Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Oh Yeah, That Forum: The Titans The Titan du jour!

It's still my intention to reread that entire run of Titans one day and see what I think of it now.

<font size="5">GARTH, AQUALAD/TEMPEST</font s>

Ah, my namesake of the month!

Honestly, the "other" Garth has never been one of my favorite Titans, though he does share a few things in common with M'Onel: Both are outsiders, to a degree, and both are difficult to utilize in many stories, M'On because he is one of the most powerful Legionnaires, and Aqualad/Tempest because of the aquatic nature of his powers. Both also have rather serious expressions (in these avatars, at least), and a rather intense outlook on life.

I first encountered Aqualad as part of the old "Superman/Aquaman Hour" cartoon show in the early '70s. Strangely, he was not a member of the Teen Titans, but appeared exclusively as Aquaman's sidekick. (Aquaman's nickname for him was "Tadpole.") I was surprised to learn later that Aqualad was a founding member of the Titans, having appeared from the get-go in the Mr. Twister issue of THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD.

It was not suprising that he was eventually replaced in the group by Speedy, a much more versatile character. Even when the Titans book was revived in the mid '70s, Aqualad's participation seemed an afterthought. He was quickly stricken with some sort of Atlantean disease and kept comatose in a fishtank for most of that book's run. How undiginified!

I can't recall any meaningful appearances by Garth (who somewhere along the way got a name, finally) during the Wolfman/Perez run, though I vaguely recall him being present when Tula, his longtime Aquagirl, bought it in CRISIS.

I did not encounter Garth again until the Devin Grayson TITANS run. By then he was known as Tempest. He had also changed quite a bit, sporting a dynamic costume, a swirly tatoo over his eye, and a much more central role in the Titans. Eventually, I learned he was married, and his wife, Dolphin, and child, came to live with the Titans. I rather liked all of these developments. They made Garth a much more interesting character and contributed to a renewed sense of family, which was so crucial to who the Titans were, as defined in the '80s by Wolfman.

But then the TITANS book floundered, and Garth was once again left behind when the team went to that bizarre world of drug pushers. Stricken (again!) by one of the drug dealers, he started to metamorphose into ... something. That period of the book is largely a blur to me.

I don't know what Garth's current state of affairs is like, but I do think he is a character with enormous potential that has only barely been tapped.

Wow, Damage got more love than the Titan of the Sea.

Ask me about Garth and the first thing I'll probably think of is the cover to 45, the storyline that followed The Judas Contract. The second is Garth and Tula skinny-dipping (for medicinal purposes only, mind you) at Donna's wedding. I read his Who's Who entry way back when, and for some reason I remember the thing about his purple eyes.

Hmm, and early in Titans Garth told off Roy for calling him Gillheaad and throwing water on him. One of those grow up moments.

<font size="5">TONI MONETTI, ARGENT</font s>

I think people are caught up in the excitement over LoSH # 1. The Titans seem to have been brushed momentarily aside.

I had forgotten about the "Gillhead" remark. I may have to change my member status.

Argent ... great group in the early '70s. Loved "Hold Your Head Up."

Oh, we're talking about the Titans' Argent. I'll get back to you on that.

OK, Toni Monetti ...

If I had the issues in front of me, I might be able to give a more cogent response about Argent. But having the issues in front of me would be sort of cheating, since this thread is more about what the character means to us.

Of all the "second generation" Titans I first encountered in the Grayson/Faerber run, Toni was the one who made the strongest impression. She was an excitable young woman with a positive outlook. I never thought the gangster father background (or whatever it was) really fit her character. She never seemed to be someone who came from a broken home. I think she tried the hardest to fit in with the older Titans and succeeded more so than Jesse Quick and Damage.

Still, my only definite memory of her is from the TITANS/LEGION: UNIVERSE ABLAZE mini-series. She had a brief romance with Cosmic Boy while they were trapped under the sea and, at the end, when she was returned to her own time with no memory of the adventure, she still had a lingering impression of wearing his flight ring. I thought that was kind of nice, a reminder of sorts that teenaged heroes can still be teenagers.

I don't have a clear picture of her either. Swirly costume. Truly white skin. Shorter, dark curly hair. Can't recall her powers.

I do remember that she came from money and I was thinking it was gangster-related. When I went looking for her pic at Titans Tower I read the first few bits of her bio, and that says her dad's an ex-senator. One doesn't preclude the other, I suppose.

<font size="5">DICK GRAYSON, ROBIN/NIGHTWING</font s>

Dick Grayson is the central guy in the Titans, the one who holds it all together. When he's not around, it just doesn't seem like the Titans, to me.

Dick managed to achieve this central status without the benefit of a super-power. Like his mentor, he succeeds on willpower, wits and skill. Perhaps Dick is a born leader, in a way that Bruce is not. (Bruce is more of loner.) Perhaps this is one of the major differences between Dick and that bat fellow.

During the (Devin) Grayson/Faerber run, much was made of Dick following too much in Batman's footsteps, becoming controlling and manipulative. Certainly, this is a product of Dick's upbringing; Batman's grimness and distrust of others is part of what makes Dick who he is, as well. But Dick must also guard against those impulses. He's not Batman and doesn't have to be, even though he has an all-too understandable tendency to emulate the only father figure he's known.

Really now, sentients. I know you know Dick.

What comes to mind first: that brief period when Dick was between costumed identities. Part 1 of The Judas Contract. The only non-powered Titan, he was the sole member to avoid capture by the Terminator. I remember what Slade said: powers augment a person, they don't make them.

New Teen Titans 38 was, of course, Donna's story, but it also portrays Dick's relationships with 2 women important to his life: his best friend Donna ("I loved more than if she was just my lover") and his girlfriend Kory.

Interesting to note the changes some of these du jour Titans have been through since this thread launched.

Most notable for me are the revitalizations of Damage and Jesse 'Liberty Belle' Quick in JSoA.

Perhaps it's time for this thread to come in season again, Teeds... and don't be afraid to use the 70s members or the 1-Year Gap members!

**COUGHS LOUDLY**

Teeds?

I hereby appoint Lash as the curator of this thread. So who's up next, hot pants?

MISS MARTIAN




I found her to be Geoff's greatest addition to the Teen Titans. She's still a key player in the DCU today.

I think I'm a little in love with her.

What do YOU think about her?

I like her a lot too. She would be perfect as a Legionnaire as she sort of over powers the Titans which is why she seems to get sidelined a lot.

The Legion needs a "Miss." Maybe a future writer will explore the Inertia/Sun Girl Johns subplots and get her into the future?

I'm looking forward to her on the upcoming Young Justice cartoon!

When I first saw Miss Martian, I kind of groaned. (Along with the young Zatara) She seemed to pop up out of nowhere. But I have grown to like her.

Miss Martian is a fun, fun character. I definitely think that she was one of the breakout stars of the dozen or so new Titans they kinda threw at the wall recently.

There was an interesting run of creating new junior versions of the various Justice League members who didn't already have sidekicks / legacies, like Miss Martian, Zachary Zatara, Offspring, Bombshell and Molecule.

About the only long-term Leaguer that doesn't have a Titan legacy running around is Black Canary. (Aquaman has had, like, *five...*)

I liked her in Red Robin recently ... not a fan of the costume though ...

The costume def. requires a certain kind of artist to make it work... I think in the above pic it does work.

She's one of the only members of this line-up I still like.

I love her, and I hate what Johns did to her Brightest Day (even if she's still alive).

I'd like to do a back-up feature which explores the whole Sun Girl thing.

I was one of those who groaned when she was first introduced. I thought the character was lame, and the name more so.

However, she has grown on me over time. I actually like her now. I'm looking forward to seeing where she goes after the Henderson run.

I took a while to warm up to her too but I also am somewhat of a fan now.

One thing I don't like about her though is that she's really a White Martian.

I love her look and costume and the green skin is what brings it together. But I don't like that she has to hide her true identity, and in essence lie to everyone about her true nature, all the time. I don't think it sends a very good message to (young) readers.