The next article accommodates spoilers from Nightwing #93, on sale now.
Nightwing hasn’t had the simplest time organising his charitable basis in Bludhaven. Blockbuster has hindered him each step of the way in which to make sure he maintains his petty management over town. In Nightwing #93 (by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redundo, Wade Von Grawbadger, Adriano Lucas, and Wes Abbott) among the many weapons he employed in opposition to Dick Grayson is Commissioner Maclean, the corrupt head of Bludhaven’s police division.
After all, this is not the primary time Nightwing has gone up in opposition to corruption throughout the Bludhaven police. Throughout his earliest days in Bludhaven, there was one other crooked cop who turned a way more persistent thorn in his aspect. This identical cop would ultimately go on to develop into against the law boss in his personal proper, and usually triggered chaos wherever he went. The query right here although is: Which of those two corrupt officers is the better menace?
Maclean’s story is pretty clearcut, and so simplistic it might be simpler to think about him as an impediment to Nightwing somewhat than a real menace. He’s a crooked commissioner who’s in Blockbuster’s pocket and makes use of the BCPD as a weapon in opposition to anybody Blockbuster needs to trouble or make disappear. Maclean is so deeply concerned in Blockbuster’s group that he was charged with disposing of the earlier mayor’s physique after Blockbuster murdered him.
He’s additionally, vastly outmatched by Nightwing. Because the commissioner of Bludhaven, Maclean is used to having a kind of unconditional authority with the power to cowl up his tracks in a authorized sense. Nonetheless, a complete police division cannot actually compete with the hacking genius of Oracle. Maclean’s “good” plan to sabotage Haven was upended in lower than twelve hours, leaving him humiliated, and in all chance, quickly to face expenses.
Now, let’s check out Torque, a comparatively obscure villain from Nightwing’s previous, however one which gave him his first actual publicity to the extent of corruption inside Bludhaven. Initially generally known as Officer Dudley “Lethal” Soames, Torque was launched in Nightwing #1 (by Chuck Dixon, Scott McDaniel, Karl Story, Roberta Tewes, and John Costanza) as probably the most corrupt cop in your complete BCPD. He was the one which Blockbuster went to first to place successful on Nightwing.
What nobody might anticipate was that Soames’ corruption wasn’t motivated by being bribed, however by accruing private energy. He deliberately let Nightwing go, suspecting that the hero’s presence within the metropolis would disrupt the steadiness of energy and create a gap for him to carve a chunk of town out for himself. From there, he started taking part in all sides, feeding Nightwing data on Blockbuster’s exercise, serving Blockbuster as a mob lieutenant, and even working his personal commissioner, all in an try to realize a little bit energy.
Ultimately, Blockbuster grew bored with his antics and deliberate to have him killed. This was when Soames’ true villainy displayed itself. He took Blockbuster’s mom hostage in an try to realize a bargaining chip. Sadly for him, he couldn’t maintain onto her lengthy, and Blockbuster punished him by twisting his head round 180 levels. What’s horrifying is that he survived this.
Soames’ windpipe was undamaged by the assault, shopping for him sufficient time to be saved by a breakthrough surgical procedure. Nonetheless, the docs might do nothing to revive his head to its authentic place, as any try would kill him. Enraged, Soames killed his docs earlier than instructing himself how you can function usually along with his head twisted round. He took on the ugly identify Torque, and determined to develop into Bludhaven’s latest crime lord.
He began a brand new gang warfare to grab management of town. Nonetheless, he was defeated, and ultimately killed by a extra ruthless vigilante named Nite-Wing. Regardless, Torque’s transient time as a villain noticed him evolve from crooked cop to full on supervillain. Compared, Commissioner Maclean is nowhere close to as lethal on a person stage. He has his corrupt officers do his soiled work whereas he reaps the advantages. The moment he stood as much as Dick Grayson he was embarrassed and thrown into authorized hassle. Torque did not put up with any of that. He simply acquired extra violent and artful earlier than hanging out on his personal.
Nonetheless, when it comes to the injury that may very well be carried out, it is potential Maclean was worse than Torque. No matter else Torque was, he was not a targeted villain. His very existence incited chaos for everybody, weakening all sides for his personal achieve, however most likely hindering their very own operations in the long term.
In distinction, Maclean was Blockbuster’s weapon. A gun he might level at anybody who challenged him. Beneath Maclean’s management, the BCPD is nearly solely beneath Blockbuster’s management and is used ot oppress the folks of town, somewhat than defend them. His private attain could also be restricted, however the broader scale has triggered incalculable injury to town and the belief it places its supposed “regulation enforcement”