For months now, Heartless has been on the periphery of Nightwing’s radar as his struggle in opposition to Blockbuster reached its conclusion. Sadly for him, this has given Bludhaven’s resident serial killer ample time to make strikes of his personal. Nightwing 2022 Annual (by Tom Taylor, Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira, Adriano Lucas, and Wes Abbott) exhibits that he’s now able to take the combat to Nightwing, but it surely additionally does one thing rather more vital — it lastly explains who Heartless really is.
Shockingly, his reference to Dick Grayson goes again to the very starting of his profession. Certainly, the evening that Dick misplaced his mother and father was simply as formative for younger the Heartless because it was for the final Grayson. There’s a sure irony to Nightwing’s most formative trauma additionally making a monster, however on the identical time, there’s a sure symmetry to it, too.
The Origin of Nightwing’s Enemy, Heartless
Heartless was born as Shelton Lyle, inheritor to one among Gotham’s rich households, Shelton was a burden to his mother and father. Even from a younger age, there have been apparent indicators that the boy was a budding serial killer. His makes an attempt to mutilate animals have been met with bodily abuse from his mother and father, however his life modified when the household’s new butler, Gerald Chamberlain, arrived. Equally disturbed, Gerald inspired Shelton’s curiosities, attempting to assist him navigate by means of life and turn out to be a monster. Nevertheless, Shelton really got here into his personal when he went on a visit to Haly’s Circus.
As destiny would have it, that was the identical evening when Dick Grayson’s mother and father have been murdered. Shelton watched as they fell and died, and at that second, the usually expressionless baby lastly discovered his function because the deaths and the distress they brought on woke up a pleasure he had by no means identified. From there, Shelton grew to become extra of a monster however hid it behind a facade of attraction and confidence. After murdering his mother and father, Shelton used their fortune to reinforce himself and turn out to be an ideal killer, embarking on his spree of killings for no different cause than his personal satisfaction. Whereas the reality of his origin is stunning it additionally inextricably ties him to Nightwing.
Nightwing and Heartless Are Related By Destiny
That evening at Haly’s Circus remodeled each of the younger males. Dick misplaced his mother and father, however he discovered the resolve to guard others. In distinction, Heartless watched and reveled within the ache the deaths of the Graysons brought on, making a monster. What’s much more fascinating is that the 2 are diametrically opposed of their missions. Nightwing is compassionate, looking for to ease the burdens of others in any approach he can. Heartless however desires to unfold distress as a result of he finds it amusing.
Ultimately, although, the 2 must face each other. Nightwing would possibly study the reality about Heartless, and notice that on this deranged, twisted inversion of himself, he has discovered a nemesis that opposes every thing he stands for. In a approach, he has discovered his Joker, however one who’s extra intimately tied to him than he would seemingly be snug with.