Broken Frontier

Coming full circle after 26 years, the Outsiders are back together with the Batman.  Our look at the heroes of DC’s Batman and the Outsiders continues from here.

Even though the 1980's incarnation of the was team gone, and the 1990's revival book was cancelled, the Outsiders continued to float around the fringes of the DC Universe.  The core of the 90's team remained, appearing in such events as Day of Judgment and Our Worlds at War.  Despite the lack of thier own book, the Outsiders did manage to add a couple of new members;

Terra II – Tara Markov
First Appearance - New Titans #79, September 1991
Active - Day of Judgment #4, November 1999
The original Terra had been the sister of Geo-Force and a member of the Teen Titans that had betrayed the team.  Following her death, a new Terra appeared, eventually revealed to be an unrelated girl, genetically altered to be a duplicate of the original.  The new Terra eventually joined the Outsiders off-panel, but was recently killed by Black Adam during World War III.

Dr. Light – Kimiyo Hoshi
First Appearance - Crisis on Infinite Earths #4, July 1985
Active - JLA: Our Worlds at War #1, September 2001
Granted her powers of light manipulation during the first Crisis, the arrogant Dr. Hoshi was inspired to heroism by Supergirl.  Having served stints on several teams, including the Justice League, Light was briefly a member of the second group of Outsiders, joining sometime prior to the Imperiex invasion. 

In 2003, the Outsiders got yet another chance at their own book.  Written this time by Judd Winick, Outsiders Volume 3 had few ties to the earlier titles (instead, it primarily spun out of the recently cancelled Titans and Young Justice books).

Arsenal – Roy Harper
First Appearance - More Fun Comics #73, November 1941
Active - Outsiders Volume 3 #1, August 2003
Raised by traditional Native Americans, Roy Harper began living his dream when he became “Speedy,” the teenage sidekick of his hero, Green Arrow.  After a long career with both highlights (helping found the Teen Titans) and downfalls (a battle against heroin addiction), an adult Harper adopted the new identity of Arsenal.  Expanding his equipment to include high tech armaments, as well as his bow and arrow, Arsenal maintained close ties to the Titans.  After a disastrous adventure involving the Titans and Young Justice, Roy formed a new squad of Outsiders, consisting of heroes willing to operate in a more pro-active (and often controversial) fashion.  Roy eventually discovered that the darker operations of the Outsiders did not fit with his lifestyle and he left the team.  He currently is a member of the Justice League of America, operating under the alias of The Red Arrow.

Grace – Grace Choi
First Appearance - Outsiders Volume 3 #1, August 2003
Active - Outsiders Volume 3 #1, August 2003
Although her past was initially shrouded in mystery, Grace is a half-Amazon who found herself sold into a child prostitution ring.  Eventually finding her way free, Grace’s metahuman strength attracted the attention of Arsenal when he was forming a new team of Outsiders.  Although her methods and liberated sexuality have caused tension with her allies, Grace has been a key player in the squad, and remains with them under Batman’s tutelage. 

Indigo – Brainiac 8
First Appearance - Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day #1, July 2003
Active - Outsiders Volume 3 #1, August 2003
Arriving in present day from the future, the badly damaged android that came to be known as Indigo set a chain reaction of events in motion that resulted in the death of Donna Troy and Omen, as well as the dissolution of the Titans and Young Justice.  Re-activated and reprogrammed by Arsenal, a benign Indigo became a member of the new Outsiders.  The newly innocent android had a very difficult time finding acceptance among her allies (many of whom had ties to the Titans and Young Justice), but eventually was welcomed to the team, and even fell in love with Shift.  Not long after however, her true programming surfaced, revealing Indigo as Brainiac 8, sent back in time to ensure the death of Donna Troy and to preserve the Brainiac lineage.  Following her betrayal of the Outsiders, Shift was forced to kill her.

Shift – George
First Appearance - Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day #1, July 2003
Active - Outsiders Volume 3 #1, August 2003
Appearing almost identical to Metamorpho, Shift was a complete blank slate when he first encountered the Titans and Young Justice.  Joining Arsenal’s Outsiders, Shift not only learned of his origins (he was a piece of Metamorpho that gained sentience) but found love with the android Indigo.  Unfortunately, this serenity was short-lived as Indigo betrayed the team, and Shift was forced to kill her.  Not long after, Shift accidentally caused the deaths of dozens of innocent bystanders.  Consumed by grief, he elected to be reabsorbed by Metamorpho, effectively ending his own life.

Thunder – Anissa Pierce
First Appearance - Outsiders Volume 3 #1, August 2003
Active - Outsiders Volume 3 #1, August 2003
The daughter of Black Lightning, Anissa was forbidden by her father to be a superhero unless she completed her college education.  The night she did, Anissa adopted the identity of Thunder and, not long after, added her density manipulation powers to the might of the Outsiders.  During that time, her tense relationship with Grace has blossomed into a passionate affair – one that has caused tensions since Batman removed Thunder from the Outsiders' roster (while keeping Grace).

Nightwing – Dick Grayson
First Appearance - Detective Comics #38, April 1940
Active - Outsiders Volume 3 #1, August 2003
Originally known as the Boy Wonder, Robin, Dick Grayson came into his own as Nightwing, leader of the Teen Titans.  Following the death of Donna Troy, Dick turned away from operating in a team, pursuing his solo career instead.  When Arsenal began recruiting the third group of Outsiders, Dick was reluctant, but accepted when he realized that he was being asked to join the team, not lead it.  Eventually, Arsenal departed the squad, realizing he was not cut out for the “black-ops” style operations that the Outsiders became known for.  Naturally, the mantle of leadership fell to Dick until he left the team much for the same reasons Arsenal did.  Upon his departure, Nightwing handed the reigns of the team back to its founder – his mentor, Batman.

Jade – Jennie-Lynn Hayden
First Appearance - All-Star Squadron #25, September 1983
Active - Outsiders Volume 3 #2, September 2003
The daughter of the Golden Age Green Lantern and the criminal known as Thorn, Jade was a founding member of the second generational super team known as Infinity Inc.  Although her powers fluctuated over the years, her primary abilities resembled that of her parents – influence over plant-life and manipulation of green energy.  After briefly serving as the Green Lantern of Earth, Jade was recruited to the new Outsiders.  When in fighting between Arsenal and Nightwing threatened to tear the team apart, Jade assumed the role of leader.  Her time in this position was brief however, as not long after she died in space facing the reality-threatening manipulations of Alexander Luthor. 

Huntress – Helena Bertinelli
First Appearance - Huntress #1, April 1989
Active - Outsiders Volume 3 #8, March 2004
Born into a prominent Gotham City mafia family, Helena originally became the Huntress to avenge the murder of her parents.  Although her relationship with Batman is a tense one, she has developed closer ties to Batman’s partners, particularly Nightwing.  When Arsenal sustained critical injuries during one Outsiders mission, Helena was asked to fill his spot on the team.  Her tenure was brief, as she departed once Arsenal returned to health, resuming her role as an operative of the Birds of Prey.

Starfire – Koriand’r
First Appearance - DC Comics Presents #26, October 1980
Active - Outsiders Volume 3 #16, November 2004
An alien princess, Starfire has had a long association with the Teen Titans and romantic ties with Nightwing.  Although their romantic relationship has cooled, the two heroes remain close.  During a period when Nightwing was struggling with the death of Donna Troy and his distant personal connections with the Outsiders, Jade invited Starfire to join the team (in hopes of her helping the withdrawn Dick Grayson).  Starfire’s tenure was short however, as she was lost in space for more than a year following the events of Infinite Crisis . 

Captain Marvel Jr. – Freddy Freeman
First Appearance - Whiz Comics #25, December 1941
Active - Outsiders Volume 3 #28, November 2005
Critically injuring his spine during a battle between Captain Marvel and Captain Nazi, Freddy was brought into the Marvel Family.  Sharing abilities with Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr. has adventured alongside his adoptive family as well as part of a variety of teams and on his own.  He was briefly a member of the Outsiders when that team came into conflict with a Marvel Family rival known as Sabbac.  Feeling uncomfortable with the darker tone of the Outsiders, Freddy soon left the team.  Following the events of Infinite Crisis , Freddy is undergoing trials to succeed Billy Batson as the primary wielder of the power of Shazam.

Captain Boomerang – Owen Mercer
First Appearance - Identity Crisis #3, October 2004
Active - Outsiders Volume 3 #34, May 2006
The illegitimate son of the original Captain Boomerang, Owen has ties to both his father’s legacy as well as the Flash (he is the half-brother of the late Bart Allen).  Owen only met his father briefly before the elder Boomerang’s death, leading the young man to straddle the line between hero and villain.  Following Infinite Crisis , Boomerang was recruited into the Outsiders during a jailbreak to free the wrongly imprisoned Black Lightning.  When the team was handed over to Batman, the Dark Knight “auditioned” Boomerang for the team, leading the young man to resign, feeling he had nothing to prove.  Owen is currently a member of the Suicide Squad, last seen tracking the villains responsible for his half brother’s murder. 

The latest steps in the Outsiders' evolution have gradually been revealled over the past several months; following a crossover with Checkmate, Nightwing handed leadership of the Outsiders back to Batman.  In terms of publishing, DC is using this plot point to end the current Outsiders series with #50.  Currently, a series of one-shots under the umbrella title of Five of a Kind , are detailing Batman's auditions for his new squad - the deploying of current Outsiders members alongside potential new recruits.  Finally, DC is relaunching the book, with Batman's new team, under a familiar title - Batman and the Outsiders Volume 2 (written by Tony Bedard).

Martian Manhunter – J’onn J’onzz
First Appearance - Detective Comics #225, November 1955
Active - Outsiders: Five of a Kind – Martian Manhunter/Thunder #1, October 2007
One of the last survivors of Mars, Martian Manhunter has long been considered the soul of the Justice League of America.  Since World War III, J’onn’s telepathic merging with the tortured Black Adam has given the hero a new, darker perspective on the world.  Abandoning his “human” form for his true Martian shape, J’onn was recently “auditioned” for the Outsiders by Batman.  Selected over mainstay Thunder, J’onn will use his great strength and telepathic abilities to take on missions considered too controversial for the Justice League. 

Aquaman – Arthur Curry
First Appearance - Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #40, May 2006
Born prematurely, Arthur was subjected to an experimental serum that saved his life, but forced him to live underwater.  As a young man, he was swept out to sea where he met The Dweller of the Depths, the original Aquaman.  Taking up the mantle himself, Arthur’s origins have recently been called into question, as he learned that his father watched him die.  Although Batman rejected Aquaman for membership in the Outsiders (feeling he was not to the level of the original Aquaman), Arthur has been featured in promotional art for the upcoming Batman and the Outsiders series. 

Catwoman – Selina Kyle
First Appearance - Batman #1, Spring 1940
A street child that learned to survive by her own wits, Selina Kyle eventually adopted the identity of Catwoman and became one of Batman’s most frequent – and complicated – rivals.  As Batman and Catwoman have shared a mutual attraction over the years, the two often found themselves as opponents due to their differencing moral stances.  Recently, Catwoman has acted as more of an anti-hero, bringing the two closer.  Selina recently aided Batman during the war against the Amazons, and has appeared in promotional art for the new Batman and the Outsiders series.