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The
Church of Brother Blood
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Brother Blood I
Alias: Brother Sebastian
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| NEW TEEN TITANS (second series) Annual #2 [1987]: Mother Mayhem tells the Titans the origin of Brother Blood |
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Born of Blood
The cult of Brother Blood is over 700 years old. It began when
a Christian priest named Brother Sebastian came upon what may be the prayer
shawl of Christ. Whatever it was, it gave him invulnerability and drastically
slowed his aging process. In order to gain the shawl, Sebastian had to slay
the priest that led the Crusade's armies to invade Zandia. With his dying
breath, the rebel priest cursed Sebastian, saying that the son must slay the
father before the father's 100th birthday. Ignoring the curse, Sebastian donned
the mantle and declared himself Brother Blood. It was this Brother Blood who
began the practice of bathing in blood.
There were seven Brother Bloods before the current one, who
was born in 1941. The 20th Century Blood had the benefit of an Oxford education
and extensive travels. He eventually returned to Zandia, slew his father,
and became the new Brother Blood. Under his guidance, the Church of Blood
grew to become a worldwide organization, with some members coming from prominent
national governments. Brother Blood's desire and alleged destiny has always
been to rule the world.
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| Brother Blood! From NEW TEEN TITANS #28 [1983]. |
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Bloody Titans
Blood ran afoul of the Titans when Cyborg's ex-girlfriend,
Marcy Reynolds, tried to escape the local branch of the Church of Blood. There
were several clashes with the Titans, including a campaign of false information,
set-ups and dirty tricks, engineered with the help of church member Bethany
Snow.
Snow used her job as a news reporter to offer horrendously slanted
reports about the Titans, and to turn the tide of public opinion against them.
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| The end of Brother Blood and a new calling for Azrael - from NEW TEEN TITANS (second series) #31 [1987]. |
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Brother Blood even managed to capture Dick Grayson and brainwash
him, the result causing severe personality flaws in Dick for a long period
of time. Raven was also captured by Blood and used to help in his phony "resurrection."
The as-yet-unnamed winged man was recruited as well, and told that he was
in fact Azrael, the angel that separated life and death. He, too, was used
as a prop in Blood's "resurrection."
Eventually, Blood's reach exceeded his grasp. He added the
revived Raven's powers to his own, but was defeated by the Titans, his mind
destroyed in the battle. Azrael brought the shattered Blood to a monastery,
where the would-be conqueror lived an inoffensive life, seemingly unaware
of his past actions.
Blood's mate, Mother Mayhem, pregnant with his heir, was captured
by the Wildebeest. The Titans rescued her, and the baby turned out to be a girl,
implying that Brother Sebastian's curse had finally ended.
The Resurrection of Brother Blood
Years later, Brother Blood returned to his fanatical ways.
He enacted a plan awakening sleeper agents to steal infants to amass a new
cult to raise from infancy. His plans were abruptly halted when he was slain
by a boy claiming to be the next Brother Blood! This new teenage Blood dumped
the corpse of his father into the river and assumed his new role as head of
the vicious cult.
Meanwhile, Brother Blood's followers conspired to resurrect
their leader to fulfill an ancient prophesy. Blood's acolytes summoned a new
vessel to serve as the Bride of Blood - a body occupied by the Titan known
as Raven.
These events are catalogued in Titans/Legion of Superheroes: Universe Ablaze #1-4 [2000]. This tale seems to be regarded as out-of-continuity, since future events have negated the interpretations in that series.
At some point, The Titans team battled Brother Blood in Egypt.
The events of this new ‘resurrection' remain a mystery at this time.
Nightwing and his fellow Titans (Troia, Arsenal, Tempest, Flash, Argent, Damage,
Starfire, Jesse Quick, Cyborg and Lilith) fought against Blood, who sought
to somehow siphon the Titans powers to add to his own. Blood killed half the
team, and the other half was placed in stasis in a tomb in Egypt.
In the far future, the Legion of Superheroes unearthed the Titans
and they awoke in the 30th century. At the same time, Universo and Brother
Blood teamed up in a bid to rule the universe, with Universo trying to orchestrate
events to his own advantage. The Titans and the Legion were able to defeat
the combined might of Universo and Brother Blood, while Saturn Girl and Lilith
traveled to the past in astral form.
Saturn Girl and Lilith were able to help the Titans defeat Brother
Blood in the ‘present' in Egypt. Their intervention altered the timestream,
saving the slain Titans and preventing the chain of events that led to the
Titans being put in stasis and Brother Blood's 30th century resurrection.
Thus, the heroes' memories of the Titans/Legion team-up are no more than a
foggy, half-remembered dream.
In his glory, Blood is a formidable opponent who is backed by
a massive number of fanatical followers. He is an expert manipulator who feeds
off of the faith of his members. Blood can act gentle and merciful, or be
filled with righteous indignation. He loves to gloat over his helpless captives,
and even if he is beaten, he manages to turn events to his own advantage.
It should be noted that Brother Blood is immune to Raven's soul-self
due to his shawl's powers.
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Brother Blood II
Alias: Brother Sebastian
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Blood Rising! In TEEN TITANS (third series) #11 [2004]. |
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The Eighth Devil
The seventh Brother Blood was broken by the super-powered Teen
Titans and lived life as a shepard - but such a docile existence would not
last. Brother Blood later returned to his fanatical ways; He enacted a plan
awakening sleeper agents to steal infants to amass a new cult to raise from
infancy. His plans were abruptly halted when he was slain by a boy claiming
to be the next Brother Blood! This new teenage Blood dumped the corpse of
his father into the river and assumed his new role as head of the vicious
cult.
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Brother Blood woos Raven in TEEN TITANS
(third series) #11 [2004]. |
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Meanwhile, Brother Blood's followers conspired to resurrect
their leader to fulfill an ancient prophesy. Blood's acolytes summoned a new
vessel to serve as the Bride of Blood - a body occupied by the Titan known
as Raven. Blood kidnapped Raven with the intention to wed the empath. When
the Teen Titans attempted a rescue, they also found a scripture that revealed
The Church of Blood was founded on the worship of the demon, Trigon - Raven's
father. They also learned of an ancient prophesy that told of the marriage
between Brother Blood and Raven - a marriage that would bring armageddon and
'cleanse the earth.'
Blood's attempt to wed Raven was interrupted by the Teen Titans
- along with Deathstroke and Ravager - who sought to slay Raven. Raven unleashed
a flock of demons on the cult, forcing them to flee - thus ending Blood's plan.
Titans Deceased
Blood was repelled to another dimension, where he recruited a hordes of demons as his new followers. Blood siphoned the powers of Kid Eternity, who was protecting the door between life and death. With the doors of death cracked open, Blood summoned the lost soul of Lilith Clay to serve as his latest Mother Mayhem. Once Blood created a dimensional doorway to Los Angeles, he summoned a collection of dead Titans - Hawk, Dove, Danny Chase, Aquagirl and Kole - to attack the current Titans.
Raven and Beast Boy freed Kid Eternity, who defeated Blood by summoning the previous seven Brother Bloods to descend upon him and murder him. Once Kid Eternity was freed from Blood's thrall, the dead Titans returned to their eternal rest.
New Blood
Brother Blood spent several years trapped in Hell. But when a war in Hell erupted, Blood took advantage of the confusion and escaped his demonic prison. The older and more powerful Blood attacked the Teen Titans while they were attempting to recruit new members. Brother Blood siphoned Red Devil's powers before retreating.
Blood assigns a new female follower as his "Mother Mayhem"
- until she outlives her usefulness; Upon her death, Blood blithely assigns
the 'honor' of his mother to another female follower. The true lineage of
this new Brother Blood is unknown at this time.
This Brother Blood exhibits abilities that seem to be vampiric
in nature; Blood has the ability to siphon the powers of other by draining
their blood through a bite.
Blood is a formidable opponent who is backed by a massive number
of fanatical followers. This Brother Blood is a petulant and capricious teenager
with a vicious streak. Brother Blood gains his power through the blood of
his victims; He has the ability to siphon the powers of other by draining
their blood through a bite.
Outsiders #6 [2003]: As the team attempts to shut down
Blood's global satellite-activation system before he's able to activate his
sleeper agents, an act of kindness could end the life of a hero. A new Brother
Blood assumes the role by killing the former. First appearance of Brother
Blood II.
Teen Titans [third series] #8-12 [2004]: the 5-part "Raven Rising!"
The Teen Titans seek out the Cult of Brother Blood in an attempt to learn
where Raven is being held against her will. But there's someone else on the
trail: Deathstroke and the Ravager! The Titans learn that The Church of Blood
originally worshiped Trigon and a prophesy foretells the marriage between Raven
and the Eighth Brother Blood. The team repels Blood and Raven joins the Titans
once more. Raven joins the team in issue #12.
Teen Titans [third series] #26 [2005]: Blood plots his return with the latest Mother Mayhem: Omen!
Teen Titans [third series] #30-31 [2005]: Blood returns with a zombie Omen and a horde or dead Titans. Lilith is returned to dust when Kid Eternity is freed. Kid Eternity summons the previous Brother Bloods to descend upon the current one.
Teen Titans [third series] #67 [2009]: Brother Blood - after years of demonic torture - escapes Hell and attacks the Teen Titans during their membership drive.
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Mother Mayhem
Alias: May Bennett
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May Bennett was one of the worshippers of the Church of Blood
and was chosen personally by the seventh Brother Blood to be his consort.
Blood dubbed her "Mother Mayhem" and used her as his right-hand
woman.
Mother Mayhem often went on missions for Blood, such as capturing
Raven after Trigon's defeat. Mother Mayhem never questioned Blood's orders, but became jealous when he focused much of his attention on Raven. While Blood was in power, Bennett became pregnant with his child. After The Church of Blood fell, the very-pregnant May became a target of the Wildebeest. After the Titans rescued her, May gave birth to a baby girl, Jessica.
May is currently on good terms with the Titans, especially after
they rescued her from Wildebeest.
Mother Mayhem initially believes that Brother Blood is omnipotent.
She is a hostile, cunning villainess, and is the only person besides Brother
Blood who is aware of the Church of Blood's plans and schemes. May softened
in the end, due to becoming a mother.
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First Appearance: New Teen Titans
(first series) #22
Bethany Snow, a telejournalist for WUBC News, was secretly
a member of Brother Blood's cult. Snow used her job as a news reporter to
offer horrendously slanted reports about the Titans, and to turn the tide
of public opinion against them. From the first time Brother Blood fought the
Titans, Snow used her news reports to make it appear that the Titans were
attacking Blood unprovoked.
There were several clashes with the Titans, including a campaign
of false information, setups and dirty tricks, engineered with the help of
church member Bethany Snow. Snow used her television talk show, ‘Snow
Storm', as a way to further slander the Titans and further Brother Blood's
base of power.
Eventually, Blood's reach exceeded his grasp, and his Church
fell. When that happened, it was exposed that WUBC was owned by Blood, and
Bethany Snow was a member of his cult.
Although discredited, Snow has managed to continue her career
as a newswoman.
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Twister
Alias: Theresa Zimmer
Twisted Tales
Twister was originally a girl named Theresa who was born in the small European
country of Zandia. Theresa started to believe in the teachings of the Church
of Blood, which dominated Zandia and which was headed by the sinister Brother
Blood. Meeting Brother Blood himself, Theresa fell under his influence and
became convinced he loved her. But in fact, Blood regarded her as a potential
subject for experimentation.
Brother Blood continually sought to find new means of controlling people.
The experiments conducted upon Theresa were intended to give her superpowers
that would help Blood control others through her. One result of the experiments
was to give Theresa the psionic power to induce hallucinations in others.
However, the surgical techniques to which Theresa was subjected also horribly
distorted her facial features. Moreover, the experiments also distorted her
mind.
Twister, who is now about eighteen, still loved Brother Blood and claimed
to approve of her transformation into the super-powered Twister. When the
Teen Titans invaded Zandia shortly before Blood's supposed "resurrection"
was staged for television, Twister volunteered to contact the second Brotherhood
of Evil to ask them to help battle the Titans.
Twister first battled the Titans herself on her way to find the Brotherhood.
She found the Brotherhood in Japan and succeeded in enlisting their aid -
During a battle between the Brotherhood and some of the Titans in Zandia,
the Titan Cyborg was injured Twister found Cyborg being helped by her family,
who recognized her as Theresa. Twister became confused when her mother told
her her family loved her, since Blood had convinced Twister that only he loved
her.
Cyborg escaped, and several of the Titans attacked Twister and members of
the Brotherhood. These Brotherhood members were defeated, but Twister got
away after using her powers on the Titans.
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| Twisted is recruited into the Suicide Squad in SUICIDE SQUAD #5 [2007]. |
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Twisted Sister
Once realizing Brother Blood was a false prophet, Theresa was taken in by the cloistered sisters of the Rose of God. Changing her name to Sister Mary Ignatius, Twister thought he had found solace at last. But Twister accidently unleashed her powers on the unsuspecting nuns, causing them to kill themselves.
After this unfortunate incident, Theresa was drafted by Amanda Waller to serve in her government sponsored Suicide Squad. The Squad became tangled in a power struggle between Amanda Waller and General Wade Eiling. Twister paid the ultimate price when The White Dragon mercilessly slaughtered her.
Twister has the psionic power to induce horrifying hallucinations in the
minds of others. Ordinarily she does so by making eye contact with her victim.
Unable to affect Cyborg through his mechanical eye, she instead induced hallucinations
in him by holding onto his metal arm.
New Teen Titans (second series) #26-27 [1986]: With the help
of a villainess called Twister, the leaders of Zandia recruit the New Brotherhood
of Evil to stop the Titans from entering their country.
Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag #5 [2007]: After unintentionally killing a group of nuns, Twister is recruited into the Suicide Squad.
Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag #8 [2007]: Who really leads the Squad? The surviving Squad members make a final bid to salvage Operation Scarlet Tears as the rudderless Chemo blasts blindly through a strategic center in the Middle East! Death of Twister.
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Creating Brother Blood
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A 2002 commission of Brother Blood by George Pérez,
courtesy of Michael. |
Marv Wolfman on Brother Blood [from The Titans Companion, 2005]
TTC: Just before your third year on the Titans, you started to take on social issues, starting with the Brother Blood storyline, where you wrote about religious cults.
MW: Actually, I think we can go back to the very first Titans story Len [Wein] and I did, where we were preaching that the whole world should be a lot friendlier towards each other, and don’t be angry at Starfire because he’s Russian. I’ve always been involved with that sort of material. Then in the New Teen Titans, George and I did the “Runaways” stories [and] the Brother Blood stuff, so that’s always been in my background, to do socially relevant stories, because that’s where I stand politically.
TTC: And Bob Haney used to have social messages in his stories, too.
MW: Oh, yeah. Comics used to. Comics did that quite often, and I grew up as very much a New York liberal, and I believed in stories [like that]. If there was a problem with the original “Jericho” story, it’s that we were trying to save the planet with a comic book story, as opposed to telling a good story first. I learned that pretty quickly. So any of the stories we did in the future, when they were socially relevant, were a good story first.
TTC: Where did you get your inspiration for Brother Blood as a character?
MW: I wish I knew. That’s lost in time. It came out of my horror stuff, all the material I did for years on Dracula, but where he came from specifically, I don’t know. He has one of the best origins of any of my villains. There’s a story [I did] with Jim Baikie [New Teen Titans Annual Vol. 2 # 2 - Ed.] that I thought was a fairly complex origin for a villain, and aside from Deathstroke that George and I did, that was the best origin, I thought.
TTC: There were obvious shades of Jonestown in your Brother Blood stories. Was there any concern about handling a topic like that in a comic?
MW: No; nobody said, “Boo,” to me.
TTC: You also touched upon the topic of “truth in media” with the character of Bethany Snow. Is that a theme which interests you as an author?
MW: It interested me as a person, because I had been doing a lot of interviews for various reasons with the press, and invariably they got it all wrong. Each time you do an interview, or you read something on comics - back then, certainly - you realized that the reporter probably did a real interview and then wrote whatever they sort of maybe remembered. If they screw up the little things, the unimportant things, you’re pretty quick to be aware that they probably screw up the major stuff, too, so I’ve always had a very harsh criticism of the way the press operates, because I don’t think that they are accurate to the degree that they need to be.
George Pérez on Brother Blood [from The Titans Companion, 2005]
TTC: How about Brother Blood?
GP: Brother Blood. Now that was something that Marv did a wonderful job [on]. He wanted to do something with the cults. In hindsight, my biggest [mistake] in designing Brother Blood was even though everyone liked the design, I said, “Isn’t he a little too obviously villainous looking for people to be following him as a cult? Shouldn’t he look a little more benign in order to make him acceptable to the modern media on first glance?” He comes off as, “Oh yes, I’m a devil. Worship me!” and I’m glad that my second interpretation of his mask didn’t last long. I worsened the sin by giving him a skull that looked even more demonic on his head, but I liked the stories. I thought Marv was great.
It fed to my rebelliousness towards my Catholic upbringing a bit, too, with Mother Mayhem and all the nun-like characters there playing to my anxieties as a graduate, or survivor, of the Catholic high school system. So it was a lot of fun. Marv liked to deal with issues. Also, I believe it was one of the first times that the Titans own religious backgrounds were dealt with, with the exception of Raven. Most of them, you had no idea what their religious affiliations were, so having them deal with religion and their own doubts - I believe there was a conversation between Dick and Wally regarding that - was also a fun thing to explore. Again, playing up to Marv’s strengths in characterization.
I think if I were to do it now, I would’ve gone a little more subtle with Brother Blood, and part of it’s because Romeo and I were starting to diverge in styles. We weren’t working as well together stylistically. I would have gone a little darker in how I drew the entire book, but still, it’s a book that’s very fondly remembered by a lot of people, and Brother Blood became rather a strong character who would return later, even after I left the series. It did explore stuff that was fun to do.
The above excerpt is from The Titans Companion by Twomorrows Publishing.
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the New Teen Titans, The Titans Companion is a comprehensive look at the history of the ultimate teen team - over 200 pages in all! From their early days in the 1960s as a team of teen sidekicks through their best-selling days in the 1980s and beyond, this book explores the history of the team through the eyes of its creators! Interviews with Marv Wolfman, George Pérez, Nick Cardy, Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, and others reveal the evolution of the series over the years. While artwork by Cardy, Pérez, Adams, Garcia-Lopez, and many more illustrates each era of Titans history! To order the book, click here .
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New Teen Titans #21-22 [1982]: After Marcy Reynolds is
gunned down while trying to escape from the Church of Blood, Robin, Kid Flash,
Raven and Wonder Girl, in their civilian identities, infiltrate the church
and are discovered; Raven's soul-self is temporarily shattered when she tries
to envelop Brother Blood, who escapes; The Titans rescue their captured members
but are made to look like the aggressors by WUBS reporter and covert Church
of Blood member, Bethany Snow. Death of Marcy Reynolds in issue #21. First
appearance of Brother Blood, Mother Mayhem and the Church of Blood in issue
#21. First appearance of Bethany Snow in issue #22.
New Teen Titans #40-41 [1984]: Brother Blood rises from his pool in
Zandia; The Titans appear on Snow Storm in order to convince the American
people not to let their politicians ship arms to Zandia; Dick travels incognito
to Zandia, joins the Church of Blood, and is brainwashed by Brother Blood;
The Titans arrive only to be defeated and captured by Brother Blood. Raven's
soul-self is injured when she tries to envelop Brother Blood; Terra's powers
free the Titans, but they are recaptured; Zandian President Marko's troops
close in on the Church of Blood; Brother Blood tries to force Dick Grayson
to activate the laser cannon that will destroy his teammates, but Dick cannot
kill his friends; Brother Blood apparently dies when the laser cannon falls
on him.
New Teen Titans (second series) #12 [1985]: When Dick Grayson
sees the ghost of a young girl in his apartment building, the Titans work
to solve the mystery while Mother Mayhem meets with the Winged Man and tells
him that he is actually Azrael, the angel that separates life and death.
New Teen Titans (second series) Annual #2 [1987]: Mother Mayhem
tells the Titans the origin of Brother Blood and asks that they not interfere
with Blood's destiny, which is to be killed by his son, whom Mother Mayhem
believes she is carrying.
New Teen Titans (second series) #26 [1986]: Mother Mayhem uses
the media to hype the upcoming resurrection of Brother Blood: Nightwing and
Raven are brainwashed and shown anxiously awaiting the rebirth of Brother
Blood; The Titans opt to go after Raven and Nightwing, and Mento is angered
that they are ignoring him; The Hybrid convinces Mento to let Aqualad live;
The Titans, with Starfire and Jason Todd back with the team, head to Zandia
to learn at which Church of Blood Nightwing and Raven are being held; With
the help of a villainess called Twister, the leaders of Zandia recruit the
New Brotherhood of Evil to stop the Titans from entering their country.
New Teen Titans (second series) #27 [1987]: The Titans battle
the Brotherhood of Evil and Twister, and Jericho is captured and tortured
by the villains; While Wonder Girl rescues Jericho and Cyborg taps into the
Church of Blood's computer, Monsieur Mallah places the Brain in Brother Blood's
pool in order to renew his life; The Zandian Church of Blood blows up due
to Cyborg's tampering
New Teen Titans (second series) #28-31 [1987]: Azrael is the
opening act for Brother Blood's resurrection; Frances Kane arrives at Titans'
Tower just before the Titans head for the Church of Blood in Washington D.C.,
where Nightwing and Raven are being held; Robotman and Jason Todd join the
Titans for this case. Brother Blood, his acolytes and a brainwashed Raven
battle, defeat and capture the Titans; Meanwhile, Frances Kane recruits several
heroes to aid her in a rescue attempt. Brother Blood is channeling the emotions
of his followers through Raven; A jealous Mother Mayhem wants Brother Blood
dead; Raven returns to normal and attacks Brother Blood with all her might;
Azrael saves Brother Blood from certain death and flies him to a monastery
in Virginia; Starfire wants everything between Dick and herself to be the
same as it was before her marriage to Prince Karras: Dick does not think this
is possible. Brother Blood defeated in issue #31. Azrael finds a new calling
as his 'caretaker' in issue #31.
New Teen Titans (second series) #41-42 [1988]: Wildebeest
attacks S.T.A.R. Labs and captures Mother Mayhem, who is soon to give birth
to Brother Blood's heir; The Titans arrive in time to bring Mother Mayhem
to the hospital, where she gives birth to a girl, seemingly ending the Brother
Blood curse.
Titans/Legion of Superheroes: Universe Ablaze #1-4 [2000]: DC's two
premiere super-teams meet for the first time in a deluxe mini-series written
and drawn by Dan Jurgens, with Phil Jimenez providing finished art. The series
brought the Titans to the future, where they battled Brother Blood, Universo
and Blackfire.
Outsiders #6 [2003]: As the team attempts to shut down Blood's global satellite-activation system before he's able to activate his sleeper agents, an act of kindness could end the life of a hero. A new Brother Blood assumes the role by killing the former. First appearance of Brother Blood II.
Teen Titans [third series] #8-12 [2004]: the 5-part "Raven Rising!" The Teen Titans seek out the Cult of Brother Blood in an attempt to learn where Raven is being held against her will. But there's someone else on the trail: Deathstroke and the Ravager! The Titans learn that The Church of Blood originally worshiped Trigon and a prophesy foretells the marriage between Raven and the Eighth Brother Blood. The team repels Blood and Raven joins the Titans once more. Raven joins the team in issue #12.
Teen Titans [third series] #26 [2005]:Blood plots his return with the latest Mother Mayhem: Omen!
Teen Titans [third series] #30-31 [2005]: Blood returns with a zombie Omen and a horde or dead Titans. Lilith is returned to dust when Kid Eternity is freed. Kid Eternity summons the previous Brother Bloods to descend upon the current one.
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