Since the end of Absolute Power, Titans has been going through some changes. With the Justice League back, the Titans are no longer needed to be the premier superhero team on the planet, but that won’t stop them from fighting evil. The Titans have gotten a new leader, and are dealing with villains who have gotten major power upgrades, all in service to a mysterious plan to destroy the team. For the last few issues, the team started to suspect that Raven, who had just been under the control of the Dark-Winged Queen personality and almost destroyed the Earth, had completely lost control of her empathic abilities. As the city of New York basically started to copy her emotions, the Titans had to figure out how to deal with the situation. Titans #21, by John Layman and Pete Wood, reveals the truth of the matter to the team, with the emotion-controlling Psycho-Pirate having played the team all to get his hands on Raven.
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The two meld, their powers intensified, and order the Titans to battle each other. The team — on edge lately because of the changes to their lives and mission — tear into each other, completely under control of the composite entity. However, Raven isn’t without resources of her own, which lead to a big change for the Titans’ most powerful member.
One of the Most Dangerous Versions of Raven Saves the Day
Raven is a character who is used to being trapped in her mind, watching herself doing terrible things to her friends. However, Raven is first and foremost a fighter, and she attacks the Psycho-Pirate, trying to overpower him and take back control of her body. Unfortunately for her, her battle with the Dark-Winged Queen did leave her powers in a weakened state, allowing the more powerful Psycho-Pirate to get the better of her and throw her into the recesses of her own mind. Psycho-Pirate believes that he’s won the battle, but is in for a surprise when the most feared aspect of Raven comes calling — Dark Raven, the side of her where she keeps all the darkness in her soul. Dark Raven also holds much of the magical legacy that the daughter of Trigon, and uses that power to kick Psycho-Pirate out of her mind, saving her friends, before retrieving Raven and having a conversation about their separated lives and the ways they’ve both changed.
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Longtime Titans fan will recognize Dark Raven. Raven has long been one of the most loyal Titans, but has constantly had to battle the worst parts of herself. Dark Raven has always been the side of Raven that frightens her most and her showing up has often spelled a lot of trouble for the team. Dark Raven has smacked around her teammates many times in the past, so her showing up here could have been a very bad thing for everyone. However, during their conversation, Dark Raven reveals that she has been absorbing some of the light of Raven, just like Raven has been absorbing some of the darkness of Dark Raven. After the affair with the Dark-Winged Queen, Raven and Dark Raven agree that they are more powerful together. They meld together for the first time in ages, the light and dark side of her coming together to create a powerful new version of Raven. As the fight between the Titans end, this new Raven appears before them, sporting a snazzy new costume and more power than ever.
The Titans Are Going To Need All the Power They Can Get in the Days to Come
During the battle with Psycho-Pirate in her mind, Raven learns who has been behind all of the shenanigans the team has been going through when Psycho-Pirate lets slip who hired him — Deathstroke has returned and wants the Titans dead. The Titans quickly realize that everything they’d experienced, the battles with Clock King, Shimmer, Killer Frost, and their fight with Psycho-Pirate, are all parts of a fiendish plan to destroy them. Deathstroke is completely and totally prepared for the Titans, and the most dangerous Deathstoke is one with a plan. Raven’s new powers and costume have come at the exact right time, as the Titans are about to face their greatest test.
