Nightwing Is Still Trying To Forget His Deadliest Mistake

The role Nightwing played in the criminal mastermind Blockbuster’s death is something that secretly haunts Dick Grayson years after it occurred.

Years after the fact, it looks like Nightwing still has painful memories of the worst mistake he ever made. No matter how much time passes after his culpability in the death of Blockbuster, Dick Grayson struggles to move past it.

Fans all know how Nightwing was once the original Robin who served by Batman’s side for years. But as the years went on, Dick became stifled under the role of the Boy Wonder and wanted to spread his wings as his own man. After a contentious parting of the ways, Dick became Nightwing, taking his name from a god of Krypton, and ventured out on his own. However, the junior vigilante discovered that crime-fighting solo was harder than it looked. In fact, during his time in the city of Blüdhaven, Dick found himself challenged by a criminal mastermind known as Blockbuster, someone who would change Nightwing’s life forever.

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Was Nightwing Responsible For Killing A Villain?

In fact, Nightwing’s deadliest confrontation with Blockbuster is something that would be etched onto his consciousness for some time. In Nightwing #93 by Devin Grayson and Patrick Zircher, Dick is nearly at his limit in his cat-and-mouse game with Blockbuster. The criminal has just blown up Dick’s apartment and killed 34 people Nightwing knew. Things only get worse for Nightwing once he discovers that Blockbuster has learned Grayson’s secret identity, potentially putting everyone he loves at risk. Nightwing gets into a bloody confrontation with Blockbuster, who simply gloats about how he’s going to destroy Dick Grayson’s life. Tarantula, an ally of Nightwing, happens upon the fight brandishing a gun and tells Nightwing to move. Though Blockbuster is sure that Dick won’t let her kill anyone, Nightwing stands aside and allows Tarantula to shoot the villain dead.

To Dick Grayson’s credit, he didn’t actually pull the trigger. But the death of Blockbuster haunted Nightwing for a long time. In fact, years after Dick had moved on from the event, he ran into Blockbuster who had been reanimated as a member of the Black Lantern Corps. Intent on pumping Nightwing’s heart full of fear, the zombified villain reminded Dick of how he walked away and let Tarantula kill him. Blockbuster’s words did promote fear within Nightwing, suggesting that he still struggles with the memory of that terrible night.

Nightwing is Haunted By The Murder (Literally)

Nightwing may not be responsible for Blockbuster’s death, but the event was one of the most defining points of Grayson’s life. For the first time, Nightwing found himself in an unwinnable position, and only got out because someone close to him crossed a line he can’t cross. It’s no shock that the villain’s death eats away at him. Traumatic events like that can create long-lasting effects and even small reminders can make bad memories like this resurface. Thankfully, Nightwing has a large and supportive family to help him move past such an awful experience.

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