Gotham Knights is not the first game that Dick Grayson has appeared in, though it is one of the few DC titles that actually allows people to play as him. Those that choose to enter the Court of Owls’ Labyrinth will observe their characters experiencing hallucinations via the gas leaking into the corridors. If a player selected Nightwing for this part, they’ll bear witness to a flashback with the “Flying Graysons” that’s never fully explained in the game.
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Who Were The Flying Graysons?
While the specifics are unknown, the inclusion of the scene in Gotham Knights where Nightwing witnesses the death of his parents, also known as the “Flying Graysons”, confirms that his origin story has remained relatively unchanged. This was already being speculated as the case back in June when fans were treated to Nightwing’s character trailer that showed off his agility and acrobatic training.
This brief video not only details his combat style and customization options but quite a bit about his kit. Nightwing comes equipped with signature items like his escrima sticks and newer additions such as his Flying Trapeze glider, which allows him to fast travel. The name of his transportation is an obvious callback to the “Flying Graysons” moniker, but the references to his past don’t stop there.
Many comic books, television shows, and other mediums have attempted to delve into Nightwing’s past, with some of the more notable depictions coming from Batman: The Animated Series, Teen Titans, and Young Justice. Haly’s Circus is referenced directly in all three of these because it was formerly his home, though he no longer lives with the group.
It’s common lore that Nightwing grew up in the circus where he received acrobatic training from his parents, Mary and John Grayson. His flexibility and acrobatic prowess are displayed throughout Gotham Knights’ gameplay because of this.
The family performed an incredibly popular acrobatics routine under the banner of the “Flying Graysons” for Haly’s traveling circus. Unfortunately, it was a fateful night in Gotham that saw their success come to an end, though it also meant a new beginning for the young Dick Grayson.
Nightwing’s Trauma Explained
In most cases, his parents are brutally murdered by a mobster, Tony Zucco, in a trapeze incident disguised to look like an accident. After Zucco’s sabotage of the cables, the two fall to their demise with their son unable to do anything to help.
In many comics, Bruce Wayne happens to be in the audience that night and ends up adopting the boy as his ward. Bruce usually explains that he saw his younger self in Dick’s place and felt that the young acrobat needed to be able to solve the murder of his parents under his careful supervision. This eventually led to the first partnership between Batman and Robin, though it was far from the last.
As such, Nightwing’s horror at seeing his parents limp on the ground during his hallucination-induced visions at the mercy of the Court of Owls Labyrinth makes quite a bit more sense. His statement of “no, I don’t want to go through this again” as eerie carnival music plays makes the scene that much more heart-breaking for fans of Nightwing.
While Gotham Knights gave no indication of this, in some comic book storylines Dick Grayson purchases Haly’s Circus as it’s going under. This is likely a means of keeping his parents legacy alive and is a nice parallel to Bruce Wayne who also is always doing his best to honor his own parent’s memory. Perhaps future video game iterations of this character, or sequels to Gotham Knights, will allow for something similar to occur.
Gotham Knights is out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
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