Amy Rohrbach

Background

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Powers and Abilities

Rohrbach is experienced, driven and competent police. She is smart and intuitive, and had displayed an uncommon level of proficiency in gun battles with mooks. She’s well above the average level of accuracy, reflexes and acumen for an officer, even in a violent town such as the ’haven.

She is also unusually perceptive. Amy is particularly good at spotting people lying, hearing out-of-place noises, and taking the initiative in a firefight. Her narrative immunity (Hero Points, in DC Heroes terms) is surprisingly high, as she has repeatedly walked away from firefights where the odds were strongly against her.

Mrs. Rohrbach also seems to be competent in her new, different skills set, that of a police captain.

Her husband has some type of technical skills, and could quickly create a “Nightwing Signal”.

History

Amy Rohrbach is the daughter of the BPD’s robbery unit Sgt. Don Rohrbach. Don was killed under murky circumstances that reeked of police corruption, but Amy nevertheless became police. She enlisted circa 1990, and spent much of that decade as a patrol officer in the Zee Mores projects, becoming a Sergeant.

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Sgt. Rohrbach was also a member of The Circle, a small cabal fighting police corruption. The Circle met in secret at the St. Dennis Church, with the support of Father Mike – all members might have been Catholic. For years The Circle tried to build a case against Chief Redhorn, but their results were meagre given how deep corruption ran.

Hide what you have to hide

In 2000, one Dick Grayson graduated from the Police Academy and joined the force. He was paired with Rohrbach, who soon noticed that something was off and that tricks had been pulled for him to join the force. She thought that he was a plant from the corrupt BPD higher-ups, but Grayson was actually the super-hero Nightwing.

However, Rohrbach soon realised that Grayson was impopular with the PD due to a number of incidents at the Academy. He had been paired with a sarge — an unusual measure — because nobody wanted to be his partner.

Amy found Grayson a competent, charming and eager rookie. She gave a good report that made Dick a full officer ; she also started considering him for Circle recruitment. After Grayson gained his badge, he again was Amy’s partner since nobody else would have him.

Policy of truth

Grayson was soon framed for the murder of two kids in the projects, but Rohrbach stuck by him and made a personal investigation. Cops on the take followed her, waiting for her to take them to two witnesses who would exonerate Grayson.

They attempted to kill Amy and the witnesses, but were sloppy and the Sergeant shot them dead. Circle member Detective Addad used the new evidence to exonerate Grayson and take down a particularly rotten cop, Miller. This exacerbated the hatred of most of the PD against Grayson, Addad and Rohrbach, the latter now being a cop killer to boot.

The Circle nevertheless continued its activities, trying to nail Officer Richter, the bagman for the BPD’s Sixth Precinct. However, Richter got away by killing a witness as Nightwing was interrogating him.

Some weeks later, when Grayson was away, Rohrbach was teamed with Richter and three other cops to serve a high-risk warrant. The operation went smoothly, but when Richter found a bag full of cash he and the others agreed to take the cash and kill the suspect. Rohrbach refused, and she and the suspect’s girlfriend were the only survivors of the ensuing gunfight.

Sgt. Rohrbach walked away without serious disciplinary consequences, perhaps because The Circle had enough dirt on the dead officers to have IA drop the matter.

You had something to hide

After Chief Redhorn was assassinated, Nightwing contacted with Sergeant Rohrbach, offering to work with her like Batman did with Commissioner Gordon. Nightwing knew that Redhorn had been killed by his criminal backers after they learned that his wife kept a detailed journal, full of damning evidence about Redhorn’s ties.

He procured this diary, and handed it over to Amy. This document let The Circle make far more progress than in previous years.

After the shootout with Richter and his colleagues, corrupt cops had decided to eliminate Rohrbach for having killed a half-dozen of their colleagues. A tactical team invaded her home in the middle of the night, but she instinctively woke up and opened fire before the assailants could make it upstairs.

The Rohrbachs would have been killed, but Nightwing intervened. Though the house was destroyed Amy, her husband Jim and their two kids made it out unhurt.

The Redhorn documents led to a massive Federal investigation, and 62% of the force was laid off. Though much cleaner, the BPD was now thin on the ground. The remaining veterans were swiftly promoted to fill the gaps and hold the PD together.

Det. Addad thus became the new Chief, and Sgt. Rohrbach a Captain. Though the assault against her family had shaken her, a discussion with Grayson led her to see how this attack had been but the last desperate lashing out of the old order.

It’s time to face the consequence

Amy, Addad and most of the force worked like crazy while recruiting new cops. Nightwing was also more active and visible in Blüdhaven. Another vigilante, the Tarantula (Catalina Flores) also became active.

Those criminals named in the Redhorn diaries still feared exposure. They hired Deathstroke the Terminator to kill Captain Rohrbach. Due to his peculiar code of honour, the Terminator warned Nightwing that he would conduct a hit in “his” city, which allowed the vigilante to save Amy at the last second. Out of stress, Grayson forgot to adopt his Nightwing voice, and Amy recognised him.

Nightwing knew that he could’t beat Deathstroke, but delayed him long enough to discover who was paying him and how much. As the Terminator was about to kill Amy and Jim Rohrbach, Nightwing came in with an attaché case full of cash, matching Deathstroke’s contract plus a dollar and fifty cents. The killer took the deal and left.

It’s just time to pay the price

Amy then confronted Nightwing, demanding that he hand over his badge since the vigilante had infiltrated her department under false pretenses. Though this was a difficult decision for Rohrbach, Grayson realised that she wouldn’t compromise her principles and he resigned.

However, as Nightwing he remained active in Blüdhaven. He continued investigating the Redhorn murder, and discovered that Inspector Arnot, Redhorn’s former right-hand man, had been Deathstroke’s employer.

Meanwhile Amy felt enormous pressure from the press and the D.A.’s office as a police Captain. On some level she blamed Nightwing for this, but realised it was irrational and remained on good terms with him.

When Nightwing was hard hit by Blockbuster (Roland Desmond)’s revenge attempt, Amy made it clear she considered that they were on the same side, and even considered giving him his badge back since she worried about him and wanted to keep an eye on him. Stressed out, Nightwing rejected her offer.

After that Maxine Michael, a journalist who had also deduced that Grayson and Nightwing were the same person, warned Rohrbach that Blockbuster’s all-out war against Nightwing would also probably mean strikes against his ex-colleagues on the force.

Wanting to offer her support, Amy had her husband build a “Nightwing signal” similar to the Bat-Signal in Gotham. She briefed him and told him about Michael, and again offered his badge back. Nightwing refused again, and soon had a breakdown that resulted in the murder of Blockbuster by Tarantula.

Things could be so different now

The Nightwing/Blockbuster war also pushed Amy over the line, as she destroyed a key witness statement in its file to protect Grayson. She then deliberately assigned an officer without any homicide experience to the case. However, Detective Patitz proved more competent than she had anticipated, and realised that a document was missing.

Nightwing, having overcome his rage and depression, then arrested Tarantula for Blockbuster’s murder and turned himself in for not having stopped her. Rohrbach decided to go all out and forged evidence that Grayson had been on an undercover mission all along, and that his dismissal from the PD had been a subterfuge.

Though this angered Grayson, the gambit worked and Rohrbach even promoted Grayson to detective. The BPD considered him a hero for having brought about the death of Blockbuster – and since Michael had been killed by Blockbuster shortly before his death, Rohrbach was the only one who knew the truth about Nightwing.

Nightwing and Amy did not work together for several months, though she did encounter Robin (Tim Drake). During this time Nightwing took control of part of the Blüdhaven underworld through teenage Mafia princess Sophia Teves, significantly lowering criminal activity in town.

This success again brought Deathstroke in town for a job, and he forced Captain Rohrbach to give him the name of a witness by holding her husband and kids at gunpoint.

While Nightwing was away on a lengthy mission, Robin and Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) operated in the ‘haven. Though Amy was reluctant to endanger teenagers, Addad wanted a good relationship with capes in case somebody tried to fill the vacuum left by Blockbuster.

Things hit their stride after Batgirl helped raiding a Penguin operation. But the criminal had been tipped off, hinting that more corruption was afoot within the BPD.

Never again is what you swore

All this work cleaning Blüdhaven turned out to have been for naught when the Society dropped the toxic giant Chemo like a bomb, wrecking the city and killing about a hundred thousands. Captain Rohrbach survived, and after checking that her family was safe helped with the evacuation.

Nightwing also came in to see whether the Rohrbachs were OK, and asked for Amy’s help in exfiltrating Sophia Teves to a boarding school.

The Rohrbachs have not been seen since.

Description

Amy was generally seen in her BPD uniform and, even in her civvies, often wore a blue BPD baseball hat. After a few weeks as a Captain, she started dressing in trench coats and black pull-over, reminiscent of how many Gotham detectives dress.

Personality

Amy is a smart, intuitive, courageous, no-nonsense cop. She is a white knight with strong principles and a deep belief in honesty, who dutifuly risked her life for years against unrealistic odds. This purity only became tarnished as she played fast and loose with regulations to save Nightwing.

Captain Rohrbach is the mother of two, and has a distinct caring and nurturing side. Her motherly aspect and occasional references in speech coexist with a cold, unforgiving and defiant demeanour when she’s fighting for law and justice. She has killed before, and will not hesitate to do so again.

Though she disapproves of vigilantes, Grayson and she were police partners and acquired an instinctive level of trust that carried over. Her relationship with Dick Grayson was always ambiguous, and Nightwing — who is used to feminine attentions — initially assumed a romantic interest on her part.

She actually seems to treat him more like a grown-up son, even though she’s but a dozen years older than he is.

Other traits

Mrs. Rohrbach is a Catholic, and certain aspects of her life — marriage, kids, belief in social justice, willingness to make an ethical stand, etc. — may be inspired by her faith.

On the other hand, she has a temper. Citizens giving her lip or acting in a selfish, irresponsible manner visibly get her goat. She can also behave in a particularly rigid way when upholding her principles.

Quotes

“I hate domestic [violence] calls.”

Grayson: “You have kids ?”
Rohrbach: “And a husband. I’m kinda old-fashioned that way.”

“Look, the mask doesn’t fool me. You’re not even out of your 20s. I’m a police officer. If you think I’m gonna let you risk your life for…”

Amy: “He’s overeager. Overcharged. And thinks he’s a blue knight out to save the world.”
Jim: “Like another cop I happen to be married to ?”
Amy: “The poor jerk.”

“My mother-sense is tingling. What are you *really* talking about now, Grayson ?”

(Working with Robin (Drake) and Batgirl (Cain)) “Tell me I didn’t just send two minors into the belly of the beast.”

By Sébastien Andrivet.

Source of Character: Nightwing comics (DC Universe).

Helper(s): Chris Cottingham, Darci.