Dick Grayson is the first Robin, sidekick to Batman. Dick later becomes known as Nightwing.
History
Richard "Dick" Grayson was the son of skilled acrobats John and Mary Grayson; John was also the circus manager. Mary's special nickname for Dick was a "Robin"; when Dick expressed embarrassment, John jokingly renamed him "the flying squirrel". According to the executive producer, Alan Burnett, in one of his interviews, he states that Robin was 14 at the start of his appearance; the same age, his voice actor Evan Sabara was when he voiced Robin for "The Batman."
Tony Zucco (voiced by Mark Hamill) in the episode "A Matter of Family" attempted to extort money out of the Flying Graysons, calling it "protection"; the Batman steps in and arrests one of Zucco's brothers as Dick watches in awe. To "return the favor" of having broken up his crime family, Zucco kills Dick's parents by tampering with their trapeze ropes during a night performance in Gotham. Had the ropes held out longer, Dick would have swung on them and fallen to his death. Bruce Wayne from the audience watches the murder and Dick crying on the trapeze platform.
Robin, as seen in The Batman.
Dick then meets Bruce, who has paid for the Graysons' funeral costs and has decided to adopt Dick as a foster son. Alfred, when Dick notices his guardian's constant absences, lectures Batman (who obsessively searches for Zucco) on being a better father to the boy. Alfred also hangs up a portrait of the Graysons over a fireplace, which Dick sleeps in front of after nightmares keep him awake. This habit leads him to find the Batcave, where he learns that Bruce Wayne is Batman. He also learns that Batman is going after Zucco and insists that he should track the man down. Bruce doesn't even consider the issue, telling Dick to go to bed.
The Batman locates Tony Zucco, but the extortionist catches him off guard and straps him to a knife-throwing board. Dick (dressed in the circus costume he had mocked earlier with modifications) stops Zucco from stabbing Batman in the heart, but lets his temper get the better of him when Zucco asks, "Didn't your parents teach you any manners?" allowing Zucco to beat him down with a juggling bat (similar to a sequence in Robin: Year One, where Two-Face beat up the Boy Wonder with a baseball bat).
Batman breaks free and thoroughly beats Zucco, frightening the man to climb up the trapeze platform and fall out of fear. Dick saves Zucco, saying that he wanted him to get "justice" from the law. Batman, impressed with this ethical code, decides to take on Dick as a partner; Dick, in the memory of his parents, chooses the name "Robin".
Robin becomes The Batman's "official partner" and second sidekick, as well as his guardian's confidante. He and Batgirl initially bicker on their first meeting (he considered her an annoyance and Barbara was jealous of the trust Robin earned that she still hadn't gotten) but have bonded since the two of them and the Batman took down Team Penguin. He and Barbara banter both in and out of costume; she spends New Year's Eve with him and Bruce.
Future
Dick, in accordance with his Pre-Crisis origins, voluntarily steps down as Robin (as opposed to Batman "firing" him) to become Nightwing. He still has a good relationship with Bruce and Barbara, as shown when they both call him "Robin" while fighting Mr. Freeze. Also, within The Batman continuity, he seems to be the only Robin; neither Jason Todd nor Tim Drake succeeds him.
Appearance
Dick has black hair that is worn slicked back when not in costume, and is left messy with two thick strands hanging in his face; he has green eyes that are hidden behind a black and white domino mask. His civilian clothes usually consist of black jeans with a brown short-sleeved button-up shirt and white/black sneakers.
His costume consists of green tights with a red armored vest, which had a black "R" over his left pectoral muscle, over a green short-sleeved shirt, green elbow-length gloves and a black cape that had a yellow interior.
Powers and Abilities
Robin is a skilled acrobat and martial artist, combining his circus history with Bruce's rigorous training.
- Master Acrobat: Excellent in gymnastics and acrobatics.
- Peak Human Conditioning: Through intense training, Robin represents the pinnacle of human physical ability. His physical characteristics are greater than that of even an Olympic level athlete. His strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, durability, senses and coordination are at peak human perfection as possible for one of his age, to improve even further with continued physical and mental growth. Robin engages in intense regular rigorous exercise (including aerobics, weight lifting, gymnastics, and simulated combat) to keep himself in peak condition, and has often defeated opponents whose size, strength, or other powers are much higher than his own.
- Peak Human Strength: He is arguably one of the "strongest" Non-metahumans on Earth. He has been seen punching out opponents that are larger than him and that are nearly invulnerable.
- Peak Human Reflexes: Robin's reflexes are amazing. He can leap large distances and he can dodge point blank projectile fire and has done so many times in the series.
- Peak Human Speed: Robin is shown to be able to run at above average speed.
- Peak Human Endurance: Robin's endurance is greater than any human shown in the series.
- Peak Human Agility: His agility is greater than that of an acrobat. He was raised in an acrobat family known as the "Flying Graysons" and began agility training at the earliest age. He is shown to be able to scale the city buildings.
- Peak Human Durability: Robin has been shown to be able to handle the worst hits and impacts without giving out.
- Peak Human Healing Rate
- Martial Arts Master: Robin is one of the finest human combatants on Earth, his skills honed to such a level even superhumans and armed adversaries can be overpowered by them.
- Master of Stealth: Robin is a master at stealth, capable of breaching high-security facilities with ease, without being detected.
- Expert Marksman: Robin almost never misses a target with his various weapons.
- Master Detective: Robin is an expert detective and logical thinker, able to solve cases before anyone else.
- Master Tactician and Strategist: Robin comes up with excellent strategic plans to expose and defeat criminals, always aiming to "work smarter, not harder."
- Escapologist: Robin is shown to be able to escape even the most elaborate of traps.
Appearances
Robin appears in all the Season 4 and 5's episodes, except for Attack of the Terrible Trio.
Voiced by
- Evan Sabara (English)
- Takashi Onozuka (Japanese)
- Alexis Tomassian (French)
- Davide Garbolino (Italian)
Gallery
Trivia
- Unlike the comics, he was not Batman's first sidekick, he was unfortunately delayed for season 4. Since the design looks too much like Robin in the Teen Titans series.
- Even then they had to wait until the series was cancelled later in that year, since he was only limited to appear in any more shows.