WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Nightwing #65, by Dan Jurgens and Ronan Cliquet, on sale now.

Dick Grayson remains one of Batman's longest allies, having fought at the side of the Caped Crusader, in some capacity or another, since the '40s. While Grayson and Wayne have had conflicts over the years due to their crime fighting philosophies and approaches to living life, the two have been loyal companions and brothers-at-arms. Through thick and thin, they remain on the same team.

But all that might change. Dick -- now going as Ric after a bullet left his memories in shambles -- has been on a collision course with the Court of Owls for the last few issues of Nightwing. However, in Nightwing #65, something has finally snapped: Grayson has been broken by the Court of Owls, and will take the mantle of their champion: Talon.

Who is Nightwing's Great-Grandfather, William Cobb?

Nightwing's great-grandfather, William Cobb, has been observing and spying on Grayson for some time. Thanks to Dick pushing away his family -- as seen by him insisting his name is Ric -- Cobb has been able to isolate and spy on the former Boy Wonder for some time. Grayson's family has been tied up with the Court of Owls for generations. In their introductory story, Batman confirms that Grayson was always being trained to be their champion.

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Thanks to Grayson's amnesia, though, he has no idea what the Court of Owls is or what they look like. As such, Cobb has had easy access to "Ric" for some time.

When Cobb finally encounters Grayson in this issue, he challenges Nightwing to a battle, with the intention of bringing him "back into the family." The battle concludes with Grayson on the floor. Cobb, now the victor, forces a pair of glasses on Grayson's face, which will reshape and alter his perception of reality. Presumably, this is all in order to make Nightwing their newest Talon.

Nightwing's Destiny as the Court of Owls' Talon

Fans following Nightwing comics regularly won't find any of the above shocking. It's been known for some time that Grayson will become Talon by issue 67 of Nightwing's solo series. This confirmation seems to indicate the roadmap going forward with Grayson, making it inevitable that he takes up the mantle.

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The Court of Owls sprang onto the scene at the start of the New 52. Due to their secrecy, they managed to take Batman and the Bat Family by surprise. However, after Batman soundly defeated them, they became a relatively minor threat.

However, with Nightwing as their champion, the Court poses a greater threat to Batman than ever before. Dick Grayson is on-par with Batman physically. With the brainwashing he might go through, he could potentially lose any sense of restraint, becoming a life-threatening problem for the Bat. A confrontation between Grayson as Talon and Bruce Wayne becomes increasingly inevitable, which only begs the question of whether or not Dick will come to his senses before he breaks Bruce Wayne apart.

Will these hypnotic glasses manage to overwrite or undo Ric Grayson, allowing Dick to really come back into his own? Only time will tell, and Issue 67 looms ever closer.

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