Terra (comics)
Encyclopedia
Terra is the name used by three fiction
al characters
published by DC Comics
. The first Terra was created by Marv Wolfman
and George Pérez
, and debuted in New Teen Titans (vol. 1) #26 (December 1982).
The second Terra debuted in New Titans #79 (September 1991) and was created by Marv Wolfman and Tom Grummett
.
The third Terra debuted in Supergirl
#12 (January 2007) and was created by Jimmy Palmiotti
, Justin Gray
, and Amanda Conner
.
A new Terra appeared in Supergirl #12 while a Terra limited series
was being developed, written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, with illustrations by Amanda Conner. Gray commented about the series, "Terra as a character has never had a definitive origin. That includes Terra 1 and 2. This mini will address that fact in some surprising ways and open the door to a new corner of the DCU
. Aside from that the emphasis will be on heroism, true blue hero stuff." Palmiotti later stated, "Terra is an enigma for obvious reasons. Every hero in the DCU is in the dark about who she is and why she’s doing what she’s doing, which is running around the planet saving and helping people. We’ve been working with Terra for months and months trying to find and develop what’s special about her. In the end, it was a very simple angle, make Terra a superhero with plenty of emphasis on heroism. Everything she does is to help other people and in the service of life." The 4-issue miniseries was temporarily shelved for a number of reasons, until its biweekly publication spanning November and December 2008. The new Terra previously appeared in Teen Titans #52-54 as part of "The Titans of Tomorrow...Today!" storyline and in the first issue of the Terror Titans
limited series. Following this, she briefly appeared in Teen Titans #69 in the climax of the recruitment drive storyline, and became a supporting character in the ongoing Power Girl
series.
Tara Markov, half-sister of Brion Markov (Geo-Force
), was the illegitimate daughter of the King of Markovia. While in Markovia, she came under the care of a Dr. Helga Jace and, through her experiments, Terra obtained Earth manipulation powers—specifically, the ability to control all forms of earthen matter. After obtaining these powers, she left Markovia for the United States
. Unlike her more heroic brother, Geo-Force, Terra had deep-rooted psychological issues, believing that, with their powers, they should rule Earth rather than help the weaker masses.
As a result of this belief, Terra became a mercenary
, doing dirty work for others. A notable client was Deathstroke the Terminator
, whom she met when she was fifteen and had a relationship with. She joined the Teen Titans, fooling them by staging a battle against Deathstroke. She then operated as a spy for Deathstroke, eventually giving him the information he needed to kidnap the Titans, with no regrets.
Eventually, the captured Titans were held in a stronghold of Deathstroke's contractors, the H.I.V.E.
Nightwing
and Deathstroke's son, Joseph Wilson (Jericho
), raided the complex to rescue them, but were captured. When presented to Deathstroke and the organization in general, Jericho possessed his father and freed the Titans, who then attacked the H.I.V.E. Not knowing of Jericho's powers, Terra believed Deathstroke to have turned against her. In retaliation, she went berserk. When the misunderstanding was cleared, she was still murderously furious at Deathstroke for going "soft" with love for his son. Changeling (as he was then known, a.k.a., "Beast Boy"), in an attempt to stop her rampage, shape-shifted into a small fly, then flew into her eye as a way to distract her. This finally pushed her over the edge as she pulled the whole H.I.V.E. complex down upon herself while trying to kill the Titans. Despite her betrayal, a statue of her was placed in the memorial in Titans Tower
. Her betrayal was never made public, with her brother simply being told that she had died in battle. Subsequently, Batman
eventually revealed the truth to him in an issue of Batman and the Outsiders, prompting Brion to change his costume to green and gold, as he considered the original brown and orange too similar to the outfit worn by his sister.
In DCU: Last Will and Testament, Deathstroke takes credit for Tara's insanity by claiming he gave her the same serum he used on Cassandra Cain
and his daughter, Rose Wilson
, telling Geo-Force that "the problem with Tara was that we waited too long. By then the psychosis was so bad, she tried to kill us all." This contradicts his earlier account of her lifelong insanity in the Titans stories following "The Judas Contract," in which he emphatically denied having any part in driving her to madness.
The 2008 Terra miniseries had intended to explain that Tara was driven insane by an element called "quixium" harvested from Strata, the home world of Terra, which had been used by Markovian scientists to grant her earth-based superpowers. With a year-long delay in the publication of the Terra miniseries and the interim release of DCU: Last Will and Testament, this retcon
was dropped completely. According to Justin Gray, "Terra 1 stays as she is in LW&T. The brain damage was part of the initial story (before LW&T) that connected all three Terras and Geo-Force to Strata, the book needed to be changed to reflect LW&T, the double ship made changes to issue #2 impossible. It happens and we all did what we could to make it work."
; seducing Beast Boy
using an illusion cast by Lilith
to mask her decayed appearance. During the battle of the Black Lantern Titans, they were overwhelmed. Hawk (Holly Granger) plunges her hand into Dawn's chest. Dawn suddenly radiates a white energy that completely destroys Holly's body and ring. Dawn then turns the light on the other Black Lanterns, destroying all but Hank Hall
, Tempest
, and Terra, who quickly retreat.
Terra then travels to the Outsiders
' base to see her brother. She claims to have broken free of whatever force was controlling her as a Black Lantern, and begs Geo-Force and the other Outsiders to kill her. However, this was later revealed to be a ruse, a way of getting Geo-Force to display the strongest emotions possible. After a mostly one-sided battle, Terra's body is turned to stone by Geo-Force, and her ring is destroyed by Halo
.
Terra was introduced as a young girl from the early 21st century who had been exposed to a DNA
virus
designed to transform her into a genetic doppelgänger
of the original Terra. As part of the Team Titans
, Terra went back in time to the year 1992 to stop the birth of Teen Titan Donna Troy
's firstborn son, who would grow up to be the tyrannical Lord Chaos.
Terra shared a mutual attraction to the Teen Titan Changeling. Unfortunately, despite their attraction, Changeling was openly hostile toward Terra II due to his own emotional scars from being used by the original Terra.
The final issues of Team Titans revealed that the group's mysterious "leader" was Hank Hall, former Titan Hawk, who became the renegade time-traveling villain Monarch. His attempts to erase the universe from existence as part of Hal Jordan
's plan to remake the universe during "Zero Hour
" resulted in the erasing of the future that gave birth to the Team Titans. Only Terra and Mirage survived due to the aid of the Time Trapper
.
After the events of "Zero Hour," Terra and Mirage joined the main Teen Titans team. Once there, they were told that they, along with fellow time traveler Deathwing (an evil version of Dick Grayson from the Lord Chaos future timeline), were really from the present day. The Time Trapper had whisked them away from the present to place them within Monarch's army of Titans in order to keep track of Monarch's schemes.
After New Titans was canceled, the Terra remained in limbo until the 1998 revival of the Teen Titans. In the 1999 Titans Secret Files special, Terra visits Geo-Force and undergoes genetic tests to determine her identity. When she expresses her fears that she is the original Terra, Geo-Force informs her that she is not his sister while destroying the test results that confirm she was a genetic match for the first Terra. Later, under circumstances which have yet to be explained, Terra also becomes affiliated with the Outsiders.
In the "Titans Tomorrow
" storyline, the Titans glimpse a grim possible future, and Terra (in a costume modeled closely after her original) is a member of the Titans East
, a more benign rival group that opposes the fascist
future versions of the current Teen Titans. This future's version of Beast Boy, calling himself Animal Man
, still bears a grudge against Terra and wants nothing to do with her.
Terra is one of the many Titans who answer the summon to help Conner Kent
defeat Superboy-Prime
in Infinite Crisis
#4, working with Sand
to hit Prime with a mass of earth in an attempt to stop him.
during the World War III storyline. In their second encounter with the crazed Marvel, she catches Black Adam off guard by crushing him between two massive boulders. Although this maneuver hurts Adam, it fails to disable him, and in a fit of anger he punches through her chest, killing her instantly. Instead of pursuing Black Adam, the Titans stay behind to bury their fallen comrade.
A new Terra named Atlee appears in Supergirl #12 (January 2007), sporting a new outfit and black hair. She emerges near a party Supergirl is attending, fighting a creature from a civilization under the Earth's surface. While Supergirl expresses disdain for the superhero activities which interfere with her personal life, Terra counters by saying that being a superhero is simply the right thing to do; she does not comprehend Supergirl's complaints. Together they defeat the monster by collapsing the ground under it. Terra then departs. The Terra miniseries revealed that she is a member of an alien race called Stratans who live below the Earth's surface in a massive subterranean cave called Strata which is actually the empty spacesuit of a long dead cosmic extraterrestrial, and possesses a rare mutation granted by a unique ore called "quixium" that grants her the earth powers she wields.
crossover, a group of teen supervillains calling themselves the Terror Titans
begin abducting teenaged metahumans to use as competitors in the Dark Side Club, an underground arena where the young heroes are brainwashed and forced to fight to the death for spectators and wealthy patrons. After learning of the abductions, Terra goes on the run, eventually meeting up with fellow teen superheroes Aquagirl, Molecule, Offspring
, Zachary Zatara
, and the Star-Spangled Kid
. While deciding on a course of action, the teens are ambushed by the Terror Titans, who proceed to overpower and capture them, killing Molecule in the process. Atlee and the others are taken to the Dark Side Club and subjected to the Anti-Life Equation
, which causes them to become slaves to Darkseid
and his cadre of followers. After winning several matches in the tournament, Terra is made a member of the Clock King
's Martyr Militia, a team of brainwashed superhumans he plans to use on an attack in Los Angeles
. Atlee and the others are ultimately freed from the Anti-Life Equation when Miss Martian
, Rose Wilson, and Static lead a rebellion against the Terror Titans and capture the various members of the Dark Side Club.
In the aftermath of the successful rebellion, Atlee accompanies her rescuers and fellow survivors to Titans Tower in San Francisco, hoping to take some time to recuperate. While resting, Atlee is offered a spot on the Teen Titans by Wonder Girl, which she politely declines, saying that she wishes to distance herself from the tragedy surrounding the membership of the previous two bearers of the Terra identity.
from the Ultra-Humanite
. After that, she elects Manhattan as her base of operation, to benefit from the constant mentoring of Power Girl both in establishing and maintaining a human identity, and in her superhero persona. She takes on an Australia
n accent in her civilian identity, finding the half-truth of her being from "down under" quite humorous. She and Power Girl begin a close friendship, going to movies and even shopping together at an IKEA
-esque Scandinavia
n furniture store. Atlee also decides to drop her Australian accent, instead claiming that her new cover identity is that of a spy, something Power Girl finds quite humorous.
Terra helps Power Girl during her battle with Satanna, and later ends up discussing the possibility of joining the Justice Society or the Teen Titans. Power Girl notices that Atlee's demeanor has changed, and begins to suspect that something is wrong. It is eventually revealed that Atlee had been kidnapped by Ultra-Humanite and had her brain removed in order for him to place his brain in her body, due to Power Girl crippling his body in a former fight. Eventually, Power Girl is able to retrieve Atlee, now trapped in the crippled simian body of the Ultra-Humanite, and bring her back to Strata. There, Atlee is given her body back and the Ultra-Humanite is turned into the human Gerard Shugel. In this occasion, Atlee expresses no desire to stay in Strata, asking Power Girl to bring her back to the surface world, to which she has grown a liking, as soon as possible.
In Wonder Woman
#600, Atlee appears alongside fellow teen heroines Batgirl and Supergirl
as part of an all-female team designed to repel a faux-alien invasion. After the battle is over, Atlee proclaims that she thinks she could take Wonder Woman in a fight, a notion that Stargirl scoffs at.
Atlee's powers are currently limitless, while she limits herself to "harmless" feats such as growing large formations of rock with the slowness needed to avoid a geological hazard, and using floating rocks as projectiles and to levitate around, Gerard Shugel, the Ultra-Humanite, while residing in her body, was able to shift nearby tectonic plates
with ease or cause volcanoes to erupt at his will. He surmises that Atlee has always had this amazing amount of power, but willingly chose to limit herself in fear of the damage she could cause.
, a world of magicians, Terra is an earth mage, who appears to be one with the soil.
until they are folded into a larger resistance cell.
event, Terra joined the Amazons' Furies
, and it was through her that New Themyscira was saved from destruction when Aquaman
flooded Western Europe. Later, Terra was targeted by Siren and Ocean Master
, but their plans were foiled when Hippolyta's sister Penthesileia showed up. Terra joined them because her half-brother Geo-Pulse
, was used by Aquaman to sink Western Europe.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al characters
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. The first Terra was created by Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
and George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
, and debuted in New Teen Titans (vol. 1) #26 (December 1982).
The second Terra debuted in New Titans #79 (September 1991) and was created by Marv Wolfman and Tom Grummett
Tom Grummett
Thomas "Tom" Grummett is a Canadian comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work as penciller on titles such as The New Titans, The Adventures of Superman, Superboy, Power Company, Robin, New Thunderbolts and Heroes.During his run on The Adventures of Superman, Grummett and...
.
The third Terra debuted in Supergirl
Supergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
#12 (January 2007) and was created by Jimmy Palmiotti
Jimmy Palmiotti
James "Jimmy" Palmiotti is an American writer and inker of comic books, who also does writing for games, television and film.-Early life:Palmiotti is a graduate of the High School of Art and Design in New York City.-Career:...
, Justin Gray
Justin Gray
Justin Gray is an American comic book writer published by DC Comics.-Biography:Gray has often collaborated with fellow writer Jimmy Palmiotti on series such as Hawkman, Jonah Hex, Power Girl, 21 Down, Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters and The Resistance...
, and Amanda Conner
Amanda Conner
Amanda Conner is an Irish-American comic book artist and commercial art illustrator. She began her career in the late 1980s for Archie Comics and Marvel Comics, before moving on to contribute work for Claypool Comics' Soulsearchers and Company and Harris Comics' Vampirella in the 1990s...
.
Publication history
The character was created with an intended finite life span. Co-creator Pérez states, "from the very start, that this girl was going to be a traitor and that we were going to kill this character off." When creating the look of the character, Pérez noted that:A new Terra appeared in Supergirl #12 while a Terra limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
was being developed, written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, with illustrations by Amanda Conner. Gray commented about the series, "Terra as a character has never had a definitive origin. That includes Terra 1 and 2. This mini will address that fact in some surprising ways and open the door to a new corner of the DCU
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. Aside from that the emphasis will be on heroism, true blue hero stuff." Palmiotti later stated, "Terra is an enigma for obvious reasons. Every hero in the DCU is in the dark about who she is and why she’s doing what she’s doing, which is running around the planet saving and helping people. We’ve been working with Terra for months and months trying to find and develop what’s special about her. In the end, it was a very simple angle, make Terra a superhero with plenty of emphasis on heroism. Everything she does is to help other people and in the service of life." The 4-issue miniseries was temporarily shelved for a number of reasons, until its biweekly publication spanning November and December 2008. The new Terra previously appeared in Teen Titans #52-54 as part of "The Titans of Tomorrow...Today!" storyline and in the first issue of the Terror Titans
Terror Titans
The Terror Titans are a supervillain group in the DC Comics. They are a mirror group to the Teen Titans, composed of "legacy" villains. They first appeared as a team in Teen Titans #56 , though Clock King and Dreadbolt appeared in shadow form at the end of #55.-Publication history:The Terror Titans...
limited series. Following this, she briefly appeared in Teen Titans #69 in the climax of the recruitment drive storyline, and became a supporting character in the ongoing Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
series.
Fictional character biography
Geo-Force
Geo-Force is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Markov is Prince of Markovia and the half-brother of Terra. Geo-Force is one of the founding members of the superhero group the Outsiders. He first appeared in a special insert in The Brave and the...
), was the illegitimate daughter of the King of Markovia. While in Markovia, she came under the care of a Dr. Helga Jace and, through her experiments, Terra obtained Earth manipulation powers—specifically, the ability to control all forms of earthen matter. After obtaining these powers, she left Markovia for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Unlike her more heroic brother, Geo-Force, Terra had deep-rooted psychological issues, believing that, with their powers, they should rule Earth rather than help the weaker masses.
As a result of this belief, Terra became a mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
, doing dirty work for others. A notable client was Deathstroke the Terminator
Deathstroke
Deathstroke the Terminator , originally simply the Terminator, and known by the Teen Titans as Slade, is a fictional character, a supervillain and sometimes antihero in the DC Comics Universe. He is a mercenary and assassin who first appeared in The New Teen Titans #2...
, whom she met when she was fifteen and had a relationship with. She joined the Teen Titans, fooling them by staging a battle against Deathstroke. She then operated as a spy for Deathstroke, eventually giving him the information he needed to kidnap the Titans, with no regrets.
Eventually, the captured Titans were held in a stronghold of Deathstroke's contractors, the H.I.V.E.
H.I.V.E.
The H.I.V.E., which stands for the Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination, is a DC Comics supervillain organization.-1st Incarnation:...
Nightwing
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
and Deathstroke's son, Joseph Wilson (Jericho
Jericho (comics)
Jericho is a fictional character, originally a superhero who was a member of the Teen Titans in the acclaimed 1980s period of The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, published by DC Comics...
), raided the complex to rescue them, but were captured. When presented to Deathstroke and the organization in general, Jericho possessed his father and freed the Titans, who then attacked the H.I.V.E. Not knowing of Jericho's powers, Terra believed Deathstroke to have turned against her. In retaliation, she went berserk. When the misunderstanding was cleared, she was still murderously furious at Deathstroke for going "soft" with love for his son. Changeling (as he was then known, a.k.a., "Beast Boy"), in an attempt to stop her rampage, shape-shifted into a small fly, then flew into her eye as a way to distract her. This finally pushed her over the edge as she pulled the whole H.I.V.E. complex down upon herself while trying to kill the Titans. Despite her betrayal, a statue of her was placed in the memorial in Titans Tower
Titans Tower
Titans Tower is a fictional building in the DC Comics universe. Its various incarnations have been home to the superhero team called the Titans...
. Her betrayal was never made public, with her brother simply being told that she had died in battle. Subsequently, Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
eventually revealed the truth to him in an issue of Batman and the Outsiders, prompting Brion to change his costume to green and gold, as he considered the original brown and orange too similar to the outfit worn by his sister.
In DCU: Last Will and Testament, Deathstroke takes credit for Tara's insanity by claiming he gave her the same serum he used on Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain is a fictional character in the , one of several who has served as Batgirl, an important character in the Batman comic book franchise. Cassandra's backstory presents her as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she was deprived of speech and human contact during her...
and his daughter, Rose Wilson
Rose Wilson
Rose Wilson is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. She is a member of the Teen Titans and the illegitimate daughter of Deathstroke the Terminator.-Fictional character biography:...
, telling Geo-Force that "the problem with Tara was that we waited too long. By then the psychosis was so bad, she tried to kill us all." This contradicts his earlier account of her lifelong insanity in the Titans stories following "The Judas Contract," in which he emphatically denied having any part in driving her to madness.
The 2008 Terra miniseries had intended to explain that Tara was driven insane by an element called "quixium" harvested from Strata, the home world of Terra, which had been used by Markovian scientists to grant her earth-based superpowers. With a year-long delay in the publication of the Terra miniseries and the interim release of DCU: Last Will and Testament, this retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
was dropped completely. According to Justin Gray, "Terra 1 stays as she is in LW&T. The brain damage was part of the initial story (before LW&T) that connected all three Terras and Geo-Force to Strata, the book needed to be changed to reflect LW&T, the double ship made changes to issue #2 impossible. It happens and we all did what we could to make it work."
Blackest Night
In the first issue of Blackest Night: Titans, Terra's corpse is reanimated as a Black LanternBlack Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
; seducing Beast Boy
Beast Boy
Garfield Mark "Gar" Logan, known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
using an illusion cast by Lilith
Lilith (DC Comics)
Lilith Clay is a young superheroine who occasionally appears in DC Comic's Teen Titans titles.-Pre-Crisis: Originally living in peace at home, Lilith started to manifest strange mental powers at the age of 13. She read her parents' minds to find she was adopted, then left home to try to find her...
to mask her decayed appearance. During the battle of the Black Lantern Titans, they were overwhelmed. Hawk (Holly Granger) plunges her hand into Dawn's chest. Dawn suddenly radiates a white energy that completely destroys Holly's body and ring. Dawn then turns the light on the other Black Lanterns, destroying all but Hank Hall
Hank Hall
Hank Hall is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe who first appeared in Showcase #75 as Hawk of Hawk and Dove. He later became the supervillain Monarch in the crossover event limited series Armageddon 2001...
, Tempest
Garth (comics)
Garth is a fictional character, a superhero in publications from DC Comics, originally known as Aqualad, and later known by the codename Tempest. As Aqualad, he is the teen sidekick and protege to his guardian, the super-hero known as Aquaman, bearing the same super-abilities as his mentor that...
, and Terra, who quickly retreat.
Terra then travels to the Outsiders
Outsiders (comics)
The Outsiders are a fictional DC Comics superhero team. As its name suggests, the team consists of superheroes who allegedly do not fit the norms of the mainstream superhero community, namely the Justice League....
' base to see her brother. She claims to have broken free of whatever force was controlling her as a Black Lantern, and begs Geo-Force and the other Outsiders to kill her. However, this was later revealed to be a ruse, a way of getting Geo-Force to display the strongest emotions possible. After a mostly one-sided battle, Terra's body is turned to stone by Geo-Force, and her ring is destroyed by Halo
Halo (comics)
Halo is a fictional superheroine that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in a special insert in The Brave and the Bold #200 , and was created by Mike W...
.
Tara Markov doppelgänger
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
designed to transform her into a genetic doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
of the original Terra. As part of the Team Titans
Team Titans
Team Titans was a comic book published by DC Comics that spun out of DC's New Titans series. It began in September 1992 and ended in September 1994. The Team Titans were first introduced as a shadowy group stalking the Titans...
, Terra went back in time to the year 1992 to stop the birth of Teen Titan Donna Troy
Donna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
's firstborn son, who would grow up to be the tyrannical Lord Chaos.
Terra shared a mutual attraction to the Teen Titan Changeling. Unfortunately, despite their attraction, Changeling was openly hostile toward Terra II due to his own emotional scars from being used by the original Terra.
The final issues of Team Titans revealed that the group's mysterious "leader" was Hank Hall, former Titan Hawk, who became the renegade time-traveling villain Monarch. His attempts to erase the universe from existence as part of Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
's plan to remake the universe during "Zero Hour
Zero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
" resulted in the erasing of the future that gave birth to the Team Titans. Only Terra and Mirage survived due to the aid of the Time Trapper
Time Trapper
The Time Trapper is a fictional character, a supervillain in stories published by DC Comics. The Time Trapper's main enemies are the Legion of Super-Heroes...
.
After the events of "Zero Hour," Terra and Mirage joined the main Teen Titans team. Once there, they were told that they, along with fellow time traveler Deathwing (an evil version of Dick Grayson from the Lord Chaos future timeline), were really from the present day. The Time Trapper had whisked them away from the present to place them within Monarch's army of Titans in order to keep track of Monarch's schemes.
After New Titans was canceled, the Terra remained in limbo until the 1998 revival of the Teen Titans. In the 1999 Titans Secret Files special, Terra visits Geo-Force and undergoes genetic tests to determine her identity. When she expresses her fears that she is the original Terra, Geo-Force informs her that she is not his sister while destroying the test results that confirm she was a genetic match for the first Terra. Later, under circumstances which have yet to be explained, Terra also becomes affiliated with the Outsiders.
In the "Titans Tomorrow
Titans Tomorrow
"Titans Tomorrow" is a storyline of a possible alternate future in the DC Comics Universe, from Teen Titans #17-19 , by Geoff Johns and Mike McKone...
" storyline, the Titans glimpse a grim possible future, and Terra (in a costume modeled closely after her original) is a member of the Titans East
Titans East
Titans East is the name of several DC Comics teams. The teams appear in the Teen Titans comic books and animated series. The comic book incarnation of Titans East first appeared in the "Titans Tomorrow" storyline, which is set in the future. The first modern incarnation appeared in Teen Titans vol....
, a more benign rival group that opposes the fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
future versions of the current Teen Titans. This future's version of Beast Boy, calling himself Animal Man
Animal Man
Animal Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily “borrow” the abilities of animals...
, still bears a grudge against Terra and wants nothing to do with her.
Terra is one of the many Titans who answer the summon to help Conner Kent
Superboy (Kon-El)
Superboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. A modern update of the original Superboy, who is a younger version of Superman, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 , and was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett.Originally...
defeat Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
in Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
#4, working with Sand
Sandy Hawkins
Sanderson "Sandy" Hawkins, formerly known as Sandy, the Golden Boy, Sands, Sand, and currently as Sandman, is a fictional character, superhero in the DC Comics universe created by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #69.-Golden Age:The Character of Sandy the Golden...
to hit Prime with a mass of earth in an attempt to stop him.
52
Terra is a member of the Teen Titans group, led by Beast Boy, who fights Black AdamBlack Adam
Black Adam is a fictional comic book character, created in 1945 by Otto Binder & C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. Originally created as a one-shot villain for Fawcett Comics' Marvel Family team of superheroes, Black Adam was revived as a recurring supervillain after DC Comics began publishing Captain...
during the World War III storyline. In their second encounter with the crazed Marvel, she catches Black Adam off guard by crushing him between two massive boulders. Although this maneuver hurts Adam, it fails to disable him, and in a fit of anger he punches through her chest, killing her instantly. Instead of pursuing Black Adam, the Titans stay behind to bury their fallen comrade.
Origin
The mystery of the second Terra's origins was addressed in the 2008 Terra miniseries. She had been born in an underground world called Strata and sent away by its members to establish relations with the surface world. She allowed the Stratans to surgically alter her to resemble the original Terra, believing surface-dwellers would more easily accept her if she reminded them of one of their own. They used an element called "quixium" to grant her earth-based powers similar to that of her predecessor, a process that had the unfortunate side-effect of total memory loss.Fictional character biography
Titans of Tomorrow...Today!
Atlee appears as a future version of herself in Teen Titans #52-54 as part of the "Titans of Tomorrow...Today!" storyline.Terror Titans
During the Final CrisisFinal Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
crossover, a group of teen supervillains calling themselves the Terror Titans
Terror Titans
The Terror Titans are a supervillain group in the DC Comics. They are a mirror group to the Teen Titans, composed of "legacy" villains. They first appeared as a team in Teen Titans #56 , though Clock King and Dreadbolt appeared in shadow form at the end of #55.-Publication history:The Terror Titans...
begin abducting teenaged metahumans to use as competitors in the Dark Side Club, an underground arena where the young heroes are brainwashed and forced to fight to the death for spectators and wealthy patrons. After learning of the abductions, Terra goes on the run, eventually meeting up with fellow teen superheroes Aquagirl, Molecule, Offspring
Offspring (comics)
Offspring is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. He is the son of Plastic Man, and has the same stretching powers as his father.-Kingdom Come:...
, Zachary Zatara
Zachary Zatara
Zachary Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Universe. Zachary is a descendant of the Homo Magi just like his cousin Zatanna and uncle John Zatara. He first appeared in Teen Titans Zachary Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Universe. Zachary is a descendant of the Homo Magi just like...
, and the Star-Spangled Kid
Star-Spangled Kid
Star-Spangled Kid is the name of several fictional superheroes in the DC Comics' main shared universe.-Sylvester Pemberton:The original Star-Spangled Kid was Sylvester Pemberton, a Golden Age character. He became the Star-Spangled Kid in order to battle Nazism during World War II. He was unique...
. While deciding on a course of action, the teens are ambushed by the Terror Titans, who proceed to overpower and capture them, killing Molecule in the process. Atlee and the others are taken to the Dark Side Club and subjected to the Anti-Life Equation
Anti-Life Equation
The Anti-Life Equation is the equation for total control over the free will of sentient beings, for which the DC Comics villain Darkseid is searching in the Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting. It is for this reason that he sends his forces to Earth, as he believes part of the equation exists in the...
, which causes them to become slaves to Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
and his cadre of followers. After winning several matches in the tournament, Terra is made a member of the Clock King
Clock King
Clock King is a title used by two fictional characters, supervillains published by DC Comics. The first Clock King debuted in World's Finest Comics #111 , and was created by France Herron and Lee Elias.-Publication history:...
's Martyr Militia, a team of brainwashed superhumans he plans to use on an attack in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Atlee and the others are ultimately freed from the Anti-Life Equation when Miss Martian
Miss Martian
Miss Martian is a superhero in the . Miss Martian was created by Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel and first appeared in Teen Titans #37 . Miss Martian is named "Megan Morse" after Marvel Comics associate editor Ben Morse's wife, Megan...
, Rose Wilson, and Static lead a rebellion against the Terror Titans and capture the various members of the Dark Side Club.
In the aftermath of the successful rebellion, Atlee accompanies her rescuers and fellow survivors to Titans Tower in San Francisco, hoping to take some time to recuperate. While resting, Atlee is offered a spot on the Teen Titans by Wonder Girl, which she politely declines, saying that she wishes to distance herself from the tragedy surrounding the membership of the previous two bearers of the Terra identity.
Power Girl sidekick
Rested from her stay with the Titans, Atlee returns to be the sidekick of Power Girl, successfully helping her save ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
from the Ultra-Humanite
Ultra-Humanite
The Ultra-Humanite is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #13 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster...
. After that, she elects Manhattan as her base of operation, to benefit from the constant mentoring of Power Girl both in establishing and maintaining a human identity, and in her superhero persona. She takes on an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n accent in her civilian identity, finding the half-truth of her being from "down under" quite humorous. She and Power Girl begin a close friendship, going to movies and even shopping together at an IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
-esque Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n furniture store. Atlee also decides to drop her Australian accent, instead claiming that her new cover identity is that of a spy, something Power Girl finds quite humorous.
Terra helps Power Girl during her battle with Satanna, and later ends up discussing the possibility of joining the Justice Society or the Teen Titans. Power Girl notices that Atlee's demeanor has changed, and begins to suspect that something is wrong. It is eventually revealed that Atlee had been kidnapped by Ultra-Humanite and had her brain removed in order for him to place his brain in her body, due to Power Girl crippling his body in a former fight. Eventually, Power Girl is able to retrieve Atlee, now trapped in the crippled simian body of the Ultra-Humanite, and bring her back to Strata. There, Atlee is given her body back and the Ultra-Humanite is turned into the human Gerard Shugel. In this occasion, Atlee expresses no desire to stay in Strata, asking Power Girl to bring her back to the surface world, to which she has grown a liking, as soon as possible.
In Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
#600, Atlee appears alongside fellow teen heroines Batgirl and Supergirl
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
as part of an all-female team designed to repel a faux-alien invasion. After the battle is over, Atlee proclaims that she thinks she could take Wonder Woman in a fight, a notion that Stargirl scoffs at.
Powers and personality
Despite her horrific ordeal at the hands of the Dark Side Club and her earlier appearances as a serious, keeps-to-herself, quiet and polite young woman, Atlee's personality is on the opposite end of the spectrum from the original Tara. As Tara mostly hid a brooding, dark personality, Atlee's true self seems to be the one of a cheery, peppy, and nonsensical adolescent, completely innocent about surface life, and hailing from a society who apparently banished malice and human greed from their lifestyles. As a result, she takes an early veneration for Power Girl, seldom leaving her side. She also shows a deep craving for human "pop culture," a permanent fixture of the 2009 Power Girl series being Atlee comically commenting and trying to emulate fictional characters from various movies.Atlee's powers are currently limitless, while she limits herself to "harmless" feats such as growing large formations of rock with the slowness needed to avoid a geological hazard, and using floating rocks as projectiles and to levitate around, Gerard Shugel, the Ultra-Humanite, while residing in her body, was able to shift nearby tectonic plates
Tectonic Plates
Tectonic Plates is a 1992 independent Canadian film directed by Peter Mettler. Mettler also wrote the screenplay based on the play by Robert Lepage. The film stars Marie Gignac, Céline Bonnier and Robert Lepage.-Plot summary:...
with ease or cause volcanoes to erupt at his will. He surmises that Atlee has always had this amazing amount of power, but willingly chose to limit herself in fear of the damage she could cause.
Earth-33
On Earth-33Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
, a world of magicians, Terra is an earth mage, who appears to be one with the soil.
Future Terra
The future Terra, of the Team Titans is re-imagined as a resistance member, fighting for the freedom of hundreds of alien worlds. She partners with NightriderNightrider (DC Comics)
Nightrider is a fictional vampire superhero from the DC Comics universe. He is a member of the Team Titans, a rebel group seeking to overthrow Lord Chaos, the dictator of an alternate Earth ten years into the future....
until they are folded into a larger resistance cell.
Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
event, Terra joined the Amazons' Furies
Female Furies
The Female Furies are a group of fictional women warriors appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Mister Miracle #6 , and were created by Jack Kirby.-Team history:...
, and it was through her that New Themyscira was saved from destruction when Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
flooded Western Europe. Later, Terra was targeted by Siren and Ocean Master
Ocean Master
The Ocean Master is a fictional supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Aquaman #29 , and was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy.-Pre-Crisis:...
, but their plans were foiled when Hippolyta's sister Penthesileia showed up. Terra joined them because her half-brother Geo-Pulse
Geo-Force
Geo-Force is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Markov is Prince of Markovia and the half-brother of Terra. Geo-Force is one of the founding members of the superhero group the Outsiders. He first appeared in a special insert in The Brave and the...
, was used by Aquaman to sink Western Europe.
Television
- Terra appears in the Teen TitansTeen Titans (TV series)Teen Titans is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics characters of the same name. The show was created by Glen Murakami, developed by David Slack, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003, and the final episode "Things Change"...
animated series, voiced by Ashley JohnsonAshley JohnsonAshley Suzanne Johnson is an American actress, best known for her two-season role as Chrissy Seaver in the TV show Growing Pains, and for her voice work in television series such as Teen Titans and Ben 10 Alien Force....
. Like many characters in the series, Terra's backstory and appearance was modified for the cartoon series. The character was now more sympathetic, a tragic heroine along the lines of a "lost soul" rather than an irredeemable psychopathicPsychopathyPsychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
villainess. Terra is an attractive teenage girl with long, straight, blond hair and superpowers similar to those of her comics counterpart. Terra can manipulate the ground, rocks, and earth-like material around her. However, unlike her comic book counterpart, Terra has little control over her powers, which is a source of shame for her, and is ultimately what leads her to betray the Teen Titans. Introduced during Season 2 of the series, Terra first encounters the Titans while being chased by a giant scorpionScorpionScorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
monster. After defeating the monster, she parts ways with the Titans, among whom Beast Boy immediately develops a crush on her. Terra and Beast Boy spend time together as friends after their first meeting, with Terra confiding to Beast Boy her problems controlling her powers. Beast Boy agrees to keep this a secret, though after an encounter with SladeDeathstrokeDeathstroke the Terminator , originally simply the Terminator, and known by the Teen Titans as Slade, is a fictional character, a supervillain and sometimes antihero in the DC Comics Universe. He is a mercenary and assassin who first appeared in The New Teen Titans #2...
, the villain recognizes Terra's problems utilizing her powers and offers to help teach her how to control them. Terra refuses, but Slade would plant the seed of doubt regarding whether or not Beast Boy would keep his word, which comes to a head when Robin asks Terra to become a Teen Titan. Terra accepts, but then suspects that Beast Boy broke his promise to keep her secret from the group, unaware that Robin had merely figured it out on his own. Terra flees the Tower and ultimately agrees to work for Slade in exchange for his training on how to master her powers. After some time training under him, she returns to the Titans. By this point, Beast Boy confesses to Terra that he is in love with her and the two go on their first official date together. While the two visit a theme parkAmusement parkthumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
, Titans Tower is attacked by an army of Slade's robots, who are able to infiltrate the Tower because of information Terra provided to Slade. When Terra confesses to Beast Boy what she had done, Beast Boy rejects her, which only strengthens Slade's hold over her. Terra then begins to serve as somewhat of Slade's personal counterpart to the Titans. After defeating the Titans one by one and attempting to murder her former friends by crushing them in an avalanche, Terra is given a new costume designed to "control" her powers. In truth, though, the suit is a fail-safe, which allows Slade to remote-control her in the event that she disobeys him. After successfully taking over the city, Terra begins to reminisce over the good times she once had with the Titans, and slowly begins to regret what she has done. When it becomes apparent that Terra has failed to kill the Titans, Slade turns abusive toward her. He activates the costume and forces her to attack Beast Boy, nearly killing him. Terra was able to overcome her costume, and triggers a volcanic eruption that kills Slade and threatens to kill the Titans as well. In the end, Terra sacrifices herself to save her friends and the city by turning back the full force of the volcanic eruption, and is transformed into a stone statue. However, in the final episode of the series, "Things Change," her demise is called into question. After seeing a girl who looks like her, but claiming not to be, and finding Terra's solid stone form missing from her final resting place, Beast Boy begins to question if Terra has really returned. The girl eventually convinces Beast Boy to let go of the past.
Miscellaneous
- Terra makes a few appearances in Teen Titans Go!Teen Titans Go!Teen Titans Go! is a comic book series that was published by DC Comics. It is based on the 2003 animated TV series Teen Titans which is itself loosely based on the team that starred in the popular 1980s comic The New Teen Titans. The series was written by J...
, a comicbook series spawned from the Teen TitansTeen Titans (TV series)Teen Titans is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics characters of the same name. The show was created by Glen Murakami, developed by David Slack, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003, and the final episode "Things Change"...
animated series. She appeared in issue #11 ("Countdown"), #12 ("Magic & Misdirection"), and #51 ("Metamorphosis"). Issue #51 is set after the series finale of the animated series. Terra's brother, Geo-Force, arrives at Titans Tower and relates Terra's origin: she was the Princess of Markovia, and along with her brother was experimented on by sinister interests within the royal court, which gave them both earth-based superpowers. Feeling exploited, Terra ran away, leading to the events of the animated series. At the end of the story, Geo-Force and Beast Boy consider visiting Terra at her school, but decide to leave her be, as she is the happiest she has ever been.