WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Future State: Teen Titans #1, by Tim Sheridan, Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona. Alejandro Sanchez and Rob Leigh, on sale now.
Future State: Teen Titans #1 features the first comic book appearance of Red X, and writer Tim Sheridan recently talked about the importance of the character to the team's future.
"We meet Red X at the end of the first issue, and he is essential to the overall story," Sheridan told CBR. "This is a character who has not existed before in the main continuity and has only appeared in the world of animation. I am honored to be the one to transition that character from the world of animation into the comics."
Red X was first introduced in the massively popular Teen Titans cartoon from Cartoon Network, which ran from 2003 to 2006. In the animated series, it was revealed that Dick Grayson/Robin was actually Red X, though the character's true identity will be a mystery in Future State: Teen Titans. "We know the first Red X was Dick Grayson, but we don't know who the second one is, although there's plenty of speculation. All we know for sure is that it is not Dick," Sheridan said.
The writer would go on to emphasize the importance of Red X in Future State: Teen Titans and say that people would have fun trying to figure out the character's true identity. "Red X is the lynchpin of the entire story!" he added.
DC Future State is a two-month event that follows the crossover series Dark Nights: Death Metal by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Future State takes place in the future and will feature 24 different titles starring popular DC heroes like Superman, Batman, the Flash, Catwoman, along with new legacy characters.
Meanwhile, Future State: Teen Titans shows a world in which the original New Teen Titans, created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, ran a school that was eventually destroyed. "In Future State: Teen Titans, various members of the team want to take responsibility for what happened," Sheridan said about the issue. "They all believe they bear or share responsibility for what has happened."
In addition to Future State: Teen Titans #1, Sheridan pens Future State: Shazam #1, which is set to release on Jan. 19. He also wrote the scripts for The Death and Return of Superman and Superman: Man of Tomorrow animated movies.
Future State: Teen Titans #1 is on sale now from DC.