Dick Grayson's talent for manipulation literally brings the world to its knees.
My absolute favorite trait about Dick aside from his craziness is his ability to control every single person in existence. The best part is, he's so clever in the way that he does it that people almost never notice.
"Oh! Ahh..you're trying to get my DNA sample. You need my spit! Ha! That's such a Dick Grayson thing to do."
Bart knows!! Dick's brilliantly sly okay. Honey catches more flies that vinegar? He takes it so far that breaks he the ceiling with it because by the time he's done, people don't even know they've been manipulated. And if they do, then what can they do about it? He always wins.
With friends and family he does it to make them feel better without being so overt and discomforting them.
Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis
Jon came to him when he was feeling lost and upset and Dick set up the perfect conditions to encourage him and pick him up. He's just so good at doing what he's doing but he does it for all the right reasons.
But the extent Dick can go trick and manipulate someone is off the charts. A virtuoso.
In a Titans comic, Dick literally spent MONTHS acting depressed and weak after Donna, Wally, and Garth were kidnapped to another dimension by a villain just so he could trick the villain into thinking that his career was over and bring him into the same dimension so Dick could take him down.
Teen Titans: The Silver Age TBP 2 Part #1
"Batman taught me how to be a totally convincing actor! So if the only way you could send me here with your ring was if I filled my brain with evil thoughts, I just faked it! My facial expression was pure evil-but my mind remained pure good."
MONTHS.
He planned, pretended, and calculated every single fiber of his own mind and body until the whole world was fooled by his acting. He tricked an interdimensional being who had psychic access. That means he was so extraordinarily manipulative, he can control his own thoughts inside his head to trick someone else. Voldemort's legilimens has nothing on Dick's talent.
Like Bart, sometimes his allies are aware of this like with Selina-
Gotham City Sirens Issue #23
Selina's literally having a mental breakdown trying not to fall for Dick's manipulation and tricks.
But even if they know he's manipulating them, they still are forced to fall for it anyway.
Gotham City Sirens Issue #23
Like a goldilocks mad scientist - he does it just right.
His acting is just so on point that he outschemes the schemer.
When the Crime Syndicate (Superwoman, Ultraman, Owlman, Power ring, etc) arrive on Earth to take it over when Dick is Batman, Dick needs to do something fast. But to make things worse, there's a being that's so powerful, that both the Crime Synidcate and Justice League combined have a snowball's chance in hell of defeating him.
So what does Dick do? He runs the game.
Justice League of America (2006) Issue #52
Justice League of America (2006) Issue #52
"Of course he had a plan the whole time. He's Batman. He always has a plan."
Justice League of America (2006) Issue #52
Justice League of America (2006) Issue #52
And in the end, the Justice League wins and Dick saves the world.
Justice League of America (2006) Issue #52
I love how they characterized Owlman as a snake because that would make Dick a mongoose since mongoose eats snakes. And do you know what Mongoose represent in folklore? Action, adventure, boldness, fearlessness, impulsiveness, independence, optimism, rebellion, resistance, resourcefulness, speed, adaptation, agility, quickness, intelligence and wit. All characteristics that define him.
He plays the world like a chessboard, always five steps ahead.
He always has an ace hidden up his sleeve.
His thoughts are always masked behind a disarming smile.
He has mastered the art of manipulation.
And that's while he's outright fighting. His subtlety is just so seductive.
Take a look at the way he smoothly evades answering in this panel -
He's so smooth. She's constantly on the watch but she instantly fell head over heels for his charms in a half a heartbeat, that's just how good he is.
He's a master manipulator who knows exactly what to say and how to act to always end up winning.
It's seriously such a shame that one of his greatest skills and talents isn't talked about more because this man?! Flawless.
He's the spy everyone on TV wishes they could be. He's the type of spy people read about in history books and marvel at the ease, grace, and legendary story he leaves behind. He's the spy that everyone knows and dreams of in their fantasies.
He can just get people to do whatever he wants.
There's a reason why Batman's only contingency plan against Nightwing is "Let's hope he fucks up." Because with his intelligence, skill, power, charisma, and raw talent - he's goddamn unstoppable.
turnnoffyourmind
stormborns
titsay
dailybridgerton
discoholicmusic
prguitarman
germansingergirl
