Nightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin. The Nightwing persona originates with a Kryptonian vigilante taking the name of the "nightwing", a bird native to the planet Krypton.
Prior to DC's continuity-altering 1985 limited series, Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Nightwing identity was depicted as an invention of Superman's during a time when he and Jimmy Olsen act as vigilantes in the Kryptonian city of Kandor; Superman draws inspiration from his encounters with Batman and Robin. Post-Crisis, the name is attributed to a historic Kryptonian crimefighter; this hero serves as an inspiration for Dick Grayson when he sheds his Robin identity and assumes the name and a new costume. Grayson was featured in an ongoing Nightwing series between 1996 and 2009. The most recent character to assume the name Nightwing is Superman's adoptive son Chris Kent, who - like the original Nightwing - is also Kryptonian.
