As the first hero to call himself Robin, raised by Batman himself.
As the Dark Knight’s prodigal heir, Grayson is a crimefighter like no other. A natural leader with an intellect to match, Nightwing even outranks Batman in of combat abilities. And the events of Grayson #8 confirms that those same combat abilities would serve him well against the heroes of Justice League.
While Grayson #8 by Tom King, Tim Seeley, and Mikel Janín doesn’t pit the titular hero against the League itself, he does face their android equivalent in the form of Paragon, a machine built with the combined DNA and abilities of the Justice League. Alongside his fellow Spyral member, Agent 1 a.k.a. the Tiger King, the once and future Nightwing goes toe to toe with a being that could face gods, all the while instructing his ally on how best to combat their artificial adversary. Dick even tells Tiger, “I’ve fought beside the Justice League. Trained to fight against them. They’ve got weaknesses. So will he.”
Dick Grayson Versus The Justice League
Using Grayson’s knowledge of the Justice League’s powers, the duo ultimately manages to outlast Paragon before finally putting him down. And while the machine was missing the final piece that would’ve completed it – a heart as powerful as Wonder Woman’s – this feat of survival is no small testament to Nightwing’s skills. And more often than not, those very same skills are horribly underrated.
As the first partner and adopted son of Batman, Dick Grayson was trained from a young age by one of the most dangerous men on the planet. He may frequently be portrayed as more lighthearted and easygoing than the brooding Dark Knight, but Nightwing inherited a lot more than wealth from the man who raised him. Batman prepares for any contingency, and he makes sure his family is equally prepared – a fact confirmed by Dick’s claim that he was already trained to fight against the League.
Nightwing Takes After His Father
Like Batman, Nightwing has a keen strategic mind and the combat skills to match. He’s even defeated Batman in one-on-one combat, so it’s no surprise that he’d be capable of taking down Batman’s allies as well. And with a natural empathy and understanding for people that Batman could never hope to replicate, there’s a very good chance that Nightwing could be more of a threat to the Justice League than Batman ever could if he really wanted to.
Nightwing may frequently be portrayed as flighty and impulsive, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Like his adopted father, the first Robin is one of the most dangerous men on Earth and an incredibly capable adversary when he sets his mind to it. And if the Justice League ever find themselves in Dick Grayson’s crosshairs, they’ll learn the hard way that DC Comics’ Nightwing takes after Batman in more ways than one.
