Lorendiac
05-26-2008, 08:11 PM
Another thread on this forum reminded me that long, long ago I was thinking of collecting and crunching some numbers on just how likely the “typical” Marvel or DC superhero is to have grown up as an “only child.” In other threads, I've already solicited feedback on this subject regarding The First 25 Avengers, The First 25 Justice Leaguers, and The First 25 X-Men. Now it's time to ask for help on “The First 25 Titans” and their respective childhood environments. That will bring me up to 100 heroes, which ought to be enough to let me calculate some averages.
A few quick rules
1. I’m mainly worried about siblings the hero actually had, and knew he had, and socialized with, during some or all of his first 18 years after being born. If he was 18 or older before he found out he had a long-lost sibling he’d never heard of before, that’s something different, and doesn't matter to me for the purposes of this research.
2. By the same token, I’ll accept “foster siblings,” “step-siblings,” etc. Other boys or girls who were growing up in the same household at the same time, even if genetically they weren’t close relatives of the future superhero.
To avoid skewing my data, I take members in chronological order and stop after I have 25. I normally lean heavily upon Wikipedia for my information -- but in this case, I made an exception. Wikipedia's list of Teen Titans Members lists a guy named Jason Hart, or "Protector," as being the 18th member of the Titans, but I understand that he was only a hastily-redrawn pinch-hitter for Robin (Dick Grayson) in a few "Drug Awareness Giveaway" comics which DC produced in the early 1980s. There were licensing problems which prevented DC from using Robin in that project, so everything George Perez had originally drawn as Robin in the artwork had to be hastily modified. That's the only reason "Jason Hart, Protector" ever existed.
Jason never served as a Titan in any issue of any of the regular monthly titles which various incarnations of the Titans have had over the decades. I decided that was just too tenuous to really make him a solid part of the continuity, so I crossed him off the list. (I doubt many Titans fans will object.)
In any case where I don’t mention a brother or sister, it’s because I don’t know that the hero had any brothers or sisters hanging around as he or she was growing up. If you notice I’m missing a few siblings somewhere along the line (and I probably am!), then please set me straight!
01. Robin (Dick Grayson, later became Nightwing)
02. Kid Flash (Wally West, later became Flash)
03. Aqualad (Garth, later became Tempest)
04. Wonder Girl (Donna Troy, later used the aliases Troia and Darkstar. Her origin story has been all over the map as the years rolled past and one retcon replaced another, but I think she usually grew up being called "sister" by Diana and other Amazons during at least part of her childhood)
05. Speedy (Roy Harper, later became Arsenal)
06. Lilith (Lilith Clay, later sometimes called herself Omen)
07. Hawk (Hank Hall, who later called himself other names, but not while serving as a Titan. Grew up with his younger brother, Don)
08. Dove (Don Hall, died in COIE. Grew up with his older brother, Hank)
09. Guardian (Malcolm Duncan, later known as Herald and Hornblower)
10. Aquagirl (Tula. Died in COIE.)
11. Gnaark (John Gnaark)
12. Harlequin (Duela Dent, also known as Joker’s Daughter)
13. Bumblebee (Karen Beecher)
14. Beast Boy (Garfield Logan, later Changeling)
15. Raven (Rachel Roth)
16. Starfire (Koriand’r of Tamarus. Grew up with an older sister, Komand'r,
and a little brother, Ryand'r)
17. Cyborg (Victor Stone)
18. Terra (Tara Markov. To some extent, she was acquainted with her two half-brothers, Gregor and Brion, but she was something of an embarrassment to her father because she was illegitimate. I don't know just how much time she actually spent living under the same roof with her half-brothers in her early years)
19. Jericho (Joseph Wilson. Grew up with an older brother, Grant)
20. Kole (Kole Weathers)
21. Robin (Jason Todd)
22. Danny Chase (Later called himself Phantasm)
23. Pantha (Rosabelle Mendez)
24. Red Star (Leonid Kovar, who had previously used the alias Starfire, long before he ever served as a Titan)
25. Phantasm (Entity formed by mergers of the souls of Danny Chase (the previous Phantasm), of Arella (Raven's mom), and of various other deceased residents of Azarath)
A few quick rules
1. I’m mainly worried about siblings the hero actually had, and knew he had, and socialized with, during some or all of his first 18 years after being born. If he was 18 or older before he found out he had a long-lost sibling he’d never heard of before, that’s something different, and doesn't matter to me for the purposes of this research.
2. By the same token, I’ll accept “foster siblings,” “step-siblings,” etc. Other boys or girls who were growing up in the same household at the same time, even if genetically they weren’t close relatives of the future superhero.
To avoid skewing my data, I take members in chronological order and stop after I have 25. I normally lean heavily upon Wikipedia for my information -- but in this case, I made an exception. Wikipedia's list of Teen Titans Members lists a guy named Jason Hart, or "Protector," as being the 18th member of the Titans, but I understand that he was only a hastily-redrawn pinch-hitter for Robin (Dick Grayson) in a few "Drug Awareness Giveaway" comics which DC produced in the early 1980s. There were licensing problems which prevented DC from using Robin in that project, so everything George Perez had originally drawn as Robin in the artwork had to be hastily modified. That's the only reason "Jason Hart, Protector" ever existed.
Jason never served as a Titan in any issue of any of the regular monthly titles which various incarnations of the Titans have had over the decades. I decided that was just too tenuous to really make him a solid part of the continuity, so I crossed him off the list. (I doubt many Titans fans will object.)
In any case where I don’t mention a brother or sister, it’s because I don’t know that the hero had any brothers or sisters hanging around as he or she was growing up. If you notice I’m missing a few siblings somewhere along the line (and I probably am!), then please set me straight!
01. Robin (Dick Grayson, later became Nightwing)
02. Kid Flash (Wally West, later became Flash)
03. Aqualad (Garth, later became Tempest)
04. Wonder Girl (Donna Troy, later used the aliases Troia and Darkstar. Her origin story has been all over the map as the years rolled past and one retcon replaced another, but I think she usually grew up being called "sister" by Diana and other Amazons during at least part of her childhood)
05. Speedy (Roy Harper, later became Arsenal)
06. Lilith (Lilith Clay, later sometimes called herself Omen)
07. Hawk (Hank Hall, who later called himself other names, but not while serving as a Titan. Grew up with his younger brother, Don)
08. Dove (Don Hall, died in COIE. Grew up with his older brother, Hank)
09. Guardian (Malcolm Duncan, later known as Herald and Hornblower)
10. Aquagirl (Tula. Died in COIE.)
11. Gnaark (John Gnaark)
12. Harlequin (Duela Dent, also known as Joker’s Daughter)
13. Bumblebee (Karen Beecher)
14. Beast Boy (Garfield Logan, later Changeling)
15. Raven (Rachel Roth)
16. Starfire (Koriand’r of Tamarus. Grew up with an older sister, Komand'r,
and a little brother, Ryand'r)
17. Cyborg (Victor Stone)
18. Terra (Tara Markov. To some extent, she was acquainted with her two half-brothers, Gregor and Brion, but she was something of an embarrassment to her father because she was illegitimate. I don't know just how much time she actually spent living under the same roof with her half-brothers in her early years)
19. Jericho (Joseph Wilson. Grew up with an older brother, Grant)
20. Kole (Kole Weathers)
21. Robin (Jason Todd)
22. Danny Chase (Later called himself Phantasm)
23. Pantha (Rosabelle Mendez)
24. Red Star (Leonid Kovar, who had previously used the alias Starfire, long before he ever served as a Titan)
25. Phantasm (Entity formed by mergers of the souls of Danny Chase (the previous Phantasm), of Arella (Raven's mom), and of various other deceased residents of Azarath)