This is an in-universe article with out-of-universe material.
Bludhaven, officially written as Blüdhaven, is a city in New Jersey between Gotham City and Atlantic City. When he struck out on his own, Nightwing used the city as his base of operations, and had his hands full with the criminal element there. The city was destroyed by the Society during Infinite Crisis and has been a nuclear wasteland ever since.
History
Bludhaven was a former whaling town, which was officially incorporated as a "commonwealth" in 1912. The town had a generally poor socio-economic populace, owing in part to failed efforts to transform itself into a manufacturing and shipping center.
Pre-Flashpoint
The city lived through a corrupt balance of underhand dealings and unlawful policies, which was kept in check by the local police force.
When the criminal mastermind known as the Blockbuster started making moves into Bludhaven, so too did Nightwing, who was following up on the murder of 21 gang members who had washed up in Gotham City's estuary.
As the city's first hero, Nightwing ended the Blockbuster's criminal stranglehold over the city and helped clean up its corrupt police force. Nightwing left the city soon afterward, however, out of guilt for allowing the Blockbuster's death at the hands of the vigilante known as the Tarantula.
Following the events of both Identity Crisis and War Games, Tim Drake, the third Robin, moved to Bludhaven in hopes of escaping his father Jack Drake and Stephanie Brown's deaths. Once he moved there, he became embroiled in a plot set by the Penguin. Robin was beaten by the Shrike but Batgirl came to his assistance, also aiding him in an attack against the Penguin. As with Robin, Batgirl is shown setting up shop in Bludhaven. She gets her own Batcave and attempts to gain an interest in the neighborhood. However, events occur that lead the two heroes away from the city; Batgirl in her search for her biological mother and Robin during his recruit trail with the Veteran.
Bludhaven destroyed by Chemo
During the events of Infinite Crisis, Bludhaven was the site of a massive attack by the Secret Society of Super-Villains. As an act of vengeance against Nightwing, the Society dropped a quasi-sentient vat of deadly radioactive chemicals (colloquially known as "Chemo") onto the city, causing widespread destruction and mayhem.[1] Many of Earth's heroes came to Bludhaven's defense in a bitter struggle to save as many lives as possible. The disaster proved so massive, however, that U.S. President Jonathan Horne placed the entire city under quarantine. A new government-sanctioned super-team codenamed "Freedom's Ring" took charge of Bludhaven, and ordered all remaining metahumans to leave the city.[2]
One year later, the quarantine structure known as "the Wall" had become a permanent structure, and displaced citizens compared the immediate area to the Gaza Strip. Many lived in refugee camps that had sprung up around the wall while the superhero Monolith helped to keep the peace.
Within the city, Father Time commanded the American forces, ordering his men to shoot and kill any heroes (referred to as insurgents) who entered the city. His forces also erected internment camps in which experiments were conducted on American citizens. Also active in the city were the Atomic Knights, who ran an "underground railroad" in an attempt to smuggle citizens out of the city. During this time the Society of Evil sent in teams in an attempt to locate the source of the nuclear leak, eventually discovering an injured Captain Atom held captive by Father Time's forces. Also during this time the Teen Titans re-entered Bludhaven to ascertain why the area was still closed off, discovering the experiments in the process.
During an engagement between the four forces, the Atomic Knights placed Captain Atom in a containment suit designed to limit his radiation output, similar to the armor worn by Monarch. Atom, having awakened and ended the battle, then delivered a warning, telling anyone who wanted to live to evacuate the city. After the evacuation, Captain Atom unleashed a nuclear explosion, destroying what was left of Bludhaven and leaving a radioactive crater in its place.[3]
The remains of Bludhaven later became the target of interest for the artificial intelligence known as Brother Eye. Brother Eye was alerted about residual activities in Bludhaven and reactivated its offensive protocols. Creating a new army of OMACs, it took control of the city. The Atomic Knights and the time-displaced Karate Kid and his colleague Una were present during the OMAC attack. Una was assimilated by Brother Eye's programming and was transformed into an OMAC. Brother Eye, having upgraded itself with technology taken from Apokolips, activated a Boom Tube to travel to Apokolips, where it began transfiguring the natives there in a cosmic game between Darkseid and the Monitor Solomon.[4]
Bludhaven was used by Darkseid as the base of operations for his plan to conquer Earth. After the subsequent battle, the majority of the city was completely destroyed.[5]
Post-Flashpoint
Years ago, during Infinite Crisis, Bludhaven was the site of an attack wherein the semi-sentient toxic mass known as Chemo was dropped on the city, resulting in widespread destruction and the deaths of millions of civilians. In the chaos that followed, Darkseid used the city as a base of operations, working to his nefarious ends from within the Command D bunker.[6]
Eventually, however, he was defeated and the city was reclaimed. In time, the city was restored to much of its previous state, though the area immediately surrounding Command D remained filled with wreckage. The Bunker itself eventually fell into the hands of the DEO.[7]
Gothamites who were down on their luck would often move to Bludhaven to begin a new life without having to worry about Batman. These included the Run-Offs, a support group consisting of former villains.
In a previous iteration of continuity, Nightwing moved to Bludhaven after New Earth Superman revealed that his universe's Dick Grayson had operated in the city. As this interaction was erased from history when both versions of Superman merged histories and Dick's previous time in Bludhaven was restored, the inciting incident for his return is somewhat unclear.
Nightwing would meet the Run-Offs and teamed up with them to save the city from the Raptor. Later, the Judge would arrive in Bludhaven and begin targeting the elite for their role in the city's corruption.
The Wyrm, a manifestation of the Dark Web, targeted Bludhaven. After taking over the city using holographic technology, Nightwing and Batgirl teamed up to take it down.
Following the death of Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson inherited billions of dollars. He used these funds to help Bludhaven's homeless youth.
Points of Interest
Neighborhoods
- Avalon Hill
- Avalon Heights
- The Melville Section
- The Waterloo Docks
- The Zee Moores
- The Caernarvon Section
- The Central Business District
- The Fort Joseph District
- Fear Cay
- The Narrows
- Island Point
- Mealtide
- Tail's End
- Port's Park
Public locations
- Halyard Square
- Thrawn Park
- Melville Park
- Lanely Point
- Mealtide Park
- Byke Beach
- St. Bernadine's Church
- The Stadium
- The Baily Church
- The Bludhaven Natural History Museum
- The Thrawn Terminal-Red Line Elevated
- The B&O Rail Terminal
- The Port Authority Railhead
- The Port Authority Bus Terminal
- Central Station Rail
- Bludhaven Law Enforcement Center
- St. Anthony's/Anthonio's
- The Airport
- RABE Memorial Hospital
- Consolidated Buldhaven Electric and Steam
- Municipal Sewage Treatment
- The Municipal Train Yards
- The Municipal Landfill
- The Bludhaven Garbage Dump
- Meadowdale Mall
Streets and Highways
- B&O Rail
- The Bloodhaven Drive and Park
- Blue Line Elevated
- Blue Line North
- Blue Line South
- The Blue Line Tubes
- East Lamar
- Green Line
- Halyard St.
- Highway 6
- Island St.
- The Little Drawbridge
- The Littleneck Narrows Bridge
- The Red Line East Ext.
- Red Line North
- Red Line South
- Skunk Ave.
- Stark Ave.
- "The Spine"
- U.S. Highway 61
- U.S. 61 Bypass / Rt. 91
- Willeford Avenue
Businesses
- The City Dock-Commercial
- The Midtown Exchange
- 28 Phraim Moore Housing Project
- St. Eustace Church
- The Band Shell
- The Forsyth Building
- Hogan's Alley
- Mr. Pickle Deli
- Brenda's Cafe
- McSweeny Properties
Media
- Talking Johnny's All-Night Bull Session
Sports Teams
- The Blüdhaven Bloodhounds (baseball)
- The Blüdhaven Brawlers (football)
Other locations
- The Marsh
- The Swamplands
- Fireflaught Mount
- The Skirl Rocks
- Spuyten Dyvil
Residents
- The Blockbuster (Roland Desmond)
- The Monolith
- Nightwing
- Nite-Wing
- The Tarantula (Catalina Flores)
- The Tarantula (Jonathan Law)
- Firebrand
- The Defacer
- Arsenal
Notes
- The existence of Bludhaven on Earth-Two was revealed in Detective Comics #1027.