superman/Batman: Generations 2, Dick's ghost begins haunting the Joker. With the help of Deadman, Doctor Occult, and Alfred Pennyworth's ghost, Dick and Alfred go into the light, Alfred convincing Dick that tormenting the Joker can serve no purpose but to risk Dick's own soul now that the Joker is so close to dying of natural causes.

Smallville

In the comic book continuation of the television series Smallville, Dick is Barbara Gordon's boyfriend, who becomes her successor as Nightwing and Batman's replacement partner after she becomes a Blue Lantern. Unlike previous depictions, Dick was never Bruce Wayne’s ward and protégé as Robin, and has made reference that he was a former circus acrobat-turned-police officer prior to becoming Batman's new partner, in the ranks of detectives within Gotham City Police Department.[63]

Superman: American Alien

In the 2016 comic book, which features an alternate retelling of Clark's journey to becoming Superman, Clark meets Dick Grayson in the children's section of LexCorp, where he is wandering around trying to find something to do while Bruce is being interviewed. Dick tries to use his observational skills to learn the truth about Clark in order to practice his detective skills and prove to Bruce he's ready to fight crime with him. Clark surprises Dick by pointing out everything he has in his pockets (Dick is unaware of Clark's X-Ray vision but points out that Clark cheated somehow). Dick agrees to have his first interview with Clark, where he tells Clark that he thinks that someone like Batman who has tactics mainly focused on fear needs a counterpoint to balance the darkness, saying "darkness needs light. Fear needs hope." which foreshadows Batman's dynamic with Superman and Robin in the future.[64]

In other media

Television

Live action

Animated

Dick Grayson as Robin in Batman: The Animated Series
Dick Grayson as Nightwing from The New Batman Adventures
Dick Grayson in The Batman as Robin (left) and as Nightwing (right).

Film

Live action

Batman & Batman and Robin serials
Batman film series
DC Extended Universe

Animated

Theatrical release

Robin appears in The LEGO Batman Movie, voiced by Michael Cera. This version was adopted by Batman as a teenager and his Robin outfit is actually a modified Reggae outfit for Batman with the pants taken off. He has large, green glasses similar to the Carrie Kelley version. During the climax, he briefly dons a Batman armor labeled "Nightwing" when attempting to save Barbara Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth.

Direct-to-video releases

Video games

Arkham series

Dick Grayson appears in the Batman: Arkham series.

LEGO Batman series

Injustice series

Radio

James Goode provided the voice for Dick Grayson as Nightwing first in 1989's Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome and again in 1994's Batman: Knightfall.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Grayson #1
  2. ↑ "Batman and Robin 25 Preview". Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  3. 1 2 Grayson (vol. 1) #20
  4. ↑ "Dick Grayson (Robin) - #11 Top Comic Book Heroes". IGN. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
  5. ↑ Wheeler, Andrew (2013-02-14). "ComicsAlliance Presents The 50 Sexiest Male Characters in Comics". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on 2015-10-18. Retrieved 2015-07-28.
  6. ↑ Infinite Crisis #7 (2006)
  7. ↑ "WizardWorld Philadelphia: DCU panel". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29.
  8. ↑ Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1–3
  9. ↑ "Batman & Robin #1". DCComics.com. Archived from the original on 14 October 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2015. ...reunited team of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.... And who exactly are the new Batman and Robin?
  10. ↑ "What's Changed and What's the Same in Batman #1? [Spoilers". ComicVine.com. 2011-09-21. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
  11. ↑ "KYLE HIGGINS on NIGHTWING's Ties to Babs & Slade". Newsarama.com. 2011-10-19. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
  12. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #1
  13. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #2
  14. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #3
  15. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #4
  16. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #6
  17. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #7
  18. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #8-9
  19. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #10
  20. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #11–12
  21. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #13
  22. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #15
  23. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #16
  24. ↑ Nightwing (vol. 3) #17
  25. ↑ Forever Evil #6
  26. ↑ "DC Reveals Dick Grayson’s Post-Forever Evil Fate". IGN.com. 15 April 2014.
  27. ↑ Ching, Albert (14 April 2014). "Dick Grayson Turns Secret Agent in New DC Series". ComicBookResources.com. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  28. ↑ Wilson, Matt D. (15 April 2014). "WHAT: Nightwing Turns Secret Agent In DC’s New ‘Grayson’ Series". ComicsAlliance.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  29. ↑ Grayson #1–8
  30. ↑ Secret Origins (vol. 3) #8
  31. ↑ "Robin War" #1-2
  32. ↑ Nightwing: Rebirth #1 (2016)
  33. ↑ Titans: Rebirth #1 (2016)
  34. ↑ Nightwing vol.4 #1-4, 7-8
  35. ↑ Nightwing vol.4 #9
  36. ↑ Nightwing vol.4 #10
  37. ↑ Nightwing vol.4 #11
  38. ↑ Nightwing vol.4 #15
  39. ↑ Nightwing vol.4 #17
  40. 1 2 Nightwing: Secret Files and Origins #1 (October 1999)
  41. ↑ Nightwing vol. 2 #0
  42. ↑ Grayson (vol. 1) #8
  43. 1 2 3 4 Robin: Year One #3 (December 2000)
  44. ↑ Nightwing vol. 2 #131 (April 2007)
  45. ↑ Batman vol. 1 #588 (April 2001)
  46. ↑ Nightwing vol. 2 #109 (August 2005)
  47. ↑ Infinite Crisis #3 (February 2006)
  48. ↑ "Nightwing Vol. 2" #6
  49. ↑ "Nightwing" Vol. 1 #13
  50. 1 2 Batman #688
  51. 1 2 Batman and Robin #2
  52. 1 2 Batman and Robin #1
  53. ↑ Red Hood and the Outlaws (vol. 1) #6
  54. ↑ "Grayson" #6
  55. ↑ "Grayson" #1
  56. ↑ Nightwing: Rebirth #1
  57. ↑ Batman Beyond #3 (October 2010)
  58. ↑ Batman Beyond #4 (November 2010)
  59. ↑ Batman Beyond #5 (November 2010)
  60. ↑ Flashpoint: Deadman and the Flying Graysons #1 (June 2011)
  61. ↑ Flashpoint: Deadman and the Flying Graysons #2 (July 2011)
  62. ↑ Flashpoint: Deadman and the Flying Graysons #3 (August 2011)
  63. ↑ Smallville Season Eleven: Continuity vol. 1 #4 (March 2015)
  64. ↑ Superman: American Alien #4(March 2015)
  65. ↑ "Batman: CW Builds a Series Around pre-Robin Dick Grayson". Tvseriesfinale.com. 2008-10-01. Archived from the original on 2009-02-13. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
  66. ↑ Schneider, Michael (September 30, 2008). "CW's 'Graysons' takes flier on Robin". Variety. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  67. ↑ http://comicbook.com/dc/2017/07/11/gotham-dick-grayson-robin-nightwing-sean-pertwee/
  68. ↑ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/dc-entertainment-launch-digital-service-greg-berlanti-akiva-goldsman-series-titans-997155
  69. ↑ "Batgirl Returns"
  70. ↑ Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero
  71. ↑ "Spellbound"
  72. ↑ "A Touch of Curaré"
  73. ↑ Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
  74. ↑ Teen Titans Go! #47
  75. ↑ Hyde, David (April 21, 2010). "Breaking News From Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment". DC Universe: The Source.
  76. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Kevin (July 23, 2010). "Comic-Con 2010: Young Justice Goes Under Cover". UGO Networks. Archived from the original on July 26, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
  77. 1 2 Rabin, Nathan (25 February 1998). "Marlon Wayans". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  78. ↑ McNary, Dave. "Batman Spinoff ‘Nightwing’ in the Works With ‘Lego Batman’ Director". Variety. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  79. ↑ Harvey, Jim (March 8, 2014). "World Premiere Of "Son Of Batman" Animated Feature Confirmed For WonderCon Anaheim 2014". World's Finest Online. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  80. ↑ Kit, Borys (January 14, 2015). "Animated 'Batman vs. Robin' Movie It's Voice Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  81. ↑ Manning, Shaun (9 October 2015). "NYCC: Cast of "Batman: Bad Blood" Reveal First Footage". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  82. ↑ http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/animated-justice-league-vs-teen-titans-feature-reveals-voice-cast
  83. ↑ Kit, Borys (January 19, 2017). "Christina Ricci, Miguel Ferrer Join Voice Cast of 'Teen Titans' Animated Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  84. ↑ Slead, Evan (August 17, 2016). "Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar return for animated Batman movie". Entertainment Weekly.
  85. ↑ "LEGO Batman: Character Gallery". Game Informer (186): 92. October 2008. Features a two-page gallery of the many heroes and villains who appear in the game with a picture for each character and a descriptive paragraph.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.