Warning! Spoilers ahead for Nightwing #128!History collides forNightwingwhen the hero meets a real blast from the past. A Fifth Dimensional event has taken over Titans Tower and Dick Grayson is diving in, headfirst. Butnothing can prepare Nightwingwhen he comes face-to-face with the very first person to ever use his heroic moniker in the DC Universe.
InNightwing #128by Dan Watters and Dexter Soy, Titans Tower hasbeen overtaken by Nite-Mite’soveractive imagination, so Dick braves the chaos and heads inside to stop him. Inside, however, the Tower is overrun bypieces of Nightwing’s history. Dick even meets Van-Zee,the original Nightwing who once protected the city of Kandor.
The two Nightwings discuss the situation and come to the conclusion that Van-Zee might not be real, but he agrees to help Dick put an end to Nite-Mite’s fantasy. The two venture to the top of the Tower to find Oracle, but Van-Zee suddenly betrays Dick, trapping Nightwing in a room with a monstrous version of Dick’s dog, Haley.
DC Brings the First Nightwing Back to Continuity
And He’s Just Made a Move to Kill Dick Grayson
While Dick is the Nightwing most comic book fans know, the heroic identity existed well before Grayson ever adopted it. Nightwing was originally a superhero identity used by Superman when he and Jimmy Olsen traveled to the bottled city of Kandor. The identity was later adopted by Kandorian resident Van-Zee who served as Nightwing until being erased from continuity.
The Man of Steel became DC’s first Nightwing inSuperman #128!
Though Kandor residents have made their way out of the bottled city, this version of Van-Zee appears to have been imagined by Nite-Mite as part of his immersive experience. But what is real is the original Nightwing’s unexpected betrayal. While Nightwing’s been in tough situations before, he’s facing a real uphill battle if his Kryptonian forerunner wants Dick dead.
Can Nightwing Defeat His Kryptonian Namesake?
Imaginary or Not, Dick is Facing a Big Obstacle
Nightwing already has enough on his plate trying to contain Nite-Mite’s out-of-control fantasy. But now a hero who has all the powers of Superman wants Dick out of the picture in order to preserve Nite-Mite’s weird world. It doesn’t matter if Van-Zee is the genuine article or not. He’s strong, sly, and not going to letNightwingend Van-Zee’s existence.
