Raven

**Raven** is a half-human, half-demon daughter of the inter-dimensional demon Trigon and the human woman Arella. Her birthplace and home realm is Azarath. She is a prominent member of the superhero team Teen Titans.

## Origin

Raven escaped her father's realm and yearned for a home. Starfire took her in at the Titans Tower. The night of the Hall of Justice's unveiling, Raven, now 14 years old, had a nightmare. The next day, during training, Beast Boy asked about it but Raven dismissed it as just dreams. Upon meeting Robin, Raven sensed sadness. The next day, Raven healed Robin after Blue Beetle's Scarab blasted him in the heat of battle. She said the words "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos" and saw flashes of Robin's past. The Titans escorted Raven to her room to recover. Raven was unable to shake off what she felt from Robin. That night, Raven went outside and cast a protection spell on the team, without their knowledge, from being corrupted by Trigon. Robin appeared and thanked her for healing him. He didn't appreciate the part where she was in his head. She made it clear she wanted to left alone but he asked about the one that looked like a man. Raven dismissed it was a nightmare. Robin wasn't so sure. Raven became irate and told him it was none of his business then went through a portal. During Starfire's night of mandatory fun at the carnival, Robin and Raven laughed at each other's expense when they found some fun house mirrors. Raven observed that while he was insufferable, in his heart, he was a kind and generous soul. While watching Beast Boy and Robin compete in a dance off, the Corruptors (demons who could possess people's bodies) found Raven and told her to go to the hill beyond the tents. Trigon initiated contact and stated it was their destiny to be together. He reminded her she could bring him to Earth. Raven realized he was still trapped and vowed to fight him at every turn. The Corruptors blasted her. Trigon warned her. He observed how weak and lonely she became, aligning with chattel. It was beneath his contempt and he vowed she would know his glory. The battle spilled over into the carnival. The other Titans came to her aid. Raven informed them the Corruptors were demonic emissaries sent by her father. Eventually, Raven transformed and summoned her soul self, a powerful force within her, and banished the Corruptors from their plane.

Starfire recalled Raven told her she didn't have a father. Raven teleported them to Azarath and explained her past. They returned to the Tower but Raven decided she was not staying and felt she had to keep moving to throw Trigon off her trail. Robin disagreed and believed she stood a better chance of beating Trigon by staying with the Titans. Batman, Cyborg, Wonder Woman, and Flash suddenly arrived and asked Raven to come with them for questioning. Robin protested and stated the Titans could protect her. Raven refused to leave with the Justice League then realized Trigon wanted them there.

The Corruptors appeared and possessed 3 out of the the four Leaguers; Batman, having almost predicted this after fighting a demonic Superman, manages to use a serum designed to be used on Bane in order to sedate himself, preventing one of the Corruptors from possessing and giving the Titans a chance to fight back. The Corruptor in control of Wonder Woman informed Raven that the corrupted Superman had just unearthed the Infernal Shrine, an ancient structure with magical properties built by Satanists. Another Corruptor in control of the Flash then stated that Raven was the shrine's final piece. The Titans challenged the Corruptors but were defeated. Raven agreed to go with them if they spared the Titans' lives.

In the aftermath, Raven was escorted by possessed versions of Superman, Wonder Woman and Flash. Cyborg was possessed, too, but did not follow as Blue Beetle blasted him with one of his weapons and freed him from the Corruptors' control. The remaining Leaguers arrived in the Middle East, 60 miles north of Kahndaq City. Raven went to the shrine and powered it. Raven begged Trigon to spare Earth but he refused.

Approximately 24 hours later, the Titans and Cyborg boomed to the shrine. They freed Superman first. While he dealt with Wonder Woman and the Flash, the Titans went for Raven but they were too late. Trigon crossed over. While the League tried to hold off Trigon in vain, Raven had a plan. She needed the crystal to trap Trigon again, so the Titans and Cyborg went to Trigon's realm while Superman, Wonder Woman and Flash held off Trigon.

Since the structure around the crystal was shielded, they had to head to it on foot instead of using teleportation. They battled wave after wave of demon spawn and then the Corruptors, who formed into a hell beast. Raven went ahead and unlocked the structure, but another Corruptor shattered the crystal with a sword. It took on the form of Ra's al Ghul, Robin's deceased grandfather.

While Robin dueled against the now-demonic Ra's, Trigon vowed to Raven that he would make her pathetic friends suffer and soon the souls of Earth would be his. He implored Raven to give up because she was weak like her mother.

Raven admitted her only weakness was loving him and hoping to be loved in return. She had friends she would give her life for and who gave her love and strength to do the right thing. She chanted and a shard of the crystal rose. Raven projected her soul self to Earth. It appeared beneath Trigon then engulfed him and dragged him into the shard.

But Raven knew Trigon would spend every minute trying to escape again. She would return everyone to Earth but she decided to stay and guard the shard. However, Robin didn't think it was her home and quoted Robert Frost, saying that home is the place where when you have to go there, they have to take you in. Raven looked at the shard then decided to go back to the Tower.

She wore the shard on her forehead like a chakra. In an ironic way, they could be together as Trigon once said. 10 days later, the Justice League confirmed no more signs of the Corruptors and congratulated them for saving the world and them from Trigon. Trigon ordered Raven to release him and vowed to kill everyone she loved. The Titans partied into the night with Cyborg. She bonds with Damian Wayne as they recognize each other as kindred souls and possibly developing romantic feelings for him.