Raven, also known as Rachel Roth, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980), and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez. Her design was based on the Phantom Stranger. Raven was one of the key figures instrumental to the revival of Teen Titans and among the most popular characters within the franchise.

Born as the daughter of the demon lord Trigon and human Arella, she is granted a lineage of great supernatural power as an empath and demonic sorceress. Despite her heritage and the ominous predictions associated with her connection to Trigon, Raven becomes a prominent and reoccurring superhero in various rosters for the Teen Titans and Titans. Raven has also served in other superhero teams, including the Justice League, Sentinels of Magic, Night Force, and Justice League Dark. Following the character's popularity in her media appearances, Raven has also starred in several comic mini-series titles.

Raven has appeared in numerous television series and films, including Cartoon Network's Teen Titans series and its spin-off series Teen Titans Go!, voiced by Tara Strong, and in the DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU), voiced by Taissa Farmiga. The character made her live-action debut in the DC Universe/HBO Max series Titans, portrayed by Teagan Croft.

Development

In an interview, Perez described his design approach for the character,

Asked if Raven's face was based on any real-life person, Perez said that, "originally Raven was Persis Khambatta, the actress who played in the first Star Trek film, and later became a young lady named Fran Macgregor, who was a dancer, and I used some of her features, particularly for her figure, for Raven."

Fictional character biography

First life of Raven

Raven first appeared in The New Teen Titans #1 recruiting superheroes to fight her father, Trigon. She initially approached the Justice League for help, but they refused her on the advice of Zatanna, who sensed her demonic parentage. In desperation, she reformed the Teen Titans as the New Teen Titans to fight her father. The team consisted of Robin, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy (then known as Changeling). Raven and her new friends later came to think of one another as family.

Trigon soon took Raven back to his own realm. The Titans pursued them, defeated Trigon and sealed him in an interdimensional prison with the help of Arella, who swore to watch over his prison so that he could not escape. Raven found that using her powers enabled Trigon to assert control over her mind and body. For a period of time, Raven lost control several times in stressful situations but managed to regain control of herself.

Eventually, Trigon escaped his prison, exacted revenge on Arella by destroying Azarath, came to Earth, and took control of Raven. The Titans were manipulated into having the dark sides of their souls kill the evil Raven by Lilith Clay, who was guided and possessed by Azar, thereby allowing the souls of Azarath and Raven herself contained inside her rings to possess her now-empty body and use her as a channel to kill Trigon. After this battle, Raven rose from the ashes, cleansed of Trigon's evil, and vanished.

Raven

After Raven's disappearance, Arella went around the world in search of Raven. She tracked Raven down, but both of them were kidnapped by Brother Blood. The minions of Blood used Raven to control Nightwing (formerly Robin) as part of Blood's plans. The Titans rescued them both and prevented Blood from returning to power.

With her demonic nature suppressed, Raven was free to experience emotions for the first time in her life and soon realized that she could not only sense but control others' emotions. She learned to handle this power only after unintentionally making Nightwing believe that he loved her when she thought she was in love with him. Raven also fostered a relationship with technopath Eric Forrester, who used the life force of women he seduced to regain some of his lost humanity. Forrester knew that Raven's soul-self could help him to retain his humanity permanently. This attempt was cut short by the intervention of Joseph Wilson (Jericho), who helped Raven destroy Forrester once and for all and sparked a brief romance between the two heroes after.

thumb|upright|Evil Raven makes her appearance in the "Terror of Trigon" storyline, which began The New Teen Titans (vol. 2). Art by [[George Pérez.|left]]

Raven was later kidnapped by the Wildebeest Society during the "Titans Hunt" storyline. The Society is led by Jericho, who has been possessed by the souls of Azarath, and intends to use several Titans to bring about the return of Trigon. During a massive battle, Raven was possessed by the evil souls and once again became the evil doppelgänger of her father. Arella and Raven's friend Danny Chase combined their powers and used the purity of Azar's soul to cleanse Raven. In the aftermath, Raven's body was destroyed, and Arella and Danny willingly merged their own bodies with the cleansed souls of Azarath to form an entity known as Phantasm.

Evil Raven

Raven appeared possessed by her evil conscience and attempted to implant Trigon's seed into new bodies. She interrupted Nightwing and Starfire's wedding and implanted a seed of Trigon into Starfire. Instead of corrupting her, she implanted the soul of the good Raven. This caused Starfire to leave Earth to escape from the evil Raven. The Titans could defeat Raven only because of the help they received from Phantasm.

Raven later returned, still evil, to destroy the good version of herself implanted in Starfire. With the help of the Titans, evil Raven was reduced to ashes, and the good part of Raven was given a new, golden spirit body completely free of her father's demonic influence. In New Tamaran, Starfire and the golden spirit form of Raven revealed that implanting Raven's soul in Starfire was actually a plan concocted by Raven; with the inherent evil in her soul permanently removed, Raven regained her full humanity while preserving her powers.

Spirit

In her bodiless spirit form, Raven returned to Earth to help extract her former teammate Cyborg's soul and consciousness from the Technis planet's computer mind. Later, she was instrumental in defeating Imperiex by aiding Wonder Woman and Tempest in re-powering Darkseid. Once Imperiex was defeated, Raven then resumed her journey to find a new purpose.

Rebirth

Raven's spirit was ultimately trapped by a ritual of the Church of Blood. Under the revived Brother Blood's supervision, she was forcibly placed in the comatose body of a young, teenage girl. The Teen Titans (reformed again), discovered that the Church of Blood were worshipers of Raven's father, Trigon. They also found a prophecy about the marriage between Blood and Raven that would result in Armageddon. The new team interrupted the wedding, and Blood and his followers were forced to flee. Rejoining the Titans, Raven (who was now the same age as her teammates) created the human identity of "Rachel Roth" by taking her late mother's surname. As Rachel, she enrolled in a local high school.

After enduring much confusion about her new place in the world, Raven's teammate Garfield Logan (Beast Boy), began developing romantic feelings for her, and the two became romantically attached.

52

In 52, after the death of Superboy, the Titans began to fall apart. Robin joins Batman, and Wonder Girl left the team. Beast Boy struggled to maintain the team and was flippant towards Raven and their relationship. The new members who joined were only interested in seeking fame rather than looking to fulfill justice. When Beast Boy decided to help Steel on a mission, most of the members left, leaving only Raven and Zatara. Later, Beast Boy, Raven, Offspring and Aquagirl aid Steel in launching an attack on LexCorp. Raven also participated in World War III. Eventually, Robin, Wonder Girl, and a few new members join the Titans, making the team whole again. Beast Boy and Raven were among the only members that remained in the team during this period.

"One Year Later"

upright|left|thumb|Raven's new look in "One Year Later".

Raven quit the team after she and Beast Boy ended their relationship. Letting the others think she was leaving because of Garfield, Raven left because she uncovered a secret of one of the other Titans.

Raven took advantage of this power with a book of unclear significance. Raven had a diskette containing Jericho's soul. She performed a cleansing ritual over his soul and transferred it into a new body before returning to the team as a full member.

Without warning, the Titans are captured by the villainous Titans East and transported to the original Titan Island in New York City, where Raven is placed in the "care" of Enigma and Duela Dent, who took to torturing her psychologically. Raven manages her escape. After beating the Titans East, she and Garfield talk about their feelings, but he refuses to dwell on the matter, leaving their relationship uncertain.

Following the death of Bart Allen, Raven, along with the other adult Titans, decides to leave the team. Putting heroics aside, Raven concentrates instead on finishing her high school education and continuing to live a normal human life as Rachel.

Raven later appeared in a five-issue miniseries written by Marv Wolfman, with art by Damion Scott. It occurs during the "missing year", following Raven's attempts at living as an ordinary teenage girl and attending high school. Unfortunately, she gets inadvertently drawn into a mystical fight involving Psycho-Pirate's Medusa Mask and has to battle for the lives of her classmates. In the Wizard #177 magazine, Wolfman briefly described the series, saying, "She needs to be on her own and in charge of herself for the first time in her life. This is more than just a 'tale of Raven'; it sets up her new life".

Titans

Raven discovers that Trigon had more than one child, her half-siblings, and that a trio of male children devoted to her father are behind the attacks. She is affected along with many of the other Titans by these three beings. Raven's three half-brothers use her and Beast Boy as keys to open a portal to Trigon's realm. Raven uses her own power to influence greed in others to make her half-brothers steal what little power Trigon had left. The portal is closed and Trigon's sons, believing they have gained great power, leave.

Raven's half-brothers later return and provoke her demonic side, causing her to leave the Titans and join them. However, the team was able to track them down and convince Raven to join the side of good once more. She later provided a number of other artifacts, all capable of killing her, to the Titans as terms for her staying with the team.

Wyld

Battered and dazed, Raven arrived at Titans Tower, where she was rescued by the newest roster of Teen Titans. While she was recovering, Beast Boy stated that he was still in love with her and would remain so, despite whatever difficulties were involved.

Raven decided to stay with the Teen Titans, now acting as a mentor to the younger members. When the Teen Titans attempted to return home, Raven was kidnapped and taken to another dimension by Wyld. Wyld reveals that Raven was the one who created him. When Raven was traveling dimensions looking for her father, her soul self caused all of the animals she visited to merge into one being: the Wyld. The Titans enter the Wyld World to rescue Raven. Wyld is eventually destroyed by Static.

In the final issue of this incarnation of the Titans, Superboy-Prime and his Legion of Doom attack Titan's Tower. Raven stops Kid Flash just before he can kill Inertia. Then she reveals her soul-self to Headcase, terrifying and in so defeating him. After the Legion of Doom is defeated and Superboy-Prime is bound to the Source Wall, Beast Boy and Raven have a talk about her difficulty in reading Solstice's emotions after Beast Boy had accused Raven of leaving her behind and he refused to believe her when she stated it was not on purpose. They also talked of their encounter with Headcase. Eventually, Raven starts to open up about her true feelings. Beast Boy makes it clear he does not want to escape from any part of her. Touched, Raven decides that she needs to embrace the positive feelings inside her rather than just her negative ones. Beast Boy assures her this is part of being human, and points out, "I think you've worried enough about the bad...so why don't we focus on the good for a change?" With that, the two reconcile and share a heartfelt kiss.

The New 52

thumbnail|right|Raven in the New 52. Art by [[Kenneth Rocafort.]]

After the events of the 2011 "Flashpoint" series, the history of the DC Universe was altered, resulting in The New 52. Raven makes her New 52 debut in the first issue of the Phantom Stranger. There she is shown as a girl in a black and white striped sweater becoming distraught at a funeral over the overwhelming emotion emanating from the people there. The Phantom Stranger takes Raven to Stonehenge, the portal between Earth and the realm of Trigon. Being told by a "higher power" what must be done, the reluctant Stranger unwillingly hands her over to Trigon.

Teen Titans

Raven made her first Teen Titans appearance in Teen Titans vol. 4 #16. Raven, sporting a new costume, is introduced by Trigon as his "Black Bird of Terror" to his minions. It is strongly suggested that Raven had been controlling Robin's emotions. During Trigon's invasion on Earth, she approached a near-dead Beast Boy who had been assaulted by Deathstroke in the remains of the Ravagers facility. After being touched by Raven, Beast Boy awoke. When he asked if Harvest had sent her, she apologized stating that she brought him into the fray much sooner than she expected, stating, "Hush. We are birds of a feather now... You are mine to control", as Raven mind-controlled him and teleported them to New York where Trigon and the Teen Titans are in battle.

Raven's origins revisited

Trigon reveals more of Raven's origins. He has had a son from each of the other worlds he's conquered, but Raven is his only daughter. Trigon let Raven's mother, Arella, live as he believed that she needed to be raised as a human to preserve her natural empathetic abilities, key to Trigon's plan to have his daughter succeed him as ruler of the seven under-realms. Refusing to accept this fate, Arella fled with her daughter to Azarath where the monks taught her how to control her dark side and avoid Trigon's influence on her. Years later, she escaped from Azarath to protect her mentors and planet from Trigon and fled to the Earth where Phantom Stranger captured her for Trigon.

Raven then returned to the under-realms and quickly surpassed her father's expectations, recognizing that the only way to spare those she loved from his wrath was to accept the destiny he'd chosen for her. Impressed, Trigon abdicated his throne and gave it to Raven, who willingly took her birthright as Queen.

In the Infinite Frontier era, Raven is depicted as being in her twenties, in contrast to her portrayal as a teenager in DC Rebirth. During this time, she assumes the role of a faculty member at the Teen Titans Academy while also being a member of the Titans. As a faculty member, she takes on the responsibilities of a school counselor and serves as an expert in mystic subjects. Several other notable DC Comics characters whom are mystically inclined served under her tutelage, including fellow demon hybrid Nevermore, Shazam, and Stitch.

Powers and abilities

Due to her heritage and training under Azar, Raven is a powerful mystic and empath; Raven is capable of sensing emotions and with pain and disease, she can ease them by assimilating them into her body and expunging them although the process is painful to undergo. Other powers including reading emotions and possessing telepathic-like insights into the minds of others.

Raven is considered adept in magic, allowing for various sorcerous powers such as teleportation, manipulation of shadows, telekinesis, hypnosis and proficiency in chaos magic,

In her demonic form, in which also her own soul-self is activated, her abilities are enhanced; granting heightened physical strength and endurance, her aptitude for chaos magic is strengthened, and her powers become more destructive as well as adopting a red-skinned appearance with a set of glowing eyes on her forehead.

Collected editions

Raven

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|All

|Raven

|Collects issues #1–6

|2017

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Raven: Daughter of Darkness

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|1

|Raven: Daughter of Darkness Vol 1

|Collects issues #1–6

|2018

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|2

|Raven: Daughter of Darkness Vol 2

|Collects issues #7-12

|2019

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|}

Other versions

  • Evil Raven, also known as Dark Raven, is the evil version of Raven who has given into the influence of Trigon. While often simply an extension of her own self and power, a version of it became separated and into its own being for a time. This version, first appearing in Knight Terrors: Night's End #1 (August, 2023), is the demonic half that gained independence and seeks power to fulfill her intended destiny as Trigon's daughter. Initially, she acquired Helmet of Hate, the diametrical dark counterpart of the Helmet of Fate, and the Nightmare Stone. Later, managing to trap the other sons of Trigon and the Spectre to enhance her power, she ascends to her prophesized form as the Dark-Winged Queen. However, Beast Boy reveals that Dark Raven had never harm her friends meaningfully without prior control of the Lords of Chaos and opined she had a choice in rejecting Trigon's intended purpose.
  • As Doctor Hate She was a major villain in the Titans: Beast World crossover, responsible for erasing Beast Boy's consciousness when he transformed into a Starro to defeat its ancestral enemy, the Necrostar. Hate battles both heroes and villains of African origin known as "The Network" as well as the Titans, where her identity is eventually discovered by. With the help of other Titans, Dark Raven is stripped of the Helmet of Hate, wherein it is destroyed, but secretly prevailed in her battle with Raven, instead trapping her and covertly adopting her counterpart's identity for a time.

Alternate reality versions

  • An alternate universe version of Raven appears in Teen Titans: Earth One.
  • Moonchild, an alternate universe version of Raven, appears in The Books of Magic Annual #3.
  • Dark Raven, an alternate timeline version of Raven, appears in Titans Tomorrow.
  • Raveniya Dayspring, a fusion of Raven and Marvel Comics character Aliya Dayspring, appears in the Amalgam Comics universe.
  • Ravanna, a fusion of Raven and Zatanna, appears in Superman/Batman.
  • The Unkindness is a potential future version of Raven, introduced in Future State: Teen Titans #1 (2021). Corrupted by the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse unleashed by Red X, this version forms an alliance with Neron and manages steals Shazam's powers, greatly bolstering and enhancing her own formidable powers. As the Unkindness, she becomes a significant threat to the universe. In the 853rd century, she leads a cabal of the last Lords of Chaos and Seven Deadly Sins (Shazam's foes) and battles the Quintessence, with the Wizard Shazam's future self sending future Black Adam to the past with the last of his power before being killed, displacing his present self due to his simultaneous existence as a cosmic being .
  • An illusionary alternate version of Raven appears in DC/Wildstorm: DreamWar.
  • An alternate timeline version of Raven from a future where the New Teen Titans never existed appears in Booster Gold vol. 2.
  • An alternate universe version of Raven appears in Flashpoint. This version is a member of the Secret Seven before being killed by the Enchantress.
  • An alternate universe version of Raven appears in DC Comics Bombshells. This version is of German descent and was forced to aid the Nazis after they destroyed her village before escaping.
  • On Earth-11, a gender-swapped male version of Raven appears as a teenaged hero allied with Teen Justice (an alternate, gender swapped version of the Teen Titans) and is in a relationship with Donald Troy, the gender-swapped version of Donna Troy.

In other media

Television

  • A teenage Raven appears in Teen Titans (2003), voiced by Tara Strong. This version is a member of the eponymous team who wears a hooded blue cloak and black leotard and possesses grey skin, violet-blue eyes, and shoulder-length violet-blue hair. Additionally, she possesses dark mystical energy, which she often invokes via the chant "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" and allows her to perform several feats, such as telekinesis, teleportation, and safely phasing through solid objects and fire, among other abilities, which are all tied to her emotions. She initially starts the series as the most reserved and stoic member of the Titans, though she eventually softens up and comes to see them as family.
  • Raven appears in the "New Teen Titans" segment of DC Nation Shorts, voiced again by Tara Strong.
  • Raven, based on the Teen Titans (2003) incarnation, appears in Teen Titans Go! (2013), voiced again by Tara Strong.
  • The Teen Titans Go! (2013) incarnation of Raven appears in the OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes episode "Crossover Nexus", voiced again by Tara Strong. This version is the half-sister of Brother Blood. Following her mother's murder, Rachel's powers manifest, leading to her receiving protection from Dick Grayson and helping found a new incarnation of the Titans.
  • Raven appears in DC Super Hero Girls (2019), voiced again by Tara Strong.
  • The Titans incarnation of Rachel Roth makes a cameo appearance in "Crisis on Infinite Earths" via archive footage from the episode "Titans".

Film

  • The Teen Titans (2003) incarnation of Raven appears in Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo, voiced again by Tara Strong.
  • Raven appears in films set in the DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU), voiced by Taissa Farmiga. this version is a member of the Teen Titans who forms a bond with new teammate Damian Wayne. After defeating her father Trigon, she traps him in a crystal shard and wears it on her forehead to stop him from escaping.
  • Raven appears in Teen Titans: The Judas Contract.
  • Raven appears in Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. Following Darkseid's invasion of Earth and most of Earth's heroes being killed, she enters self-imposed exile to protect Damian from Trigon. Two years later, the pair reunite to help Earth's remaining heroes mount an assault on Apokolips and confess their feelings for each other. After Damian is killed in battle, Raven loses control of her powers and inadvertently frees Trigon, who battles and eventually helps defeat Darkseid. After she resurrects Damian, the two share a kiss before the Flash resets the timeline.
  • The Teen Titans Go! (2013) incarnation of Raven appears in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, voiced again by Tara Strong.
  • The Teen Titans Go! (2013) incarnation of Raven appears in Teen Titans Go! See Space Jam, voiced again by Tara Strong. This version is an associate of the Justice League. Additionally, an alternate universe version of Raven appears as a former member of the Titans and servant of Trigon who joined High Councilor Superman's Regime to hasten the former's return.
  • Raven appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.
  • Raven appears as a downloadable playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.
  • The Teen Titans Go! (2013) incarnation of Raven appears as a playable character in Lego Dimensions, voiced again by Tara Strong.
  • Raven appears in Teeny Titans, voiced again by Tara Strong.
  • Raven appears as a playable character in MultiVersus, voiced again by Tara Strong.
  • Raven appears as a playable character in DC: Dark Legion, voiced by Cia Court.

Miscellaneous

  • Rachel Roth / Raven appears in Smallville Season 11: Harbinger. She is kidnapped by Brother Blood, who intends to use her as a sacrifice to summon the Sons of Trigon, before she is rescued by Zatanna and John Constantine. After the latter takes the Book of Magick and leaves Zatanna behind, Blood successfully completes the ritual by using himself as the sacrifice. The Sons of Trigon pursue Zatanna and Roth until Constantine has a change of heart and uses Blood's heart to defeat the trio. Following this, Zatanna places Roth in Jay Garrick's care, after which she joins the Teen Titans.
  • Raven makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the "DC Super Friends" short.
  • The Injustice incarnation of Raven appears in the Injustice: Gods Among Us prequel comic. Amidst Trigon's fight with Mister Mxyzptlk, Raven attempts to convince the former to stop before he destroys reality until Doctor Fate intervenes and banishes both Trigon and Mxyzptlk to another dimension. Shaken by her father's "death", Raven seals herself in a pocket dimension. Believing that Fate's decision is proof that she will never be fully accepted by human society, Raven abandons her humanity and embraces the dark portion of her soul, which enhances her power. This leads her to join Superman's Regime with the intent of freeing her father and helping him conquer Earth.
  • Raven appears in DC Super Hero Girls (2015), voiced again by Tara Strong.

See also

  • List of DC Comics characters

References

  • Titans Tower: Raven