Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Nightwing Annual 2022 #1
One of Nightwing's most personal and terrifying foes has been a part of life for years, and Dick Grayson has no idea. As seen in the new annual issue of Nightwing, the secret history of Blüdhaven's newest villain Heartless has been revealed, confirmed to be a truly disturbing foe whose origins are secretly tied with Grayson's. Horribly, the worst night of Nightwing's life was one of Heartless' best.
Having come to Blüdhaven in the first few issues of DC's newest era of Nightwing, Heartless debuted as a truly dark foe who rips out the hearts of his victims in order to add them to his frighteningly large collection. Most recently, the masked foe was seen in the aftermath of Blockbuster's battle with Nightwing, ripping out the crime boss's heart without Dick Grayson's knowledge. Now, his sinister background has finally been revealed.
The new Nightwing Annual 2022 #1 features a collection of stories starring the titular hero, though Tom Taylor and Eduardo Pansica's story is all about Heartless. Coming from a rich family not unlike Bruce Wayne, Shelton Lyle rarely spoke as a child though he's quickly revealed to be quite disturbed. Unfortunately, the Lyle Family's new butler Gerald encouraged Shelton's behavior (a secret sociopathic killer himself). Additionally, a fateful night at Haley's Circus darkly brought Shelton out of his shell while another boy's life was devastated by the death of his parents: The Flying Graysons.
Heartless and Nightwing Darkly Share Origins
Seeing Dick Grayson losing his parents motivated Shelton's darkness even further while under Gerald's wing. Additionally, the story also confirms that Shelton was the bully Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon stood up to during their first-ever meeting as children. Following Gerald's murder of Shelton's parents and the accidental injuries the boy sustained, Shelton apparently needs a constant supply of hearts to keep living. This results in his transformation into Heartless as an adult where he steals them from the innocents he murders. Having only fought Heartless once, Nightwing doesn't seem to know any of this history nor the dark personal connections the two share.
Aided by his dark mirror to Alfred Pennyworth, Heartless himself is clearly a twisted combination of Nightwing and Batman while also resembling Bruce Wayne's childhood friend-turned-rival Tommy Elliot (aka Hush). The fact that the deaths of the Flying Graysons impacted both Dick and Shelton is incredibly dynamic, proving that Heartless will become one of the most personal and disturbing villains Nightwing has ever faced. Nightwing Annual 2022 #1 is on sale now from DC Comics.