As season 2 of the hit DC Universe show Titans continues to build up the resurrection of the Titans team and the training of the next generation of heroes, fans around the world have been getting introduced (and for some reintroduced) to the magical hero Raven.
The half human/half demon daughter of the villainous Trigon, she fought her father’s dark influence and managed to seal him away. Still battling his evil heritage, Raven fights alongside the Titans to maintain her humanity and save the world. For those who are curious, here are ten things you don’t know about Raven.
10 Grew Up In Alternate Dimension
While the television show and later retconned comics introduced Raven as Rachael Roth, a teenage girl living with what would turn out to be her adoptive mother, the original comic had a very different origin story for Raven and her mother, Angela Roth.
In the comic book origins of the hero, the powerful young girl was secreted away to an inter-dimensional world known as Azarath. Angela, who changed her name to Arella, allowed Raven to be raised by the mystic Azor until he passed away. They were both taught pacifism and hoped to suppress her father’s demonic, evil presence.
9 Initially Went To Justice League For Help
After her 18th birthday, Raven was reluctantly introduced to her father, Trigon. Upon meeting him, she learned he planned to use her to cross over into the Earth dimension and take it over for his own power. Knowing she couldn’t allow that to happen, she fled and sought help to stop him.
The first place she went for help was the Justice League, Earth’s greatest protectors. Sadly however, her pleas for help were turned down when Zatanna, the powerful magician and wielder of magic in general, sensed Raven’s true heritage as the daughter and half-demon that she truly was.
8 Reformed Teen Titans as New Teen Titans
Desperate to stop her father, Raven was responsible for the formation of the New Teen Titans. Bringing together heroes like Beast Boy, Cyborg, Kid Flash, Robin, Starfire and Wonder Girl, she brought this new team together and they grew to think of one another as a true family, something many of them had been seeking in one way or another.
Together the New Teen Titans came together and were able to go to Trigon’s home dimension, after Raven had been taken. Together they fought her father and managed to seal the evil entity inside of an inter-dimensional prison structure.
7 Once Purged Her Father’s Influence From Herself
Despite imprisoning her father, Raven continued to have trouble battling her father and his negative influence on her mentally. Often times during times of stress or being overwhelmed, Trigon’s influence would take hold and she would loose control of herself and her powers. However she always took back control before he could take over completely.
Eventually Trigon escaped his imprisonment, went to Earth and took over Raven’s body. This also destroyed her home of Azarath. Sadly her teammates were tricked into ending her life during battle, but this allowed the souls of Azarath to use her to end Trigon forever.
6 Experienced Emotions For First Time After Resurrection
After losing her life to Trigon and defeating him in the process, she managed to resurrect herself, purged of Trigon’s negative influence, and went out on her own to search the world. Her mother Arella went after her, and eventually the two were captured by Brother Blood, who used her to control Nightwing.
After being rescued, Raven learned that she was able to feel emotions for the first time. During this time she learned she could influence other’s emotions as well, when she accidentally made Dick Grayson fall in love with her when she was falling in love with him.
5 Became Evil Raven For Some Time
One of Raven’s darkest moments occurred when her evil consciousness took over Raven’s body, turning her into Evil Raven. This villainous version of the hero everyone knows and loves went about implanting seeds with her Father’s demonic connection into new host bodies. During this time, she interrupted the wedding of Dick Grayson and Starfire.
Evil Raven implanted her good consciousness inside of Starfire, who fled Earth while the Titans defeated the evil version. Evil Raven reappeared later on to destroy her good soul, but the Titans alongside good Raven burnt Evil Raven to ashes, purging evil from Raven’s body altogether.
4 Has Three Evil Half-Brothers
Eventually after many ups and downs with the Titans, including a passionate romance with Beast Boy that eventually failed despite mutual love for one another, Raven discovered that she was not the only child of Trigon. It would later be explained in detail, but in essence Raven discovered initially that she had three half brothers who worshipped their father.
The brothers use Raven and Beast Boy to open a doorway to Trigon’s realm, but she manipulates the brothers to give into greed and steal his remaining power for themselves, making them think they have more power than they actually do.
3 Mentored New Generations Of Teen Titans
After being attacked by a demonic entity known as Wyld, the next generation of Teen Titans rescued her and brought her to heal back at Titans Tower. There she and Beast Boy confessed their love for one another, vowing to stay together no matter how difficult life got. This led to Raven rejoining the Teen Titans as a mentor for the new heroes.
Wyld revealed to Raven later that he was an entity created by her when she traveled across multiple realities, morphing animals from each reality into the creature known as Wyld. It was destroyed eventually by Static Shock.
2 Secret Agent of Trigon In New 52 Era
When the New 52 era of DC Comics began, namely the Titans era, Raven’s history was retconned. She had the same origins in the dimension Azarath, but she eventually escaped to protect her mother and the monks from Trigon. On Earth, she was captured by the Phantom Stranger and given to Trigon, who manipulated her until she was under his control.
Making her Queen of the Under-realms, she infiltrated the Teen Titans as instructed by her father. It was revealed she was under his control, and her allegiance to him was always in question when fighting alongside the Titans.
1 Beast Boy Is Raven’s True Love
Of all the things that have changed in Raven’s history, from her origins to her allegiances and more, the one consistent thing that has remained has been her love for fellow Teen Titan Beast Boy. The two have had their fair share of break ups, will they or won’t they moments, and even have battled on occasion. Yet their love still persists throughout their history.
In the Rebirth Era Raven recently had a brief romance with Kid Flash, aka Wally West. Yet time and again her other romances have never worked, as her bond with Beat Boy transcends even reboots.
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