Nightwing Profile

Real Name:

Richard “Dick” Grayson

Location:

Blüdhaven
Gotham
New York

First Appearance:

Superman as Nightwing – Jimmy Olson #69 (1963)
Dick Grayson as Robin - Detective Comics #38 (1940)
Dick Grayson as Nightwing – Tales of the New Teen Titans #44 (1984)

Created By:

Dick Grayson as Robin – Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson
Dick Grayson as Nightwing – Marv Wolfman and George Perez

Powers:

Dick Grayson has no super powers per se, but he has been trained by one of the greatest martial artists and critical thinkers of the DC universe, the dark knight of Gotham City, Batman. Due to this training, Dick Grayson has proved himself to be a top class hero, leading super teams and even taking Batman’s place for awhile.

Nightwing is an master at many different martial arts and has extensive acrobatics training. He is also versed in using the many gadgets that Batman has created, from Batarangs, grappling hooks, and even driving vehicles. He deploys many different gadgets in the Nightwing persona, such as a taser, different smoke and tear gases, lock picks, and more. He also uses a pair of Eskrima Sticks, used in a Filipino Martial Art.

Dick Grayson has also become a great detective and leader. He has led the Teen Titans on numerous occasions, the Outsiders, and even the JLA for a time. He has become a respected member of the superhero community and has earned the respect of his former mentor, Batman.

Team Affiliations:

Teen Titans
Outsiders
JLA (Reserve Member)

Currently Seen In:

Outsiders Nightwing

Interesting Fact:

The Nightwing persona has been used by numerous DC characters, including Superman and Superman’s cousin Van-Zee.

Origin:

Young Richard “Dick” Grayson had a charmed life. He was a member of a family of traveling circus performers known as the Flying Graysons. There he learned acrobatics, showmanship, and circus skills. Young Dick’s life was about to drastically change and it would happen right in front of his very eyes.

In the middle of a performance, someone had cut the ropes to the trapeze act and Dick saw his family fall to their deaths. Dick sought out the man that killed his parents and was saved by Batman when the killer also tried to end Dick’s life. Batman later adopted Dick as his legal ward and Dick moved into Wayne Manor. Unfortunately, Dick always felt like an outsider as Bruce Wayne kept his distance, Bruce not wanting the Bruce Wayne “persona” to become the surrogate father.

Later, Dick tracked down his parent’s killer a second time, and was again saved by Batman when he was beaten. Batman later revealed that he was actually Bruce Wayne and offered Dick the job of sidekick. Dick agreed and was trained by Batman in Martial Arts, detective work, tracking, and other skills. He became Robin, Batman’s partner in defending Gotham from evil.

Dick flourished as Robin and became a leader in his own right by helping to establish the superhero team the Teen Titans with Speedy and Wonder Girl. Things began to sour between Robin and his mentor though as Bruce became more cold and calculating in his crime fighting and Dick grew distant from the man who was his adoptive father.

Things came to a head when Dick decided to leave the Bat family and stop being Robin. In a conversation with Superman, Dick heard about an old Kryptonian legend of Nightwing and with Superman’s blessing, Dick decided to take up the Nightwing Mantle.

As Nightwing, Dick cleaned up the city of Blüdhaven, became an honorary member of the JLA, is the leader of the villain hunting team The Outsiders, and helped save the world countless times. Most notably would be with Superboy in the recent Infinite Crisis storyline where young Conner Kent lost his life and the city of Blüdhaven was destroyed.

Now, Nightwing prowls the streets of New York City. His relationship with his former mentor Bruce Wayne is repaired and Dick has become a mentor of his own with the new Robin, Tim Drake. New York City has a new protector and as Nightwing, Dick Grayson has become the man and hero his family always hoped he would be.