Summary
WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Absolute Power #2!
Ever sinceSupermanadmitted thatNightwingwas his favoriteRobin, I’ve cherished any content that highlights their friendship. However, I wasn’t expecting to be completely devastated by anAbsolute Powerissue that delivers one of their most soul-crushing moments in comics. Did it make me cry? Yes. Did I love every second of it? Absolutely.
The image of Nightwing restraining his emotionally shattered idol, mentor, and friend remains one of the most devastating moments in their friendship.
Mark Waid and Dan Mora’s blockbuster crossover event,Absolute Power, stands out as one of my favorite DC stories right now, largely because it brings together all my beloved characters. Yet, the most poignant moment for me is a single-panel interaction between Superman andNightwing inAbsolute Power#2.
Despite its brevity, the emotional impact was immense as I watchedmy favorite Titan hold back a screaming Clark after the Man of Steel sees what horrors Amanda Waller has inflicted on his son.
Nightwing Holding Superman Back As He Screams For His Child Literally Broke Me
For those not up to date withAbsolute Power, Amanda Waller is waging war against DC’s heroes by depowering and capturing them using her power-stealing Amazos. InAbsolute Power#1, Waller specifically targeted the Super-Family, leading to Superman being depowered andJon Kent being captured. The issue ended with a chilling scene of Jon strapped to a blood-soaked metal table, wires and tubing protruding from his body ashe underwent a cybernetic transformation.Absolute Power#2 further reveals the progress of this transformation, featuring Superman seeing his son for the first time since their separation in issue #1.
Seeing Clark’s shock, despair, and anger upon discovering Jon transformed into a cyber monstrosity was enough to bring me to tears, especially when he cried out,“Jon? What has Brainiac Queen done to you?”and tried to reach his son. The moment that truly broke me, though, was whenNightwing, sensing the danger and recognizing Clark’s emotional distress, intervened to hold back the depowered Superman, exclaiming,“Superman, wait—!”The image of Dick Grayson restraining his emotionally shattered idol, mentor, and friend remains one of the most devastating moments in their friendship.
The Bond Between Nightwing & Jon Kent Made This Scene Even More Devastating
What makes this moment even more heart-wrenching for me is Nightwing’s connection to Jon. In Taylor’sNightwingrun, I saw Dick become the friend andmentor to Jon that Superman was to him. I can only imagine Nightwing’s own emotional heartbreak at seeing Jon so utterly broken and transformed. Yet, in that moment, Dick sets aside his own grief and emotions, physically restraining Clark to protect the older hero. This will undoubtedly be one of my favoriteNightwingandSupermanmoments, and I can only hope Waid gives me more of this delicious angst to cry over.
Absolute Power#2is available now from DC Comics.
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
Nightwing
Nightwing is the superhero moniker taken up by Dick Grayson, upon his aging out of the Robin role and becoming a superhero of his own. Inspired by the original Kryptonian hero of the same name, Grayson has risen to comic book immortality with the identity, earning respect as one of the greatest leaders in the DC Universe.
