Tara Markov (Earth-1521)

## Tara Markov

**Tara Markov**, also known as **Terra** is an anti-heroine and recurring character in Teen Titans: United.

## Appearance

Terra possesses a slender figure with fair skin that enhances the brilliance of her captivating amber eyes. Her straight, golden blonde hair cascades down to her waist, framing her face with a radiant warmth. Terra embraces a more modern and functional look. She wears a stylish, short-sleeved green crop top with brown accents and a sleek black collar. The top is paired with practical beige cargo pants that allow for freedom of movement during her earth-manipulating endeavors. Terra's footwear consists of sturdy brown boots with beige soles and laces, providing both durability and style. To complete her outfit, she adorns herself with large brown gloves, offering protection while showcasing her evolving fashion sense.

## Personality

Tara is a complex individual, embodying both the nurturing qualities of the earth and the fierce determination of a protector. Guided by her training as a guardian with geokinetic abilities, Tara's adventurous spirit is fueled by a sense of duty to protect the earth. However, her experiences with Slade, the manipulative figure who exploited her potential, have left an indelible mark on her psyche. Tara carries the weight of her past interactions with Slade, adding an enigmatic and guarded layer to her personality. This inner conflict influences her interactions with others, as she struggles to reconcile her supernatural obligations with the desire for a semblance of normalcy.
As a double agent for Slade within the Teen Titans, Tara's role takes on an additional layer of complexity. The emotional turmoil within her deepens as she maintains a facade of allyship while secretly working against the team. Her interactions with Beast Boy, fueled by passion and conflict, mirror the internal struggle she faces—juxtaposing duty and desire, loyalty and deception.

## Background

Born into a lineage of earth guardians, Tara discovered her geokinetic abilities at a young age. Her journey into the supernatural realm led her to encounter Slade, a cunning and manipulative figure who recognized the potential within her.

Before her involvement with the Teen Titans, Tara's path intersected with Slade, a shadowy antagonist who sought to exploit her geokinetic powers for his sinister ambitions. Intrigued by her abilities, Slade became a mysterious presence in Tara's life, manipulating her decisions and emotions to serve his dark purposes.

Trained by enigmatic mentors who recognized her potential, Tara became Terra, a formidable force embodying nature's fury and grace. The complexities of her relationship with Slade deepened as he became both a mentor and a puppeteer, pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Rather than officially joining the Teen Titans, Tara's role took a darker turn as she acted as a spy for Slade within the team. Her status as a double agent added layers of complexity to her interactions with the Titans, as she navigated the fine line between heroism and subterfuge.

The Teen Titans, unaware of Tara's ulterior motives, came to see her as a valuable ally, unaware of the shadows that loomed over her past. Terra's manipulation of the earth continued to be a powerful asset to the team, but the true nature of her allegiance remained a closely guarded secret.

As Terra carried out her espionage under Slade's influence, her connection with Beast Boy added an emotional layer to her journey. The passion and turmoil in their relationship mirrored the conflicting forces within Terra herself—between duty and desire, loyalty and deception.

## Abilities

As her name is Latin for "earth," Terra has the exceptionally strong elemental ability to create, control and manipulate the earth and other earthly substances and materials; such as crystal, sand, stone, rock, dirt, brick marble, mud, sand, and concrete. She can hurl and lift boulders, generate earthquakes, mudslides, avalanches, fissures, project spikes of stone from the ground and tunnel through the earth. Terra often transports herself and others by riding on a large slab of earth. She can change earthen matter from one state to another (such as shifting mud into solid stone), and can manipulate other aspects of earth like sand, wood, magma, lava, and some metals. Her geokinetic abilities also allow her to affect molten rock, giving her the ability to control the flow of magma, lava and to thermo-geokinetically control volcanic activity to a degree. When using her powers, her eyes sometimes glow yellow, and her hands and body will also sometimes emit a yellow aura. She generally uses the motions of her hands to navigate her powers, though she can move earth through sheer concentration alone.