Dick Grayson

Dick Grayson – The Boy Wonder

Born to a family of acrobats, Dick Grayson began his life with an exciting childhood growing up in the circus. With his parents, John and Mary Grayson, his family forms “The Flying Graysons,” famed trapeze artists and acrobats.

These happy times soon take a turn for the worse, as the mafia begins targeting the circus. At eight years old, Dick witnesses mob boss Anthony Zucco threatens the circus owner, demanding insurance for the safety of his performers. The owner vehemently refuses the extortion and Dick goes along his way. Unfortunately, Zucco decides to use the headlining act, which happens to be The Flying Graysons, as an example.

As the Graysons plummet to earth, hundreds of spectators watch in horror. Among them are billionaire Bruce Wayne (also known as Batman). Feeling empathy for the boy’s loss, Bruce decides to take the boy in as his legal ward, as none of Dick’s family wanted him. The major difference between Bruce and Dick is that while Bruce’s swore vengeance on his parents’ grave, Dick Grayson swore justice, which helped him cope with the death better then Bruce had his own parents.

After a short while, Dick realizes what his mentor is doing all these late nights, and eventually chooses the same life as well. Bruce decides that with the boy’s extensive training in acrobatics and his sense of justice, he has just what’s needed to become the Batman’s partner. After rigorous training from Bruce, Robin, the Boy Wonder, is christened. From then on, the first son of the Bat was born.

Creation

Dick Grayson first appeared as Robin in Detective Comics #38 in 1940, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrated by Jerry Robinson. He was made so that Batman would appeal to younger readers and lighten the tone of the Batman stories. Robin’s name was inspired by Robin Hood; it was indicated in Detective Comics #38, on the lower right-hand corner: “And thus Dick Grayson, by the hand of fate, is transformed into that astonishing phenomenon that young Robin Hood of today — ROBIN THE BOY WONDER“. In the later years it was stated that Robin’s name was taken from the robin bird, not Robin Hood. In another version it’s mentioned that the name “Robin” is inspired by Dick’s nickname “little robin” which his mother gave him.

The Nightwing persona was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez, and debuted in Tales of the Teen Titans #44 in 1984.

Character Evolution

Robin

Dick enjoys his first year as Robin describing it as an adventure; he battles villains such as Mad Hatter, Penguin, Joker, Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow and Blockbuster. However, his so-called adventure quickly turns into a hellish nightmare when Two-Face kidnaps both the new District Attorney and Batman, suspending them both from a hangman’s noose in a double gallows death trap. Batman instructs Robin to prioritize saving the D.A. He follows his orders by throwing a batarang at the noose, freeing the D.A. and therefore saving his life. Unfortunately, Two-Face’s trap is a two-parter, and the false floor below the noose gives out before Robin can get to him. Robin jumps into the water after the D.A., but Two-Face pulls him out and beats him savagely while a restrained Batman watches in horror.

Batman eventually frees himself and stops Two-Face, but not before Dick is permanently scarred. This frightens Batman so much that he temporarily suspends Dick, and the event continues to haunt Dick for many years afterwards. When Dick eventually returns to crime fighting, he is much stronger and smarter than before. He later studies law at Hudson University but drops out after one term due to his responsibilities as Robin.

Teen Titans

After several years of fighting by Batman’s side, Robin decides he’s ready to fight with others his own age. Dick joins forces with Kid Flash, Aqualad, Wonder Girl and Speedy, forming the Teen Titans. Although Robin is one of the few members of the team without traditional superpowers, he emerges as the group’s natural leader due to his experience and intelligence.

The End of the Dynamic Duo

Dick’s new found independence and duties with the Titans leave him with less time for his former commitments in Gotham City. Dick feels that he rediscovers his self-worth among the Teen Titans. Batman, however, is less than pleased. He informs Dick that if he no longer wants to be his partner, he’ll have to retire as Robin. Furious, hurt, and confused, eighteen year old Dick Grayson leaves Wayne Manor after this fallout. Helping him through this difficult time are his fellow Titans, including Starfire, a beautiful alien with whom Dick had fallen in love with. Dick ultimately decides to hand over leadership of the Titans to Wonder Girl.

Nightwing

Pre-Crisis

In the original story, Dick realizes that he’s grown up and doesn’t need Batman anymore to help him. He decides that in order to discover who he is and his place in the world, he must leave Batman’s side. Dick decides to drop his role as Robin and as the leader of the New Teen Titans. After retiring for a time from the hero business, he is attacked not as Robin but as Dick Grayson by Deathstroke the Terminator, who was hunting the Titans. Dick manages to escape and meets the ex-wife of Deathstroke (Adeline Kane) and his son Joseph (Jericho). Dick takes the name of Nightwing, as well as a completely new costume. He chose the name to honor another hero by the same name after being told the story of the Kryptonian hero by Superman. After saving his teammates and defeating Terra and Deathstroke (thanks in great part to Jericho) Nightwing once again becomes the leader of the New Teen Titans.

Post-Crisis

Although the story of Dick as Robin wasn’t greatly changed after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, his origin to become Nightwing was drastically changed. In the redone origin, Dick decides to leave the cave and his role as Robin after a mission against Two-Face goes terribly wrong and Batman almost dies. After that, Dick embarks on a journey to find himself, which leads him to Metropolis where he meets Superman. Asking for an outside opinion on what he should do next with his life, Superman relays the story of a hero from Krypton who had been cast out by his family only to become a great hero. This hero’s name was Nightwing. After a short stint in Haly’s circus to clear his head, Dick takes on the name Nightwing and begins establishing a reputation for himself in Gotham.

Dick and Bruce do manage to mend things. When Batman’s back is broken by Bane, Jean-Paul Valley AKA (Azrael) is given the mantle of the Bat. He proved to be unstable due to his training and mental conditioning from The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas. Dick later confronts Bruce as to why he didn’t ask him to become the next Batman. Bruce simply tells him that he didn’t think Dick would want to do it as he was his own person now. Dick tells Bruce that while he didn’t want to be Batman, he would have done anything he was asked. In a defining moment of Nightwing’s history, Bruce admits that these sort of arguments are what occurs between “fathers and sons”. Bruce later asks Dick to fill in for him briefly as he recovers from his back injury.

Major Story Arcs

Prodigal

Following the events of Knightfall, Bruce realizes the mistake he had made, and leaves the mantle of Batman to Dick as he finishes rebuilding his skills to become Batman. During his early days as Batman he began to round up the remaining Arkham escapees alongside Robin, with the two quickly catching Killer Croc, The Ventriloquist and Ratcatcher. However, the two would face their biggest challenge as the new Dynamic Duo when Two-Face is released by a computer glitch in place of Harvey Kent, and sets out to cripple the Gotham justice system through their dependence on computers. Dick eventually defeats Two-Face while also saving Robin and Harvey Kent from death, while at the same time rectifying his greatest mistake as Robin.

With Two-Face recaptured, he then sets out to restore the status quo of Gotham, capturing the three worst killers in Gotham’s “War Zone” area. He’s soon captured by the Tally Man, who believe him to be the same Batman as Jean Paul Valley and seeks to avenge his torture. However Dick using a combination of his intelligence and the Tally Man’s emotional issues frees himself and brings him in. Following an unsuccessful case in which he believes Jean-Paul Valley to be the killer, he returns to the Batcave to find a returned Bruce there. The two finally discuss issues stemming from the end of their partnership and Wayne’s choice of Valley over Dick, with the two working through it and becoming closer than they had been in years.

Solo Adventures

By the 1990s, Nightwing had become one of DC’s most popular characters. With Robin already having a successful solo series, the powers-that-be decided to test the waters with Nightwing. In 1995, DC launched a 4-issue Nightwing mini-series starring the former Boy Wonder. Written by Dennis O’Neil with art by Greg Land, the mini was a sales hit. When DC awarded Nightwing an ongoing series in 1996, they enlisted writer Chuck Dixon and artist Scott McDaniel. Dixon immediately set Nightwing apart from his mentor by giving him his own city: the corrupt, decaying harbor town known as Blüdhaven, which lay just north of Gotham. It allowed him to be close enough to Gotham to stay part of the Batman Family, as well as have his own city and series of adventures. Visually, McDaniel’s kinetic art was a perfect vehicle to convey Dick Grayson’s acrobatic prowess.

Blüdhaven

Dick Grayson decides that he should leave Gotham and move to Blüdhaven when he finds that twenty-two dead men have floated into Gotham’s south harbor. Nightwing decides to move to the city and quickly sees that Blüdhaven is what Gotham was before Batman arrived, brimming with corruption to the highest levels of power. It seemed to be that whatever was too coarse or too awful for Gotham, would end up there. He quickly finds that all the corruption in the city leads directly to the crime lord Blockbuster. Now living in Blüdhaven, Dick rents an apartment as a base of operations, as well as taking a job as a bartender in order to better keep track of both the crime and corruption in the city. Dick frequently battles Blockbuster’s minions following putting a large bounty on Nightwing, attracting the attention of Dick’s most reoccurring enemies, Stallion, Lady Vic, Brutale, and Shrike, all who attempt to claim the bounty.

After several months of being alone in Blüdhaven, he begins training another enthusiastic young man named Nite-Wing who is determined to make a difference, but his brutal methods soon lead him to unknowingly murder an undercover FBI agent, with Nightwing defeating him and sending him to jail shortly afterwards. Dick soon begins to renew his childhood crush on Barbara Gordon, which she finally reciprocates leading to the two vigilantes to begin a relationship.

Legacy

Dick accompanies Bruce and Tim when they attempt to stop Ra’s al Ghul from unearthing the wheel of plagues. However, the plan doesn’t work out, and Dick is shot during the attempt and separated from Batman and Robin, falling down a hole where he spies upon Bane, Talia and Ra’s with the wheel. He attempts to stop their departure, where he enters in a one on one battle with Ra’s, getting the better of the villain until he takes advantage by hitting Dick in his gunshot wound, and leaving him to drown as the cavern fills with water while Batman and Robin pursue. Dick manages to climb up to the top, and is patched up by Alfred as he and Robin leave for Paris to stop Ra’s plague from being released. Once in Paris, Tim seeks out the aid of Henri Ducard, and the three manage to stop the League of Assassin from releasing the plague before heading back to Gotham to stop the final plague release.

While Batman has his rematch with Bane, Nightwing leads Huntress and Robin against Ra’s himself to destroy his computer records of the plague. They, however, are caught sneaking aboard the ship, with Huntress and Nightwing forced to battle his assassins as Tim links Ra’s systems with Oracle, who erases all traces of the virus shortly before the ship blows up, supposedly killing Talia al Ghul.

Bane, shortly after awakening, floated out to sea from the aftermath of his battle with Batman, takes over a ship which generates nuclear power, plotting to cause a meltdown and finish Ra’s plan to destroy Gotham. Nightwing is the first to respond to the disturbance but is captured by Bane. However, upon awakening, he promptly escapes meeting up with Batman and Robin. Nightwing and Robin then attempt to stop the reactor from melting down. As Batman and Bane battle once again, Nightwing and Robin manage to stop Bane’s men from melting the rector down.

Teen Titan Again

During the miniseries “JLA/Titans: The Technis Imperative,” a being called Cyberion (formerly the Titan Cyborg) starts kidnapping all former members of the Teen Titans. However, as the Titans realize that a former teammate is involved in the disappearances, they find themselves squaring off against the World’s Greatest Heroes in order to protect their old friend. During these events, the Titans battle the members of the Justice League. With the help of the other four founding members of the Teen Titans and Changeling (Beast Boy), Nightwing manages to rescue Cyborg and Earth at the same time. Following saving the Earth, the founding Titans all begin discussing reforming the Titans, along with a new member which they nominate.

Officer Dick Grayson

Nightwing decides to join the Blüdhaven Police Department in an attempt to get rid of the corruption of the city from within, working on both sides of the law as Nightwing and an officer. Here, Dick’s weapons training from Bruce comes in handy. When fellow police officers ask about his marksmanship skills, he replies, “Bruce taught me”. Blüdhaven officers also question Dick’s hesitance to use his weapon, which his instructor mentions is the part most cadets look forward to. However, they remain extremely impressed by all of Grayson’s knowledge of the law.

No Man’s Land

During the events of “No Man’s Land“, Nightwing is asked to secure Blackgate Prison, as Lock-Up had fulfilled his usefulness to Batman and the prison was ready to be used by officers again. During the attempt, he battles Lock-Up and his staff KGBeast and the Trigger Twins, however, he is captured but eventually manages to escape albeit injured and makes it back to Oracle’s clocktower, where he spends several days recovering until Huntress and Pettit and his squadron of renegade cops attempt to storm the tower.

Officer Down

Dick is first in Gotham to assist Batman in his effort to stop several of the Joker’s men from installing bombs in home computers set to be sold. During the fight, they learn of Gordon being shot, as Batman begins to strangle the goon with Dick stopping him from killing him. He then arrives at the hospital alongside Batgirl, Robin, Azrael and Batman comforting Barbara, as he and the others begin searching for Catwoman who is the prime suspect in the shooting, as Bruce stays alongside Gordon. Oracle then gathers her info on Catwoman and they all split up, with Grayson and Azrael visit the man Selina frequently sells stolen art too.

Nightwing then leads the others to the Gotham museum as a woman they believe to be Catwoman and her crew try to steal a set of emeralds on their last night on display. However, Robin catches her only to discover it’s Harley Quinn, who’s revealed to be assisting Catwoman. And giving her location to Nightwing and the others in exchange for not hurting her.

Nightwing then enacts Oracle’s plan, which leads to the capture of Catwoman. Who tells them her side of the story, of being in the alley and seeing Gordon shot by a G.C.P.D. officer, who hid the gun which Catwoman took and hid to prove her innocence later. In exchange for her freedom, she gives them the location of the gun which Batgirl and Azrael retrieve. Nightwing then takes it to Barbara who uses it to gain the shooter’s identity, officer Jordan Rich who Gordon had busted years ago in Chicago with ties to the mob. After learning the identity Barbara then contemplates taking vengeance for herself, however, Nightwing talks her out of it before delivering the gun to Harvey Bullock.

JLA: The Obsidian Age

In the storyline “JLA: The Obsidian Age“, the Justice League disappears intending to find out what happened to Atlantis and Aquaman. However, Batman had a contingency plan to use in the event that the Justice League disappears: to put together a team of heroes chosen by Batman to become the new Justice League. This new Justice League consists Atom, Green Arrow, Hawkgirl, Etrigan, Firestorm, the former villain Major Disaster, the mysterious Faith and Nightwing, who Batman chooses as the leader. At the end of the storyline the, new Justice League finds and rescues the previous one. These two teams combine to form one large Justice League; however, Nightwing returns as the Titans’ leader and to the Justice League’s reserve list.

Bruce Wayne: Murderer?

Dick during the events of Bruce Wayne: Murderer learns of Bruce Wayne’s arrest when he enters the Blüdhaven Police Department, after which he bribes the shift manager who puts him as one of the officers assigned to deliver prisoners to Gotham. He then visits Bruce in his holding cell, offering to help as officer Grayson or as Nightwing with Bruce adamantly refusing any help. Dick then visits with Oracle as the two agree it will be up to Dick to clear Bruce and Sasha of their first-degree murder charges, and attending the arraignment alongside the newly returned Alfred Pennyworth. Throughout the ordeal Dick remains one of the only people to believe Bruce incapable of the crime, growing increasingly irate when Tim and Barbara express their beliefs he very well could.

Bruce Wayne: Fugitive

Dick remains the only one who completely believes in Bruce’s innocence, which he puts to the test by confronting the newly escaped Bruce in the Batcave alongside Oracle, Robin and Batgirl. However, the situation quickly escalates as Dick feeling hurt by Bruce so willingly abandoning his Bruce Wayne identity attacks him as a fight breaks out throughout the Batcave culminating in Dick’s accidental smashing of Jason Todd’s Robin memorial. However, his faith is restored following Batgirl digging up the corpse of Vesper Fairchild, finding the nerve strike point and realizing someone has set out to frame Bruce. He then begins his investigation running a diagnostic on the Batcomputer learning power had been cut and several of Bruce’s journals alters, which he summarizes means someone had to have broken into the Batcave to accomplish this. He then begins a search of the cave entrances, finding a hole into the Batcave with a fried device which the killer had used to bypass Bruce’s defenses and gain access to the cave. Dick then gives the security videos of the past few months to Tim Drake who upon analyzing them finds the shadow of the killer further increasing the Bat Family’s resolve of Bruce’s innocence while Dick breaks into the Gotham Police Department and makes copies of the various case files for his own use.

Dick using the photos gained from this reenacts the murder along with Cassandra Cain where the last traces of doubt are expunged. He then meets with Batman at Vesper’s grave with the two apologizing for the incident in the Batcave, with the two returning to the Batcave together to meet up with Alfred, Tim, Barbara and Cassandra with Batman revealing he was framed by none other than David Cain and set up a plan to capture them. Tim, Dick and Alfred who is disguised as Batman are sent to capture “David” who is, in fact, a distraction, with the real David Cain infiltrating the Batcave and attacking Oracle only to be defeated by a hidden Batman.

Graduation Day

During the miniseries “Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day,” the two teams are attacked by Indigo, a mysterious robotic girl from the future. After an attack that injures members of both teams, they find a rogue Superman android. This android manages to kill both Omen (Lilith Clay) and Troia (Donna Troy). This was one of the turning points in Nightwing’s life, as he had known Donna since childhood, deciding he didn’t want to see any more of his friends die because of him, he disbands the Titans during Donna’s funeral.

Outsiders

Sometime after the tragedy, Arsenal (Roy Harper) decides to start a group which as of yet had not had a name. Arsenal asks Nightwing if he would like to join, but the latter refuses to join a team of any kind, for the same reason that he disbanded the Titans. Reluctantly, due to an emergency, the team goes on their first mission prematurely and Nightwing eventually agrees to join the team, which consists of Jade, Shift, Thunder, Grace and Indigo. The latter, who Nightwing does not fully approve and somewhat still blames for the death of his friend Donna Troy, even though Indigo had been reprogrammed by S.T.A.R. Labs.

Dick Grayson, after the first mission reveals in a conversation with his mentor, Batman (Bruce Wayne), that he believes that there are enough Superheroes ‘cleaning up’ the mess done by Supervillains and that the Superhero community has “enough firemen” and that what is needed now are “hunters” to find Supervillains and capture them before they can terrorize innocent people.

The name chosen: Outsiders was chosen in honor of the previous team with that name, led by Batman, with this team, being somewhat their heirs. It also symbolized not only that they were apart from the Superhero community, but that they had a need to be somewhat ‘apart’ from each other, so that the team would work less like a family, similar to how the Titans did, since Roy Harper thought that this would lead to a much more efficient team.

During his time as the leader of the Outsiders, Nightwing becomes very aggressive, cold and violent somewhat due to the fact that he wanted the team to work less like a family as he didn’t want to ‘care’ for his teammates. In the Outsiders, he treats his teammates like soldiers, not seeming to care what happens to them. This eventually culminated in Jade, in response to the poor leadership Nightwing was showing as leader of the Outsiders, which was the reason that some teammates had been injured, decides to take the leadership role upon herself. Starfire is later added to the ranks of the team and the two somewhat rekindle their romance in a very brief fling, if only for a short period of time.

The Insiders

During the storyline “Teen Titans/Outsiders: The Insiders,” Brainiac and Lex Luthor make an alliance to destroy both the new Teen Titans and the Outsiders. They form a plan involves pitting the teams against each other. Lex Luthor takes control of Superboy and Brainiac of Indigo and using the powerhouses of both teams, they have them attack each other in an attempt to kill them all. Starfire is able to stop the menace when Nightwing urges her not to hold back, with Starfire going Nova severely injuring Indigo, with Shift dealing the final blow by using his powers to turn her body into flesh. Nightwing, realizing that things had once become personal again, leaves the team, but not before having one last intimate meeting with Starfire.

Blockbuster & Tarantula

As Grayson and Barbara’s relationship continues, Barbara slowly becomes annoyed with Dick who has become increasingly overprotective due to Blockbusters actions. Culminating in a fight with Tarantula, which leads to their breaking up. Blockbuster blames Nightwing for the death of his mother, and following learning Nightwing’s secret identity, blows up his apartment building in order to kill everyone close to Grayson, vowing to continue doing it as he knows Nightwing can’t do anything about it. Following the death of everyone in his apartment building except for Amygdala, he goes after Blockbuster dispatching his hired muscle and beating the villain, who continues taunting him. Tarantula who arrives shortly after this, promptly aims her gun at Blockbuster during which Grayson chooses not to stop her, following which she shoots and kills Blockbuster. Nightwing, who feels guilty for not saving him and having violated his no kill policy, retreats to the roof where he begins having an emotional breakdown, Tarantula follows him and sexually forces herself on the nearly catatonic Grayson.

War Games

When a failed plan by Spoiler results in a gang war in Gotham, Batman asks all his allies, including Nightwing to help him stop this bloodshed. Nightwing and Tarantula travel from Atlantic City (the two having left Bludhaven following Blockbuster’s murder) to answer Batman‘s call. However, Nightwing still suffers from guilt and depression for not saving Blockbuster’s life, which he struggles to keep from Batman to avoid his disappointment for failing to live by his code. Nightwing is part of the back up for Batman when he believes “Orpheus” is finally taking control of the gangs, by herding them all into the Robinson Park Amphitheatre holding the line with the G.C.P.D. who under Batman orders are preparing to arrest all participants. However Batman miscalculates, as “Orpheus” is revealed to be Black Mask who orders all present to attack Batman, forcing Dick, Robin, Batgirl, and Onyx to abandon the G.C.P.D. to aid Batman, which leads to the police taking heavy casualties from the gang members, as well as prompting Commissioner Atkins to decree a shoot on sight order of vigilantes. After defeating the criminals inside the theatre, Batman then charges Nightwing to secure everything west of Robinson Park.

During this endeavor he runs across Gotham supervillain Firefly, beating him savagely for the deaths he causes at Haly’s Circus, until being shot by two G.C.P.D. officers, where he manages to escape warning the others before passing out on a fire escape. When Black Mask storm’s Oracles clock tower, taking her prisoner Batman goes to rescue her. While Robin, Batgirl, Onyx, Tarantula, and Catwoman are forced to deal with Scarecrow following his transformation into the Scarebeast. Nightwing attempts to leave the mobile Batcave to assist them but is stopped by Alfred.

Year One

During Nightwing #101 – #105, the origin story of how Dick Grayson stopped being Robin and became Nightwing was retold. In this version, Robin is fired after a confrontation against Clayface. Batman was worried that because Robin was attending to business with the Titans, he wasn’t protecting Gotham as he did before. After a long verbal fight, Batman fires Robin. Dick Grayson leaves a newly made Robin costume in the Batcave and leaves the Wayne Manor.

Trying to figure out what to do with his life, Dick goes to visit Clark Kent (Superman). While visiting, they stop a terrorist attempt. After, this Superman takes Dick to the Fortress of Solitude and tells him a history of a Kryptonian hero called Nightwing, who was cast out of his family and sought to prove he was better then any of them gave them credit for, a story that Dick felt he could relate to.

Dick then goes back to his roots in the circus where he and his parents worked when he was a child. There he meets Deadman and creates a prototype version of his costume and his wing-dings. He then returns Gotham and introduces his new identity to Commissioner Gordon. He then sets out to foil a petty crime, during which he runs into Batgirl, and the two share an intimate moment before Barbara stops it from happening, as Dick is with Starfire.

Shortly after this, Jason Todd is introduced as the boy who will replace Dick as Robin. Bruce and Alfred set up a “Gauntlet Test” for Jason. Alfred dresses up as Two-Face, and Bruce dresses up as one of Two-Face’s thugs. While on their way to meet up with Jason, two of Killer Croc’s cronies discover the false Two-Face; they ram their car into Bruce and Alfred’s car. They take Alfred hostage and shoot Bruce in the chest with a shotgun, which most of which is stopped by his costume he wore underneath, but leaves him incapacitated.

Meanwhile, Dick and Jason run into each other. Jason mistakenly thinks that fighting the first Robin is his gauntlet test. Jason and Dick begin to fight when Bruce contacts Jason on his comm-link and tells them that Alfred has been kidnapped and is being held at Gotham’s Estuary. Dick and Jason go to the warehouse where Alfred is being kept and the two take out Killer Croc together. At the end of the series, Jason gives Dick a new Nightwing costume made by Alfred.

Renegade

In order to infiltrate Lex Luthor’s Secret Society of Super-Villains, Dick Grayson takes on a new suit and codename of Renegade and allies himself with his longtime enemy Deathstroke. During his period as Renegade, Dick manages to keep tabs on the Society’s activities in both Gotham and Blüdhaven. Deathstroke asks Nightwing to teach his daughter, Ravager, all the skills he knows. Nightwing takes Ravager out on many missions, but eventually Ravager grows suspicious and accuses him of being a hero. Unknown to Nightwing, Deathstroke put Kryptonite in place of Ravager’s missing eye. Superman meets up with Nightwing and Ravager, who attacks him. Nightwing tells Ravager that even though Superman’s life is in danger, he is still thinking of others before him. Nightwing makes a deal with Deathstroke: he’ll leave Ravager alone and stop teaching her to be a hero if Deathstroke leaves Blüdhaven alone. Deathstroke initially agrees, but eventually breaks the deal by releasing Chemo on Blüdhaven, just 48 hours later while Nightwing was out of the city.

Infinite Crisis

In Infinite Crisis, Blüdhaven is destroyed by the super-villain Chemo, killing over 100,000 people. Dick is rescued by Batman, who brings him to the Batcave, where he urges Nightwing to gather heroes to his cause, as he knows they all trust him. Nightwing tries to gather heroes at Titans Tower to stop Alex Luthor. Before he leaves, however, he proposes to Barbara Gordon, who accepts. Once he arrives at Titans Towers, however, only Superboy is available to answer his call. Together, they go to infiltrate Alex’s base where Wonder Girl joins the two.

In the battle for Metropolis, Nightwing alongside Batman and Robin battle Deathstroke, defeating the mercenary. Nightwing becomes critically injured when he takes a blast from Alex Luthor meant for Batman, however. He is fortunately saved from death by the Justice Society. Barbara is by his side during his recovery, helping Dick to get back into shape. When Bruce and Tim ask him to travel abroad and retrain, however, Barbara urges him to go, requesting he return his engagement ring so he wouldn’t be hesitant to go. When Dick leaves he leaves Barbara an envelope with a picture of them as Batgirl and Robin and the engagement ring telling her he would be back for her.

52

Nightwing interrupts his journey with Batman and Robin and returns to Gotham to follow Intergang’s trail. During this time, he works with the new Batwoman and Renee Montoya to stop the gang from destroying Gotham, shutting off dozens of fire-spewing devices spread across the city.

One Year Later

After the events of Infinite Crisis, the DC Universe skips an entire year in continuity to make big changes to every one of their series’. One of these changes is that Dick Grayson moves back to New York where he previously fought crime alongside the New Teen Titans.

There, he forms a sexual relationship with Cheyenne Freemont. He also discovers that there is another Nightwing in New York. However, this one doesn’t shy away from killing criminals. Because of this impostor’s acts, Nightwing is seen as the most dangerous criminal in New York. Dick decides to look for the other Nightwing and find out who he really is, but before he can do that, he is attacked by two meta-humans, the Pierce Brothers.

Nightwing is caught by surprise and is defeated by one of the brothers. Luckily, he is rescued by the other Nightwing, who is revealed to be Jason Todd. The two Nightwings battle, and Jason wins after injuring Dick’s hand. The two of them battle once again when they both try to stop a crime that involves stealing a lot of electronics to be sold by the Pierce Brothers.

That fight is recorded by a security camera, and the Pierce Brothers obtain the tape. They ask their employee “Jakob” who was the real Nightwing. He tells them that the real Nightwing prefers prudence and restraint, not the one that tends toward recklessness and lack of forethought. Jakob also reveals that the reason that Jason appears to have won because Dick was holding back. Dick later decides to visit his friend Clancy (who had also moved to New York) and ask her about Jason’s mental problems. She reminds Dick that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and tells him that the reason Jason probably uses the same codename and costume as Dick because he probably idolizes him as his hero.

A conversation with Cheyenne Freemont reveals her as another meta-human. Later, she discovers by accident that Dick Grayson is Nightwing and begins following him. Eventually, Jason is captured by Jakob. Dick and Cheyenne (also going by the name Nightwing) go to rescue him. Cheyenne kills Jakob in self-defense and they are confronted by the Pierce brothers. After a hard battle, the team-up of the two “Nightwings” are able to defeat the Pierce brothers and save Jason.

In a strange twist, Jason takes on properties previously displayed by Jakob and fights in a monstrous octopus form. In the end of the story arc, Jason leaves a note to Dick saying that he still considers him family, that he has left the costume and that he’s back to normal. Cheyenne also abandons the name of Nightwing, leaving the one true Nightwing as protector of New York City.

Raptor

Nightwing eventually faces off against Raptor. Raptor is a human in a iron suit who is committing various crimes in the area. Eventually, though growing close to Raptor’s family, Nightwing defeats Raptor.

Nightwing leaves the Outsiders

After giving Batman the leader position, Dick auditions for the Outsiders team with both old members and possible newcomers. In the first one, he partners up with Captain Boomerang Jr in a space station taken by Chemo. During the mission, Nightwing and Captain Boomerang Jr. have a confrontation, which happens due to the latter’s former alliance with Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad, which leads to Captain Boomerang Jr. fighting Dick and thus, quitting the Outsiders. Afterwards, Dick confronts Bruce about making the Outsiders members audition for a job they already had. Nightwing leaves the team, after an argument with his former mentor. Feeling that he has not done what he should have and what Dick was expecting from him when he handed over the leadership, Batman feels that this is for the best. Considering Dick is too good and kind-hearted of a person, which directly contradicts with what Batman intends for the Outsiders to be.

The Lost Year

After confronting Bride and Groom, Nightwing would be visited by a girlfriend from the past known as Liu after she is kidnapped by a gang named the Tigers. It is revealed that Dick Grayson (Nightwing) met Liu when he was seventeen a few months after the original Teen Titans had disbanded and a few days after a big fight with Batman.

Return of Ra’s Al Ghul

After Ra’s Al Ghul returns to Arkham, he offers Tim the ability to bring his parents back to life if he swears loyalty to Ra’s instead of Batman. Having seen the horrors of the pit himself, Dick goes to stop Tim before he makes a mistake. Dick realizes Tim needs to stop it on his own, because Tim will resent him if he uses force to stop him. Tim eventually realizes his mistake, and they team up to battle Ra’s league of Assassins.

Free Fall

Nightwing set up a headquarters in New York with the Justice Society Of America helping him. He had a new job as a museum curator. This was short lived as the events of Batman R.I.P. and Final Crisis left Gotham City without a Batman, with Nightwing returning to fill the void.

Battle for the Cowl

When word reaches the criminal element that Batman is gone, Gotham is engulfed in chaos. Nightwing gathers a number of heroes that have relations with the bat-family, named ‘The Network’ to stop the chaos and destruction that has occurred. The bat family and their allies do their best to put out the fires by setting up the Network to counter the violence. Robin and Squire tracked a group of robbers but before they could take them down some else does, Robin and Squire do not see the person but he leaves a note saying ” I AM BATMAN”. Dick eventually enters the imposters lair, following Tim Drake wearing a old Batman costume, following Dick’s refusal to don the mantle. Dick was preoccupied with saving Damian Wayne from the Hands of Poison Ivy and Killer Croc when Tim was ambushed by Jason Todd in the lair. Grayson then battles Jason Todd, defeating him and taking up the mantle of Batman. Bruce’s son, Damian Wayne, also takes on the mantle of robin for a short moment in the story to act as Dick’s partner.

Taking on the Cowl

Dick Grayson’s first big decision as Batman is to give the mantle of Robin to Damian Wayne so he could keep a eye on him. He does this without consulting Tim Drake, who was Robin up until this point. Dick views Tim as his equal and, so he couldn’t have him work under him. Before they can fully discuss things, Damian shows up causing a fight, which leads Tim to walk out on Dick.

Another important decision Dick makes is to leave the Batcave because that doesn’t fit his style. He creates a bunker beneath Wayne Tower, their new base of operations. While crusading as Batman, Dick has to deal with Damian Wayne’s anger, Huntress (Helena Bertinelli) wanting to get back together, and new/old villains.

Blackest Night

In this crossover event, Dick and Damian try to control Gotham’s panic. They go to the grave of the unmarked Bruce Wayne, to find the grave ransacked. They also find out that Thomas & Martha Wayne’s bones have been stolen.

Flashpoint

In this legendary crossover, we see Dick Grayson with his parents in the Flying Graysons’ trapeze act. In this world, they are part of a traveling circus trying to avoid the world-crippling war between the Amazonians and the Atlanteans. Little did they know that one of their acts “Helm of Fate” featured an Amazonian artifact known to the Amazonians as the Helm of Nabu. The Amazonians attack, during this assault they kill both of Dick’s parents, Boston Brand (Deadman), and Kent Nelson (Doctor Fate) these events inspire Dick to put on the Helm of Fate and becomes the new Doctor Fate. As Doctor Fate, Dick joins the growing resistance to the war.

The Search for Bruce Wayne

Dick believes that Bruce is stuck in time, following his sticking the body he believed to be Bruce’s in a Lazarus Pit and learning it was a clone. Talia Al Ghul Wayne, Dr. Hurt, and others are intent on killing Dick Grayson. Talia is the first, seeing that Dick wasn’t worthy enough to be Batman and his influence on her son Damian. She promptly uses a neural implant in Damian’s spine to allow Deathstroke to control the boy, however Dick shorts out the implant and attacks Deathstroke in his hospital bed saying it was just a preview of things to come.

Batman & Robin must Die!

When Bruce returns from the events of Return of Bruce Wayne he quickly heard the news (from Tim Drake) about Dick and Damian having trouble with the Joker and Dr. Hurt. While Bruce confronts Dr. Hurt, Dick and Damian has to stop the massive crowd that was causing chaos in Gotham City. Dick is badly wounded by a gunshot in the head. Eventually Dr. Hurt is bested and buried alive. Bruce Wayne publicly announces that he was giving Batman money to build his equipment and vehicles. Bruce did this because he needed to keep his secret identity a secret. Bruce in the end, announced that Batman INC will go worldwide, and Batman will be the Watcher of the world.

Eye of the Beholder

Bruce Wayne has returned and now keeping Gotham safe is now Dick’s responsibility while Bruce Wayne goes international with Batman Inc.

Black Mirror

Shortly after Bruce Wayne appointed Dick Grayson to be the Batman of Gotham City, a string of mysterious crimes occur involving weapons from the cast of Batman’s rogue gallery. Grayson soon finds out that there is a secret auction called the Mirror House, led by a man called the Dealer who sells weapons and items used by many different villains to the highest bidder. Dick disguises himself as a guest and infiltrates the Mirror House where the Dealer auctions the Crowbar used in the vicious beating of Jason Todd at the hands of the Joker many years ago. Dick’s cover is eventually blown and he is exposed to a gas that causes him to hallucinate while being attacked by the crazed members of the Mirror House. He manages to escape, and after recovering from the brutal attack, goes to take down the Dealer but the villain manages to escape. In the end, Dick recollects how he never expected that kind of viciousness from the citizenry of Gotham and he feels that the city is getting meaner and wilder.

Skeleton Keys

As Gordon tries to draw a line between work and home, he gets a phone call from Harvey Bullock telling him to go to the Gotham City Aviary. When Gordon arrives, Bullock informs Jim that the aviary cages are all automated from the control room and there is some troubling video footage from the security cameras that Jim needs to see. Gordon sees the image of a man who resembles his son James Jr. This troubling assumption begins to trouble Gordon and soon he becomes haunted by the visions of past unsolved case files that involved murdered children.

Fifteen years ago, Gordon was moving up the ranks within the precinct when he started investigating a string of eight murders that involved the Peter Pan Killer who would sneak into family homes and abduct children from their beds then murder them. Gordon apprehended the Peter Pan Killer when he attempted to abduct a young James Jr.

Now after 15 years, Gordon heads to Blackgate to interrogate the Peter Pan Killer before he was released from prison. Gordon wanted to find out why the killer didn’t go through with kidnapping James Jr. The killer reveals that he was going to kill Gordon Jr. rather than abducting him because James Jr. gave the killer an ominous stare when he entered the boy’s room. The killer also reveals that he murdered a young girl who was friends with Oracle before he visited Gordon’s apartment.

This revelation causes Gordon wonder about his son’s innocence and what exactly happened to the young girl. Oracle has always been under the assumption that James Jr. murdered her friend Bess because she saw James Jr. playing with her friend’s apartment keys with smug look on his face. Gordon has heard this story from Babs before but now he doubts if Babs’ story is actually true. There is a possibility that the killer took the young girl’s keys and dropped them at the Gordon’s apartment by accident. After his conversation with the Peter Pan Killer, Gordon threatens the killer that he will be followed at all times in order to prevent another murder.

Later on that same day, Gordon invites Oracle for some coffee at Bay Diner and talks to her about his findings. Jim tells Barbara that her brother, James Jr., is back in Gotham City. Barbara asks her father if he really thinks it’s him coming back, and Jim replies yes. As they continue their talk, Barbara reminds her father that Jim Jr. is really smart and cunning. Jim tells her that it’s going to be all right and that they’ve got police officers looking out for him. Oracle still sticks by her story and she leaves her father with lingering doubts but then James Jr. appears from other side of the diner, staring at his father. James Jr. sits down with his father and explains his return to Gotham. James Jr. begins by apologizing to his father for the theatrics at the aviary. James tells the commissioner that his mother (Barbara Sr.) sent him to Arkham for a psychological evaluation and the doctors clinically diagnosed him as mentally unstable in regards to exhibiting apathetic behavior. However, the doctors prescribed an experimental medicine to help James in stabilizing his emotional imbalance.

James also overheard Oracle’s convictions about him and he swears to his father that he has never killed anybody. Gordon still doesn’t know what to think about his son until James informs him about his volunteer work at Dr. Thompkins’ clinic. James Jr. leaves the cafe and asks that his father will hopefully find it in his heart to forgive him. For a while, Gordon feels this extreme sense of relief that his son is misunderstood but he is changing for the better. When Gordon reaches his apartment, he finds a trail of blood. Gordon follows the trail to James Jr.’s old room. The trail ends in James’ closet. Gordon opens the door and finds the body of a schoolyard bully that James Jr. fell victim to when he was young.

It seems everyone was right about James Jr. even though Gordon tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. Gordon immediately goes to the clinic and finds Dr. Thompkins. Gordon confronts Leslie by demanding to know where his son is. Leslie informs Gordon that his son is a model volunteer because anything she asks him to do, he “happily” does. Over time, Leslie has given James Jr. more responsibilities like making “nutrition runs” for newborn babies who come from poor families. Gordon doesn’t want to panic Leslie by telling her what he had found at his apartment so he humbly asks her to call him the moment James comes in for his shift. Leslie agrees to Gordon’s request and she tries to calm his worries by showing him James’ office.

Leslie flips on the lights in James’ office and gives Gordon a tour. As Leslie professes how great James is, Gordon on the other hand, can’t believe that Leslie would be so naive to willingly put her full trust in someone like James. Gordon peers around the office and finds a vile of James’ medicine. The medicine is called Diaxemene which is designed to release a chemical in the brain so the patient can feel empathy. Gordon takes a pill from the vile, thanks Leslie for the tour and makes his way to Barbara’s place at Kord Tower.

Gordon gives Barbara the pill that he took from James’ office and asks her to run a couple of tests. Barbara knew something was going on with James but she didn’t want to rub in her father’s face because she could see that Gordon still wanted to hold onto any hope of saving his son. Barbara figures the medicine is supposed to help James in treating or possibly curing his psychotic tendencies but Diaxemene is still in the testing phases and hasn’t been approved by the FDA. Gordon is hoping he can convince James to undergo some blood work in order to make sure that he has been taking his pills.

Gordon leaves Barbara to her work while he heads back to the clinic. Barbara breaks down the pill’s components and she makes a startling discovery. James has reversed the effect of the pill and now the pill is designed to chemically induce apathy rather than empathy in a certain section of the brain. However, the dosage of James’ pill is of such low grade that it wouldn’t affect an adult. Barbara relays all of her findings to Gordon’s cell phone. Gordon can’t understand why James would concoct a pill with such a low dosage then it hits him. Leslie made James responsible for the “nutrition runs” at her clinic. James has been putting his pills in the baby formula and giving it to all the newborns thereby ensuring their development into becoming psychopaths.

Just as Gordon reached the clinic, he is stopped by Det. Bullock who has some really bad news. Bullock says the Joker has escaped Arkham and something horrible has happened to Gordon’s ex-wife. Gordon acts quickly by warning Leslie about James then he calls in a small task force to station themselves at the clinic and wait for James to return. Gordon must put the hunt for his deranged son in the hands of his brothers in blue while he accompanies Bullock. Bullock tells Gordon that he received an anonymous phone call from someone who said Barbara Gordon is going to die at the Gotham Plaza Hotel. Gordon and Bullock reach the hotel room where Barbara was staying at and as Gordon entered, he notices a light coming from the bathroom. Gordon falls to his knees in tears because he has found his beloved ex-wife nude in the bath tub with a crimson smile across her face.

Gordon rushes Barbara to the lab at Wayne Enterprises while Bullock calls in Oracle and tells her what has just happened. Oracle reacts by calling Dick and having him meet her father at the lab. Oracle runs a few tests on her mother while Dick injects the anti-Joker Venom. Fortunately, Gordon got to Barbara just in time to save her and the Joker Venom was a derivative of the original. Gordon at this point wants Joker’s head on a pike for all the misery he has brought to the Gordons, but Dick convinces Gordon that there is no way the Joker could have escaped Arkham and found out where Barbara was so quickly. Dick promises Gordon that he will find Joker and make him talk.

Dick heads to Arkham and conducts a complete sweep of the crime scene. From what Dick could deduce, Joker didn’t get very far from Arkham because Dick begins follow a trail of Joker’s sweat which seems to be secreting Joker Venom. Dick follows the trail to an abandoned section of Arkham. At this point, Dick figures that Joker must have discovered Victor Zsasz’s underground path which leads to the catacombs beneath Arkham. Zsasz used this path to escape Arkham so he could freely kill anyone he wanted in Gotham then he would make his way back to Arkham as if he had never escaped at all.

Dick finds Joker in a dank corner of the catacombs. He notices Joker mumbling to himself about being disappointed. Dick apprehends Joker and begins to interrogate him. Joker starts off by complaining about the fact that Dick isn’t the real Batman by saying “You don’t scare me little bird” and he isn’t saying a word until the real Batman returns. Dick decides to beat down on the Joker until he reveals who he hired to attack Barbara Gordon. Joker laughs hysterically because according to him, the real Batman would have figured out that the Joker does his own dirty work and he would never send some errand boy to take credit for his fun. Dick finally realizes that the Joker was able to escape simply because someone needed him to be the scapegoat for the attack on Barbara Gordon and they were counting on Commissioner Gordon to retaliate by ending the Joker once and for all.

Back at the lab, Gordon sat by Barbara’s side as Bullock escorted Oracle back to her apartment. Barbara eventually wakes up and when she laid her eyes on Gordon, she immediately began to scream for help. A doctor comes rushing and injects a sedative into Barbara. Gordon finally realizes that James injected the Joker Venom into his mother as a way to get back at her for institutionalizing him while at the same time he wanted Gordon to think the Joker was responsible for the attack on Barbara in order to bait him into killing the Joker. If Gordon knows how calculating his son can be then he would guess that James has already realized his plan to manipulate everything is falling apart which leaves only one person left for him to torture…Oracle.

Bullock drops Oracle off at her apartment doorstep and just as she entered her apartment, James closes the door right behind her. James and Oracle enter a discussion about on how depraved he is. James respects Oracle because she is the only one who can see him for what he is. Barbara replies to his compliment with a scoff. Oracle always knew James was disturbed and most of those people that he has already killed were actually victims rather people who had it coming. In short, Oracle realizes that James tries to find flaws or start something with another person just so he can justify as well as satisfy his violent tendencies. James smiles and his respect for Oracle’s deduction has reached new lengths.

The New 52

Traps and Trapezes

After his tenure as Batman, Dick Grayson returns to his old mantle of Nightwing, in a new red in black suit, defending Old Gotham alongside Batman and the rest of the Bat Family. However, Gotham isn’t done testing the Boy Wonder, still having twisted creations to throw at him. Dick Grayson’s first test as Nightwing again is facing Haly’s Circus once again, which is back in town for the first time since Tony Zucco has killed The Flying Graysons.

At the circus, Dick runs into old and familiar friends, most notably Raya Vestry, Bryan Haly, and Jimmy Clark. Raya and the new catcher Marc pressure Dick into performing once again on the trapeze, which he does and impresses everyone in attendance.

On the way home from the circus, Saiko, a mysterious assassin, attacks Dick Grayson and kills two police officers in the process. The assassins reveals that Dick Grayson “is the fiercest killer in all of Gotham and he doesn’t even know it” which is surprising to the young hero. Nightwing gains the upper hand by delivering a 150-thousand-volt shock through the suit, knowing such Saiko decides to use a diversion of blowing up a car with passengers inside in order to get away. Nightwing saves the three passengers inside the car, but is unable to find Saiko.

When Dick finally gets back to his place, Raya is there already, telling him that she needs a ride to Atlantic City. On the flight, she reveals that C.C. Haly is dying. When they get to the storage shed of all the circus props, C.C. Haly gives Dick the deed to the circus, as well as an ominous message about his parents.

After a night of passion with Raya on the flight home, Saiko calls Dick on the flight, telling him that Haly has revealed Nightwing’s secret identity, and that he has to turn around, or else C.C. Haly is going to die.

As Nightwing, Dick rushes over back to the storage shed, where he engages in round two. However, Dick is much more serious in this fight, with his only goal being to get C.C. Haly out of the burning building. However, it isn’t enough. And C.C. Haly dies in Dick’s arms, after telling him another ominous message about the “answer’s in the heart of the circus.”

At the funeral, Dick is confronted by a drunk Bryan, who is upset that Dick is the one who received the deed for the circus. Raya later drops the bomb on Dick that Zane, an old childhood friend, is a big crime boss in Chicago, and guilts him by saying he would have known that if they stayed in touch, but doesn’t expect that he would of since “[he’s] the guy who didn’t even come back for Raymond’s Funeral.”

Nightwing swings over to Zane’s place and confronts him about the whole thing. Zane reveals that he has also been known as “Feedback”, and has an implant, and uses it against Nightwing, which makes Dick confront his biggest insecurities, as well as the fear of losing his parents all over again. But Nightwing overcomes this, and inverts the signal, so Zane is forced to deal with the feedback himself. After Zane is defeated, he reveals that it wasn’t him who killed Haly, or even knows who killed him, because “if [he] knew, [he] would kill them.”

Dick returns to the circus and tells Raya that he did actually go to Raymond’s funeral, but couldn’t muster up the guts to say anything to her when he was there. Raya, touched by this, brings Dick inside her room for another night of passion.

After Dick stopped by while still in Gotham to check up on her, Barbara Gordon stops by in hopes of getting help from Dick for a case she has been working on. However, she comes at the worst time, as Raya is still in Dick’s room. Barbara teases Dick about this much to his annoyance. The two suit up and hit the town. The guy there after is a shapeshifter known as Spinebender, who has been stealing Q-Core’s microchips from Gotham.

For the next three hours, the two have playful banter about Dick’s love life and his Saiko case, so Nightwing decides to take a closer look at the crime scene.

But Spinebender is on to them, and tries to take out Batgirl while disguised as Nightwing. But Nightwing comes by in the nick of time, and saves her. The three of them scuffle, eventually bringing Asimov’s men into the fight too. Nightwing defeats Spinebender by electrocuting him with his taser, which reacts with the silica within his body, freezing him in the process.

Dick and Babs part ways on a good note, with parting words that helps him solve the mystery about the “heart of the circus.” He learns that the heart of the circus is actually a place, which is under the big tent. Inside he finds a board that has more wear are tear than any of the other boards. He breaks it open and finds a book with names, one of which is his own.

While in New Orleans, Jimmy Clark, one of the circus performers, is kidnapped by the demon known as Acheron, for his master, Zohna. Luckily, Dick is there to try and save him, but he is quickly overpowered. Nightwing speeds off in a hurry, and stops the soul-binding ceremony. Nightwing defeats Acheron with his superior agility, and easily overpowered Zohna. At the end, it’s revealed that Jimmy was actually supposed to marry this girl.

On one of the circus’s stops in Texas, Nightwing goes off to confront Terrence Clark, someone who may know something about Saiko. But in order to get to him, he has to go through Shox. Nightwing easily defeats him by goading him into punching the glass under him, dropping him into water. Nightwing interrogates the man, and the only useful information given is the fact that Saiko used a burner phone.

Raya drops the bomb on Dick, about a Flying Grayson memorial show which will be held in Gotham City, on the anniversary of their deaths. However, Dick sees this as an opportunity for Saiko to strike, and thinks of it as a bad idea. The circus folks are less than pleased, with Bryan Haly calling him out, stating that “[he] just [wants] the circus to die”, which isn’t the case at all. But all this talks Dick into doing the show, but he isn’t going to do it without properly protecting his family.

At the show, Dick gives a speech that touches Raya, but it distracts Dick from looking at the motion sensors, as Saiko is able to slip into the circus. The two men scuffle for a bit, until it is revealed that Saiko is none other than Raymond, talking about how he was tortured and ruined by a mysterious group. Raymond blows up the circus, blaming it all on Dick himself.

The audience members try to escape the circus, as everything around them starts to blow up, but the doors are locked.

Raymond reveals that Haly staged his death, and gave him to this secret society, where they broke him, tortured him, but eventually ditched him, and tried to feed him to the birds. And it’s all Dick’s fault. Nightwing uses the scoreboard to drop into the floor, to hopefully use the misplaced sand to extinguish the fires. However, Nightwing hasn’t won yet. Saiko reveals that Raya has been on his side the whole time, whispering things to Dick to edge him onto this path. However, Raya flips sides, and saves the audience members in attendance. Raymond is furious at Dick, stating that they didn’t want Raymond to be the chosen one, his name wasn’t in the books, it was Dick’s. Dick is the one they wanted, but when Bruce adopted him, they went after Raymond instead.

In rage, Saiko gets sloppy, and Nightwing easily overpowers him. Saiko doesn’t let Nightwing save him, and cuts the wire and falls to his death. Outside, of the circus, Raya is taken to jail, without telling Dick anything.

Back at Wayne Manor, Dick confronts Bruce. Bruce reveals that the talon he has on his operating table is named William Cobb, Dick’s Great Grandfather on his father’s side. Bruce learns of this by taking a tissue sample of both of them. Dick is furious at Bruce, accusing him of being selfish. Bruce punches Dick in the face, revealing that he has a false tooth, which has the mark of the Talon, cementing the idea that Dick was supposed to be one of them. The two talk it out, with Dick reassuring Bruce that he doesn’t care who is his ancestors were, or what they wanted him to be, what he was supposed to be, because he is the man he is today because it’s the man he wanted to be, the kind of man Bruce raised him to be. After their discussion, Alfred informs Dick about a double homicide that involves one of his eskrima sticks.

Night of the Owls

Nightwing is in the GCPD evidence room, retrieving his eskrima stick that was involved in a double homicide, resulting in the death of the Strayhorn brothers. Alfred Pennyworth all-out message goes through, to inform the Bat-Family of the Court of Owl’s mission to kill forty influential members of Gotham City. Nightwing, being close to city hall, heads out to save Mayor Hady from the Talon.

By the time Nightwing gets there, however, all the guards are dead and Councilman David was beheaded in front of the deputy mayor and the mayor himself. Nightwing breaks through the window and begins to fight off the talon. After getting the two men into another room, he starts a swordfight with the talon, where Nightwing got the upper hand after jamming his sword through the chest of the talon, and sticking his eskrima stick in his eye.

Just when Nightwing thought it was over, William Cobb comes in, throwing multiple projectiles into Nightwing’s chest, out to kill his own great grandson.

Nightwing tackles the Talon out the window, with him stumbling on a landing, and with Cobb landing directly on a car from multiple stories above. Doesn’t even slow the Talon down. The two fight, with Cobb trying to play mind games with Nightwing, insisting that because he’s the best, and the type of person he is, is really what Gotham City needs. Not boys with toys.

Nightwing lures Cobb into the subway, where he breaks the liquid nitrogen pipes above the babbling Cobb and freezes him on the spot. Nightwing wakes away with his Great Grandfather over his shoulder, saying that he doesn’t believe in destinies.

Forever Evil

Nightwing is back in Gotham to drop off Mr. Zsasz, he states that he will soon return to Chicago after finishing the job. However, Dick witnesses a figure ripping of the doors to Arkham Asylum and attempts to engage in combat, the figure is later revealed to have been Superwoman of the Crime Syndicate of America. He is then ambushed from behind by a shadowed figure with glowing white eyes whom he mistakes as Batman. Dick is then beaten and gets captured.

Dick is later brought to the fallen remains of the Justice League watchtower, where the Crime Syndicate has gathered up many of the villains of the world and proclaim that they have killed the Justice League. Dick is then brought out to the group and the Crime Syndicate proceed to reveal his identity by taking off his mask, and broadcasting it to the entire world.

The shadowed figure who helped capture Nightwing is revealed to be Owlman and he states to Dick that on his world, they were both still partners and offers him a chance to join with him in stopping the rest of Crime Syndicate (specifically Ultraman) from gaining complete control over the world and Dick, seemingly with no other option, reluctantly agrees. However, Superwoman had been secretly listening to their entire conversation and had Dick moved into the Murder Machine, which was specifically designed to hold Doomsday. When Batman, Catwoman, Lex Luthor, and Bizarro find Dick, the room gets sealed off, a timer begins counting down with the room being rigged to explode unless Dick’s heart is stopped.

Batman attempts to disarm the bomb but finds himself unable to do so. Luthor makes the choice to attack Batman from behind and seemingly kill Dick instead to stop the room from exploding and seemingly succeeds in suffocating him and stopping the bomb from exploding. Although Batman frantically goes to attack Luthor in retaliation for Dick’s death, Luthor reveals that he had given him a Cardioplegia pill to make his heart stop and fool the machine into thinking he was dead but then reviving him with as shot of adrenaline shortly afterwards.

Agent of Spyral

It would later be revealed that after the events of Forever Evil, Dick would fake his own death – even among those close to him in the Bat-Family such as Barbara Gordon, Alfred, Tim Drake.

After faking his own death Dick stars in his own new series Grayson, where he works as a secret super-spy, Agent 37, as he is called now, for the international Spyral agency. Dick maintains a regular contact with Batman. In their secret transmissions, Batman refers to Dick with the code name “Birdwatcher”.

Dick is teaming up with Helena Bertinelli in the series. In their first mission shown in the series, the pair have been tasked with bringing in a Russian man named Ninel Dubov. Dubov has a bio-weapon implanted in his body and the two need to bring him back to Spyral in order to remove the technology. Dick is able to remove his target from a train and, after an encounter with Midnighter (who is also after Dubov), manages to complete the mission.

Another human implanted with technology is found by Spyral, this time a woman named Poppy Ashemoore who is able to move at superhuman speeds due to a stomach which speeds up metabolism. It is because of this that she eats people in order to retain her youth. Dick and Helena travel to England where they eventually find the target but they both want different things: Grayson thinks Ashemoore should be arrested for her cannibalistic crimes but Bertinelli wishes to recruit her.

Endgame

During Endgame, the Joker had returned to terrorize Gotham and Batman for one last time. Agent 37 also had made a return to Gotham, unknowingly to Spyral, in order to aid Batman. Dick donned the cowl once more in order to deceive Joker while Batman searches for another means to stopping him.

While pretending to be Batman, Dick led a direct attack on Joker in the heart of Gotham with a group comprising of the Bat Family and criminals opposing The Joker. Dick left Gotham to return to Spyral before Endgame had played out and the revelation of Batman’s death.

DC Rebirth

Better Than Batman

After agreeing to join the Court of Owls, as a way to save Damian Wayne during the events of Robin War, Dick decides to return to the mantle of Nightwing as an act of defiance as he is able to go wherever the Parliament of Owls, an international offshoot of Gotham’s Court of Owls, is, and take them apart from the inside. Being a descendant of an original Talon from Gotham’s Court of Owls, it gave the Parliament history and legacy.

Dick is tasked with being an enforcer for the Parliament, to take down targets who they deem to be wary of all around the world. However, the Parliament has begun to grow tired of Nightwing’s lack of results, thus assigning him a partner – the thief and outlaw who nearly made off with millions of dollars before he was caught by The Parliament of Owls known as Raptor.

Back at Wayne Manor, Dick begins to ask Bruce questions about what he should do. Bruce informs Dick that he trusting him to make decisions on his own, and that he is more than qualified to be his own international strike force of one. Before leaving, Dick stops at the Burnside Bridge to have a not-date date with Barbara Gordon to tell her goodbye and that he was leaving to play spy once again. However, before they can discuss how they are, Batgirl is called away to stop Spinebender at the Q-Core Store.

Nightwing retrieves a briefcase from his target in Moscow before he arrived at the cemetery to meet his new partner. The two get off to a rough start, with Raptor taunting Nightwing about how he needs a new partner and a better mentor, because everything Batman taught him was wrong.

Nightwing is shot in the head by KGBeast and suffered a memory loss. He doesn’t remember anything about his life as Nightwing. For a time he went by the name of Ric Grayson until he got his memory back.

Romantic Relationships

Dick Grayson’s reputation is something of a ladies man since the Nightwing Annual comics. He always seems to attract or be attracted to various women throughout the DCU. One of the earliest known publications of Dick’s interactions involve a relationship with Flamebird, but as things became more serious he ended things with her. Dick has also had a one night stand with the Huntress, who admits she only did it to gain entrance into the “boys club.”

While in Hudson University he had a romantic relationship with another student, Lori Elton. During Bludhaven, he also began a relationship with his landlady Bridget Clancy, it however ended shortly after it began following the beginning of his relationship with Barbara Gordon.

Dick’s most well known relationships however was with his fellow Teen Titan Starfire, who was Grayson’s first love for many years, progressing to the point of marriage, but the ceremony was interrupted by their teammate Raven. Since then the two have found comfort with each other multiple times, but Grayson recently let Starfire know that he was no longer in love with her.

Dick’s most recent relationship was with Barbara Gordon, with the two finally letting their feelings be known during the course of his Nightwing series, they progressed to the point that the two were to be married, but Dick’s injury during Infinite Crisis changed the plans, with the two remaining extremely close friends. Kyle Higgins, the writer of the new series, released a statement concerning Barbara’s relationship with Dick, claiming that they had never dated and did not have a currently romantic relationship, but that they were still close friends. Most recently, the two have interacted with Barbara reflecting on their relationship and how it has evolved over the years. The two had a friendly, yet brutal fight, where Barbara nearly let it slip the fact that she loved him, before she re-corrected herself and asked him to leave her alone while she worked a few things out. She later comes to visit him in Miami, where Haly’s Circus was at the time. She apologizes for what happened between them and the two bond together after a night out, fighting Spinebender. Barbara, unfortunately, realizes that Dick is spending his time with Raya and sees that she has no place in his life.

Dick also reignited some sort of relationship with Raya Vestri. The two have known each other during Dick’s tenure with Haly’s circus and they later reconnect on a more personal level on a flight from Atlantic City to Gotham where they end up having sex on a Wayne Enterprise jet. Later they are seen having a fling, but Raya reminds Dick that after the latter figures out what was the problem behind the death of C.C. Haly, that he would leave her and the two wouldn’t have a chance to go back together.

Dick first meets Sonia Zucco the daughter estranged of Tony Zucco the man who killed his parents, working as the manager of the bank that had the corpse of a killer whale appear at during his second tenure as Batman in the Black Mirror story arc. While he initially is distrustful of her based on her blood, he eventually learns of her attempts at distancing herself from her father’s legacy by heading a legitimate bank and apologizes for making assumptions, however at the end of the case learns that she may have been involved in some of the criminal elements to which he threatens he’ll be keeping an eye from her then on.

Sonia’s next appearance is in the New 52 Nightwing series where Dick is trying to get a loan from a bank in order to purchase his old home Haley’s Circus and heads to the bank she is the manager at where they meet for the first time in this continuity.

Other shorter relationships he’s had are with Cheyenne, Liu, Deborah

Cheyenne was the daughter of two metahumans. As a child she saw how people treated her family over their powers, so she decided to keep her gift of telekinesis a secret.

Cheyenne first met Dick Grayson when they had a one night stand together. They only exchanged names the next morning. The two had breakfast together and then he left. When Dick left a strange man walked into her apartment. The man was a stalker who was in love with her and seeing her with another man enraged him and he attempted to assault her, but Cheyenne lashed out her with her telekinesis and she blasted him away. Dick found out Cheyenne was a fashion designer from a friend of his, Dr. Bridget Clancy, from Bludhaven. She ran into Dick again after he accidentally became a model for her. After seeing newspaper clippings of Nightwing (Jason Todd) she started creating superhero themed designs. Initially, Cheyenne refused Dick’s offer to become a superhero, but she donned her own Nightwing costume to save Dick and Jason from a metahuman monster named Jakob. Jakob swallowed her alive, but she used her powers to blow him up from the inside. She soon retired, preferring to keep her psionic powers hidden.

Dick Grayson met Liu and Metal Eddie after a falling out with Batman at age 17. As Robin, he wanted more independence and respect from Batman. Dick soon became involved with Liu. It turned out that she was really involved with Metal Eddie, who was prepping the youth he took in to perform acts of crime against corporate America. Liu went to bed with Dick in order to use his connection to Bruce Wayne so that they would have access to Waynetech. This betrayal had a major affect on Dick and his love life for years afterwards.

Liu and Eddie have both recently resurfaced in Dick’s life. Despite his urges to give in to Liu, Dick has strong suspicions, rightfully so because she is once again trying to use him, however this time he stops her and Eddie, with Eddie being killed in the process.

• Bette Kane
• Lori Elton
• Kori Anders
• Rachel Roth
• Barbara Gordan
• Helena Bertineli
• Bridget Clancy
• Amy Rohbarch

Relationship with the Batman Family

Tim and Dick

Dick and Tim share a brotherly bond and were close from the start, as Dick was the one who helped train him and the only person who supported Tim’s decision to become Robin. Dick also developed pride in Tim from day one as he states in The New Titans:

“You’ll make it Tim. You’re one of the best I’ve ever seen. One of the very best.”

Tim also mentioned several times that he sees Dick as his brother and friend. They felt that way even before Bruce adopted them both. When Dick briefly served as Batman during the Prodigal arc the two became even closer. Furthermore Dick is very protective over Tim. After the Joker pretended to kill Tim, Nightwing went out to revenge him. When he finally captured Joker, he beat him to death with his bare hands and didn’t stop until he saw Tim and realised that was still alive. Nevertheless in the Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul arc they got into a fight when Tim wanted to use the Lazarus pit to bring back his father but they make up later as Tim realizes his fault.

The second time their bond got shaken was in Batman: Battle for the Cowl once Dick takes over the mantle of Batman after the “death” of Bruce and makes Damian the fifth Robin. Tim feels betrayed and thinks Dick replaced him, but Dick explains him that he doesn’t views Tim as a sidekick but as a partner and an equal, they later reconcile when Tim returns home with the evidence that Bruce is still alive and that Ra’s Al Ghul is preparing an attack on the Batman family.

Jason and Dick

Dick wasn’t as close to Jason as to Tim or Damian, though he always cared about Jason. Dick tried his best to get close to Jason when he was younger, for example he went camping with him. In Nightwing: Year One Dick and Jason also worked together to save Alfred. But for most of the time when Jason was Robin, Dick and Bruce had ill feelings toward each other which prevented Jason to enjoy the same brotherly relationship Tim had with Dick when he became Robin, nonetheless Dick accepted Jason as Robin.

When Jason died Dick grieved over Jason’s death nearly as much as Bruce has. Dick missed Jason’s funeral because he was off-world and Bruce never contacted him. Dick finds out in The New Titans that Jason died and breaks down in front of his team members. He also accuses Bruce of letting Jason out before he was ready. In Joker’s Last Laugh Dick thinks of Jason, when Tim was thought to be dead. Dick overcomes with remorse and guilt and states: “Just like Jason… we weren’t there for him.”

One time when Dick was away from Blüdhaven, Jason took over the Nightwing costume because he thought that Dick wasn’t taking his responsibility as a crime fighter serious anymore but Jason killed criminals and Dick was forced step in and to stop him. At the end of Nightwing 122, Jason leaves Blüdhaven and sends Dick a message in which he calls him his brother:

“Dear Dickie-bird, I survived and I’m all back to normal in case you’re interested. I’m leaving town to find my own way. Thanks for coming for me, brother. I know we don’t agree on much. I just wanted to believe we could be family again.”

Though Dick cares about Jason, he didn’t trust him much until Outsiders #44 and #45 where Jason earns Nightwing’s trust and respect.

Damian and Dick

Dick and Damian share a very close bond with each other as they are brothers and former partners. According to Damian, Dick was his favorite partner. Dick usually acts like a big brother towards Damian and teases him every time he can for example for his “crush” on Supergirl. Dick is one of the few who showed patience with Damian from the very beginning.

Furthermore it was Dick who taught Damian to be a hero when Dick was forced to take over the Batman costume because Bruce “died” and Gotham needed a hero. Dick was the the only one who took the time and patience to mentor him. Dick gave Damian the Robin title even though everyone else was against his decision and though he was the wrong choice. Dick tried his best to help Damian to overcome years of brainwashing and trauma.

He wanted to give Damian the chance to act more like a kid and to enjoy his childhood. Damian in return proved himself as Robin and showed that he was capable and willing to fight for the good which was for large part because of the influences of Dick. It was Dick who turned Damian into a hero and it was Dick who improved his social skills and turned Damian into a good partner for Batman. When Bruce came back from the “death”, Damian wasn’t exactly happy about it because he didn’t wanted to lose Dick as his partner, as he states:

“That my father is back means we can’t be Batman and Robin anymore?”

–Damian

When Dick returned to his Nightwing persona Damian still visited Dick in Blüdhaven. Dick and Damian also shared a close bond in the New 52 till Damian’s death which hit him hard. He visits his grave and expresses his love for him for the last time and leaves the video game he ordered to play with Damian there as a farewell gift. According to Kyle Higgins Damian was something of a light at the end of the tunnel for Dick.

Having just gone through all the chaos and all these tragic events [in previous Nightwing issues], Damian is the one who was there for Dick like a brother. He was the one who essentially said, “You can lean on me if you have to.” Just when things were looking up for Dick, Damian was taken from him as well. – Kyle Higgins about Dick’s and Damian’s in the New 52

Skills and Abilities

Master Martial Artist

Although Nightwing, like Batman, doesn’t have any real superpowers, he has peak athletic strength and endurance of a man who regularly engages in intensive physical exercise. Dick is an expert crime fighter with a range of impressive skill taught to him by Batman amongst other experts. Dick is a master martial artist mastering dozens of fighting styles, including Eskrima, Aikido, Savate, Muay Thai, Boxing, Capoeira, Kendo, Tae Kwon Do, Jeet Kune Do, Bojutsu, Hapkido, Ninjitsu, Tai Chi, Jujitsu, Judo, Kenpo, Wing Chun, Krav Maga, and Kobubudo. Dick was trained for years by Batman and then had further training from Richard Dragon. Dick is considered one of the best hand to hand fighters on earth. He has made his own style of fighting to play to his strengths.

Dick is also a master at stick fighting, often using escrima sticks. He uses these as offensive and defensive weapons; he also uses them for long range attacks by throwing them at his opponents. He has taken down Ra’s al Ghul and stalemated against Cassandra Cain and Deathstroke.

Peak Human Conditioning

Dick is at peak human levels in strength, endurance and stamina but his most valuable asset is his incredible speed and agility, being extremely quick and versatile.

Peak Human Agility and Speed

Dick is a skilled acrobat from his childhood in the circus and is considered the best human acrobat in the DCU, only rivaled by Deadman. His acrobatic skills combined with his agility makes him very hard to hit in a fight, and he combines these skills with his fighting skills to perform moves that no other human on earth could perform. Only three people in the world can do a quadruple flip, being one of those three. He is also said to be faster than Batman and much more fluid.

In his childhood Dick regularly played with his childhood friend Raymond a game called parkour train racing for fun. During the game Dick demonstrated not just impressive agility but also speed as they race around on top of speeding trains. In addition, Dick moved fast enough to save a man from being ran over by a moving train. During his time as Robin, when he was still a rookie, he jumped out of a helicopter with his hands tied behind his back and escaped from his binds in mid air using his acrobatic skill and speed. He then was fast enough to get back in the helicopter to kick Tusk out of it.

Nightwing can easily keep up with and even catch his former mentor. Furthermore Nightwing can easily dodge bullets, knifes, blades and such and is even fast enough to deflects them back in mid air. He is also fast enough to catch up with a train, a speeding getaway car and with the flying assassin Scarab despite him being too high up and according to Red Robin making it impossible for him to chase down but not for Dick – he even manages to plant a tracer on him.

Dick’s agility has allowed him to hold his own against people out of his league, like, Blockbuster. Dick even comments on how fast Blockbuster was, but he still manages to evade punches from Blockbuster and maneuvers around his body. This allows Dick to put some hits on Blockbuster. He even manages to create a small crater by smashing Blockbuster’s head into the ground, by the use of his speed. Furthermore, Dick performs feats of agility like these on a daily basis.

Not only is Dick agile, but his body is very flexible as he can perform feats such as, to use his flexibility and agility to maneuver around many cars after jumping from a moving train, and then get to the same place he was on the train.

Peak Human Strength

With his strength, Dick has thrown a refrigerator, broke through a bus window while underwater and thrown people through concrete walls. For example, his attacks are powerful enough to make Blockbuster bleed and even knocking him off.

Peak Human Endurance

Nightwing was able to withstand punishment from the powerful demon Acheron and to recover quickly from it. When he was knocked away by a Superman clone he was able to recover quickly from the attack as well. He also withstood repeated attacks from Blockbuster despite being exhausted beforehand and not fighting back. Furthermore he can go without sleep for 4 straight days and hold his breath for 7 minutes.

Genius Level Intellect

Dick is highly intelligent and a master detective. He was officially mentioned as being the second to Batman in detective ability in the second volume of the DC Comics Encyclopedia. He is part of a small group (Batman, Tim Drake, Oracle, and Alfred) who can use the Bat-computer to full effect. Dick has also had training in escapology, criminology, stealth, and disguise by Batman and others. He can also speak many different languages fluently, such as Spanish, German, French, Russian, Japanese, and others. Dick is also extremely proficient in disarming explosives. Barbara stated that Dick was able to solve 4 cases from “America’s Most Wanted” in one morning. He has been able to solve the Riddler’s riddles before Batman many times, even as Robin. Dick was also able to find and deduce the hidden clues in the Wayne Manor left behind by Bruce as a message that he’s trapped in time. Furthermore he once hacked alien technology using Tamaranien language.

He also once turned an alarm clock into a transmitter so he could secretly communicate with Batman while working as an agent for Spyral. Thanks to his ability to read people he also understood quickly how to use one of Spyral’s abilities called “Hypnos” which allows the user to manipulate people and their memories which according to Helena Bertinelli usually takes years to master.

Indomitable Will

Scarecrow said that Dick’s willpower is second only to Batman. He was considered a candidate for Abin Sur’s Green Lantern, which ended up going to Hal Jordan. He’s resisted Scarecrow’s fear toxin and at times resist mind control for example he brook free from Brother Blood‘s mind control and was able to resist Groom‘s mind control.

Leadership

He is a brilliant tactician, a strong leader and has a natural ability to read people. He has lead teams like the Teen Titans, the Justice League of America, and the Outsiders. Unlike Batman, he has exceptionally good people skills and may be one of the DC Universe’s most effective leaders. During his time as Batman, Donna Troy asked him to be a Co-Leader of the new Justice League she was forming.

Other Abilities

Like Bruce, Dick is an expert escapologist, escaping a maze before the Flash. He is a master of disguise, stealth, and is a master marksmen. According to Bruce in the New 52, he has a gift for reading motion and it was shown that he is capable of reading gesture and body language and uses it in connection with his analytical skills to find out if someone is lying.

He also built his own “Night Car” and a high tech “Wing Glider” which is fast enough to keep up with the Batmobile and programmed it with a remote GPS device.

Equipment

As Nightwing

His Nightwing costume has an excellent protection against damage, made of Nomex fire-proof, triple-weaved material that has been lined with kevlar and is also insulated against electricity. His suit is made for his fighting style of “move more get hit less” and has less armor to facilitate this, though he can add armor when facing fast and strong foes. The suit is light sensitive, darkening when there is more light in the area. His mask included a built-in radio transmitter/receiver and Starlite night-vision lenses. It has a computer link and analysis. The lens can zoom and magnify his vision. It also has electromagnetic vision, which includes thermal, sonar, and x-ray vision. He also wears ear dampeners in defense against sonic attacks. Each one of his gauntlets and boots contain eight compartments in which he can store items. He sometimes wears a utility belt They have built into them a self-destruct feature such as the ones in Batman’s utility belt. Each gauntlet’s sections contains a lot of equipment, such as sonic or smoke pellets, modified batarangs (Wing-Dings), knockout gas capsules, and throwable tracers. The right gauntlet also contains a 100,000-volt stun gun, and a air driven launcher that shoots darts.

His boot compartments carry important equipment such as flares, a rebreather, a mini-computer equipped with fax, modem, GPS and a mini-disk rewritable drive. Also items like lock picks, a first-aid kit, a mini-cellphone, flexi-cuffs, antitoxin assortment, a pair of small knives, brass knuckles,signal flares, wireless listening devices and a small halogen flashlight. Nightwing carries in the back of his costume a pair of Escrima sticks. He always carries his grappling gun.

Nightwing’s guantlets emit electric shocks, at least 15,000 volts (which he used on Saiko). The suit has gone through many upgrades, and now is bullet-resistant, able to take less damage from bullets. It is also fireproof and shock-resistance to some extent.

Richard also has a specialized muscle car called the “Nightbird” which is built with many parts like those on the Batmobile, such as bulletproof armor and wireless network connections.

Nightwing’s parents also left him a trust fund which was turned into a small fortune by Lucius Fox. Nightwing has used it for maintaining his Nightwing equipment; for purchasing the rights to Haly’s Circus, saving Dick’s former home from financial troubles; and for secretly buying the apartment building at 1013 Parkthorne Avenue at Blüdhaven which was the home of the first Tarantula.

As Batman

Dick Grayson’s costume is made of a special material that Batman created. In his beginning days as Batman, he took so much protection off of his suit, so that he could be more agile like his previous Nightwing persona. One such modification was lightening of the cape which he felt was too heavy to move effectively. However, this eventually came back to him when he got drugged by Two-face. After the confrontation against Two-face, Dick added more of the protection material for the suit. His cowl includes a built in radio/WiFi receiver, it also includes nightvision. On his Bat-gloves/gauntlets, he has two Bat-spikes on his glove instead of three like Bruce’s gloves. They are made with kevlar, so that bullets, knives, and other weapons don’t cut his hands. Also on his Boots, he has them made with kevlar too. Even as Batman, Dick still carries a pair of Escrima Sticks to boost his chances at winning against a superhuman or meta villain.

Dick has a new car, that he and Damian Wayne (Robin) made. This Batmobile is capable of flight.

As Agent 37

During his time as an agent for Spyral Dick has identity protection implants that ensure that cameras nor the memory of e.g. target persons can’t capture his face. Dick still carries a pair of Escrima Sticks. Part of his agent gears also included a gun.

Bibliographies

Ongoing

• 1940-2011: Detective Comics Vol. 1 #38-395, 398-403, 408, 421, 438-445, 447, 450, 451, 456, 462, 472-474, 481-495, 500, 503, 511-513, 515, 517-519, 524, 525, 562, 600, 627, 676, 677, 679-681, 686, 696-701, 721, 723-725, 727-729, 741, 749, 782, 799, 800, 826, 838, 839, 847, 850, 851, 853, 854, 862, 864-866, 871-878, 880, 881, 0, 1,000,000
• 1940-2011: Batman Vol. 1 #1-218, 222, 223, 227-242, 244-250, 252, 254-263, 268, 279, 285, 286, 300, 302, 316, 317, 321, 322, 327, 329-335, 337-339, 341, 343-346, 348-359, 368, 408, 410, 416, 433, 436-439, 441, 442, 455-457, 500, 510-515, 521, 529, 533, 554, 556, 560, 562, 569, 586, 588-590, 600, 605, 615, 619, 631-634, 636-638, 641, 656, 667, 670, 674-676, 678, 680-700, 702-713
• 1941-1984: World’s Finest Comics #2-144, 146-157, 159-161, 164, 165, 168-171, 173-185, 188-192, 194-197, 200, 206, 209, 224, 225, 228, 229, 243, 265, 269, 271, 286, 287, 294, 300
• 1943-2011: Superman Vol. 1#20, 76, 132, 149, 156, 192, 199, 682, 700, 702, 703, 712
• 1947-1952: Star Spangled Comics #65-130
• 1958-1979: Adventure Comics Vol. 1 #253, 275, 446, 461-464, 466
• 1959-1972: Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane #6, 70, 89, 91, 93, 123
• 1960-2011: Action Comics Vol. 1 #270, 309, 344, 365, 409, 410, 532, 536, 546, 556, 675, 771, 781, 841-843, 903, 904
• 1962: Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #58, 91, 111, 140
• 1964-1984: Justice League Vol. 1 #27, 41, 50, 91, 92, 101, 102, 135-137, 144, 183, 195, 240
• 1964-1983: The Brave and the Bold #54, 60, 68, 76, 83, 86, 89, 94, 100, 102, 114, 116, 149, 185, 197, 200,
• 1966-1978: Teen Titans #1-25, 27, 28, 33-53
• 1975-1978: The Batman Family #1-20
• 1975-1976: Super-Team Family #1, 3, 4, 6
• 1976-1978: All-Star Comics #58, 59, 69, 70, 74
• 1978-1982: The Superman Family #191, 192, 200, 211, 216
• 1980-1985: DC Comics Presents #26, 31, 41, 58, 83
• 1980-1984: The New Teen Titans #1-11, 13-40
• 1981-1983: Wonder Woman Vol. 1#283-285, 287, 307
• 1984-1986: All-Star Squadron #32, 41, 50, 54
• 1984-1988: The New Titans Vol. 2
• 1984-1988: Tales of the Teen Titans #41-60, 62-82, 86-91 (reprints 59-91)
• 1986-1988: Teen Titans Spotlight #1, 10, 14, 17, 18, 21
• 1987: Blue Beetle Vol. 6 #11-14
• 1987-2009: The Flash Vol. 2 #1, 12, 81-83, 87, 134, 140, 142, 151, 159, 165, 210, 211, 214, 215, 228, 245-247
• 1988-1989: Action Comics Weekly #613-618, 627, 631-634, 642
• 1988-1994: The New Titans #50-61, 64, 65, 71, 73-80, 82-103, 105, 108, 111, 113-115, 121, 130
• 1990-2003: Wonder Woman Vol. 2 #49, 126, 136, 161, 165-167, 175, 180, 188
• 1991: Deathstroke the Terminator Vol. 1 #1, 7, 11, 13, 14, 17, 21, 22, 28, 30, 34, 39
• 1992-1994: Team Titans #1-3, 5-10, 13, 16-18
• 1993-1995: Justice League Task Force #1-3, 30
• 1994-2001: Catwoman Vol. 2 #12, 13, 31, 32, 36, 90
• 1994-2009: Robin Vol. 4 #8, 10-13, 23, 28, 29, 32, 33, 47, 48, 53, 55, 61, 65, 67, 71, 74, 76, 82, 85, 86, 95, 108-110, 118, 120, 125, 134, 156, , 169, 175, 176, 178, 181-183
• 1994-2006: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62, 94, 100, 120, 126, 149-153, 183, 184, 199
• 1996-2009: Nightwing Vol. 2 #1-153, #0, #1,000,000
• 1996-1998: Teen Titans Vol. 2 #3-5, 12-16
• 1997-2000: The Batman Chronicles #7, 9, 19, 20
• 1997-2005: JLA #1, 39, 41, 50, 55, 58, 69, 71, 73, 75, 76, 121
• 1998-2003: Batman: Gotham Adventures #1-3, 5-7, 11, 13, 16, 17, 19-22, 24, 26, 28, 31, 33, 37, 39, 41, 44, 47, 48, 50, 60
• 1999-2003: The Titans Vol. 1 #1-4, 7, 9-29, 31-33, 35-50
• 1999-2002: Young Justice Vol. 1 #7, 22, 35, 40
• 1999: Birds of Prey Vol. 1 #8, 15, 19-22, 27, 34, 37, 40, 41, 43, 54, 61, 76, 79, 83, 84, 86, 100, 108, 109, 127
• 1999-2003: Azrael: Agent of the Bat Vol. 1 #56, 60, 88-91, 93, 94, 100
• 2000-2004: Batman: Gotham Knights #1, 2, 7-11, 14, 16-18, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32-36, 38, 42, 44-49, 56, 57
• 2000-2005: Batgirl Vol. 1 #4, 27, 29, 46, 50, 62
• 2001-2005: Green Arrow Vol. 3 #1, 11, 49, 50
• 2001: Harley Quinn Vol. 1 #6, 10, 11, 12
• 2003-2011: Teen Titans Vol. 3 #1, 3, 6, 8, 21-25, 32, 33, 43, 45-47, 51, 77, 78, 88, 89, 92, 100, #1/2
• 1992-2000: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #0-4, 29-34, 49, 53-55, 94
• 2004: Superman/Batman #5, 13, 50, 55, 65, 75-77, 79, 80
• 2005-2007: Supergirl Vol. 5 #3, 11, 12, 16, 18
• 2006-2011: Justice League Vol. 2 #0, 1, 41-60
• 2007-2010: Booster Gold Vol. 2 #1, 2, 7, 11, 12, 21-26
• 2008: Batman Confidential #13-16
• #2008-2012: Tiny Titans #1-9, 11-18, 20-30, 32-35, 37, 39-41, 43-46, 48-50
• 2008-2011: Titans Vol. 2 #1-9,10, 12, 15, 16, 18, 21, 23, 28-30, 34, 36, 38
• 20008-2009: Batman and the Outsiders Vol. 2 #8, 11, 13, 14
• 2009-2012: Batman and Robin Vol. 1 #1-26
• 2009-2011: Batman: Streets of Gotham #1-14, 17
• 2009-2011: Gotham City Sirens #3, 6, 7, 16, 18, 22, 23, 26
• 2009-2011: Azrael Vol. 2 #1, 4, 14-16
• 2010-2011: Power Girl Vol. 2 #13, 16, 17, 19, 21
• 2010-2011: Justice Society of America #41-43, 50
• 2012-2013: Batman: Li’l Gotham #2, 3, 7, 9-12, 14, 16, 17, 17, 20, 23, 24

Annuals

• 1961-2011: Batman Annual #2-8, 13, 23, 27, 28
• 1989-1994: The New Teen Titans Annual #5-10

Mini Series

• 1995: Nightwing Vol. 1 #1-4
• 1998: Nightwing and Huntress #1-4
• 2000: Beast Boy #1-4
• 2000: Batman: Dark Victory#8-13
• 2000-2001: Robin: Year One #1-4
• 2003: Batgirl Year One #2-9
• 2007-2008: Gotham Underground #1, 2, 4, 6, 7
• 2008: Teen Titans: Year One #1-6
• 2008: DC Special: Cyborg #1-5
• 2008-2009: Batgirl Vol. 2 #1, 3, 5, 6
• 2009: Wednesday Comics #1-7, 9
• 2009: The Last Days of Animal Man #2-6
• 2009-2010: Batman: The Widening Gyre #1-4
• 2010: Joe the Barbarian #1, 2, 6, 7
• 2010: Nemesis: The Imposters #1-4
• 2010:-2011: Batman: Odyssey Vol. 1 #1-4, 6
• 2011: Batman: Gates of Gotham #1-5

Events

• 1985-1986: Crisis on Infinite Earths #3-5, 9, 12
• 1994: Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #1-4
• 2001-2002: Joker: Last Laugh #1-3, 5, 6
• 2003: Batman: Family #2, 6-8
• 2004-2005: Identity Crisis #1, 2, 5-7
• 2005-2006: Infinite Crisis #1-6

Event Series

• 2006-2007: 52 #1-4, 8, 10, 11, 25, 30, 31, 33, 41, 47, 48, 52
• 2007-2008: Countdown to Final Crisis #43, 41, 36, 33, 6, 5
• 2008-2009: Trinity #7-10, 12-18, 23, 25, 28-35, 38, 40, 42-44, 46-48, 51, 52

New 52

• 2011-2014: Nightwing Vol. 3 #0-30
• 2011-2015: Batman Vol. 2 #0-2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13-17, 25, 38, 40
• 2011-2015: Batman and Robin Vol. 2 #2, 10, 12, 17, 23, 27, 34, 40
• 2012-2015: Batgirl Vol. 4 #0, 3, 18, 21, 27, 29, 34, 45, 49, 50
• 2012: Batwing #6-8, 10-12
• 2012-2014: Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 1 #6, 8, 17, 18, 20, 26
• 2012-2016: Detective Comics Vol. 2 #9, 13, 19, 27, 36, 38, 42, 47
• 2012-2013: Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #0, 3-10, 12, 13
• 2013-2016: Justice League Vol. 2 #18, 23.4, 24, 25, 29, 31, 40, 51
• 2014-2016: Batman/Superman #5, 25-27
• 2014-2016: Grayson #1-20
• 2016: Starfire #6-8,12

Other Mediums

Ongoing

• 1976-1981: Super Friends #1-47
• 1993-1995: The Batman Adventures #4-6, 14, 16, 18, 26, 31, 35, 36
• 1995-1997: The Batman and Robin Adventure #1-25
• 1998-1999: Superman Adventures #25, 33
• 2003: Justice League Adventures #20
• 2004-2008: Teen Titans Go! #1-52, 54, 55
• 2004: Batman Adventures Vol. 2 #12, 15
• 2007-2008: The Batman Strikes! #29, 32-43, 45-50
• 2011-2012: The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #2, 4, 7, 13, 16
• 2011-2013: Young Justice #0, 1, 3-25
• 2011-2012: DC Universe Online #0, 10, 23-25
• 2012-2013: Batman Beyond Unlimited #8-13, 16, 17
• 2012-2013: Batman: Arkham Unhinged #2, 5, 7, 8, 13, 15
• 2012-2013: Superman Family Adventures #2, 5, 11, 12
• 2013-2015: Batman Beyond Universe #1-6, 8-16
• 2013-2016: Batman ’66 #1-30
• 2013: Injustice God’s Among Us #3-6
• 2014-2019: Scooby-Doo Team-Up #1-6, 21, 50
• 2014-2019: Teen Titans Go! Vol. 2 #1-36
• 2014: Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #1
• 2015: Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 3 #5, 7, 9-12
• 2015: Injustice: God’s Among Us Year 4
• 2015-2016: Batman; Arkham Knight #8-11
• 2016: Injustice: God’s Among Us Year 5 #19
• 2017: Injustice: Ground Zero #4
• 2018: Gotham City Garage #4, 12
• 2020: Batman: The Adventures Continue #2, 5
• 2021-Ongoing: The Batman &Scooby-Doo Mysteries #1, 2

Mini Series

• 1998: The Batman Adventures: The Lost Years #1-5
• 210-2011: Tiny Titans/Little Archie #1-3
• 2014: Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination #1, 6
• 2014: Smallvillle: Alien #4
• 2014: Smallville: Continuity #4
• 2014-2015: Batman ’66 Meets the Green Hornet #1-6
• 2016: Batman ’66 Meets The Man From U.N.C.L.E. #1-6
• 2016-2017: Batman ’66 Meets Steed and Mrs. Peel #1-6
• 2017: Batman ’66 Meets Wonder Woman ’77 #1-6
• 2017: Super Powers #5, 6
• 2018-2019: Archie Meets Batman ’66 #1-6
• 2020: DC Super Hero Girls: Infinite Frenemies #5

One Shots

• 1998: Batman and Robin Adventures: Presented by Act II Mircrowave Popcorns #1
• 2007: Teen Titans: Sparktop #1
• 2012: DC Nation FCBD Super Sampler/Superman Family Adventures Flip Book #1
• 2014: DC Nation Super Sampler: Teen Titans Go! #1
• 2014: Hallowween Comic Fest 2014 – Scooby-Doo Team Up #1
• 2015: Batman ’66: The Lost Episode #1
• 2015: Teen Titans Go! FCBD Edition/ Scooby-Doo Team Up #1
• 2016: Teeny Titans #1
• 2017: Batman ’66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes #1
• 2018: Teen Titans Go Figure #1
• 2018: Teen Titans Go! Special Edition (reprint) #1

Graphic Novel

• 2016: LEGO DC Super Heroes: Saves the Day!
• 2021: The Amazing Adventures of the DC Super-Pets: Robin Robin to the Rescue

Other

• 2014: DC Comics Super Heroes#1
• 2015: DC Comics Super Heroes Justice League #1

Annual

• 1996-1997: The Batman and Robin Adventures Annual #1, 2

Characteristics/Status

• Nickname: Dick
• Gender: Male
• Height: 5’10”
• Weight: 170 lbs.
• Eyes: Blue
• Hair: Black
• Place(s) of Work: Blüdhaven (as of Rebirth), Gotham City, Wayne Tower, New York City, the Batcave, Chicago
• Date Of Birth: 3/20/1991 (March 20,1991)
• Place of Birth: On the road with Haly’s Circus.
• Age: 21
• Occupation: Vigilante, detective; circus acrobat, ex-police officer, ex-bartender, ex-Museum curator and ex-spy.

Family

• John Grayson [Father, deceased]
• Mary Grayson [Mother, deceased]
• Bruce Wayne [Father – Adopted]
• Alfred Pennyworth [Surrogate Grandfather/Butler – Adopted]
• Jason Todd [Brother – Adopted]
• Timothy Wayne [Brother – Adopted]
• Damian Wayne [Brother – Adopted]
• Cassandra Cain [Sister – Adopted]

Alternate Realities

Earth Two (Golden Age) & Earth 2 (post-Flashpoint)

Richard Grayson from Earth two was a member of the Justice Society of America and also partner of Bruce Wayne. His origin is very much the same as mainstream Dick Grayson, but at difference than he always kept the Robin identity, even as an adult.

In the post-Flashpoint Earth-2 a new Dick Grayson debuted, becoming the third Batman. He was pivotal for Convergence. In the Earth-2 world Dick was married to Barbara and is not a superhero starting the events of the comic; instead he is a former reporter, who forms a non-powered look at the invasion of the world through the refugee camps.

For more information see Dick Grayson (Earth 2).

Kingdom Come (Elseworld/Earth-22)

On the Kingdom Come story, Dick Grayson returned to hero business with the identity of “Red Robin” and in this reality he married Starfire and had a daughter with her who is also a superhero going by the name of Nightstar.

Thrillkiller (Elseworld/Earth-37)

In this story Barbara Gordon meets the circus daredevil Rickart Graustark, and sparks fly right from the start, leading to a scandalous romance and the reckless decision to become costumed adventurers Batgirl and Robin on the rooftops of Gotham City! But mere mischief becomes serious business when Dick’s family is murdered, and Batgirl and Robin set out to mete justice on the Graysons’ killers.

The pair continues to battle the corrupt criminal system in Gotham City. Unfortunately, their seemingly carefree adventures come to an abrupt halt when The Joker pieces together the clues to their true identities. Laying her trap, The Joker draws an injured Dick Grayson out of hiding using his family as bait.

Batman Beyond/Earth-12

In the 2010 Batman Beyond series, writer Adam Beechen tells the story of Terry McGinnis and Hush. When multiple (now old) Bruce Wayne villains are getting killed by a “new” Hush, Bruce Wayne sends in Terry McGinnis to investigate. Villain after villain, Terry and Bruce are finding out that Tom Eliot was really killed years ago when, Bruce was still Batman. When Catwoman Beyond falls in the lines between Hush and Bruce, she ends up being tricked by the person she was hired by. Dick Grayson once worked with Bruce (before he retired), Dick was shot-up by the Joker, and Bruce called the ambulance and he was rushed to the hospital. After Alfred was saved (whom the Joker kidnapped), he went to the hospital to perform his surgical tactics. Dick Grayson had a bullet lodged into his spine and eventually gave up the mantle of Nightwing. In the events of issue four, Dick Grayson turns out to be the “new” Hush, whom was trying to kill all of the enemies of Terry McGinnis and eventually kill Bruce Wayne. It is revealed that it is not Dick Grayson but a failed clone of Dick Grayson part of Project Batman Beyond.

When Terry goes to meet Dick Grayson at his warehouse, Dick describes his final days as a Nightwing. It seems that Joker had kidnapped Alfred after learning things from his hostage Tim Drake. Joker had learned who Batman was and who is in his social circle. Joker shoots at Grayson causing him to lose one eye and suffer severe injuries. Grayson felt let down by Bruce because Bruce did not make the effort in comforting him when Dick needed him most but he bore no serious grudge since he understood Bruce’s morbid character. Dick later revealed to the public of his former identity but he told them that Batman simply hired him as a employee so that his comrades identities also would not be revealed.

Red Rain/Earth-43

On Earth-43, Bruce Wayne was bitten and turned into a vampire. However, having control over his body, he needed a partner. Knowing that Robin wouldn’t willingly join Bruce’s cause of ridding criminals as Bat-Vampire, he bit Dick Grayson and turned him into Vampire Robin. Having the control over his mind and body, Dick accepted who he was and joined Batman in his war against crime. Taking to the shadows, Robin is trying to struggle with controlling the hunger and also stop Gotham City from eating itself from the sin of crime.

Amalgam Universe

Nightwing and Moon Knight are fused to create “Moonwing“. However when Dick Grayson was in Oxford, his protege Jason Todd took up the mantle of “Moonwing”. Jason was thought dead when the Jackal buried him with a building using a bomb meant for Dark Claw and the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Colonel Bruce Wayne. Some time after this, Dick returned to the role of “Moonwing”.

Millerverse

All Star Batman & Robin

Dick Grayson is a 12 year-old who witnesses his parents murder. He is then adopted by Bruce Wayne/Batman as his ward and as his sidekick. This title was sporadically published between 2005 and 2008, lasting 10 issues until it was eventually canceled because of the long delays due to penciller Jim Lee being unable to meet deadlines.

The Dark Knight Returns

Althought Dick Grayson didn’t appear in DKR, it was hinted that the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd, created a rift between Grayson and Wayne.

The Dark Knight Strikes again

This version of Dick is seen again in the deep future of the Dark Knight Strikes Again, Grayson has sold out to the corrupt government, trading in his good name in a selfish gesture for money and respect. They inject him with a serum that gives him a powerful healing factor but also drives him insane. Grayson takes up the mantle Batman’s now deceased nemesis the Joker. Ordered by Lex Luthor and his cohorts to assassinate superheros, he kills Guardian, Martian Manhunter, Creeper and nearly kills The Question before he is temporarily stopped by Green Arrow. He then targets Green Arrow as his next victim and nearly kills him too before Catgirl defeats him. After his superiors are murdered by the last of the JLA, he returns and pursues Catgirl. He beat her within an inch of her life and it is implied that intends to rape her, before Bruce Wayne confronts him. Wayne briefly fights, humiliates and finally decapitates him with hatchet before pushing him into the volcanic caverns of the Batcave. This is the death of Dick Grayson in this particular continuity.

Batman vs Lobo (Elseworlds)

In this world Nightwing is a big muscular version of this world. He attempts to save a injured Batman only to be caught by Lobo tying both Nightwing and Robin together. Lobo then pulls both boys off a water tower and they fall until the rope ends breaking both their backs killing them instantly.

Young Justice (Tie-in comic)

In between adventures of Dick Grayson from the Young Justice animated series (see below).

Other Media

Live Action Television

1943 and 1949 Batman Serials

Douglas Croft and Johnny Duncan portray Dick respectively.

Batman (TV Series 1966-1968)

Burt Ward plays Robin/Dick Grayson in this live action series. He is portrayed as Bruce Wayne’s youthful ward and is attending Woodrow Roosevelt High school. This is also where the popular “Holy…Batman!” lines came from. Some examples are” “Holy bill of rights Batman!”, “Holy priceless collection of Etruscan snoods!” and “Holy Zorro”. As smart as Batman was in this show, it was Robin who usually solved riddles and puzzles left by the Riddler, the Puzzler, and other villains. Robin and Batgirl have no romantic relationship with each other in this adaption.

Decades later, Ward reprised his role as a middle-aged Dick Grayson for a cameo in the Arrowverse‘s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crososver.

Birds of Prey (TV Series 2003)

Not shown physically but Dick Grayson is mentioned in a conversation by Barbara Gordon.

Titans (TV Series 2018-)

Brenton Thwaites portrays Dick Grayson in this live action series for DC comic’s new streaming platform. This adaptation of Dick Grayson is set during his transition period from Robin, Batman’s first sidekick to becoming his own hero with the persona Nightwing. After crossing paths with various teen metahumans, Grayson takes them under his wing , thus uniting a new roster of Titans, a team he founded during his tenure with Batman.

Film

Batman (1989)

Tim Burton reportedly had plans to involve Robin in the story but his character was soon taken out of the script. A scene dropped from the script would’ve featured the Joker accidentally killing the Flying Graysons by hitting their acrobatic pole during a care chase, which would have led to young Dick Grayson swearing vengeance.

Batman Returns (1992)

Marlon Wayans was cast as Robin, however due to the excessive amount of characters involved, Dick Grayson was once again dropped from the screenplay.

Batman Forever (1995)

Chris O’Donnell portrays Dick Grayson in Batman Forever. However, a much older Dick Grayson. While performing at haley circus, the Flying Graysons get an unexpected surprise. This surprise was Two-face. Unlike the comic universe, Dick Grayson has a older brother. This brother is Mitchell Grayson. When the Grayson family was trying to disarm a bomb, they fell and died. Bruce Wayne eventually adopted Dick as his ward. Dick soon found the entrance to the Bat-cave and made himself a Robin costume. When Dick first worked with Batman, Bruce did not want him as his partner. It was only later in the movie that Bruce accepted Dick as his partner, after he proved himself worthy of being a hero.

Batman & Robin (1997)

Chris O’Donnell reprises his role as Dick Grayson/Robin, however his costume more closely resembles Nightwing’s excluding the cape. In this movie, Dick begins to separate himself from Batman and the two have some arguments. He also gets a love interest in the form of Alfred’s niece Barbara Wilson, a nod to Barbara Gordon.

Animated

Early Cartoons

• Robin appeared in the 1968 The Adventures of Batman cartoon from Filmation. He was voiced by legendary voice actor and radio personality Casey Kasem (best known to cartoon fans his role as Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo franchise).
• Casey Kasem reprised his role in the long-running Super Friends series.
• Casey Kasem reprised his role in The New Scooby-Doo Movies.
• Burt Ward reprised his role as Robin in The New Adventures of Batman.

Batman: The Animated Series

Dick Grayson first appears and becomes Robin in the 1992 animated series. He was voiced by Loren Lester. His origin story, Robin’s Reckoning, won an Emmy Award. His costume resembles Tim Drake’s. Dick is seen to be interested in Barbara Gordon. He also has an attraction to Batgirl, who happens to be Barbara as well. The two are oblivious to that fact for quite some time.

Lester would reprise his role in the animated film Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero.

The New Batman Adventures

The revamp of the Animated series, is set a few years after the original. Dick Grayson now operates as Nightwing and is again voiced by Loren Lester. In the episode entitled “Old Wounds” it is revealed why Dick stopped being Robin. Dick found out that Barbara was Batgirl and that Bruce knew and didn’t tell him. He blamed him for bringing her into this life and this climaxed with Robin punching Batman. Later he is listed as saying “Hey, you can’t stay a Boy Wonder Forever.” He worked alongside the Batman Family numerous times.

Batman Beyond

It is revealed in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker that Dick had moved his base of operations to Bludhaven. Barbara Gordon also tells the new Batman, Terry McGinnis to look him up some time.

Justice League Unlimited

Dick Grayson/Nightwing has a cameo in the episode “Grudge Match.” A episode where girls in the Justice League get controlled into fighting for entertainment. Although Nightwing has nothing to do with the Justice League Black Cannary drove through his city Bludhaven. With a population of 1.2 million, when his head turns it shows his mullet from the Batman the animated series look. He is not voiced by anyone in this episode.

Teen Titans

In Teen Titans, Robin appears as the leader of the group of teens called the Teen Titans. Season one, focused on Robin trying to stop the illusive Slade. Robin obsesses so much that he adopts a new persona, Red X, to try to take Slade down from the inside out. Slade, however, figures out the ruse and escapes. Leaving Robin with his teammates and a lot of hurt feelings. Sometime later, Slade returns and infects Robin’s teammates. He threatens to kill them if Robin doesn’t do as he is told. Eventually, he is able to stop Slade and cure his friends. Robin is also shown to have feelings for Starfire.

In the episode “Further Seems Forever”, a future depicting Robin as Nightwing is shown. Though it is never said that Robin is Dick, many references support that he is in fact Dick Grayson, despite his personality being similar to Tim Drake. One being a scene when Raven enters Robin’s mind, where we see a circus. Another example is when Slade offers to be a father figure to Robin, to which he retorts by telling Slade that he already has a father and bats are seen flying up and out of Slade’s stronghold. In the final movie/episode entitled “Trouble In Tokyo“, Robin finally kisses Starfire and they are shown to eventually be dating.

In the series, he was voiced by Scott Menville.

The Batman

Dick Grayson joins the cast in the fourth season. Dick’s flirtatious nature with Batgirl/Barbara Gordon is hinted throughout. In an episode entitled “Artifacts” Dick is seen to have adopted the Nightwing Persona. In the show, Batgirl is portrayed older than Dick Grayson. She is shown to be in High School while Dick Grayson is still in middle school.

He was voiced by Evan Sabara, with Jerry O’Connell voicing the adult Nightwing in “Artifacts.”

Justice League: The New Frontier

In New Frontier, Robin is voiced by Shane Haboucha. He appears in the Batcave, when he gets to meet Superman in person. However, Batman tells him to go back and do his homework.

Batman: The Brave and The Bold

Dick Grayson and Batman are shown to team up. He has already left Gotham, operating in Bludhaven, donning a costume similar to the ‘Earth-2’ Robin. At the end of the episode “Sidekick’s Assemble”, he adopts Nightwing as his new persona. In November 19th, 2010’s episode of Batman the Brave and The bold, Dick Grayson will gain the Batman persona. When Bruce Wayne retires with Catwoman (Selina Kyle) they eventually raise a son named, Damian Wayne. Unlike the cartoon, the comics state that Talia Al Ghul is the mother of Damian. When a new Clown Prince of Crime takes Gotham over with an iron fist, this new Joker might be to much for Dick to handle. So disobeying his parents orders, Damian gains a Robin suit and becomes the sidekick of Dick Grayson. Eventually, (through time) Damian officially becomes the partner of Dick.

He was voiced by Crawford Wilson.

Batman: Under The Red Hood

Batman must fight Jason Todd in Batman: Under the Red Hood. Nightwing is voiced by Neil Patrick Harris. He helped Batman take out Amazo, but afterwards he is injured while chasing the Red Hood alongside Batman.

Young Justice

In the Cartoon Network television show, Young Justice, Dick Grayson is first shown as Robin, but then he’s shown in his Nightwing identity in the Young Justice: Invasion episodes. In this production, Dick wears the blue suit, minus the fingerstripes, much like the suit he wears in “The New Batman Adventures.” Nightwing is voiced by Jesse McCartney.

Robin is one of the founding members of the Young Justice and was originally attempting to become the leader, but because of his time working with Batman and the lack of vocal commands he passes the job to Aqualad who tells him once he is ready he will return the position to him. Dick continuity plays an important part for this team as the team’s strategist and hacker. By the time Young Justice: Invasion begins, Dick Grayson had already assumed the mantle of Nightwing and became the leader of the Young Justice team. As Nightwing, Dick assumes command of the team filling the role once occupied by Batman however, unlike Batman, he also accompanied his teammates on missions like in the previous season. Dick’s Nightwing costume is quite detailed incorporating black and grey like his mentor with the exception of a blue Nightwing crest branded across Dick’s chest. Dick incorporates the use of escrima sticks in his combat more than in season 1.

Dick also takes a more serious approach to his combat during season 2 cutting down on wise cracks and taking down his opponents as swiftly as possible. Nightwing was one of the few members of the Young Justice team who knew that Aqualad and Artemis were undercover within the Light to try and discover their secrets and their mysterious partner, The Reach. Dick juggles secrets that, in the wrong hands, could spell the end for the deep cover operatives. Dick guides the team through its bleakest days and manages to, “stay whelmed”. as more teammates began to get captured by the Reach, Dick begins his detective work and discovers that Jaime Rayes (Blue Beetle) was under Reach control. With the help of his teammates, Dick formulates a counterattack which results in freeing Blue and Green Beetle from Reach control.

Before their final assault on the Light, Dick relinquishes his command of the team and returns the post to Aqualad claiming he’s, “happy to get that monkey off his back”. Dick also joins Aqualad in crashing the Light’s meeting with the Reach. Dick bears witness to Wally West’s disappearance and takes the loss the hardest. After the final mission of the season, Dick tells Aqualad that he needs a break and needs time away from the team. He confidently reassures Aqualad that Batgirl would be able to fill his shoes while he’s away.

In the third season of Young Justice: Outsiders he has been dating Barbara Gordon who is now going by the codename Oracle and is now wheelchair bound, and together have been fighting crime solo. However a new mission comes up where he has to sneak into the foreign country of Markovia where the crown King and Queen had been recently murdered, in order to stop an illegal child kidnapping operation. For the team he recruits Artemis who has been helping raise Lian with the clone Roy Harper (who goes by Will Harper now), Superboy who has been part of the new Young Justice team with his girlfriend, now fiancé Miss Martian and Black Lighting who has recently quite the Justice League after a traumatic experience where he accidently killed a child that was turned into a monster. The four of them sneak into the Markovia with fake identities and find the location that is supposed to be holding the children in a hospital, only to learn that the situation is far worse than simple child trafficking. The children have also been being experimented on to try an activate their dormant meta-genes(what gives certain people powers), in order to use their powers for financial and military gains.

Teen Titans Go!

Dick Grayson appears in Teen Titans go! as the leader of the team. Unlike the Teen Titans TV show that portrayed him as the calm serious leader, Dick is portrayed as power-hungry, a perfectionist, and a hot-head. He is often jealous of the other Titans powers because he has none. Dick is also shown to hear voices in his head and has feelings for Starfire. He also seems to be quite affectionate of his Bo Staff. Scott Menville reprises his role.

Batman Unlimited

Nightwing appears in Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants and Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts, voiced by Will Friedle.

New 52 Animated Universe

• Dick appears as Nightwing in the 2014 animated film Son of Batman voiced by Sean Maher. He first appears when preventing Damian from killing one of Deathstroke’s men. He and Damian both square off with Dick managing to defeat Damian. Although Dick is reluctant to let Damian take up the Robin mantle, Damian takes the costume anyway.
• Dick appears as Nightwing in the 2015 animated Batman vs. Robin, wich is a sequel to Son of Batman. Nightwing takes care of Damian while Batman is after the Court of Owls and later helps his mentor and Damian to fight Talon and his soldiers.
• Maher reprises his role in Batman: Bad Blood. After Batman apparently perishes in an explosion, Alfred Pennyworth sends a distress signal to Nightwing. Later on Nightwing has to replace Batman and together with Robin the duo patrol Gotham City and help Batwoman investigate Batman’s disappearance later on.
• Nightwing appears in Justice League vs. Teen Titans.
• Nightwing appears in Teen Titans: The Judas Contract.
• Nightwing appears in Batman: Hush.
• Nightwing appears in Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, the final film of the continuity. He is killed during Darkseid’s invasion of Earth, but is resurrected by the Lazarus Pit. However, he is unfortunately revived in a frenzied, insane state, and his mind never recovers.

Batman and Harley Quinn

Nightwing teams up with Batman and Harley Quinn in order to stop Poison Ivy and Floronic Man in his evil plot to turn all humans into plant people. After sleeping with Harley, Dick is shown to have a growing romance with her, which is occasionally frowned upon by Batman. He is voiced by Loren Lester.

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders

Burt Ward reprises his role as Robin in this film and its sequel, Batman vs. Two-Face.

Lego Films

• Nightwing appears in Lego Justice League: Gotham City Breakout, voiced by Will Friedle.
• Robin appears as a major character in The Lego Batman Movie, voiced by Michael Cera. While he is Dick Grayson, his character is a composite of various Robins, such as the character being a massive Batman fanboy (like Tim Drake) and having red hair and glasses (like Carrie Kelley).
• Nightwing appears in Lego Batman: Family Matters, voiced by Will Friedle.

Batman: Ninja

Nightwing appears in the anime film, voiced by Adam Croasdell in the English dub and Daisuke Ono in the original Japanese audio track.

Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans

Robin appears in the film, voiced by Scott Menville, while Sean Maher voices Nightwing.

Video Games

Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu

Nightwing is one of four playable characters in the game. He is voiced by Loren Lester.

DC Universe Online

Nightwing assists you or is involved in several story arcs in DC Universe. He is also playable in the “Legends” Player vs. Player mode. His moves included “taser line”, “wing ding flurry”, “escrima slam”, “clink”, and forward flips as well as backward ones.

Batman: Arkham City

In “Batman: Arkham City” Dick Grayson is Nightwing. Though Dick is not seen in the main storyline, he is a playable character available to players/users who have the DLC Nightwing bundle. In this game Dick uses electrically charged escrima sticks in combat as well as wing dings, wrist darts, and some other equipment.

A costume/character skin based on Dick’s look in “New Batman Adventures” is available for the this character.

Injustice: Gods Among Us

Nightwing is one of the playable fighters in this game. He is a gadget type fighter relying on his electrified escrima sticks which can combine into a staff and is voiced by Troy Baker. Nightwing’s super move has him jump onto his motorcycle and repeatedly slash the opponent with electrified scallops on his gauntlets. Nightwing then jumps off of his motorcycle and slams his electrified bo staff into his opponent’s chest.

Nightwing currently has three skins to choose from. Nightwing has a default Injustice skin, a Regime (Damian) skin, and a New 52 skin. Pressing start when selecting Nightwing’s New 52 skin turns the Nightwing crest blue instead red.

Batman: Arkham Origins

Dick’s move-set has changed from his Nightwing Arkham City counter part. Dick uses Tim Drake’s move-set from Arkham City incorporating the bo staff instead of his escrima sticks.

Young Justice: Legacy

Nightwing is a playable character in Young Justice Legacy and is voiced by Jesse MCcartney.

Lego Games

• Nightwing is a playable character in Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, voiced by Cam Clarke.
• Nightwing is a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by Josh Keaton.
• Nightwing appears in Lego Dimensions, voiced by Scott Menville.
• Nightwing appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced by Matthew Mercer.

Batman: Arkham Knight

Nightwing again appears as a playable character, voiced by Scott Porter.

Batman: Gotham Knights

Nightwing is one of the four principle playable characters, voiced by Christopher Sean.

Merchandise

• Mego produced a Robin figure in the 1970s.
• Robin was featured in the DC Super Powers Collection from Kenner.
• Dick Grayson has been featured in the HeroClix figure game in his various guises, including as Robin, Nightwing and the new Batman.
• Robin was featured in Kenner’s action figure line for Batman Forever and the one for its sequel, Batman & Robin.
• Dick Grayson was featured as Robin in Kenner’s toyline for Batman: The Animated Series and as Nightwing in the one for The New Batman Adventures.
• DC Direct and DC Collectibles produced a number of toys and statues of Dick as Robin and Nightwing.
• Prime 1 Studio produced a Nightwing statue.
• Dick Grayson was featured as Red Robin in the Kingdom Come line from DC Direct.
• Dick Grayson was featured as Robin and Nightwing in DC Universe Classics from Mattel.
• Robin was featured in the toy line for the Teen Titans animated series from Bandai.
• Robin was featured in Mattel’s toy line for The Batman.
• Dick Grayson was featured in Mattel’s DC Multiverse line.
• Dick Grayson has shown up in multiple kits from Lego as both Robin and Nightwing.
• Nightwing received a few statues from Kotobukiya, as well as the anime styled Ikemen line.
• Dick Grayson has been featured in Funko’s Pop! line of bobbleheads.
• Hot Toys has produced figures of Burt Ward and Chris O’Donnell as the live-action Robins.
• Nightwing was featured in the DC Multiverse action figure line from McFarlane Toys.
• Nightwing was featured in Spin Master’s Batman: The Caped Crusader line.

Additional Info

A Near-Death Experience

Originally the DC editors had decided that Dick Grayson would be killed in Infinite Crisis, while this decision was reversed they decided that if Dick was kept alive he would have to be changed.

HeroClix

In 2010 before Christmas they made a new set in Heroclixscalled DC 75TH it was all the DC Heroes they made in the set from the comic books series old and new stuff. Dick Grayson was made in the set as Batman and he came with a card with powers and his appearence as Batman in the new Batman and Robin series 2009-present. His point value as Batman is worth 77 points.