Is Nightwing The Father of Starfire’s New Daughter, Mandy?

Though DC has been hesitant to reference it recently, Nightwing and Starfire are a fan-favorite couple. Ever since the pair met, they have shared undeniable chemistry that has made their romance compelling to follow. What remains unknown, however, is whether DC Comics has any plans for the pair going forward. Though it’s difficult to say, the parentage of Starfire’s alternate universe daughter, Mandy, in the upcoming graphic novel I Am Not Starfire could offer fans a glimpse at whether DC has any plans for the Teen Titans’ most famous couple.

None of the released plot summaries for I Am Not Starfire give readers much of a hint as to who exactly Mandy’s father is. Reading between the lines though, there are a handful of things that stick out. No father is mentioned in the released solicitation, and given that the book focuses on how distant Mandy is from her mother, readers can assume that her father is no longer in her life. That could mean he is either dead or a deadbeat, neither of which points toward Dick Grayson as Mandy’s father. Though not impossible, It would be wildly out of character for Dick to abandon Starfire and his daughter. Death might be a plausible explanation for Dick’s absence but the summary specifically states that Mandy is always asked about Starfire’s adventures with the Titans. If Dick was her father and had died, one would expect Mandy to get just as many questions about Nightwing as she did about Starfire.

Of course, none of this completely rules Dick out as the father. This is an alternate universe so he could be acting out of character. It’s conceivable that Starfire never revealed Mandy’s true parentage to anyone, including Mandy and Dick, meaning that neither would know their connection. If she isn’t Nightwing’s daughter, then it’s unlikely her father is anyone comic readers would recognize, as Starfire has few love interests outside of the Teen Titans’ leader.

Regardless of Mandy’s true heritage though, she wouldn’t be Nightwing and Starfire’s first alternate universe daughter. The dark future referenced by Brandon Routh’s Superman, Kingdom Come, introduced readers to Mar’i Grayson, Nightstar. That character had a strained relationship with her father and ended up marrying a version of Damian Wayne.

In the main DC Universe, Dick and Koriand’r haven’t had much to do with each other ever since the poorly received New 52 reboot. However, that seems to have changed course with the New Teen Titan’s reintroduction to the DC Universe. Now that they’re on the same team together again readers can only wait and hope that their romance is rekindled. Still, readers might want to first look at Mandy as the canary in the coal mine for Nightwing and Starfire.

About The Author

Evan Mullicane
(362 Articles Published)

Evan D. Mullicane is an editor, critic, and author based out of California’s Bay Area. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University in 2016. In his free time, he enjoys reading graphic novels and writing fantasy.

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