Nightwing

Real Name: Richard John “Dick” Grayson 
Other aliases: Robin Occupation: Police officer Former 
Occupations: Private detective, circus acrobat 
Known Relatives: John and Mary Grayson (parents, deceased) 
Base of Operations: Blüdhaven Group 
Affiliation: Outsiders 
Past Group Affiliation: Titans (founding member), The Flying Graysons 
First Appearance: (as Robin) Detective Comics # 38, 1940; (as Nightwing) Tales of the Teen Titans#44,July1984

Young Dick Grayson, circus performer with The Flying Graysons, watched in horror as his parents fell to their deaths from a sabotaged trapeze. The boy was taken in by Bruce Wayne, who turned out to be Batman, Gotham’s Dark Knight. Dick insisted on becoming his partner, and after intensive training became Robin, Boy Wonder.

Robin was a founding member of the Teen Titans, most of whom were originally the teenage sidekicks of older heroes: Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl. Robin was the leader of the Titans through most of its incarnations. Over the years, his relationship with the Batman became strained. He kept pushing himself to be as good as Batman, but knew he never could be. Finally, concluding that Robin would “always be the back half of ‘Batman and...’” he decided to complete the break and forge a new identity as Nightwing.

Nightwing eventually left the Titans. Returning to Gotham, he was called upon to be Batman while Bruce recovered from a debilitating spine injury. After Bruce’s recovery, Nightwing worked sporadically with Batman and the new Robin, eventually graduating to become a solo costumed hero with a city of his own.