WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Teen Titans Academy #13, on sale now from DC Comics.
Everyone loves Batman Beyond. Ever since the series hit TV screens in 1999, it has inspired the imagination of fans in the same way its predecessor, Batman: The Animated Series did. Similarly, a number of elements from the series have been incorporated into the comics, though not quite as prominently as Animated Series fixtures like Harley Quinn or Renee Montoya. That makes it harder to bring Terry McGinnis and Neo-Gotham to the mainstream DC Universe.
However, a new character has introduced a new Batman Beyond connection in Teen Titans Academy #13 (by Tim Sheridan, Tom Derenick, Peter Pantazis, Matt Herms, and Rob Leigh). During the fall of Titans Tower in previous issues, Cyborg and Changeling were caught in the blast. In the latest issue, they weren't given long to live. However, two students just gave them a Future State lifeline that directly connects to Batman Beyond.
A student named Addison, who's gone unnamed until now, had the technology Gorilla Greg needed to fuse Cyborg and Changeling into one. Addison is a cyborg himself and has adopted the name Cybruh but, despite his similarities to this Earth's Cyborg, isn't connected to him at all. He's from an entirely different Earth altogether and his advanced cybernetics are from the futuristic world of Earth-12.
To those unfamiliar with Earth-12, it's the part of the DC Multiverse that houses the world of Batman Beyond. Relative to most of the other Earths in the multiverse, its timeline is a number of years ahead. Therefore, if the heroes of the DCU wanted to recruit their Batman, they would find Terry McGinnis instead of Bruce Wayne. As such, Earth-12 is essentially the home of the DC Animated Universe.
For the most part, DC's heroes haven't visited Earth-12. Terry and that Earth's older Superman can be seen in the background of some stories but that's about it. There have been a number of Batman Beyond comics since the TV series ended but not all of them take place on Earth-12 and follow the DCAU continuity.
Not only does Cybruh's Earth-12 origins link the DCU to Batman Beyond, but they also link it to the DCAU. Some of his comments reveal things that the various animated series didn't when they were still on the air. The most notable was the role of the Teen Titans in the DCAU. There were sparing references and allusions to the Titans in some of the shows. Batman once mentioned Robin was with the Titans in Static Shock. In Teen Titans Academy #13, Addison revealed that the team that went completely unseen in any of the shows had a lasting legacy in the DCAU by the time of Batman Beyond's future. He even confirmed the existence of Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy there, and as major heroes that everyone knows too.
This new student provides more than just a connection to Batman Beyond and the DCAU. Cybruh gives us an opportunity to learn more about the futuristic world of Terry McGinnis and the animated universe in general. His technology, the type that allows Terry's advanced Batman suit to operate, will soon be what's keeping Cyborg and Changeling alive. He may be new but there's a lot of potential in this character. Perhaps he could even lead to a crossover between Teen Titans Academy and Batman Beyond in the future.