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People with powers have an easy time exerting their force over on those who don’t. Tara Markov believes this is the right of all metahumans. You can see why this makes being a hero difficult, but it makes being a double agent way easier. So how does one become an earthbending traitor to heroes with the belief that might makes right? Let’s find out!

Tara Markov is the illegitimate daughter of the King of Markovia and half-sister to Prince Brion Markov, the hero Geo-Force. She would be raised and experimented on by Doctor Helga Jace, who would bring about her powers to control the earth. This powerset, along with her illegitimate status, had her exiled from Markovia. This would cause resentment in Tara and she would begin feeling that those with powers should be able to rule over those who didn’t.

She would use her powers to become a mercenary, specializing in murder for hire, which lead her to cross paths with Deathstroke the Terminator. The two would begin working together, even having a relationship, and he would talk her into joining the Teen Titans as a double agent to infiltrate their organization for him and his employer, The Hive. Spying on the Titans was easy, they were very trusting of Tara, inviting her to join their found family. This was new to her, upsetting at times, she even had to deal with the affections of fellow teammate Beast Boy, which wasn’t one hundred percent unreciprocated.

Eventually the time would come for her to betray the team and she followed through with it. As the team was locked away in the Hive, she would see Deathstroke betray her in turn, freeing the Titans, not knowing that he was possessed by his son and fellow Titan, Jericho. This caused Tara to become enraged and begin fighting Deathstroke and eventually the entire Hive. Though her Titans teammates tried to stop her, she would destroy the entire facility by caving it in on itself, herself with it.

The Titans knew she had betrayed them and realized she had been a spy the whole time, but they still gave her a statue to memorialize her and hid the truth from the general public. Tara would die a hero. During the Blackest Night, she would be revived and given a facade that made her look alive once more so she could trick the Titans. Eventually they would fight and she would be turned to stone by her brother, another Tara statue for Titans Tower.

In the New 52, Tara Markov was raised in a place called the Colony alongside Beast Boy. The two would look out for each other as they were raised to fight one another in gladiatorial battles. Eventually, the Teen Titans and Legion of Super-Heroes would help rescue them along with several other teens and they would form the Ravagers team of heroes. She and Beast Boy would begin to date and when the team is attacked by Deathstroke the Terminator, she would sacrifice herself to defend Beast Boy. This sacrifice turned out to be, in reality, a teleportation so that Deathstroke could kidnap her along with his daughter Rose.

There you have it! Tara is one of those characters who always ends up tied up with a particular villain and story arch. She is usually a betrayer to her friends/found family. She’s been in animation many times, often whenever the Teen Titans get a show. She has yet to appear in live action, whether on the big or small screen, but maybe that will change in the future. See you next time!

Suggested Reading
New Teen Titans #26
Blackest Night: Titans
The Ravagers

Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net