(Photo courtesy of Jesse Nguyen/Made with Canva) From left to right, Manny Mua, Nightwing 105 by Dan Mora, Rayyan Mirza
Jesse Nguyen
Connector Editor
Nightwing is one of the most popular DC superheroes, but often for superficial reasons, I would say. For those who don’t know, Nightwing, aka Richard John “Dick” Grayson is a charismatic and skilled superhero who was once Batman’s first sidekick, Robin. As a kid, he was a circus acrobat and part of “The Flying Graysons.” After his parents’ murder, he was adopted by Bruce Wayne, and eventually graduated from his Robin position as Nightwing, a name he adopted from a story Superman once told him.
Nightwing, for a long time, has been reduced to his physical appearance. Many comic book artists pay special attention to his physique, more so than other superheroes, and a large part of Nightwings identity created online is about his… defined rear. And canonically, he’s very handsome, and apparently the sexiest vigilante according to the Gotham Times.
Inevitability, he was going to be a popular Halloween costume this year, since thirst trap content is what drives engagement. Twitter/X account @DiscussingFilm announced he was number 12 in popularity. And so of course, social media platforms started filling with cosplayers showing off their Nightwing costumes, whether it be DIY, bought or both.
And here comes the issue. Tiktok user @Rayyanmirza00 uploaded a video of his Nightwing costume, and he’s lipsynching to an audio of Nightwing talking with a remix of “Coming Down” and “Hotline Bling” playing in the background. The top comment on his post is “Wingstop.” Other similar comments are on his video, such as nightmare, midnight wings, night with extra wings, night ate the wings, you get the point.
It’s a pattern I’ve noticed in almost every comment section of Nightwing cosplayers, and to me speaks to how toxic our perception of men and men’s beauty is.
The comments on Mirza’s video are all obviously poking fun at his weight, which Mirza actually handled gracefully, posting a followup video of him eating Wingstop in costume, but it’s saddening how these cosplayers are discouraged to dress up as their favorite heroes if their bodies don’t match. Comic book heroes already have highly unrealistic proportions; normal humans are typically 7-and-a-half heads tall, while comic book heroes are typically drawn with 8-and-a-half or even 9. Not to mention the already exaggerated muscles, wide shoulders and thin waists they have.
What’s more, is most people bashing Mirza are men, with a large majority of women in his comment section finding him attractive. I think this speaks deeper to how men value masculinity and musculature and don’t understand that’s simply not the ideal for some people. There’s also a failure to understand that Nightwing himself is more than just his body. Nightwing canonically has been a victim of sexual assault, so reducing him to his appearance feels even more tacky, and further perpetuates the harmful narrative that men can’t be victims of sexual assault, or if they are it’s treated as a joke.
Another Nightwing cosplay that recently got media attention, is the makeup artist Manny Mua cosplaying him, posting a picture of himself on Twitter/X. Many users on Twitter/X were shocked seeing it, as Manny presents extremely masculine in his Nightwing costume, when he’s usually feminine and flamboyant in his mannerisms and usually wears full face makeup. It is important to note that the character Nightwing is a heterosexual and cisgender man.
And the problem that arose with this cosplay is the discourse of “preference.” A lot gay men on Twitter/X admitted that they only found Mua attractive as Nightwing because, gay men are attracted to men, why would they be attracted to femininity? While I guess this logic makes sense, this creates a problem where masculine presenting men are given preferential treatment and are viewed as more desirable and respectable, because they’re most like their heterosexual counterparts, and it also reduces femininity and masculinity as conditions only accessible to their respective genders.
It’s one thing to have a preference for masculine men, it’s another to put down anyone that isn’t that. In the gay community, masculinity is often uplifted and praised, and anything feminine is put down. Some gay men have internalized homophobia, leading to judgment of other LGBTQ+ individuals and creating terms like “Masc 4 Masc,” but I also believe gay men have some degree of misogyny. It sounds like a stretch, but I do believe this since gay men can struggle with their place within the patriarchy, since they are still men. This can lead to an unconscious upholding of patriarchal systems that oppress women even while gay men themselves experience other forms of discrimination. I see this unconscious upholding in the way some gay men talk to women, often with sassy remarks, the way some gay men police female behaviors and appearances, especially in the context of popstars and celebrities, or even how they can treat women as props for emotional labor while devaluing them in other contexts.
Nightwing is a symbol of hope, leadership, and kindness. This Halloween, however, people have used him as a device to further their biases about people’s bodies and how it’s best to distance yourself from any perceived femininity to prove your own masculinity. It’s quite sad to be honest, but please, just dress up as you want. Halloween is a time for fun.
