Flying Graysons

The Flying Graysons are fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They are a family of trapeze artists, whose child Dick is adopted by Bruce Wayne (Batman) and becomes Robin after their deaths.

"John Grayson (comics)" redirects here. For the League of Champions superhero, see John Grayson (Heroic Publishing).

Flying Graysons
The Flying Graysons, as the appeared in Robin (vol. 2) Annual #4 (April 1995), art by Jason Armstrong.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceDetective Comics #38 (April 1940)
Created byBill Finger
Bob Kane
In-story information
Member(s)Dick Grayson
John Grayson
Mary Grayson

The Flying Graysons have been featured in several media adaptions outside of comics, commonly as part of Robin's origin story.

Fictional team history

The Flying Graysons are a group of trapeze artists consisting of father John, mother Mary, and son Dick Grayson.[1] They worked at Haly's Circus and were famed for always working without a net. During a trapeze show, crime boss Tony Zucco sabotaged their trapeze in retaliation for Mr. Haly not paying him protection money, resulting in John and Mary's death.[2] Following the accident, Mr. Haly paid the money he owed to Zucco. Bruce Wayne was at the circus at the time and witnessed the accident. Remembering what had happened to him as a child, he decided to take in the young Dick. Eventually, Bruce officially adopted Dick and, after revealing his identity as the superhero Batman to him, the latter became his sidekick, Robin. Batman and Robin then avenged the latter's parents by bringing Zucco to justice.[3]

In the Bronze Age, a few years after the death of John and Mary Grayson, Haly's Circus created an all-new Flying Graysons, but one of them was a criminal and was captured by Robin.

During the "Blackest Night" storyline, John and Mary Grayson were brought back from death by the Black Lantern rings and attacked Dick, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne.[4]

In issue #82 of Nightwing (vol. 4), it was revealed that, prior from marrying Mary, John had a daughter named Melinda from a brief relationship with Zucco's wife Meili. Melinda later changed her surname from Zucco to Grayson-Lin to honor her true father's memory.

Other versions

In other media

Television
  • The Flying Graysons appear in the Batman: The Animated Series two-part episode "Robin's Reckoning", with John and Mary Grayson voiced by Thomas F. Wilson and Diane Pershing, both uncredited.
  • The Flying Graysons appear in a flashback in the Teen Titans episode "Haunted".
  • The Flying Graysons appear in The Batman episode "A Matter of Family", with John voiced by Kevin Conroy and Mary voiced by Grey DeLisle.
  • A poster of the Flying Graysons appears in the Young Justice episode "Performance".
    • The Flying Graysons appear in a flashback in issue #6 of the tie-in comic. This version of the group also consisted of Richard "Rick" Grayson (John's brother), Rick's wife Karla, and their son John II. While John, Mary, Karla, and John II were killed in the trapeze accident caused by Tony Zucco, Rick survived and was paralyzed from the fall.
  • John and Mary appear in the Gotham episode "The Blind Fortune Teller" with John Grayson portrayed by Rob Gorrie and Mary by Abbi Snee. While John Grayson and the Flying Graysons are the acrobats, Mary started out as Mary Lloyd whose family worked as circus clowns. During a circus show, the Graysons led by John's brother Alphonse Grayson (Slate Holmgren) and the Lloyds led by Mary's uncle Owen Lloyd (Jeremy Bobb) feud over John and Mary's relationship until it is broken up by James Gordon. Owen mentions to Gordon that their feud with the Flying Graysons had started when Alphonse accused Owen's great-grandfather Barry of stealing a horse. After Lila Valeska is found murdered, Alphonse and Owen are the likely suspects. When Jerome Valeska is apprehended as the real culprit, the two families reconcile as John and Mary plan on getting married. They thank Jim Gordon for his help and promise to name their son after him.
  • Hallucinations of the Graysons appear in the Teen Titans Go! episode "Rad Dudes with Bad Tudes", with John voiced by Greg Cipes and Mary by Tara Strong.
  • The ancestors of John Grayson appear in the Legends of Tomorrow episode "Freakshow" as members of P. T. Barnum's traveling circus.
  • The Flying Graysons appear in flashbacks in Titans, with Mary portrayed by April Chodkowski and John by Randolf Hobbs.

Film

The Flying Graysons appear in Batman Forever, with John Grayson portrayed by Larry A. Lee and Mary Grayson by Glory Fioramonti. This version of the group also consisted of Dick's brother Mitch (portrayed by Mitch Gaylord), who was killed by Two-Face alongside his parents.

Video games

Flying Graysons posters appear throughout the games Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Origins.

References
  1. Greenberger, Robert (2008). The Essential Batman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. p. 161. ISBN 9780345501066.
  2. Fleisher, Michael L. (1976). The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume 1: Batman. Macmillan Publishing Co. p. 202. ISBN 0-02-538700-6. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  3. Detective Comics #38. DC Comics.
  4. Blackest Night: Batman #1. DC Comics.
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