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Dick Grayson was Robin, the first sidekick of Batman. He later became Batman himself, with Bruce Jr. as his Robin.

Dick Grayson (1930-1969) was a member of the Flying Graysons family team of circus acrobats. He was at the Metropolis World Fair in 1939, ready to perform with his family, when he happened across the Ultra-Humanite's henchmen carrying out the unconscious body of Bruce Wayne from the Electrox display building. He slugged it out with the henchmen, sending them scattering as Bruce Wayne came to, surprised by watching the young lad in action. He considered Dick a "boy wonder" and thanked him for the rescue, saying he won't forget him.

Eventually, Dick became a ward of Bruce after the loss of his parents and was trained to be Batman's crimefighting partner Robin. He continued in this role until around 1949, when he helped rescue Superman's wife Lois Lane Kent (who was pregnant with Joel Perry Kent at the time) from Lex Luthor and the Joker. He went off to college and became a lawyer in New York, fighting crime in a different way. He took some time off in 1959 to visit Bruce Wayne, noticing that his son Bruce Wayne Jr. is trying on the Robin costume for the first time and training himself to be a future crimefighter.

Dick came back to Gotham City and became the Batman when Bruce retired from the use of his identity, though still offering counsel to his former partner when needed. He teamed up with Tony Gordon's daughter Barbara, whom he fell in love with; she eventually became Batgirl. Bruce Jr. later on became Dick's partner Robin, and continued in the role until around 1969, when he felt the call to enlist as a soldier fighting in the Vietnam War. Prior to doing this, Bruce Jr. helped Dick solve the case of the "Joker Junior", whom the Joker claimed was neither a son nor a trained protege, yet managed to elude capture for four years. However, Bruce Jr. was unable to save Dick when he was led into a trap set up by the "Joker Junior" in the Gotham Diamond Exchange building that resulted in his death. To foil the claim of the Joker, who exposed himself as being the "Joker Junior", saying that he had at long last killed the Batman, Bruce Jr. put on a spare Batman costume hidden in his utility belt and had his Robin costume put on Dick while covering his face with the cape, saying to the police that the Joker didn't kill Batman, but rather killed Robin.

In 1975, it was revealed that the Joker was being mentally tormented by the spirit of Dick Grayson, who, appearing in the form of a giant skeletal Batman, sought to get revenge against his killer. With the help of the ghost of Bruce's butler Alfred Pennyworth, Dick realized that he wasn't trained to be a killer, and that the Joker is too old and frail to be a threat to anyone anymore. He joined Alfred in the peaceful rest of eternity and allowed the Joker to meet his eventual end in death.


Abilities

Equipment

  • Utility belt with grappling hook guns

Transportation

  • Batmobile, Batboat

Weapons

  • Various Batarangs


Related

Footnotes


Batman Allies
Batman Family member
DC Bullet 2024

This character is or was an incarnation of or an ally of Batman, and a member of the Batman Family. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "Batman Family members" category.

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