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Lilith/Omen
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| Alias: Lilith Clay |
Titans Member
Joined: Teen Titans (first series) #25 [1970] |
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| Lilith/Omen Quick Bio: Lilith Clay - a mysterious precognitive telepath - long sought the truth behind her own parentage. Lilith later discovered her father was none other than Titans mentor, Loren Jupiter. Upon meeting her mysterious mother, Lilith's powers intensified and she adopted the persona of Omen. Tragically, Lilith was later killed in battle. |
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note: some images in the gallery
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Lilith's origin is recounted in the classic TEEN TITANS #38 [1972].
The "red haired woman" was later revealed as a nurse, not Lilith's true mum. |
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Lilith meets the Titans at the Canary Cottage Disco in TEEN TITANS #25 [1970]. |
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One of Lilith's trademark trances, from
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #94 [1971]. |
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Lilith helps form Titans West in
TEEN TITANS (first series) #50 [1976]. |
EXTRA-SENSORY RECEPTION
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Using the mystical rings of Azar,
Lilith helps the Titans defeat Trigon the Terrible in NEW TEEN TITANS (second series) #1-5 [1984]. |
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Azrael sweeps Lilith off her feet - from
NEW TEEN TITANS (second series) #7 [1985]. |
BAD OMENS
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Lilith reveals herself as Omen!
From TEEN TITANS (second series) #15 [1997]. |
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And you think your family is dysfunctional?
The Jupiters have an impromptu therapy session in TEEN TITANS #15 [1997]. |
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Ever the mystery woman, the Titans still don't get the complete story...
from TEEN TITANS (second series) #16 [1997] |
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Lilith is brutally slain by a rogue Superman android in THE TITANS/YOUNG JUSTICE: GRADUATION DAY #2 [2003]. |
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The Teenager From Nowhere
Lilith Clay is the daughter of wealthy philanthropist, Loren Jupiter, and an unnamed mother of vast extra-sensory abilities. Lilith was abandoned as an infant for reasons that remain a mystery, her own father unaware of her existence. Adopted by kindly Mr. and Mrs. Will Clay, Lilith was told she was left by her mother due to difficulties with her father. She later found out that her nurse was the one who dropped her off at the Kentucky orphanage, which only added to the layers of mystery that would continue to surround the free-spirited redhead.
At age thirteen, Lilith's mental powers began to manifest themselves. She read her foster parents' minds and discovered she was adopted. Upon learning this, Lilith set out to find her true parents. At age sixteen, she left home and embarked on a journey to find her true origins. Lilith encountered many dead ends, but also became the object of scorn. Many people grew fearful of her powers and accused her of being a witch due to her extra-sensory abilities.
Her travels eventually took her to New York, where she took a job as a go-go dancer at the Canary Cottage disco. It was also during this time that she encountered wealthy philanthropist Mr. Jupiter and began to aid his cause. The well-meaning billionaire had started a secret government-sponsored training project for teenagers in an effort to help create a better world. Lilith joined him, both unaware of their true relationship as father-daughter.
On one occasion, when the Titans were relaxing in the disco in their civilian guises, Lilith approached them and asked to join the Teen Titans. Lilith also warned them of an upcoming incident involving pacifist Arthur Swenson. The Titans were initially mistrustful, but Lilith's premonition came to pass, and the Teen Titans were unable to prevent Arthur Swenson's death. Feeling ashamed, The Teen Titans encountered Lilith again. She introduced them to Loren Jupiter, who invited the teens to abandon their superhero guises and join his project. The Titans, with Lilith as a new member, accepted Jupiter's offer.
Getting Good Vibes
Lilith’s cryptic premonitions and spooky trances at first had an unnerving effect of her teammates. They even misinterpreted her natural air of mystery as cold heartedness. But the Titans soon discovered that underneath Lilith’s mod-mystic exterior lay a free-spirited and sensitive soul.
On one of their first missions, the Teen Titans encountered Haze, a bitter teen with mind-altering abilities. Haze forced the Teen Titans to think they were under attack by their disapproving mentors. But the Titans broke through Haze’s powerful illusions and exposed his true identity as Jarrod Jupiter, the long-lost son of their benevolent mentor. Feeling utterly abandoned by his father, Jarrod’s subsequent outburst seemingly led to his own death. Believing the event proved too traumatic for the young heroes, Loren Jupiter used Lilith’s mental powers to erase the incident from the minds of the Teen Titans.
After a series of adventures both super-heroic and supernatural, this incarnation of the Titans disbanded, as members elected to pursue school and other interests. Loren Jupiter closed shop on his youth program, prompting Lilith’s move to the West Coast. But when Mr. Esper used his Mental helmet to cause disasters in California, Lilith helped organize a West Coast branch of the Teen Titans to stop him. Dubbed Titans West, its members included Lilith, Beast Boy, Golden Eagle, Flamebird, Hawk and Dove. The crisis united Titans West with the just-reorganized East Coast Teen Titans, as both teams defeated Mr. Esper, who was causing double damage in New York as Captain Calamity.
Titans West had heart - but did not have a headquarters, nor much of any official structure. After being rebuffed by Robin, Hawk decided that he himself would lead the team. But the group folded soon afterward due to Hawk's inability as leader.
During her time as a Teen Titan, Lilith found herself the object of affection of several male suitors. Kid Flash considered a relationship with the beautiful redhead, but ultimately never acted on his impulses. Lilith did find love with a confused, time-displaced caveman named Gnarrk. Seeing through his savage facade, Lilith established a psychic rapport and discovered a quiet beauty beneath the beast. Tragically, Gnarrk was poked and prodded by S.T.A.R. Labs, which eventually led to his mysterious death. Lilith also dated Dove during her tenure with Titans West, as both youths shared similar ideologies regarding world peace.
Extra Sensory Reception
Lilith was reunited with her old friends when she served as bridesmaid to close friend and Titans teammate, Donna Troy. Following Donna’s wedding, Lilith remained in New York and assisted the new Teen Titans on several cases. In one instance, Lilith encountered a mysterious winged alien (later known as Azrael) under observation at S.T.A.R. Labs. Unthawed from a block of ice, the ardent alien fell in love with Lilith at first sight and spirited her away. Lilith was intrigued by the extraterrestrial, and ultimately allowed him to escape.
Lilith later helped the Titans search for the vanished Raven, who had been corrupted by Trigon’s demonic influence. Trigon defeated the Titans and opened a gateway to his ravaged home universe, intending to recreate it on Earth. Using Azar’s rings, Lilith combined its energies with her own sensory abilities and transformed Raven into an angelic pure-white entity that conclusively eradicated Trigon.
Following this world-threatening event, Lilith left the Titans to continue the search for her parents. She bade farewell to a heart-broken Azrael, who later found solace in the Church of Brother Blood. During her quest, Lilith emerged to help her friends when her extra-sensory talents were required. Specifically, she helped Dick Grayson break through the Gargoyle’s mental manipulations, and later, aided Troia and Wonder Woman during the War of the Gods.
Omens and Aliens
After years of searching, Lilith’s origin odyssey came to a conclusion, although the details of this discovery remain murky. Lilith met her enigmatic mother, whose identity is still a mystery. According to Lilith, her mother told her Loren Jupiter was her biological father, as this “unique and private woman” helped the gifted telepath unlock latent supernaturalistic abilities, including teleportation and enhanced mystical perception. Lilith emerged from this training with amazing arcane awareness and adopted a new guise as the veiled Omen. In light of this awakening experience, Lilith sought out her father.
Loren Jupiter had since relocated to Metropolis, and now concentrated his concerns on a looming alien invasion by the dreaded H’San Natall. Some seventeen years earlier, the evil extraterrestrial race created a breeding experiment that left a handful of super-powered sleeper agents on Earth. With Omen’s mystical guidance, Jupiter located four of the half-breeds and disrupted their nascent programming. Argent, Risk, Joto and Prysm – joined by the de-aged Atom – formed the newest group of Teen Titans with Jupiter once again acting as the team’s benefactor.
Under the concealing cloak of Omen, Lilith continued to hide her identity by magically distorting her voice, for reasons that remain her own. But soon, Haze resurfaced and kidnapped Omen, using his half-sister’s psychic abilities to amplify his own impressive mental manifestations. This deadly development led Loren Jupiter to call upon his former charges – now Nightwing, Arsenal, Flash and Tempest – to stop his super-powered son. With their erased memories of Jarrod Jupiter restored, the foursome teamed up with Atom’s Teen Titans to overcome their own insecurities and break Haze’s mind-altering manipulations. At this time, Lilith’s identity as Omen was revealed to her former friends and new colleagues, as was her familial connection to Mr. Jupiter.
In the wake of this encounter, the Titan Joto was believed dead while Jarrod suffered a complete mental breakdown. A crestfallen Loren Jupiter disbanded the team, but the Teen Titans soldiered on without the billionaire’s funding. Lilith and Jupiter later saved the reorganized Titans from the horrid H’San Natall, ending the conflict once and for all while also reviving the fallen Joto. At this juncture, the young heroes’ dedication to the team collectively wavered, and this particular incarnation of the Teen Titans folded.
Bad Omens
Before Lilith resumed her life, she was abducted by Vandal Savage, an immortal villain who sought to take down the newly-reorganized Titans. Forced to submit, Lilith reluctantly helped Savage track down a group of suitable Titans adversaries, a team collectively known as Tartarus. Tempest eventually learned of Lilith's capture and led a team of Titans to rescue her. During the rescue attempt, Tartarus battled the Titans but collapsed upon itself due to each member having a different agenda. Lilith secretly did this purposely, choosing members who wouldn't work well as a team.
Lilith hung up her Omen robes and returned a more familiar, down-to-earth bohemian style that suited her sensibilities. She assisted the Titans in counseling the D.E.O. orphans, who suffered post-traumatic stress after the death of one of their own. Lilith also helped the team unravel the motivations of the alien collective known as The Consensus.
A short time later, Lilith was murdered by a rogue Superman android, which had been awakened by Brainiac’s distant ancestor, Indigo. Inexplicably caught by surprise, the telepath had her neck snapped by the robotic Man of Steel, killing her instantly. Loren Jupiter was left to mourn the loss of his daughter in a small ceremony attended by close family and friends.
Mother Mayhem
Repelled to another realm by Raven, the newest Brother Blood planned his next strike with the hordes of demons he encountered. Blood siphoned the powers of Kid Eternity, who was protecting the door between life and death. With this door 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 conjured 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 calling forth the previous seven Brother Bloods to descend upon him. Once Kid Eternity was freed from Blood's thrall, the dead Titans - including Lilith - returned to their eternal rest.
Lilith/Omen has various mental abilities that include precognition, limited telepathy, and other sensory powers. She also has the ability of teleportation, as well as other psychic/mystical abilities that have yet to be cataloged.
Lilith started out as a precog, able to predict future events with some accuracy, but as she has matured into Omen, her abilities have grown to mind-reading to the extent that she absorbs a part of a person's psyche. An imprint of those she meets is left with her, so she becomes a psychic reflection of them. What this has done to her own personality has yet to be fully studied. How this has allowed her a teleportation power is also unknown. Simply, an air of mystery remains Lilith's greatest power.
, DC Secret Files, supplemented by titanstower.com
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Teen Titans #25 [1970]: The Teen Titans meet Lilith and are soon framed for killing Dr. Arthur Swenson, a famous philanthropist and pacifist; After being reprimanded for their part in the killing by their Justice League mentors, the young heroes are recruited, through Lilith, by Mr. Jupiter, one of the world's richest men and the financier of a secret government-sponsored training project for teenagers. First appearance of Lilith and Mr. Jupiter. Lilith, Hawk and Dove join the Titans.
Teen Titans #33 [1971]: Gnarrk becomes a part-time member of the Teen Titans, learns the Teen Titans' secret identities, and begins a romance with Lilith in this story.
Teen Titans #36, 38, 41, 43 [1972-1973] These issues feature solo Lilith stories where she searches her past - see below for more info.
Teen Titans #50-52 [1976]: Titans West, comprised of Golden Eagle, Flamebird, Hawk, Dove and Beast Boy, is formed by Lilith; Captain Calamity/Mr. Esper battles the two Titan groups; Lilith and her "Titans West" group, including Gnarrk, rescue victims of more incredible disasters, and discover a connection between these events and the crimes of Captain Calamity on the East Coast. Lilith and Gnarrk revealed to be engaged. First appearance of Titans West in issue #50.
Tales of the Teen Titans #50 [1985]: Donna Troy and Terry Long wed this issue. Appearances by just about every Titan, past and present.
Tales of the Teen Titans #53 [1985]: Lilith and the Titans then return to STAR Labs, where the precognitive Titan inexplicably begins to radiate heat and frees the amnesiac winged alien from the testing equipment of the resident scientists. Holding off her teammates with her new powers, Lilith allows the extraterrestrial to escape.
New Teen Titans (second series) #7-10 [1985]: After a series of strange manifestations of flames and dreams, Lilith discovers her true origin as the daughter of Thia, renegade member of the legendary Titans (the predecessors of the Olympian gods). First appearance of Thia in issue #7. First appearance of Kole in issue #9. First appearance of Children of the Sun in issue #9. Thia and Hyperion die in issue #9. Lilith is proclaimed a goddess and leaves the Titans in issue #10. The events of this issue have been negated by the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Secret Origins Annual #3 [1989]: Dick Grayson's dream are invaded by the Antithesis, who seeks to break Dick's spirit so that he will remain in Limbo; Dick survives with the help of old and new Titans alike. The Special gives a post-Crisis history of the Titans, including some revamps and revisions. Includes: First Appearance of Flame-Bird (Post-Crisis ret-con of Bat-Girl); First Appearance of Herald (Post Crisis Ret-con of Hornblower and Guardian); First Appearance of Golden Eagle's new costume; Includes Who's Who entries for Flamebird, Golden Eagle, Bumblebee, The Herald, Antithesis, and Gargoyle.
New Titans #56 [1989]: Mal Duncan and Karen Beecher recall an old Titans case from the past. Based on psychic flashes from Lilith, the Teen Titans travel to Southeast Asia, where they eventually find Gnarrk, still encased in ice. He was psychically calling out to Lilith - who responded. Although Lilith was dating Don Hall (Dove) at the time, she nonetheless found herself attracted to the gentle soul. The Titans brought Gnarrk back to S.T.A.R. Labs. It was established that Gnarrk was dying; the S.T.A.R. scientists wanted to dissect him, but the Titans prevented them from doing so until he died. Lilith used her powers to establish a mental rapport with Gnarrk before he died. First appearance of Gnarrk post-Crisis.
Teen Titans #12-15 [1997]: "Then and Now: Parts One-Four": Nightwing gathers his old teammates to help find their former mentor, Mr. Jupiter, and the missing Omen, which leads to a confrontation with Haze. Omen's identity is revealed as Lilith, as is her connection to Mr. Jupiter [her father] and the wicked Haze [her half-brother]. Issue #12 features a never-before-revealed flashback tale involving Haze [First Appearance of Jarrod Jupiter, Loren Jupiter's son; First Appearance of Haze]. In Issue #15: Omen is revealed to be Lilith. Lilith is revealed as the daughter of Loren Jupiter.
Titans #14 [2000]: Still picking up the pieces from their face-off against the super-villain group Tartarus, the Titans head to Scotland to save Lilith (Omen) from the clutches of the villains.
The Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day #1-3 [2003]: The fate of two teams is decided in this thrilling 3-issue miniseries! A mysterious conglomerate offers to sponsor the Titans and Young Justice, but will either team take the offer? Before they can decide, Indigo, a mysterious, cyborg girl from the future, attacks and seriously wounds several of the two teams' members... perhaps fatally! Apparent Death of Lilith in issue #2. Apparent Death of Troia in issue #3.
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.
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Crisis Conundrums
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This returns to claim her daughter Lilith in NEW TEEN TITANS (second series) #7 [1985]. |
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Lilith learns her origin in NEW TEEN TITANS (second series) #8 [1985]. |
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In 1985, DC Comics attempted to streamline and modernize their characters with the Crisis On Infinite Earths. Within the 12-issue mini-series, time and space twisted, forever altering the histories of various heroes in its wake. This gave DC an opportunity to go back and revise some of the more out-dated elements of the DC Universe - but it also introduced a host of unforeseen continuity problems.
Many Titans characters had their origins and histories altered. Most notably, Donna Troy, Dick Grayson, Lilith Clay, Mal Duncan, Duela Dent, Gnarrk, Betty (Bette) Kane, Charley Parker and Kole. In 1989, Secret Origins Annual #3 detailed the Post-Crisis history of the Teen Titans, which has remained more or less intact since then. In the same year, New Titans #50-55 told Donna Troy’s new origin with the Titans of Myth. And New Titans #56 featured a flashback tale with Titans West, which completely revised Gnarrk’s back-story.
In the Post-Crisis universe, Wonder Woman was relaunched in modern day. This beget changes to Donna Troy’s history as Wonder Girl, which were later addressed in New Titans #50-55 [1989], wherein Donna was retro-fitted as an adopted child of the Titans of Myth. These alterations invalidated Lilith’s origin story as told in New Teen Titans (second series) # 7-10. So, once again, Lilith was a girl in search of an origin. Below is Lilith's Pre-Crisis biography as the daughter of Titan goddess, Thia.
Lilith Pre-Crisis History
First appearance: Teen Titans #25
Origin: Teen Titans #36 (in part) and New Teen Titans (second series) #8
An orphaned child of unknown parentage adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Will Clay of Kentucky, Lilith apparently inherited her mental powers from bet mother, who, according to Miss Hardin, an orphanage official, was forced to abandon her infant daughter to the care of the county orphanage when faced with some "mysterious trouble" having to do with Lilith's father. As was later revealed, the woman who brought the baby Lilith to the orphanage was actually her nurse, who had stolen her from her mother's custody. Neither parent ever returned to claim the child, and Lilith remained unaware of her origins until her powers of telepathy and precognition began to develop just before her thirteenth birthday, and she learned of her adoptive status by reading her foster parents' minds.
At age 16, Lilith left home to begin a long search for her true parents, which ultimately proved fruitless. Suspected by many of being a witch or a sorceress because of her unexplained abilities, the red-haired, green-eyed teenager eventually found her way to New York, where she became part of millionaire Loren Jupiter's unique training program for young people, to which she was instrumental in recruiting the Teen Titans. Lilith then joined the Titans, and despite their initial distrust of her, proved invaluable on their subsequent adventures with Mr. Jupiter's organization. After the Titans retrieved Gnarrk, a young caveman, from the prehistoric past, and educated him as a modern-day man, he and Lilith developed a romance.
Lilith and Gnarrk left the Titans when Mr. Jupiter's program was disbanded, became engaged, and moved to California, where they would become involved with the team again briefly two years later as members of "Titans West."
Like the other members of that short-lived team, Lilith next appeared as a guest at Donna Troy's wedding, This recent contact led to her coming to the Titans' aid in their second battle against Trigon, the demonic father of Raven, and her subsequent replacement of Raven, who vanished in the aftermath of that struggle. The unexplained disappearance and death of Gnarrk left Lilith free to be-come romantically involved with Azrael, a winged alien of unknown origin whom the Titans encountered at this time, only to part company with him when her true origin as the daughter of Thia, renegade member of the legendary Titans (the predecessors of the Olympian gods) was revealed at last. At this time she also learned that Thia had murdered Lilith's father, as she did all of her many mortal lovers, soon after their daughter was conceived. Lilith has now left earth behind to dwell among the deities worshipped by the ancient Greeks and the Amazons of Paradise Island. Granted immortality, she is now considered a goddess.
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Lilith: A Girl in Search of an Origin |
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A Lilith sketch from Nick Cardy at San Diego Comic Con 2005. |
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From San Diego Comic-Con in 2006, Lilith and Wonder Girl, 70s style, by David Hahn |
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At the end of Lilith's quest, she realizes she has
a family
after all... with the Teen Titans! |
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The enigmatic Omen, from Teen Titans (second series) #2 [1996]. |
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An Omen commission from Dan Jurgens at
Wizard World Philadelphia in 2005. |
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Lilith has always been a girl shrouded in mystery. It’s part of her charm. Introduced back in Teen Titans (first series) #25, her origin still retains the same enigmatic air as her first appearance.
Please Tell me My Name
The Titans first encountered the mysterious Lilith when she worked as a go-go dancer at the Canary Cottage disco. The spicy cage-dancer immediately took the Titans by surprise when she announced her knowledge of their dual identities. And with that, a premonition, “I know that tonight, the Titans will open a door of death,” declared the slinky psychic. Lilith’s prediction came true when the Teen Titans were unable to prevent the death of pacifist Arthur Swenson. Following that failure, Lilith invited the Titans to join Loren Jupiter’s secret program.
Lilith’s background remained a bit of a mystery until Teen Titans #36, where the creators decided to delve into Lilith’s history through a series of back-up tales. In each, the mysterious redheaded Titan searched for her true parents. It was a search that ultimately proved fruitless.
"The Teenager from Nowhere" – in Teen Titans #36 – featured a thirteen year old Lilith, adopted daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Will Clay of Kentucky. As a youngster, Lilith first suspected her possession of special powers when she was able to locate a lost child. Further utilizing her strange gift, she read her parents' minds and learned that she is actually an adopted orphan. Returning to the orphanage, she discovered that her telepathy was an inherited trait from her mother, and that her true parents may still be alive.
"Nameless, Wander I" – in Teen Titans #38 – found a sixteen year old Lilith Clay leaving home to find her real parents, Lilith joined a traveling carnival as a mentalist, where she was tricked into believing that Jack Horn, the carnival owner, and his wife, Riva, were her stepfather and stepmother. When she discovered she had been duped, Horn pulled a gun and Riva was accidentally killed in the ensuing struggle.
"Her Brother's Keeper" – in Teen Titans #41 – continued Lilith’s search of her true parents, as Lilith joined forces with Ned, an amnesiac boy with similar mental powers whom she suspected could be her brother. When she was finally able to overcome the mental block created by his amnesia which prevented her from reading his mind, Lilith learned that the two were not related after all, but was able to reunite the boy with his parents.
The last chapter in this saga was "Please Tell Me My Name" – in Teen Titans #43– wherein Lilith befriended spiritualist and convicted murderess Lily Dunbar, whom she suspected may be her mother. Using her mental powers, she attained a stay of execution from the governor, and was able to prove that the actual murderer was Lily's ex-partner, Ben Tatum. Once freed, however, Lily found her real daughter, and Lilith was once again stymied in her quest.
The tale ended on an upbeat note, as Lilith mused, “Oh, God… another dead end for me! Is this the final heartbreak? I’m still alone and without a family. But the story happened in the past… and since then, I’ve found my “family” – and my place in the world… as a Teen Titan!” Upon her return, her Titans teammates echoed this sentiment with a resounding, “Right on, Lilith!”
Lilith’s origin quest was sidelined for years following this. She made a brief appearance as a member of Titans West in Teen Titans #50-53 [1978]. But Lilith was not part of the team when it was famously relaunched with New Teen Titans (first series) #1 in 1980. Eventually, she reappeared in Tales of the Teen Titans #49-50 [1984] to attend Donna Troy’s wedding, and stuck around with the team following that.
Child Of The Sun
With New Teen Titans (second series) # 7-10 [1985], Marv Wolfman finally penned Lilith’s origin story. He had planted the seeds of the tale earlier, notably in Tales of the Teen Titans #53, as Lilith began to exhibit fiery new abilities. All was made clear when Lilith stood revealed as the daughter of Thia, the renegade sun goddess.
Year ago, the powerful Titan of Myth escaped her imprisonment in Tartarus and returned to the mortal world. There she quickly adapted to modern times and married numerous powerful businessmen and politicians, murdering them all while inheriting their wealth and social standing. Thia came to be the president of Sun Publishing, a vast conglomerate, and bore a child by the company's former CEO before killing him as well. Stolen away by a nurse, that child grew up to be the precognitive Lilith Clay.
Sensing her daughter's presence when both of them were in New York City, Thia tracked down Lilith and kidnapped her. Thia stormed Mount Olympus and usurped Zeus's throne, forcibly taking Lilith along as her heir apparent. Taking care to prevent any opposition, the sun goddess imprisoned Queen Hippolyta and the Amazons of Paradise Island while unleashing monstrous giants against her Titan siblings in Tartarus. But Thia failed to anticipate Donna Troy, in her guise of Wonder Girl, mobilizing the Teen Titans and pooling their resources with the Titans of Myth.
Although the assemblage valiantly held their own against the extraordinary threats thrown in their path, Thia's lover Hyperion sensed only a final solution could cure her lust for power. Embracing her, the sun god set both himself and Thia aflame and reduced them to ashes. Accepting her godly heritage, Lilith remained in Olympus.
These new revelations not only answered every question regarding Lilith’s past, it gave a final “ending” of sorts to the character. The mini-skirted go-go dancer was long gone, now replaced with an immortal Olympian demi-goddess.
Origin Interruptus
This origin, however, quickly became invalid with the onset of the Crisis on Infinite Earths a few short months later. In 1985, DC Comics attempted to streamline and modernize their characters with the Crisis On Infinite Earths. Within the 12-issue mini-series, time and space twisted, forever altering the histories of various heroes in its wake. This gave DC an opportunity to go back and revise some of the more out-dated elements of the DC Universe - but it also introduced a host of unforeseen continuity problems.
Many characters had their origins and histories altered, including Wonder Woman, who was relaunched in modern day. This beget changes to Donna Troy’s history as Wonder Girl, which were later addressed in New Titans #50-55 [1989], wherein Donna was retro-fitted as an adopted child of the Titans of Myth. These alterations invalidated Lilith’s origin story as told in New Teen Titans (second series) # 7-10. So, once again, Lilith was a girl in search of an origin.
Lilith resurfaced in Secret Origin Annual #3, helping Dick Grayson to break through the Gargoyle’s mental manipulations. The story chronicled the Titans’ new Post-Crisis history, and made it clear that the events seen in New Teen Titans (second series) # 7-10 had never transpired.
Omen and Origins
Writer/artist Dan Jurgens finally provided some answers to Lilith's shrouded past in the second Teen Titans series, launched in 1996. Argent, Risk, Joto and Prysm – joined by the de-aged Atom – formed the newest group of Teen Titans with Mr. Jupiter once again acting as the team’s benefactor. Also joining Jupiter was a mysterious cloaked figure known only as Omen. In the first year of the series, it was strongly hinted that Omen was a former member of the team.
The mystery of Omen was solved in Teen Titans (second series) #12-15 [1997], where the enigmatic individual stood revealed as Lilith Clay. The unmasking was witnessed by Nightwing, Arsenal, Flash and Tempest, who returned to help Mr. Jupiter contain his embittered, super-powered son, Haze. Lilith also revealed Jupiter as her father, a fact she discovered a short time ago. Lilith’s friends initially felt betrayed at her subterfuge, especially since they had collectively taken part in Mr. Jupiter’s original youth-oriented training program.
It would seem that sometime after aiding Wonder Woman during the War of the Gods (seen in New Titans #81), Lilith located her mysterious mother, whose identity remains unrevealed. According to Lilith, her mother told her Jupiter was her biological father, as this “unique and private woman” helped Lilith unlock latent supernaturalistic abilities, including teleportation and enhanced mystical perception.
This new origin was not without its problems. Ever since Raven’s introduction in New Teen Titans, Lilith became a sort-of second-rate “female teen mystic” to fans and pros unfamiliar with the character. As Omen, Lilith ended up inheriting much of Raven’s shtick, including a dark cloak, a warbled voice, teleportation abilities, and an emotionally distant aura. This was a far cry from the free-spirited mod-mystic from the original Teen Titans. It’s no surprise subsequent creators played down the darkness in favor of Lilith’s lighter, vastly more appealing bohemian vibe.
And, unfortunately, these new revelations provided only half an origin. Like many third-tier characters whose histories became garbled, Lilith Clay became a casualty of cannon fodder mentality. The redheaded psychic was unceremoniously killed off in Graduation Day #2 [2003], inexplicably failing to sense the presence of a rogue Superman android. With Lilith’s needless death, the identity of her mother remained a mystery. So although some answers have been given, many questions yet remain... and Lilith still remains a girl in search of a full origin.
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Lilith: Unlucky at Love
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Lilith teaches Gnarrk the ways of
the world - in TEEN TITANS #33 [1971]. |
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Lilith dotes over Gnarrk in
TEEN TITANS #39 [1971]. |
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Lilith bonds with Gnarrk in
NEW TITANS #56 [1989]. |
PEACE, LOVE & UNDERSTANDING
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Hank Hall recalls his brother's relationship with Lilith in HAWK AND DOVE Annual #1 [1990]. |
ON THE WINGS OF LOVE
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Azrael and Lilith meet in
TALES OF TEEN TITANS #52 [1985]. |
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Lilith and Gnarrk, Round One
Gnarrk first met the Titans in Teen Titans #33 [1971], where he found himself a teenage caveman lost in time.
Accidentally transported back to prehistoric times by an invention of Mr. Jupiter's, Kid Flash and Mal unintentionally caused Gnarrk, a young cave-dweller, to be returned to the present with them. The Teen Titans then undertook the task of training Gnarrk to act as a modern-day man, which they accomplished.
Lilith bonded with the primitive teen, sensing an innate gentleness within him. After repeating the phrase "Gnarrk!", the Titans decided that was his name. Once becoming civilized, he adopted the full name, John Gnarrk. While becoming domesticated, Gnarrk and Lilith seemed to develop romantic feelings for one another. Lilith was able to reach Gnarrk telepathically, and she sensed a warmth and kindness in Gnarrk despite his gruff exterior. Gnarrk reappeared in Teen Titans #39, where Lilith's soothing influence cooled Gnarrk's cro-magnon rage. By that time, it seemed Lilith and Gnarrk were a solid couple, as Lilith cooed, "He's a real cool civilized cat, my Gnarrk is."
Gnarrk did not reappear until years later, when the Teen Titans encountered the new Titans West group in Teen Titans #50-52 [1977]. In that tale, it was revealed that Lilith and Gnarrk were engaged to be married. Although Lilith was a member, Gnarrk was not considered a part of the West Coast based team. He actually objected to Lilith's involvement in the team altogether. "You coulda gone to the cops instead of hooking up with this bunch, " Gnarrk snarled. "How many times I gotta tell ya I don't want my fiancee playin' like she's Wonder Woman? You coulda been hurt bad!" Lilith countered, "But I wasn't -- and I helped save a lot of people. Stop being so overprotective!"
The only former Teen Titan who did not attend the wedding of Donna Troy and Terry Long [Tales of the Teen Titans #50 in 1984], Gnarrk apparently died under unrevealed circumstances sometime after his last appearance.
Lilith and Gnarrk, Round Two
When the Titans past was altered by the history-shattering Crisis on Infinite Earths, Lilith and Gnarrk's story was altered as well. Gnarrk's revised origin was told in New Titans #56 [1989]. George Pérez, who plotted that issue, remembered how the story was developed: "I remember how that came to be. I was asked to do a story with the characters, and decided to use the Gnarrk storyline since he was a character who was a leftover from the original Titans who had not been addressed in post-Crisis continuity."
Based on psychic flashes from Lilith, the Teen Titans traveled to Southeast Asia, where they eventually found Gnarrk, still encased in ice. He was psychically calling out to Lilith - who responded. He told her his name - Gnarrk. Although Lilith was dating Don Hall (Dove) at the time, she nonetheless found herself attracted to the gentle soul. The Titans brought Gnarrk back to S.T.A.R. Labs. It was established that Gnarrk was dying; the S.T.A.R. scientists wanted to dissect him, but the Titans prevented them from doing so until he died.
Lilith used her powers to establish a mental rapport with Gnarrk. During that time, she found out his true origins and his noble intentions. Gnarrk sensed Lilith's presence and called out to her while he was still encased in ice. During the rapport, Lilith and Gnarrk fell in love. Although the rapport only lasted a short time, the two forged an unspeakable bond. Gnarrk remained on life support for almost a year, with Lilith by his side. Gnarrk's light in his chest eventually faded, and he died. When S.T.A.R. scientists performed an autopsy, they found the stone no longer had any special abilities. Whatever abilities the stone possessed vanished upon Gnarrk's death.
Dove dies, then retroactively dates Lilith
In Secret Origins Annual #3, George Pérez told the post-Crisis history of the Titans. Pérez: "I'm writing a Secret Origins Annual of the Titans, while Marv writes the Titans Annual. My origin will establish the post-Crisis origin of the middle Titans; the one with Golden Eagle and Bumblebee. I'll establish who existed and who didn't, what powers they had, and how visually they might be different." Written by George Pérez with art by a series of artists (including Tom Grummett, Kevin Maguire& Karl Kesel, Colleen Doran & Romeo Tanghal, among others).
The Special gives a post-Crisis history of the Titans, including some revamps and revisions. In this revised history, Lilith was dating Dove during the forming of the Titans West. Since this was post-Crisis, Dove was already dead. This girl can't catch a break!
Lilith and the Flying Wimp
It all began in Tales of the Teen Titans #51 [1985], as the scientists of S.T.A.R. Labs found a winged man encased in ice. As the Titans headed to S.T.A.R. Labs in issue #52, Lilith sensed whatever was waiting there would change her life. As the ice melted away, Lilith met the winged man who would later be known as Azrael. Feeling his pain, Lilith ached for the mysterious alien. In Tales of the Teen Titans #53, Lilith helped him escape the confines of S.T.A.R. Labs as the Titans gave chase. The winged man was left directionless, as he mused, "What was it about that woman... the one they call Lilith? Why do I keep thinking of her? It's madness, I know... but I love her... and I believe she loves me..." Indeed, Lilith admitted she felt a special bond to the alien. Believing he caused her only grief, the heartbroken winged man left Lilith in Tales of the Teen Titans #54.
The winged man resurfaced in New Teen Titans (seconds series) #7 [1985], where he spirited Lilith away and proclaimed his love for her. Before the star-crossed lovers could act on their feelings, Lilith was kidnapped by the Titan goddess, Thia, who revealed her identity as Lilith's mother. After the evil Thia was engulfed in flames in New Teen Titans (seconds series) #9, Lilith accepted her new destiny among the Pantheon. There, she bade farewell to the winged alien, who didn't take the news well. "Please not Lilith!," he wailed, "You cannot leave me now. I love you.. and I've fought time and space to stand by your side. I want you, Lilith, beside me. Forever." Lilith answered, "Although my heart aches to part with you, I have no choice."
The winged man returned to earth with the Titans, still anguishing over the loss of his love, "Why did we let them take my Lilith away from me?" Cyborg has finally had enough, "Wings, knock it off with the "My Lilith" garbage! Cripes, first woman ya see an' you go crazy!"
Cyborg wasn't the only one. As George Pérez lamented, "The operatic thing, that got a little carried overboard. I am not as much a lover of deep purple prose, where people are acting like raving idiots over a lover. I mean, to me, love is always as much of the head as of the heart, if you do it right. And that bugged me. But again, that's the character. The character was supposed to be a flying wimp."
Although Lilith's connection to Thia were later negated by the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Lilith/Azrael break-up remained part of Titans lore. Lilith had strong feelings for the mysterious alien, but didn't return his affections with the same intensity he felt. Presumably, Lilith was a bit overwhelmed by the winged alien's amorous advances.
The winged man was tricked by the Church of Blood into thinking that he was Azrael, the angel of Death in New Teen Titans (seconds series) #12. Blood's Church eventually fell, and Azrael learned he was duped in New Teen Titans (seconds series) #30-31. It was he who dropped the broken-spirited Brother Blood off at a monastery when the villain's mind was broken by Raven. Azrael then vowed to watch over the broken cult leader.
I'm sure Lilith changed her phone number after learning this.
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Creators on Lilith
George Pérez
"The Titans forgotten? Most of them well left that way! (Laughter.) With the possible exception of Lilith, 'cause I enjoy doing her but, now that she's gone, it's just as well, because of Raven's role in there. All the others, frankly, I don't care."
Dan Jurgens
"Also, a very mysterious, cloak-shrouded character known as Omen shows up early on, and if that character seems strongly reminiscent of Titan-gone-villainess Raven, who helped bring together the last version of the Titans, Jurgens will only say, 'We'll see...'"
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