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Description
Robin/Nightwing + Hawkeye (Kate Bishop)

Katherine "Kate" Grayson was the daughter of circus owners. As the daughter of the owners, she had free access to the entire circus and all the performers. She was a quick study and learned from them all. She learned archery, swordsmanship, gymnastics both land bound and on the trapeze. She was such a natural talent, she frequently became as good or better than those she trained with. When she was 14, however, her world was shattered. Mysterious ninjas wearing bat-motif ninja-yoroi invaded the circus during a performance. Kate saw them from her perch high in the rafters of the big top, but was unable to stop them from taking her parents. Using her talents Kate quickly swung across the big top and scampered to the ground. She snatched up a bow and quiver, quickly nocked an arrow and let it fly at one of the ninjas. Her nerves were on fire, her adrenaline was pumping, and she swore her shot went wide. But to her surprise an arrow appeared in the back of a fleeing ninja. The ninja fell, erupting into dust, but the rest of the ninjas fled with her parents. Then a powerful man in a dark armored costume, also wielding a bow rushed passed her. It was the urban legend, famous vigilante, the Knighthawk. Knighthawk was unable to stop the bat-ninjas from killing her parents, but he was able to drive them off, dusting several of them, before they could hurt anyone else. Knighthawk tried to keep the young girl from seeing the dead body of her father as cops rushed the scene. Later, Clint Wayne appeared, promising the police that he would take care of the young girl. Stunned and not wanting to leave the circus, Kate resisted, but without the Graysons, no financier showed themselves to save the circus, so there was no place for her to stay anyway. Kate met Clint's wife, Bobbi Lance and was amazed by the luxury the billionaire lived in. But her curiosity was strong, and her skills were stronger, and she eventually discovered that Clint Wayne was Knighthawk and Bobbi Lance was Canary. Eventually, they trained the young woman even harder than the circus performers did, and Kate became their sidekick vigilante, Owlette.

Later, Kate befriended other sidekicks of the Justice League Avengers, and hung out together. Even later, when Nightengale sought aid to prevent Belasgon from allowing the Elder Gods to invade the Earth, Kate joined her and became a founding member of the Young Avengers. She made many close friends, and grew up. Seeking her own identity, or at least an identity not associated with a child sidekick, Kate changed her costume and called herself Strix, a type of owl, in a nod at least to her mentor's nighthawk styled identity. She drew on all her training, including battle staves that Canary taught her to use, a sword from her time in the circus, and of course the bow and arrow.

She later learned that the bat-ninjas that killed her parents were called the Parliament of Moroi, an ancient organization of vampires from central Europe. In a later adventure, Kate learned that her mother was still alive... well, undead... and working with the Moroi. Kate learned that she has a hereditary connection to the Moroi on her mother's side, and knows at some point, she will have to destroy her mother.

Meta Backstory

My original thought for a Young Justice/Teen Titans + Young Avengers amalgam with Nightwing/Robin was with Patriot. But then my Green Lantern/Patriotic Hero amalgam legacy chain started to gain steam. So Then Patriot was going to be amalgamed with Jade. Kate Hawkeye I originally thought I would combine with Artemis Crock. This connection was based on Kate discovering her mother was alive and working with the villains, and of course, Artemis' parents are very much villains. But then... well, Nightwing and Hawkeye became a more likely amalgam (and wasn't just archer amalgamed with an archer). Then I find out that Nightwing had a hereditary connection to the Court of Owls, so that could be the connection. I thought Eleanor Bishop was working with the Temple of the Shifting Sun in West Coast Avengers, so decided that would be the amalgam with the owls. Making them vampires also had the fun synergy of switching the hero to and Owl motif, and the Court to a Bat motif.

I also have to say, this costume is probably far more outlandish than later costumes. It is clearly based on Perez' first Nightwing costume (at least I hope it is) and Kate's first Hawkeye costume. And that costume includes a rather ridiculous long scarf. I think a scarf on a super hero is so much more crazy and impractical than a cape, as it's wrapped around her neck. HOWEVER! It was part of her original costume, so I chose to use it. There you go. I'm sure she'll change it before a bad guy grabs it and strangles her with it!

Amalgams in this Story
Knighthawk (Batman + Hawkeye)
Canary (Mockingbird + Black Canary)
Parliament of Moroi (Court of Owls + the Hand + Temple of the Shifting Sun)
Nightengale (Magik + Raven)

Description
Robin/Nightwing + Hawkeye (Kate Bishop)

Katherine "Kate" Grayson was the daughter of circus owners. As the daughter of the owners, she had free access to the entire circus and all the performers. She was a quick study and learned from them all. She learned archery, swordsmanship, gymnastics both land bound and on the trapeze. She was such a natural talent, she frequently became as good or better than those she trained with. When she was 14, however, her world was shattered. Mysterious ninjas wearing bat-motif ninja-yoroi invaded the circus during a performance. Kate saw them from her perch high in the rafters of the big top, but was unable to stop them from taking her parents. Using her talents Kate quickly swung across the big top and scampered to the ground. She snatched up a bow and quiver, quickly nocked an arrow and let it fly at one of the ninjas. Her nerves were on fire, her adrenaline was pumping, and she swore her shot went wide. But to her surprise an arrow appeared in the back of a fleeing ninja. The ninja fell, erupting into dust, but the rest of the ninjas fled with her parents. Then a powerful man in a dark armored costume, also wielding a bow rushed passed her. It was the urban legend, famous vigilante, the Knighthawk. Knighthawk was unable to stop the bat-ninjas from killing her parents, but he was able to drive them off, dusting several of them, before they could hurt anyone else. Knighthawk tried to keep the young girl from seeing the dead body of her father as cops rushed the scene. Later, Clint Wayne appeared, promising the police that he would take care of the young girl. Stunned and not wanting to leave the circus, Kate resisted, but without the Graysons, no financier showed themselves to save the circus, so there was no place for her to stay anyway. Kate met Clint's wife, Bobbi Lance and was amazed by the luxury the billionaire lived in. But her curiosity was strong, and her skills were stronger, and she eventually discovered that Clint Wayne was Knighthawk and Bobbi Lance was Canary. Eventually, they trained the young woman even harder than the circus performers did, and Kate became their sidekick vigilante, Owlette.

Later, Kate befriended other sidekicks of the Justice League Avengers, and hung out together. Even later, when Nightengale sought aid to prevent Belasgon from allowing the Elder Gods to invade the Earth, Kate joined her and became a founding member of the Young Avengers. She made many close friends, and grew up. Seeking her own identity, or at least an identity not associated with a child sidekick, Kate changed her costume and called herself Strix, a type of owl, in a nod at least to her mentor's nighthawk styled identity. She drew on all her training, including battle staves that Canary taught her to use, a sword from her time in the circus, and of course the bow and arrow.

She later learned that the bat-ninjas that killed her parents were called the Parliament of Moroi, an ancient organization of vampires from central Europe. In a later adventure, Kate learned that her mother was still alive... well, undead... and working with the Moroi. Kate learned that she has a hereditary connection to the Moroi on her mother's side, and knows at some point, she will have to destroy her mother.

Meta Backstory

My original thought for a Young Justice/Teen Titans + Young Avengers amalgam with Nightwing/Robin was with Patriot. But then my Green Lantern/Patriotic Hero amalgam legacy chain started to gain steam. So Then Patriot was going to be amalgamed with Jade. Kate Hawkeye I originally thought I would combine with Artemis Crock. This connection was based on Kate discovering her mother was alive and working with the villains, and of course, Artemis' parents are very much villains. But then... well, Nightwing and Hawkeye became a more likely amalgam (and wasn't just archer amalgamed with an archer). Then I find out that Nightwing had a hereditary connection to the Court of Owls, so that could be the connection. I thought Eleanor Bishop was working with the Temple of the Shifting Sun in West Coast Avengers, so decided that would be the amalgam with the owls. Making them vampires also had the fun synergy of switching the hero to and Owl motif, and the Court to a Bat motif.

I also have to say, this costume is probably far more outlandish than later costumes. It is clearly based on Perez' first Nightwing costume (at least I hope it is) and Kate's first Hawkeye costume. And that costume includes a rather ridiculous long scarf. I think a scarf on a super hero is so much more crazy and impractical than a cape, as it's wrapped around her neck. HOWEVER! It was part of her original costume, so I chose to use it. There you go. I'm sure she'll change it before a bad guy grabs it and strangles her with it!

Amalgams in this Story
Knighthawk (Batman + Hawkeye)
Canary (Mockingbird + Black Canary)
Parliament of Moroi (Court of Owls + the Hand + Temple of the Shifting Sun)
Nightengale (Magik + Raven)