An Underrated DC Villain Is Gunning for One of the Justice League’s Strongest Heroes

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One of DC’s most underrated and overpowered villains has his sights set on turning a supernatural powerhouse against her own teammates.

After being bombarded by her own worst insecurities and perceived slights on the part of her fellow Justice Leaguers in the pages of Titans #19, Caitlin Snow, better known as Killer Frost, makes a shocking heel turn. Before she can turn an entire city into a solid ice sculpture, the Titans manage to take Killer Frost down, though not without some stumbling on the part of the still emotionally fragile Raven. Of course, this is precisely what the villainous Psycho-Pirate was hoping to accomplish, and now that he has seen what a delicate state Raven is in, he knows full well that she is ready to become his next unwitting victim.

Written by JOHN LAYMAN

Art by SERG ACUÑA

Colors by MATT HERMS

Letters by WES ABBOTT

Main cover art by PETE WOODS

Variant covers by DAVID BALDEÓN & RAIN BEREDO and KARL KERSCHL

The mantle of Psycho-Pirate is one that has existed since the Golden Age of comics, yet the original iteration of the character is far from the best known version. Instead, that overwhelming sense of popularity falls on Roger Hayden, the second Psycho-Pirate, who made his debut all the way back in 1965’s Showcase #56 by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson. Wielding the fabled Medusa Mask, Hayden is capable of manipulating and even outright controlling the emotions of others, turning friend into foe and driving ordinary civilians to commit unspeakable acts with little to no effort whatsoever.

While Psycho-Pirate’s powers make him a formidable threat, they are hardly the most intriguing aspect of his character. Rather than being another otherwise ordinary supervillain, Psycho-Pirate is one of the few beings in the entire Multiverse who can accurately recall previous incarnations of reality. It was during 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths when the Psycho-Pirate was “unstuck” from reality as a whole. As such, the villain was given a unique perspective from which he could follow along as the universe was remade throughout events such as Flashpoint and the many Crises that have struck the DC Universe, whereas others have simply had their lives start anew without any idea what was happening.

Rachel Roth, aka Raven, has long been the supernatural powerhouse of the Titans, yet the past year has upended her life in ways that continue to have a lasting impact on her psychological and emotional state. Just prior to Amanda Waller’s war on the world’s heroes, the malevolent Dark Raven persona which was imprisoned by the primary Raven broke free, eventually stepping into the role of Waller’s very own Doctor Hate. Fortunately, Raven was able to come to terms with her other half, leading the two to reunite as one single entity. This gave Raven the power and clarity to once again push back the demonic threats posed by her family, although it has also left Raven at the mercy of her empathic abilities rather than in control of them.

Titans #19 is on sale now from DC Comics.

Source: DC Comics

“}]] One of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe is about to lose everything to one of the most obscure and underrated villains of all time.  Read More