Warning! Spoilers ahead for Nightwing #128!The most terrifying version ofNightwingcomes back with a vengeance as all hell breaks loose in the hero’s life. Titans Tower is facing a Fifth Dimensional event and Dick Grayson has no choice but to face the madness head-on. Unfortunately, that means also facing someone from the past no fan thought they’d ever see again.
InNightwing #128by Dan Watters and Dexter Soy,Nightwing’s impish fanboy Nite-Miteis losing control of himself, and he’s taken over Titans Tower. Dick braves the chaos and heads inside in search of Nite-Mite to see what’s going on with him. However, it isn’t long before Nightwing is attacked by his old villainous doppelgänger, Deathwing.
Nightwing recognizes that Deathwing is an illusioncreated by Nite-Mite andeffortlessly beats him. Unfortunately, the Tower has multiple Deathwingswho attempt to rip Nightwing to shreds. Dick is saved from the swarmby the original Nightwing, Van-Zee, who informs Dick that the Deathwings were meant to act like white blood cells for Nite-Mite’s metaphysical plane.
Nightwing’s Evil Counterpart Returns as Fifth Dimensional Army
Deathwing Lives Again in Nite-Mite’s Strange Imagination
Originally, Deathwing was introduced as a version of Dick from an alternate timeline. This version of Nightwing traveled back in time where his mind was corrupted by Raven, turning him into the villainous Deathwing. It was later revealed that Deathwing was a sleeper agent working for Time Trapper that had false memories (and thathe wasn’t actually a Nightwing variant).
It should be noted that Deathwing here isn’t actually real, but rather, a figment made up by Nite-Mite, who is as obsessive over Grayson as Bat-Mite is over Batman. But as Van-Zee points out,the Deathwings serve a purpose in Nite-Mite’s realm, namely being the attack dogs that keep it safe from outside threats.
Deathwing Gets a Much Better Role in the DC Universe
A Disturbing Piece of Nightwing’s Past is Put to Better Use
Deathwing was a monster who did terrible things when he was around. But Nite-Mite loves all of Nightwing’s history, and it seems like he believes his brutality is best put to use defending his imaginary landscape. Granted, this isn’t really Deathwing, but it’s a far better use of the character than what previous stories did with him.
Nite-Mite honors all of Nightwing’s history, even the not-so-great parts. While Deathwing is a part most would be happy to forget, Nite-Mite sees enough value in him to at least use his ferocity to his advantage in his overactive imagination. Hopefully, that’s all fans will be seeing of Nightwing’s dark counterpart in Nite-Mite’s overactive imagination.
