The One Villain That Triggered The Creation Of The New Teen Titans

Comics as a medium are unique, as they allows for a lot of things that other avenues of entertainment simply cannot. This is especially true for Marvel and DC comic books, which have a multitude of different artists and writers working on many different storylines featuring tons of characters, with plenty of crossover. From DC legends like Batman to Marvel's various and seemingly endless incarnations of Spider-Man, the worlds that inhabit comic books are massive, even more so than their live-action film counterparts.

However, this can make following all of the comic book storylines a tall order for casual fans, especially given the long and winding history of certain comic book characters and teams. One such team is the Teen Titans, which have existed in one form or another since the mid-1960s (via DC Database). Since then, many different versions have shown up in comics, animation, and live-action form. With that in mind, the "New Teen Titans" run, a version of the well-known team that first came to be in the 1980s, was surprisingly brought together because of one specific villain.

While many of the incarnations of the "Teen Titans" have achieved a somewhat high level of popularity — though some fans, like Eric Diaz at Nerdist, would argue it's an "undervalued" series — "The New Teen Titans" has arguably strongly influenced what the team looks like today in other mediums, especially in both animated and live-action adaptations. The series was originally released in the early '80s, and the titular team features such members as Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Cyborg (in which the character debuts). However, the team only forms because of Raven, who, in turn, forms the team to fight her own father, Trigon. If you didn't already know, Trigon is a demon from Hell, and one of the more powerful supervillains in the entire DC universe (via DC Database).

Originally, Raven seeks help from the Justice League, but her petition is denied. She then decides to take matters into her own hands and recruits the other aforementioned members to help her stop Trigon. Thus, the New Teen Titans are officially formed. This particular rendition of the series would go on until the mid-'90s, though it would see many members come and go from the team. While many other teams are formed because of overwhelming villains, Raven's connection to Trigon definitely makes the New Teen Titans a unique situation, at least at the time the comic book story was first released.