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As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page. |
- We fall because someone pushes us. We get up to push back.
- — Richard Grayson src
Dick Grayson is the ward[5][6] of Bruce Wayne, better known as the vigilante Batman. Trained by the Dark Knight himself, Grayson eventually became Batman's sidekick, the first Robin. After Grayson outgrew his role as Batman's sidekick, he graduated to the role of Nightwing, donning a new costume, and, later, temporarily worked as Batman himself. However, after his secret identity was exposed, Grayson worked undercover as a spy for Spyral, taking the codename Agent 37, before returning to his role as Nightwing once again.
History
Origins
Early Life
When Dick Grayson was a child, he was an acrobatic prodigy travelling with the world-famous "Haly's Circus" along with his parents John and Mary Grayson. The three performers, known as the Flying Graysons, were one of Haly's most famous acts, a fact that went to Dick Grayson's head. Grayson, becoming rather pompous, began to drive away his closest friends Raymond and Raya.
During a major blackout in Gotham City caused by the Riddler, Grayson, who had decided to see a movie while Haly's Circus was in Gotham, was caught alone in the streets. Working with a couple of other kids, Grayson managed to survive the blackout and return to his family at Haly's camp. From the experience Grayson learned not to take his friends for granted and apologized for treating them so poorly.[7]
Haly's Circus hid a dark secret, having been training assassins for the Court of Owls for decades. Unknown to the young acrobat, Grayson had been selected to become the newest Talon for the Court; being groomed to replace Alton Carver.
Dick Grayson's parents were eventually killed by the mobster Tony Zucco on his mother's birthday,[8] leaving the acrobat an orphan.[8][9] Unable to work as an acrobat anymore, Grayson left the circus, unknowingly escaping his fate of becoming a Talon.
Robin: Boy Wonder
After being transferred to the Wayne Care Center, Bruce Wayne would occasionally check up on Grayson and help him out. While Grayson seemed to be recovering well from the tragedy, he would actually sneak out at night in order to conduct his own investigation into the whereabouts of Tony Zucco. Grayson would encounter Batman at various times, and the Bat helped Grayson with his investigation, empathizing with his similar tragedy.[8][9]
Eventually, Batman brought Grayson to the Batcave and shared his identity as Bruce Wayne. Wayne then offered to help Grayson bring in Tony Zucco,[9][8] a notion that Alfred Pennyworth was reluctant to accept.[8] Grayson accepted Wayne's offer and Wayne began training him over a period of a few months. After initially having trouble accepting a name, he finally settled on Robin, a reference to an adoration his mother had for the bird.[9]
One night, Batman was tracking the Assassin Lady Shiva before the hero was ambushed and bested by her in combat. Donning his costume early, Robin arrived at Batman's position for his first mission in the field but was no match for the assassin, who spared his life and said they'd meet again.[8]
After six months of training, Dick joined Bruce out on patrol for the first time, but after Dick disobeyed Bruce's orders to stay out of harm's way by taking down a thug he was fired. The next day, Dick informed Bruce that Tusk was planning a robbery at the docks that night in hopes of getting a second chance, but after being rejected, Dick decided to go anyway. After taking out some of Tusk's men, he was captured by Tusk himself, fortunately Bruce showed up just in time. Dick then followed Tusk in a helicopter, after a fight ensued, he managed to knock Tusk into the ocean. Bruce then showed up, deciding to take Dick back as his sidekick.[10]
Early in his career, Robin aided Batman in stopping the debuting Scarecrow who was causing Fear Toxin outbreaks across Gotham. The due pursued Scarecrow on an extended mission to bring him to justice. Eventually, Batman came across Mother and The Orphan and their human trafficking operations. Batman decided to keep Mother's crimes a secret from Dick, due to him seeing similarities between him and her child soldiers.[11]
In his second year as Robin, Dick crashed the Batmobile while escaping Firefly. Even though Batman was ultimately pleased with how Dick acted in the field, he was banned from driving the Batmobile.[12]
At some point, Grayson partnered up and bonded with another teenager Batman had taken under his wing named Barbara Gordon, also known as Batgirl.[13] The pair developed romantic feelings for each other, though they did not engage in an extended relationship.[14]
Teen Titans
Dick eventually went on to join a team on teenage superheroes known as the Teen Titans. The founding group consisted of Robin, Kid Flash, Speedy, Aqualad and Wonder Girl.[15]
At some point, Dick assumed the identity of Red X.[16] Another person would later steal the identity from Dick, the Teen Titans came into conflict with the new Red X multiple times before he disappeared and was presumed dead.[17]
World's Finest
At some point, Dick went on a date with Kara Zor-El. Unfortunately, the outing ended in disaster. At first, Kara spent a good deal of time trying to pick out an outfit for the occasion, only to discover when she arrived that Dick had arrived to the date in-costume. She percieved it as showing off that he was going on a date with Superman's cousin; he was unsure that she had a secret identity, and hadn't wanted to assume. Subsequently, she complimented the waiter's eyes, comparing him to Hal Jordan, which Dick percieved as flirting with the waiter. Dick then offered to cover the check, which they both thought came off as bragging about the Wayne fortune.
Later, as Kara was telling Dick about the various kinds of Kryptonite, Dick interrupted, hungry, wondering when their food would arrive; Kara, as an empowered Kryptonian, didn't get hungry, leading to her frustration. Kara, hoping to smooth things over, asked about Dick's life; to which he told of his origin and the tragedy that led to him becoming Robin, leading to yet another awkward turn in the conversation. Subsequently, the date was interrupted by a car accident outside that resulted in a truckload full of bowling balls flying out into the street and an incipient bus crash. They managed to stop the incident, but not before getting soaked by a nearby puddle and covered and dirt. They attempted to resume the date, only for Dick to discover that he'd forgotten to pick up cash, and could not pay with a card without revealing his secret identity. Afterwards, they parted ways.[18]
On His Own
Years later, Grayson and his mentor had an argument,[19] resulting in Dick leaving Bruce's side and taking up a new identity as Nightwing- a name that had been inspired by a conversation a young Dick Grayson had with Superman.[20] Nightwing eventually left Gotham, occasionally returning to mentor the next Robin, Red Robin[21] and further train Batgirl.[22] At some point he moved to Bludhaven, where he bought an apartment building[23] and joined the Bludhaven Police Department for a period.[4]
At some point during his time as Robin, Dick was confronted by Deathstroke, the world's deadliest assassin. Deathstroke made Dick an offer: guide Deathstroke's daughter Rose down the right path, so she doesn't follow in the footsteps of her father. In exchange, Deathstroke would stop trying to kill Dick and the rest of the Teen Titans. Dick accepted Slade's offer and began training Rose soon afterwards as Nightwing.[24]
When Batman was apparently killed by Darkseid in one altercation, Grayson accepted the role as Batman for Bruce's sake and took Bruce's newly discovered son Damian on as his Robin.[25] They would form a close bond while working with each other, fighting against the likes of Professor Pyg, the Joker and Dr. Hurt,[26] until Bruce returned and retook the mantle.[27]
New 52
Traps and Trapezes
Main article: Nightwing: Traps and Trapezes
Dick returned to his identity as Nightwing, leaving Bruce Wayne to be the Batman once more. After his return, Haly's Circus came to Gotham for the first time since Grayson's parents were murdered. In his civilian identity, Grayson was attacked by an assassin named Saiko who insisted that Grayson was the fiercest killer in Gotham.[28] Saiko tortured C.C. Haly for information on Nightwing's secret identity, and the old man died in Grayson's arms after telling the former Flying Grayson that the circus holds a terrible secret.[29] Dick inherited the deed to the circus from Haly and soon began a relationship with his childhood friend, acrobat Raya Vestri.
The circus announced they would be doing a memorial show on the anniversary of the night Grayson's parents were murdered, and, during the show, Saiko detonated an explosive inside the tent.[30] While fighting the assassin, Nightwing discovered Saiko's secret identity - Raymond McCreary, a childhood friend of his, who had also been using Dick's girlfriend Raya as an accomplice. Saiko plummeted to his death in his battle with Nightwing, who was unable to save him, and Raya turned herself in, seeing that her plan to destroy Haly's had failed.[31]
Night of the Owls
Main article: Night of the Owls
When the Court of Owls initiated an attack on Gotham, sending their Talon assassins to take-out high-ranking people in the city, Nightwing went to save Mayor Sebastian Hady and came face-to-face with a Talon. Using lethal force on the undead zombie Talon, Nightwing stabbed him across the eye with his escrima stick, slowing the assassin's ability to heal. However, another Talon named William Cobb, who Batman had revealed to Nightwing was Dick's revived great-grandfather, attacked Nightwing and stabbed him in the chest. Nightwing then tricked Cobb into Gotham's train tunnels, where the hero was able to freeze him with a liquid nitrogen tub.[32]
Following the event, Dick decided to keep Haly's Circus in Gotham and planned to invest in turning an abandoned amusement park into their new location using his own money.[33] He worked with Sonia Branch, the daughter of his parents' killer Tony Zucco, into getting a loan for this plan by investing his entire trust fund into the project.[34]
Death of the Family
Main article: Death of the Family
A year after his disappearance, the Joker resurfaced in Gotham City wearing the dismembered skin of his face as a mask and prepared to eliminate all of Batman's allies.
While at his circus, Dick was mauled by his performers who had been exposed to Joker Venom. After being overwhelmed by them, Grayson passed out and was dragged to an underground cave by the Joker himself, who was setting up for his confrontation with the Bat. There in the cave, all of Batman's allies, beaten and gagged by the clown, were forced to take part in a makeshift feast scenario for Batman, where Joker told Batman he had cut off the entire Bat-Family's faces and put them on ice. He also urged Batman to kill his allies, arguing that his true family is the villains he fights. Escaping from his captivity, Batman attempted to catch the Joker, but the madman fell off a cliff to his apparent death before he could be caught.
After being freed and having their wounds tended to, Nightwing and the rest of the family refused to meet at Wayne Manor, finding this last interaction with the Joker had put a wedge in their relationships.
Second City
In the aftermath of Joker's personal attack, which had resulted in the total destruction of Dick's circus and all of his funds, as well as the death of his former sidekick Damian, Grayson sought a fresh start in Chicago after discovering that Tony Zucco, his parents' killer, was alive and living there.
Setting up in his new city, Grayson found himself having to elude Chicago law enforcement due to their strict no tolerance policy on vigilante-related actions. Trying to find a lead on Zucco's location, Grayson reluctantly enlisted the help of Chicago's newest super-villain, The Prankster. However, Grayson ended up battling the Prankster and his forces as they launched a siege on Chicago.[35] With the city on lockdown, Grayson was then forced to reluctantly team up with Zucco, the man he was searching for, to take down the Prankster.[36] In the aftermath of the attack and his interaction with Nightwing, Tony Zucco turned himself to the police.[37]
Despite Grayson leaving Gotham, he didn't seem to be able to escape its villains and, during his time in Chicago, fought both the Mad Hatter[38] and Zsasz before deciding to return home.[39]
Forever Evil
Main article: Forever Evil
Shortly after the Crime Syndicate came to Earth and supposedly killed the Justice League, Nightwing was captured by the invaders on his way back to Gotham and had his identity revealed to the world in order to threaten the hero community even further.[40]
After a failed escape attempt, Grayson agreed to help Owlman betray the Syndicate,[41] but their plan was never set into motion as the Crime Syndicate put Dick in a trap called the Murder Machine - a bomb that would only disengage if Grayson's heart stopped beating. Later Batman, Catwoman and Lex Luthor were able to rescue him when Luthor stopped Grayson's heart for a few seconds in order to successfully both disarm the bomb and keep him alive.[42] With Dick now free, the group defeated the Syndicate and returned the Justice League to power.
Spyral
Main article: Grayson Vol 1
In the wake of the collapse of the Crime Syndicate, Batman gave his former apprentice a new mission: infiltrate the organization known as Spyral as a double agent. Batman told Dick that the risks of taking the mission meant that he could not let his identity be known to anyone, especially those close to him. Grayson reluctantly accepted the mission. Setting out into the world, Dick began taking down various terrorist plots, including those involving the group called the Fist of Cain. His actions successfully attracted the attention of Spyral, who sent Helena Bertinelli, the agent known as Matron, out to recruit him. He was eventually enlisted into Spyral by the organization's mysterious leader, Mister Minos.[21]
After being teamed up with Helena, Grayson was ordered to find the different Organs of the Paragon Project. Through their search they encountered Midnighter on more than one occasion, who was also searching for the Paragon Project and tried to hinder Spyral's successes.[43] When the mission to retrieve the Stomach brought them to Leicester they encountered a former T.H.E.Y. agent, Dr. Poppy Ashemore, who had stolen the Stomach from the British Government. Though Grayson was against negotiating with Ashemore, Helena as the senior agent employed Ashemore as a new Spyral doctor.[44] Through the missions Dick came into contact with other agents of Spyral and delved deeper into the organization, all the while keeping in mind that he was undercover.[45][43] Grayson later found out about the Nanite Robots that Spyral had been developing, which forced even Bruce to admit that the mission could be more dangerous than they had previously thought.[46]
On their mission to retrieve the last Organ, Helena and Dick encountered the Fist of Cain again.[47] After initial problems and disagreements, Midnighter allied with them and together they were able to prevent the terrorist attack the Fist of Cain had planned and retrieve the final Organ.[48] The reason the hunt for the Paragon Organs was important was finally revealed when Mr. Minos betrayed Spyral. Grayson and Tiger were able to destroy Paragon and Mr. Minos was killed by Helena in the aftermath.[49]
Endgame
Main article: Batman: Endgame
When the Joker returned to terrorize Gotham in an endgame plot against Batman, Grayson briefly left Spyral and returned to Gotham in order to aid Batman. To deceive both the Joker and Batman's allies, Grayson donned a copy of Bruce's cowl and led the attack on the Joker in the heart of the city. When the Joker removed Batman's mask expecting to reveal Bruce's secret identity to everyone else, he instead found Dick Grayson.[50]
Grayson left Gotham before the revelation of Batman's death and was not immediately made aware of the new Batman that had since arisen.[51]
Nemesis
Grayson returned to his duties as Agent 37 and was sent on a mission to retrieve a Kryptonian amulet from a Spanish duchess with his new partner Tiger, AKA Agent 1. After they obtained it Grayson was contacted by Helena. She suspected Agent 1 was a traitor who had murdered numerous agents from other espionage groups. Grayson left his partner behind to get the amulet away safely.[51] At his drop point he encountered Lex Luthor, who told him that LexCorp had been involved with Spyral since the beginning. Losing his trust in Helena, he searched for Tiger[52] and was able to save him from the real traitor. During the fight it became obvious to Grayson that Spyral knew even more than he thought and he was now fully convinced that it was time to go back to Gotham.[53]
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Batman & Robin Eternal
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Titans Hunt
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DC Rebirth
Nightwing Once More
After successfully completing his mission with Spyral, Dick returned to Gotham and to his superhero identity as Nightwing. The Parliament of Owls attempted to blackmail Dick into becoming a member of the Parliament, by planting a bomb in the head of Damian Wayne. Dick managed to neutralize the bomb with a device given to him by Midnighter.[54] Even with the bomb neutralized, Dick remained part of the Parliament, attempting to take them down from the inside. Shortly after his new membership began, Dick was assigned a partner, an assassin named Raptor, who believed Dick needed a new mentor.[55]
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The Titans
After Wally West escaped from being trapped in the Speed Force and began looking for the Titans, Dick was the first Titan to be found by Wally. Dick didn't know or recognize him until Wally zapped him with electricity, "shocking" his memories back.[56]
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The Lazarus Contract
After both the Flash and Kid Flash were kidnapped by Deathstroke, Nightwing along with the Titans and Teen Titans attempted to find the two Wallys. During this time, Dick kept his history with Deathstroke and the deal they had made a secret.
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Invasion of the Dark Multiverse
Main article: Dark Nights: Metal
Batman enlisted Nightwing and other members of the Batman Family to create a diversion for the Justice League as they were hunting him. Batman was able to continue his investigation into the Dark Multiverse thanks to the family, and accidentally unleashed the Dark Lord Barbatos and his minions on the Multiverse.[57] It was around this time that Nightwing began having visions of Barbatos due to the wound he suffered in his confrontation with Doctor Hurt.
After Barbatos' invasion, Challengers Mountain appeared in the middle of Gotham. Nightwing headed back to Gotham to reclaim his home and to find the source of his visions. The city had fallen under the control of The Batman Who Laughs who was working for Barbatos. The evil Batman had given Cosmic Metallurgy Cards to some of Batman's greatest rogues, which allowed them to warp reality to their whims. Each of the rogues controlled a portion of the city. Nightwing sent Green Arrow to assist the Teen Titans with defeating the Riddler[58] while he headed to Challengers Mountain where he believed the source of his visions were located. While Nightwing was fleeing from one of Mister Freeze's ice giants he ran into the Gotham Resistance, which was comprised of Robin, Green Arrow, Harley Quinn and Killer Croc. After defeating the ice giant with the help of the Resistance, Nightwing filled them in on his activities in Gotham which led to a confrontation with Freeze himself. After arming themselves with the Parliament of Owls' weaponry, Nightwing and the Resistance were able to defeat Mister Freeze and head further into the city.[59]
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The Bleeding Edge
When Bruce was summoned to serve jury duty on Victor Fries's trial right after his failed wedding with Selina Kyle, Dick needed to slip on the batsuit once again. Grayson as Batman meets up with Commissioner Gordon who instantly realizes that he's not Bruce but rather the "other him". Batman then battles Killer Croc, during the fight Dick leaves a message where he tells Bruce to give him a call when he could.[60]
Bludhaven received an upgrade, courtesy of Mirage, to become a 'digital' city. Nightwing, suspicious of various murders, leaked personal information on the victims, and exploding cell phones, enlisted Batgirl's aide in uncovering the mystery of Mirage. Nightwing and Batgirl discovered that Mirage was a front for Wyrm, an agent of the Dark Webb. Wyrm attempted to hack Nightwing by injecting him with a cybernetic bug; however, Batgirl managed to contain and later remove the device.[61]
Ric Grayson
Nightwing was shot by KGBeast,[62] leading to a memory loss. He however retain his fighting skills and desire to fight crime.[63]
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Doomsday Clock
Main article: Doomsday Clock Vol 1
After Superman is framed and rendered comatose, Nightwing joined the group of heroes heading towards Mars to confront their mysterious enemy. The heroes meet and engage Doctor Manhattan, but they are easily defeated.[64]
Joker War
Main article: The Joker War
After recovering from an attack by the Court of Owls, Ric sought out a way to restore his old memories. He decided to try to find Dr. Isabella Haas, a brainwasher associated with the Court of Owls. Haas gave Dick a memory crystal that would allow him to rewrite his own memory.
However, while Ric was distracted by his girlfriend Bea Bennett and the escaped villain Tusk, the Joker returned, aware of Batman and his allies' identities, and stole the memory crystal from Dick without his knowledge.[65] Joker used the crystal to rewrite Ric's memory once again, this time convincing him that he was the Joker's longtime sidekick named "Dickyboy".[66]
Under the Joker's spell, Dickyboy went to Gotham and lured Barbara Gordon into a trap.[67] In the end, Batgirl managed to flee, but it was all part of the plan: Joker wanted to lure Jason Todd and Tim Drake to the Alfred Pennyworth Children Hospital, giving Dickyboy the opportunity to kill them all together.[68]
Though the Joker's plan almost succeeded, Bea and Batgirl worked together to steal Ric's memory crystal back from the Joker and used it to restore all his memories back to before KGBeast shot him. He was no longer Ric Grayson, but Dick Grayson.[69]
Now once again part of the Batman Family, Nightwing helped Batman as Gotham plunged into chaos because of the Joker War. Nightwing and Batgirl captured the Joker's lieutenant Punchline, and, through their teamwork, Gotham was saved from the clown once again.[70]
Aftermath of Ric Grayson
After the Joker War and restoring his memory, Dick wrestled with an identity crisis, trying to consolidate the time he had spent as Ric with his past life as Dick and Nightwing. After discussing with his friends Donna Troy, Garth, Batgirl, and Batman, it was Dick's memory of Alfred that convinced him he could be Nightwing while also living a happy life together with Bea. He returned to being Nightwing and made the Nightwings of Bludhaven disband.
Later, Dick went to talk with Bea with the intention that, even though Dick was no longer Ric, that he was still the same person and that they should continue their relationship. However, in that moment, KGBeast crashed inside Bea's bar, taking the woman hostage and promising Nightwing this time he would finish the job.[71] Having used all the knowledge he had acquired while he was Ric, Dick successfully countered KGBeast, causing his grenade launcher to explode in his hand, finally getting justice.
Having realized the danger that his superhero lifestyle would put her in, Dick shied away from his original plan and instead told Bea that, due to his new-old memories, that he no longer loved her. The two broke up, and Dick returned to the status quo.
Death Metal
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Infinite Frontier
Leaping into the Light
Nightwing returned to Blüdhaven with a new lease on life. Dick was shocked to find that, due to Alfred Pennyworth's death, the man had named Dick in his will and bequeathed him several billion dollars in stocks in Wayne Enterprises.[72] Dick swore to invest the money into Blüdhaven's homelessness, poverty and petty crime problems, acting as a "safety net" for the city.[73]
A new problem arose when Melina Zucco, daughter of Dick's parents' murderer Tony Zucco, had become mayor of Blüdhaven. Nightwing went to confront her, but Melinda unmasked him and revealed that she was actually the bastard daughter of John Grayson, and therefore Dick's half-sister.[74] Dick learned that Melinda was secretly working for the FBI to take down organized crime. Dick chose to believe her and was able to escape.
Later, Dick thanked Barbara for being everything, and they shared a kiss. Dick then held a press conference to announce that he was starting The Alfred Pennyworth Foundation to help the less fortunate.[75]
Titans Academy
Nightwing, along with his teammates Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Donna Troy, and Starfire formed an academy in honor of Roy Harper to train new Titans.[76]
Fear State
Nightwing receives a message he believes is from Oracle telling him to return to Gotham. This turns out to be a trap set up by the Magistrate, but Dick is saved by Batman. Dick meets with Barbara at the Clock Tower where she dons her new Batgirl suit to fight on the front lines as she is locked out of her system, despite Dick's misgivings.[77]
After Dick helped Barbara destroy her equipment, they went to Oracle 2, where the person known as Seer was believed to be operating. Once inside, Dick and Babs are subjected to fear toxin, and fight each other due to the visions they experience. Tim is able to save the two of them and they rush to the Clock Tower to try and save Cass and Steph from a bomb that Seer put in the Clock Tower. Dick, Babs, and Tim would watch in horror as the Clock Tower exploded. [78] Dick, Tim and, Babs found out that Steph and Cass were able to escape the Clock Tower before it exploded.
Together, they formulated a plan to steal the suits of Magistrate soldiers to fly up to Skybase-01 where Seer and Simon Saint were operating. When they arrived they find out Seer isn't on the base, and that Seer has set the ship to crash into the city with children onboard. Having to abandon Seer, Cass, Steph, and Tim rescue the children while Babs and Dick take down Seer. Unfortunately, Seer wasn't there, but Simon Saint was. Babs and Dick take down Saint and have Skybase-01 crash harmlessly into the harbor, while Babs ponders her next move against Seer. [79]
Get Grayson
After Babs discovered a price had been put on Dick's head, several hitmen dognapped Haley. With Barbara's help as both Oracle and Batgirl, he was able to rescue Haley.[80] During a groundbreaking event, Dick was nearly assassinated by agents sent by Blockbuster but saved by the Titans who were contacted by Babs to provide protection. Dick would join the Titans in saving several civilians from the agents sent by Blockbuster.[81]
A few days later, Dick is woken up by a message from Melinda telling him Blockbuster sent a drone to take out his apartment. After making sure everyone was safe, Wally West arrived and took Dick to Keystone City in order to keep him safe. As they were trying to get to get the target of his back, they are contacted by Barbara. She tells them she had been kidnapped and gave them their location. They saved her and ambushed the person who sent the kidnappers: KGBeast.[82]
After Wally and Dick defeated KGBeast, they return to Wally's home and found out that the assassins were sent by the group called La Agente Funebre who were considered a myth. Babs was able to pinpoint their location in Costa Rica where Wally and Dick raced to. There they were engaged by an assassin who Dick was able to defeat. After talking to Wally, who encouraged him to figure things out between Dick and Babs. Dick then used La Agente Funebre's network to set up their assassins to be taken down by other heroes, crippling the organization.[83]
The Battle for Blüdhaven's Heart
After the opening of Haven, a space for the needy of Blüdhaven, Dick stops several masked BPD officers while removing their masks so that Oracle's cameras could use facial recognition to identify them.[84] After BPD Commissioner Maclean uses the attack to attempt to shutdown Haven. Oracle releases the list of officers involved in the prior attack to discredit Maclean.[85] Maclean attempts to leave Blüdhaven under Melinda suggestion, made in order to get MaClean in the open and get his files on Blockbuster. Dick intercepts him and takes the files to Barbara. Dick then gets a call from Melinda, who was attempting to free the Electrocutioner from Blockbuster, but was discovered.[86]
After Dick and several other heroes attack Blockbuster's criminal enterprises Blockbuster retailats by attacking Haven and setting muc of it on fire. Dick rushes to Haven and encounters Blockbuster holding two children hostage. Blockbuster demanded he surrender or he'd kill the childern. Dick did so and after Blockbuster released the children Blockbuster attacked Dick, knocking off his maks in the process.[87] Dick counterattacked, and was able to defeat Blockbuster who had to flee after his henchmen abandoned him. After the dust settled, Dick talked to Barabara, telling her that they couldn't be together due to Blockbuster knowing his identity. Barbara laughed, and told him that she is aware of the risks, and it doesn't matter to her as she is happy being with him. Dick realized she was right and they shared a kiss, affirming their relationship.[88]
Dark Crisis
After the apparent death of the Justice League, Deathstroke alongside the Dark Army assault the Titans Academy where Nightwing and many more heroes are there[89]. Nightwing and Superman fight against Deathstroke and Cyborg Superman in a bloody battle, but the villains momentarily escape[90]. After 24 hours since the previous attack, Nightwing and every single available hero are recovering in the Hall of Justice when Deathstroke and the Dark Army attack once more[91]. As the war rages on, The Justice League gets resurrected[92] and Nightwing fights Slade again, but this time it's in Dick's mind. Dick defeats Slade in his mind just in time to save Black Adam and defeat Deathstroke in the real world. The heroes save the day again, but the League is disbanded[93].
Dawn of DC
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Knight Terrors
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The Gotham War
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Out of the Shadows
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The Crew of the Crossed
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Beast World
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Dark Prisons
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Fallen Grayson
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Powers and Abilities
Powers
Abilities
- Acrobatics: Richard Grayson was an acrobatic prodigy as a child, being part of the Flying Graysons act who were well known for conducting incredible acrobatic feats without the use of a net.[5]
- Espionage: Due to tutelage from Helena Bertinelli and experience from his tenure as an agent of the covert organization Spyral, he gained valuable espionage experience.[95][96]
- Genius Level Intellect: Having been personally trained by Batman, Dick is highly intelligent with advanced knowledge in various fields and is one of the most resilient and brilliant crime fighters in the world.[5]
- Aviation[97]
- Chemistry[28]
- Disguise: Trained by Alfred Pennyworth, Dick is proficient in the art of disguise. He was capable of impersonating the Joker[98] and Batman on occasion.[50][99]
- Driving[37]
- Eidetic Memory: Batman taught Dick the Memory Palace Technique, which allowed him to remember Raptor and deduce that Raptor was to blame for his own problems and not Bruce Wayne.[100]
- Escapology: Dick is an expert escape artist.[5][101]
- Forensic Science: Dick has an advanced knowledge of forensics due to his training with Batman.[102]
- Computer Hacking: As part of his training to be Robin, Bruce gave Dick an exam that required him to hack into a S.T.A.R. Labs satellite.[103]
- Investigation: Trained personally by Batman, Dick is a world-class detective.[14][5]
- Law: Dick has a law degree.[104]
- Leadership: Due to his charisma and usual positive outlook, Dick has proven himself to be a natural leader.[105][5]
- Lock Picking[106]
- Multilingualism: He can speak English, German,[107] Russian,[108] and nine other languages.[109]
- Physics[110]
- Tactical Analysis: Dick is a capable tactician due to his training from Batman. He is also skilled in reading the body motions of others, allowing him to to anticipate the actions of multiple armed opponents and even Batman.[111][112]
- Tracking[30]
- Indomitable Will[49]
- Interrogation[30]
- Intimidation[30]
- Martial Arts: After being put through Batman's brutal training regime, Dick became a master martial artist, capable of going toe-to-toe with and defeating other deadly fighters, including Talon,[32] Midnighter by cheating[113] and even an unrestrained Batman.[114][95][115] Bruce considers Dick to have been a natural when he first started training him due to his years as an acrobat in the circus, compared to Jason or Tim who had to work hard when first training in combat.[116] Though not as skilled as Lady Shiva, she was left impressed with his fighting skill.[117] As part of his Robin training, Bruce taught Dick a technique called "language of combat", wherein he can communicate with others while fighting.[118] After being briefly brainwashed, he retains the memories of a whole other life where he acquired lethal training under the Court of Owls' tutelage, becoming their best assassin.[119][120][121] Despite being heavily damaged and blood ridden, Dick still manages to best Deathstroke, in a round of combat.[122] Batman acknowledges that Nightwing's the toughest and best hand-to-hand combatant out of all the Robins, almost killing an already weary damaged Bruce in battle, when Dick was under mind control. [123] Bruce also admits that when fighting Dick he has a difficult time tagging him, but that Dick's offense is sloppy at times.[124] Even with a dislocated arm, Dick's capable of besting KGBeast in battle.[125]
- Boxing[106]
- Eskrima: Dick is a master of eskrima, a fighting style he frequently employs when wielding his dual batons.[28]
- Mushin[126][127]
- Ninjitsu[8]
- Stick Fighting: Dick is a master of Bojutsu, a stick-based martial art that uses a bo staff. He was taught this fighting style by Batman, as part of his training.[28]
- Medicine: Dick was trained to perform field surgery by Alfred Pennyworth.[128]
- Peak Human Condition: Through years of extensive and intensive training, Dick has achieved the peak of human perfection both mentally and physically.[96] His speed and agility is at a level that even surprised and impressed Wally West.[129]
- Seduction[51]
- Sewing[130]
- Stealth: Dick's stealth is second to Batman's. He successfully remained undetected by the likes of Alfred Pennyworth, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Red Robin; while in the Batcave.[131][35]
- Throwing: Dick is capable of throwing various objects and weapons with precision.[8] He has often thrown his escrima sticks to incapacitate his opponents. He has even done the same with the use of a gun. On one occasion Dick was able to make his escrima sticks ricochet 37 times before returning to him.[132]
- Weaponry: Due to his training with Batman, Richard is well versed in many melee weapons such as staffs,[8] escrima sticks and bladed weaponry such as swords.[32]
- Firearms: Dick is a master marksman, and is highly skilled in the use of firearms.[49]
- Swordsmanship[32][133]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Nightwing Suit: As Nightwing, Dick Grayson's costume is tailored specifically to his unique style of crime-fighting. It is made up of sturdy but flexible material that not only suits his strength, speed, and acrobatics but also is durable enough to withstand gunfire. His former costume was a stylized red "wing" across his shoulders and extending to his hands, coloring his two middle fingers, over a black torso and legs. He also has gauntlets much like Batman's suit. He also has variants of his costume with different design elements, one of which was an armored suit that sported a Bat Symbol, which has since been used by Red Hood.[134] His suit houses various hidden compartments for his gadgetry such as smoke pellets, fire extinguishing pellets, wing-dings and small bombs. The fingertips of the suit also enable him to use lockpicks[135] and a needle which can give chemical analysis.[136] Dick got a new suit that crafted for him by Mister Terrific, thanks to a favor by Wally West.[137]
- Nightwing's Domino Mask: As Nightwing, Dick's domino mask is shaped just like his wing-dings. It has various capabilities such as being able to track the GPS coordinates of a cell phone, thermal vision, detect radio waves, and is capable of giving detailed analysis of scenes and fights.
- Nightwing's Gauntlets: Hidden within secret compartments lies Nightwing's gadgetry, in which a great majority seems to be hidden. He has various gadgetry in his gauntlets such as binoculars and they are occasionally used to store his Escrima Sticks. His gauntlets can also shoot remote bombs, a sonic device with his ear dampeners and a grapple line.
- Electric Shock: Dick's entire suit is wired to deliver a 150-thousand-volt shock through the gloves of the suit, however it only has enough power for a one-time charge.[29]
- EMP Mask: A highly advanced mask created by Lucius Fox, the mask is made of webbing that retracts light surrounding the wearer's head and artificially alters the appearance of someone's face. Richard has used it to sneak into Arkham Asylum and pose as Joker[98] and used it again to gain information on Lady Shiva.[34]
- Spyral Implants (Formerly): During his time as an agent of Spyral, Dick received various implants to better aid him in the field when he was on his missions.[95] These were shut down after he left Spyral.
- Hypnos: Hypnos are implants that enable the user to hypnotize others. Dick immediately displayed mastery in using Hypnos despite it normally taking years to master. However, it is revered as a dangerous implant which can cause a two-way brain scramble if misused.[95]
- Identity Protection: The implants make the user's face unable to be captured by surveillance cameras and a person's memory.[95]
Transportation
Weapons
- Escrima Sticks: Personalized by Richard himself, his escrima sticks are dual fighting baton-like sticks. He also later upgraded them so they could shoot a grappling line,[117] and even hold some smoke bombs. The sticks can also combine together into a bo-staff.[138]
- Electro-Blast: Dick's Escrima sticks are capable of emitting high voltages of electricity.[139]
- Wing Dings
Notes
- Dick Grayson was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, first appearing in Detective Comics #38. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Dick Grayson first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Nightwing (Volume 3) #1 by Eddy Barrows and Kyle Higgins.
- Two issues that deal in the origins of Dick Grayson's emergence as Robin in the New 52 slightly conflict. In Nightwing (Volume 3) #0, Dick found out Bruce's identity as Batman on his own due to their similarities. However, in Secret Origins (Volume 3) #1, Dick is surprised to find Bruce Wayne is Batman.
- Unlike his New Earth counterpart, Dick was only Robin for roughly a year before donning the mantle of Nightwing and became Robin at age sixteen.[140][141] However, given the alterations caused by DC Rebirth, it was changed back so that Dick was Robin for six years from age twelve to eighteen.[142][143][144]
- Two issues in DC Rebirth that deal with Dick becoming Nightwing differ in how Batman reacted. In Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 Dick decided to quit being Robin and strike out on his own as Nightwing, with Bruce offering him support and approval. However, in Nightwing (Volume 4) #79, it's shown that Bruce not only didn't approve of Dick's decision to quit being Robin, but also fired Dick as well, leading to the two being on rough terms for a while, similar to Nightwing: Year One in New Earth.
- Joker's alias for Dick during The Joker War was spelled a few different ways: Dickyboy,[69] Dicky-Boy,[68] and Dicky Boy Grayson.[145]
Trivia
- During the events of the New 52, Dick was 15 when he lost his parents.[146] But after the events of DC Rebirth, it was changed that he lost his parents when he a little kid.[147]
- According to Dick's license during Forever Evil, he was born in 1991.[40]
- Dick was named after the childhood friend of his mother, who would one day become the costumed villain Raptor.[149]
- According to his license during Forever Evil, Dick is an organ donor.[40]
- Dick is best friends with Wally West.[150]
- Dick has admitted he's attracted to redheads.[28]
- Superman considers Dick Grayson his favorite Robin.[151]
- Dick is of Romani descent on his mother's side.[152]
- Nightwing was briefly married to Batgirl, but their marriage was quickly annulled.[153]
- Dick became a billionaire after inheriting Alfred Penyworth's fortune.[154] He later gave away his entire fortune after setting up a foundation to combat homelessness in Alfred's name.[155]
- During his time as Robin, Batman often referred to Dick as chum, a reference to the '60s Show. Years later, Batman admits that part of the reason he did this was because Dick rarely washed his suit.[156]
- Dick has acknowledged Bruce as "Dad".[157]
Recommended Reading
- Nightwing (Volume 3)
- Nightwing (Volume 4)
- Titans (Volume 3)
- Dark Crisis (Volume 1)
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest (Volume 1)
Related
- 940 Appearances of Richard Grayson (Prime Earth)
- 881 Images featuring Richard Grayson (Prime Earth)
- 152 Quotations by or about Richard Grayson (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Richard Grayson (Prime Earth)
Footnotes
- ↑ Detective Comics #1050
- ↑ Titans (Volume 4) #7
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #116
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Nightwing (Volume 4) #80
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 DC Comics Encyclopedia: All-New Edition
- ↑ DC Comics Encyclopedia: New Edition
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 3) #25
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 Nightwing (Volume 3) #0
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Secret Origins (Volume 3) #1
- ↑ Batman and Robin Annual (Volume 2) #2
- ↑ Batman & Robin Eternal #1
- ↑ Batman: Urban Legends #23
- ↑ Batgirl (Volume 4) #3
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Nightwing Annual (Volume 3) #1
- ↑ World's Finest: Teen Titans #1
- ↑ Teen Titans Academy #1
- ↑ Teen Titans Academy #12
- ↑ Batman/Superman: World's Finest #12
- ↑ Forever Evil #3
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #89
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Nightwing (Volume 3) #30
- ↑ Batgirl Annual (Volume 4) #2
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #78
- ↑ Deathstroke (Volume 4) #19
- ↑ Secret Origins (Volume 3) #4
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #18
- ↑ Robin Rises: Omega
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 Nightwing (Volume 3) #1
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Nightwing (Volume 3) #2
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 Nightwing (Volume 3) #6
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 3) #7
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 Nightwing (Volume 3) #8
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 3) #10
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Nightwing (Volume 3) #13
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 Nightwing (Volume 3) #22
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 3) #23
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Nightwing (Volume 3) #24
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 3) #27
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 3) #29
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 Forever Evil #1
- ↑ Forever Evil #4
- ↑ Forever Evil #6
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 Grayson #5
- ↑ Grayson #2
- ↑ Grayson #3
- ↑ Grayson #4
- ↑ Grayson #6
- ↑ Grayson #7
- ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 Grayson #8
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 Batman (Volume 2) #40
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 51.2 Grayson #9
- ↑ Grayson #10
- ↑ Grayson #11
- ↑ Nightwing: Rebirth #1
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #1
- ↑ Titans: Rebirth #1
- ↑ Dark Nights: Metal #2
- ↑ Teen Titans (Volume 6) #12
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #29
- ↑ Batman (Volume 3) #51
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #47
- ↑ Batman (Volume 3) #55
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #50
- ↑ Doomsday Clock #9
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #70
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #71
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #72
- ↑ 68.0 68.1 Nightwing (Volume 4) #73
- ↑ 69.0 69.1 Nightwing (Volume 4) #74
- ↑ Batman (Volume 3) #100
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #75
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #78
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #79
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #81
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #83
- ↑ Teen Titans Academy #1
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #84
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #85
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #86
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #87
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #88
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #90
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #91
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #92
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #93
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #94
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #95
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #96
- ↑ Dark Crisis #1
- ↑ Dark Crisis #2
- ↑ Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5
- ↑ Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #6
- ↑ Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7
- ↑ 94.0 94.1 94.2 94.3 94.4 94.5 Nightwing (Volume 4) #104
- ↑ 95.0 95.1 95.2 95.3 95.4 Grayson #1
- ↑ 96.0 96.1 DC Comics: The Ultimate Character Guide: New Edition
- ↑ Detective Comics #968
- ↑ 98.0 98.1 Batman (Volume 2) #1
- ↑ Batman (Volume 3) #51
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #32
- ↑ Justice League (Volume 2) #26
- ↑ 102.0 102.1 Nightwing (Volume 4) #43
- ↑ Batman: One Bad Day - Mr. Freeze #1
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #103
- ↑ Red Hood and the Outlaws #7
- ↑ 106.0 106.1 Nightwing (Volume 4) #69
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #51
- ↑ Detective Comics (Volume 2) #36
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #54
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #21
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #1
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 3) #19
- ↑ Grayson #6
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 3) #30
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Batman (Volume 3) #147
- ↑ 117.0 117.1 Nightwing (Volume 3) #14
- ↑ Batman (Volume 3) #81
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #66
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #67
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #76
- ↑ Dark Crisis #2
- ↑ Batman vs. Robin #3
- ↑ Batman (Volume 3) #137
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #100
- ↑ Knight Terrors: Nightwing #1
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #112
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #109
- ↑ Titans: Rebirth #1
- ↑ Robin & Batman #1
- ↑ Batman and Robin (Volume 2) #34
- ↑ Batman (Volume 3) #54
- ↑ Batman vs. Robin #3
- ↑ Red Hood and the Outlaws #6
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 3) #21
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 3) #15
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #88
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #80
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 3) #12
- ↑ Batman and Robin Annual (Volume 2) #2
- ↑ Secret Origins (Volume 3) #1
- ↑ Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #79
- ↑ Detective Comics #1027
- ↑ Red Hood: Outlaw #48
- ↑ [[2]]
- ↑ Batman (Volume 3) #54
- ↑ Secret Origins (Volume 3) #8
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #34
- ↑ Titans (Volume 3) #15
- ↑ Superman: Up in the Sky #6
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #82
- ↑ Dark Nights: Death Metal The Last Stories of the DC Universe #1
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #78
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #83
- ↑ Batman (Volume 3) #55
- ↑ Nightwing (Volume 4) #100
Titans member This character is or was primarily a member of the superhero team known as the Titans, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Titans members" category. |
Batman Family member 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. |
Teen Titans member This character is or was primarily a member of the younger superhero team known as the Teen Titans, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Teen Titans members" category. |
Justice League member This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. |
Court of Owls member |