The Judas Contract – Part Three

So, i should have said this in the last post, but, Happy 100th post, last post… So Happy Nightwing to everyone!

Now, back to the action in the final chapter of The New Teen Titans in The Judas Contract!

Nightwing and Jericho wing their way to the Grand Canyon as Adeline Kane has provided the location of the H.I.V.E. hideout in order to rescue the captive Titans.

Deathstroke has handed over the Titans to the H.I.V.E. and they are all placed in a contraption called an Enervator which uses the Titans own strength against them, all except Raven, who is being kept unconscious but alive somehow as her powers are immune to the effects of this particular contraption.

It is at this point that the captive Titans learn of the betrayal that occurred in their midst.

As the Titans take it all in Terra explains to Logan “Your Pwetty Widdle Giwlfriend isn’t all true blue and pure…. Mister, you don’t know the HALF of it!”  And that’s all she wrote for Terra and her morality and her future as a Titan.

Nightwing and Jericho arrive at the headquarters and make their way in with Jericho inhabiting one of the H.I.V.E. goons while Nightwing knocks one unconscious and steals his robe.  Eventually, the man Jericho took over “wakes up” and starts activating his vocal cords, screaming for help.

The ruckus draws the attention of Terra who comments on Nightwing’s voice, that she doesn’t know the costume, but she’d recognize that tush anywhere and she makes quick work of the two of them.

Terminator meanwhile is having a discussion with Wintergreen who is back in New York City.  After the conversation ends, we see Adeline holding Wintergreen at gun point to get him to comply to say everything is fine.  We learn the missing piece of Terminator’s origin, when Slade was denied permission to go save Wintergreen, he did it on his own.  Wearing a primative costume he slaughtered the members of the Viet Cong holding Wintergreen, and Wintergreen pledged the rest of his life in service to Slade as a gentleman’s agreement.  It is at this point that Adeline makes the point that she thinks Slade and Wintergreen were far more close than she and Slade ever were.

Back in the H.I.V.E. hideout, the captured Nightwing makes his way to the rest of the Titans held in an enervator device designed for him.  Joseph is trussed up similarly, however Slade recognizes his son and is now determined to free his son, get his money, and get out while he can.

Terra recognizes Joseph from the pics that Slade has and comments that its his son and when Joseph wakes up he manages to take over Slade (Adeline had kept Joseph’s mutation a secret from Slade all these years).  Terra has no idea what is happening however and believes that Slade is betraying her, but she can’t react in time to miss Joseph (inside Slade) knocking her out for a moment.  Joseph takes the gun out of Slade’s holster and destroys the machinery holding the Titans captive.

Terra wakes back up to see Terminator and Nightwing casually talking to each other and she snaps.   The Titans are trying to keep a lid on the H.I.V.E. rank and file troops while Terra and a possessed Terminator fight it out.  The Titans stay mostly on the sidelines, trying to convince Terra that they can help her, but to no avail, finally it takes Raven to point it all out.

Raven:  “There need not be logical answers.  The girl is evil.  Her thinking is unlike ours.  She feels no true love or hate.. her soul is corrupt.  What she does is done without remorse.”

With that moment of battle, Wonder Girl is able to save Nightwing and Changeling from a crushing mud attack that Terra unleashed.  Cyborg and Starfire battle Terminator, who is defeated from the back by Jericho who uses his father’s power staff to blast his dad into unconsciousness.

Raven’s hypnotic control of Terra lapses and Terra unleashes attacks to knock Raven out while Changeling becomes a fly and smashes into Terra’s eye contact lens.  Terra, enraged, brings up so much rock and lava that instead of killing the Titans she kills herself.  The final image is of Garfield holding Terra’s crushed body.

In the epilogue, the Outsiders join the Titans by Terra’s grave.  The Titans tell Geo-Force that Terra died a hero in battle against The Terminator.  Geo-Force comments that Terra’s mother was not his or his older brother’s and the King of Markovia had sent her to the United States to stave off a scandal.

Of course, we DO remember what happens to characters who use earth powers when they are buried right?

Terra – New Teen Titans #26 – Tales of the New Teen Titans Annual #3 – R.I.P.

Next Up!  Time to check in on the Justice League and see what they have been doing lately, starting with The Secret Origin of the Black Canary!!!!