Media Essays: Titans Live Action (My Version) Part 2

Written by The Wandering Fox

Season 1

The first season is mostly on Starfire with her learning more of her past while we have subplots involving Robin coming to terms with the past, Beast Boy ashamed of something he did with the Doom Patrol and Raven learning to trust the Titans now that she can’t go back to her flat.

The villains in this season are primarily Deathstroke, Gizmo, Zookeper, the Catcher and Blackfire, the last of who is the main villain of season 1 while the Catcher is a villain I’ve invented.

The first season ends with Starfire learning of who she is after Blackfire and Gordanian warriors come looking for her to hand her off to the Gordanians, Robin becomes Nightwing, Beast Boy isn’t willing to return to the Doom Patrol, while Raven is embracing the heroics and Cyborg feels enlightened to help those reconnect with their humanity.

The first episode sees Robin adjusting to being back in Titans Tower, with Cyborg trying to help him ease in. Raven heads to her apartment to get some stuff, feeling she can’t stay there now that its the centre of media attention, Beast Boy is given some new clothes and enjoys the shower, while Starfire is curious of the DVDs they have. Raven encounters a cop who seems to be concerned for her though Raven gets a bad vibe from him and simply refuses to talk to him, managing to get away through teleportation. With this, Robin is unsure of revealing his identity yet though Cyborg tells him it would help the others trust him. Its then they hear of a bank robbery with several folks held up. Robin has the others come with him, trying to see how well they are in listening. Raven is reluctant to go at first though upon seeing among the hostages are kids she goes. The robber is Billy Numerous, who has duplicated himself to rob the bank to steal enough money to flee America. The fight against Billy doesn’t go as well as they hoped thanks to Billy being more experienced as well as Raven’s struggle in physically fighting and Robin letting his temper get the better of him. Billy flees with only a small amount of cash, leaving the heroes to figure he will go to another bank later. Robin is annoyed though is argued by Beast Boy and Cyborg. Raven is embarrassed the witnesses have recorded her and Starfire is confused of why the damage is a bit much. Cyborg calms Robin and Raven, with Raven figuring what to do to fight Billy. The other robbery goes on yet Billy falls for a trap of Raven trapping his clones in different rooms, leaving them easy pickings for the Titans. Billy tries to physically overpower Raven though she knees him in the balls which leaves his clones to cry out in agony, with Raven tearing off the gadget which helps Bully clone himself. The clones fade, leaving Billy to be arrested yet Cyborg takes the gadget, figuring he could do some research on it. Starfire comforts Raven, asking her if she felt better, to which Raven admits she feels good for stopping Billy.

The second episode has Cyborg bringing his car in as Robin does with his Bird Bike. Cyborg is looking into the gadget they took off of Billy, finding it is much more complex with it capable of tapping into Billy’s DNA and projecting many clones. Meanwhile the press are clamouring to interview the Titans much to Raven’s embarrassment while Starfire makes a fool of herself in the interviews, leaving her humiliated of everyone laughing at her. Guilty of this entire thing, Robin suggests they all go out together and take the press off their minds, though as Beast Boy points out he can’t exactly go to which Cyborg gives him a holo ring to look normal. Beast Boy wears it, turning Caucasian with blonde hair, leaving him stunned to which Cyborg silently understands he hasn’t always been green. Robin dons some sunglasses for he’s still weary of trusting the others with his identity. Going out, Beast Boy is happy to buy some stuff like DVDs while Starfire is wowed by the clothes available, buying a few of her own and learning from Robin and Raven what certain things are. Beast Boy finds a single penny and gives it to Raven as he believes “Passing it onto a friend and their luck will never end”. Raven is at first going to spend the coin on a drink yet notices someone behaving suspiciously around a few ladies. Starfire begins to remember bits of her past, remembering she had dresses made for her and she enjoyed sports, leaving Robin to feel pleased for her. Its then Raven lets them know someone stole something from some women. Beast Boy turns into a dog to trip the guy over while Robin holds the guy down for the cops, Starfire knowing she can’t step in or she’d expose her identity. Raven hands the purses back to the women, feeling pleased with the thanks then decides to keep the penny. Robin feels much happier and Starfire feels much thanks to the trip out. Going back to the tower, Cyborg notices his friends are doing well.

The third episode has Gizmo appear with Cyborg having learnt the gadget Billy used came from him. Gizmo is a old foe of the Titans and has started his underground criminal network creating deadly gadgets with his scientific mind. Robin leads the group in busting a place Gizmo is operating in, though he escapes by sicking some robots on them and leaves Robin upset with a comment of the team. Beast Boy does ask what he meant though Robin is somewhat uneasy about this, thus Cyborg explains to him he and Robin had their own team with them often fighting Gizmo, their team has split up since though “Donna and Roy are a thing”. Beast Boy can’t help but understand Robin’s guilt of whatever happened to Kid Flash, telling him he knows what its like for someone to die on their watch but he cant let Gizmo get under his skin. Robin is a little frustrated Cyborg told him though he does thank Beast Boy in understanding. Cyborg tracks Gizmo’s other hideouts and contacts theFBI to help raid them. They find Gizmo with Cyborg defeating him with Robin. Robin is impressed so far with how everyone is doing. The episode ends with Deathstroke breaking Gizmo out of the police van, telling him he wants his help.

The fourth episode adapts Nevermore with Raven travelling in the city, thinking back to the others, finding most of them are complex though have good hearts, yet Beast Boy is a strange case for her, easily sensing darkness yet hope and happiness as well. Raven goes to help a police officer only its the copper from the first episode, he has laid a trap for Raven with it revealed he’s working for a cult who say they know what Raven is, trying to exorcise her, they use a machine they have as the Catcher. Raven signals to the Titans who come rescuing her, yet the cult vanish with Raven trying to hide her demonic side, acting aggressive towards Beast Boy. Raven goes to her room though Beast Boy is worried. He and Cyborg go in, finding her asleep yet her mirror is glowing. Confused, they walk towards it only to end up sucked in. Robin and Starfire see this, staying by Raven’s side. In her mind, Raven is trying to hide from something. Beast Boy and Cyborg encounter other Ravens in her mind, the grey cloaked Raven apologetic, the pink cloaked Raven is incredibly friendly towards Beast Boy, then they meet a red cloaked Raven with white hair and horns who scares away the grey cloaked Raven yet the pink cloaked Raven stays put, having faith in Beast Boy and Cyborg. They fend off the red Raven until the real Raven appears, explaining they’re in her mind, the exorcisms had almost sucked something horrid out. Raven conjure a way out for them, trying to fight the red Raven yet struggles only Beast Boy saves her with him and Cyborg driving the red Raven back until Raven merges with her other selves to quell the red Raven rotten take her in. Raven blushes at Beast Boy’s devotion and is stunned the Titans still want her around despite her being half demon. Raven ends up feeling hope for the first time in ages and gazes at Beast Boy in awe with her face glowing.

The fifth episode sees Cyborg tracking down Gizmo after his escape, going through the camera of the van to find Deathstroke has him. Robin is weary of the team coming to fight him though he knows there’s a chance they can help. Tracking Gizmo to a small town, the Titans confront Deathstroke and Gizmo with Deathstroke having his own mercenary team. They battle it out though Deathstroke is stronger than Robin while giving the other Titans the slip with his own strength, with Gizmo helping cover their escape. There’s a car chase in which Raven and Starfire chase after a car while Cyborg, Beast Boy and Robin chase the other. Deathstroke and his henchmen manage to stop Cyborg’s car by shooting a bazooka at it yet Robin continues to chase after him yet pulls back upon hearing Cyborg has been hurt. Raven and Starfire stop the other car with Starfire trying to beat a thug to death only to stop upon seeing Beast Boy and Robin wanting their help. They drag Cyborg out of the wreck with his hand coming off. Cyborg focuses on repairing his hand while Robin angrily interrogates the thugs. They aren’t scared of Robin yet Raven scowls upon them making them feel a sense of dread, forcing them to confess Deathstroke is looking for a ship. The episode ends with Deathstroke and his team coming to the desert.

The episode after has Robin call Batman , explaining what’s happening. Batman offers to help, understanding Robin and Deathstroke’s history, to which Robin is unsure, he wants to believe his friends can handle it yet Cyborg was hurt. Cyborg overhears the conversation while Beast Boy helps find some written deals which includes the name Gordanian, which seems familiar to Starfire. Finding the coordinates, Starfire requests Cyborg help her Boom Tube to them, at which he does. Going through, they find Deathstroke and Gizmo are exploding open a rock wall. Sneaking in with help from Raven, the Titans find its a research facility with Deathstroke and his henchmen going in to grab the tech and destroy the ship. Starfire sees the ship and remembers being forced on there in handcuffs. Hoping the ship can help jog her memories, Starfire goes in fighting the mercenaries, forcing the Titans to fight the mercenaries. Beast Boy helps distract Deathstroke to help Robin defeat him while Cyborg goes aboard the ship, Raven traps the other mercenaries in a room. Deathstroke grows frustrated with fighting the Titans, finding them harder than the last group, throwing a grenade at Raven who is knocked back, leaving Beast Boy to shield her from collapsing debris. Deathstroke escapes leaving Robin, Raven and Beast Boy to get on the ship, with Cyborg capturing Gizmo while Starfire keeps trying to remember. With the facility collapsing, Cyborg taps into the ship and flies them out in the desert. The Justice League come, helping. Starfire remembers more now. She was imprisoned by her people’s enemies the Gordanians, remembering her planet was fighting their's. Robin does end up annoyed with her and Cyborg doing things without him though Cyborg tells Robin he can't keep relying on Batman and Starfire does apologise for her mistakes. The episode ends with the ship emitting a beacon to which Blackfire, on the throne, ends up listening for with a confused face.

The seventh episode has Cyborg needing to have his car repaired to which Raven offers to help him given Starfire is busy helping the Justice League with some questions, feeling she owes them an explanation and wants to make things easy for Robin, still feeling she messed up in the desert, much to Robin’s sadness. Robin and Beast Boy choose to stay as Robin wants to talk with him. They go to the test track but find some hooligans have taken over the track, with Ding Dong Daddy and Johnny Rancid competing with each other. Cyborg wants them to clear off though and end up struggling, with Johnny and Daddy revealing this isn’t just your typical race, it’s a trade race, whoever wins gets the most the loser has to offer. At this, Robin offers to race them with Cyborg, if Cyborg win, they’re to leave, if he loses then the track is theirs. Raven quietly get rid of the weapons hence once Robin and Cyborg win the gangs can’t kill them. With this they are forced to leave. While this is going on, Beast Boy explains to Robin how his last mission with the Doom Patrol left him to ditch the team as he felt manipulated, its why being a hero helping others is great to him. This leaves Robin to understand and offers to pass this on to Batman and Martian Manhunter.

The eighth features a breather episode in which Robin has to clear his head while Raven offers to help clear Starfire’s memories upon finding her incredibly downhearted over her fractured memories. Cyborg goes out with Beast Boy to see if anyone needs help yet they think they see Deathstroke and go after him only for Beast Boy to be captured by the Zookeeper, who helped Deathstroke capture him. Robin travels to find Donna, discovering she and Roy are living together with Roy having a daughter. They explain to him they’ve seen him with the Titans, thinking he was getting better but find he clearly is struggling. Raven finds through Starfire’s memories of her family in Wildfire and Blackfire. Robin spends more with Donna and Roy, finally understanding to live and reform. Starfire awakens and figures she has to call Blackfire. Beast Boy wakes up in a lab with Deathstroke hoping he sees the last of him as he found him to be too bothersome with the Zookeeper extracting some blood from him. Beast Boy finds he’s captured several animals to his disgust, hence he frees himself then frees the animals. The Zookeeper tries to grab him only for Cyborg to come and defeat him, Beast Boy crushes the blood bottle, dreading what it was the Zookeeper wanted. The Titans reunite then Robin takes his mask off, revealing himself to be Dick Grayson.

The final episodes have Starfire calling for Blackfire, Beast Boy reveals his real name is Garfield Logan. Blackfire comes down and is seemingly chuffed and happy to have Starfire, offering to bring her home. Starfire is unsure although hopes it will be a visit for she has grown to love being on Earth. Raven hopes she goes so she can have some closure on her past though Robin is a little unwilling. They end up having a night of fun though Blackfire knocks everyone out with sleeping tablets, bringing Starfire on her ship. Waking up, the Titans track Blackfire’s ship, with them flying after it. Starfire awakens and frees herself, the ship lands out in the desert. The Titans face up to Blackfire who is joined by the Gordanians. Blackfire reveals the truth, she took over the throne of Tameran during the fight with the Gordanians, Starfire was a bargaining tool, she was to end up handed over to breed a child for them, yet because Starfire broke free the truce had to be rearranged with Wildfire going in her place. Starfire is horrified by Blackfire’s betrayal and fights it out with Blackfire, the Titans fight the Gordanians yet don’t kill any of them. Beast Boy does suffer a brief injury though he recovers. Blackfire tries killing the Titans yet Starfire is so angry, even more after Robin is injured, battering Blackfire until Robin stops her. The Justice League come, with Blackfire understanding she’s outmatched. Blackfire leaves, taunting Starfire Wildfire isn’t gonna last long under the Gordanians. Starfire wants to go to help Wildfire though is convinced to let the Green Lanterns look. The League are impressed with the Titans. Going to the Tower, Starfire is comforted by Beast Boy and Cyborg.

Robin then appears dressed as Nightwing, the Titans swearing to help each other and everyone. The season ends with Deathstroke observing the Titans fighting, with him figuring he’s gonna need to teach Dick a lesson.