June 10

Nightwing: Batman’s Sidekick to a Hero

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 Every young person has a superhero who inspired them when they were younger, and for many of us that hero was Batman. Nightwing is the story of how Dick Grayson became one of the most beloved superheroes in comic books. Readers are taken back to his days as Robin, Batman’s sidekick, where he meets Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), Jason Todd (the second Robin), and others. His life changes dramatically when Bruce Wayne retires from being Batman after taking an injury during a fight with Superman. In order to protect Gotham City in Bruce’s absence, Dick takes on the mantle of Nightwing and becomes its new protector. This blog post discusses what it means to be a hero like Nightwing.

NightWing’s Origin

Image for post on Nightwing
Images from dccomics.com

DC Comics’s Nightwing is a name shared by two characters. The first to use the identity was Dick Grayson, original Robin and Batman’s sidekick who eventually became independent after constant battles with his mentor. The second was born during DC comics’ Infinite Crisis in 2006 when New Earth (Earth-S) Superboy Prime punches reality only to create an earth where Krypton never exploded. For this post we will only focus on the Dick Grayson version of Nightwing and not Alternate universes.

The character of Nightwing can be considered as having come into existence due to three factors:

Dick Grayson being taken under the wing of Bruce Wayne and becoming his protege/Robin; unceasing clashes between them over how best to fight crime, and a mutual desire on both their parts not to let “the other” die alone if one should ever be defeated by their adversary, the Joker.

The first Robin was Dick Grayson and he had a special relationship with his mentor Batman because Bruce Wayne’s parents were killed in front of him when he was eight years old and now as an adult has taken on that role to train other children who have been orphaned by crime so they can defend themselves if the time comes.

Dick Grayson is able to best fight crime using both his acrobat abilities from being trained by Zatanna then later under Lady Shiva; knowledge about criminals gained while spying on them for Batman; detective skills learnt from Alfred Pennyworth, some martial arts training and “street” fighting techniques learned from Batman himself. He also uses gadgets like batarangs (bat shaped boomerangs) and all the other technology available from being part of the Batman Family.

Eventually like everyone does Dick Grayson grew up and being Robin didn’t suit him anymore. He changed his name to Nightwing and wears a costume with an inverted bat symbol on the chest because he’s going in pursuit of something different, but still has ties to Batman as part of the Batman Family.

Nightwing’s Powers and Abilities

image of Nightwing with his batons
image from DcComics.com

Nightwing is a skilled acrobat and has mastery in martial arts. He can do backflips, handstands, cartwheels, head stands etc. Nightwing carries an Escrima Sticks which he learned from his father who was killed by criminals as well as other weapons like guns and throwing knives when needed. His typical base of operations is the city Blüdhaven that’s why it’s called “The Town Without Pity.” He dresses all in black with red accents to symbolize justice against injustice or vengeance for what happened to him personally this includes wearing a cape over his uniform too. Just like Batman he does not have any superpowers but he is really skilled at kicking butt!

Why did Robin become Nightwing

As we mentioned Dick Grayson was growing up and needed to go out on his own, but he was also pushed out of the Robin role by Batman. While fighting the Joker in Batman #408, Dick was shot and almost fell from the building. This near death accident shook Batman and he removed Dick as Robin.

Even though Dick Grayson wanted to go back Robin, Batman refused and asked him that he use the training from being his sidekick to become a hero. Batman told Dick in Detective Comics #469: “I cannot train you this time…you are on your own.” With these words, Grayson became Nightwing for the first time.

What age is Nightwing

Depending on when you start reading the Nightwing stories his age fluctuates a little. You can assume he is in his early 20s. DC has shifted this around a few times. The most common age for him in the comics is either 18 or 19.

Why does Nightwing wear red

The color red was put on Nightwings costume because it ties him back to the batman family. The red also represents his anger and wild side. It was made to be the opposite of blue which is a calming color (his old Robin costume). In the end though it is assumed he wears it because he’s trying to break away from Batman but still show that he cares about him.

Has Nightwing killed anyone

Nightwing has killed on rare occasions. On his list of “people he’s killed and doesn’t regret,” there are five people, one being the Joker who tried to kill him when they were fighting over a bomb that would have destroyed Gotham City in an alternate future timeline where Nightwing became Batman while Bruce Wayne died from old age.

Does Nightwing hate Batman

image of Nightwing and Batman
image from DcComics.com

There is no answer for this question because it depends on how you interpret their relationship. For some fans, the two are brothers with different personalities who can share moments of peace together whereas others believe that Robin really disliked Batman all along until finally let go and accepted himself as his own hero named Nightwing. from our opinion if Nightwing hated batman then he would have never taken up the mantle when Batman was hurt. So it just like any father and son relationship, it has its ups and downs but in the end they are there for each other when the stuff hits the fan.

Nightwings On again off Again Love Life

Nightwing is not one to let his relationships just happen. He has been on and off with Starfire, but they are currently in a good place right now. His main squeeze has always been Barbara Gordon, but she is now known as Oracle or Batgirl. There relationship has always been on and off. At one point Nightwing proposed to Barbara but she said no.

Which teams has Nightwing been a member of

Nightwing has been a member of many diffrent teams in his history. The main ones are:

image of Nightwing and his teams
image from DcComics.com
  • Teen Titans
  • Outsiders
  • Justice League
  • Batman, Incorporated
  • Spyral
  • Court of Owls

Teen Titans

The Teen Titans are a team of young DC superheroes. They work together to fight the villains and keep their world safe. There are six original members in this group: Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash (Wally West), Wonder Girl(Donna Troy/Cassie Sandsmark), Raven, and Beast Boy (Garfield Logan).

Members of Teen Titans often change when there is an opening or someone leaves due to injury or death. Nightwing was one of the many people who have been part of this team at different times during its history

Outsiders

The Outsiders in DC are a group of heroes who work outside the law to bring justice. They are DC’s equivalent of Marvel’s famous X-Force and will often be seen fighting for what is right in their own way.

The Outsiders were formed when Batman, Metamorpho (Rex Mason), Geo-Force (Prince Brion Markov) Black Lightning, Halo/Marie Logan (daughter of Roy “Red Arrow” Harper and successor to his Arsenal mantle), Katana, Mr. Terrific II AKA Michael Holt with some help from Captain Atom III AKA Nathaniel Adam.

Justice League

If you read DC comics you know that DC comics are known for their iconic team the Justice League. This team is filled with DC’s most powerful and well-known heroes.

The original seven heroes, Aquaman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Superman and Wonder Woman go up against Starro the Conqueror in The Brave and the Bold #28. Which is their comic debut.

Batman, Incorporated

Batman, Incorporated is a comic series written by Grant Morrison with art done by Chris Burnham. The story revolves around Batman’s decision to make himself an international figure to fight crime across the globe. Bruce Wayne recruits Dick Grayson (formerly known as Robin) and other heroes to help him accomplish his goals of making the world a better place through vigilantism and using technology like drones for surveillance. 

Spyral

DC Spyral is a spy organization that operates worldwide. They have no allegiances and are not affiliated with any government or nation. The headquarters of the group is located in New York City, but they also operate out of many other locations around the world. 

The two most notable members are Dick Grayson, who used to be Batman’s sidekick Robin before he quit Gotham City after his parents were killed by Joker; and Helena Bertinelli (Huntress), who was elected mayor of her hometown during one storyline when she was revealed as an undercover agent for Spyral. 

DC Spyral first appeared in Grant Morrison’s “Batman Incorporated” series where it was established that they were behind Bruce Wayne’s funding for his global initiative Batman Incorporated.

DC Court of Owls

The Court of Owls is a fictional secret society in the Batman series, which first appeared in “Batman” vol. 2 #1 (November 2011). The group was created by writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo. Their goal is to terrorize Gotham City’s elite with their army of undead assassins called Talons, many of whom were once members themselves before being turned into mindless killers. 

The Court has been around for centuries and consists of some of Gotham’s wealthiest citizens including Bruce Wayne’s parents Thomas and Martha Wayne who are revealed to have become members after they were killed by Joe Chill in front of Bruce when he was just an infant. 

Conclusion

Robin was originally created by Batman and is the most famous sidekick of all time. But in 1984, he took on his own identity as Nightwing when he became a hero. He has since been both an ally to Batman and at times a rival, but always someone who cares about justice. Whether you’re looking for information on how this character came into existence or want to know what powers and abilities they have, we’ve got it covered right here! If you can’t find what you need just let us know- we’ll be happy to help out with any questions!”


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