Nightwing
Nightwing
nightwing1.jpg
Portrayed by Zac Efron
Statistics
Full Name Richard John Grayson
Age 24
Height 5'11"
Build Tall and lithe
Eyes Blue
Hair Black
Factions <E.g. Justice League of America>
Occupation Dilletante
Alignment Hero

Claim to Fame

Ex-Circus Acrobat, Ward of Bruce Wayne


Reputation

The former ward of billionaire Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson has been making his own way in the world. Never one to hide from his Circus past, he is establishing himself as a bit of a dilletante and socialite among Gotham's younger set.

As Nightwing, he is establishing himself as a vigilante, both similar and different to Batman. He works just as hard to maintain the divisi between his identity as Nightwing and his identity as Dick Grayson, but there is a little bleed-over that cannot be helped.


Biography

While many kids wished they grew up in a circus, not many are actually able to say that they did. Richard Grayson just happens to be one of those lucky few. Born to a world-class trapeze duo in Haly's Circus, young Dick began his acrobatic training once he was able to walk. Before long, he was introduced into the act; it seemed that he had a natural talent for acrobatics, balance, and gymnastics. There were whisperings of Olympic training, but Dick was really only interested in remaining with the Circus and perfecting his routines. It was an idyllic existence for a young boy; the adventure of travelling from town to town and the thrill of the audience gasping below him as he tumbled through the air. It didn't get much better than this.

But the Circus wasn't quite as perfect as he thought.%r%r When he was around ten years old, he found himself eavesdropping on a conversation between a local Crime-Lord, 'Boss' Zucco and Haly. Zucco wanted money from the Circus and Haly refused…so threats were made and warnings given. However, since he wasn't certain if this information was important, Dick kept it to himself. What happened that night would change his life forever.

The Circus had a performance that night and the 'Flying Graysons' were set to perform. His parents took to the trapeze first, but Dick never got a chance to perform that night. The trapeze lines fell and his parents fell to the Circus floor and to their deaths. In one fell swoop, Dick Grayson was orphaned.

Bruce Wayne was in the audience that night and witnessed the murders as well. It was he who arranged to become Dick's legal guardian, bringing him back to Wayne Manor to live. It was Alfred who pointed out to Bruce that the boy was becoming detached and solitary, but it was Bruce-as-Batman who actually caught the boy as he was trying to wreak vengeance on Zucco for killing his parents. Upon rescuing the boy, he took him to the Batcave and revealed his secret identity as Batman. They had so much in common and Bruce saw aspects of his own childhood in Dick; it didn't take him too long to decide to train the boy. Emerging as 'Robin', Batman's new sidekick, he fought crime in Gotham alongside his Guardian and Mentor for many years.

Nine years later, Dick was enrolled at Gotham State University and depsite keeping busy with his schoolwork, he still found time to fight crime. However, he discovered that Batman was on a case that he wanted to pursue alone. For the last nine years, they had been taking on cases together, so this struck Dick as being odd. After some research of his own, he discovered that the criminal was none other than Zucco.

A crack in the foundation of the relationship between Batman and Robin emerged.

A confrontation about Zucco between the two ended in blows; Dick actually punched Bruce before leaving to find Zucco himself. When he did, he almost killed the man, as Bruce feared he would do, but his conscience got the better of him at the last moment: Instead of being killed, Zucco was turned in to the police. The crack widened into a fissure when Dick witnessed Batman beating on a thug in the man's own apartment…with his young child looking on. Disgusted, he left the scene. What caused the final tear in the relationship was when Bruce revealed his identity as Batman to Batgirl. However, it wasn't just that he exposed his own identity; Dick Grayson had a good relationship with Commissioner Gordon's daughter, Barbara, but as Robin, he was rather cold to the newcomer, Batgirl. The problem came when Batman revealed both Barbara's and Dick's own identities to the girl. One friendship was ruined and that decision destroyed another. Dick saw the move as manipulative, forcing him to remain with Bruce in the 'family' because now others knew his secrets.

Upon graduating with honors from GSU, Dick left the city to travel the world. He spent time learning different methods of martial arts and stealth tactics as well as broadening his mind and experiences. A Trust Fund set up by the Circus helped keep him in moderate wealth during his travels (and afterwards) and after three years he returned to Gotham with a new costume and a new name:

Nightwing.

Character Details

People should be doing psychological studies on Dick's Personality Dichotomy.

Here is a young man who, as a child, grew up in a Circus. A real Circus. He was even a performing member of that Circus as a trapeze artist and acrobat. His parents were stars…he was a star…and his family was very close knit and loving. He traveled about, learned about different cultures from those in the Circus, and was exposed to a very mind-opening environment.

He also witnessed his parents' deaths as they fell from a cut trapeze line to the circus tent floor.

A kid doesn't forget that sort of thing. No matter what changes in his life, the memory of what his life was and the question of what it could have been will always remain.

Now, take this newly orphaned child and place him into Foster Care with a man he doesn't know and in a large Manse that could probably house the entire Circus tent and grounds with room to spare. There was opportunity here for both Dick and Bruce, but a grief-stricken child may not always reach out for affection and a confirmed, obsessively driven bachelor may not offer it. There were moments but for the most part, Dick learned that showing emotion was a weakness. He needed to be strong; he needed to learn to live this new life that was presented to him. Gifted to him. To a young child, if there is only one option, then they will try and fit as best as they can. However, a part of that previous life never really died. It got buried under layers of learning and repressed emotions, but glimmers of it would show. When Dick and Alfred were together, there were a few more laughs and joking around, but business was business and he knew better than to really try much of anything while in costume. Even smiles were hard to come by.

He was well into his teenage years when Dick realized this separation of personality. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing because none of it was an act, unlike the way it was with Bruce. He has a natural charm and charisma as well as an easy smile and an outgoing nature which helped him earn friends quickly. He's also a bit of a daredevil. For those he considers true friends, his loyalty is unflagging.

However, as Nightwing, business is business and he has this intense focus that lets him brush off essentially anything that isn't the job at hand. He doesn't go quite as far as Batman in this regard, but there are palpable similarities. He does what he must and is always professional and confident in his actions. He doesn't have the same intimidating factor as his mentor either, but that is also partly by choice. Depending on the situation, he can be either compassionate or more assertively menacing; there are different angles to his Nightwing Personality that he isn't afraid to show (unlike a certain other Caped Crusader).

Like any acrobat knows, there is a tenacity in practice and learning to stick the routine solidly. With that tenacity, in Dick's case, also comes stubborness. For the most part, this is a positive trait, but it has been known to err on the side of mule-headedness. Dick isn't afraid to stick to his beliefs in either persona and while he and Batman have made peace, it has still led to arguments because he is unwilling to budge and almost immediately gets defensive.

Finally, despite all of his training and all that he has seen as a child, teenager, and now as an adult, Nightwing is still young. There is still a level of maturity that he just hasn't reached. There is a level of recklessness to his personality that exists anyhow; how else could he just blithely sail through the air and perform difficult acrobatics with no safeties? But combine this recklessness with youth and it isn't terribly surprising that sometimes Dick will just rush into a situation without really everything through. Luckily, his knowledge of tactics can (and have) saved him in some of these occasions, but it hasn't stopped the behavior yet.


Relationships

Image Name Relation Notes
BatmanCM1.jpg Batman Former Guardian and Partner Batman is…Batman.
Arsenal-1.jpg Arsenal Friend Arsenal is a close friend of Nightwing's and they've teamed up a few times in the past.


Character Gallery


Logs

Downward Spyral
March 31, 2015: Nightwing contacts Oracle and Arsenal about a new threat in Gotham
(log: 20150331-downwardspyral | tags: arsenal gotham nightwing oracle | posted: 31 Mar 2015 22:49)

Justice League:Avengers GO!
March 15th, 2015: Hawkeye and Wonder Woman the leaders of the Justice League: Avengers Initiative call a public ceremony at the Hall of Justice in Metropolis to make announcements to the world and to introduce the newest roster of members in the team: Booster Gold, Hawkgirl, Hawkeye_II, Captain America, Falcon, Ozymandias & Supergirl. Many others are present and new recruits are welcomed.
(log: 20150315-justice-league-avengers | tags: booster_gold captain_america columbia fenris green_lantern hawkeye hawkeye_ii hawkgirl jl:a jla martian_manhunter metropolis mimic mockingbird namor nightwing oracle ozymandias power_girl supergirl wonder_man wonder_woman | posted: 15 Mar 2015 04:35)

Welcome Back Robin
1 February, 2014: Robin returns to active duty
(log: 20150201-welcomebackrobin | tags: gotham nightwing oracle robin | posted: 02 Feb 2015 10:47)

The Tides of Blood: Blackmailing the Bats
January 31, 2015: In order to get Batman's attention, Tula begins to wreck Gotham. Bats do respond.
(log: 20150131-the-tides-of-blood:blackmailing-the-bats | tags: aquaman batman nightwing | posted: 02 Feb 2015 17:47)

A Reunion of Sorts
January 14, 2015: Dick Grayson and Starfire have a reunion six years in the making.
(log: 20150114-a-reunion-of-sorts | tags: nightwing starfire | posted: 01 Feb 2015 02:58)


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