10 Things Everyone Forgets About Nightwing
3. The “Nightwing” Persona Honors Many People In Dick’s Life
Dick Grayson first appeared in the Nightwing identity in Tales of the Teen Titans #44, and that persona was created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. After Batman fired Dick and took back the Robin identity, he briefly thought about giving up super-heroics altogether. Realizing that being a superhero was a large part of who he was, Grayson created a new persona that honors three important men in his life.
Unsure of what to do next, Grayson decided to talk to his friend and personal hero, Superman. Clark told Dick of an ancient Kryptonian legend about a man who was cast out of his family, but whose thirst for justice was so great, he adopted a masked persona to fight evil. No one ever knew his name; he was known only as Nightwing.
The design of the first Nightwing costume is similar to a trapeze outfit once worn by Dick's father, John Grayson. The outfit is also a variation of the final outfit worn by Boston Brand, now the ghostly hero Deadman. It is impossible to look at the color scheme and tactical capabilities of the suit and not think of Batman. Nightwing’s outfit favors shades of blue with slight touches of yellow, and his gauntlets and boots are filled with a wide array of weapons and tools, just like the Caped Crusader’s utility belt.