Titans In Love:
Mal & Karen
A brainy and beautiful New York librarian, Karen Beecher met Mal Duncan after the first group of Teen Titans broke up.
Karen first appeared in Teen Titans #45 [1977], as she tried to counter her boyfriend Mal’s feeling of inferiority. In an effort to bolster his reputation on the team, Karen became the Bumblebee to make Mal (aka Herald) look good in front of his teammates, attacking them before being revealed as Karen Beecher (Teen Titans #48).
Both Karen and Mal remained members of the Teen Titans until the book’s end with issue #53. In that same issue, Speedy remarked, “And if you don’t invite us to the wedding, it won’t be cupid’s arrows you’ll see flying!”, indicating the pair was already engaged. The letter column of that same issue confirmed this: “The Guardian/Hornblower/Mal will continue to run Gabriel’s Horn with the aid of his fiancee, Karen (the Bumblebee) Beecher.”
The actual wedding was an affair that occurred off-panel, as the now-married couple attended Donna Troy’s wedding in Tales of the Teen Titans #50 [1984]. Living in semi-retirement, Mal and Karen relocated to the West Coast.
Mal and Karen returned to aid the Titans on various occasions (Secret Origins Annual #3 [1989], New Titans #56-59 [1989], Hawk & Dove Annual (second series) # 1 [1990], JLA/Titans #1-3 [1998] and The Titans Secret Files #2 [2000]), but remained content with their more mundane lifestyle. The pair ran a West Coast version of Gabriel’s Horn for a time, and later opened up a small restaurant and coffee house called The Buzz. Through it all, Mal and Karen remained the strongest, happiest couple it Titans history.
Things began to unravel when Donna Troy led a space mission during the Infinite Crisis, recruiting both Herald and Bumblebee. Transformed by strange energies, Bumblebee became trapped at insect size while Mal’s Gabriel Horn was fused to his chest (Teen Titans #35-37 [2006]). The couple found refuge with the bizarre Doom Patrol, but these new mutations eventually drove a wedge between the two lovers. In Doom Patrol #2 [2009], Karen revealed she and Mal had separated.
After the reality-altering events of 2011's "Flashpoint", much of the Titans' history was seemingly erased. Inexplicably, in the Titans Hunt limited series in 2015, Mal and Karen resurfaced as a happy couple with a baby on the way – now cured of their maladies. This served as a prelude to DC's reality-shifting "Rebirth" event, as former teammate Lilith Clay began to remember the Titans’ past history. She galvanized her friends to battle their old adversary, Mr. Twister just as Karen went into labor. After Mr. Twister was defeated, Karen gave birth to a baby girl.
The pair's history was partially realigned in the "Rebirth" timeline, with Bumblebee now preceding Mal as a member of the Teen Titans (World's Finest: Teen Titans #1 [2023]). The 6-issue limited series showcased their adorable courtship, as Karen was instantly smitten with Mal, a local community organizer for youth groups and troubled kids (World's Finest: Teen Titans #2).
When Karen (through a bit of cyber-stalking) learned Mal wrote a history thesis on the Newsboy Legion, she send him the Guardian's original shield as a gift. Later meeting up for a coffee date, Mal explained his great-grandfather was friends with Jim Harper, the original Guardian: "Pops used to gas on and on about serving the Metropolis PD with a real-life superhero."
Karen's true intentions were revealed, as she hinted, "Maybe you might want to... I don't know... use it as a Titan?" Mal initially relented, insisting he's just a community advocate, not a superhero. Things changed quickly when the couple was attacked by the Ant. Mal pressed the button on the back of the shield, which Karen had modified, and transformed into the all-new Guardian. Together with the help of the Teen Titans they defeated the crazed supervillain.
Later, on their second date (World's Finest: Teen Titans #6) Mal insisted, "For the final time, I am a community organizer, not a superhero." Karen quickly countered, "Funny thing then. I notice you didn't give the suit back." Destiny eventually won out, with Mal joining the team and fostering a future with his one true love.
Romantic Reads:
Teen Titans [1976] #45-53
Superman Family [1978] #191-192
Tales of the Teen Titans [1984] #50
Secret Origins Annual #3 [1989]
New Titans #56-59 [1989]
JLA/Titans #1-3 [1998]
Titans Secret Files #2 [2000]
Teen Titans [2006] #34-37
Doom Patrol #2 [2009]
Titans Hunt #1-8 [2015]
World's Finest: Teen Titans #2, 4-6 [2023]
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