When I began my comic book journey at the ripe age of 9 (in 1973), I gravitated much more to group-themed titles. The Legion of Super-Heroes was my first exposure to the medium, and from there, I quickly branched out to the Justice League of America, the Fantastic Four, and one of my all-time favorite groups... the Teen Titans.
When this group's adventures first started being chronicled the characters were very early teens. But, by the time I was first exposed to the Teen Titans, they were hip and community-minded older teens, some in college, teaming to battle social injustice in addition to villainy. Their group had several members who had no actual superpowers and their rank also included the first African-American character I saw represented in comic books. As a child growing up in a very non-diverse small community in Maine, I found them all thrilling. I wanted to be one of them when I grew up!
Over the decades there have been numerous iterations of the Teen Titans or simply the Titans. This tour will only be limited to the members, and some history, of the original version of the Teen Titans, published by DC Comics from 1964 through 1978.
The tour starts with The Brave and the Bold #54 (July 1964). At the time, The Brave and the Bold was one of several DC titles dedicated to trying out new characters or concepts. The Justice League of America and the Suicide Squad are two groups that made their first appearance in B&B. Five years after those two groups were established, writer Bob Haney decided it might be a winning concept to team several of DC's most prominent kid sidekicks together without their mentors. So in The Brave and the Bold #54, Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad teamed up to defeat a villain named Mr. Twister.
Though the three heroes were not officially part of an actual team, and the name "Teen Titans" is never used in this story, comic historians still deem this to be the Titan's first appearance.
ROBIN
(Richard "Dick" Grayson)
First Appearance: Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
Created by: Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson
Dick was a circus acrobat who performed with his parents as part of The Flying Graysons. Following the death of his parents, Dick becomes the ward of Bruce (Batman) Wayne. He soon begins fighting crime alongside Batman as Robin, often referred to as the Boy Wonder. Robin is regarded as the very first sidekick to appear in comic books.
Robin serves as the leader of the Teen Titans during the team's original volume.
Years after the original team's run, Dick gives up the mantle of Robin and primarily functions as a hero named Nightwing. He temporarily assumed the role of Batman and also was known as Agent 37 for a short time.
KID FLASH
(Wallace "Wally" West)
First Appearance: The Flash #110 (December 1969)
Created by: John Broome and Carmine Infantino
Wally West is the nephew of Barry (Flash) Allen. In a bizarre twist of fate, he is visiting his uncle's laboratory when a bolt of lightning strikes in the lab, and Wally is doused in electrically charged chemicals. A repeat of the event that endowed Barry with his superspeed also endowed Wally with the same power. Wally soon costumed up and began fighting bad guys as Kid Flash.
In the years that followed his original stint in the Teen Titans, Wally assumed the role of Flash after Barry was killed during the Crisis On Infinite Earths maxi-series in 1985. Barry's adventures as Flash lasted over two decades until Barry Allen was returned to life during one of DC Comics' many retcons.
AQUALAD
(Garth)
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #269 (February 1960)
Created by: Robert Bernstein and Ramona Fradon
Originally, not much was known of Aqualad's background, other than the fact that he had been abandoned as an infant due to an ancient superstition regarding purple eyes (something Garth had). Purple eyes were associated with evil. He was found by Aquaman who eventually adopted and raised him. As an Atlantean, Garth has increased strength, speed, and endurance on land. He also is amphibious, so he can breathe and live underwater. Like Aquaman, he could communicate with sea life.
In the years that followed the original volume of Teen Titans, Garth would relinquish the title of Aqualad and begin using the codename Tempest. It was also revealed that his origin was more mystical than originally suspected and he had a much larger range of powers than originally known. But that's a tale for another tour!
Back in the pre-internet days of instant information, it would take time for the sales figures and "snail mail"-interest of a story to become known. But eventually, DC learned that The Brave and the Bold #54 was a winner and readers wanted more. So in The Brave and the Bold #60 (July 1965) our three sidekicks are teamed up again. But this time the cover recognizes that this merry band of heroes is an official team and they have a name. They are the Teen Titans! Not only do they have an official group name, but they also have a new teammate.
Our original three are joined by Wonder Girl. While it's nice to see the team be a tad bit more diverse in its membership, it didn't take long for readers to point out DC editorship that Wonder Girl was not a real character.
Over in the pages of Wonder Woman, from 1961 through 1965, writer Robert Kanigher often wrote stories that were referred to as "Impossible Tales". In these stories, Wonder Woman would team up with younger versions of herself, named Wonder Tot and Wonder Girl. These stories were make-believe adventures created by Wonder Woman's mother, Queen Hippolyta, using Amazon magic and spliced old film reels of Diana as she grew up. It seemed that Teen Titan scribe, Bob Haney, was unaware that Wonder Girl wasn't a real character. This new Wonder Girl, who was not a younger version of Wonder Woman, would actively participate as a member of the Teen Titans for four years before finally being given an origin!
WONDER GIRL
(Donna Troy)
First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #60 (July 1965)
Created by: Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani after Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru
In Teen Titans #23 (October 1969) we learn that Donna Troy was an infant rescued by Wonder Woman from a burning building. Rather than taking the child to an orphanage, Wonder Woman instead took her to Paradise Island for the Amazons to raise. The Amazon scientist Paula altered Donna's molecular structure using the Amazon's amazing Purple Ray, giving her all the powers of Wonder Woman.
A more detailed origin would follow many years later, but then, her original origin was wiped out thanks to the events in the maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, which effectively eliminated Wonder Woman's history in the DC Universes. This created a seemingly endless number of attempts to provide Donna with a new origin. Donna's history has become quite a quagmire and will be the subject of a future tour.
Following the original Teen Titans run she became a member of the Darkstars for a time, then began using a new code name, Troia. For a brief time, she also assumed the mantle of Wonder Woman. Eventually, she simply stopped using a code name and she doesn't attempt to keep a secret identity. She is simply... Donna Troy, heroine.
The Teen Titans were given one more outing 6 months later, headlining Showcase #59 (December 1965) before being awarded their own ongoing title. Teen Titans #1 debuted with a cover date of February 1966. The team has a secret cave hideout and their own Teen Titans helicopter! We can presume that these perks are courtesy of Wayne Enterprises.
There's a lot of 1960s groovy hipster slang thrown about. Wonder Girl is continually referred to as Wonder Chick and the team battles some far-out bad guys like Mad Mod, Ding Dong Daddy, and Captain Rumble!
Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy is a guest star in issue #4. Oddly, at the end of the tale, Speedy says, "Hope we can do it again sometime." The members of the team all express interest, yet no invitation is extended to Speedy to join the team. An editor's blub assures readers that Speedy will return in the future and that other "junior super-heroes" will be stopping by.
One such guest star was Beast Boy, the teen sidekick to the Doom Patrol. He appeared in Teen Titans #6 (December 1966) requesting to be the Titan's fifth member. Though he lacks the permission of his guardian, Robin ends the tale by breaking the fourth-wall and asking the readers what they think. Responses must have been tepid this was the last we would see of Beast Boy (in Teen Titans) for many years.
Speedy guest stars again in Teen Titans #11 (October 1967) and then is formally inducted into the team in Teen Titans #19. Following his addition to the team, Aqualad's participation dropped dramatically (he appeared in roughly 1/3 of the remaining issues). This corresponded with new writers being brought on to replace Bob Haney. It became obvious that a member who needed to constantly be around water was a liability to good stories.
SPEEDY
(Roy Harper)
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941)
Created by: Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger
As a very young boy, Roy was rescued by a Navajo medicine chief named Brave Bow when Roy's father died in a forest fire. Roy was raised by Brave Bow's tribe and taught to be proficient in numerous Navajo skills, including archery which he excelled at.
When Brave Bow discovered he was dying, he set out to introduce Roy to Green Arrow. Green Arrow was so impressed with Roy's skills that he became his ward and took the boy in. Because of his acute reflexes, Green Arrow gave Roy the codename Speedy and a red version of a costume similar to his own. The two operated as a crime-fighting duo for many years.
Following the initial run on Teen Titans, Roy was part of a ground-breaking storyline that revealed he had become a heroin addict. This was one of the first times the subject of addiction was discussed in comic books. Following his recovery he would continue to operate as a costumed hero, but on his own terms, taking on the codename Arsenal. Later, he would become known as Red Arrow.
New (and younger) writers began penning the Teen Titans comic starting with issue #18. In Teen Titans #23 (October 1969), Wonder Girl updated her outfit. She donned a more adult-looking costume that individualized her new Donna Troy persona a bit more from Wonder Woman'.
During this same time, over in the pages of Batman-related titles, Dick (Robin) Grayson went off to college. As a result, all the Teen Titans also slowly matured in appearance and demeanor from mid-teen to late-teen. They were going to nightclubs and getting their own apartments. Their stories began to represent the views and distrust of authority that many younger readers had in the latter 1960s as the country grappled with the repercussions of the Vietnam War, the Cold War race to the moon, and the rise of the Civil Rights movement.
Teen Titans #25 (February 1970) was a major turning point for the direction and tone of this title. This issue was (and still is) a masterpiece of art, storytelling, and character development.
In a discotheque, the Titans (in their civilian identities) are approached by a mysterious red-headed woman who claims to know who they all are. She wants to join them in the Teen Titans. When they rebuff her, she tells them to beware, "Tonight the Titans will open the door for death."
Later, the Titans and two other teen heroes, Hawk and Dove, attempt to prevent a riot at a peace rally. A militant protester is seen brandishing a gun and the Titans all leap to try and prevent him from shooting. Their efforts are for not. Each of them appears to have their hand on the protester's gun as it goes off, wounding a world-famous philanthropist, and Nobel Prize winner, named Dr. Arthur Swenson. Later in a hospital, Dr. Swenson dies, and the Teen Titans are filled with grief, feeling responsible for what happened.
Uncharacteristically, their mentors from the Justice League arrive at the hospital and rather than hear them out, they blame the Titans for not saving Dr. Swenson. They demand that the Titans decide what punishment they should be given.
Later as the Titans wander around and contemplate the events of the day, they run into Lilith again. She claims to know they were going to be there. She introduces them to Mr. Jupiter, the richest man in the world. Mr. Jupiter takes the Titans to his estate and tells him of his secret government-sponsored training program for teens that he finances. Jupiter believes, "the young people of today must be trained to cope with the world they will inherit." Trainees in the project must live in a secret headquarters until they are ready for missions.
Robin declines the invitation to join the program, but Speedy, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl, along with Hawk and Dove, abandon their hero garbs and join Mr. Jupiter's program. They also take a vow to stop using their superpowers, believing their perceived misuse of them to be the reason for Dr. Swenson's death. After joining up, they discover that Lilith is already part of the program. And just like that, in the span of a single issue, the Titans are now non-costumed adventurers, they have a new financier and three new members.
LILITH
When Lilith was 13 years old, she began experiencing special mental abilities. During one such moment, she is able to read her parents' minds and discovers that she is adopted. After getting in some trouble, she sets out to explore the world and see if she can discover who her real parents are.
Originally Lilith's powers were subtle and confined to precognition and telepathy. She also experienced heightened acuity involving the divine and mystical. During the original volume of the Teen Titans, Lilith never employed a codename or hero costume.
Following the original run of the Teen Titans, it was eventually revealed that she was the illegitimate daughter of Mr. Jupiter. She also began wearing a costume and assumed the heroic persona of Omen. Her special abilities were expanded and she became much more powerful. She is now considered an "alpha class" psionic, able to project psionic blasts, teleport, employ limited telekinesis, and limited mind control.
HAWK AND DOVE
(Hank Hall and Don Hall)
First Appearance: Showcase #75 (June 1968)
Created by: Steve Ditko and Steve Skeates
Hawk and Dove had made a guest appearance in Teen Titans #21 (June 1969) before officially joining the team, along with Lilith, four issues later.
Hank and Don Hall are brothers whose father is a judge. After their father is almost assassinated, the boys find themselves in a situation where mysterious voices offer them an opportunity to save their father, if they choose to call upon the power of the Hawk and the Dove. (It is later revealed that the voices belonged to two Lords of Chaos.) Hank is a conservative with a temper, who is transformed into Hawk. Don is progressive and more reserved and thoughtful. When they are transferred to Hawk and Dove, both have increased strength and agility, though Hank tends to enjoy physical combat much more than Dove who prefers less combative approaches.
After their debut in Showcase, this duo was given their own title. Their father, Judge Irwin Hall had more centrist beliefs and acted as sort of a buffer between the two characters. Judge Hall was unaware his sons were Hawk and Dove, and he adamantly opposed the notion of costumed vigilantes. Hawk and Dove was cancelled after only 6 issues in 1969. Following this cancellation, the characters found a new home in the pages of Teen Titans.
After the original volume of Teen Titans, Don (Dove) Hall was killed during the Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi-series in 1986. Hank (Hawk) Hall would serve again in later iterations of the Titans and he also gained a new Dove partner.
One issue later (Teen Titans #26), our newly formed group of protagonists find themselves in Hell's Corner, a metropolitan ghetto. They come under attack by street hoodlums but are defended by a young man named Mal Duncan. Our heroes (still in civilian garb) are so impressed by Mal, that they recommend him to Mr. Jupiter for inclusion in the secret training program. Mal is determined to prove himself worthy of the program on his own terms (rather than simply because of other's recommendations) and he does so. He then accepts his place as a member of the Teen Titans.
MAL / GUARDIAN
(Mal Duncan)
First Appearance: Teen Titans #26 (April 1970)
Created by: Robert Kanigher and Nick Cardy
Originally, Mal lacks any superpowers, but he is highly trained in kickboxing and hand-to-hand combat and he is very intelligent and intuitive.
Later in this volume, he assumes the mantle of Guardian, using an exoskeleton suit that provides him enhanced strength.
In later iterations of the team, he will use the codenames Herald and Vox and acquire sonic-based powers.
Many resources will list John Stewart as DC Comics' first African-American hero, but the truth is that that distinction belongs to Mal. He may not have had superpowers, but neither did Robin or Speedy, both of whom are considered superheroes. Mal was a recognized member of the Teen Titans and he debuted almost two years before John Stewart was introduced as a substitute Green Lantern.
During the era when these stories were being published, there was a very popular television show airing on ABC. It centered on 3 young adults who were part of the hipper culture of the day, working as part of a secret task force for the Los Angeles Police Department. I imagine this may have been a part of the inspiration for the new look of the Teen Titans. Loren Jupiter stepping into the mentor role that Capt. Greer supplied on the television show.
In Teen Titans #28 (August 1970), Aqualad needs the assistance of his fellow Titans. This is his first interaction with them since they vowed to give up their powers and stop wearing their costumes. He convinces them to temporarily abandon their vow and suit up. After this adventure, Aqualad talks them into rethinking their vow. Eventually Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Speedy slowly begin to employ their powers and put on their hero outfits again. Oddly, Hank (Hawk) and Don (Dove) Hall disappear from this title following this adventure. No reason given or offered.
And now we get to the point in this tour where I wish we could take a detour! Gnarrk! In Teen Titans #32 Kid Flash and Mal find themselves transported back in time. When they find a way to return to the present in Teen Titans #33 (June 1971), they discover they accidentally brought a Cro-Magnon teen back with them.
The team works feverishly to acclimate this guy to present time. He is given the name Gnarrk (because of a guttural noise he makes), John Gnarrk to be specific. The cover of issue #39 refers to Gnarrk as a Titan, so generally, most comic historians recognize him as having been a member of the team. With that said, he only appears 3 more times during this volume of Teen Titans and his participation is minimal.
In my opinion, he was nothing more than a poorly conceived plot device for a single storyline. He fades pretty much to obscurity and any timeline repercussions resulting from his removal from his own era are never addressed.
GNARRK
(John Gnarrk)
First Appearance: Teen Titans #32 (April 1971)
Created by: Bob Haney and George Tuska
As a Cro-Magnon man, Gnarrk has enhanced strength, endurance, and climbing skills. He also has a deep emotional bond with Lilith who was the most responsible Titan for getting him through the process of adjusting to modern times.
Versions of Gnarrk have been included in retconned updated versions of the Teen Titans, though whether he is still a Cro-Magnon human is unknown.
To assist with Gnarrk's training, Kid Flash called on Robin to help. Following this training, Robin sticks around for the rest of this volume of Teen Titans. The notion that he has to live at the secret Jupiter Training Headquarters seems to no longer be an issue. It should be noted that Robin is so trustful of the newest members and Mr. Jupiter, that at some point he has no problem with revealing to them that he is Dick Grayson.
Publication of the title continued through Teen Titans #43 (February 1973). Poor sales led to its cancellation. Their final adventure was a beautifully haunting tale titled, "Inherit the Howling Night", fittingly written by Bob Haney, the writer responsible for the very first team-up of Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad nine years earlier. The man who gave the team their name.
But... sometimes you can't keep a good thing down! Fear not, this tour is nowhere near its conclusion!
Almost four years after the title was canceled, the powers that be at DC decided to give the Teen Titans another shot. Teen Titans picked up publication from its first volume with Teen Titans #44 hitting the shelves with a cover date of November 1976.
The initial lineup includes Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Speedy, and Mal. We find out that Mal had been keeping shop at the old Teen Titans cave, now filled with an array of computers and equipment that Mr. Jupiter left to the team when he closed up his training program and facility.
One interesting story point is that Wonder Girl acknowledges that Speedy had recently gone through a rough time. As I noted previously, over in the pages of Green Lantern/Green Arrow (#85 to be exact), it was revealed that Roy (Speedy) Harper had become a heroin addict. This one-panel acknowledgment leads readers to believe that Roy's addiction and eventual recovery occurred during the four years between the publication of Teen Titans #43 and Teen Titans #44.
However, GA/GL #85 was dated August 1971 which came out while the Teen Titans was still in its original publication. The subject was never addressed in the pages of Teen Titans, where Speedy appeared in issues 36 through 43... all published after his drug addiction tale was sold to readers. Ah, the ever-constant inconsistencies of the comic book biz!
Teen Titans #43 also has Mal, feeling a bit inferior, go through the Teen Titan's storage units to discover an exoskeleton that provides super strength, and the costume of a retired superhero known as Guardian. Mal dons both and assumes the mantle as a new Guardian, complete with shield.
Character's egos ran strong and writers seemed to think that if there was a lot of in-fighting amongst the team members that this was somehow "interesting" reading. It wasn't. It was very out of character for the Titans, who had always been portrayed with more of a family-style vibe.
Once the team brings down the villainous Dr. Light, they decide to give the team another try. Aqualad shows up the following issue, but soon he is sidelined with some sort of illness which is eventually diagnosed as complications from his own inferiority complex related to being a Titan on land. He spends most issues comatose in a tank of distilled water per Aquaman's instructions. Perhaps he and Mal should have founded a support group?!
Teen Titans #46 (February 1977) gives us our first new member in quite some time. Robin introduces the team to Joker's Daughter, and asks them to welcome her into the fold. She immediately jumps into action with them.
Created by: Bob Rozakis, Ann Nocenti, an Marguerite Bennett
Duela is originally claimed to be the daughter of the criminal Harvey (Two-Face) Dent. She began her crime fighting career by appearing to be a villain, taunting Robin. She portrayed herself as Joker's Daughter, Riddler's Daughter, Scarecrow's Daughter, Penguin's Daughter, and Catwoman's Daughter. But her "crimes" were really what she considered opportunities to prove to Robin that she could hold her own. She wanted to be a superhero and help atone for some of the evil her father had brought upon society. They both figured out each other's secret identities during this time, and she finally fessed to Robin that she hoped he would recommend her to the Teen Titans for membership.
Two issues after joining the team, she changed her costume and codename to Harlequin. She uses a vast array of gadgetry to assist her in crimefighting.
Over the years an through many retcons, Duela's history and origin has been revised numerous times. We will be devoting a full tour to her journey in the near future.
The team purchases an abandoned restaurant in Farmingdale, Long Island, and turn it into a nightclub/disco for Roy and Mal to run. The regular headlining band is The Great Frog which features Mal on trumpet and Roy on drums. Hidden below the club is the new headquarters for the Teen Titans.
The team gains another new member in Teen Titans #49. Originally the team thought that Bumblebee was a villain, but she turned out to be their ally.
BUMBLEBEE
(Karen Beecher)
First Appearance: Teen Titans #45 (December 1976)
Created by: Bob Rozakis and Jose Delbo
Karen Beecher was the girlfriend of Mal Duncan who thought the Titans took Mal for granted. She was a scientist and she created her Bumblebee suit by herself. Her original goal was to prove to Mal that the team didn't appreciate him, but she was proven wrong and apologized. The Titans were impressed with the way she handled herself and offered her a position on the team.
Through the use of her suit, Bumblebee can fly, has increased strength and speed, can shoot electric blasts and can also shoot yellow honey-like adhesives.
Following the original run of the Teen Titans, future versions of Bumblebee could shrink in size and her powers would be innate rather than generated by a suit.
The Teen Titans comic book hit a milestone with #50, which features the beginning of a three-issue tale. And this story introduces a concept that has continued to be used in numerous incarnations of the Teen Titans and through most company wide reboots. And that concept is... Teen Titans West.
In Teen Titans #50 (October 1977) our team is handling mysterious catastrophies that are taking place. Meanwhile, on the west coast, there are also strange disasters happening. Lilith, a former Teen Titan, assembles her own Titans team, Teen Titans West. This second team consists of Lilith, Hawk, Dove, Beast Boy, Bat-Girl, Golden Eagle, and eventually Gnarrk.
Lilith's team is trying to defeat Captain Calamity while the east coast Titans determine they are fighting Mr. Esper. However, as this epic tale concludes, it turned out that Captain Calamity and Mr. Esper we
re the same person. The combined team ultimately takes him down.
BEAST BOY
(Garfield Logan)
First Appearance: Doom Patrol #99
Created by: Arnold Drake and Bob Brown
Infant Gar Logan lived with his scientist parents in Africa when he contracted a rare disease called Sakutia. To save him, his father administered an untested science experiment that involved the African green monkey. While it saved Gar's life, it also permanently turned his skin, hair, and eyes green. The experiment also left Gar with the ability to morph into any animal he could imagine. After his parents were killed, he eventually ended up being adopted by Elasti-Girl and Mento, members of the Doom Patrol.
Gar had teamed with the Teen Titans once in the past, but was never extended membership until now.
Following the original volume of Teen Titans, the second iteration of the team would include Gar as a founding member, using the code name Changeling. At the time of this article, he has returned to using the codename Beast Boy.
BAT-GIRL
(Betty Kane)
First Appearance: Batman #139 (April 1961)
Created by: Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff
Long before the Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl that most comics readers are familiar with, there was a different character who fought crime alongside of Batman and Robin. This Bat-Girl was Betty Kane, the young niece of Kathy (Batwoman) Kane.
This Batwoman and Bat-Girl appeared in Batman related comic titles from 1956 through 1964. Betty was skilled at hand-to-hand combat and was an above average athlete. f
In 1964 (following the cancellation of the campy Batman TV series), DC wanted to return Batman to his roots with a darker tone as a creature of the night. As a result, most of the Silver Age silliness and family-style characters in his orbit were jettisoned. Batwoman and Bat-Girl were included in that cast-off.
Bat-Girl's return in Teen Titans #50 was the first time the character had been acknowledged since 1964. Betty continued to be a minor character over the years. Her codename was changed to Flamebird in the post-Crisis On Infinite Earths reality. Later still she would become Hawkfire.
GOLDEN EAGLE
(Charley Parker)
First Appearance: Justice League of America #116 (March 1975)
Created by: Cary Bates and Dick Dillin
Golden Eagle was a throw-away character from a single issue of Justice League of America. Charley was a young fan of Hawkman. During a time when Hawkman and Hawkgirl had returned to their home planet of Thanagar, the villain Matter Master accidentally endowed Charley with the ability to conjure up wings like those of Hawkman. Following a single outing alongside the JLA, Charley was cured and his wings gone. But apparently at some point Hawkman (having returned to Earth) gave Charley a pair of his own. Charly used them to take on the identity Golden Eagle.
Following his Teen Titans West adventure, Charley returned to obscurity. He has resurfaced from time to time, with his origin altered to fit continuities born out of many of DC company-wide reboots.
Following this three-issue Titans East/Titans West story, this revival of the Teen Titans that started with issue #44 would come to an end with Teen Titans #53 (February 1978). The final issue has Karen and Mal going through some old case files and discovering the, "Untold Origin of the Teen Titans". This tale rewrites how the Teen Titans came about... and... who its original members were.
This untold story takes place before Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad defeated Mr. Twister. Batman, Green Arrow, Flash, and Aquaman all begin acting like criminals. Robin, Speedy, Kid Flash, and Aqualad meet up to discuss their mutual dilemma. Soon, they are joined by a young girl they have never met, who introduces herself as Wonder Girl... Wonder Woman's sister. She claims to have been sent from Paradise Island to stop Wonder Woman's crime campaign.
Splitting into teams, they take on each Justice League member by not having any of the junior heroes take on their own mentors. This approach proves effective and the teens ultimately capture all five senior heroes. The senior heroes had been mentally taken over by a villain named Antithesis. But by defeating the senior heroes, the sidekicks cause Antithesis to lose his control and he disappears back to his own dimension.
The senior heroes commend the youngsters for their work, referring to them as "almost like a junior Justice League". This makes the teens ponder creating their own team. It's Wonder Girl who comes up with using the name "Titans". Speedy is reluctant to join because he doesn't want a regular commitment. Robin says he can join in whenever he likes.
So, with this tale, Speedy and Wonder Girl are now retroactively inserted into being founding members of the team.
Karen and Mal finish reading this tale as the other current members gather around to acknowledge that they all need to grow more on their own. It's time for them to disband once again. The issue closes with each of the current team going their own separate way.
So with Speedy's final monologue and tear, the original incarnation of the Teen Titans comes to a full close.
It would be only two years before DC would give the team another try. A new title, The New Teen Titans, written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by George Perez, debuted in 1980 and it would go on to be a HUGE success for the company. That incarnation of the Titans will have to wait for a future comic book tour! For now, we bring this current trip to its conclusion.
Thank you for traveling on this Titans 1964 to 1978 train with me! I hope the attractions along the way were worth the fare!
Until next time....
Teen Titans and all related characters, names, and elements and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of DC Comics, Inc.
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