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'''John Ostrander''' was a writer for Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics and DC Comics. He is most widely recognized for his work on titles such as [[Comics Manhunter (Volume 1)|Manhunter (Volume 1)]], [[Comic Suicide Squad (Volume 1)|Suicide Squad (Volume 1)]], the [[Comics Legends|Legends]] limited series, and [[Comics Spectre (Volume 3)|The Spectre]]. This article pertains to John's contributions to DC Comics only.
{{out-of-universe}}
 
[[Image:Ravenwb.jpg|right|frame|Raven]]
 
'''Real Name:''' Rachel Roth<br>
 
'''Former Aliases:''' None Known<br>
 
'''Other Current Aliases:''' None known <br>
 
 
 
==Status==
 
'''Occupation:''' Adventurer, Teen Titan<br>
 
'''Identity:''' [[:Category:Secret Identity|Secret]] <br>
 
'''Marital Status:''' Single <br>
 
'''Group Affiliation:''' [[Teen Titans]], formally Sentinals of Magic
 
 
 
==Origin==
 
'''Known Relatives:''' [[Trigon]] (father, thought deceased but since returned), [[Arella]] Roth (mother, deceased) <br>
 
'''First Appearance:''' DC Comics Presents #26<br>
 
 
 
==History==
 
Raven, or Rachel Roth, has been a prominent member of The New [[Teen Titans]], and is currently a member of the modern Teen Titans. Raven is an empath, she can teleport, and send out her Soul Self which can fight physically as well as act as Raven's eyes and ears away from her body.
 
 
A dark, moody character, Raven is the half-breed daughter of a human mother named Angela (Arella) Roth and the demon overlord Trigon. She grew up in a pacifist place called Azarath, where she was taught to "control her emotions" in order to suppress and control her inherited demonic powers.
 
 
Eventually she learned that [[Trigon]] was planning to come to her dimension and vowed to stop him. She initially approached the [[Justice League]], but they refused her on the advice of [[Zatanna]] who sensed her demonic parentage. In desperation, she reformed the Titans as the New Teen Titans to fight her father.
 
 
The team was eventually able to defeat Trigon and seal him in an interdimensional prison. However, Raven still had to fight her father's influence, as he was not completely destroyed. More than once, Raven nearly lost control in various high stress situations in her adventures and barely regained it before Trigon could reassert.
 
 
Trigon eventually escaped, came to Earth and took control of Raven. Azarath was destroyed in the process. The Titans came together and killed Raven. This allowed the souls of [[Azarath]] to possess her and use her as a channel to kill Trigon. Afterwards, Raven was presumed dead, but she actually rose from ashes of the battle, finally purged of Trigon's evil. She vanished, and her mother went looking for her.
 
 
Raven was then captured by Brother Blood's minions to control [[Nightwing]] as part of Brother Blood's resurrection. The Titans rescued them both and prevented [[Brother Blood]] from returning. Raven donned a new white cloak to represent her being free from her father's influence.
 
 
The Titans were eventually captured by the [[Wildebeest Society]], but were rescued by a group of heroes. The leader of the Wildebeest Society was actually their teammate, [[Jericho]], who was inhabited by the souls of Azarath. Jericho tried to use the Titans as vessels for the souls, but in the end was killed by his father, Deathstroke.
 
 
Later, another version of Raven appeared, this time, possessed by her evil conscience. She attempted to implant seeds of Trigon's children into new bodies. She crashed the wedding of [[Nightwing (Dick Grayson)]] and [[Starfire]], and implanted one of the seeds into her. However, she actually implanted the seed of the good Raven, which caused Starfire to leave Earth in order to escape from Raven. Raven then implanted seeds into several superheroes. The Titans were able to defeat her with the help of Phantasm.
 
 
Raven returned later, still evil, in order to destroy her good self which she had implanted in Starfire. The Titans defeated her once again, for the last time. The good Raven was instilled into a new golden spirit body.
 
 
As a spirit, Raven wandered Earth, looking for her place in the world, when [[Brother Blood]] came to claim her. Her spirit was instilled into the body of a teenage girl by the Church of Blood. The Teen Titans (reformed again), discovered that the Church of Blood were worshippers of Raven's father, Trigon. They also found a prophecy which told of the marriage between Brother Blood and Raven that would result in Armageddon. The new team interrupted the wedding, and Raven forced the cult to escape. She then joined the new Teen Titans and enrolled at a high school as Rachel Roth to honor her mother.
 
 
The recent "Titans of Tomorrow" storyline showed a possible dystopian future, where Raven became the Dark Raven and gathered Superman II (formerly Superboy), Wonder Woman IV (formerly Wonder Girl II), Batman IV (formerly Robin III), Animal Man II (formerly Beast Boy), and Aquawoman (formerly Aquagirl IV) to continue the heroic crusade, but using ruthless, murderous tactics.
 
 
After the recent events of both the Teen Titans and the Outsiders joining to combat two of their own teamates(one being Superboy),Raven went to help Superboy understand that he had a soul. Later, she was attacked by the villain Kestrel. When Hell's gates were broken, Brother Blood escaped along with his newly appointed mother, Omen.
 
 
She has recently become romantically attached to Beast Boy, coming together in issue thirty of the latest Teen Titans comic. Raven had been developing feelings for him since her recent rebirth, writer Geoff Johns confirmed also that this relationship had long been implemented by him before the animated series began, squashing any previous speculation that this relationship was created out of influence by the Shipper community.
 
 
===Infinite Crisis and "One Year Later"===
 
 
''Main articles: [[Infinite Crisis]] and [[One Year Later]]''
 
 
Due to the effects of the [[Spectre]]'s destruction of magic during the Day of Vengeance storyline, Raven found her own magical powers weakening and slipping out of her control, but continued on the good fight nontheless, helping the Titans both in evacuating the shattered city of Blüdhaven and battling [[Superboy-Prime]].
 
 
After the events of ''Infinite Crisis'', it was revealed in Teen Titans (Vol. 3) #34 that Raven quit the team after she and Beast Boy broke up their relationship. In issue #37 of the series, a recording of her told [[Cyborg]] that [[Beast Boy]] was stressed by being team leader, and even compares him with [[Nightwing]]. Raven then left the Titans because she learned a secret about the new members of the team, though she let them think she was leaving because of Gar.
 
 
She traveled around the globe, looking for something that had been stolen from [[Titans Tower]] by one of the many members the team had seen in the previous year. She based her operations out of an apartment in [[Beijing]], and met with [[Red Star]] briefly in [[Moscow]] to ask the Russian hero questions about their former teammates. She was able to recover a book, but this action resulted in her being chased by a squadron of armed soldiers.
 
 
==Animated Series==
 
 
[[Image:Raven tv2.jpg|left|thumb|Raven as seen on the new Teen Titans cartoon]]
 
 
In the Teen Titans animated series (2003-present), Raven (with a dry, throaty voice provided by Tara Strong) appears much younger (as do all the other characters) than in the comic book variants, though her costume is relatively unchanged. However, her skirt was changed to a leotard by the animators to avoid several animation complications. She also has grey skin and short, violet hair, visible only when the hood of her cloak is off. Raven's personality is also more child-like and emotional, and slightly more gothic. Raven, while being a very clever girl, is straightforward and moody, as well as sarcastic. She has a dry sense of humor. However, she does show signs that she cares very much for her friends.
 
 
Raven possesses all of her comic-book self's powers in the animated series---in addition, she also has powerful Psychic, Psychokinetic and telekinetic abilities in the form of Dark Energy, which serve as her primary means of attack and defense. In Car Trouble, after Cyborg's newly built T-Car was stolen, and he's lamenting about how the loss hurts him emotionaly as he had put his own circuts into it, Raven admits she sympathises: "When I use my powers, I have to put a little of my Soul into whatever I'm moving. I become a part of it, and it becomes a part of me."
 
 
In addition, the animated version of Raven sometimes says the phrase "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" to help her focus her powers. These words are her mantra, and although no one knows exactly what they mean, it is definite that Azarath is her home dimension (or more acurately, the dimension of her birth), in the show and the comics. She has to meditate daily to make sure her emotions remain check and do not clash with her sense of right and wrong.
 
 
When she gets excessively emotional, her powers tend to take a form outside of her control, called her "soul-self" in the comic books. Her soul-self is not recognized by name in the animation, but it is featured. Her soul-self normally takes the form of a giant raven. Her soul-self can also transform her body's appearance to a variety of demonic forms and sizes. Worst of all, when she can't control her anger, she transforms into a demonic Raven usually with four glowing, red eyes and sprouting black tentacles from under her cloak, also referred to by fans as "Red Raven", "Angry Raven", or "Evil Raven". The four eyes seem to symbolize her demon father, Trigon.
 
 
Raven often worries that her fellow Titans don't like her, possibly because she is the daughter of a demon and has a complex lifestyle that her friends don't understand too well. Her room inside Titans Tower is decorated with things from her past, as well as statues and pictures about of the creepy-crawlies her powers like to conjure up. Not surprisingly, she becomes highly offended when anyone sets foot in it against her will.
 
 
 
==Characteristics==
 
'''Height:''' 5'11" <br>
 
'''Weight:''' 139 lbs (63 kg) <br>
 
'''Eyes:''' Blue<br>
 
'''Hair:''' Black<br>
 
'''Unusual Features:'''Red jewel in middle of forehead <br>
 
 
==Powers==
 
 
'''Known Powers:'''
 
 
<b>Empathy</b>: psionic ability of empathy, the power to absorb emotions, enabling her to feel the feelings of others. She can also use her empathy to steal emotions from others, rendering them emotionally "numb". She can absorb the pain of injured people to ease their suffering, and induce rapid healing.
 
 
'''Soul-Self''': Raven can manifest her "Soul-Self" through astral projection. It normally takes the form of either her human shape or a giant raven. Through the use of her soul-self, Raven can project her consciousness into the mind, for therapeutic purposes (to aid in her own meditation, or to help calm an agitated ally), or for offensive attacks, rendering her enemies unconscious. It also serves as a way to travel into other dimensions. Using her soul-self, she can teleport herself and others over vast distances.
 
 
'''Force Emotion (Second Life only)''':
 
In Raven's second life, she found she had the ability to force outside emotions into other people, consciously or otherwise. This led to a short-lived romance with Nightwing, which was also induced by the fact that Raven was experiencing her own emotions for the first time, and could not tell the difference between romantic love and brotherly love. Raven also had tipped the scales in her favor and had "almost made" Nightwing fall for her.
 
 
'''Flight (Third Life, Evil Raven and Animated only)''':
 
With her new body in the Teen Titans vol. 3 came new powers, the ability to fly being one of them.
 
 
'''Limited Precognition''':
 
In The New Teen Titans foundation storyline, Raven explained she was able to predict Trigon's invasion of the Earth-2 dimension. She was unable to control or consciously activate it, but happens occasionally. It is unknown whether she still possesses this ability in her current body. In the animated series, during the episode "Titan Rising", when Terra runs and brushes past Raven, images past and foreign of Terra and Slade flash through Raven's mind, possibly a small precognition of Terra's eventual betrayal.
 
 
 
'''Soul-Self Metamorphosis (Animated)''':
 
When the animated Raven is highly upset, her soul-self can also transform her body's appearance to a variety of demonic forms and sizes. Worst of all, when she can't control her anger, she transforms into a demonic Raven, usually with four glowing, red eyes and sprouting black tentacles from under her cloak. The four eyes seem to symbolize her demon father, Trigon — when Cyborg was infected with a virus, she threatened Gizmo into helping by lifting and then pulling down her hood. The face was not shown, but it appeared to be a dragon's head with tentacles.
 
 
 
'''Psychokinesis (Animated)''':
 
In addition to an affinity for magic and spell casting, the animated Raven possesses powerful psychokinetic abilities which manifest in the form of Dark Energy (umbrakinesis), serving as her primary means of attack and defense. She can use her abilities to levitate objects (and also herself), project concussive blasts, and form simple shapes like grappling hands and razor sharp plates to use as barriers and/or restricting binds. Raven can use her Dark Energy to create portals to phase through solid barriers like floors and wall. In episode "Car Trouble", after Cyborg's newly built T-Car was stolen, and he's lamenting about how the loss hurts him emotionally as he had put his own circuits into it, Raven admits she sympathizes: "When I use my powers, I have to put a little of my soul into whatever I'm moving. I become a part of it, and it becomes a part of me".
 
 
 
'''Mantra (Animated)''':
 
The animated version of Raven often says the phrase "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" to help her focus her powers. She even uses this as her attack phrase as well. These words are her mantra. As previously mentioned, Azarath is the dimension in which she was born and raised, and where she learned her powers from the monks. The words "Metrion" and "Zinthos" were created by Glen Murakami for the spell, and have no assigned meaning yet.
 
 
One theory holds that since Azarath is a sanctuary, that it's inclusion in a mantra intended to focus her thoughts implies that the remaining words refer to a principle relating to the followers of Azar--much like a Buddhist mantra. A related theory suggests that the words have a "Subject Object Verb" grammatical order--the command-like and finalizing nature of "Zinthos" being the chief reason for this assumption (not to mention that the Japanese language has the same word order). From this, two theoretical possibilities are derived:
 
 
"Metrion" is a word referring to "calm", "peace", or some particular but unspecified order of thought or thinking; followed by a copula, "Zinthos".
 
"Metrion" refers to her own "state of mind" in the generic sense regardless of her present mood, with "Zinthos" being a commanding verb which with reference to "Azarath" sets her own mind to recollect her earlier teachings.
 
If this theory is true, or rather if it could be assumed (since Glen Murakami never made any defining statements or references), then this would be similar to the Litany Against Fear, depicted in Frank Herbert's Dune.
 
 
Raven sometimes uses the mantra to aid her in her daily meditations, which she performs to keep her emotions in check so they do not clash with her conscious self control.
 
 
 
'''Other Powers (Animated)''':
 
The animated version of Raven also possesses a large number of limited powers used only under special circumstances. These include teleportation (both of people and objects), time manipulation, precognition, rapid healing, extremely powerful magic spells and the (unwilling) creation of various monsters.
 
 
==Miscellaneous==
 
'''Equipment:''' <br>
 
'''Transportation:''' <br>
 
'''Weapons:''' <br>
 
 
 
==Notes==
 
* No special notes. <br>
 
 
 
==Related Articles==
 
* [[Raven/Appearances]]
 
 
 
==External Links==
 
* [[w:Raven (comics)|Raven]] at Wikipedia
 
* [http://www.titanstower.com/source/whoswho/raven.html Raven] at Titans Tower
 
 
 
==References==
 
*
 
   
  +
==Issues credited==
  +
*[[Legends 1 (1986)|Legends #1]]
  +
*[[Legends 2 (1986)|Legends #2]]
  +
*[[Legends 3 (1987)|Legends #3]]
  +
*[[Legends 4 (1987)|Legends #4]]
  +
*[[Legends 5 (1987)|Legends #5]]
  +
*[[Legends 6 (1987)|Legends #6]]
  +
*[[Martian Manhunter 0 (Volume 2, 1998)|Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #0]]
  +
*[[Martian Manhunter 1 (Volume 2, 1998)|Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #1]]
  +
*[[Martian Manhunter 2 (Volume 2, 1999)|Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #2]]
  +
*[[Martian Manhunter 24 (Volume 2, 2000)|Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #24]]
  +
*[[Tangent Comics: Tales of the Green Lantern 1 (1998)|Tangent Comics: Tales of the Green Lantern #1]]
  +
*[[Who's Who - Update '87 1|Who's Who: Update '87 #1]]
  +
*[[Who's Who - Update '87 3|Who's Who: Update '87 #3]]
  +
*[[Who's Who - Update '87 4|Who's Who: Update '87 #4]]
  +
*[[Who's Who - Update '87 5|Who's Who: Update '87 #5]]
   
 
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{{DC Staff}}
[[Category:Female Characters]]
 
[[Category:Living Characters]]
+
[[Category:Writers|Ostrander, John]]
[[Category:Good Characters]]
 
[[Category:Teen Titans members]]
 

Revision as of 14:54, 24 January 2007

John Ostrander was a writer for Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics and DC Comics. He is most widely recognized for his work on titles such as Manhunter (Volume 1), Suicide Squad (Volume 1), the Legends limited series, and The Spectre. This article pertains to John's contributions to DC Comics only.

Issues credited

  • Legends #1
  • Legends #2
  • Legends #3
  • Legends #4
  • Legends #5
  • Legends #6
  • Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #0
  • Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #1
  • Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #2
  • Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #24
  • Tangent Comics: Tales of the Green Lantern #1
  • Who's Who: Update '87 #1
  • Who's Who: Update '87 #3
  • Who's Who: Update '87 #4
  • Who's Who: Update '87 #5

Template:DC Staff