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"I have to say Raven, when I found out the truth I was very impressed. All this time I had no idea the power lurking inside you. The glorious destiny that awaits. It's always the quiet ones, isn't it? "
"But honestly, did you think you could just blow out the candles and wish it all away? Today is the day it begins. You've known this all your life. It is going to happen. And no matter what you wish... no matter where you go... no matter how you squirm... there is nothing you can do to stop it. "
- SladeOriginally aired: February 5, 2005 Written by David Slack
Directed by Michael Chang
Slade is back and this time he's after Raven. But the Teen Titans question why.
Roger Bumpass as Dr. Light
Ron Perlman as Slade
Kevin Michael Richardson as the voice of Trigon
Kevin Michael Richardson - who provides the voice of Trigon - also plays Mammoth and the Joker on WB's "The Batman"; The voice of Trigon was originally Keith Szarabajka in the episode NEVERMORE.
Producer David Slack on Slade's role in season four: " [Director] Matt Youngberg had the inspiration for how to bring Slade back. We knew we couldn't just bring him back with no explanation after the events in season two. So when we bring Slade back, he's both stronger and weaker. He's got super-powers that he never had before, yet you see him working for someone - which we've never seen him do. And we made a concerted effort to write Slade a little differently since he's not in charge. We wanted a less serious version of Slade. And I think because he's not as serious in BIRTHMARK, that makes him that much scarier. It's not his mission. He doesn't really care. And that makes him that much more terrifying. "
Raven is the daughter of a union between Trigon the Terrible, a powerful extra-dimensional being, and Arella, a woman who was part of a cult to try to bring Satan to earth. Instead, Trigon came and took Arella as his bride. Arella was rescued by an extra-dimensional pacifist cult and taken to the other-worldly dimensional world known as Azarath. There, she gave birth to Raven. The moment Raven was born, Trigon's evil influence was felt in Azarath. The grand-daughter if the original Azar herself raised Raven and trained her to keep her emotions in check, lest Trigon's evil side within her would be set free.Raven was plagued with prophetic dreams that she would one day be claimed by her evil father. Raven's origin story was told in TALES OF THE TEEN TITANS mini series #2 [1982] and NEW TEEN TITANS #1-6 [1980].
After some time with the Titans, Trigon returned to claim his daughter once again. When Trigon took over the world, the skies turned red and flesh became stone - as seen in the future vision in this episode. That story was told in NEW TEEN TITANS (second series) #1-5 [1984]. It was also collected in a trade paperback entitled "The Terror of Trigon."
Raven's hair grows long in the future vision; Her hair actually ressembles her comic book counterpart in that vision.
The future vision also shows ravens with four eyes. Four eyes signify the mark of Trigon.
Dr. Light continues to reflect his bumbling persona from the comic book series. In this episode, he commits a crime the Titans see from their living room.
For more information on the comic book versions of the characters - including many images - visit titanstower.com's meeting room page.
Tense, taught and unrelenting... Birthright ventures into the darker corners of the Teen Titans Universe. There's a lot to love in this episode; As a fan of the series, you're given some nice nods to previous episodes and situations. For a series that at first avoided continuity, there's lots of it in this fine episode...It starts with Dr. Light, in a scene that nicely echoes the events of NEVERMORE. And it's onto Slade, where he returns from the depths of... well, they aren't saying, exactly. And there's the intriguing idea of the Robin/Raven bond from HAUNTED. I love that any two characters interacting always yields some interesting results. Robin and Raven's friendship is given some depth in this episode - which works extremely well.
Slade's return is also handled with the drama and intensity it deserves. [Although we are still left wondering who DID trigger that mask in HAUNTED?] Slade is perhaps even more sinister than ever - which is ably supported by Ron Perlman's magnificent voice work. Is it any wonder why the writers like using Slade with Perlman's pipes at the microphone?
When you look at it, there's really not much plot to this episode. Slade delivers his message and leaves Raven to ponder her dark destiny. What propels the episode is the sense of dread - and Slade's unrelenting pursuit of Raven. We, the viewer, are running with her. The animation is also top notch - from the battle with Dr. Light to Raven's nightmarish visions. The series also once again pushes the boundaries for the show; The Raven arc may be the darkest territory the series will tread. But you won't hear any complaints from this quarter. An entertainingly intense outing. An awesome set-up for season four's story arc. Grade: A