Issue 144 - Terra

Capes On the Couch - Where Comics Get Counseling

• Intro
• Background (0:57)
• • Terra created by Marv Wolfman & George Perez in New Teen Titans #26 (Dec. 1982)
  • Tara Markov is the illegitimate child of Viktor Markov, the king of Markovia
  • She was experimented on and gained the ability to control earthen matter
  • Unlike her brother Geo-Force, she believed her abilities made her a god, and she was meant to rule over people - this, coupled with the scandal of her parentage, caused her father to send her out of the country to the US
  • Used her powers as a mercenary, eventually gaining the attention of Deathstroke, who took her under his wing
  • Used her to infiltrate the Teen Titans, even going so far as to battle him to earn their trust
  • After Deathstroke captured them, his son Jericho possessed him to free the Titans - this caused Terra to think he turned on her, and she pulled down the entire building in a fit of rage, seemingly killing herself
  • Returns as a Black Lantern during Blackest Night - tries to seduce Beast Boy, and lies to her brother Geo-Force that she doesn’t want to be reanimated
  • A doppleganger later appeared - she was an alien sent to Earth and genetically manipulated to appear as the reincarnation of Tara, but the process erased her memory
  • A new Terra named Atlee shows up in the New 52 as an ally of Supergirl and later Power Girl

• Issues - theme of manipulation (5:55)
• • How her sociopathy relates to actual antisocial personality disorder
  • Rejected by her father because of the nature of her parentage (13:44)
  • Manipulated by Deathstroke to be his pawn (21:50)
• Break
• • Plugs for BetterHelp, Harpy Hour, and Saladin Ahmed
• Treatment (32:57)
• • In-universe - Use clay as a metaphor during play therapy treatment session
  • Out of universe - Volatile & BPD issues (40:37)
• Skit (feat. Erin from Girls Talk Comics) (47:15)
• • Doc: Hello Tara, I’m Dr. Issues.
  • Terra: *cheerily* Hiiii
  • D: Ooooookay…um, what brings you to
  • T: *interrupts* What? Just because I greeted you with a smile and I’m happy makes you suspicious? You need to get over yourself.
  • D: *pause* Not at all! I just got thrown off because usually the people that seek my guidance are exactly the opposite…or more neutral. I should also inform you that I have several quirks that lead some people to think I’m reading more into what they’re saying than I am.
  • T: But you’re a psychiatrist. Your job is to read people. That’s my job too, just for different reasons.
  • D: I see. Care to elaborate?
  • T: Nope.
  • D: *pause*
  • T: This is where you dig into what I really mean.
  • D: You gave a very clear answer. If that’s all, then
  • T: WAIT WAIT WAIT What is this? ***What the fuck IS THIS?*** You just give up on someone the second they show a little resistance? You’re…weird. Are you a loser? Are you fascinating? I don’t know which.
  • D: So how will you find out? Hurl more insults? Honestly, I haven’t had someone so reactive in a bit. I’m chill, so you do you.
  • T: ***THIS IS BULLSHIT*** You’re supposed to comfort me to calm me down, not be all passive aggressive! Are you sure you’re a psychiatrist? What am I even doing here?
  • D: It’s clear that you have some trouble managing anger when you don’t run the show. I’m trying to strike that balance…but the fulcrum on your conversations makes every sentence a catapult! Who does the best job navigating this out of anyone you know?
  • T: Two of them…and in different ways.
  • D: How so?
  • T: The first…if I talk about him, you’re dead, so I won’t. He was easy because he gave a job. Purpose. I did it perfectly. And he crushed our trust so I crushed everything around me. The other…ohhhhhhh…he’s an animal…ANY animal…complete opposite. So much fun I’d do anything for that boy.
  • D: To summarize, the first practical, the other whimsical. That means you have the potential to connect with a full spectrum of people. Perhaps blending a team
  • T: *Interrupts* NO
  • D: *pause* A support group.
  • T: Better.
  • D: I have to acknowledge that your reactivity made benefit from med
  • T: *interrupts* People putting things in my body is what made me go crazy! STOP! NO MORE! *rumble sound effects*
  • D: I’m not going to yell back. I’m not forcing anything, unless you demonstrate a danger, so please, let’s keep this civil. Neither of us need to deal with damage to this office. *sotte voce* And my insurance company is gonna drop me if I file one more claim like this.
  • T: I’ve had enough of this. You claim to be this super calm doctor and have all of my problems figured out, but you don’t know a thing about me. You have a great life. You never had to build trust and break it, and have it broken on you, over and over again! You never got so enraged you basically killed yourself! You didn’t find the love of your life and have to throw yourself at them just to get a kiss! Tell me, how would you handle that? How would you be in my shoes?
  • D: I’d probably freak out a bit. I’d have intense emotions, and I don’t know how or when they’d overwhelm me. For all I know, I’d react similarly to you, because I’m a living, breathing human and nobody deserves to be put through pain. But pain exists. Channel it. Do something different. Otherwise, you’re just going to spread pain to everyone else.
  • T: *groans and screams* I AM OUT OF HERE. You’re lucky your office isn’t a pile of rubble right now. Think about THAT! ***Fucking obnoxious prick!*** *door slams*
  • D: *sigh* *whispers* 5-4-3-2-
  • T: *door opens* AND THE NEXT SESSION I’LL TALK ABOUT DEATHSTROKE SO HE CAN KILL YOU. *switches to cheery* Thursday afternoons work the best, byeeee!
• Ending (51:35)
• • Recommended reading: Teen Titans: The Judas Contract
  • Next episodes: Ben Grimm, Alex Summers, Echo
  • Plugs for social

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