Nightwing #24

Issue Details

Synopsis

BUYER'S REMORSE With the Prankster terrorizing the city of Chicago, Nightwing did not expect that his best hope at stopping it all would be the man who murdered his parents: Tony Zucco.   As Nightwing attempts to rush Zucco to jail, the man shouts from the back of the Wingcycle that Wallace Cole became mayor of Chicago because of two events. The first was a train line that he and his brother William convinced City Hall to un through their old Pilsen neighborhood. When the project's electrical engineer, Harold Loomis, died on Halloween, William took the fall. The chaos that the Prankster is causing isn't because Wallace Cole stole money from the City. It's because he wants payback. The Prankster is Harold Loomis' son. Tony had learned this because he shared a cell with William Cole, who had received a reminder from the boy of the crime he had committed: the same mask that the Prankster wears today. It is no coincidence that the Prankster's crimes are taking place in October. Tonight is Halloween, and the Prankster intends to bring things to a boil tonight.   Meanwhile, Wallace Cole professes his innocence to the man holding Chicago hostage - Oswald Loomis. Angrily, the Prankster explains that the Coles took away what he had loved most and profited from it. So, now he is returning the favor by taking away what was most important to Wallace Cole; the love of Chicago. By going after real corrupt politicians at first, the Prankster established a certain trust with the people of Chicago that he only targeted criminals. So, they would certainly believe him when he accused the mayor of corruption. Blowing up the L-train allowed his people the time they needed to fill old Pilsen station with enough explosives to collapse the south side. Tossing Wallace a remote, he delights in reminding that the only one who can stop the countdown is the man Chicago hates the most. As Wallace runs down the street toward the station, the Prankster fires off a shot, drawing the citizens' attention to the mayor. If the mayor even survives their attempts to get justice by beating him savagely, he may not get to the station in time.   Fortunately, Nightwing arrives in time to protect the Mayor, but as the crowd disperses, the remote is destroyed underfoot. Rushing, Nightwing has Zucco get the mayor away from the blast radius, just as he feels the Prankster hacking into his mask's lenses again. Having learned already, Nightwing activates a kill-switch that lets him see again, but by the time he does, the Prankster is long away. Still, Dick hopes he can get to the station before the explosives detonate, as he is only a block away. Hurrying down into the station, he confirms that the explosion would be massive if it isn't defused, and there may not be time to do that. Hoping to get the train away from a populated area, Dick starts the train and sends it toward the Kinzie Street bridge, where the bridge explodes over the water, preventing any danger to residents.   Despite that success, is attacked by the Prankster just moments after getting to shore. Suddenly, though, he falls away as three shots hit him in the shoulder; three shots from Tony Zucco's gun. Dick is relieved to see that the bullets went clean-through, and Oswald Loomis will survive. Wistfully, Zucco explains that he had only started carrying a gun in the first place because he worried that he'd have to kill Nightwing on this encounter. Instead, he had used it to help the vigilante. As the police arrive on the scene, Nightwing swings away, leaving Zucco and Loomis to face justice. As he is arrested, Zucco never takes credit for saving anyone. All he asks is that someone tell his family that he loves them. Dick watches the police place handcuffs on Zucco, and feels that maybe the thing he had wanted so badly wasn't worth having after all.   Returning to his apartment, Dick receives an excited welcome from Joey, who had thought he might have died outside with Zucco and the Prankster involved, but she senses that seeing the man who killed his parents caught might not have been as satisfying as he thought. She reminds him that though he might not have got exactly what he wanted, coming to Chicago to look for it means that he found a city that he cares about, and a city that cares about him, too. That said, she points out that if he intends to stay much longer, she'll be taking her room back, and he's going to be on the couch.   Elsewhere, Tony Zucco receives a visit from a man who suggests that his employers can help Tony beat the rap for the Flying Graysons' murder. Tony insists that he wants to take responsibility, to set a good example for his son. The man reveals, though, that Tony's wife and son have left him, which means that there is nothing to hope for if he goes to prison.   Meanwhile, Maxwell Morgan calls up Michael Pearson to warn that vigilantes like Nightwing cannot be allowed to exist in Chicago. Michael is not so sure, reminding that past vigilantes like Aether and Ghostwalker made a real difference to the city. He had been a big fan of Ghostwalker's until things went wrong. Coldly, Maxwell warns that there are no heroes anymore, and for Chicago's sake they must make sure it stays that way by any means necessary. Unbeknownst to Michael, though, Maxwell Morgan once was Ghostwalker.