"It's in the Blood": Power and the Panopticon in Nightwing/Huntress
So, I love talking about power (did my undergrad in Politics & Sociology) and I think Devin Grayson's Nightwing/Huntress brilliantly illustrates how power functions. In a reading informed by Michel Foucault's concepts of discipline, I aim to show how power can shape people.
Part 1: "The principle of his own subjection"
Foucault views power not as repressive but as "productive". Power doesn't act by restricting the subject's actions but by shaping the subject itself, mechanically inducing their actions. Power has a "capillary function"; it spreads through society and even the body, "exercising upon it a subtle coercion". There is also a relationship between power and knowledge; accumulating knowledge fosters power, and power structures influence how knowledge is produced. (Foucault, 1995, pp.195-228).
In many institutions, from schools to psychiatric hospitals, "disciplinary power" defines behaviour. Discipline turns people into subjects of power; into "individuals". It "normalises judgement", "making the slightest departure from correct behaviour subject to punishment". It creates a "field of comparison" which "hierarchises" individuals according to their conformity. Solidarity or rebellion are suppressed by "individualisation" and threat of targeted "exclusion". (Foucault, 1995, pp.170-194).
Disciplinary power can place a subject within a symbolic panopticon. A panopticon (pictured above) is a prison in which all inmates, separated from one another, can be monitored by a guard in a central tower, without knowing whether or not they are being watched. They are "perfectly individualised", and induced in "a state of conscious and permanent visibility that assures the automatic functioning of power". The inmate will discipline themself. Disciplinary power, in acting mechanically and circulating through social relations and spaces, can also make a subject "the principle of his own subjection", just like the inmate. (Foucault, 1995, pp.195-228)
Part 2: "We're just as much 'famiglia' as they are..."
What Huntress means by this is that the mafia and the Bats both act within a system of power that utilises discipline to control its subjects. Devin Grayson emphasises this parallel by naming her story "Cosa Nostra", not only a name for the Sicilian Mafia but Italian for "This Thing of Ours".
According to Professor Girolamo Lo Verso, “The mafia is not just a criminal organisation... The new affiliate is taught that the only rules that matter are those of the clan. Everything else, including the rules of the state, counts for nothing … Becoming part of Cosa Nostra is like entering a cult in which members must leave behind their own identity...” Foucault may argue that the mafia instead defines the very identity of its member. Devin Grayson essentially argues that the Bats aren't all that different.
Discipline defines Frankie Black, a "made man" in the mafia. Frankie is "individualised" within a power structure that "normalises judgement". He is closely monitored, his ability to conform is compared with his colleagues', and he is allocated a place in the mafia hierarchy in relation to his conformity. He is a seasoned killer and a bigger earner but ultimately lacks autonomy. His actions are "controlled" because he risks punishment if found to step out of line. Power shapes Frankie's actions; he continually strives to be on Malfatti's good side, and he keeps his girlfriend, Moira, a secret. Even when he attempts to leave the mafia, all of his actions are still guided by a fear of punishment. He is a "disciplined individual".
Although geared to save lives, Batman's symbolic power individualises subjects (whether ally or enemy), normalises judgement and threatens to punish those who stray from a defined norm.
Nightwing is almost a mirror to Frankie Black, and a foil to the Huntress. In Oracle's words, Nightwing "grew up thinking Bruce was normal", and he works hard to conform to this norm. Even as an adult, Nightwing is observed by Batman, expected to conform to his standards, and informally hierarchised within the Bat clan based on his ability to meet these standards. This is why he insists that they prove Frankie's innocence and tries to rein in Huntress when she strays from his norm. His very being is shaped by a symbolic, disciplinary power and he cannot even stand for Batman to be criticised around him.
Under the Batman's authority, Huntress is singled out and punished for her deviance and defiance. Unlike Batman, she is willing to use lethal force and even unscrupulous methods to dismantle organised crime. She is willing to let known murderer Frankie Black go down for a murder he didn't commit. However she knows that if Nightwing reports back to Batman, this could threaten or worsen her place on Gotham's streets. In part, the disciplinary exclusion Huntress is treated to makes her feel the need to be so fiercely independent all the time.
Power has shaped both protagonists; it has formed Nightwing as a disciplined individual and Huntress as a wilful but isolated outsider.
Part 3: "Still looking over your shoulder for Batman..."
Devin Grayson excellently illustrates how power spreads through social relations and spaces, acting continuously and causing its subjects to administer their own subjection.
As Huntress puts it succinctly, "You don't get out of the mafia." The mafia employs very powerful tactics of discipline. It has contacts in many places (like the GCPD) so its subjects always feel observed. Its members are heavily scrutinised and strictly "hierarchised", under threat of severe punishment. Malfatti only needs to mention Moira's name for Frankie to begin fearing for their lives. Pasquale admits to a murder he didn't commit just because Malfatti asks him to. Officer Mason spends the entire story terrified that the mafia will kill him because a simple threat already makes death feel inevitable. The mafia's disciplinary power spreads through its carceral social relations, which feel inescapable and so induce self-discipline. This panopticism is best illustrated by the fact that it is Frankie himself who kills Moira, as he believes that she simply cannot escape the mafia's control.
Although Batman doesn't appear at all, his shadow haunts the narrative through panopticism. As Huntress points out, Nightwing spends the whole story trying to appease the absent Batman. In Nightwing, we see how disciplinary power subtly acts on the body. Huntress notes that he doesn't even think to differentiate between "the right way" and "Batman's way". The words just meld together-- "this is not how WE get things done". After he sleeps with Helena Bertinelli, he has a nightmare about Batman attacking him for doing so. "There's Batman to consider" he tells Helena after declining to share his identity, despite expecting that of her. Nightwing constantly polices himself, and feels a visceral impulse to do so. He has become the source of his own subjection and even struggles to understand this when Huntress calls it out.
I will discuss Huntress' relationship with the panopticon below.
Part 4: "Sometimes, I'm just so... Lonely"
Throughout Nightwing/Huntress, we see that discipline "individualises"; that subjects are atomised to be controlled, which can shape them into isolated characters. This is particularly highlighted by the parallel star-crossed romances.
The mafia moulds Frankie Black into an isolated and hence controllable man. He wants to keep his relationship with a notably Irish Gothamite, but knows that this risks both of their lives. They are pried apart when the mafia exploits their love for control, and Frankie kills Moira to break this tether. Solidarity within the mafia is also near impossible because power places mafiosi in competition with one another to conform with the norm and climb the hierarchy, under threat of exclusion. This is why Pasquale is so quick to sell out Frankie, his partner. "Individualisation" begets control.
Disciplinary power also moulds both Nightwing and Huntress into isolated people (whom Batman does manipulate in other stories...). Dick has long lived by Batman's code, and he is pent-up craves romantic connection with someone who just 'gets it'. Helena doesn't yearn for romance but for companionship and family, exacerbated by her Black Sheep status amongst the Bats. This loneliness also motivates Dick and Helena's affair. The Bat's regime however dooms this romance before it begins. Dick will never fully let Helena in, out of fear of crossing Batman, while Helena resents this power asymmetry and knows that something has to give. Discipline begets isolation.
"Power-Knowledge" is another motif in Nightwing/Huntress, demonstrating a striking similarity between the Mafia and the Bats.
Fearful of Malfatti, Pasquale lets slip that Frankie Black has a "civilian" girlfriend, Moira, motivating him to double-cross the organisation. Malfatti even finds Moira's address. He accumulates and uses knowledge about Frankie Black to control him, which is why Frankie hid Moira from him to begin with. Mafiosi are also dominated by Omertà, the mafia code of silence, that threatens those who "rat" with shame and death. This code of honour uses secrecy to keep authorities from gathering intelligence (and hence power over the mafia) and acts as a norm against which mafiosi are measured, to discipline them. This is why Pasquale tries to kill Frankie when he declares his intention to turn state's evidence. Power and knowledge are intimately tied.
Meanwhile, the Bats have each gathered knowledge about the Huntress whilst working with her but always opt to keep her in the dark. The image of Dick noticing essays that Helena was marking subtly depicts this. Nightwing asks Huntress for her real name and sleeps with her in her own home, but refuses to reveal any personal information about himself or the other Bats. This is a tactic of discipline that excludes the Huntress because she deviates from their norm and arms them with intelligence should they wish to punish her. Tellingly, Nightwing is rather unconscious of the fact that he is creating this power asymmetry until Helena calls him out on it.
Additionally, much of Huntress' own power comes from the fact that she knows her enemy. Her biggest threat to the mafia isn't her combat prowess or viciousness but the fact that she is Gotham's premier organised crime expert. She uses the mafia's panopticism to play them! She suggests that she bring Pasquale in as the police's pound of flesh, knowing that Malfatti will kill Frankie and leave Pasquale in jail for their double-cross. She also quickly locates Malfatti's hideout because she understands "wiseguy S.O.P". This wisdom turns the mafia into the Huntress’ prey.
Part 6: The Emperor Wears No Clothes
So how do we escape the panopticon and subvert disciplinary power? Perhaps there is no single answer, but I believe Devin Grayson suggests a powerful one through Huntress' actions. Nightwing is the story's everyman, and Huntress, critical and insightful of how power works, is fittingly written in the role of our teacher. In the words of Rosa Luxemburg, "The most revolutionary thing one can do is always to proclaim loudly what is happening", to break the code of silence if you will, and that's exactly what Huntress does.
I reiterate, disciplinary power is not a physical thing which is held; it is invisible, political and symbolic-- circulated by social relations and what they signal. The emperor wears no clothes, and just admitting it poses a serious political challenge to him. By analysing power and pointing out how it controls us, e.g. by tricking us into disciplining ourselves, we devalue that power's potency and control over us! This is the power of critical thought, and this is why authoritarian regimes always attack literature!
Huntress presents a challenge to Batman's power by constantly illuminating how his power and authority function. She begins the story as a rogue-adjacent outcast and ends it as a trusted ally and former lover of Nightwing. This is not because she charms Nightwing (in fact, she is rather abrasive), instead this is because she helps him to think critically about why he is the way he is. She is not trying to sway him, she is trying to induce critical thought. Nightwing even suggests that she's a "really great teacher". Critique of power is a challenge to it.
Contrary to popular believe, Huntress' arc is NOT about learning to be less violent and Nightwing doesn’t tame her. The reason Huntress rescues Frankie Black is that he declares his willingness to turn state's evidence-- to "[proclaim] loudly what is happening" in his own right. This will incriminate Malfatti and his crew, and publicise intel on the mob, to the mafia's detriment. More importantly, it will show the public that the mafia is in fact touchable, and erode the symbolic hold that the mafia has on Gotham's institutions. Huntress knows too well that any break of Omertà threatens "La Famiglia".
Of course, challenging power is easier said than done, as discipline serves to suppress dissent. Huntress' arc involves her wrestling with the choice between conformity and autonomy. She yearns for a family but ultimately decides that her independence is too precious. It's a choice that still comes at a cost, as she will continue to be ostracised by the Bat and walked away from a romance with Nightwing. Meanwhile, Frankie Black risks his life by testifying. Nonetheless they both mount this challenge to power because power defines "individuals" and so by fighting for their autonomy, they will have the chance to define themselves. Maybe we should all "play a little rough for Batman's taste".
Grayson, D. and Land, G. (1998) Nightwing/Huntress. New York: DC Comics.
Foucault, M. (1995) Discipline & Punish: The birth of the prison. 2nd edn. Vintage Books.
Tondo L. (2024). ‘The self is suppressed’: Psychologists explore the minds of the Mafiosi, The Guardian, 09 February. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/09/the-self-is-suppressed-psychologists-explore-the-minds-of-the-mafiosa.
