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Posts tagged Changeling
Who’s Your Mama?
1Revisiting our Titans we see that the Titans are being hailed as heroes after they vanquished the interdimensional demon known as Trigon.
Raven however has disappeared and Kid Flash, now retired again, has returned to Blue Valley hoping his powers do not wind up killing him some day.
This brings us to the point of replacing Raven on the team, and wait just a second, we have a precognitive groovy chick hanging around already in Lilith Clay.
And who would not love the Titans? Come on, they just saved your souls people.. not just Earth mind you, but your very souls from an eternal torment.
So New York City holds a huge parade in their honor and this issue becomes a slice of life moment for a team that does not get a lot of “down time.”
The winged alien Azrael revisits his love for Lilith and well, things get a wee bit out of hand in their romance.
Azrael kidnaps Lilith, but does not really mean to do so, he is being held in the sway of The Children of the Sun, who happen to answer to Thia, the Greek Titan of Fire. Yes, those Titans.
And in a twist that no one saw coming.. at least I didn’t at the time… it turns out that Lilith, who has only had the power of precognition, is the daughter of Thia and Thia wants her daughter back home where she belongs.
Well the Titans object to this because Lilith objected to it and the Titans do not do so well until one of Thia’s servants, Kole, turns on her mistress and helps the Titans win in battle against the angry Goddess. Kole will then leave the Titans of Myth service and join the Titans while Lilith will reluctantly stay with Thia in order to keep the peace and to learn more about her true origins.
Kole has the ability to “weave crystal” or produce crystalline slides, barriers, formations, etc.., and with Raven’s absence she fills a hole in the roster now left by Lilith’s abrupt departure and serves another purpose soon to be revealed in another book.
While Kole steps up and becomes a little enamored of Jericho, as all girls do, the group of ships coming to take Princess Koriand’r (Starfire) back home to Tamaran continues to make its way to Earth.
Are you noticing something here? The covers, not quite like they used to be.
Well George Perez was forced to leave The New Teen Titans shortly after the Trigon saga ended as he had another book he had to being work on, and that book is the book that will become the focus of this blog for the next little bit, but first we have to do some background work.
Next Up: Hero Support!!!
Trigon Triumphant
0The Titans fight for their souls.
Raven holds the Titans’ psyche in her grasp. Toying with them.
Lilith and Arella fight on.
Hello Evil Titans!
Arella looks on in horror at the rocky hell the Titans are now enveloped inside. Lilith speaks not as herself anymore and attempts to convince Arella that Raven, is no longer her daughter, nothing of the heroic Raven remains inside the demonic shell that now walks as Trigon’s daughter.
Around the world scenes of other heroes, the JLA, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman all trapped within the rock of Trigon’s sway.
In their own personal hells, Nightwing and Cyborg each battle their evil selves, swearing to kill the taunting red eyed versions of themselves. Raven gets increasingly angered by Lilith and Arella’s attempts to save the Titans and intervene on behalf of the souls in jeopardy, yet when Raven attacks the women are shielded from her. Some unknown force is keeping Raven’s demonic energies at bay, most likely the Rings of Azar are playing some unspoken role here.
Wonder Girl, Changeling, and Starfire continue to battle their evil dopplegangers while Kid Flash deals with his feelings of love for Raven and the taunting of never getting what he wanted. He runs after the evil Kid Flash who is carrying Raven. Kid Flash pummels his evil duplicate over and over again, until the evil Kid Flash is flung off the edge of a cliff by the force of his blows. When this happens, the real Wally West’s eyes turn blood red.
In quick successions, the other Titans all kill their duplicates; Starfire fries her duplicate with her starbolts; Changeling grows into a behemoth monster and crushes his duplicate; Wonder Girl strikes her opponent through the chest with a metal i-bar, Cyborg crushes the perfectly human Victor Stone, and Nightwing knocks his duplicate off a large precipice into what appears to be the engine room of the alien satellite.
The Titans come out of the hellish rock column and they are all black and red to the core. Raven believes she controls the Titans, but she is wrong. This has been part of the plan of Azar’s all along. The Titans are now under the control of Azar and through Lilith the Titans attack Raven. Arella protests, but Lilith informs her this must be done and an otherworldly voice speaks to Arella, the voice of Azar.
To save the Earth, Raven must die.
Once the Titans have completed the task of killing their teammate they return to their pure selves and Lilith is left to explain what has just happened.
Lilith: ”She is dead. Slain by your evil selves. But do not Mourn. Only in your evil forms would you have killed her. And for the good of all, that which was Raven, had to die by your hands.”
Nightwing: ”And you LET US KILL HER? Lilith–Have you gone crazy?”
Lilith: ”Trigon could not be defeated unless his daughter died!”
And speaking of the big man, Trigon picks this moment to wake up.
The demon Trigon is awake from his meditation for when he remade the world in his image, and he is angry. The Titans realize this is their last hurrah and they also realize they have little hope of defeating this enemy, even though they are probably the only human beings left on earth not imprisoned by him.
Kid Flash takes off to confront Trigon first saying it doesn’t matter as Trigon is going to kill them all anyways. Trigon stops Wally in his tracks and Wally yells for the Demon to go ahead and kill him, but Trigon does not. Saving him for a play thing for later. The remaining Titans except for Nightwing are trapped as Trigon basically hurls the now rocky Titans Tower at them. Nightwing makes a futile effort to attack Trigon only to be battered away by Trigon’s staff.
Arella confronts Trigon regarding the death of Raven and Trigon justifies his “love” for Raven when he killed 100 billion souls for her, in reality in order so that Trigon could take Raven over and journey to this dimension, but love is love, right?
Lilith is still feeling other human emotions on the planet, nearby, … The Titans are not yet dead.
The Titans regroup and Lilith informs them of the plan, distract Trigon. Lilith returns to Arella who is bereft with grief for the world and her daughter. Lilith’s mouth opens and Azar’s voice comes forth instructing Arella on how they must act in order to defeat Trigon. Trigon has taken up residence with one foot on each of the twin towers of the World Trade Center… an image that is chilling to me now rereading this story now.
Trigon begins to siphon off the souls that he has trapped to form a bridge back to his home dimension. Lilith and Arella place Azar’s rings on Raven’s dead body
Lilith (as Azar): ”Both rings now. This is the moment. Hurry… they must again be placed on Raven. She is the Vessel through which the power must flow.”
Arella: ”What power? She’s dead!”
Lilith (as Azar): ”No. She has only been emptied. For no soul-filled life could survive what comes next. Hurry, my dear Arella and know you serve your daughter well.”
Arella: ”What do you mean by that? Sh-She’s dead.”
Trigon: (quietly) ”she lives” (scream) ”NO!”
The Titans choose the moment to attack with Cyborg and Starfire unleashing a dual attack, Changeling slams into one of Trigon’s eyes, and Wonder Girl hurls rock into Trigon’s face.. none of these attacks have any effect.
Lilith as Azar now informs Arella why Raven was taught how to separate her soul from her body, for just this purpose. Raven’s body is drained of its red color, reverting to a perfect white color, Raven’s body begins to rise. Slowly, Ravens now perfectly white soul self rises above New York City and envelops Trigon the Terrible, infecting him with the everlasting love which causes the demon intense pain until his flesh is stripped away and he is no more.
Raven’s body hovers in the sky, white and lovely, with a slight smile and then disappears.
New York City returns to normal, mostly and the Titans lick their wounds. Kid Flash even remarks that it doesn’t look like anything even happened. Nightwing comments back, except for the fact that Titans Tower was completely destroyed….
Next Up: We head back to the Justice League to see how the New Kids are faring and The Outsiders get a Looker.
Inner Demons
0Raven is missing.
The incoming evil is palpable.
The Titans know Trigon is coming.
In the fight against Trigon, Raven’s mother, Arella, served on the front lines it is through her that we see where Raven is.. walking a column of rocks and bodies writhing in eternal torment. Arella catches up to her daughter to try to prevent what has already occurred, but it is too late. Raven is now Trigon’s daughter, body and soul.
Wonder Girl flies from New York to Titans Tower to join her teammates. In Raven’s room, Nightwing is gathering clues including Azar’s rings that have been left behind by Raven. She always wore these rings, and now without them, the last of the remnants of Azarath are now gone.
Cue Lilith Clay to enter the story. As the earlier Titans’ precognitive Lilith offers her assistance in order to help the Titans locate Raven. Azar’s rings go to Lilith and the world goes fairly mad for a bit. Raven’s quarters attack the assembled Titans and it is only through the evil energies dissipating that the Titans escape the room.
Lilith offers to do a seance to contact Raven using the rings as the contact point for her soul, however Lilith needs the connection point to Raven’s heart, and for that, she needs Kid Flash. In Blue Valley, Wonder Girl and Nightwing come for Kid Flash, despite the protestations of Frances Kane. Both Frances and Wally are done with the hero game and tired of Raven driving a wedge between them, however given the circumstances Wally is forced to go even though his powers are killing him. He knows from his gut that he may have a chance to reach the real Raven. Before Wally and Fran part, Wally does say that he does not love Raven anymore and hopes that Frances will understand.
Back at the Tower, the Titans are assembled in Raven’s room and the seance commences.
“Don’t be frightened Raven. Its safe here. Please… come to us. We’re your friends.
Oh no.. The light.. its a False Light… Its Dark, Evil.. My god.. So Evil… Its’ coming for us.. I can feel the evil sweeping across my mind. Its coming closer. My God— I can taste the blood!” — Lilith Clay
The room again erupts. Raven’s image appears and she warns the Titans that she cannot save them and encourages them to take what time they have left to save themselves. Raven leaves but Azar’s Rings, on Lilith’s hands begin to glow and the voice of the Arella comes through summoning the Titans to Azarath.
Before Azarath was in space with black clouds. The clouds and space have been replaced with yellow, orange, and red crackling energies. The Titans attempt in vain to save those that they can, but the pacifistic Azarathians are not fighting back against Trigon’s will. Kid Flash is forced to use his powers even though he is killing himself when he does so. Lilith has entered a trance and moves ever closer to the Temple of Azar. Kid Flash sees Lilith, Arella, and the remaining Priests of Azarath praying and screams in horror as the flying demons of Trigon’s minions come and kill them all with their fiery breath.
Back on Earth, Raven appears over Titans Tower, she has changed. She is now a red skinned, four eyed woman, truly her father’s daughter. Raven’s job is now to prepare the way for Trigon to claim the Earth. Her soul-self now red and crackling with energy alights on Titans Tower and transports Trigon the Terrible through.
Trigon begins his takeover of Earth while the Titans and Arella remain in the now still standing ruins of Azarath which consists of rocky debris and nothingness in the form of white as far as the eye can see. It is clear to Wonder Girl and Starfire that Lilith is now acting as an agent of Raven since the rings are on her fingers. Lilith explains that Azar’s rings protected the Titans and Arella from death and will transport them back to Earth, where they encounter a nightmare.
Everyone on Earth has been swallowed in a nightmare. Twisted into rocky visages of what their souls are experiencing, which has to be a completely hellish experience. The Titans begin to feel the battle is hopeless, this is magnified when the Titans see Raven transformed for the first time. Raven takes a special pleasure in picking off Kid Flash first and then begins to take out the other Titans. When Jericho attempts to take over her body again, Raven puts him into a psychic coma and as for the other Titans she picks out special hells for each of them.
- Nightwing is placed in a nightmare where he failed to save the Batman who is impaled on an alien ship. At Batman’s feet is the new Robin, Jason Todd, who is saying this would not have happened had Dick still been Robin. The evil Nightwing taunts Nightwing mercilessly until Nightwing lashes out and begins attacking him.
- Cyborg is confronted with a horrified Sarah Simms who is frightened of Victor’s usual appearance. In this nightmare, the evil Cyborg is Victor Stone prior to his transformation, a perfect looking athletic man who Sarah obviously prefers.
- Wonder Girl awakes to find herself at home witnessing her evil self crush the neck of Terry Long, the man she just married.
- Changeling is a witness to a slaughter as the evil Changeling begins to turn into amazingly fantastical animal creations only to kill his family and friends.
- Starfire sees her home world of Tamaran and evil Starfire offers her a simple proposition. Become a slave again or watch her family and people be re-enslaved.
- Kid Flash witnesses himself making love to Raven. When Kid Flash gets his costume on and turns to Wally, he has four eyes.
Lilith and Arella are left waiting for the Titans to win the battle for their souls or to be defeated and have Trigon claim their souls.
Next Up: Trigon vs. The Titans.. The Final Battle!
A Horror Show…
0So its time for one of my favorite stories ever in the DC Universe. The Terror of Trigon is a five part story in the Baxter Run of The New Teen Titans. This story has been building up since the beginning of the New Teen Titans when a mysterious empath named Raven decided she would seek out assistance from heroes to assist her in fighting the evil that is her father.
In the creation of the Titans, writer Marv Wolfman was creating a lot of different relationships, amongst the women there was the fiery emotion of Starfire, the middle ground of Wonder Girl, and the unable to feel Raven. While creating Raven, there was a sense not only of needing an emotional balance, but a balance in a magical character that did not do magic and had an interesting origin. Well Raven’s story is akin to something one would expect of a mix of Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen, and Carrie all wrapped up into one.
So lets recap… Arella is a young frightened girl seeking acceptance in a world not very accepting and she gets into a satanic cult and is offered as Satan’s bride. Arella sees the evil deity appear to her and he is blond and perfect in every way. After they make love, the false visage is dropped and Trigon is revealed as an antlered, four-eyed, red skinned being of pure evil.
Arella is pregnant and despairing over carrying the devil’s child. Arella decides to take her own life but before she can a being wearing a hooded robe and transports Arella to the other-dimensional world of Azarath. This world is an idyllic place where the Azarthians, a race of pacifists have been preparing for the coming of Trigon and if the child is born with no controls, then surely it will be the end of the world.
The Azarthian’s leader is Azar, a wise mystic who teaches Arella in the ways of the pacifistic people as she grows closer and closer to birth. On the onset of labor, the peaceful Azarath rocks with lightning and thunder, once Raven is born, there are black skies and a chill in the air. Azar takes the child from Arella for the good of all and teaches Raven the mystic arts that will save her.
Raven learns to read other’s emotions while always having to deny her own emotions, for emotions are a weakness that allow Trigon to gain a foothold in her soul. She was taught to separate her body and spirit and her soul-self, a bird like creature of ebon energy was born. Raven was also taught how to open dimensional portals to transport herself from place to place.
Azar passed away and gave her rings to Raven for protection and with Azar’s passing, Trigon’s influence and attempts to break into Azarath to capture his daughter increased. Raven felt that sooner or later she would need to fight her father, but she was not strong enough on her own, she would need allies.
At first Raven appeared to the Justice League of America and was turned away when Zatanna sensed her inherited evil. Sensing the adults just “didn’t understand”, Raven went and found the New Teen Titans, starting with Robin, Wonder Girl, and Beast Boy now calling himself Changeling. Kid Flash was reluctant to join the group when he was approached by Raven, however Raven felt strangely about Wally and somewhat realizing it and somewhat not, she seduced him to join the Titans. Raven then found the recently changed and angry Victor Stone who became Cyborg just in time as the last titan Starfire entered Earth orbit, desperate to flee from the Gordanians who were attempting to recapture her.
The Titans at first did not trust Raven and this came to a head when the Titans realized that they were manipulated into joining together as a team by Raven. However, when Trigon sent his first minion after Raven, the Titans realized that despite the method, the evil Raven wished to have the Titans fight was all too real.
As time went on Raven became an integral part of the team again and trusted teammate, even though Wally’s feelings became very conflicted, especially as Frances Kane came into his life as a new potential love interest. With his powers leaving him Wally left the Titans, Robin became Nightwing, and Terra plotted the downfall of the Titans from within.. while all this was happening Raven was changing, battling Trigon every day was taking its toll.
Raven left the Titans shortly after the Judas Contract storyline in order to avoid being compromised by her emotions and to keep Trigon at bay. The battle did not go well and Raven.. was forced to go back to get aid from her friends again.
As the Titans are practicing their war games with capturing Jericho, the newest Titan, Raven appears to the team and is already shaken and attempts to tell her friends that she needs them, but Jericho makes a mistake and attempts to use his powers to take over Raven. Raven teleports away out of fear of what may happen and leaves a very scared Jericho in her wake. He is furiously signing at his teammates about Raven and the Titans have to face the fact that they have not done a great deal to help Raven with her problems.
Raven is in her quarters, lit by dim candlelight only, the Titans debate what to do about her. Jericho goes to chat with Raven and we get one of the best monologues in comics.
“Hello Joseph. Yes, you may enter. I was expecting you. I…I think you are the only one who understands. It…It is so good to speak to you, I feel…. warm when you are near, But you know why I cannot have the others see me like this. I could not bear to see their faces if I did. ” – Raven
Jericho/Joseph signs that they want to help her.
“Thank you Joseph. Thank you so much. But I fear no one can help me. Not now. I have known all along what I must do. And though the thought of it frightens my very soul.. I have no choice. The cold hand of destiny beckons me forth.
“Please. Please.. do not touch me. Please do.. not make me cry. M.. May I have my cape? Now go. Allow me to meditate and you sweet Joseph… Please tell the others to wait… Joseph….please do not hate me.” – Raven
Raven then joins the Titans to announce that she is leaving the Titans. The Titans protest and wish to help her, but she refuses and insists that the best thing to do right now is for her to move on, which she will do in the morning. Which gives the Titans a night to fix things.
Out in the Vegan System, the war is over and now the Royal Family of Tamaran are sending their armadas to welcome their daughter Starfire back home.
Cyborg has been looking at old file pics from the security cameras of Raven’s face, he reveals his findings to Changeling. Raven started out looking like a rather ordinary looking girl, then her face began to change. Her cheeks got sunken in, her hairline was receeding, her eyebrows grew distinctively larger and darker, she truly is her father’s daughter as her face is no longer the Earthly visage of Arella, but more and more the demonic Trigon’s influence is bubbling to the surface.
Jericho decides that as Raven wages her astral battle he will enter her body to assist her. The horror overwhelms him as he sees a path of writhing damned bodies leading the path and is blocked by a wretched woman who is now Arella, Raven’s mother. In this spirit world however, Jericho’s physical disguise does not hold up and Trigon destroys the image and dedicates himself to torturing Jericho and never allowing him to die. Joseph’s anguish brings Raven who gives herself over to Trigon in order to save Jericho.
Back at the Tower, the Titans are roused by the scream of Raven and the outside air has grown dense with black clouds and acid yellow lightning. Jericho is on Raven’s bed and he brings the Titans up to speed. Then echoing laughter coming from nowhere and everywhere.. Raven is now Trigon’s…
Next Up: Lilith Returns! The End of Azarath! The Titans Battle For Their Souls!!!
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Titans Head to the Baxter Run
0And here we go.. these stories are what I consider some interesting stories but not where a lot of the good stuff in Titans was happening at the time. You see, The New Teen Titans had started its Baxter run, and both Marv Wolfman and George Perez were doing double and some triple duty on a big project that we are going to be spending a long time getting to in a bit.
So I am really going to be Cliffs Note versioning these comics because for whatever reason the stories just did not stick with me compared to what was going on in the other title.
Lilith stayed around the Titans along enough to find a new love interest in a mysterious frozen angel/alien named Azrael. Azrael would grow to become an erstwhile ally of the Titans, though his love for Lilith and his general naivete would get in the Titans way in some pivotal moments later on.
Azrael’s design is very angelic in origins it seems. He can fly, is fairly strong and extremely agile while in flight, but beyond that has no additional powers that we saw when he appeared.
The Trial of the Terminator has begun and it becomes a big media circus, notice the Titans faces above.. the deceased Terra makes an appearance but Raven does not. A telling sign of things to come dear reader.
After all of the nastiness with the Terminator, Changeling decides to take matters into his own.. claws, coils, fangs, whatever.. and exact some vengeance against the mercenary for attempting to kill his friends and for driving the girl he loved insane. However there was ample evidence that Terminator really wasn’t the cause of Terra’s amoral tendencies, he merely exploited them.
Victor Stone has grown very tired of being a Cyborg and has met a new friend in Dr. Sarah Charles at S.T.A.R. Labs. Dr. Charles believes she has a way to turn Victor back into a regular human being again. Vic after a little soul searching, goes for the operation and it is at this point that Psimon, Shimmer, Mammoth, and Gizmo reappear with two new members Jinx and Neutron.
Jinx is the real standout villainess here. An Indian mystic of some significant power, she controls the elements to make bad things happen to others. She will become a somewhat more ruthless villain as time goes on and gains a permanent spot with the Fearsome Five where Neutron fades away.
Cyborg’s operation is not a success however and he is forced back into a metal shell. He accepts this fate and is pivotal in helping the Titans overcome the Fearsome Five. Good thing to, because for what is next on the Titans’ plate it is not going to be pretty at all.
You see that Raven has been missing from this entire run for the most part.. not on the covers, not in the stories.. that story is about to come to a head in a really nasty way.
Next Up: The Titans vs. Raven and Trigon the Terrible!
Going to the Chapel…
0We are gathered here today in this fine house to recognize the comic book union of this man and this Wonder Girl…
After all the Titans have gone through it was time for a bit of a rest and to enjoy a happy event. Donna Troy weds Terrence Long in their anniversary 50th issue which features some guest appearances from some surprise guests.
The groomsmen are all Terry’s family and friends, and his sons acting as ring bearers. Donna’s entourage include Sharon a former roommate and her newly found half-sisters, along with ex Titans Lilith Clay, current Titan Starfire, and Diana Prince, Wonder Woman.
Amongst the company we see Dick Grayson (Nightwing), who gave Donna away, Wally West (Kid Flash), Frances Kane, Garfield Logan (Changeling), Victor Stone (Cyborg), Garth & Tula (Aqualad and Aquagirl), Roy Harper (Speedy), Bette Kane (Bat-Girl), Joe Wilson (Jericho), Mal & Karen Beecher (Guardian & Bumblebee), and Duela Dent (Harlequin).
We discover that Mal & Karen have since retired from super-heroics and gotten married and Lilith’s old flame Gnarrk has died. Dick Grayson actually confronts Duela Dent who has gotten quite old and portly in the time between now and when the old Titans were together, he claims that she is far too old to be the Joker’s Daughter, and she says “You’re just now figuring that out, tsk. The Batman would not be happy.”
Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson come to a bit of a meeting of the minds here. You see, since Dick Grayson stopped being Robin and became Nightwing it opened up Batman for another Robin, and one is one the way.
As the wedding comes to an end Wonder Woman escorts Donna and Terry into a room in which a levitated Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons is waiting to greet the man who is marrying her youngest daughter. The Queen blesses this union and the issue closes with nary a cross word spoken. One notable absence is Raven, who is beginning to feel more and more the effects of Trigon’s influence. And this is a story that will take us through a lot of cataclysmic changes in the Titans world.
Once the Wedding of Donna Troy is over, Changeling decides he has had enough and begins to seek vengeance on a certain one-eye mercenary…
Changeling then begins by displacing his anger and attacking Jericho who is on his way to becoming a real full time Titan, but Gar sees the signs. He is the son of the Terminator and that must make him evil right? Maybe one day…. but for now he should be really more concerned with the return of another mercenary as Cheshire comes calling.
Lilith has stayed around to help with the mystic issues since Raven is too afraid to use her powers extensively at this point, and Speedy…. Well, what can we say about Speedy, except he has been a recovering addict, and then a professional spy for the U.S. Government. Is it possible he and Cheshire have a past?
Oh yes. Yes it is, but like all good stories, the seeds are planted and the fruit is born later.
Next Up: The Trial of the Terminator! The Fearsome Five Return! Cyborg is Human Again!
Fish Sticks, Anyone?
0Over in the New Teen Titans, that title had already been renamed to Tales of the New Teen Titans during the Brother Blood story and kept the new title through The Judas Contract storyline featuring Terra and the Terminator.
But what does one do after a criminal organization has infiltrated the Titans, duped them, and nearly killed them….
You invite Aqualad and Aquagirl over for a follow up story and take down the H.I.V.E. forever.
Under the sea Garth and Tula were enjoying a swim when they and other creatures of the oceans began to feel weak, poisoned in fact by a plan put together by the H.I.V.E. organization. The H.I.V.E. which had just specatcularly failed in its ability to kill the Titans had another headquarters under the oceans where the H.I.V.E. Mistress controlled the operations of the organization after the death of her husband. In this sense, she became a Queen Bee, however this H.I.V.E. Mistress was clearly off her rocker and her subordinates paid for that dearly.
Lucky for the aquatic teens, Wally West had returned for a visit along with Frances Kane who were able to save the duo. The Titans agree to help Garth and Tula discover what the problem is with the oceans and they discover H.I.V.E. underwater. The H.I.V.E. Mistress had planned to lure the Titans there to finish the job the H.I.V.E. could not complete on land. However it went badly for her and the organization.
The Titans quite fed up with the H.I.V.E. handed them the butt kicking of all time. Garth and Tula went back to the ocean and all things seem right with the world.
A minor battle with some villains called the RECOMbatants take up the next issue while Doctor Light makes a villainous return in the issue after that, setting up a slow burn up to the event of Titans history not to be duplicated since..
Next Up: The Wedding of Donna Troy!
The Judas Contract – Part Three
0So, 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!!!!
The Judas Contract – Part Two
0The story continues in what presumes is the next morning.
Dick Grayson is sitting in his apartment at his desk when Deathstroke the Terminator crashes through the window.
As Terminator attempts to capture Dick it is Dick’s natural inclination to trick his opponent into thinking he is doing one thing when he is actually wanting the bad guy to do something else. Dick tricks the Terminator into knocking him near the open window which gives him the easiest out as he lands in the garbage dumpster below.
Hobbling Dick Grayson makes his way into the midst of a race going on, one could presume this is the New York City Marathon, and Deathstroke loses his quarry. It is at this point where we run across a woman with medium brown hair with a huge flower in her hair and her chauffeur, a young blond man with mutton chops who are observing the events.
After Dick loses the Terminator in the crowd, he signals for the other Titans, no one answers.
Dick Grayson is alone.
He enters detective mode determined to discover what happened to the other Titans.
Heading first to Donna Troy and Koriand’r's apartment he discovers the apartment a smoldering mess and a package that says “To My Darling Kory… With all (my) love,. Dick”, of course Dick did not send any gifts and the gift was a trap overloading Starfire’s natural energy absorption abilities and knocking her unconscious.
At Wonder Girl’s studio, Dick discovers turned over stools and trays of chemicals and deduces that Donna mixed some chemicals together that created an ether that overcame her.
In Hell’s Kitchen, Cyborg sat right down in a chair rigged to give an electrical charge that would overload his systems.
Dick heads to Titans Tower where he sees columns of rock trailing through the building leading to Raven’s room. There Dick Grayson is confronted by the strange woman and her assistant who have been watching the detective do his work.
It is here that the woman reveals that her name is Adeline Wilson and her assistant is Joseph.
In addition she offers this revelation…Raven was not defeated by Deathstroke, but instead by Terra.
And the other shoe has dropped. Terra, the sweet little girl who was captured by terrorists, taken in by The Titans, groomed to be a new member, who was flirting with Changeling and had saved them all numerous times had betrayed them.
In a flashback scene we see Raven in meditation and Adeline praises Terra’s skills
“She’s a clever little girl. A natural actor. I am certain her face didn’t betray her emotions even as she brought her powers to bear.”
Terra had always wanted to kill Raven, for being the one Titan who could reveal her, but instead knocked Raven unconscious to fulfill the contract.
Dick didn’t believe the woman and in this exchange Terra’s purpose is revealed to the reader who had held out any hope that Terra was a pawn.
Dick Grayson: “Terra couldn’t be a traitor.”
Adeline Wilson: “Quite so, she would have had to BE one of you to turn traitor. From the very beginning she belonged BODY and SOUL to the Terminator.”
Desperate to prove the woman wrong he calls Steve Dayton’s house looking for Changeling, who is nowhere to be found. Once again in flashback we see Garfield Logan licking envelopes to send signed photos to his fans. The glue was drugged. Child’s play again for an assassin who is well prepared.
After this is confirmed, Adeline lets the Terminator’s name slip.. His name is Slade, Slade Wilson, her ex-husband.
Meanwhile the Terminator has arrived in the Rockies with a very special package as he delivers the unconscious Titans to the H.I.V.E.
In the next chapter we get the origin of Deathstroke the Terminator. Grant Wilson met Adeline Kane when they were both serving in the Armed Forces. Adeline was a Captain charged with the training of special operations forces and Major Wilson was one of the finest combat soldiers ever to go through the training. They fell in love, married, and had two children. Slade also had a best friend in an older gentleman from the British service named Wintergreen.
In a twist on a tale from those folks over at Marvel, Slade volunteered for an experimental drug for testing truth serums, but instead the drug allowed him to expand the use of his brain to enhance his physical reactions. When Wintergreen was captured in Vietnam, Slade was compelled to help out and he did.
Slade had retired from the service and became a big game hunter. The couple hosted parties which in retrospect was how Slade got his.. clients for his new profession. A profession that Adeline became aware of when four armed assassins crashed into their home. Adeline managed to kill two, but the others got the drop on her with tear gas and she fell unconscious only knowing her new infant had been kidnapped.
That infant was the man standing in front of Dick Grayson now, whose silence had grown deafening.
Dick confronts Joseph about it and Adeline informs Richard that Joseph is mute due to his vocal cords being cut in a hostage exchange scenario. After this situation, the naive veil that Adeline had worn faded away and a mother’s cold rage took over. She shot Slade, but didn’t kill him, she only took his eye, which explains his half mask and his eye patch.
At this point we get a change to Dick Grayson that will begin a slow trend of growing up of the sidekicks.
Dick Grayson, formerly Robin and now Nightwing begins his career to save his friends along with a new ally, right after accepting their old new ally was plotting to betray them all the time.
Just a quick note here, you’ll notice that Dick Grayson now is wearing a more Batman pallette costume with the dark blue and the yellow, gone are the red and green. The bikini bottoms have been traded for the disco collar and the mask has gone from a domino to a more “bat” like one.
Joseph Wilson does have powers as Jericho. He is able to lock his eyes with another combatant, turn into an astral form, and then possess that person, taking over their motor functions. Together the two heroes head off to the H.I.V.E. hideout to free the Titans and confront the Terminator and Terra.
Next Up: The Conclusion of the Judas Contract
The Judas Contract – Part One
3For the length of this blog I have resisted mentioning other comics companies except when discussing those characters acquired by DC Comics such as Fawcett, Quality, and Charlton.
But now I find myself forced to mention Marvel Comics.
Not because I have any inherit disdain about Marvel, far from it, they’re characters are arguably grittier and less god like than those in the DCU and therefore more accessible due to their humanity. Even those wielding God-Like powers in the Marvel Universe have flaws and every day problems.
I mention Marvel Comics for one reason alone, Kitty Pryde.
Kitty Pryde is a character in the X-Men line of comics from Marvel and she joins the X-Men as their youngest admitted member at the time. Kitty undergoes a trial by fire including one of the classic comic book time traveling/alternate history stories “Days of Future Past”* which tells the tale of how mutants (such as the X-Men) are slaughtered by all mankind because of their powers.
Kitty becomes a beloved and trusted ally and an X-Man for many years.
Now, what happens when you take that formula of the sweet little super heroine and turn it upside down?
You get Terra.
The Judas Contract is the culmination of a plot that started back in New Teen Titans #1, so lets review a little bit.
- When escaping her captors, Starfire crashes into Earth sending the Gordanians to Earth to retrieve her. This caused the Gordanians to destroy the apartment of a Mr. Grant Wilson.
- As a result of this Grant Wilson loses his girlfriend due to his callousness and his apartment due to damage. He becomes enraged and embittered towards the Titans and seeks out a method of revenge.
- The evil organization known as H.I.V.E. comes forth and subjects Grant to an experiment giving him super powers, powers that H.I.V.E. demanded Grant use to bring in the Titans.
- Calling himself The Ravager, Grant Wilson attacks the Titans and very well could have destroyed them had it not been for the fact that the powers were burning him out and he was not going to last long.
- Raven gave Ravager his last wish by allowing him to see the Titans dead, however this did not end the matter.
- Ravager’s father is Slade Wilson, The Terminator, and Terminator picked up the contract. First believing that he could take on the Titans himself, Slade was beaten, but barely by the Titans. It was then that Slade realized that he was going to need help.
- Enter Terra. A girl with new earth moving powers that found Slade. Her age, powers, and guile made her the perfect accomplice and she was planted into the group so that she could learn all the Titans’ secrets.
And that mission is accomplished in the first issue of The Judas Contract, The Eyes of Tara Markov.
Using contact lens cameras, Terra has been recording every move of the Titans and this is the day when the Titans reveal their secret lives. We open upon Starfire as Kory Anders posing for a film festival poster as photographer Donna Troy shoots the film. As Cyborg returns to his apartment in Hell’s Kitchen and as Dick Grayson heads up to his walk up apartment. Changeling and Raven do not have secret identities per se, and Changeling heads to his home in Steve Dayton’s mansion, which will be the locale for Donna Troy’s wedding. Raven meanwhile meditates in Titans Tower which brings up an interesting point about Raven and Terra.
In every instance Raven must touch someone to heal them and at every turn Terra has fled from Raven’s touch. Terra has played this off as being superstitious and just plain not liking Raven, however we find here that Raven is the only Titan that suspects Terra’s duplicity, but because of her own inner battle with her father’s evil, she has not informed the Titans of her instincts. Most likely Terra’s natural acting ability has been interfering a bit with Raven’s empathic powers with Raven’s self-doubt helping out.
Terra swears to herself “Witch, I’m saving you for myself.”
The next time we view the Titans they are in the midst of battle training. Cyborg pushes his strength further than before, Starfire bests Wonder Girl in staff fighting, but it is the test battle between Changeling and Terra that is the true story here.
One of Changeling’s trademarks is his taunting, he picks an enemy and a nickname for them and begins to distract the enemy via taunting, humorous comments. He chooses this strategy with Terra and it sets her off, her psychopathic nature exhibits itself and she nearly kills Changeling in a rage, when this was supposed to be just an easy battle exercise.
We get a bit of a hint that Terra had been teased a lot as a child, perhaps this is because she is the illegitimate daughter of a King or for her pronounced buck teeth, its difficult to say. The only thing to be sure of is that she almost blew her cover and the entire plan.
Raven appears on the scene and tries to help Garfield and Terra. Her eyes pierce through Terra and the scene shifts back to the Terminator. Terra and the Terminator are more than partners by this point, they are also lovers.
Yes Terra is 15-16 making Deathstroke a child molester at best, but one could look at Terra in her nightgown, crude moll style makeup, and cigarette and say Deathstroke wasn’t the first to go spelunking.
The two villains leave Deathstroke’s hideout and it is time for…the betrayal.
Next Up: Dick Grayson adopts a new identity, a new Titan appears, and the origin of Deathstroke the Terminator.
* = see the correction in the comments, after all my first No Prize deserves to be noted.