Titans Tomorrow

"Titans Tomorrow" is a storyline of a possible alternate future in the DC Comics Universe, from Teen Titans vol. 3 #17-19 (2005), by Geoff Johns and Mike McKone. The story arc has been collected as part of the Teen Titans: The Future is Now trade paperback.

The concept was revisited in the Teen Titans monthly title by writer Sean McKeever and artist Alé Garza in the "Titans of Tomorrow... Today!" storyline.

While on their first date, Superboy and Wonder Girl are confronted by a wormhole that sends Superboy into the 31st century of the Legion of Super-Heroes. The trauma of Time travel causes memory lapses for Superboy, and he cannot recall the exact moment of his departure. He spends five months in the future, fighting the Fatal Five Hundred before Saturn Girl uses her powers to figure out when Superboy was from.

Superboy re-emerges from the portal several seconds after he had left, wearing Superman's costume. He is followed by the Persuader; he and Wonder Girl hold off the Persuader in time to recruit the rest of the Titans for a trip to the future.

The Legion and Titans both end up in the time stream: the Legion is lost in time, due to the events of Infinite Crisis, and the Titans travel ten years into their future.

The Titans emerge at Titans Tower in San Francisco. The Tower's security system allows access to past and present Titans through DNA screening; they are allowed access. The statue of the founding Titans has been replaced by one depicting the current team. The "Hall of Mentors" includes statues of Ares, Lex Luthor and Superman standing back-to-back, and a shattered statue of Batman.

The Teen Titans' arrival does not go unnoticed by the present Titans, and a fight ensues. Only the future Bart Allen remembers the trip through the time-portal and ends the hostilities. The future Titans are led by their Batman, an adult Tim Drake. After a discussion, the Titans agree to let the Teen Titans stay the night.

Tempted to learn of his future, Superboy seeks out his counterpart, only to find the team has captured Deathstroke and is engaged in torturing him: Superman has burned his arm off. After Superboy tells the other Teen Titans what he saw, they decide to leave the Tower and regroup elsewhere. The adult Titans try to stop them, but are only able to capture Robin.

Batman brings Tim to the Batcave and his cemetery, almost all of Batman's rogues and Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle and Alfred Pennyworth are all buried there. The future Batman has killed most of his enemies, using the pistol that killed Bruce Wayne's parents. Unable to convince Tim that he is still a good guy, he decides to mindwipe the Titans, starting with Tim, and send them back in time.

The rest of the Teen Titans head to Keystone City, which has been transformed into a large Flash museum. They seek the cosmic treadmill, intending for Bart to use the machine to send them home. The device is missing. The team meet the heroic Titans East.

The team decides that it might be best to disband the Titans upon their return to the present, but Cyborg 2.0 reveals that it was the team's disbanding that led to this dystopic future timeline. Cyborg reveals that Titans West turned the Western United States into a police state due to Dark Raven's malign influence. He formed Titans East as a resistance force against them, an act which split the United States into two countries.

The adult Flash is a double agent, secretly working with Titans East. He reveals that the treadmill has been moved to the Batcave, where the future Batman has also taken Robin. The Teen Titans and Titans East join forces to battle the Titans West. The fight is a stalemate, but the Teen Titans access the treadmill and escape to the past.

Titans of Tomorrow... Today![]

A year after the events of Infinite Crisis, the Titans of Tomorrow, which is now composed of Superman (Kon-El), Batman (Tim Drake), Wonder Woman (Cassie Sandsmark), Flash (Bart Allen), Red Devil (Eddie Bloomberg), and Martian Manhunter (M'gann M'orzz), travel from nine years in the future to the present day, with the intent of preserving their future. They take down the Justice League in order to ensure that their younger selves confront Starro and his band of brainwashed super-villains unassisted.

The future versions of Bart and Conner, clones created by Drake are less ethical than their younger selves once were. The future Batman tells Robin "to start making a real difference" at the end of issue 51; Robin informs him that "he will start making a real difference" and puts Batman's gun to his head. Batman argues that if Robin pulls the trigger, "he'll be condemning more lives" than he's supposed to save in the future, with no chance of Kon-El and Bart coming back. Batman also advises Robin to reject his feelings for Wonder Girl, because she's still in love with Superboy. Batman urges Robin to do what is right for the sake of the future. Thinking he may have gotten through to Robin, Batman leaves. Robin then contemplates killing Prometheus with Batman's handgun.

Blue Beetle battles the Flash, and after a difficult struggle, manages to defeat the speedster and rescue the Justice League. The League maintains their trust in the Teen Titans, and have faith that the Titans would never let that grim future come to pass. After the Justice League returns to the Watchtower headquarters, Red Devil arrives and reveals that he had killed Blue Beetle in the future. When he tries to kill him in the present, he is stopped by Ravager and Kid Devil.

Lex Luthor arrives with the rest of the future Titans, which includes adult versions of Cyborg 2.0, Animal Man (Garfield Logan), Aquawoman (Lorena Marquez), Dark Raven, Bumblebee, Flamebird (Bette Kane), Hawk (Holly Granger), Vulcan (Miguel Devante), Red Arrow (Mia Dearden), Zachary Zatara, Shining Knight (Ystina), Terra (Tara Markov clone), Starwoman (Courtney Whitmore), Prysm (Audrey Spears), Batwoman (Cassandra Cain), Black Ray (Ray Terrill), Toyman (Hiro Okamura), Hardrock (Ross Richman), Huntress (Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe), and Pandemic (Shyleen Lao). Luthor informs the Titans that their actions have changed the future for the worse. However, the teams are attacked by Starro, forcing them to work together.

Miss Martian battles her older self, and learns that the future Titan's immunity to fire is generated by a force field. Through a telepathic link, Miss Martian's future counterpart reveals the rationale behind the Sinestro Corps and their war to subjugate the universe. The horror of this mental vision causes Miss Martian to lash out, and she beheads her future self. Miss Martian finds Robin and takes him to a location that she says will remind him that what happens in the future it is up to them and not the future team.

Blue Beetle is discovers that he is the only non-Starro-controlled hero left standing after the main battle. Supergirl witnesses the Sinestro Corps amassing for their assault on Earth high above the planet. Blue Beetle frees Bart, who eventually retrieves one of Captain Cold's guns from the Flash Museum, with which he destroys Starro, freeing the Titans.

Wonder Woman tells Cassie that she is friends with Supergirl because she is mourning Conner, and that Kara will become bitter and jealous when he returns. Cassie is momentarily crushed when she realizes that the clone of Conner retains no memories of her time with him.

Robin again confronts Batman, but they are interrupted when Cassie arrives and informs Robin that the two clones remember nothing of their past. She kisses Robin, which alters Batman's memories. An enraged Conner arrives, stopped only by a Kryptonite-treated bullet fired from Batman's gun. As a result, all of the figures from the future fade away; the present-day Titans leave to take part in the battle against the Sinestro Corps.

Eight years later, Tim Drake and Cassie Sandsmark are in a relationship. However, Tim is having an affair with M'gann M'orzz (Miss Martian), and the two collaborate with Lex Luthor in the development of clones of several fallen Titans, including Conner and Bart.^[1]

Characters[]

Titans Tomorrow members[]

• Animal Man: Gar Logan refused to join Cyborg on Titans East because Terra was a member. His powers have increased to the point he can now turn into mythical animals and also turn into multiple animals at once. The future Animal Man hints that the present day Beast Boy also has this ability but is ashamed or unwilling to use it. He later travels back to the present day with Luthor and several other Titans.
• Aquawoman: Lorena Marquez, the current Aquagirl. Not much is known about Aquawoman except that she possesses telepathic abilities. She also took down Garth at some point. She has been erased from the team's lineup history since the Infinite Crisis. She later travels back to the present day with Luthor and several other Titans.
• Batman: Tim Drake has taken over the mantle of the Bat following the death of Bruce Wayne. He's more ruthless than his predecessor and exhibits many of the morals and ethics of Jason Todd, the Red Hood. He carries around the gun that belonged to Joe Chill that killed Thomas and Martha Wayne and uses it to execute criminals, including most of Batman's rogues gallery. While not explicitly stated, he appears to be the leader of the Titans. He inherited the Batcave and the Kryptonite ring from Bruce. Tim is a wanted criminal in Gotham, hunted by GCPD police commissioner Renee Montoya and his mentor's former ally and friend James Gordon.
• Dark Raven: Raven has accepted her role as demoness and daughter of Trigon. She used her powers to absorb all emotion from the Western United States which is under the Titans' control. She has been erased from the team's lineup history since the Infinite Crisis. She later travels back to the present day with Luthor and several other Titans.
• The Flash: The mantle of the Flash has been handed down, yet again, this time to Bart Allen. He is seemingly the only Titan without compromised morals, which is why he also works for Titans East. He is involved with Rose Wilson, the Ravager. According to the Flash Museum, which has enveloped Keystone City, one of his allies is Donna Troy, who was still deceased at the time. The second alternate version is a clone created by Tim, created after Bart died battling Inertia and the Rogues.
• Martian Manhunter: Having fully embraced her White Martian heritage, M'gann M'orzz now operates with the future Titans as the new Martian Manhunter.
• Red Devil: Eddie Bloomberg has aged and is now a servant of Neron as per the deal he made many years prior that gave him his current powers. Red Devil killed Blue Beetle sometime in the future.
• Superman: Conner Kent has grown up and grown more powerful. His tactile telekinesis has increased to the point where he is able to create shields in addition to his fully developed Kryptonian powers.^{[citation needed]} He has set up the Fortress of Paradise near Smallville, where Lex Luthor, his "Pa", now resides. At some point, he and Captain Marvel, Jr. fought for the affection of Cassie Sandsmark, the new Wonder Woman, who chose Conner. His costume is very similar to the costume worn by Superman in the Kingdom Come limited series and Fleischer Studios's version of the character. The second alternate version is a clone created by Tim, who was created after Conner died battling Superboy-Prime during Infinite Crisis.
• Wonder Woman: Cassie Sandsmark has become Ares' champion and the new Wonder Woman. She has replaced Diana, who had fallen during the "crisis."

Titans East members[]

• Batwoman (Bette Kane): Former lover of Tim Drake. She later travels back to the present day with Luthor and several other Titans.
• Bumblebee (Karen Beecher-Duncan): Co-leader of Titans East. She later travels back to the present day with Luthor and several other Titans.
• Captain Marvel (Freddy Freeman): The former Captain Marvel Jr. and successor to the power of Shazam.
• Cyborg 2.0 (Victor Stone): An upgraded Cyborg. Co-leader of Titans East along with Bumblebee. He later travels back to the present day with Luthor and several other Titans.
• Flash (Bart Allen): The Flash works with Titans West as an undercover agent for Titans East.
• Ravager (Rose Wilson): Daughter of Deathstroke.
• Terra II (Tara Markov): Geo-elemental.

Titans of Tomorrow...Today Army members[]

Other Characters[]

• Brother Blood: He and Brainiac were thrown into the Phantom Zone by Superman.
• Deathstroke: Allied with Titan's East and Cyborg 2.0's resistance.
• Donna Troy: She was listed an ally of Bart in the extended Flash Museum.
• Duela Dent: Duela Dent was killed by Tim-Batman.
• Mad Mod: The Titans battle Mad Mod's synthetics at some point in the future. The Titans mention they killed Mad Mod.
• Mal Duncan: There was a reference to "President Duncan."
• Mento: Mento had merged with cyberspace in the present. In the Batcave, Tim-Batman was speaking to a supercomputer called Mento.
• Mister Twister: Titans East had halted a hurricane that Mister Twister created.
• Roy Harper: Roy Harper was this reality's Green Arrow and died in battle.
• Starfire: Even though Batwoman said that she and Nightwing are living a "wonderful life" far away from the conflict,^[2] during the event of Infinite Crisis, an image from the Titans Tomorrow timeline shows a gravestone implied of belonging to a deceased Dick Grayson.^[3]

Changes at Titans Tower[]

• A statue of Batman, which has been destroyed.
• A statue of Ares, Wonder Girl's half-brother.
• A statue of Superman and Lex Luthor standing back to back.
• A statue of Max Mercury.
• A statue of Green Arrow.
• A statue of Grace.
• A statue of Dove.
• A massive array of weapons at the Tower, including a Batplane, the Invisible Jet and Lex Luthor's Apokoliptian battle suit.

Landmarks in Titans Tomorrow[]

• The Flash Museum which has completely usurped Keystone City.
• The Fortress of Paradise, near Smallville. Speedy is held prisoner here.
• The Kent Farm is the current home of Lex Luthor.
• Titans Tower, New York. Home of Titans East.
• Titans Tower, San Francisco. Home of Titans West.
• Drake Manor, formerly Wayne Manor. Beneath the mansion is the Batcave, the location of Barry Allen's cosmic treadmill.
• Batman's Graveyard, filled with his deceased Rogues' Gallery and allies at Arkham Asylum's ground.
• America has split into the Western United States, which is ruled by the future Titans and the Eastern United States, which is protected by Titans East.

Foreshadowing[]

After the Teen Titans returned to their own time, some of the events seen in the Titans Tomorrow future came to pass, while others did not:

• The team did not disband as soon as they arrived in their own time, although they were told to.
• Donna Troy returned from the dead in the DC Special: The Return of Donna Troy mini-series.
• Superboy was killed during the events of Infinite Crisis, although there are attempts to resurrect him. In the second alternate future, Tim created a second clone of Conner. He is revived in the 31st century thanks to an alternate Brainiac 5.^[4]
• Bumblebee and Herald (now known as Vox), join the Doom Patrol, after Bumblebee is shrunk and Vox's Gabriel Horn blows up in his face, damaging his lungs and vocal cords. Bumblebee was later seen in her shrunken form during Luthor and other former Titans trip to the past.
• Starfire leaves the Titans to join the Outsiders, and later reunite with the veteran members of the team. She joins the Justice League later.
• A group known as Titans East has appeared, though this team is a team of supervillains and is unrelated to the team seen in Titans Tomorrow.
• The Sun Girl of Deathstroke's Titans mentions a future in which she and her lover Inertia are able to beat and enslave Miss Martian. Whatever that future is connected to the Titans Tomorrow's one, Inertia's death in the present, as a young child makes it unlikely at most.
• Rose Wilson breaks away from her father's influence thanks to Nightwing and joins the Teen Titans at his request during the events of 52.
• Lorena Marquez briefly joins the Teen Titans during the events of 52. She returns to the team in Teen Titans #69.
• A Hall of Mentors is added to Titans Tower, although it merely features portraits of Titans and their mentors.
• A new Batwoman, Kate Kane, debuts during the events of 52.
• James Gordon returns to the Gotham City Police Department and is once again acting Commissioner.
• Renee Montoya leaves the GCPD and becomes the new Question during the events of 52.
• Hawk and Dove briefly join the Teen Titans during the events of 52.
• Freddy Freeman becomes the new Shazam in the Trials of Shazam maxi-series.
• Terra is killed by Black Adam during the World War III story arc.
• Duela Dent is killed in Countdown #51 by a rogue Monitor.
• Bart Allen briefly inherits the Flash mantle, but wears a costume which reflects Barry Allen and Wally West's costume rather than a Kid/Reverse-Flash derivative costume, and dies at the hands of the Rogues. In the second alternate future, Tim created a clone of him. Bart is brought back to life as Kid Flash, thanks to his cousin XS, Brainiac 5, and three sets of alternate versions of Lightning Lad and Lightning Lass.^[5]
• Misfit expresses the desire to grow "like [the Huntress], but with blonde hair, maybe". Misfit is later seen dressed in Huntress' garb, but wearing fishnet stockings and blonde hair, during the future Titans' trip to the past.
• Hardrock and Fever are seen fighting at Club Dark Side in Teen Titans #59, brainwashed by Boss Dark Side and Granny. Fever is killed in Terror Titans #1.
• Kid Devil abandons his codename in Teen Titans #61 and adopts the moniker of Red Devil instead.
• In the Cyborg (2008) limited series, the eponymous hero is forced to face several test subjects who have been enhanced with his own technology. One of them is the future Cyborg 2.0, who was snatched from his own time.
• Miss Martian is possessed by the consciousness of her future counterpart. She later quits the team in order to reconcile her two personalities, but returns after achieving some sort of permanent equilibrium.
• Eddie is stripped of his powers when he is bitten by Brother Blood in Teen Titans #67.
• As per Battle for the Cowl, Dick Grayson becomes Batman and makes Damian Wayne, the son of the original Dark Knight, the new Robin. Tim Drake takes for himself the tarnished mantle of Red Robin and roams the world in search of Bruce Wayne, claiming no interest in becoming Batman in the future. The issues of Batman #666 and Superman/Batman #75, show another possible future timeline created after Conner Kent and Bart Allen's resurrections, where Damian becomes Batman while Conner does not become as ruthless as his alternate future counterparts.

See also[]

• Justice Lords

References[]