Amazon Adversary
Ares is the Greek god of war and Wonder Woman's deadliest foe. The living personification of the savage side of conflict, Ares is an unparalleled master of combat. His power is fueled by the combat of mortals - whom he incites to war whenever it pleases him, choosing to force their worship rather than earn it.
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Wonder Girl confronts Ares
in TEEN TITANS #15 [2004] |
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Eons ago, Ares's half-sister, Artemis, announced her plan to create a new race of mortals on Earth. Fearing that this race would serve as a voice for peace and harmony among his followers, Ares opposed Artemis's plan but was outvoted by the other gods. Ares swore that this new race of women, the Amazons, would forevermore be his sworn enemies -- but even he never dreamed how closely his future would be intertwined with theirs.
Eventually, Menalippe, the oracle of the Amazons, learned that Ares had gone insane and was planning to use his power to start a conflict that could consume all of Earth. The other gods commanded the Amazons to choose a champion to confront Ares; that champion was Princess Diana -- daughter of the Amazon queen, Hippolyta -- who would come to be known in America as Wonder Woman.
As Diana prepared to face Ares, the war god enacted a preemptive strike against Paradise Island, home of the Amazons. Through Ares's influence a U.S. Air Force jet nearly bombed the island, but Diana averted the disaster and pulled pilot Stephen Trevor from the plane's wreckage, saving his life and gaining an ally in her upcoming mission against Ares.
Upon traveling to Man's World, Diana learned that Ares had gained sufficient control over both the American and Soviet military command to spark a nuclear war to end all wars. By using her Lasso of Truth against Ares, however, Diana opened his eyes to one reality: that his plan to destroy humanity would end his own existence as well, for a god, no matter how powerful, cannot exist without followers. His sanity returned, Ares withdrew himself from battle.
Some time later, when Darkseid, the great and powerful ruler of Apokolips, threatened to invade Olympus, most of its gods and goddesses chose to engage in a Cosmic Migration. Their intent is to find a new home, there to reevaluate their connection with their worshippers. Rather than join them, Ares chose to retire to the Areopagus with his daughter, Harmonia, there to plot his revenge.
A Gift From a God
Ares has recently bestowed a gift to Cassie Sandsmark, the latest Wonder Girl: a magic lasso of her own. Imbued with a lightning charge derived from Zeus, this magical weapon has become a useful tool to the young adventurer. Ares vowed to teach Wonder Girl to feel anger - which will fuel her when she most needs it.
When the Greek Gods were about to retreat from this plane of existence with the denizens of Paradise Island, Wonder Girl felt her powers waning. Before the gods disappeared, Ares appeared to Wonder Girl and gave her a fraction of his godlike powers. Ares claimed the powers were a gift to to half-sister, in exchange for accepting him as her brother.
As do all the Olympian gods, Ares possesses tremendous strength and stamina. Moreover, he is a master of conflict and strategy, and has complete command over any weapon. His armor is virtually indestructible.
Wonder Woman [1987] #1-7: The young Amazon's origin and her introduction to "Man's World." But before she has a chance to fully assimilate into her new home, Wonder Woman must battle the chaos of the Greek god Ares, as he plans to bring about World War III! First appearance of Ares in issue #1
Teen Titans #1 [2003]: Ares appears to Wonder Girl for the first time.
Teen Titans #4 [2004]: Ares gives Wonder Girl a gift: a magic lasso with a lightning charge.
Teen Titans #15 [2004]: Ares reveals to Wonder Girl an impending battle that will cause a schism within her life.
Teen Titans #33 [2006]: Ares appears to Wonder Girl and gives her a fraction of his powers before the Greek Gods retreat from this plane of existence.
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Shady Past
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Superboy's DNA donor is revealed as Lex Luthor
in TEEN TITANS #1 [2003] |
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Born into poverty in Metropolis's infamous Suicide Slum, Luthor endured years of hardship and abuse. These created an unquenchable desire to gain power - by any means. Luthor's rise began when he used money from his parents's insurance policy (following their mysterious deaths) to organize LexCorp. LexCorp's first creation was the famous LexWing, a revolutionary aircraft designed by Luthor himself. Using the LexWing's profits to further diversify LexCorp, Luthor's rise to power and LexCorp's growth continued unabated, leaving Luthor as the most powerful and popular man in Metropolis - until the arrival of Superman. To test his new competitor, Luthor staged a terrorist attack on board his yacht in Metropolis harbor. The plan backfired; Superman received special deputy status and arrested Luthor instantly forging in the tycoon a burning hatred for the Man of Steel. In Luthor's eyes, Metropolis belongs to and owes its very existence to Luthor and Luthor alone.
Poisoned by kryptonite he acquired from Metallo, Luthor staged his own death, returning as his own "son," Lex Luthor II, in the body of a clone created by Dabney Donovan. When the Clone Plague threatened Luthor's life, Lois Lane was instrumental in exposing Luthor's fraud. In response to being exposed, Luthor destroyed the city of Metropolis through secretly planted countermeasures. To fully recover from the plague, Luthor made a deal with the demon lord Neron to return him to health in exchange for his soul. Through skillful legal manipulation, Luthor convinced the courts of his innocence, claiming an insane clone was responsible for the destruction. Luthor returned to an active public life.
President Luthor
Sometime later, Lex Luthor was elected to the Oval Office as President of the United States. Luthor used his base of power to further his own twisted agendas, as Superman felt at odds with his country's rightfully-appointed leader. But Luthor's reach exceeded his grasp. On the heels of repelling an alien Imperilex invasion, He attempted to use his position as President to discredit the Man of Steel in the public's eyes. The plan backfired, and Luthor was exposed as a power-mad fraud.
This event forced Luthor to go underground - where he plotted his next move.
Super Dad
Soon after joining the Teen Titans, Superboy received a mysterious e-mail detailing the "truth" behind his genesis. This document revealed that half of Superboy's DNA was from Superman, but the other half was that of criminal mastermind Lex Luthor. Luthor himself revealed this information to Superboy, hoping to set events into motion that would turn Superboy to the dark side.
Superboy began to fear the effects of his Luthor genes. Those fears were realized when Luthor caused Superboy to go berserk by using a trigger word. After brutally attacking his teammates, Superboy was eventually freed from Luthor's control. But these events left Superboy shaken - which prompted to to take a leave of absence from the Teen Titans for a time.
Action Comics #23 (May 1940): First appearance
Superman: The Man of Steel (limited series) #4 [1986]: First Post-Crisis appearance as businessman.
Teen Titans #1 [2003]: Robin receives an e-mail revealing Superboy's human DNA donor is Lex Luthor.
Teen Titans #6 [2004]: It is revealed that Lex Luthor has been the mysterious informant to Robin - sending information concerning Superboy's origins.
Teen Titans #24-25, Outsiders #24-25 [2005]: The Insiders," a 4-part crossover between the TEEN TITANS and OUTSIDERS. The Titans and the Outsiders are rocked to the core as they face two of the most powerful villains in the DCU - Lex Luthor and Brainiac - in an all-out war to destroy the young teams! Luthor uses a trigger word to turn Superboy against his friends, while Indigo is revealed as a Brainiac plant from the very beginning.
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Zookeeper
Alias: Dr. Samuel Register |
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| Zookeeper explains his plan in TEEN TITANS #15 [2004] |
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Doctor Samuel Register shared the lab with Mark and Marie Logan when their son Garfield was infected with Sakutia, a rare tropical disease that was believed only animals could survive. In a desperate move to save his son, Professor Logan treated Gar with an untested machine which he originally developed to isolate the common genetic bond shared between humans and animals. Gar recovered, but a side effect turned his skin green. A few years later, Gar learned he could transform into any animal he could imagine.
Register became obsessed with recreating the experiment that gave Gar Logan his powers - to discover the missing link between man and animal. His career became littered in scandal because of his unorthodox methods. He earned the nickname "The Zookeeper" when he was at the government's animal research center in Tampa. When he was discharged for his extreme methods, S.T.A.R. Labs' San Francisco branch hired him to lead their abnormal and extraterrestrial disease program.
When the children of San Francisco were infected with the Sakutia virus, it created a community of animal-transforming boys and girls. Beast Boy was believed to be the virus carrier, until Dr. Sam Register was brought in the case as an advisor. Register revealed that Beast Boy wasn't the carrier - he was. Borrowing a sample of the Sakutia virus, Register altered it and unwittingly infected himself. His skin now a scaly purple, Register discovered he had shape-shifting powers similar to that of Beast Boy.
Seeking a cure, the doctor tried to cut Beast Boy open to learn his biological secrets. But the Teen Titans saved their teammate and Beast Boy himself brought down The Zookeeper in a shape-shifting battle through San Francisco. Using Dr. Register's blood, the children were all inoculated and cured. The Zookeeper was brought to Alcatraz prison. Somehow immune to any cure, the shape-shifting mad doctor is no doubt plotting his revenge.
Just like Beast Boy, Zookeeper can transform into any animal.
Teen Titans #13-15 [2004]: "Beast Boys and Girls," Part 1-3: An entire school has been infected by the rare virus Sakutia - the disease that transformed Gar Logan into Beast Boy. Now the Titans are out to cure the kids, and the parents are out to hang Beast Boy - for being contagious! But the real culprit is Dr. Samuel Register, who has transformed himself into the shape-shifting Zookeeper. First appearance of Samuel Register in issue #13. First appearance as Zookeeper in issue #14.
