Celebrating Artist Dan Jurgens

Celebrating the birthday of writer/artist Dan Jurgens (June 27, 1959) with the Teen Titans, but with a Then and Now twist...

...or rather, the grown up version of the Teen Titans (Nightwing/Robin, Kid Flash/Flash, Tempest/Aqualad and Arsenal/Speedy) as featured in a run in the 1990s (and Wonder Girl/Troia was busy at this time in Wonder Woman).

Teen Titans #12 and #13 (September and October, 1997)

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Teen Titans #14 and #15 (November, 1997 and Early January, 1998)

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The Russian Starfire

A young teenage boy who accompanied his archeologist father to investigate what they discover to be crashed alien spaceship in the Siberian wastes near the Yenisei River in Russia back in June, 1908...the lad sneaks into the spaceship at night, where he triggers an energy blast that gives him great strength and speed, turning him into Russia's first hero....Starfire!

This Starfire debuted in Teen Titans #18 (November-December, 1968), and would later be tied to the Teen Titans.

Eye Of The Beholder!

In Teen Titans #18 (November-December, 1968) by Len Wein, Marv Wolfman and Bill Draut, under a Nick Cardy cover, we first meet Starfire in Stockholm, Sweden, where the Teen Titans and Starfire have to work together to stop the jewel thief, Andre Le Blanc from stealing the crown jewels.  Kid Flash, of all the Teen Titans, is especially displeased for their American team to have to work with the Russian hero, and the Russian lad is none to fond of his American counterparts.    The teens get a chance to try to capture Andre when he takes a practice run, but the team just works against each other, allowing Le Blanc to escape.  

The kids regroup, with tensions running high, when they split up to guard the thief's next target.  There, Andre traps Aqualad, Kid Flash, Robin and Wonder Girl (all under the watchful eye of Starfire)...with Starfire eventually confronting Le Blanc, who bests him and puts his life in danger. Thankfully, Starfire had freed the Teen Titans from their traps (who held back to allow Starfire the honor of capturing Le Blanc), and together, they bring Andre to justice, learning the lesson that all men of all nations need to work together.

A Pretty Girl Is Like A -- Maladi!

With New Teen Titans #18 (April, 1982) by Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Romeo Tanghal, the original Starfire returns (and his given name of Leonid Kovar) is revealed.  Here, starting in a forgotten bureau in the Soviet Union, Marek Slavik finds out his son Tomas was killed by Americans.  Marek's brother Tomas and wife Sonya were also killed earlier in two incidents involving the American army, and thus Slavik plots revenge.  Using a long abandoned project, Slavik infects his secretary, young bride-to-be Maladi Malanova, with a radiation (unbeknownst to her), and sends her with papers to deliver to New York City (promising her that she will be back before her wedding...a lie).  Later, King Faraday, of the FBI, recruits Robin and Wonder Girl to inform the other Titans that their old "friend", Starfire, is back in the USA on a covert mission. 

The Titans gather in their tower, and look for Kovar, finding that one of the custom agents at the airport collapsed (where Maladi was 3 days before) and was taken to the hospital. Raven finds out that the man was infected with a radiation poisoning and the Kovar was interested in this as well.  Kovar closes in on Maladi, but the Titans interfere, thinking he might be responsible to the radiation poisoning.  The Titans capture Kovar, where he explains that Slavik poisoned his secretary to spread death in America, and that though she cannot be saved, anyone she touched could be.  Kovar escapes Titans Tower to continue to go after her, while Maladi goes to a doctor to see about her sickness.  

Kovar tracks her down, and lets her know of her dire situation, and that he plans to kill her.  The Titans show up and fight him, stopping his plan.  They take her to a hospital where she dies.  Kovar, after being confronted by Kid Flash by his cold plan to kill her asks why...and Leonid explains that instead of the slow death she got he was to offer her a quick death, as he could do no less for the woman he was engaged to.

Though not in the issue, Kovar got a new heroic name, that of Red Star in Action Comics #551, and fought alongside the heroes during the Crisis On Infinite Earths, was later involved with the first Justice League International/Suicide Squad team-up, came back to America to fight with Hammer and Sickle of the People's Heroes at S.T.A.R. Labs, got a new costume and joined the Titans during the Titans Hunt against the Wildebeest, during which time he developed energy manipulation powers, stayed with the team until Zero Hour, but returned again with yet another new costume, all the while, loyal to Russia, yet also an honorable hero.

Remembering Artist Rich Buckler

Remembering artist Rich Buckler (February 6, 1949 - May 19, 2017) on his birthday.

Rich had done much work for both DC and Marvel, as well as some independent comic work, but, here are some of his team book covers from the 1970s...likely some of the best stuff he is remembered for as he connected the DC Universe!

Challengers Of The Unknown

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Teen Titans

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Freedom Fighters

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Secret Society Of Super-Villains

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Justice League Of America

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Perez Covers Christmas

When is a cover not a cover?

When it is the back cover (though still a cover, it isn't the first thing you see).

This one is worth seeing, as it is not only a Christmas cover, but a cover by George Perez, with Superman, Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Captain Marvel Jr. and, likely the only time Perez drew the 1970s Jack Kirby Sandman!

The front cover to this, from Best of DC #22 (March, 1982) is by Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano (and certainly a cover designed to get you into the Christmas mood....).

This tiny tome has reprints of many classic Christmas stories from the DC archives, including....

...Teen Titans #13 (January-February, 1968), Batman #247 (February, 1973), and Justice League Of America #110 (March-April, 1974), which have been covered before....

...as well as Captain Marvel Jr. #46 (February, 1947), Batman #27 (February, 1945) and Batman Family #4 (March-April, 1976) which will be covered in future Christmases....

....as well as a "new" Jack Kirby Sandman story, originally planned for Sandman #7  in the 1970s, then for Kamandi (but, he too was cancelled, though the story ended up in the Cancelled Comic Cavalcade, and much later in the DC Universe: The Bronze Age Omnibus By Jack Kirby), making this digest a true Christmas present!

Teen Titans Olympics

Holy hot rings, Batman!  Continuing a look back at Olympic comic book moments, here's an entry from the swinging sixites by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, with "The Secret Olympic Heroes" from Teen Titans #4 (July-August, 1966).

This was the first appearance of Speedy in a Teen Titans title, with this flashback tale happening before the first appearance of the Teen Titans, though later events made him a charter member, so the importance of his issue cannot be overlooked! 

Happy Birthday Donna Troy

According to the 1976 DC Calendar, April 26th is the birthday of Donna Troy, she who was the Teen Titans' Wonder Girl and Troia!

While this Wonder Girl premiered in Brave and the Bold #60 (June-July, 1965) along with the Teen Titans (with the boys only meeting once before)...

Wonder Girl didn't get the name of Donna Troy until Teen Titans #22 (July-August, 1969), with that stunning Nick Cardy cover following the month after.

Wonder Girl was originally Wonder Woman, but her adventures in her younger days, and not a separate character....but, things get even odder!

Then Donna updated to being Troia in New Titans #55 (June, 1989), with George Perez echoing what Cardy had done for Donna on the cover...

...as Donna had lost her connection to Wonder Woman due to events from the Crisis on Infinite Earths, with all of Donna's history explained here!

Happy Birthday Bob Rozakis Answer Man

Doing a little research, and realized today was the birthday of Bob Rozakis, DC's Answer Man!

As the Answer Man was a very big influence on why Dave's Comic Heroes Blog exists, it is certainly worth a look back at a few of the articles on the work of Bob Rozakis at this time.

Teen Titans and Robin

Bob Rozakis was the writer of most of the revival of the Teen Titans in the 1970s that gave us Titans West (adding Bat-Girl and Golden Eagle to the team), as well as writing the Robin feature in Batman Family and Detective Comics (which introduced Joker's Daughter, who later became a Titan as Harlequin).

Freedom Fighters

Bob Rozakis took over the Freedom Fighters title in the 1970s, researching the characters in the later issues, and giving readers their origins as the issues progressed, adding the original Firebrand to the team, as well as involving them with the rest of the DC Universe (well, at least Cat-Man, Batgirl and Batwoman) making the heroes of Earth-X miss their adopted home.

Superboy and Clark Kent

Bob Rozakis wrote a story that would chronologically be the earliest Earth-1/Earth-2 crossover, wherein Earth-1's Superboy (Superman as a boy) met young Clark Kent (Earth-2's Superman before he was Superman) as a pair of back-up stories for the New Adventures of Superboy.

Calculator

Bob Rozakis created the Calculator, a villain that first faced the Atom in a back up in Detective Comics, but the Calculator continued to menace a new hero in the next few issues of that magazine (including Black Canary, Elongated Man, Green Arrow and Hawkman), eventually facing off against the Batman in a full length tale....

For all that, and all the answers given by Bob Rozakis in his role as the Answer Man (where he answered readers questions for the Daily Planet feature included in many mid-1970s comics), as well as for so much other work done (including the Secret Society of Super-Villains, 'Mazing Man and so much more).....a hearty thank you, and happiest of birthday wishes!

Oh, and for that bit of research that started the thought process of remembering the work of Bob Rozakis....this letter's page (and work on this project to continue soon!)....one of many!

Superman Meets Robin

To be fair, Robin was there when Superman first met Batman, back in Superman #76 (May-June, 1952), as well as being a part of the World's Finest Team since World's Finest Comics #71 (July-August, 1954), but...it was a special thing when Superman worked with Robin without the Darknight Detective!

Here's the cases where that happened!

World's Finest Comics 200

The first time around, Superman and Robin became "Prisoners of the Immortal World" in World's Finest Comics #200 (February, 1971) in a story by Mike Friedrich, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella, under a cover by Neal Adams.

There was a bit of calamity on the campus of Hudson University (where Dick Grayson attended college), with Clark Kent covering the news for WGBS, when two brothers (Dave and Marty) were making the conflict personal, ignoring their safety, being stopped by Robin, but the conflict continued, almost killing all three when a bomb detonated....but they were saved by Superman.  At the same time, in another planet, two brothers there (Migg and Kartal) were looking for a living power source to maintain their immortality, and decided Superman would be a choice, so teleported him to their planet (bring along Robin and the lads by accident).  Leaving Robin and the two behind to be finished off by the local jungle, the alien brothers hooked Superman up to their machine to start siphoning his life.  Robin got the two human brothers to work together, and they ended up where Superman was held captive, and helped him get free, and Superman and the Earthlings returned home, with Dave and Marty having a new appreciation for each other.

The issue had a one issue text piece interview, with Superman, Batman and Robin reviewing the history of World's Finest Comics, including their origin, the first time Luthor met Joker, the first Mr. Mxyzptlk/Bat-Mite team-up and so much more over 200 issues!

DC Comics Presents 31

Another spotlight team-up of Superman and Robin happened in DC Comics Presents #31 (March, 1981) by Gerry Conway, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Dick Giordano, with Ross Andru and Dick Giordano providing the cover, which featured the duo facing "The Deadliest Show On Earth".

This time, Robin was sneaking into a circus that was staying in Gotham City, which he did because he saw an old friend of his there earlier that day, but Waldo Simpson the clown didn't recognize Dick (and he should have, as Dick toured circuses with Waldo, as a part of the Flying Graysons).  Robin found the hypnotized Waldo, and other circus folk, and was captured by a hypnotized Superman under the bidding of the mysterious circus master.  Robin was then hypnotized as well, and the two were part of the circus act for a bit (being seen by Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, who visited the circus as it was headed to Metropolis next).  That night, Superman freed Robin from his cage, said he was only playing along to find the master and freed the folk, and needed more time.  Sadly, the circus master found this out and set his slaves to attack, and while Superman kept them busy (restraining himself not to hurt the innocent), Robin figured out who was in charge, and helped catch him, freeing those hypnotized as well.

As a back up tale, readers found out "What Every Happened To Robotman?"...

...not the fellow from the Doom Patrol and Beast Boy's best buddy....

....but this guy, who worked with the All-Star Squadron!

DC Comics Presents 58

Last, but not least of team-ups featuring the Man of Steel and the Teen Wonder is DC Comics Presents #58 (June, 1983), which also included the Elongated Man, as this trio faced "The Deadly Touch Of The Intangibles" under a Gil Kane cover, with story by Mike W. Barr, Curt Swan and Dave Hunt.

Robin and Elongated Man are helping old circus performers by performing at a benefit for them, while Clark Kent covers the proceedings for WGBS.  His broadcast is interfered with by three men in golden costumes who come through the circus tents (literally!).  The Intangibles freed the circus animals, which Robin helps to stop, as Elongated Man and Superman are unable to lay a hand on the criminals, who embody their name, though Superman does use his vision powers on them (which he really shouldn't have, as these Intangibles were only holograms, designed to harness Superman's vision power energy, allowing the real crooks to power their real intangibility devices!).  The group begin a high powered crime spree in California, targeting movie memorabilia and box office takes, leading the heroes to realize the villains worked in special effects.  The heroes surprise the villains at their headquarters, but they attack Superman with a device that distorts his vision, rendering him momentarily useless, while the Intangibles attack Elongated Man and Robin with special gloves and boots, that allow them to touch the heroes, but the villains remain intangible.

The two figure out how to take the gloves off the villains, forcing them to surrender to be able to eventually become tangible, while the third is stopped by Superman, who returns after clearing his vision (by going to Earth's sun!).

The Intangibles later return to face Looker of the Outsiders and Hawk and the female Dove as the Untouchables!

Robin also appeared in DC Comics Presents #26 and #41, but the later was to keep Batman busy so Alfred could recruit Superman to fight the Joker, and the former, was in a special insert, where Robin and Raven met for the first time, and the issue introduced readers to Raven, Cyborg and Starfire for the first time a month before the premiere of the New Teen Titans title (Superman was busy in another story, working with Green Lantern). 

World's Finest Comics 205

While the Teen Titans never made another appearance in DC Comics Presents, the team did work with Superman in World's Finest Comics #205 (September,1971), facing "The Computer That Captured A Town" by Steve Skeates, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella, under a cover by Neal Adams.

Kid Flash, Speedy and Mal stop a thief in Fairfield, but treat Mal pretty badly after, Donna and Lilith are dreaming about dates back at their apartment, and Clark Kent says the Teen Titans are in trouble, on the air, but doesn't know he did it!  Meanwhile, an old man dies approaching a computer.  Sounds like trouble only Superman can solve....and gets weirder as it goes on.  They find out that old man was Richard Handley, who imprinted his backwards way of thinking on that machine, but, Lilith managed to get a psychic message out to Superman, who came, and stopped the dragon of evil plaguing this small town via an old man's dying thoughts.

Titans Together

The Teen Titans had been having rough times, as the team had broken up in Teen Titans #53 (February, 1978), but it reunited a few times after that, but then, with DC Comics Presents #26 (October, 1980) and New Teen Titans #1 (November, 1980), the team was ready to go back to work, and stay around for a long time thanks to the work of Marv Wolfman and George Perez.

Robin, Kid Flash and Wonder Girl had been members for a long time....but, what about the new kids of Changeling, Raven, Cyborg and Starfire?

They all had history as well, some more than others.....

Changing the Beast

Garfield Logan started his super-hero career working with the Doom Patrol, in Doom Patrol #99 (November, 1965 by Arnold Drake and Bob Brown) as "The Beast-Boy", who shows up, as a kid with green skin and the ability to change into animals, looking to help out.  Later revealed (in the next issue), Gar contracted a rare disease in Africa, and his father found that green monkeys were immune to the disease. so transformed his son into a green monkey to give him the immunity, and, somehow the ability to transform into any animal stuck with the boy.  That ability was not enough to save Mark and Marie Logan, as Gar helplessly watched his parents drown, then ended up with a guardian, Nicolas Galtry (after flashback adventures later revealed in Doom Patrol #112 to #115 in 1967, with Gar foiling diamond mine thieves and Nazi war criminals before Galtry found the lad).

Galtry wouldn't let Beast Boy join the Doom Patrol (as Gar hid his Beast Boy identity from him), so Gar couldn't join the team, but Galtry was planning to kill the lad for his inheritance.  Beast Boy attends the wedding of Elasti-Girl and Mento (along with the Justice League of America and the Teen Titans), and Elasti-Girl discovers Galtry's plans in Doom Patrol #105 (August, 1966), then Mento finds out Galtry was financing Doom Patrol villain Mr. 103 in Doom Patrol #106 (September, 1966).  Gar works with the original Teen Titans in Teen Titans #6 (November-December, 1966), but is also unable to join them regularly....at least until Mento (Steve Dayton) and Elasti-Girl (Rita Farr) take custody of Gar in Doom Patrol #110 (March, 1967), though the Chief never does get around to making Beast Boy a member, as he gets involved in trying to rehabilitate Brotherhood of Evil member Madame Rouge (which doesn't work out).  Gar at least continues to work with the team and Mento until Doom Patrol #120 (July-August, 1968), and Madame Rogue (with the help of Nazi Captain Zahl, kills the team in the next issue).

Gar shows up next in Teen Titans #50 (October, 1977) working on a sci-fi show (Space Trek: 2022) in California (his green skin and animal powers saving the production a ton of money), and when Mr. Esper and Captain Calamity cause a menace on each coast, joins up with Lilith, Hawk & Dove, Bat-Girl and Golden Eagle to form Titans West, which lasts for 2 more issues before the team slowly fades away, making Beast Boy a short lived Teen Titan.

Still, Gar continues to work on the TV show as of the flashback tale in Tales of the New Teen Titans #3 (August, 1982 by Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Gene Day), at least until it is cancelled.  Then, Beast Boy tries to pick up the pieces of his own life, coming into conflict with what he believed was an old foe of the Doom Patrol, the armored Arsenal, who kidnapped his former girlfriend, Jillian Jackson.  Tracking him down, Gar found him, finding out it was really Galtry under the armor, who had hired the original Arsenal to attack the Doom Patrol....and Galtry took over the armor afterward and was trying to get more funds out of the young Mr. Logan or Ms. Jackson's parents.  Gar defeated Galtry, saving Jillian, but the villain's insults towards his Beast Boy name made him think that he needed a new super identity, which he took as Changeling when he next met with the Teen Titans.

After rejoining the Teen Titans, Gar sticks around, working with the team (and a rebuilt Robotman, as well as the Brotherhood of Evil) to capture the killers of the Doom Patrol, as well as getting a new girlfriend in Terra (a girl who can literally move the Earth....though Gar's involvement with her turns tragic due to the interference of Titan foes, Deathstroke the Terminator and the H.I.V.E.).

Devil at the Door

Trigon was an extradimensional demon looking to invade Earth, and his cult found a young woman named Arella, whom they brought into their group, and convinced to mate with their god....thus was produced Raven.  Yes, Raven was the daughter of Trigon, but Arella left the cult, planning to kill herself to prevent the child from being born.  Instead, Arella was found by extradimensional dwelling disciples of Azarath, who were a pacifistic people, who helped in Raven's birth, and helped Arella raise Raven, isolating the child, keeping her heritage a secret and training her to repress her emotions.

Juris, one of the followers of Azar, tried to kill Raven to prevent her father from manifesting, but instead ended up in Limbo himself.  Raven's lonely existence did give her time to learn how to use her powers of teleportation, astral projection and empathic healing.  After Azar's passing, Raven learned who her father was and went to confront him in Limbo against the wishes of Azar's followers, and Raven and Arella only survived because Trigon was sure he could turn Raven to his side once in Earth's dimension (this story related in flashback in Tales of the New Teen Titans #2 of July, 1982, by Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Pablo Marcos).

After approaching the Justice League in attempt to convince them to help her against Trigon and being rebuffed (due to the League's sorceress, Zatanna, sensing Trigon's evil within Raven), she recruited Kid Flash (by using her powers to make him think he was in love with her, a tale told in Legends of the DC Universe #18 of July, 1999, by Marv Wolfman and Butch Guice), Raven then went to influence Robin, showing him bits of his future (including new Teen Titans Cyborg and Starfire) in DC Comics Presents #26 (October, 1980 by Wolfman, Perez and Dick Giordano), leading to the team uniting for real in New Teen Titans #1 (November, 1980, by Wolfman, Perez and Romeo Tanghal).

After the team's first mission of fighting Trigon (as well as a few distractions), the group did come to accept Raven, and tried to help the young, repressed woman to get use to life on Earth, with Raven slowly succumbing to Trigon's temptation for a time, and releasing him to face the Teen Titans again, nearly taking Earth, before he was defeated (and Raven freed from his influence for a time, changing her robes from blue to white). 

Bits and Pieces

Victor Stone was born to Professors Silas and Elinore Stone of S.T.A.R. Labs, and educated by these scientists, lacked social graces until meeting local boy (and gang leader), Ron Evers.  Vic's mom then encouraged her son to attend public school, where Victor took to athletics, leaving his parents' plans of a scientific career behind.  After being injured in a gang fight, which ended his friendship with Ron, and widened the rift between Victor and his parents, Victor tried to reconcile with his family, only to lose his mother and pieces of his own body as his dad accidentally unleashed a protoplasmic creature during an experiment at S.T.A.R. Labs.

Using the advanced technology available to him, Silas build mechanical parts for his son, making him a cyborg.  After taking some time to adjust to his new body, Victor, having lost his athletic career and girlfriend, found Ron again, and was working with him to attack the United Nations building, but instead stopped Ron (who appeared to die in the attack).

The above relates the original DC Universe origin of Cyborg, as Victor told it in the Tales of the New Teen Titans #1 (June, 1982) by Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Brett Breeding.

Cyborg found a renewed sense of purpose with the Teen Titans, made up with his father, Silas before his father died (having been poisoned by contact with the protoplasmic creature who killed his wife), with Silas making the T-shaped building on the small island in New York that the Titans would use as their headquarters, the Titans' Tower.  Victor even found some happiness with Sarah Simms, a teacher who worked with kids who had their own prosthetics, who saw Victor as a hero. 

Fighting for Freedom

Koriand'r was a space princess, having been born to King Myand'r and Queen Luand'r of Tamaran, but Kori didn't have an easy life.  Hated by her older sister, Komand'r, who didn't possess the native ability of solar flight like all other Tamarans, these royal children had to train to fight like all children did in the Vega system, learning from the Warlords of Okarra.  Training together, the two had a final duel, with Komand'r cheating to try to kill her sister, but nearly ending her own life, only to be saved by Koriand'r.  This defeat so embittered Komand'r, that she betrayed her planet, selling their defense secrets to the reptilian Gordanians, who took over the planet, installing Komand'r as leader, and taking Koriand'r as a slave at her sister's order.

Separated for years, the two sisters met at an ownership transfer that was raided by the Psions, scientists who experimented on other races of the Vegan system, who overloaded the two sisters solar powers, testing their limits, giving them both the additional powers of solar force blasts.

Koriand'r took advantage, and freed them both, only to have Komand'r return Kori to the Gordanians (all revealed in flashback in the Tales of the New Teen Titans #4 of September, 1982, by Wolfman, Perez and Ernie Colon). With her new powers, Kori was able to escape, heading to the planet Earth....and her first meeting with Robin and the rest of the Teen Titans in New Teen Titans #1 (November, 1980).

Taking the heroic name Starfire, Kori stayed on Earth to help fight Trigon, then, with the help of Wonder Girl Donna Troy, got a human identity as fashion model Kory Anders, and Starfire loves Dick Grayson, the leader of the Titans known as Robin, who later took on the identity of Nightwing (though she occasionally followed others, as her innocent free spirit led her elsewhere at times).  She even faced her sister again, and with the help of the Teen Titans and the Omega Men (heroes of the Vegan system), freed Tamaran from Komand'r (who would take on the name, Blackfire).

Gar, Raven, Vic and Kori remained the backbone of the Titans for years as Marv Wolfman chronicled their adventures, but changes to each member (including Dick, Wally and Donna) came about because of foes they faced like H.I.V.E., Deathstroke the Terminator, the Fearsome Five, the Brotherhood of Evil, Blackfire, Cheshire and Brother Blood, and before learning more of the future of these Titans, more of these villains has to be revealed as well....but, for now, remember these Titans....Together!