While the X-Men ruled the teen superhero universe in the first few years of the 1960s, they didn't have anything on the DC Comics sidekicks. Together, these veterans battled Nazis, aliens, and street-level criminals since the 1940s. Eventually, they joined together to become the iconic team known as the Teen Titans.
Since their introduction in a 1964 issue of Brave and the Bold, the Titans have existed in one form or another. Some of these variations have been highly popular while others are barely remembered. To get an idea of how many iterations have existed, here are the Teen Titans teams through the eras, ranked.
10 Dan Jurgens Era (1996-1998)
By the mid-90s, readers were more interested in teenage heroes with lots of guns, pockets, and pockets for guns instead of the Teen Titans. To revitalize the franchise, DC Comics brought in Dan Jurgens to write and pencil a new Teen Titans series. By new, we mean a quartet of heroes no one knew.
Enter Joto, Argent, Risk and Prysm. Yeah, we didn't remember their names, either. Led by a de-aged Ray Palmer/Atom (thanks, Zero Hour), the team went through the usual motions to work together. You know, an alien kidnapping and an outer space battle. However, despite finished inks by George Perez and appearances by older Titans members, the series ended after 24 issues and disappeared into the ether.
9 Team Titans Era (1992-1994)
Here's how forgetful the Team Titans were. We looked for this post-Armageddon 2001 series under the Teen Titans banner. We only found them after viewing the synopsis for New Titans Annual #7. Needless to say, not the best review for this forgotten team.
To stop Monarch from taking over the planet, this group of heroes, led by an older Nightwing, traveled back in time to 1991. Their appearance was not the best idea. First, the original New Teen Titans line up was being decimated at the time. Second, a new version of the turncoat Terra was part of this future group. Despite writing by New Team Titans' Marv Wolfman, Team Titans ended after 24 issues.
8 New 52 Era (2011-2016)
"Let's redefine the Teen Titans for the New 52 era," said the project's architects. "What kind of changed?" the creators asked. "All of them," the designers answered. Boy, howdy, did they make changes. Most of them seen from the cover of the first issue.
Instead of continuing storylines from the previous run, the new series by Scott Lobdell was a complete reboot. To the point that Kid Flash was introduced in the first issue. Then, they killed Connor Kent, which miffed many of the hero's fans. Though they tried to correct things after Convergence, this version of Teen Titans never synced with the readers.
7 Post-Wildebeest Era (1992-1994)
Between 1990 and 1992, the New Teen Titans were in trouble. The Wildebeests, run by the now-evil Jericho, harmed or kidnapped most of the original group. So, Nightwing put together a new team with a bunch of unknowns, Deathstroke, and a totally robotic Cyborg. Once the crisis ended, the Titans were completely changed.
First, Roy Harper returned to the team as Arsenal. Next, the wedding of Starfire and Nightwing was ruined by an evil and scantily clad Raven. Even the book's design changed with the art of Bill Jaaska. By the time Zero Hour occurred, the team that exploded onto the comic book scene in 1980 was a memory.
6 Zero Hour Era (1994-1996)
This era began with U.S. government taking control of the Titans. New leader Arsenal put together a powerful team that combined veterans Changeling and Donna Troy (now a Darkstar) with new heroes like Impulse and Damage. Also joining were Terra and Mirage from the now defunct Team Titans.
Soon enough, powerhouses Supergirl and Green Lantern Kyle Rayner also joined. For a period of time, This version of the Titans was more powerful than the post-Zero Hour Justice League. That says something for Roy's leadership. Well, until the entire team melted down. By 1996, the original New Teen Titans run ended after 16 years and over 150 issues in newsprint and high-quality imprints.
5 1970s Teen Titans Era (1976-1978)
The reason this run of the original Teen Titans is separate from its 1966-72 run is the way the heroes acted during this short period of time. Let's start with Robin. When he received a signal from Titans Lair caretaker Mal Evans, he responded with the other Titans. However, after he, Speedy, and Wonder Girl defeated a pre-mindwipe Doctor Light, they battled each other.
They battled about who would lead the reunited team. They fought each other fighting villains. On top of that, Robin had the gall to tell the newly formed Titans West they wouldn't be officially recognized, even when Hawk and Dove were part of this California team. The animosity between the characters put the series out of its misery by the late 70s. Luckily, the end of the first series paved the way for a more influential version of the team.
4 Rebirth Era (2016-Onward)
When Damian Wayne was chosen as the leader of the Rebirth-era Teen Titans, fans were leery. We knew this Robin was both a skilled warrior and immense jerk. We weren't sure how he would do commanding three Titans veterans. Let alone deal with a new Kid Flash and Aqualad. Needless to say, it was a tall order.
It's been good news so far. Since their reincarnation, they've stuck together through "Dark Knights: Metal", "Year of the Villain", and "Day Without Internet." Robin even overcame the insecurities he felt when he met his future counterpart and said good-bye to his best friend, Jon Kent, as he joined the Legion of Super-Heroes. In the end, unlike the first Robin, Damian has moved out of Batman's shadow without much difficulty.
3 Original Teen Titans Era (1966-1972)
Hey, daddy-o, check this scene out. Bird Boy, Wonder Babe and the rest of the original Teen Titans were the hippest thing. Dig? They were so groovy that, man, readers needed a 60s lingo-to-English translator to understand their vocabulary. Heavy. The X-Men were never this cool.
Seriously, these teens were cooler than when they were with their partners. When Neal Adams, the Brian Michael Bendis of that era, began to write and pencil the series, the Titans broke the scene into more serious topics. He also helped to expand the team roster with new members Hawk and Dove. It was a great start to a long legacy.
2 Post-Young Justice Era (2003-2011)
Here's a little irony for you. After a successful run, the members of Young Justice were promoted to be the newest version of the Teen Titans in 2003. They maintained this honor until Flashpoint and through the craziness of the New 52. Now, in the Rebirth timeline, these characters returned ... as Young Justice.
They should feel somewhat humiliated about this circumstance, particularly since Rebirth king Geoff Johns returned them to significance. They were so good that some people forgot the incarnation led by the Robin in short pants. It was also a period of growth for many on the team. Robin stole Dick Grayson's costume from Kingdom Come, Impulse became the new Kid Flash, and Superboy decided a black t-shirt was all he needed for a costume. Yeah, yeah ... they saved the world a few times as well.
1 New Teen Titans Era (1980-1990)
Chris Claremont and John Byrne, Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen, John Byrne and ... John Byrne. These were the top creative teams of the early 1980s. The other duo to take the comic book world by storm during this time was Marv Wolfman and George Perez. Together, they launched the influential New Teen Titans.
Actually, Raven brought them together because the Justice League was too busy with battling Darkseid. It's good they did send her away. It gave us an opportunity to know Starfire, Cyborg, and Gar Logan. Throughout their run, we found out who Donna Troy was, watch Terra expose the Titans' identities to Deathstroke, and watch Dick Grayson become Nightwing. All beautifully written and drawn by Wolfman and Perez.