Dick Grayson

The first Robin, who grew up to become Nightwing.

Richard John "Dick" Grayson is the first and most popular Robin, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane and introduced in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940). The son of the circus acrobats known as the Flying Graysons, he was adopted by Bruce Wayne and fought beside Batman as the Dynamic Duo. In 1984 he left the Robin role to become the adult hero Nightwing, protector of Blüdhaven, a struggling neighbour of Gotham City. He was a founding member of the Teen Titans in 1964, has led the adult Titans, the Outsiders and the Justice League, and has worn Batman's cowl when Bruce was missing or believed dead. As Bruce's eldest adopted son he is an older brother to the later Robins Jason Todd, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne. Live-action Dick Graysons include Burt Ward, Chris O'Donnell and Brenton Thwaites.

Last updated 2026-10-20 from the source article.

Quick Facts

Real name

Richard John Grayson

Creators

Bill Finger and Bob Kane

First appearance

Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)

Also known as

Robin
Nightwing
Batman

Base of operations

Blüdhaven

Teams

Teen Titans
Titans
Outsiders
Justice League

Facts from the source article.

Robin the Boy Wonder

Dick Grayson first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in 1940, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. He was an eight-year-old circus acrobat and part of the Flying Graysons with his parents. After overhearing gangsters extorting the circus owner, his parents were killed when their trapeze wires were sabotaged with acid. Batman warned him the gangsters worked for crime boss Tony Zucco, and after recounting his own parents' murder, Dick asked to become his aide.

After training, he became Robin, named after Robin Hood, with a costume designed by Jerry Robinson inspired by N. C. Wyeth's illustrations. The name Dick Grayson came from a pulp fiction character and an editor. Together, they disrupted Zucco's operations and captured him. The origin mirrors Batman's, creating a father-son bond.

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Batman and Robin were portrayed as the Dynamic Duo, with Robin appearing in Star-Spangled Comics from 1947 to 1952. The Earth-Two Robin adopted early stories, with his age later changed to 13, and he eventually died in Crisis on Infinite Earths.