Nightwing's origins are forever changed as a new revelation reveals why his parents were really killed

Warning! There are spoilers for Nightwing #117!

Summary

• Dick Grayson's parents never had to die – Tony Zucco wanted to kill Dick instead.
• This shocking revelation changes Dick's background and gives him a new sense of guilt and anger towards Tony Zucco.
• The twist affects Nightwing's history, giving him a stronger reason to hate Zucco and changing his understanding of his past.

A shocking revelation shakes Nightwing As DC has shown, Nightwing's parents were never meant to die – but Dick Grayson was. One of the main reasons Batman took on young Dick Grayson was because he shared the same tragedy of his parents' death. Now that history is being changed with a shocking twist to decades-old Batman lore.

DC just revealed the bombshell truth about Dick Grayson's origin Nightwing #117 by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo. This story explores the root of Nightwing's fear of jumping, and it's absolutely heartwarming. The big reveal is that all was not as it seemed the night his parents died—Dick had to throw up in front of his parents, that is Tony Zucco was always going to kill Dick Grayson and no his parents.

The tragic night at Haly's Circus saw Nightwing's parents collapse to their deaths right in front of him after their lines were cut, but as Dick himself explains in his confrontation with Tony Zucco, it was never supposed to happen. The murder victim was none other than Dick Grayson himself.

Dick Grayson Should Have Been Killed – Not His Parents

Batman changes history forever

Before Dick Grayson met Bruce Wayne, Haly's Circus had run into some financial trouble when it visited Gotham City. Mobster Tony Zucco threatened the circus with protection money. Of course, the circus refused, and to prove a point, Tony Zucco staged an accident. This resulted in the death of John and Mary Grayson, and their young son, Dick, was completely traumatized. From here, Dick Grayson became Robin and eventually grew into Nightwing. But Dick Grayson unearths a long-buried memory it completely changes the context of tonight.

Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, Dick Grayson debuted as the first Robin in the same story based on the tragic deaths of his parents in the 1940s.
Detective comics
#38.

Dick Grayson recalled that to begin their family trapeze act, Dick first planned to jump. He always jumped first. This simple fact means that John and Mary Grayson should not have died that night because Dick should have been the first to use the slash line.. They changed their routine and went first, causing them to drown. This actually resolves the inconsistency with Dick Grayson's story. If Zucco wanted the circus to pay, there was nothing good about killing the main act. Instead, Zucco intended to kill Dick, the least important member of the act, to encourage the circus to pay this protection money.

This Reveal Changes Everything About Nightwing

How will this twist affect Nightwing moving forward?

Dick Grayson's own memories took a turn for the worse. At first, he believed that his parents were killed in order to return to the circus – this was the brutal violence of an evil criminal. Now he knows it's worse. It wasn't just a brutal act of violence, it was meant for him. Dick Grayson may end up with more guilt issues because he can now directly blame himself for his parents' deaths. Even if he doesn't fall into the trap, Nightwing now there's a stronger reason to hate Tony Zucco.

Nightwing #117 available now from DC Comics!