Warning: spoilers for Future State: Gotham #12 are ahead.

A new phase in Nightwing's life is right around the corner, but what he's about to become could be something no one in the Bat-Family is prepared for in DC Comics. The dark timeline of Future State: Gotham has seen Batman's allies desperately try to fight against the dystopian nightmare Gotham has become, with everyone pushing themselves to their limits. Dire days may be coming for Dick Grayson after his recent acquisition and consumption of the drug Pure Brane.

Future State: Gotham by Dennis Culver and Giannis Milonogiannis showcases the potential timeline established in DC Comic's Future State event. Gotham has been taken over by a fascist force called the Magistrate and Bruce Wayne's Batman is nowhere to be found. His former allies fight against the Magistrate's forces and a new slew of villains such as the Next Joker. To get an edge in combat, Dick Grayson has begun micro-dosing a new street drug known as Pure Brane to enhance his intellectual prowess. But the decision to do so is not going to be without consequences.

Related: The Future of Batman's Son Damian Wayne is Finally Being Teased By DC

A recently announced solicitation for Future State: Gotham #12 mentions, among other things, "Nightwing becomes something…new?" which is likely a reference to his abuse of the designer drug. Grayson was warned by Talia al Ghul that the Pure Brane drug was derived from Venom, the drug that enhances Bane's physical form. Pure Brane, however, only affects the mind leading to greater intelligence. But Talia was less concerned about Dick's safety and more worried for her son, Damian, and wanted to help Dick increase his consumption of Pure Brane in order to develop psychic powers so he could find him. In helping Nightwing achieve a new level of power, she may have inadvertently turned Dick into something disastrous.

Future State Nightwing and Talia talk

Being derived from Venom, the potential side effects of Pure Brane should be taken seriously. While Talia's plan to help Dick gain psychic powers comes from a good place, the idea is, at best, grossly negligent. Bane's abuse of Venom turned him into an uncontrollable monster that crippled Batman. And while he has periodically been able to quit Venom, the pain that came from going cold turkey prevented Bane from staying away from the drug for any considerable length of time.

At the very least, Dick is willingly subjecting himself to a dependency on a dangerous chemical in order to get an edge; already showing how Nightwing is changing in this dark future. And the possible psychic powers Grayson is about receive from Pure Brane may temporarily assist Nightwing and his team in their fight against the nightmare world they have found themselves in. But Dick may wind up losing himself in a cycle of addiction to drugs and power. As the members of the Bat-Family continue their struggle against a dystopian Gotham, Nightwing's potential new powers may make things worse before making them better.

Next: Nightwing Was Red Hood's Hero Years Before They Each Met Bruce