Jab’s Builds! (Whomp 'Em! Plumbers Don't Wear Ties! ToeJam & Earl!)

[Ken]

Does the trade include the story from "New Teen Titans" #39? That's the big reveal that she's working with the Terminator. It's also the one where Wally quits, and Dick Grayson gives up the Robin identity. "The Judas Contract" itself began in "Tales of the Teen Titans" #42, 3 issues later. (And the title change happened with #41.)

Per Comixology it's 39 to 43 plus Annual #3

Weird that they'd skip #44. Debut of Jericho and Dick becomes Nightwing, and the penultimate chapter.

[Shock]

Does the trade include the story from "New Teen Titans" #39? That's the big reveal that she's working with the Terminator. It's also the one where Wally quits, and Dick Grayson gives up the Robin identity. "The Judas Contract" itself began in "Tales of the Teen Titans" #42, 3 issues later. (And the title change happened with #41.)

Per Comixology it's 39 to 43 plus Annual #3

Weird that they'd skip #44. Debut of Jericho and Dick becomes Nightwing, and the penultimate chapter.

Makes more sense when you realize that was a typo and was supposed to be 44

[KorokoMystia]

Also, hum, I just realized that the Doom Patrol would probably be sorta-relevant to this set, given their connection to Gar and The Brain. How many of their members have been statted before?

Also, I thought of a stupid idea yesterday. Imagine someone like say, the Grandmaster bringing the combatants of a whole bunch of the crappy fighting games together and making them fight in some huge battle royale tournament for the the right to..I dunno, suck less?

[Ken]

Per Comixology it's 39 to 43 plus Annual #3

Weird that they'd skip #44. Debut of Jericho and Dick becomes Nightwing, and the penultimate chapter.

Makes more sense when you realize that was a typo and was supposed to be 44

Or, I guessed that, but have a warped sense of humour.

[Shock]

Weird that they'd skip #44. Debut of Jericho and Dick becomes Nightwing, and the penultimate chapter.

Makes more sense when you realize that was a typo and was supposed to be 44

Or, I guessed that, but have a warped sense of humour.

I knew about (and appreciate) the sense of humor and if I thought about it, I probably would have figured that out

[Jabroniville]

Really, the Teen Titans cartoon wasn't that bad (I enjoyed it quite a bit as a kid, and it's what made me aware of the group)..especilaly if you compare it to the tripe that is Teen Titans Go!..

Really, it was a distilling of what was in the comics, much like the 60s Batman series.

Distillatio—

Sure if you consider it completely changed the character last of Starfire, Raven and Cyborg, removes Donna Troy, changed Raven’s Powers ENTIRELY (Telekinesis?!?), made everyone like 13 years old, and changed every bad guy. Then sure .

[catsi563]

Also, hum, I just realized that the Doom Patrol would probably be sorta-relevant to this set, given their connection to Gar and The Brain. How many of their members have been statted before?

Also, I thought of a stupid idea yesterday. Imagine someone like say, the Grandmaster bringing the combatants of a whole bunch of the crappy fighting games together and making them fight in some huge battle royale tournament for the the right to..I dunno, suck less?

Like a tournament of suck? which twisted and nutty individual would do something crazy like that?

[KorokoMystia]

Also, hum, I just realized that the Doom Patrol would probably be sorta-relevant to this set, given their connection to Gar and The Brain. How many of their members have been statted before?

Also, I thought of a stupid idea yesterday. Imagine someone like say, the Grandmaster bringing the combatants of a whole bunch of the crappy fighting games together and making them fight in some huge battle royale tournament for the the right to..I dunno, suck less?

Like a tournament of suck? which twisted and nutty individual would do something crazy like that?

Man, I remember reading Jab's Tournament of Suck back when I first discovered the thread. Something like that, but for fighting games, could be pretty amusing, I think.

[Jabroniville]

The Roster:
The Original Five:
Robin/Nightwing
Aqualad/Tempest
Kid Flash/The Flash
Speedy/Arsenal
Wonder Girl/Troia
-- (the original crew, some of whom get forgotten over time, but they've all been updated & upgraded over the years)

Silver Age Updates:
Lilith Clay
G'narrk the Caveman
Thunder & Lightning
Bumblebee
Mal Duncan/Herald
Hawk & Dove (I & II)
Starfire/Red Star
Aquagirl
Flamebird
Golden Eagle
Joker's Daughter
-- (uninteresting supporting characters who were mostly ignored)

The Peak Era Relaunch:
Cyborg
Raven
Starfire
Changeling/Beast Boy
-- (the iconic characters introduced for the series' peak for years)

Bronze Age Updates:
Terra
Jericho
Kole
Robin II (Jason Todd)
Protector
-- (some notable new characters. Todd & Protector were just one-shots)

Crap Era Wolfman Characters:
Danny Chase/Phantasm
Pantha
Baby Wildebeest
-- (Wolfman's later years were not pretty)

The H'San-Natall era:
The Atom II
Prysm
Fringe
Risk
Joto
Argent
Minion
-- (mostly forgettable)

The Mid-90s Forgettable Era:
Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
Captain Marvel, Jr.
Mirage
Rose Wilson/Ravager
Damage
Impulse
Supergirl II (the Matrix one)
Bushido

The 2000s Reboot:
Jesse Quick

[KorokoMystia]

I was thinking, if you're gonna build the villains of the Teen Titans, then how about Mister Twister, the very first villain the team ever fought? Though, looking at him, he's..nearly identical to Weather Wizard, power-wise. (dude with a staff/wand that controls the weather) He does have a writeups.org bio, I think.

[Jabroniville]

Look up “finger stripes” online. I dare you.

NIGHTWING (Dick Grayson, aka Robin II, Batman III)
Created By: Bob Kane, Bill Finger & Jerry Robinson
First Appearance: Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
Role: The Sidekick, The Comic Relief (to Batman), The Bristling Sidekick, Stoic Leader Guy (to The Titans)
Group Affiliations: Batman & Robin, The Teen Titans, The Titans, The Justice League
PL 10 (215)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 5 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 11 (+18)
Athletics 10 (+13)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+16)
Close Combat (Escrima Sticks) 3 (+15)
Deception 9 (+13)
Expertise (Streetwise) 9 (+13)
Expertise (History) 2 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 4 (+8)
Insight 6 (+11)
Intimidation 3 (+7)
Investigation 8 (+13)
Perception 8 (+13)
Persuasion 5 (+9)
Ranged Combat (Wing-Dings) 4 (+13)
Stealth 8 (+14)
Technology 6 (+12)
Treatment 1 (+5)
Vehicles 9 (+13)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, No he doesn't get Attractive read below, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Defensive Throw, Defensive Roll, Equipment 12 (Bat-cycle, Utility Belt), Evasion 2, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Grab Finesse, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Wing-Dings), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 1 (Various), Leadership, Luck, Power Attack, Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Cover, Close/Concealment), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up 2, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics), Takedown 2, Teamwork, Tracking, Ultimate Acrobatics Skill, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
"Bat-cycle" Motorcycle (Medium, Strength 1, Speed 6- 120 mph, Defense 10, Toughness 8, Remote Control (11)

"Utility Belt"
Camera, CommLink, Audio Recorder, Handcuffs, Binoculars, Mini-Tracer, Night Vision Goggles, Flashlight, Gas Mask, Multi-Tool, Rebreather, Cutting Torch (12)
"Grapple Gun" Movement 1 (Swinging) (2)

"Choking Gas" Affliction 6 (Fort; Dazed & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cloud +2, Ranged, Extra Condition) (Diminished Range -1) (29) -- (32)

• AE: "Wing-Dings" Blast 3 (Feats: Homing, Ricochet) (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range -1) (10)
• AE: "Smoke Pellets" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Extras: Attack, Area- 30ft. Cloud +2) (10)
• AE: "Escrima Sticks" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split) (2)
  -- (57 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Escrima Sticks +15 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Wing-Dings +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Choking Gas +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +11

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +11

Complications:
Motivation (Justice)- When Dick Grayson lost his parents, he became as lionized against crime as Bruce Wayne.
Responsibility (Gotham City, Bludhaven)- Dick considers himself Gotham & Bludhaven's protector.
Responsibility (Socializing Bruce)- Alongside Alfred, Dick is the "normalizing" influence in Bruce Wayne's life. Without them, he is dangerously close to permanent brooding & introspection. He's there to help Bruce crack a smile once in a while.
Responsibility (The Memory of John & Mary Grayson, Parents)- Bruce occasionally seems himself in the shadow of his wealthy, honourable parents.
Relationship (Barbara Gordon)- Dick & Barbara engage in some light or serious flirtation.
Enemy (The Joker, The Pengiun, etc.)- All of Batman's Rogues also want Nightwing dead.
Reputation (Lawless Vigilante)- Batman is generally more frightening to the people of Gotham, but what Robin/Nightwing does is still technically illegal.
Rivalry (Batman)- Though Bruce raised Dick from the age of twelve, Dick is now struggling to make his own way as a hero, and is occasionally twisting under Batman's shadow.
Relationship (Starfire)- Dick & Kory fell in love while they were both Teen Titans, and despite their differences (namely that she was a warrior unafraid of killing, while Dick was strongly motivated to protect all life), nearly married. Because this is comics, they eventually broke up, and the relationship is generally only paid lip service these days.
Relationship (Barbara Gordon)- Oracle was once a teen crush of Dick's, but as they grew older, they matured into one of those "kinda/kinda not" relationships most Bat-people have.
Relationship (The Titans)- Dick grew up with Aqualad, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash & Speedy, but also thinks of Cyborg, Changeling & Raven as siblings. As the leader, he had to be the responsible, brooding, intense one, and took himself very seriously as a result. They remain his dearest friends.
Responsibility (So Very Handsome...)- Despite not really using it like the Advantage "Attractive", Dick is very, very good-looking. This draws him a lot of attention from the female super-crowd, which he usually has to deal with. He's had near-stalkers (Bette "Flamebird" Kane), bad girls (The Huntress, Tarantula, probably a bunch of other) and more. It really complicates his life.

Total: Abilities: 86 / Skills: 110--55 / Advantages: 54 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 20 (215)

The Original Robin:
-It's kinda funny that such a great character could be created out of the IDIOTIC idea that an adult crimefighter would throw a pair of tights on a pre-teen and have him fight dangerous criminals. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a Cop running around with a kid dressed as a Teen Cop, with his own little gun & badge? That wasn't a Burt Reynolds movie?

-Robin was created a year after Batman's debut, as Bill Finger felt that Batman needed someone to talk to as a repository for his exposition- The Watson to Batman's Holmes. He based the name and look off of an N.C. Wyeth depiction of Robin Hood, and made him a young boy, as sort of an Audience Surrogate for the young kids reading. And OH MY GOD was that a good idea- sales EXPLODED, and the entire industry began copying the idea, as a horde of Kid Sidekicks popped up all over the place.

-Like Batman, it wasn't made clear exactly WHEN the Robins "split" and we got an Earth-One version. It wasn't until 1967 that we'd meet a clearly-labed Earth-Two Robin- an ADULT Dick Grayson, sporting the most hideous costume in the entire universe. But at some point in the 1950s, the Dick Grayson we know and love properly started to evolve.

Dick Grayson- Titans Leader:
-Dick and two other Kid Sidekicks joined the Teen Titans in 1964, soon adding two others and having some adventures with excruciatingly-bad attempts at "Teen Dialogue". As this was going on, Batman was remade into a darker, grittier character in the wake of the Adam West Batman series (which saw sales EXPLODE for the comics, but had a negative effect on their perception), and part of Dennis O'Neil & Neal Adams's efforts was to exile the brightly-colored Robin from the book. Robin was thus only sporadically seen in Bat-Books, and there were off-and-on efforts with the Teen Titans. Thus, Robin was more or less freed from the Bat-Editors- this becomes important later.

-The Wolfman/Perez era of the Teen Titans, which came on the tails of the 1970s when Dick was merely a supporting act, is one of my all-time favourite comic book run (hovering between that and Byrne/Claremont's X-Men run from the same era), and yet that's only ONE of the times where Dick Grayson was used at his best. It's kinda hard to define Dick Grayson as the Titans leader, because he was very much the quintessential 1980s comic book team leader: Super-serious, mostly-humorless, deeply attracted to a teammate, a better, more professional fighter than the rest of the team, etc. Dick was sort of the centre of the team, even though he was never the most important character to a crossover it seemed. Gar & Terra were most important to the Terra/Judas Contract run (though Dick had the most panel-time), Raven mattered more to Trigon, Starfire had her own villain in Blackfire, Cyborg had his run when he got a more human body, etc. Oddly (and deliberately), Dick pretty much never even fought one of his Batman enemies during his time as Titans leader, as Wolfman & Perez wanted the kids to matter more in their own right, and not have to deal with their mentors' bad guys kicking around.

-Even without being The Wolverine of the team and having everything revolve around him, he got a ton of hype and praise in this series. He took the entire team on in training with ease, avoiding all their best shots and making them look like clumsy oafs, fought Deathstroke one-on-one and managed to not die in three seconds (though this was WAY before DC decided that Slade needed to be able to beat everyone- back then, it was canon that he was LOSING his capabilities), infiltrated H.I.V.E. and Brother Blood's HQ as a fake member once each, led the team against Trigon, Starfire, Citadel worlds, Deathstroke, Terra's betrayal, and more, all while remaining pretty interesting as a character in his own right, dealing with the fact that the woman he loves was a battle-hardened warrior-princess.

Dick and Kori:
Dick and Kori were great fun- her passionate, outgoing nature played well off of his more refined, thought-out approach to everything, and they were contrasted by his taking great care in battle, while she was a savage warrior who often shot to kill. And when Kori was endangered by the agents of The Citadel, Nightwing actually grabbed a laser gun and KILLED. Dozens of Gordanians were gunned down in one of his rampages- something the Editors had to defend when fans wrote in, upset. In the defense of Wolfman... this was a war. A TRUE battlefield. And Dick's just a normal guy- no more options to take down such a large group of people were available to him. Plus, the woman he loved was nearly killed. You're entitled to go a bit Action Hero in these situations.

The Bat-Editors Come Calling:
-The Bat-Editors really didn't want much to do with Dick when they were going out of their way to make Batman dark and scary... but when The Teen Titans became an industry-defining giant in sales, SUDDENLY they got a bug up their butt about other writers being able to control him. In some ways, I can see it- Batman is this moody, gritty, street-level character... and his Kid Sidekick is now engaged to an orange-skinned Space Princess? In any case, the sales for the Titans' book were so great that Wolfman was able to thumb his nose at the Bat-Editors and do as he pleased. Unfortunately... those sales didn't last. The Titans book began fading in the early '90s, and eventually Dick would be taken back and the freedom of Titans writers was GONE. Dick & Kori got screwed around with one too many times and broke up for good. Suddenly, the old-school flirtation with Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon became Dick's One True Relationship... except by this point, Happy Relationships Were Evil, and he was stuck dating basically whomever.

-In any case, by the 1990s, Dick was tied up in Nightwing, doing Bat-Events every year or so. A lot of work was done to give a new town, Bludhaven, some depth, and his Rogues Gallery expanded. The book had some nifty art by Scott McDaniel and a distinctive feel... but eventually all of that work was thrown in the garbage when the city was wiped out by Chemo during Infinite Crisis. Dick was actually supposed to BE KILLED during that event, but a revolt of DC's creative staff convinced Editor In Chief Dan DiDio not to go through with his plan after all. This unfortunately led to a bunch of nothing for Dick, as they had to scramble to invent plans for him. After a while, he temporarily took over the role of Batman when Bruce was "killed", but this was short-lived.

The New 52:
-Dick in The New 52 was reimagined as 19 years old (in a REALLY dumb, awkward decision that crammed together all the Robins in continuity, because there'd been like five already), and was kind of doing a super-spy thing. Grayson was actually one of the most well-thought-of New 52 comics out there. This would last a few years, before he ended up back as Nightwing, leading a new Titans squad. His thing with Barbara was KIND OF treated like a "meant to be" thing... except Bat-Editors are notoriously unable to keep any couple together, and so they Kitty/Colossussed the whole thing eons ago, to the point where fans barely care. I mean, her entirely critically-adored run as "The Batgirl of Burnside" had her with some black guy who never got any characterization in that book at all (seriously, they may as well have named him Diversity Hire).

The Ultimate DC Character:
-But hell, Grayson works well in nearly any book. He grew out of being Robin decades ago, and once he finally got a solo book, Nightwing (a name given to him by Wolfman, in fact) was quite successful. But the way he plays off of Bruce Wayne & the rest of the Bat Family is everything... the weird father/son dynamic (they had a nice talk during the wedding of Donna Troy & Terry Long about why Bruce never adopted Dick like he was planning to do with Jason), plus how Dick's an older-brother figure for Tim Drake, etc. His mutual attraction to The Huntress, his REAL relationship with Barbara Gordon, and even the way every lady in the DCU wants to jump his bones (a fact reflected in DC's female fanbase). Robin/Nightwing/Batman stands as sort of a beacon that Bruce Wayne isn't a TOTAL ass-munch, because after all, he's responsible for raising one of the best heroes out there.

Nightwing's Stats:
-Dick stats up more like a Mini-Batman who is nonetheless more acrobatic- his Initiative & Agility are higher, as is his Acrobatics Skill, and he packs Ultimate & Skill Mastery for the latter also. At a full PL 10 defensively, Dick is the hardest Titans character to hit aside from possibly Wally going at full speed. Generally speaking, Dick has a hard time with anyone who can beat or equalize Bruce, but he can still hold his own. With his Escrima Sticks, he makes PL 9.5 on offense, being an accurate but less-damaging Titan. It's well-established in the books that he is EASILY the best fighter of the group, and can fight anyone on the squad on a pretty even keel, despite his lack of super-powers.

-As Nightwing, Dick gains quite a bit of talent, especially with his athleticism, Escrima Sticks, and Defenses. To formulate a DCU Nightwing, I'd probably just add Leadership and maybe some extra Equipment to the menu. Nightwing stacks up fairly well against my Daredevil build, actually, and they're an interesting study in contrasts. Nightwing is a fair bit more Skilled (he's more of a Detective than DD), has a few more Combat Advantages, and 12 points of Equipment, making him more expensive (especially considering DD spends 17 points on Sensory Powers unrelated to most combat). Combat-wise, they pair up pretty well, and a fight between them is probably quite even. That makes sense to me- Dick is the son of BATMAN, so of course he's fairly pricey, but he wasn't Bruce's equal yet, and the Animated Batman was a bit weaker than Comics Batman, allowing Comics Daredevil to overtake him.




NIGHTWING (Dick Grayson, aka Robin II, Batman III)- Mid-'80s
Created By: Bob Kane, Bill Finger & Jerry Robinson
First Appearance: Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
Role: The Sidekick, The Comic Relief (to Batman), The Bristling Sidekick, Stoic Leader Guy (to The Titans)
Group Affiliations: Batman & Robin, The Teen Titans
PL 9 (191)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 10 (+17)
Athletics 10 (+13)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+15)
Deception 7 (+11)
Expertise (Streetwise) 7 (+11)
Expertise (History) 2 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+6)
Insight 6 (+10)
Intimidation 1 (+5)
Investigation 8 (+12)
Perception 8 (+12)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Wing-Dings) 4 (+13)
Stealth 6 (+13)
Technology 3 (+7)
Treatment 1 (+5)
Vehicles 7 (+11)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Equipment 12 (Bat-cycle, Utility Belt), Evasion, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Grab Finesse, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Wing-Dings), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 1 (Various), Leadership, Luck, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up 2, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics), Takedown 2, Teamwork, Tracking, Ultimate Acrobatics Skill, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
"Bat-cycle" Motorcycle (Medium, Strength 1, Speed 6- 120 mph, Defense 10, Toughness 8, Remote Control (11)

"Utility Belt"
Camera, CommLink, Audio Recorder, Handcuffs, Binoculars, Mini-Tracer, Night Vision Goggles, Flashlight, Gas Mask, Multi-Tool, Rebreather, Cutting Torch (12)
"Grapple Gun" Movement 1 (Swinging) (2)

"Choking Gas" Affliction 6 (Fort; Dazed & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cloud +2, Ranged, Extra Condition) (Diminished Range -1) (29) -- (32)

• AE: "Wing-Dings" Blast 3 (Feats: Homing, Ricochet) (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range -1) (10)
• AE: "Smoke Pellets" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Extras: Attack, Area- 30ft. Cloud +2) (10)
• AE: "Escrima Sticks" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split) (2)

-- (57 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +16 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Escrima Sticks +15 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Wing-Dings +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Choking Gas +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +11

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Will +10

Complications:
Motivation (Justice)- When Dick Grayson lost his parents, he became as lionized against crime as Bruce Wayne.
Responsibility (Gotham City, Bludhaven)- Dick considers himself Gotham & Bludhaven's protector.
Responsibility (Socializing Bruce)- Alongside Alfred, Dick is the "normalizing" influence in Bruce Wayne's life. Without them, he is dangerously close to permanent brooding & introspection. He's there to help Bruce crack a smile once in a while.
Responsibility (The Memory of John & Mary Grayson, Parents)- Bruce occasionally seems himself in the shadow of his wealthy, honourable parents.
Relationship (Barbara Gordon)- Dick & Barbara engage in some light or serious flirtation.
Enemy (The Joker, The Pengiun, etc.)- All of Batman's Rogues also want Nightwing dead.
Reputation (Lawless Vigilante)- Batman is generally more frightening to the people of Gotham, but what Robin/Nightwing does is still technically illegal.
Rivalry (Batman)- Though Bruce raised Dick from the age of twelve, Dick is now struggling to make his own way as a hero, and is occasionally twisting under Batman's shadow.
Relationship (Starfire)- Dick & Kory fell in love while they were both Teen Titans, and despite their differences (namely that she was a warrior unafraid of killing, while Dick was strongly motivated to protect all life), nearly married. Because this is comics, they eventually broke up, and the relationship is generally only paid lip service these days.
Relationship (Barbara Gordon)- Oracle was once a teen crush of Dick's, but as they grew older, they matured into one of those "kinda/kinda not" relationships most Bat-people have.
Relationship (The Titans)- Dick grew up with Aqualad, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash & Speedy, but also thinks of Cyborg, Changeling & Raven as siblings. As the leader, he had to be the responsible, brooding, intense one, and took himself very seriously as a result. They remain his dearest friends.
Responsibility (So Very Handsome...)- Despite not really using it like the Advantage "Attractive", Dick is very, very good-looking. This draws him a lot of attention from the female super-crowd, which he usually has to deal with. He's had near-stalkers (Bette "Flamebird" Kane), bad girls (The Huntress, Tarantula, probably a bunch of other) and more.

Total: Abilities: 82 / Skills: 90--45 / Advantages: 48 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 16 (191)

-The Nightwing of the 1980s was a bit lower-tier, not operating solo as much as Dick did by the '90s & 2000s, where he came into his own in his Bludhaven-based solo book. As Titans Leader, he's ALMOST as good, but still only PL 9 all over.



ROBIN II (Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing, Batman III)- Young Sidekick
Created By: Bob Kane, Bill Finger & Jerry Robinson
First Appearance: Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
Role: The Sidekick, The Comic Relief (to Batman)
Group Affiliations: Batman & Robin, The Teen Titans
PL 8 (157)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 9 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 6 (+9)
Expertise (Streetwise) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+5)
Insight 5 (+8)
Investigation 6 (+9)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Batarangs) 4 (+11)
Stealth 8 (+14)
Technology 6 (+12)
Treatment 1 (+5)
Vehicles 9 (+13)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 9 (Utility Belt), Evasion, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Grab Finesse, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Batarangs), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Luck, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 3, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics), Takedown, Teamwork, Tracking, Ultimate Acrobatics Skill, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Hits Hard For a Kid" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Equipment:
"Utility Belt"
Camera, CommLink, Audio Recorder, Handcuffs, Binoculars, Mini-Tracer, Night Vision Goggles, Flashlight, Gas Mask, Multi-Tool, Rebreather, Cutting Torch (12)
"Grapple Gun" Movement 1 (Swinging) (2)

"Choking Gas" Affliction 6 (Fort; Dazed & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cloud +2, Ranged, Extra Condition) (Diminished Range -1) (29) -- (32)

• AE: "Batarangs" Blast 3 (Feats: Homing, Ricochet) (Extras: Multiattack) (Diminished Range -1) (10)
• AE: "Smoke Pellets" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Extras: Attack, Area- 30ft. Cloud +2) (10)

-- (45 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Batarangs +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Choking Gas +6 Area (+6 Affliction, DC 16)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +4, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Justice)- When Dick Grayson lost his parents, he became as lionized against crime as Bruce Wayne.
Responsibility (Gotham City)- Dick considers himself Gotham's protector.
Responsibility (Socializing Bruce)- Alongside Alfred, Dick is the "normalizing" influence in Bruce Wayne's life. Without them, he is dangerously close to permanent brooding & introspection. He's there to help Bruce crack a smile once in a while.
Responsibility (The Memory of John & Mary Grayson, Parents)- Bruce occasionally seems himself in the shadow of his wealthy, honourable parents.
Relationship (Barbara Gordon)- Dick & Barbara engage in some light or serious flirtation.
Enemy (The Joker, The Pengiun, etc.)- All of Batman's Rogues also want Robin dead.
Reputation (Lawless Vigilante)- Batman is generally more frightening to the people of Gotham, but what Robin/Nightwing does is still technically illegal.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 80--40 / Advantages: 36 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 16 (157)

-A young Robin as Sidekick to Batman is probably the best of the Kid Sidekicks in his youth, being PL 7 on offense, PL 8 on defense. Despite being really small, he's exceptionally hard to hit.

[Ares]

The Bat-Editors Come Calling:
-The Bat-Editors really didn't want much to do with Dick when they were going out of their way to make Batman dark and scary... but when The Teen Titans became an industry-defining giant in sales, SUDDENLY they got a bug up their butt about other writers being able to control him. In some ways, I can see it- Batman is this moody, gritty, street-level character... and his Kid Sidekick is now engaged to an orange-skinned Space Princess?

Ironically enough, at the same time, Batman had just quit his long standing membership in the Justice League (the team he was a founding member of which fought off a giant alien starfish in its first appearance), to form the Outsiders, a team involving a samurai with a magic, soul-eating sword, an element man who looked like the paint section of a hardware store exploded, and a dead woman's corpse being animated by the soul of an alien cosmic entity that had rainbow powers.

"We need to get Nightwing back! We can't have Batman's sidekick dating an alien princess! It makes Batman unrelatable as a grim creature of the night!"

"Didn't Batman just have a team up with Superman, one of his best friends who's an alien demigod? Wasn't he just fighting a guy in power armor and an ice gun? Isn't one of his love interests the daughter of a near-immortal James Bond villain?"

"What's your point?"

Not knocking you, just that it'd be extremely silly for the Bat Editorial to get that particular bug up their butts about Nightwing, when its far more likely they were just pissed that someone had taken one of their discarded toys and used it way better than they had, and now they wanted it back.

[Ares]

As for Nightwing himself, he's definitely one of DC's best characters, which shows why putting someone like Dan DiDio who was so eager to kill him off was such a dumb move.

In his own way, Nightwing is probably overall the best leader in DC, being a rival to guys like Captain America. He's got the tactical skills to rival Batman, but he's also got the interpersonal skills of someone like Superman, allowing him to help juggle the team dynamics better to some extent and not be a jerk. On the flip side, since Dick is such an emotional creature, he struggles to remain stoic the way Steve, Clark or Bruce can, so when he suffers moments of doubt he can let the entire team crumble around him. He really works best with a family unit, because while he shoulders the weight 90% of the time, the rest will back him up that 10% when he needs it. Having people like Donna and Kory especially helped him in that regard.

It was also nice to occasionally have moments where Dick would show that he has grown up and can order other heroes around. While I prefer him as a Titan, his stint on the Justice League where he was leading guys like Green Lantern worked for me. And there was a nice moment in Devin Grayson's Titan's run where Superman was hanging around the Titans, and Dick just point blank told Superman to quit hanging around because he was ultimately just distracting the new team. That the new team had to gel on their own, and Superman being overprotective of them was doing more harm than help. And after watching the team take care of itself, Superman just smiled and left.

I've gone on record as saying that I vastly prefer the Dick/Kory pairing, and I stand by that. To me, pairing up Dick and Barbara was just the Bat Editors trying to close off all ties to the Titans and cement Dick as a Bat character. The amount of retconning they needed to do, they way the had to present things to make Barbara more sympathetic and appealing than Kory, it just made nobody look good. It just felt so incredibly forced, like this alien girl was standing in the way of One True Love that previously had been, at best, standard comic banter and flirtation.

Granted, pairing up Dick and Barbara is still less weird than Paul Dini continually trying to hook up Bruce and Barbara. That's just . . . ew.

I'm probably in the minority, but I also prefer Dick's two-toned blue outfit with the yellow highlights to the black and blue one. It seemed like a good way to step up his game without fully embracing Batman. It could definitely use a re-design, but still, my preference.

And I love that as much as Kory was eye candy for guys (and some girls), Dick was eye candy for girls (and some guys). Nothing wrong with fanservice as long as its equal opportunity.

As for how I'd ideally see a "peak of his career" Nightwing, I'd definitely go with Dick being faster and a better acrobatic than Bruce, as well as a better leader. Fighting skill wise I'd have the two be roughly on par with each other, because at this point I feel Dick has earned that kind of capability. I tend to see both of them actually employing a lot of psychology when they fight, with Bruce's being very direct, to the point and having the appearance of exaggerated brutality to inspire fear, while Dick's is very flashy, eye-catching and distracting, making him harder to hit. Batman intimidates, Nightwing distracts with banter. Bruce would be better in terms of detective work and gadgetry, with Tim being Bruce's equal in detective skills and Barbara being Bruce's superior with electronics, but Dick would still be in the top 10 detectives on Earth, and better than 99.9% of other superheroes.

There was actually a nice moment in an Eclipso crossover where Superman needed help tracking someone down, and Batman was unavailable for some reason, so Bruce went to Dick instead.

So yeah, Dick Grayson's a great character, someone who should genuinely feel more connected to the rest of the DCU. You could easily see him being everyone's best friend, sort of like a Spider-Man who wasn't constantly sabotaging himself. And honestly, a Nightwing Team-Up book wouldn't be bad.

[Ken]

The Roster:
Silver Age Updates:
Lilith Clay
G'narrk the Caveman
Thunder & Lightning
Bumblebee
Mal Duncan/Herald
Hawk & Dove (I & II)
Starfire/Red Star
Aquagirl
Flamebird
Golden Eagle
Joker's Daughter
-- (uninteresting supporting characters who were mostly ignored)

The Peak Era Relaunch:
Cyborg
Raven
Starfire
Changeling/Beast Boy
-- (the iconic characters introduced for the series' peak for years)

Bronze Age Updates:
Terra
Jericho
Kole
Robin II (Jason Todd)
Protector
-- (some notable new characters. Todd & Protector were just one-shots)

Thunder & Lightning were part of the Bronze Age updates. As was the 2nd Dove.
Flamebird was, once upon a time, the first Bat-Girl. Before the Crisis.

[Ken]

The Original Robin:
-It's kinda funny that such a great character could be created out of the IDIOTIC idea that an adult crimefighter would throw a pair of tights on a pre-teen and have him fight dangerous criminals. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a Cop running around with a kid dressed as a Teen Cop, with his own little gun & badge? That wasn't a Burt Reynolds movie?

1940 was a different time. Required education stopped at the 8th grade. There were teenagers in the workforce. No, a 15 year old couldn't become a cop, because he wouldn't have the education. But a 15 year-old working 40 hours a week at the sawmill, or hauling ice for people's iceboxes was not uncommon.

The "teenager" as a social construct didn't exist yet. Teenagers were older kids. But they could have adult responsibilities.

The other thing that happened was that around the time Batman was just getting started, one of DC's competitors released a character that would lead that company to become DC's biggest publishing rival of the era. Marvel.

No. Not Timely Comics that would become Marvel Comics in the 1960s.

Captain Marvel. When Fawcett created Captain Marvel they became the second biggest comic book publisher after DC. Fawcett's top dog, Captain Marvel, outsold Superman and Batman. It was only because Bulletman, Ibis, Spy Smasher, et al. could never reach Captain Marvel's heights that DC stayed #1.

And Captain Marvel had a very, very important aspect to him that made him sell well: Billy Batson.

Comic book super heroes were aimed at kids. Mostly boys. And Captain Marvel had this kid for whom it was easy for the audience to relate.

And the industry noticed.

Jimmy Olsen became more prominent in Superman. Batman gained the character find of 1940. The Human Torch would get Toro. The Blue beetle got Sparky. Green Mask got Domino. The Black Terror got Tim (the Terror Twin).

If it was just to have someone to talk to... Crimson Avenger had Wing. Firebrand had Slugger Dunn. Plastic Man had Woozy Winks.

In theory, in those pre-Robin, pre-Alfred days, Bruce Wayne could have gotten a butler/chauffeur, probably Asian, who would've also been Batman's aide, if it was just giving Batman someone to talk to. It worked for Green Hornet. But they didn't. They opted for an adventuresome kid. Because sales trends for super hero strips said adventuresome kids in the strips led to better sales.