It's Not Easy

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Teen Titans v. 1 and Teen Titans West

Teen Titans #6 cover

Gar appeared in Teen Titans #6, trying to join the team. Tthe Titans consisted of Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Aqualad.  The Teen Titans insisted that he couldn't join without his guardian's permission.  However, as Gar was hiding his powers from Galtry, this was impossible.  Feeling rejected, Gar became involved with "Baltzer, the Beast Master" and his circus.  A hypnotist used Gar as a "relay" to hypnotize the crowd, stealing their valuables. The Teen Titans intervened, freed Beast Boy and captured the crooks.

The team left Gar's membership up to the readers in a write in vote. Since Gar didn't appear in Teen Titans until Teen Titans West appeared, the results are obvious.

Gar wanted acceptance.  the problem was, he wasn't getting it from the Doom Patrol.  To Robotman and Negative Man, Beast Boy was just an annoyance.  Even Elasti-Girl lost her temper with him a few times.

The actual problem, though, wasn't that the Chief didn't want Gar around.  This was the 1960's, and Gar didn't have permission from his legal guardian to be hanging around.  Without this permission, the Doom Patrol could get in trouble for letting a minor be in such dangerous situations.

Teen Titans #6, p. 4


Teen Titans #6, p. 2



Teen Titans #6, p. 4


Teen Titans #6, p. 5

The green teen decided that perhaps he'd have a better chance of getting acceptance by appealing to other teen heroes - namely the Teen Titans.

In these days, the Teen Titans consisted of Robin 1, Wonder Girl 1, Kid Flash 1, and Aqualad.  Speedy 1 was NOT a member at this time.

Gar made an impressive entrance into Doom Patrol headquarters, so of course his appeal to the Teen Titans had to make an impact as well.

However, the problem was the same.  Gar was a minor - and he needed to have his guardian's permission to join the Teen Titans as well.  Each of the Titans had the permission of a legal guardian to be a member of the team.

Needless to say, Gar wasn't happy.  He went off on his own and wound up joining a circus.  His first venture into showbizness wasn't without problems.


Teen Titans #6, p. 6 and 7 - click image for larger version



Teen Titans #6, p. 9 - click image for larger version
Note the title "The Fifth Titan".  Gar did have a chance to become the fifth member of the team (instead of Speedy 1) at the end of the issue.  Readers were asked to write in and vote.  Sadly, they must not have voted Gar in, because he remained part of the Doom Patrol and didn't make an appearance in Teen Titans again until Teen Titans #50.


Teen Titans #6, p. 24 - click image for larger version


Teen Titans #50 marked another new chapter in Gar's life - the beginnings of his Teen Titans West era.  A second group of teen heroes (Beast Boy, Golden Eagle, Hawk 1, Dove 1, Bat-Girl 1 [now Flamebird], Lilith, and Gnaark) banded together to fight a crisis occurring on the west coast while the regular Teen Titans (Robin 1, Wonder Girl 1, Aqualad [on reserve status at the time], Speedy 1, Kid Flash 1, Harlequin, Bumblebee, and Guardian [later Herald, now Vox]) team fought similar problems on the east coast.  East met West over the next few issues.  Originally Teen Titans West was supposed to be "temporary", but in later chronologies and retcons the team reportedly stayed together for a few months.  Both the East and West teams eventually disbanded.  Shortly after that, though, Robin 1, Kid Flash 1, Wonder Girl 1, and Beast Boy (who changed his name to Changeling) joined up with newcomers Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg to form the New Teen Titans.

Teen Titans #50, p. 1



In these issues, Gar continues to wear a mask, though he's lacking the purple full face part.  I almost wonder if the mask here (since he's obviously not hiding his powers on the TV show) is part of his "costume" for Space Trek 2022.

Click the thumbnails below for a larger version of the page.

Teen Titans #50, p. 9
Teen Titans #50, p. 12 Teen Titans #51, p. 1



Teen Titans #51, p. 2 Teen Titans #51, p. 4 Teen Titans #51, p. 8



Teen Titans #52, p. 7
Teen Titans #52, p. 17



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Garfield Logan, Changeling, Beast Boy, Teen Titans, Doom Patrol and most of the characters on this site are trademarks of DC Comics.