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Nightwing |
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Formerly: Robin I
Alias: Dick Grayson |
Titans Member
Joined: Brave and the Bold #60 [1965] |
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| Nightwing Quick Bio: When Dick Grayson's trapeze-artist parents were murdered, he was taken in by the Batman and became his junior partner: Robin, the Boy Wonder. As leader of the Teen Titans, Dick emerged from the shadow of his mentor and adopted the costumed identity of Nightwing. |
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THE EVOLUTION
OF NIGHTWING
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NIGHTWING
CURRENT COSTUME
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| Robin's first appearance from DETECTIVE COMICS #38 [1940] |
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Secret Origins
Young Dick Grayson was born on the first day of spring. His mother nicknamed him "little Robin". Little did she know how prophetic this term of endearment would be in her son's life.
Dick Grayson was part of his family's acrobatic troupe, the Flying Graysons. Dick joined the act at a very young age, having been trained in acrobatics from birth. While on tour in Gotham City, nine-year-old Dick overheard "Boss"Anthony Zucco, a well-known and feared crime-lord, threaten the performers unless the circus's owner paid extortion money. The owner refused, and that night Dick watched in horror as his parents' high wire snapped, sending his parents hurtling to their deaths. Young Dick felt responsible, because he didn't warn his parents in time.
Shortly after the tragedy, a distant Bruce Wayne rescued Dick from an uncaring juvenile services system. Frustrated by the lack of attention from his new guardian and the mystery still surrounding his parents' death, Dick snuck out of Wayne Manor one evening to solve the crime on his own - only to stumble into Batman, who was also investigating the murder. Seeing a reflection of himself in Dick, Batman not only revealed his identity as Bruce Wayne to the boy, but also decided to train him to be his protege.
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PRE-TEEN TITANS: Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad team up for the first time in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #54 [1964].
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At this point, Bruce saw that Dick could temper compassion with a thirst for justice. So Bruce made the young orphan the offer of a lifetime; the chance to become his crime-fighting partner. Dick chose the name Robin, and his training began.
A talented and eager pupil, Dick made his debut as Robin the Boy Wonder a few short months later when he aided Batman in finally solving the murder of the Flying Graysons.
Early Years
Bruce taught Dick fighting techniques and detective skills for a grueling 6 months. Finally, Dick had to pass a final test - "the Gauntlet". Dick had to elude the Dark Knight on the streets of Gotham for one night - from sundown to sunset - without any outside help. Dick succeeded, simultaneously bringing Gotham gangster Joe Minette to justice. Dick took to the streets as Batman's full-fledged partner in crime-fighting: Robin, the Boy Wonder.
Dick enjoyed his first year as Robin, regarding the job as an adventure until a confrontation with Two Face served as a rude awakening for the young hero. Two-Face had captured the new District Attorney and Batman, and had each suspended from a hangman's noose in a 'double gallows death-trap'. Robin, in trying to save the D.A., used a batarang to cut the rope of the noose. It worked, but Robin didn't account for Dent's obsession with the number two-- it was a two-fold trap, and the floor gave way, dropping the D.A. into the water, where the man drowned. Robin was unable to prevent his death, and received a beating at the hands of Two-Face. A beating witnessed by Batman, still tied up on the platform trying to free himself. Eventually Batman was able to free himself and apprehend Two-Face. This event, however, scarred the young crime-fighter, and haunts him even today.
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| Robin is fired in BATMAN #408. |
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Raven gathers the team in NEW TEEN TITANS #1 [1980].
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Teen Titans and the End of a Partnership
A few years later, Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad joined together to stop the menace of Mr. Twister. It was the first time the sidekicks joined forces. Their second meeting was more eventful: Robin,Kid Flash, Aqualad, now joined by Wonder Girl and Speedy, fought against their mentors, who had been possessed by the evil Antithesis. At this second meeting, the five youngsters decided to become a team... and the Teen Titans were born! Robin naturally became the leader of the original Teen Titans. The sidekicks would continue to operate with their mentors, as well as spending time with their peers in the Teen Titans. Alas, some years later, the team disbanded, after numerous changes.
The New Teen Titans
Dick continued his adventures with Batman, and began attending college at Hudson University. Robin started to take on solo missions as well, and found himself to be a capable crime-fighter in his own right. Shortly afterward, t he mysterious Raven summoned Dick Grayson, and several other young heroes, to form a new group of Titans. Robin again resumed leadership, and moved out of the shadow of the Batman.
Robin realized at that point that he had grown up: He no longer relied on Batman and, in fact, he and the Dark Knight disagreed on crime-fighting methodology. Dick's newfound independence and Titans' duties left less time for his former commitments in Gotham City. He also dropped out of Hudson after only one semester.
Dick rediscovered his self-worth among the Teen Titans. Batman, however, was less than pleased. He informed Dick that if he no longer wanted to be his partner, then Dick would have to retire as Robin. Furious, hurt, resigned, confused, eighteen year old Dick Grayson left Wayne Manor after this fallout. Helping him through this difficult time was his fellow Titans, including Starfire, a beautiful alien Dick had fallen in love with. Dick handed over leadership of the Titans to Wonder Girl.
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| A classic kiss in NEW TEEN TITANS #2 [1980]. |
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Dick Grayson gives up the mantle of Robin in NEW TEEN TITANS #39 [1984]
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Uncertain what to do, he turned to someone he knew would understand: Superman. Very briefly, Dick had considered giving up the whole crime fighting gig; but he couldn't imagine his life any other way; But if he couldn't be Robin, who would he be? Superman had the answer. Long ago on Krypton, a man was cast out by his family - just as Dick had been. He dreamed of a world ruled by justice, and set out to protect the helpless of Krypton. His true identity was never revealed. He was known only as Nightwing.
Becoming Nightwing - a Hero Reborn
When all his teammates were captured by Deathstroke, the Terminator, and delivered to the H.I.V.E., Dick assumed a new identity of Nightwing and helped to free them, with the help of new ally (and future Titan), Jericho.
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| Robin becomes Nightwing in the now-classic TALES OF THE TEEN TITANS #44 [1984] |
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Nightwing had finally moved out of the shadow of the Bat, and would lead the Titans through some hard times. Dick endured brainwashing at the hands of Brother Blood, his relationship with Starfire would suffer due to her marriage of state, he would be deeply affected by the fact that Batman trained a new Robin (Jason Todd) only for him to be seemingly killed at the hands of the Joker.
Feeling hurt and betrayed, Bruce and Dick would remain at odds with each other, never fully sorting out their strained relationship. Dick was involved in a case with Batman and Two-Face when Tim Drake emerged, who would later become the third Robin. Dick nurtured and supported Tim's desire to become Robin, and helped ease him into the role. Dick also has helped Tim in dealing with Bruce's distant manner.
Titans Hunt & Changes
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The Evil Raven disrupts Kory and Dick's wedding plans in New Titans #100 [1993]
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Nightwing leaves the Titans to Roy in
NEW TITANS #114 [1994].
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Soon after, various members of the Titans were abducted by the Wildebeest Society. This event shook up the team in a big way. The group entered into tumultuous times, where members came and went, longtime friends were maimed or destroyed, although Dick persevered through it all, and remained the heart and center of the team.
But his relationship with Starfire became strained,and problems in Gotham demanded Dick's attention. Impulsively, Dick proposed marriage to Starfire. The two almost wed, but the ceremony was interrupted by Raven, now reborn as an evil avatar of her father, Trigon. Her brutal attack on Starfire triggered changes in Dick and Kory's relationship. Starfire was implanted with a demon "seed" which causes her to leave Earth and go on a spiritual journey. The two grew apart, and Starfire eventually returned to her home planet of Tamaran.
Meanwhile, in Gotham, Bruce Wayne had left the mantle of Batman to the unstable Jean Paul Valley. Dick intervened with new Robin Tim Drake, and when Bruce returned to Gotham, he brought Valley down and reassumed the mantle of Batman. When Dick returned to the Titans, he found there to be changes. The government interceded, placing Arsenal as leader of the team. Dick stepped aside and left the Titans, concentrating on problems in Gotham City. Still recovering from his broken back, Bruce asked Dick to substitute for him as Batman for a time. Dick accepted. During this time, Dick was able to confront Two-Face and lay some demons to rest. He also established a wonderful partnership with new Robin, Tim Drake. Bruce eventually returned to Gotham to reclaim his role as Batman. For the first time in a long time, Bruce and Dick began to heal their strained relationship. Bruce's respect for Dick was at last obvious.
A New Calling: Protector of Bludhaven
Soon after, a problem arose in Gotham's neighboring town of Bludhaven. Twenty-one bodies washed upstream into Gotham, drawing attention to the fact that Bludhaven was just as crime-ridden as Gotham - possibly worse! Nightwing investigated the crimes at Batman's behest. Once that case was solved, Dick decided to stay in Bludhaven, and become its protector. He took a job as a bartender to keep his ear to the ground and worked closely with Barbara Gordon - the former Batgirl, now information broker known as Oracle - in an effort to clean up the crime-ridden city. Upon arriving,Nightwing discovered that the police force was utterly corrupt and the town's kingpin, Blockbuster, had contributed to the continued decay of the city.
Reunited: Titans Together!
After Nightwing settled in Bludhaven, a galactic threat came to earth, reuniting former members of the Titans. After this adventure, the group decided to reform, with Dick returning to the role of leader. Meanwhile, Dick had joined the Bludhaven police force in efforts to rid the city of it's corruption from the inside.
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| Nightwing relocates in Bludhaven in NIGHTWING #3 [1996] |
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REUNITED: The five original Titans bond in JLA/TITANS #3 [1999]
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On the personal side, Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon's once flirtatious Robin-Batgirl relationship threatened to blossom into something more. When Gotham was quarantined from the rest of the United States and became a virtual No Man's Land, Nightwing was sent to secure Blackgate Prison. Exhausted and injured from his experience at the prison, Dick recuperated at Barbara's clock tower, and the two grew even closer. Finally expressing their feelings for each other, Dick and Barbara entered into a romantic relationship.
On The Outside
When a rogue Superman android seemingly killed Lilith and Troia, it tore apart both Young Justice and the Titans. At Troia's funeral, Nightwing declared to Arsenal that he is tired of seeing friends die - and the Titans are officially over. A few months later, Arsenal persuaded the reluctant Nightwing to join a new pro-active crime-fighting team: The Outsiders.
Meanwhile, Blockbuster's vengeance campaign escalated as he wrongfully blamed Nightwing for the death of his mother. The criminal kingpin bombed Dick Grayson's apartment complex, killing most of its residents, including Dick's Romanian grandfather. The war was now more personal than ever, as far as Nightwing was concerned. Nightwing even enlisted the help of Bludhaven's newest vigilante - the amoral female Tarantula. Dick's relationship with Barbara also dissolved after she grew increasingly concerned about how far the driven hero had been pushing himself.
Every attempt to bring in Blockbuster legally failed. Blockbuster had beaten down Nightwing both physically and emotionally. When an exhausted Nightwing confronted Blockbuster, he was at his lowest ebb. The timely arrival of Tarantula turned the tide; She shot Blockbuster dead at point blank range as Nightwing failed to stop her. Nightwing's inaction has became a source of tremendous guilt for the young hero. But Blockbuster's death ended his stranglehold over Bludhaven once and for all.
A New Start
Nightwing aided the other heroes when the Infinite Crisis threatened the universe. During the Crisis, the Society of Super Villains bombed Bludhaven with the radioactive creature known as Chemo, leaving the city a ravaged wasteland. Left without a home, Dick Grayson traveled the globe with Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake for the following year. Upon returning, Nightwing intends to build a new life for himself in New York City.
Although Nightwing has no super-human abilities, he is a highly skilled natural athlete, trained from birth as an acrobat. He was further trained in all forms of unarmed combat by one of the greatest combatants in the world, Batman. His skills as a detective are also superlative. Also, Nightwing's new costume has a number of weapons hidden in it. Among them are escrima sticks, clawed fingers on each hand and a grappling hook.
DC Universe Role-Playing Games: Sourcebooks and Manuals [ West End Games], DC Secret Files, supplemented by titanstower.com
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Detective Comics #38 [1940]: First appearance and origin of Robin.
Brave & The Bold #54 [1964]: Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad are asked by the teenagers of Hatton Corners to resolve a generation gap dispute; The young heroes defeat a villain called Mr. Twister. First unofficial appearance of the Teen Titans.
Brave & The Bold #60 [1965]: Now organized as the Teen Titans, Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Wonder Girl respond to a call for help from the teenagers of Midville. First 'Donna Troy' Wonder Girl. First official appearance of the Teen Titans.
Teen Titans #1 [1966]: The Teen Titans join the Peace Corps in order to help volunteer workers in the South American country of Xochatan who are being menaced by a giant robot which the native believe to be an ancient deity come to life.
Teen Titans #14 [1968]: The Gargoyle, a former Teen Titans foe who claims he was unjustly imprisoned by the team, sows the seeds of doubt in the minds of all but Robin, enabling him to banish them to the dimension of Limbo by means of his mystic ring.
Teen Titans #53 [1978]: The origin of the Teen Titans is revealed in flashback as an Untold Tale from the Teen Titans Casebook: the story of how Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Wonder Girl, and Speedy met and formally organized and named the Teen Titans team, between the events of The Brave and the Bold #54 and 60. First mention of Speedy as a founding member.
Batman #217: Dick Grayson heads to college
DC Comics Presents #26 [1980]: featuring a 16-page preview to New Teen Titans! The mysterious empath Raven invades Dick Grayson's dreams and shows him a glimpse of his near-future as part of the Teen Titans.
New Teen Titans #1-6 [1980]: After invading his dreams, the mysterious empath Raven incites Dick Grayson to form the New Teen Titans for the eventual purpose of defeating her demonic father, Trigon.
New Teen Titans #23-25, New Teen Titans Annual #1 [1982]: Princess Koriand'r's evil sister, Komand'r, captures Starfire and takes the name "Blackfire;" Blackfire seizes control of the Citadel and attempts to usurp control of Tamaran and the Vegan system. The two sisters battle on Tamaran, and the Titans team up with the Omega Men to bring Starfire back to Earth. Robin confesses his love for Starfire.
New Teen Titans #38 [1984]: Dick Grayson works to help Donna Troy discover the truth about her past.
New Teen Titans #39 [1984]: Dick Grayson gives up his Robin identity, turning Titan leadership over to Wonder Girl. Last appearance of Dick Grayson as Robin. Kid Flash leaves the team.
Tales of the Teen Titans #50 [1984]: The wedding of Donna Troy and Terry Long.
New Teen Titans (second series) #15-18 [1985-1086]: Komand'r has incited civil war on Tamaran, and King Myand'r tells Starfire that she must marry the Prince of Tamaran's southern continent in order to stop this mayhem; Starfire marries Karras and Nightwing leaves her on Tamaran.
Batman #408 [1987]: As Batman and Robin battle the Joker, Robin is shot and almost fatally wounded. Rather than see Dick be further endangered, Batman "fires" his partner, sidelining the Boy Wonder for a time. Months later while in Crime Alley, Jason Todd literally runs into the Batman.
Batman #436-439 [1989]: Featured a Year Three storyline. This featured a flashback, retelling how Dick Grayson became Robin.
Secret Origins Annual #3 [1989]: Dick Grayson's dream are invaded by the Antithesis, who seeks to break Dick's spirit so that he will remain in Limbo; Dick survives with the help of old and new Titans alike. The Special gives a post-Crisis history of the Titans, including some revamps and revisions.
New Titans #100 [1993]: Nightwing and Starfire's wedding is interrupted by the return of Raven, now a villainous avatar of Trigon. Starfire is viciously attacked and implanted with a demon "seed" by Raven, as Dick Grayson watches helplessly. Evil Raven is assisted by the corrupted Deathwing and Judge & Jury. Sarge Steel begins his plans to assume control of Titans.
Robin #0 [1994]: The details of the Two-Face 'double gallows trap' incident revealed.
Batman #512-514, Shadow of The Bat #32-34, Detective Comics #679-681, Robin #11-13 [1994]: "The Prodigal": Dick assumes the role of Gotham City's Dark Knight defender once again at the behest of Bruce Wayne. Though wearing the costume of Batman only briefly, Dick defeats Two-Face, his most feared foe, and comes to grips with the painful memories of his "double-gallaws" defeat. Dick confronts Bruce about choosing Jean Paul Valley as Batman's successor.
Robin Annual #4 [1995]: Year One Annual retelling Robin's Origin
Nightwing #1-3 [1996]: When the bodies of dead gangbangers begin to float upriver from Bludhaven, Batman sends Nightwing to investigate. Nightwing settles in Bludhaven as its new protector.
JLA/Titans: the Technis Imperative #1-3 [December 1998 to February 1999]: Former Titan Vic Stone threatened to carry out his Technis Imperative and turn the earth's moon into a new Technis world. The JLA and Titans first clash, then unite to save the earth and Vic Stone. The mini series was designed as a primer to restart the Titans series with the five original members (Nightwing, Troia, Flash, Arsenal and Tempest) as the core.
Nightwing Secret Files #1 [1999]: Nightwing's origin from his first days as Robin right up to "No Man's Land!" The Definitive Dick Grayson History.
Titans #1-2 [1999]: Following close on the heels of the events in the JLA/TITANS miniseries, the original Titans decide to set up shop, rebuilding their headquarters (a new Titans Tower) and enlisting a second, non-core group of Titans to help them.
Nightwing #38-39 [1999]: Exhausted and injured from his experience at Blackgate Prison, Dick recuperates at Barbara's' clock tower, and the two grow closer. Nightwing and Oracle kiss and become an item. Their romantic moment is shattered by the arrival of Pettit and Huntress.
Robin: Year One #1-4 [2000-2001]: During his first year as Robin, Dick comes face-to-face with Mr. Freeze, must rescue some kidnapped children, struggles in school, and is tricked by Two-Face into allowing an innocent to die.
Graduation Day #1-3 [2003]: After Troia and Lilith are seemingly killed at the hands of a rogue Superman android, Nightwing disbands the Titans.
Nightwing #93 [2004]: Blockbuster is killed at the hands of Tarantula as Nightwing watches.
Nightwing #101-106 [2005]: "Nightwing: Year One" reveals the details of Dick Grayson's final days as Robin and transformation into Nightwing.
Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files #1, Outsiders #1 [2003]: Nightwing and Arsenal gather the Outsiders team.
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 How Robin Became Nightwing
 [George Pérez Interview -Amazing Heroes #50, 1984]
The story of Nightwing is one of the unique tales in the annals of the super-hero and an exciting new chapter in the life of one of DC's founding characters. It transformed one of comicdom's original kid sidekicks into an adult leader, changing the original Boy Wonder into an even more formidable young man. Gone is the pain-in-the-cape of the Burt Ward TV days, and with it is gone the confused methods of handling the character even while The Batman received massive narrative re-investment from the likes of O'Neil, Adams, Englehart. and Rogers.
From the first appearance of the New Titans, the dynamic change in Dick Grayson's character has been a high point of the series, It's a miracle which Wolfman and Pérez have accomplished in an especially unique fashion.
Most of the time with the super-hero, no matter what the identity, it's the super-hero which comes first and the human being identity which comes second. Understandable when one remembers the super-hero is basically a dream projection of our fondest aspirations, an image of who and what we wish to be.
With Dick Grayson, the original Robin since his debut in Detective #38 over 40 years ago, this process has been wondrously reversed. The attention has been focused on the person behind the mask, showing that the costume he wears is a basic outpouring of the man, Instead of an escape from his humanity.
"Dick Grayson had no identity other than being the other part of Robin, and Robin was nothing but the bottom half of Batman, The biggest problem, as far as the Titans were concerned, was taking Dick Grayson, because much of what we wanted to do with the Titans couldn't be done since Robin couldn't be altered. So we were playing with Dick Grayson. Since he was never defined, it didn't matter what we did with him. We couldn't do the same thing with his alter-ego, because Robin had to appear with Batman.
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Above: A Robin commission from George Pérez in 2004.
Below: The original Nightwing design by George Pérez in 1984. |
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"Gerry Conway, who was handling the Batman series at the time, had priority over Robin. Since he was the leader of the Teen Titans, it put us in a compromising position. Marv was being complimented on his characterization, I was being complimented on making Robin look like an adult at last. Yet we couldn't do anything more than just maintain a certain facade; we'd just make a very virile Robin. but couldn't do anything with his personality or his basic character. That was all the responsibility of whoever was writing Batman.
"It wasn't until Gerry Conway said that he had no intentions of using Robin that we were given carte blanche. Then, there was talk that they wanted to give Batman a new kid sidekick, in order to bring back the father image of the character. I was called into a meeting, Doug Moench, Marv Wolfman, Len Web, myself, and Dick Giordano all sat down and talked about the new sidekick.
The one thing we suggested, but never thought we'd get, was to simply make Jason Todd become Robin. Give him the costume, make him the new Robin and just let Dick Grayson become someone else. We didn't think they would really accept that; [laughs] at least, not readily, because Dick Grayson had been Robin for almost 43 years! Dick Giordano said 'Let's go with it!' Since Dick Grayson has been established as being 19, and Batman has been established as 29 (the way Superman and all the other male characters are). suddenly the man-boy relationships between men 29 and 19 did not work; they were two men.
"They wanted to bring back the old formula. Doug was anxious to try the idea of the original Batman and Robin team again. The only suggestion I had was to establish Jason Todd as a blonde or a redhead; obviously, they've written their way around that [laughs]! But they gave up, they said okay.
"Dick Grayson, since he had no real identity before we got to him, now belongs to us. We're even listed now as the creators of the character. Now he's become Nightwing, a name that's been used before, but not in the same character at all. I want to make him a swashbuckler, an acrobat, an incredibly good fighter. In many ways, he's the Titans' answer to Captain America.
"I want to make him happy-go-lucky, bring back the enjoyment of adventure that he had. One thing I liked that Marv did in issue #39 was how openly Dick speaks his affection to Koriand'r now, calling her 'm'Iove' and everything, making passes at her right in front of everybody with absolutely no worries anymore. The hang-ups are disappearing. He's not going to be that morose character he had been in trying to find his identity. Now he's found it. Now we're going to use Dick Grayson the way we want to use him, utilizing both his detective and acrobatic skills."
A seminal turning point in the Grayson affair was captured by Wolfman and Mike W. Barr in the Titans' crossover with Batman and the Outsiders last year. ''It established that Dick is a very good leader. Batman is not a born leader; he's never had to lead men. But Dick Grayson is a born leader. He has full control over the Titans, which Batman does not have over the Outsiders. That was a very good point which they'd brought out, what makes Dick Grayson different. As Nightwing, we're going to have fun with Dick now. He's definitely become a character independent and mature."
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Nightwing & Flamebird: The Origin of the Names
Superman as Nightwing, Jimmy Olsen as Flamebird
First Appearance: Superman as Nightwing, Jimmy Olsen as Flamebird: SUPERMAN #158
When some citizens of the bottle-city of Kandor enlarged themselves and stole certain elements Superman and Jimmy Olsen entered the bottle-city to investigate. There, a friend of Jor-El's, Nor-Kann, warned them of danger. It seems same Kandorians believed Superman had away of enlarging the city and had wIthheld it from them.
Forced to hide as a fugitive, Superman decided he and Jimmy should adapt disguises like those of Batman and Robin. Nor provided them with a secret cave, now called the Nightcave. Since there are no bats or robins among Kandor's Kryptonian wildlife, they modeled their outfits on those of two Kryptonian birds, nightwing and flamebird. When Superman, trying to pass himself off as his look-alike, Van-Zee [a Kryptonian scientist], was captured, Van dressed as the first time as Nightwing to rescue him.
Twice more, Superman and Jimmy battled menaces In Kandor as Nightwing and Flamebird, the second time with Batman and Robin along. It was this experience that inspired Dick Grayson, some time later, to adopt the identity of Earth's Nightwing when he gave up his Robin ID.
Van-Zee as Nightwing, Ak-Var as Flamebird
First Appearance: Van-Zee as Nightwing, Ak-Var as Flamebird: SUPERMAN FAMILY #183
Appeared as back-up strip in SUPERMAN FAMILY from #183-194
Ak-Var was a young thief sentenced to the Phantom Zone as punishment. Freed by Superman when his sentence was up, he wanted to live in Kandor and married Van-Zee's niece Thara. He also went to work as Van-Zee's lab assistant. The duo assumed the Nightwing and Flamebird identities and began battling crime. Once, when Superman and Jimmy were in the bottle-city, the two Nightwlng-Flamebird teams worked together.
Neither team had super-powers, as Superman, lost his while in the bottle, but all four are superb athletes and skilled at hand-to-hand combat. They also have their Night-mobile, their jets, and special utility bolts fitted with various scientific devices. Generally, however, they prefer to use their own fists to subdue criminals.
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| A Nightwing convention sketch by Phil Jimenez in 2005. |
Current Continuity: Nightwing, the Kryptonian hero of legend
First Appearance: Nightwing Secret Files #1
Nightwing Secret Files #1 features a story that takes place just after Batman has 'fired' Dick Grayson as Robin, and Dick Grayson is doing some soul searching. He encounters Superman, who tells him a story of a Kryptonian Legendary hero...
"There was a man on my homeworld many centuries before my birth who was cast out of his family as you were. He dreamt of justice. He dreamt of helping the weak. He dreamt of showing his family that he was better than they gave him credit for. He used his talents and his skills to fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves. He became a legend. No one knew his real name. He was called only - Nightwing."
Dick's reply: "I like it." And an inspiration for a new legend is born.
Current Continuity: Nightwing & Flamebird
In Secret Origins Annual #3, George Pérez told the post-Crisis history of the Titans. Pérez: "I'm writing a Secret Origins Annual of the Titans, while Marv writes the Titans Annual. My origin will establish the post-Crisis origin of the middle Titans; the one with Golden Eagle and Bumblebee. I'll establish who existed and who didn't, what powers they had, and how visually they might be different."
This issue includes the first appearance of Flamebird (Post-Crisis ret-con of Bat-Girl). Borrowing the name of the Kryptonian sidekick, George Pérez re-invented Bette Kane as a Robin groupie who entered the hero game as a chance to meet him.
In 2001, Superman traveled back in time to Krypton in a 4 part story called "Return to Krypton." In part three, [Superman: The Man of Steel #111] Clark and Lois [now fugitives] adopt the identity of Kryptonian heroes Nightwing and Flamebird to survive. Lois and a powerless Superman, adopting the names Nightwing and Flamebird, travel to the proto-tombs of Xan to retrieve an ore that will allow them to return home. This story establishes Flamebird as part of the [current continuity] Nightwing Kryptonian lore.
A Kandorian refers to Nightwing & Flamebird as "great Kandorian heroes of myth." And Superman explains to Lois, "Nightwing and Flamebird - my earthly associates - took their names from Kryptonian tales I related."
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Creators on Robin/Nightwing
 George Pérez:
"Robin/Nightwing, I like him a lot because of his history, he's been around so long, and there's a certain sleek sexuality about the character. He's got a certain sense of everyman, a young swashbuckler type., he's probably the only character to have developed a rabid following. That I find incredible, particularly because he came out as a sidekick - that he's got the strongest following of any character really makes me feel good about Nightwing. He's the only Titan who made the CBG poll, and it was great, you know. The fact that he's still fresh after all these years."
"And the one that was the biggest challenge, by not putting any highlights on, was to differentiate Robin from Kid Flash. Before, they tended to have the same exact face-I was guilty of it, when I started. I made a point of suddenly drawing in Kid Flash's cheeks-making him angular. If you look at a lot of pictures of Mikhail Barishnykov, to give him that very slender look. And, of course, very, very strong legs. The fact is that I'm trying to draw his arms less bulky but keep his legs very muscular. That man must have calves like iron. And Robin's face is more round; Dick Giordano set the standard for what Robin should look like, because he corrects all the artwork (Howell laughs), so-Burt Ward had the perfect face, even though he was a mite on the old side. That roundish face, with that hairstyle. "
Marv Wolfman:
"The only two that I have trouble separating are Wonder Girl and Robin. The only way to make them sound different is what they say, as opposed to how they say it. I see them as very similar people. Very much Donny and Marie. All the others I hear in my head what their speech patterns are. I don't know how it comes across on paper since I'm so intimate with the characters, but the only two I feel are hard to separate are Robin and Wonder Girl. Fortunately, the type of dialogue they are given, for the most part, is clear enough apart. Wonder Girl will talk in much more romantic terms when she has to. She's not as uptight as Robin is. Robin, having been raised by the Batman, would be very uptight about everything. He's Just learning to break free from that. Wonder Girl's never had any of those problems whatsoever. When they're dealing with superior stuff, I haven't figured out how to tell them apart."
"One of the comments made in issue 25 by Robin is that while the Batman was created by a very emotional event, the Batman today has taught Robin to think with his head and not his heart. Yet, the Batman's whole reason for being was because of his heart, not his head. We're hoping to get more control over the characters as we learn to use them. Issue eight was the first issue where we thought we understood them."
Chuck Dixon:
"He's reached a point in his career where he's proven himself," says Nightwing writer Chuck Dixon, "He's been Batman, he's been the Teen Titans' leader. He knows how good he is, and is more at ease with himself. Now he's trying to find a place for Dick Grayson, to carve out a life for himself, not just as Batman's ex-partner. That's why he's adopted Bludhaven."
And, unlike some children who grow up to repeat their parents' mistakes, Dixon adds that Dick's hardly a carbon copy of his mentor. "Nightwing's not so grim, and is capable of having a life as Dick Grayson," he says. "Nightwing became the happy-go-lucky Robin almost in contrast to Batman. It was his way of saying, 'I don't want to be like this guy."'
Devin Grayson:
"Dick's dealing with an ever-increasing roster of responsibilities. Where as there was a time in his life where a lot of his motivation stemmed from trying to prove that he was as good as Bruce, now a lot of it really has more to do with exploring the ways in which he's completely different from Bruce. So he's starting to examine all of these different elements law, relationships, and especially the concept of teamwork and family, which is where the Titans come in for him."
Jay Faerber:
"Unable to go into full details of his solo gig on Titans, Faerber was more than willing to give some insight into the characters, beginning with his personal favorite. "I guess I 'd have to say Nightwing but if you ask me the same question tomorrow, my answer would probably be different. I just like the fact that Dick has absolutely no superpowers, and yet he's the one these super-powered people look for guidance and respect more than anyone."
"Dick is the unquestioned leader. The Titans may bicker now and then, but when it comes down to it, they know Dick calls the shots, and we'll be seeing demonstrations of that in upcoming issues. Dick's closest to Donna and Roy, has a lot in common with Jesse (since they're both workaholics), and doesn't know Toni very well. He's never been super-close to Garth, but he's certainly one of Dick's better friends."
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