By [ad_1]
One of the most tragic deaths in Injustice was Nightwing… but it wasn’t the end for Dick Grayson. Here’s what the original Boy Wonder did next.
With Injustice being adapted into an animated feature film and rumors continuing to persist of a third video game in development by NetherRealm Studios, it is a great time to be a fan of the enormously popular DC fighting game and its bestselling comic book expansion. Taking place in a vision of the DC Universe where Superman completely breaks bad after the Joker tricks him into murdering Lois Lane and destroying Metropolis, the fighting game series and comics were unafraid to feature some high profile deaths of many fan-favorite characters, often dispatched with brutal efficiency. One particularly tragic loss was the death of Nightwing but, fortunately for Dick Grayson, he still had a large superhero role to play from beyond the grave.
When the superhero schism first occurred, between Superman’s increasingly more brutal and burgeoning totalitarian regime and Batman’s moves to lead a resistance to oppose him, Dick and current Robin Damian Wayne found themselves on opposite sides of the divide. Dick sided with his lifelong mentor and surrogate father figure while Damian was at odds with his father, in favor of continuing Superman’s new direction of executing supervillains and criminals that he deemed irredeemable while crushing anyone that attempted to stop him. This disagreement resulted in Nightwing accidentally being killed by Robin when Damian hit Dick in the head with one of his escrima sticks, with the staggered Dick falling to the ground and breaking his neck on a set of rocks inconveniently located at his feet in Injustice: Gods Among Us #6, by Tom Taylor, Mike S. Miller, Jheremy Raapack and David Yardin.
Dick’s death led to a permanent falling out between Damian and his father, with Damian particularly guilt-ridden by his actions inadvertently killing one of his truest friends in the DCU. However, death was not the end for Dick in the comic book adaptation and expansion of Injustice following Mister Mxyzptlk becoming the new Spectre and mortally wounding the undead superhero Deadman. Before Boston Brand finally passes away in peace, he passes the mantle of Deadman to Dick’s spirit, with Dick using his new, supernatural abilities to explore the paranormal side of the DCU. And as Deadman, Dick is able to directly contact the two most prominent figures in his life: Batman and Robin.
Approaching Batman for a heartfelt conversation, Dick reveals to his mentor that he has no regrets about his life or how it ultimately ended, consoling Bruce Wayne before continuing his spectral mission elsewhere. As Deadman, Dick similarly approached Damian, with the boy still guilty over his role in killing Dick. Dick forgave Damian for this before moving to save reality from a confrontation between Mxyptlk and Trigon. It is Dick that eventually gives Damian his old Nightwing costume and blessing to take on the mantle, though he is still saddened that Damian continues to align himself with Superman rather than reconcile with his father, setting the stage for Damian’s eventual appearance as Nightwing in the 2013 video game Injustice: Gods Among Us.
Dick is one of the earliest and most prominent casualties caused by Injustice‘s core rift between Batman and Superman but, just as he was in his youth, Dick isn’t ready to stop saving the day even in death. With both Dick and Boston Brand coming from a circus acrobat background, the idea of Dick succeeding Boston as Injustice‘s Deadman is an inspired choice and one that perfectly suits the character. And even after being killed by Damian, Dick still has nothing but love and guidance for his brother-in-arms even beyond the grave.
About The Author
[ad_2]
