Summary
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in Absolute Power: Task Force VII #4, Failsafe criticizes Nightwing’s empathy as his greatest weakness, exploiting it in a brutal battle.
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Failsafe’s criticism of Nightwing may reflect Batman’s own judgment, as the android shares Batman’s memories and opinions.
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While Nightwing’s empathy is usually seen as a strength, Failsafe’s attack reveals how it can be manipulated and turned against him.
Warning: Contains potential spoilers for Absolute Power: TASK FORCE VII #4!
DC’s crossover event, Absolute poweris in full swing, bringing forth an epic battle between Nightwing And the bad Batmanfail safe. But blows aren’t the only things in this battle of the Bats, as Failsafe shares a hard-hitting critique of the original Boy Wonder that may very well reveal the truth of Batman’s own judgments about his son.
Usually, Nightwing’s empathy is one of the top traits listed by characters and fans that make him one of the best heroes in the DC Universe.
Absolute power is shaking the foundations of the DC Universe as Amanda Waller, Brainiac Queen and Failsafe wage war against Earth’s meta-human population by deploying a task force of Justice League-inspired, power-stealing Amazo robots to hunt down and imprison the heroes and villains from DC.
In Pornsack Pichechote, Claire Roe and Lee Loughridge’s Absolute Power: Task Force VII #4, Failsafe joins the Amazons in their hero hunting mission, ambushing Nightwing, Miss Martian, Ray, Voodoo and Tim Drake’s Robin. While all five heroes fight valiantly, Dick’s battle against Failsafe is particularly notable, as the Android reveals First Robin’s greatest weakness is his empathy.
DC’s Evil Batman calls Dick Grayson’s empathy his biggest weakness
“The first robin, he is synonymous with leaping before he looks.”
As Failsafe begins to fight Nightwing, the initial internal monologue reveals a couple of interesting insights about Dick: “The first Robin, he’s synonymous with jumping before he looks. Especially when innocents are threatened. A lifetime of training has barely kept that empathy from becoming a liability.” Failsafe’s monologue makes it clear that he views Dick’s empathy as a weakness, a factor he considers in planning his attack. Later in the fight, the Batman knockoff brutally breaks Miss Martian’s arm, leaving shards of bone exposed. This is a calculated move to exploit Dick’s empathy and destabilize the hero.
It is particularly interesting to see Dick’s empathy as his weakness Dick is usually praised in the hero community for his ability to empathize with others. In fact, his empathy is one of the top traits listed by characters and fans alike that makes Nightwing one of the best heroes in the DC Universe. This is exemplified in Tom King’s Nightwing run, which places a heavy emphasis on Dick leading with his heart rather than his fists when combating crime and threats in Bludhaven. Therefore, it is interesting to see Dick’s greatest strength twist into his greatest weakness.
Failsafe’s criticism of Nightwing reflects Batman’s own judgment
Failsafe shares Batman’s memories, personality and opinions, meaning his judgments are a reflection of Bruce’s own.
The revelation about Nightwing becomes even more interesting when considering the true nature of Failsafe: a robot composed of Bruce’s memories, personality and opinions. This means that the android’s criticism of Dick may reflect Batman’s own judgment of his son. However, Bruce has recently undergone significant character growth, as highlighted in Mark Waid’s lead Absolute power Title (Issue #2). The growth resulted in Bruce being extremely proud of his son and the leader he had become. While Batman May have once viewed Nightwing s Empathy as a weakness, his first-hand experience with its power makes it unlikely that he still holds the judgment.
Absolute Power: Task Force VII #4 Available now from DC Comics!
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Absolute Power: TASK FORCE VII #4 (2024) |
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