Raven (DC Comics) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raven
Raven, as she appears on the cover of Raven: Daughter of Darkness #5. Art by Emanuela Lupacchino.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980)
Created by	Marv Wolfman and George Pérez
In-story information
Alter ego	Rachel Roth (birth name)
Species	Azarathian Cambion (demon/human hybrid)
Place of origin	Azarath
Team affiliations	Teen Titans Sentinels of Magic Night Force Justice League Justice League Dark
Notable aliases	Daughter of Darkness Daughter of Trigon
Abilities	Powerful empathic sensitivity and healing abilities Powerful practioner of magic (time travel, teleportation, flight, chaos magic, projection of soul-self, etc.) Skilled hand-to-hand combatant

Raven 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. A cambion daughter of a demon father (Trigon) and human mother (Arella), Raven is granted several powers from her supernatural heritage. A powerful empath, she is able to sense emotions and control her "soul-self," which can fight physically, as well as act as Raven's eyes and ears away from her physical body. More recently, she has been depicted as being adept with various types of magic and sorcery. She is a prominent member of the superhero team Teen Titans. The character also goes by the alias Rachel Roth as a false civilian name.

Raven has appeared in numerous cartoon television shows and films, including as one of the Teen Titans in Cartoon Network's eponymous series and its spin-off series Teen Titans Go!, voiced by Tara Strong, and in the 2014–2020 DC Animated Movie Universe, voiced by Taissa Farmiga. Rachel Roth makes her live adaptation debut in the DC Universe and HBO Max series Titans, portrayed by Teagan Croft.

Powers and abilities

The daughter of the cosmic demon, Trigon, Raven inherited his power, making her an extremely powerful demon in her own right and is granted both immense magical and psychic powers. In her earlier appearance, her powers are said to be strong enough to destroy a universe if left unchecked. In more recent stories, she is seemingly the most powerful of Trigon's offspring, and her power was compared to the demon lord Neron, to whom she is stated to be superior, and the latter character portrayed as accepting this as fact.

Primarily an empath, Raven can sense both pain and disease and remove them (in her earlier appearances), assimilating them into her own body and expunging them, but at a cost of great physical pain. She can also read the emotions of others and control them, also granting her telepathic-like insight into their minds. She can also induce calmness, suppress negativity, and even make someone fall in love with her. By absorbing the pain of the wounded into herself, she can induce rapid healing for the injured person.

In addition to her psychic-related powers, she is considered highly adept in the mystical arts, which partly is connected to her soul-self. She is capable of a plethora of abilities through magic, including teleportation, time travel, manipulation of shadows and darkness, hypnosis, telekinesis, and chaos magic through her soul-self (a variant of magic in DC Comics capable of performing magical acts without following a system [e.g., incantations, chants, etc.]).

Like her brothers, Raven can induce and amplify one of the seven deadly sins (in her case, pride) or all seven of them, in any living being; however, doing so will cause her to suffer spells of nausea and vomiting for several days afterward as side effects. Raven also has limited precognition, which allows her to predict future events that are about to happen, although this happens involuntarily and infrequently. She has also been shown to be an excellent hand-to-hand combatant, although she rarely uses these abilities.

Soul Self

Raven can also astral project a solid black energy form that takes the shape of a bird, called her soul-self. Her soul-self can travel long distances, become intangible, and is able to telepathically communicate. It can act as a shield as it can absorb a limited amount of energy and solid matter, regurgitating them before reintegrating with Raven. Using her soul-self, she can convert her physical body into her soul-self and carry or teleport herself and others over a limited distance. Her soul-self can mentally subdue at least one person by enveloping them inside of itself. Raven's soul-self could initially stay outside her body for exactly five minutes; failure to reintegrate in time would cause mental torment for her, though she eventually overcame this limitation.

Weaknesses

Raven possesses a few weaknesses to her abilities: as an empath, she is unable to completely disconnect herself from other's emotions, being around too many people with heightened emotions can pose a risk to her. Raven is also susceptible to overwhelming mystical forces.

Collected editions

Raven

Raven: Daughter of Darkness

In other media

Television

Live action

Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth/Raven in Titans.

• Raven/Rachel Roth appears as one of the main characters of the TV series Titans, portrayed by Teagan Croft. After her "mother" was murdered by an unknown male assailant, teenager Rachel Roth displays her exceptionally strong telekinetic abilities out of sheer fury and flees town. She is quickly abducted and taken to the Detroit police station, where she meets police detective Dick Grayson/Robin, whom she recognizes from her nightmares, and asks for his aid. Robin eventually forms a team of heroes known as "Titans" to protect Rachel from her father and his acolytes such as the Nuclear Family while also training them to use her powers for good. In the Season 2 premiere, an empowered Rachel eventually defeats her father and imprisons him after Trigon successfully brainwashed the Titans alongside Jason Todd.
  • Raven appears in the final part of the Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths via archive footage from the episode "Titans".

Animation

Many of Raven's appearances are voiced by Tara Strong.

• A teenage version of Raven appears in the Teen Titans animated series. One of the program's breakout characters, she was so popular that later comic portayals made attempts to be closer to this version of her. This version's appearance is mostly the same as her comic counterpart, but her blue dress is replaced with a purple, hooded cloak and black leotard. Additionally, she has light gray skin, violet-blue eyes, and shoulder-length violet-blue hair. She also has a variety of powers, often accessed through the incantation "Azarath Metrion Zinthos", but mostly uses telekinesis that encases objects in dark mystical energy. Another of Raven's chief abilities is her "soul-self", which allows her to detach her soul and spirit from her body in the form of a dark-energy Raven. This ability can be used to enter the minds of others, teleport herself and others across great distances, pass through solid matter or through fire, and even alter her own appearance. Raven has displayed a number of seldom-used abilities. She can heal herself and others, stop time, and manifest her fears as monsters unintentionally. She keeps a library of numerous spell books in her room on the occult, as well as a number of magical charms and talismans. Raven's powers are entirely tied to her emotions, becoming more powerful and unstable with the intensity of the emotions fueling them, thus why she is the most emotionally restrained and stoic of the Titans. However, she eventually warms up to her teammates and comes to see them as her family. The fourth season serves as an adaptation of the "Terror of Trigon" arc in the Teen Titans comics, and has five episodes that focus heavily on Raven. Over the course of the season, Raven tries to avoid her destiny of becoming the portal that will release Trigon into their dimension. However, with Slade having been empowered by Trigon, Raven loses hope and resigns to her fate. She leaves her teammates with a small fraction of her powers to protect them from Trigon's petrification blast when he emerges. Raven regresses into a small five-year-old child, and is rescued from Trigon's prison by Robin. Robin and the other Titans decide to fight anyway, though they are ultimately incapable of defeating Trigon. Their efforts convince Raven to step out of her father's shadow, and she vaporizes Trigon with a pure-white version of her soul-self, returning the world to normal in the process. In the fifth season of the show, she becomes more open and friendly, although her disposition to Beast Boy does not change.
• Raven returns in the New Teen Titans shorts; and in one, she goes on a date with the Goth Boy.
• Raven appears in Teen Titans Go!. While her appearance remains mostly unchanged from the original Teen Titans series, her hair is now black with purple streaks instead of purple. This version of Raven is significantly more chatty and sociable than in her original series appearance, although she does occasionally show her dark side, mostly when provoked or agitated. In "Legendary Sandwich", it is revealed that she loves the show Pretty Pretty Pegasus (a parody of My Little Pony, for which Strong voices Twilight Sparkle) but dislikes other "girly" things like flowers, hearts, chocolates, and rabbits. Similar to the comics, Beast Boy has a crush on Raven, which culminates in an actual mutual attraction in "Rocks and Water". They formally become an on and off couple in the double episode "BBRae", which is titled after their ship name used by their fans as a couple. She has another superhero identity called "Lady Legasus", clad in gold with powerful legs.
• Raven appears as a non-speaking cameo in the DC Super Friends short.
• Raven appears in the DC Super Hero Girls season 4 two-part finale "Nevermore", in which her demon father is having use her magic to open a portal to Metropolis. She returns in the spin-off feature Legends of Atlantis, where she employs her 2003 series' trademark incantation "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos".
• Raven appears in the OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes crossover special "Crossover Nexus". This marks the first time her character has appeared in a non-DC property.
• Raven was slated to appear as a supporting character in a planned Nightwing animated series.
• Raven appeared on the 2019 series DC Super Hero Girls with Tara Strong reprising her role.

Film

• Raven appears in the Teen Titans animated series film adaptation Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo, voiced again by Tara Strong.
• Raven appears as a main character in the animated film Justice League vs. Teen Titans, voiced by Taissa Farmiga. She is the center of the story as it revolves around her father, Trigon, attempting to conquer Earth by possessing the Justice League, using Raven as the portal. She also bonds with Damian Wayne as they recognize each other as kindred souls. This version sports the dull-tinted skin tone of her 2003 TV series' version, and at one point also employs the latter's standard spell incantation ("Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos") to effect her magic. She manages to contain Trigon in a magical crystal, which she now wears on her forehead at all times.
• Raven appears in the animated sequel Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, and is around 15/16 years old, with Farmiga reprising her role. She remains a close friend to Damian and has softened up emotionally, even cracking the occasional joke, and trying to help Terra with apparent nightmares. The end of the film see's Raven giving Damian a black dog, a great dane, he'll name Titus, as a gift. Knowing the dog will give him the unconditional love he so desperately needs, and to help him cope with the loss he feels at the end of the film.
• Raven once again appears in the animated superhero film Teen Titans Go! To The Movies as one of the main characters,being voiced by Tara Strong.
• Raven appears in the animated film Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, with Farmiga reprising her role from the previous DCAMU films. She is Damian Wayne's love interest and the two, along with Nightwing, are the only surviving active Titans as most of their teammates were killed during the Paradoom invasion when defending Titans Tower. They separated after the devastation of earth due to Raven's father threatening to kill Damian repeatedly, knowing the two were in love with each other. They eventually reunite after two years, as the remaining hero's and villains team up for one more shot at defeating Darkseid. Their feelings for each other never changed and Damian eventually confesses he wanted her to co-lead the League of Assassin's because he loved her and she confesses the real reason they had to separate. They finally accept their deep bond and feelings before the final mission. After Damian is killed in battle, Raven becomes so devastated that she loses control and her father break's free. Now Trigon and Darkseid battle for supremacy as Trigon thanks his daughter for the gift of freedom and to battle a worthy foe. With her father no longer an influence making her gravely ill, she embraces Damians' charred body, declaring she loves him between tears. The combination of being cleansed of evil and finally being free to feel the full depth and power of her emotions, she is able to bring Damian back from the dead with the immense powers she now yields. In the last scene of the film, as Flash is going to reset all the damage caused by Darkseid, the two share a heartfelt kiss, hoping to meet again if the chance ever came by. She, along with John Constantine and Superman, are one of the protagonists, with her struggles to keep Trigon contained a recurring conflict in the movie.
• The Teen Titans Go! and original Teen Titans animated series versions of Raven appear in Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans, with Tara Strong reprising the role for both. In addition, several alternate versions of Raven appear throughout the film, which include her counterparts from Tiny Titans, the New Teen Titans comic, and the DC Animated Movie Universe.
• Raven appears in the animated film adaptation of Injustice, but with no speaking lines. As in the Year 1 comic book series, Raven helps on the hunt for Mirror Master by forcing him out of the Mirror Dimension.
• Raven appears in Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse, with Tara Strong reprising her voice role from various DC media.

Miscellaneous

• In the four-issue miniseries Smallville: Harbinger, a young girl is kidnapped by Brother Blood to be used as an offering to summon the Sons of Trigon, the Seven Deadly Sins. The ritual is interrupted by Zatanna and Constantine. Zatanna frees the girl but Constantine runs away with the artifact he had been looking for; the Book of Magick. Brother Blood succeeds in summoning the Seven Sins using himself as a sacrifice, and the Sins chase after Zatanna and the girl. Constantine, seeing the spirits of those who have been killed because of him, changes his mind and uses Brother Blood's heart to defeat them. Later, Zatanna places the girl under Jay Garrick's care. When Speedy asks what to call her, she tells her name, "Rachel Roth", before concluding, "...but you can call me Raven".

Video games

• Raven is a playable character in the Teen Titans Game Boy Advance and console video games, with Tara Strong reprising her role in the latter.
• Raven appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by Adriene Mishler. She has been possessed by her father Trigon as a part of a demonic invasion of Metropolis and Earth, using Raven. Hero and Villain players will fight with, or against the Titans to either free or keep Raven under Trigon's control. If she is freed, she will join Hero players along with Zatanna, and Doctor Fate in battling Brother Blood, who is the catalyst for Trigon's invasion. Through small info clips found throughout the game, the player will learn that Circe is quite aggravated that Raven refuses to give in and desires her punished once she has what she wants, while Wonder Woman considers her a true hero for containing the dark forces within her and continuing the struggle against it. Outside of the main story, Raven is located in the Watchtower's Magic Wing where she is a vendor of the Tier 1 armor set for the magically aligned heroes. If clicked repeatedly, she will remark on how she is not always sarcastic when she speaks.
• Raven is a playable character in Injustice: Gods Among Us, with Tara Strong once again reprising her role but with a deeper and more demonic sounding voice (although a trailer featuring Green Lantern in Story Mode had her with the same voice as the television incarnation, suggesting that Strong's voice was filtered). Trigon appears as part of her super attack, and the Regime's Raven notes in a confrontation with Wonder Woman that she serves her world's Superman as Superman's actions will aid in her father's return. In her single player ending, the "normal" Raven, after having expended a large amount of demonic energy defeating Superman, realizes too late that she has summoned her father Trigon into the world. Thanking her, he summons an army of demons and sets about conquering the world.
• Raven appears as a downloadable playable character in LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.
• The Teen Titans Go! incarnation appears as a playable character in Lego Dimensions, with Tara Strong reprising her role.
• Raven makes a cameo in Starfire's ending in Injustice 2 as the latter has a flashback of the Titans celebrating their victories. Starfire mentions that Raven's no longer with them as she's now become a servant of Trigon.
• Raven appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced again by Tara Strong. Just like Beast Boy, she is a boss in the second part of the level “S.T.A.R.S in your Eyes”, where she and Beast Boy try to stop the villains while Reverse-Flash is using the Cosmic Treadmill to travel to Earth-3 to find evidence on the Justice Syndicate being villains, but is defeated as well as Beast Boy.
• Raven appears as a cosmetic costume in Fortnite, with three styles in total. Raven's default style is based on her appearance in the Rebirth series, her second look is based on her classic appearance, and the last style based on her civilian appearance as Rachel Roth.

See also

In Spanish: Raven (personaje) para niños

• List of DC Comics characters