The name “Robin the Boy Wonder” and the medieval look of the original costume were inspired by the legendary hero Robin Hood, as well as the famous red-breasted Robin, which continued the “flying animal” motif of Batman.
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. Also, when he was up on the trapeze, he reminded his mother of a robin.
Dick Grayson was an eight-year-old circus acrobat, the youngest of a family act called The Flying Graysons ofThe Haly Circus . Dick joined the act at a very young age, having been trained in acrobatics from birth. Before one appearance in Gotham City, in which The Flying Graysons were the main attraction, they were asked to pose for a photo opportunity with Jack Drake and his family, including their young son, Tim Drake. From that time on Tim’s one and only hero in the world was Dick.
While on tour in Gotham City, he overheard “Boss” Tony Zucco, a well-known and feared crime lord, threaten the performers unless the circus’s owner paid protection money. The owner refused, and that night Dick watched in horror as his parents’ high wire snapped, sending his parents hurtling to their deaths, all while many of Gotham’s elite watched on. Young Dick felt responsible, because he failed to warn his parents in time.
Beginnings
Shortly after the tragedy, shown in Batman: Year Three and Year One Annual: Robin, Dick was placed in an uncaring juvenile services system, on the grounds that social services was full. He got beaten up by a number of the inmates, and he was later sent to a Catholic orphanage. Bruce Wayne rescued Dick by adopting him as his ward, because the boy did not want to replace his deceased father with the billionaire. 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. After waking up in the Batcave, he is shocked to learn that Bruce is really the Batman. They succeed in revealing Zucco’s complicity, but he supposedly dies of a heart attack before his arrest. Seeing a reflection of himself in Dick; that he could temper compassion with a thirst for justice, Batman made the young orphan the offer of a lifetime; the chance to become his crime-fighting partner. Dick chose the name Robin, after the nickname his mother gave him, and his training began.
Robin’s origin had a typological connection to Batman’s in that both witnessed the crime-related deaths of their parents, creating an urge to battle the criminal underworld. This provided a bond and understanding between the two.
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 sunrise – 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.
Early Adventures
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. Rather than see Dick be further endangered, Batman “fires” his partner, sidelining the Boy Wonder for a time.
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, the 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.
Independance
When Robin was 17, he was shot in the shoulder by the Joker, and this scared Batman into ending his career for good. Dick realized at that point he had grown up: He no longer relied on Batman and, in fact, he and the Dark Knight disagreed on crime-fighting methodology as Batman used torture and Dick didn’t like it. His newfound independence and Titans’ duties in New York 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. Dick left Wayne Manor after this falling out. Helping him through this difficult time was his fellow Titans, including Starfire, a beautiful alien that Dick had fallen in love with. Dick handed over leadership of the Titans to Wonder Girl.
Becoming Nightwing
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.
The Post-Crisis version of Grayson had him become the first and only Nightwing, with his costume partially inspired by his father, who at one time wore a circus costume that was a variant of colleague Boston Brand’s Deadman costume.
When all his teammates were captured by Deathstroke the Terminator, and delivered to the HIVE, Dick assumed a new identity of Nightwing and helped to free them, with the help of new ally (and future Titan), Jericho.
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.
Shortly after this, during Batman: Year Three, Dick learned that Tony Zucco, the man who killed his parents, had not actually died but rather passed into a coma. As revealed in Robin: Year One, Batman feared Dick would want the gangster dead, so he “protected” the boy by telling him that Zucco was dead. After spending nearly seven years in prison with good behavior, Zucco applied for parole, in exchange for becoming a state informant of mob activity. His real intentions, however, were to retrieve a ledger containing his secrets. Just as Dick arrived to see him step out of the prison, he was gunned down by an enemy mobster from a helicopter. Despite catching the assassin and getting some closure to his parents’ deaths, Dick was upset with Bruce for lying to him and keeping him away. Bruce explained that this was not his intent.
Feeling hurt and betrayed, Bruce and Dick would remain at odds with each other, never fully sorting out their strained relationship. While serving with the New Titans, Dick was searched out by an older Tim Drake, who had only one goal on his mind, for Dick to return to Robin. It was Dick’s refusal to return that Tim started down the road toward becoming the new Robin. After weeks of persuading and proving his potential, Dick then returned to the Batman to plead Tim’s case, with help from Alfred Pennyworth. Due to their arguments and the realization that the Batman needs a Robin, Tim Drake becomes the third Boy Wonder.
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.
Prodigal Son
Meanwhile, in Gotham, Bruce Wayne was nearly killed by the villain Bane who had crippled him by breaking his back. Unwilling to force Dick to come back and believing that Dick deserved to be his own man, Bruce opted to give the mantle of Batman to the unstable Jean Paul Valley, with Tim Drake, the new Robin to guide him. Unfortunately Jean Paul proved too much for Tim to handle, and Dick returned to help. Dick intervened with Tim Drake, and when Bruce returned to Gotham healed and ready to become Batman again, the three of them along with Catwoman brought Valley down and Bruce re-assumed the mantle of Batman.
When Dick returned to the Titans, he found there to be changes. The government interceded, placing Arsenal (the former Speedy) 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 Tim which allowed for their brotherly bond to flourish. Bruce eventually returned to Gotham to reclaim his role as Batman. Before taking back the mantel however, Bruce admitted to Dick the reason he had not selected him for the role of Batman originally and 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.
Infinite Crisis
As of the current events surrounding the Infinite Crisis storyline, Nightwing has refused to join his recently resurrected friend Donna Troy as she journeys to New Cronus with several heroes. He has instead adopted a new villainous costume and persona in order to infiltrate Lex Luthor’s Secret Society of Supervillains and seemingly attempt to trouble it from the inside. Under Deathstroke’s employ, he trained Slade’s daughter Rose, the newest Ravager.
Deathstroke betrays Nightwing when Blüdhaven is destroyed by the Society. The Society drops the super-villain Chemo on the city, killing 100,000 people. Dick tries to rescue survivors but is overcome by radiation poisoning, only to be rescued by Batman. Nightwing confides that he let the villain Blockbuster die and asks Batman to forgive him. Batman tells him that his forgiveness doesn’t matter; Dick has to move beyond Blockbuster’s death. Inspired by his mentor, he proposes to Barbara Gordon, who tearfully accepts his proposal with a kiss.
Batman then entrusts Nightwing to alert other heroes about the danger that the Crisis poses. Dick flies to Titans Tower, but the only hero who answers his call is Superboy (Conner Kent). Together, they locate and attack Alexander Luthor’s tower, the center of the Crisis, only to be repelled by Superboy-Prime. Prime is ready to kill Nightwing when Conner intervenes, sacrificing himself to destroy the tower, ending the destruction of the Universe.
Saved by the Justice Society, Nightwing recovers with Barbara at his side. As soon as he’s able to walk again, Batman asks him to join him and Robin in retracing Bruce’s original journey in becoming the Dark Knight. While Nightwing is hesitant, due to his engagement with Barbara, she encourages him to go and returns his engagement ring so he can make an honest decision for himself. While Barbara feels that it is important he re-discover himself, and until he does they’re not yet ready to be married. They part on good terms, though before he departs Dick leaves her an envelope containing a photograph of them as Robin and Batgirl, along with the engagement ring on a chain and a note promising he’ll come back to her one day.
Soon after his journey with Batman and Robin begins, Nightwing returns to Gotham, following Intergang’s trail. He works with the new Batwoman and Renee Montoya to stop Intergang from destroying Gotham, shutting off dozens of fire spewing devices spread across the city.
One Year Later
One year later, Dick Grayson returned to New York City (his previous home base with the Teen Titans) in order to find out who had been masquerading as Nightwing. The murderous impostor turned out to be the former Robin, Jason Todd. Grayson lead the Outsiders once again, operating undercover and globally.
Nightwing followed an armored thief named Raptor, who he suspected was responsible for a series of murders. Later, Raptor himself was murdered in a manner similar to the other victims by an unseen contract killer, who proceeded to bury Grayson alive. Nightwing freed himself, but wondered about the relationship between his experience and a mysterious voice who told him that he was “supposed to be dead”. Nightwing was having trouble finding things to keep him busy during the day due to the cast on his right arm. Incapacitated from his injuries, he tried without luck to find jobs and continued to research into the mysterious assassin.
At one point Dick agreed to attend a party for Bruce Wayne and their relationship seemed to flourish. Bruce praised Dick for his success on the Raptor case, and also mentioned to look into the Landman Building which hosted ex-Lexcorp scientists; most likely those who worked on the Raptor project. Dick had also continued to keep a close brotherly relationship with Tim Drake, and helped him deal with the his many losses during the past year.
After dealing with the Raptor issue, New York City was plagued by a villainous duo called Bride and Groom. Nightwing begins pursuit of these two after some grisly murders, including that of the Lorens family (close friends of his after the Raptor incident). Dick grew obsessed with finding them, not knowing how far he was willing to go to take them down. Eventually, he formed a makeshift team with some “villains” to find them. They located them, and after killing some of his “team” Nightwing chased them to a cave, where Bride began a cave-in and the two were trapped there.
Titans Together Again
Some time later, Nightwing disassociated himself from the Outsiders, turning the responsibility of leadership over to his old mentor Batman. He then reunited with his alma mater the Titans after learning about a vicious attack wrought against Cyborg’s impromptu Titans East trainees. Along with Beast Boy, Cyborg, Donna Troy, Flash, Raven, Red Arrow and Starfire, Dick discovered that the perpetrator behind this attack was the spawn of one of the Titans’ deadliest villains – Trigon. Trigon had apparently had other children aside from Raven, who each symbolized the seven deadly sins. Together the Titans managed to defeat the sons of Trigon and again rescue Raven from being turned evil. Afterwards, they agreed to reform their group of Titans.
Batman R.I.P. and Final Crisis
Soon after, Batman became targeted by a group calling themselves the Black Glove. Their attacks became so intense, that they apparently drove Batman insane, and he disappeared, leaving Robin alone to defend the city. Unwilling to allow Tim to deal with everything alone, Dick gave up his life in New York to return to the city and help locate their mentor and keep control. Unfortunately, Nightwing was ambushed by the International Club of Villains. He is later seen in Arkham Asylum, frothing at the mouth and presumably drugged, believed by the staff to be Pierrot Lunaire, a member of the Club. Scheduled for an experimental lobotomy by Arkham himself, he was spared by the ICoV taking hold of the Asylum, eager to use him and Jezebel Jet, Bruce’s girlfriend at the time, as bait.
Jezebel’s capture was revealed to be a red herring, due to her being a part of the Black Glove; as such, Nightwing’s lobotomy was still pending, but he managed to escape due to the fact that his capture and Batman’s ‘insanity’ were both part of an elaborate plan created by Batman to expose the Black Glove. After besting Le Bossu, Dick joined the fray between the Batman Family, the International Club of Heroes, and the Black Glove itself. Things built up to a final battle between Batman and Doctor Hurt, who battled on a helicopter that exploded, much to the horror of Nightwing and the others.
While everyone fears that Batman has died in the explosion, however, Batman survived the crash, and later joined the Justice League during the events of the Final Crisis. Unfortunately Batman was seemingly killed during his final confrontation with the new God, Darkseid, thus leaving Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain, Jason Todd and Tim Drake once again orphaned.
Alfred soon discovered a chamber left by Batman, which contained a holographic projection of his Last Will and Testament and a message for each of his children. In the message left for Dick, Bruce pleads that Dick not take up the mantle of the Batman, due to his belief that Nightwing and Robin can protect the city as they are.
Battle For The Cowl
Following the events of Batman’s apparent death during the Crisis, Nightwing has closed down shop in New York so as to return to Gotham. He has opted to give up on having a normal job, and instead intends to put all his effort into protecting the city. Furthermore, he resigns his position as leader of the Titans, due to his duties in Gotham, along with Tim who resigns his leadership of the Teen Titans.
In the months that follow the Bat-Family along with a network of other heroes (including the Outsiders, Birds of Prey and others) is trying desperately to bring order to Gotham. Dick Grayson leads the effort but refuses to become Batman despite Tim Drake’s urging due to Batman’s last message to him. Meanwhile a man impersonating Batman begins his war on crime using lethal tactics and leaving slips of paper saying “I AM BATMAN”. Due to Dick’s refusal to step up, Tim begins a search to stop the imposter and dresses as Batman in order to demonstrate how the real Batman would have acted.
Dick meanwhile continues in his efforts to protect the city and both he and Batman’s biological son, Damian Wayne are attacked by men working on behalf of a supposedly resurrected Black Mask. Dick and Damian are then ‘rescued’ by the gun-toting Batman, whom Dick quickly realizes is Jason Todd. Together Damian and Dick attempt to apprehend Jason, but Damian is nearly killed by a gun shot to the chest, and it is only by the arrival of the Birds of Prey that Damian is able to get proper medical help. Jason manages to escape, and nearly kills Tim Drake with a batarang to the chest.
After questioning himself, following Damian’s near death, Nightwing goes forth against Jason, intending to take down his brother once and for all. The pair battle, all the while with Jason claiming that Tim is dead, unaware that Tim survived and was saved by Damian and the Squire. Dick takes note that Jason has finally gone completely insane, due possibly to the last will statement that Batman left for him. The battle accumulates to Nightwing kicking Jason off a speeding train. When Dick attempts to help Jason, the other man refused and falls to his supposed death, though claiming they would see each other again soon.
Soon after, Dick Grayson at last agrees to take on the mantle of the Batman, knowing that it was always his destiny. Unfortunately, much to Tim Drake’s shock, Dick does not continue to take him on as Robin. Stating that Tim is more his equal and ally than protégé, Dick instead offers the mantel of Robin to Damian Wayne. Feeling betrayed and infuriated, Tim leaves. Whether due to his refusal to let go of another father, or something else, Tim comes to the belief that Bruce is still alive somewhere in the world. As such, he leaves Gotham behind in order to begin his search. But rather than continue wearing the costume of Robin the Boy Wonder, he instead takes on the mantle previously worn by Jason Todd: Red Robin.
Batman and Robin
Although he has agreed to take on Bruce’s mantle, Dick continues to feel unworthy of the role, due to the constant reminders of Bruce that surround him in the cave. Feeling it is time to make the mantle of the Bat his own, Dick moves the operation out of the Manor and into the Penthouse Bunker of Wayne Towers.
During his first official week as Batman, Dick and Damian find themselves investigating a new criminal by the name of Professor Pyg and his associate Mister Toad. Unlike Dick’s own relationship with Batman, during his years as Robin, Damian proves to be as cruel and argumentative as possible, even suggesting that if Dick is unable to be Batman, that he should step aside and let Damian himself take the job.
As he begins to prove himself unfit for his new role, Damian continues to be hostile towards Dick, often taunting him with the information that he wasn’t the real Batman and that he can never replace Bruce Wayne. The first time Damian does this Dick threatens to bring Tim Drake back as Robin.
Later, while the new Dynamic Duo are on patrol, they decide it is time to test their new “para-capes.” On the roof of police headquarters, Commissioner Gordon laments the apparent loss of Batman as the Bat-Signal shines brightly. Suddenly, jumping from the Batmobile, the new Batman and Robin fly through the clouds and the Bat-Signal toward police headquarters.
Quickly after Dick takes up the mantle of the Dark Knight, he goes out on his first adventures as the Batman, defeating the Scarecrow in Gotham City. He soon clashes with Jason Todd, the Penguin, and Two-Face, as well as Black Mask.
Dick also allows himself to be caught on security film simply to let the world know that the Caped Crusader has returned, forever destroying Batman’s mystique as an urban legend. Due to the mass jailbreaks engineered at Arkham Asylum by Black Mask, Dick also oversees the construction of holding cells at the Wayne Enterprises building to house recaptured villains. Dick has recently discovered he has more trouble than anticipated adjusting from the light body armour of his Nightwing suit to the heavy cape and restricting mask of the Batsuit. Dick also notes that the cape is too heavy for close combat. Alfred Pennyworth points out that Dick has a more airborne fighting style to Bruce’s ground and pound style. The butler then sets to work on adjusting the weight of Batman’s costume, using a lighter and more durable form of Kevlar to modify into a new costume for Dick’s use.
Dick has discarded Bruce Wayne’s Batman costumes and has adopted several pairs of lighter, suits to fit himself in his new role. He also plans to abandon the Batcave completely. Dick describes the cave as “a war room, a lab and an arsenal room, but without it’s warrior” and resolves to leave it how Bruce Wayne had originally found it, dark and empty. He discards most of the Batcave’s trophies or places them in secluded storage to gather dust, including the memorial to Jason Todd, which Dick removes, remarking that it was Bruce’s cross to carry, not his. Grayson and Damian move out of the Batcave, saving only Bruce Wayne’s original cowl as a keepsake of the original Batman.
In the first few weeks of becoming the Dark Knight, Dick attempts to stop a ring of kidnappers and their leader, Professor Pyg. When Damian tries to rescue a young girl, Sasha, she seemingly falls to her death. In reality, she has survived, but upon discovering her father had been turned into a drone by Professor Pyg, she goes insane and is taken in by a maddened Jason Todd. After Pyg has been apprehended, he is mysteriously murdered, with a single domino found in his hand the only clue to the killer. A few weeks later, the new Batman and Robin begin hunting down the last of the Black Glove organization. When Dick later confronts the Red Hood and Sasha, Jason is shot twice in the head by a lobotomized hitman named Flamingo. Jason managed to survive the gunfire due to his domed helmet. When Flamingo attacked Sasha, Jason bravely went to her rescue claiming that the hitman’s business was only with himself, not Sasha. in the ensuing battle, Damian is shot in the back and paralyzed. Dick and Jason defeat Flamingo, and the new Batman takes Jason into custody. Before being arrested, Jason observes to Dick that if a Lazarus Pit can resurrect him, it can do the same for Bruce Wayne.
Shortly afterward, a liberated Firefly attempts to torch Gotham City, allowing Batman’s old enemy Hush to escape. Eventually, Dick is able to defeat Firefly, but learns that Hush is posing as Bruce Wayne. Hush is forced to cooperate with the Justice League of America and the Outsiders, only being seen as Bruce Wayne only to ensure that it appears that Wayne is in fact still alive.
Black Mask, meanwhile, has been cornered in the Devil’s Square area of Gotham City by the National Guard. Black Mask’s army of Arkham Asylum escapees are deteriorating without their proper medication, so he begins brainwashing innocent citizens to join the False Facers. Dick and Commissioner Gordon then attempt to negotiate the release of the Devil’s Square citizens that Black Mask is holding for ransom. Dick approaches Selina Kyle, requesting her to get specific information on Black Mask’s hideout. Meanwhile, the villains Fright, Dr. Death and Professor Hugo Strange have been inducted into Black Mask’s Ministry of Science, with the job of brainwashing hostages into an army of False Facers. Selina Kyle (Catwoman) isn’t able to get information on the hideout, but points Dick to the re-emergence of Mario Falcone and the Falcone Crime Empire in Gotham. The Falcone crime family was actually behind the killings of members of the False Facers. To counter Falcone’s attacks, Black Mask resurrects an old Batman foe named the Reaper, a minor Batman foe who had served in a concentration camp during World War II. The Reaper, aided by Strange and Fright, goes on a killing spree, adding to chaos of the escalating gang war.
Batman and Robin stop some False Facers from stealing a shipment of pills from a hospital, several miles from Devil’s Square. Dick then goes to attend Arkham Asylum’s reopening gala to keep an eye on Hush posing as Bruce Wayne, aided by the Huntress and Oracle.
Also at the party are the administrator of Arkham Asylum, Mario Falcone and a Dr. Singh from Gene-Core, a company going into partnership with Arkham. Oracle, angry at Huntress for her attraction to Dick, makes her go after a suspicious girl who is present at the party. Unbeknownst to her, the Riddler was also shadowing her. The girl breaks into Gene-Core’s lab, then sets off a bomb, destroying the lab and much of the building. This explosion makes the Riddler regain his memory.
Dick as Batman then hurries to the Gotham Port, where he finds Gordon and Bullock examining the mutilated corpses of several Falcone gangsters. From this, Batman deduces that the Reaper has somehow returned. Dick and Alfred then discover that the girl who blew up Gene-Core’s lab is a prolific thief, and goes by many aliases. Dick finds footage of the girl escaping the scene in a taxi, which Alfred traces to Devil’s Square. Grayson wants to apprehend the mysterious girl and have her bought in for questioning, so he gets past Black Mask’s snipers and into Devil’s Square. Batman asks some homeless children if they know the whereabouts of the girl. One young boy, known as Baby D, tells Batman that he had seen the same girl, Kitrina Falcone, with Bossworth, a henchman in the employ of the Penguin. Before he can relay any more information, Baby D, to the dismay of Dick, is shot and collapses into his arms.
After getting Baby D to safety, Dick returns to the war zone in Devil’s Square to hunt down the Penguin, who seems oblivious and unaffected by the disorder in the area, continuing his usual activities. Dick breaks into the Penguin’s facilities, brutally interrogating the pudgy crook on Kitrina Falcone, demanding to know how she is involved in his gang. Before Dick can beat an answer out of the Penguin, he summons Lark, one of his henchgirls, to his rescue. Pausing briefly to defeat Lark, Dick returns his attention back to the Penguin, who finally admits that Kitrina Falcone served as a minor errand girl for his criminal organizations.
After interrogating the Penguin, Dick goes to visit Baby D, who is in critical condition at the Gotham City Children’s Memorial Hospital. Dick blames himself for the boy’s injuries, vowing to give the child upon his recovery a mentor, a good education and a job, no matter what the cost.
Arkham Asylum, meanwhile, is being remodeled by Wayne Enterprises, under Dick’s supervision, using Hush as a puppet. An accident on the construction site kills all of the scientists working for the Gene-Core company helping with the asylum’s reconstruction, except for Dr. Singh, who had attended Arkham Asylum’s reopening gala. Commissioner Gordon investigates the deaths and suspects foul play, but even though Dick is well aware that it looks suspicious that only Dr. Singh survived, but refuses to jump to conclusions about the accident. Damian, meanwhile, is trying to figure out why Black Mask wanted to hijack a shipment of pills while bottled up in Devil’s Square. Dick, continuing into Gordon’s investigation into the accident at Arkham Asylum, contacts Oracle for any information she can find about Gene-Core. Together, Dick and Barbara come to the startling conclusion that Professor Hugo Strange must somehow be involved in Gene-Core.
At Devil’s Square, Black Mask orders the Penguin assassinated when he discovers that the villain may know something about his operation and has been interrogated by Batman. Black Mask’s henchmen attempt to kill the Penguin, who attempts to escape Devil’s Square in an armored car. The henchmen desperately resort to using a rocket launcher, which blows up the Penguin’s armored car, although the criminal and his henchgirl Lark manage to escape the explosion and flee on foot.
The Huntress reports to Dick that the Penguin may have been killed by Black Mask, but the new Batman refuses to believe her. Dick deduces that the Riddler must have been hired by someone to attend Arkham Asylum’s reopening gala, and decides to look into the matter further. He also concludes he must confront Dr. Singh of Gene-Core. Grayson then receives the news of a terrible, tragedy: The death of Baby D. Now grim and hardened by the death of a child whom he holds himself responsible for, Dick vanishes into the stormy night alone to brood.
Blackest Night
After discovering Bruce Wayne’s body has been stolen from its unmarked grave, Batman and Robin take Bruce’s parents’ bodies to their headquarters to try to keep them safe. Deadman feels pain as his body becomes a Black Lantern and seeks Batman’s aid. After Deadman alerts Batman, John and Mary Grayson arise. After getting some weapons to deal with the new Black Lanterns, Batman and Robin head to Police Central, where they encounter the re-animated corpses of some of Batman’s deceased enemies. Batman, Robin, Deadman along with a returned Tim Drake (as Red Robin) managed to save Commissioner Gordon and Oracle. They are then attacked by Tim and Dick’s Black Lantern parents. Dick and Tim send Damian with the Gordons to their underground base while they battle the Black Lanterns. Dick eventually orders Damian through their radios to send one of his Wingers with Mr. Freeze’s gun. Grayson uses the weapon to cryogenically suspend himself and Tim, forcing the Black Lanterns to retreat as they are unable to read any sign of life from them. Deadman later revives the heroes, with Dick vowing to continue the fight against the Black Lanterns.
Later Adventures as Batman
In most recent Batgirl series, Barbara Gordon is having lunch with her father, discussing her relationships (or lack of). When asked if there is anyone special, Babs replies “It depends on which one of us you are asking,” as she glances down on her phone with Dick’s name. Batman notifies her of Stephanie Brown’s activities as Batgirl. However, after discovering that Barbara has approved of Stephanie as her successor, she and Dick came to an argument as he still sees Stephanie as a reckless youth.
During a battle with Yellow Wasp, Dick and Damian are approached by Donna Troy, who asks to speak with Dick. Just as Donna is about to invite Dick to join Kimiyo Hoshi’s new Justice League, Dick interrupts her and tells her that he already heard the news from Cyborg. After joining, Dick helps Hal Jordan track down Green Arrow, whom is then recruited to take over Roy Harper’s vacant seat on the team. During his first on-pannel mission with the new team, Dick leads the JLA into battle against a mind-controlled Atlas. In the midst of the fight, Dick mentions that it feels strange to be giving orders to a veteran like Hal.
Dick is later seen working with Wally as the two scour Central City and Keystone City for Prometheus. After defeating a low-level villain working for Prometheus, the two friends reflect on their time as Teen Titans, as well as their mutual experience of taking over for their dead mentors.
Meanwhile, Jason Todd is eventually arrested and gives Dick the idea of resurrecting Bruce through the Lazurus Pit. Dick then goes to get Bruce Wayne’s body. After Dick locates one of the Pit’s locations at the United Kingdom, he and The Knight placed the body within the Pit. Dick and The Knight, along with Batwoman and Squire, watches and a hand emerges from the Pit. However, the man who resembles the original Dark Knight attacks them all. Dick notices the creature’s fighting skills, along with its murderous nature, differs from the original Batman and realizes that this man isn’t his mentor but rather some sort of clone. The clone takes Dick’s plane to Gotham, attempts to kill Alfred and Damian. Dick and Batwoman arrives just in time to save them, and the clone collapses after fighting them. Now knowing that the man they’ve buried isn’t the original Batman, Dick, along with Alfred and Damian, now share Tim’s hope that Bruce Wayne is alive.
After Tim Drake returns with more supporting evidences that Bruce Wayne not only still alive but lost in time, the Justice League suspects that Darkseid’s Omega Effect transport the original Dark Knight to an unknown point in time at the past. Dick believes that ever since Wayne found himself stranded, he left clues as S.O.S. in hope of someone in the future would realize what they are and arrive to get him. Alfred discovers something contradicting at Wayne Manor of the family records, suggesting that they could be clues of Bruce Wayne’s whereabouts passed down through his family tree. Dick and Alfred believe that one of Wayne’s supposed distance relatives in the past could be Batman himself, as most Wayne men share a striking resemblance. During his search, Dick found a secret chamber within Wayne Manor not belonged to the original Batman but apparently of a Thomas Wayne from the 17th century, suggesting that this is perhaps is the Dark Knight himself. Then he discovers the Manor’s original designs would resembles the shape of a bat, like a “Batsignal.” Meanwhile, Damian’s loyalty to Dick is complicated with the relationship with his mother. After Dick frees Damian from Talia and Deathstroke’s control, Talia reveals that she has begun to clone her son after she realizes that Damian has completely sided with Grayson despite of their apparent antagonistic relationship. The Bat Family also find themselves being stalked by members of the Black Glove.
DCnU
Dick returns to his identity as Nightwing, leaving Bruce Wayne to be the only Batman again. Haly’s Circus comes to town for the first time since his parents were murdered. In his civilian identity he is attacked by an assassin named Saiko who insists that he’s the fiercest killer in Gotham. Dick inherits the deed to the circus from a dying C.C. Haly and begins a relationship with his childhood friend acrobat Raya Vestri. Saiko tortures Haly for information on Nightwing’s secret identity, and the old man dies in Dick’s arms after telling him the circus holds a terrible secret. Investigating leads, he tracks down a supervillain named Feedback who used to be a childhood friend but doesn’t learn anything.
Batgirl visits and they team up to take down a shape-shifter named Spinebender. Following Haly’s clues, he finds a mysterious Book of Names in the circus that holds his on the last page. He’s forced to fight a rhyming demon named Acheron when his clown Jimmy Clark is attacked by an ex-fiancee using black magic. Tracking down more leads, he fights a super-villain known as Shox for information. The circus announces they will be doing a memorial show on the anniversary of the night Dick’s parents were murdered, and Saiko attacks by detonating a massive explosion. It’s revealed that the circus has been training assassins for years, and Saiko was a childhood friend using Raya as an accomplice. Grayson had been selected to become a new Talon for the Court of Owls, but when Bruce adopted him Saiko took his place. The killer plummets to his death, and Raya turns herself in. Returning to the Batcave, Bruce reveals to Dick that the current Talon is his great-grandfather William Cobb.
Night of the Owls
Nightwing receives Alfred’s message, which conveys the forty people the Court of Owls targeted for assassination. He goes to save Mayor Sebastian Hady and comes face-to-face with a Talon. Using lethal force on the Talon, Nightwing stabs him across the eye with his stick, as the Talon is already dead and Nightwing’s stick is slowing his healing factor down. However, William Cobb, having been revived by another Talon, attacks Nightwing and stabs him in the chest.
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. 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. In the aftermath of the attack and his interaction with Nightwing, Tony Zucco turned himself to the police.
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 and Zsasz before deciding to return home.
Forever Evil
Nightwing is captured by the Crime Syndicate of Earth 3 and has his true identity revealed to the world. He’s then held prisoner. Owlman offers Nightwing freedom if he agrees to help him take down Ultraman. With nothing left to lose, Nightwing complies. Before they can act however, Nightwing is accosted by Grid and held the Murder Machine that will detonate if Nightwing’s heart isn’t stopped within a set amount of time. Batman, Catwoman and Lex Luthor find Nightwing and Batman tries to break him free, but to no avail as the prison’s wiring self-repairs whenever Batman tries to cut it. Lex Luthor stops Nightwing’s heart, causing Batman to angrily beat Lex up for killing his adopted son, but Lex reveals that he fed Nightwing a muscle-hardening pill that would keep him from dying as long as they revive him immediately.
After Nightwing is revived and the Crime Syndicate defeated, Batman orders his former sidekick to retire his superhero identity and become a secret agent.
Grayson – Agent of Spyral
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.
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. 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. Through the missions Dick came into contact with other agents of Spyral and delved deeper into the organisation, all the while keeping in mind that he was undercover. 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.
On their mission to retrieve the last Organ, Helena and Dick encountered the Fist of Cain again. 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. 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.
Endgame
During the events of Endgame, the Joker returned to terrorize Gotham and Batman for his ultimate trick. 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. Grayson left Gotham before the revelation of Batman’s death, and was not immediately made aware of the new Batman that had since arisen.
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. 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 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.
Nightwing Once More
After successfully completing his mission with Spyral, and knowledge of his identity erased from the world at large, 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. 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.
Gotham Resistance
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. 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 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.