One notably harrowing disaster compelled Nightwing’s deepest trauma to resurface as he relived the night time his dad and mom have been murdered.
WARNING: The next article incorporates spoilers from Nightwing #86, on sale now.
Most members of the Bat-Household share some form of trauma. Dick Grayson appeared to kickstart the pattern of Robins being orphaned when he first got here into Batman’s life. In Nightwing #86 (by Tom Taylor, Robbi Rodgriguez, Adriano Lucas, Wes Abbott), it’s revealed that even after so a few years, the trauma from the night time he misplaced his dad and mom might nonetheless be triggered by circumstances.
When the Justice of the Peace seemingly destroyed Oracle’s clocktower with Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain nonetheless in it, Dick felt as if he was reliving that second of helplessness, unable to do something however watch his family members die. In fact, Stephanie and Cassandra survived, however the second reveals simply how deeply Dick nonetheless feels the lack of that night time and the way that worry of being helpless nonetheless lingers inside him.
As most Nightwing followers know, Dick was a part of Haly’s Circus rising up. He and his dad and mom have been the star points of interest, the Flying Graysons, a household {of professional} acrobats. Sadly, when the circus arrived in Gotham Metropolis, they have been approached by Tony Zucco, who tried to get them to hitch his safety racket. When the circus refused, Tony sabotaged the Flying Graysons’ trapeze, inflicting their traces to snap and sending each Dick’s mom and father plummeting to their deaths. All Dick might do was watch the look on his dad and mom’ faces as they fell.
That full sense of powerlessness has lingered with him to this very day. Dick has performed every part in his energy since then to be the form of man who can catch those that are falling. Watching the clocktower explode and seemingly killing two younger girls who’re basically his sisters, Dick felt like he was a baby once more, unable to do something to assist save the individuals he loves most.
Whereas actually inconvenient for the hero, it is an acceptable time for this worry to resurface throughout Concern State. The worry of helplessness might be much more of a motivator for Dick than anything in his life. Not eager to undergo that feeling ever once more, he honed himself into one of many most interesting acrobats on the planet. He doesn’t want the trapeze his dad and mom had, he can fly via the air on his personal now, because of Batman’s devices. This reemerging worry would possibly make him weak, although. The Concern State continues to be in impact, with Gotham turning on itself as its heroes scramble to undo the harm that has been unleashed by Scarecrow and Simon Saint.
It is potential that Nightwing’s fears would possibly even be exploited towards him. Scarecrow stored effectively forward of the Bat-Household all through the occasion. The one means he might accomplish that is by protecting tabs on them, and along with his plans in full movement, he must maintain watch over them much more obsessively. If he takes discover of Nightwing’s worry, an apparent “weak spot” to use, he might divide the Bat-Household even additional, maybe throwing its numerous members into hazard to drive the others to reply, taking away treasured time wanted to save lots of a metropolis on the point of complete collapse.