#(if you saw the draft version that got accidentally posted on Thanksgiving when I was working on it on my phone)

[isfjmel-phleg]

Crash course in YJ (and adjacent) Kids

Have no idea what I'm talking about when #comicsposting again? Would like to know? For reference, if you want it, here's a rundown of my comics specialty: DC's cast of teenage heroes on the team Young Justice in the 1990s. Names, powers, backgrounds, etc. I spent way too much time on this.

Tim Drake (Robin)

Age: 14-15.

Powers: None, but highly skilled in acrobatics, detection and martial arts, weapon of choice is a bo staff

Background: Figured out Batman and Robin's secret identities at age nine. Volunteered to be the new Robin shortly after Jason Todd's death because "Batman needs a Robin." Initially the de facto leader of Young Justice with a reputation as the smart guy (but is in fact just as unhinged as the rest of them). Struggles to balance his two identities; he has to conceal Robin from his father and Tim Drake from his Young Justice teammates, which leads to trust issues among the group.

Distinguishing features/costume: Black hair, blue eyes usually concealed by a domino mask with opaque lenses, oval face, short and wiry. Green and red suit with leggings, black and yellow cape (distinct from Dick and Jason's costumes, which were bare-legged and did not have any black, and Damian's, which has much more black, a tunic, and a hooded cape).

Kon-El (Superboy)

Age: 16 physically but chronologically less than 2, is unable to age past 16 for about half the series.

Powers: Tactile telekinesis (TTK), the ability to control anything he can touch, which allows him to mimic super strength, invulnerability, and flight. Does not have Superman's other powers, such as heat vision, x-ray vision, etc.

Background: Clone created by Project Cadmus to be their mind-controlled replacement for Superman after his "death." Escaped before he could be artificially aged to maturity and has been an independent hero since Clark's return. During YJ 1998, is working for Cadmus as a field agent. A habitual show-off and flirt who harbors a lot of private insecurity and doesn't initially function well as a team player.

Distinguishing features/costume: Curly black hair in a fade haircut (later cut short and spiky), blue eyes, strong jaw, significantly taller and more muscular than the others, earring for most of the series, scruffy goatee later on. Initially wears a 90s-ified version of the Superman suit with a black leather jacket, later updates to a metallic version of a suit without the jacket.

Bart Allen (Impulse)

Age: 14-15 physically, chronologically 2-3 due to hyperaccelerated aging for the first two years of his life.

Powers: Superspeed, including the ability to vibrate his molecules through solid objects. Later on he develops the ability to create temporary replicas of himself ("scouts").

Background: Barry Allen/the Flash's grandson from the thirtieth century. Was born with his superspeed out of control and had to be raised in VR to keep his mental aging on track with his physical aging. Brought by his grandmother to the twentieth century to get his rapid aging resolved by Wally West, the current Flash. Currently lives in Manchester, Alabama with Max Mercury, an elderly speedster who is training/raising him. Thanks to his VR upbringing, struggles with patience and thinking things through, but is more intelligent and perceptive than he's usually given credit for.

Distinguishing features/costume: Lots of reddish-brown hair, yellow eyes, big feet, short and wiry. White and red suit with a lightning design, googles with yellow lenses.

Greta Hayes / "Suzie" (Secret)

Age: Never specified but probably around 14-15.

Powers: Exists in an incorporeal, smoke-like form that can float, shapeshift, create smoke constructs, teleport, and become tangible for limited amounts of time. As a Warder, a gatekeeper between life and death, can sense impending death and bring others into a pocket dimension called the Abyss which seems to be a sort of portal to death.

Background: An ordinary girl who was murdered by her brother as part of a ritual and was changed after death into her current incorporeal form. Was held captive by a government organization and studied in a lab but escaped with the help of Robin, Superboy, and Impulse and has been in hiding since. Cannot remember most of her past life, does not understand her powers, and frequently feels alienated from the rest of Young Justice (except Robin, whom she has a crush on), which leaves her vulnerable to those who wish to take advantage of her powers.

Distinguishing features/costume: Blond/light brown shoulder-length hair, blue eyes, smaller than the others, frequently surrounded by smoke. Off-white suit, long and trailing light brown coat.

Cissie King-Jones (Arrowette)

Age: Never specified, but would have to be 16 by the time she competes in the Olympics.

Powers: None, but a highly-skilled archer.

Background: Daughter of a former would-be superheroine who put her daughter through strenuous training and forced her into the identity of Arrowette from an early age. Sent to boarding school after Max Mercury reported her mother to CPS for child exploitation. Took up hero work again to spite her mother but, after a personal tragedy leads her to nearly kill, chooses to quit permanently. Becomes an Olympic athlete and occasional film actress while still keeping in contact with her Young Justice friends.

Distinguishing features/costume: Long blonde hair, blue eyes, oval face, significantly taller than the other girls. Red top, white skirt, and red boots and mask, alternatively a "Dark Arrowette" costume consisting of a dark red and purple suit with a hood.

Cassie Sandsmark (Wonder Girl)

Age: 15.

Powers: Super strength, speed, durability, and flight.

Background: Daughter of an archaeologist who is an associate of Wonder Woman. Eager to join Diana in heroics and seizes an opportunity to request super powers from Zeus, who grants them on the condition that her mother can deactivate them whenever she chooses. Enthusiastic and reckless but is also struggling with self-confidence in living up her predecessors' legacy. Joined Young Justice initially because of her crush on Superboy but comes to discover her talent for leadership and eventually takes over as team leader.

Distinguishing features/costume: Short blonde hair that gets longer over the series, blue eyes, heart-shaped face, physically matures over time. Goes through several costumes. Initially wears a dark wig and googles and mismatched clothing from her closet. Later versions vary but usually include a black shirt, red pants, bracelets, and a bar necklace engraved with "girl."

Anita Fite (Empress)

Age: 16.

Powers: Vodoun, usually used for teleportation; martial arts and use of an emperor's stick; and mind control through verbal commands due to having a piece of the Anti-Life Equation in her.

Background: Daughter of a government agent (who has been pursuing the escaped Secret) and a woman whose mother was a vodoun priestess. Has had her powers most of her life but is inspired to use them for heroics after witnessing Cissie stopping a thief in a mall. Joins Young Justice after Cissie leaves. Seeks revenge on her maternal grandfather after he kills both her parents, and gets her parents back...as infants whom she now must raise.

Distinguishing features/costume: African-American, long dark reddish hair, purple eyes, tall. Gold and purple suit and mask that conceal everything except her ponytail.

Slo-bo

Age: Physically a teenager, chronologically very young--comes into existence late in the series.

Powers: Has the Czarnian physiology of his original, which provides super strength, durability, stamina, and healing, but these are limited since he came from "the shallow end of the gene pool." Also a skilled mechanic and pilot.

Background: Clone of a deaged version of alien bounty hunter Lobo that comes into existence after Li'l Lobo's death on Apokolips. Is smaller and weaker than his original and considers himself an inadequate successor. Presents himself as extremely morally gray but is actually quite sensitive, emotionally mature (compared to the rest of YJ), and ultimately self-sacrificial.

Distinguishing features/costume: Spiky black hair, yellow iris-less eyes that go completely black when he goes blind, black markings around eyes, gray skin, smaller and skinnier than Li'l Lobo. Gray shirt, black vest, jeans with skull belt buckle.

Ray Terrill (The Ray)

Age: 19.

Powers: Light control, including emanating light, blasting rays/energy, flight, conversion to light energy, movement at light speed, creation of constructs and illusions, healing, and invisibility.

Background: Raised to believe he had a deathly allergy to sunlight and must remain in the dark but learned after the death of the man who raised him that he is really the son of the Golden Age hero the Ray and has inherited his light-based powers. Struggles with adjustment to using his powers and trying to live a mostly normal life and has a difficult relationship with his lying, manipulative father. Joined the Justice League for a while. Dragged into joining Young Justice late in the series to replace recently-lost members.

Distinguishing features/costume: Red hair, green eyes, average build and height, earring. White and gold suit (a light construct), black and gold band leader-style jacket, and gold helmet with fin.

Grant Emerson (Damage) [not actually a member of YJ but has worked with them, has connections to some individual members, and is around the same age]

Age: 16.

Powers: Building up biochemical energy in his body that results in super strength, durability, and speed, greater mass, and blasts of energy. If not discharged, this energy results in his exploding like a bomb.

Background: Son of Al Pratt (the Atom) and his wife Mary but never met them. Stolen after birth and experimented upon, which gave him DNA from numerous other superheroes. Raised by abusive foster parents. Manifested powers as a teenager but couldn't control them. Saved the universe during Zero Hour, accidentally blew up downtown Atlanta, had to join the Titans as an alternative to prison, went on a quest to discover his real parentage, joined the Titans again, and went on hiatus to concentrate on healing from his past. Used to be friends with Bart. Cannot catch a break.

Distinguishing features/costume: Brown hair with floppy bangs and sometimes a mullet, brown eyes, strong jaw, increases in muscle mass whenever his powers build up. Costume varies but consistently involves blue and orange or yellow, with a radioactive symbol on the shirt.