So, I have a few thoughts, and I'm noting 2 things out the gate: 1. This is exclusively regarding the text of the 80s comics for The New Teen Titans (1980) by Marv Wolfman and Batman And The Outsiders (1983) by Mike W. Barr, not any of the modern iterations of the characters nor fanon versions; 2. I have only read through once, and I wasn't doing a Tara-focused read initially though I plan to do a Tara-focused reread and take notes should I make this into a fic.
Alright, so Tara Markov is a villain. She's a teen supervillain in the teen superhero book. That is as bog standard for the genre as it can possibly get. I do not object to Tara as a villain, and, in fact, I think she makes a good one and deserves more recognition as a villain in her own right rather than attributing all her motivations to Slade.
So, who is Tara Markov? What does she want? Why?
She's a princess in exile. She's the bastard child, the embarrassment. She has powers that could level cities. She is bursting to the gills with resentment and a desire to be respected and taken seriously (KEY ELEMENT). She has elements of metahuman supremacy ideology. She's smart and can be a planner, seeking out Deathstroke and working the long angle of infiltration rather than attacking the Titans outright. She has a family she never got to really know because she was sent away so fast. Her father did the sending away but claims to love her; one brother considers her a freak and an embarrassment; and her other brother (Brion) doesn't know her very well but likes her and wants to know her (KEY ELEMENT).
Tara was not a member of the New Teen Titans who turned coat; she was always the infiltrator. She hates these people, something she says often. There are those she gets along with better than others, perhaps to the extent of almost liking them (ex. Wally and Vic), but this isn't a group she comes to love and respect and throw a wrench in her schemes.
(The New Teen Titans 34 by Marv Wolfman with art by George Perez)
But the scene where she actually does have that moment of debate? Where she acts like a hero?
(Batman and the Outsiders #5 by Mike W. Barr and co-plotted with Marv Wolfman with art by Jim Aparo)
Just for a sense of scale, let's compare this to Tara's thoughts in another comic...
(The New Teen Titans 39 by Marv Wolfman with art by George Perez)
If we look at Tara's opinions on "cute girl super-heroes:...
(The New Teen Titans 39 by Marv Wolfman with art by George Perez)
We can read in a desire to be taken seriously. To be treated like an adult and a big player. To be respected and seen as someone worthy of that respect, to be seen as better. Smarter, tougher, more powerful. To not be seen as a kid. She finds the concept of a teen hero team ridiculous because why would anyone want to emphasize their childness? If you're powerful, why would you label yourself the junior? (I have a whole fic about this!)
It's worth noting the New Teen Titans also don't particularly like her other than Gar, Wally, and sometimes Vic. Again, this isn't a team where she has truly befriended anybody on a deep level. Now let's get back to Brion...
(The New Teen Titans 37 by Marv Wolfman and co-plotted by Mike W. Barr with art by George Perez)
This is Tara's first time seeing her brother in years and years. And it's probably the most genuinely happy we see her at any point in the comics. She keeps up her ruse, but we see perhaps some hesitation. The styling of the hug also emphasizes her small stature without her resisting it. It's one of the only times we see her willing and happy to just ... be a kid.
She's also actively endangering her cover since Brion's costume makes Gar realize she'd been lying about her own.
But in this crossover, she suddenly has someone she might not want to interact with out of hate and schemes. Someone who, incomprehensibly, is just accepting her and defending her?
(Batman and the Outsiders 5 by Mike W. Barr and co-plotted by Marv Wolfman with Jim Aparo art)
Someone with the same powers that had her labeled a freak (dare I say, a fellow outsider?)
(The New Teen Titans 37 by Marv Wolfman and co-plotted by Mike W. Barr with art by George Perez)
Her pushing away Brion because she cannot give up her quest to destroy the Titans but desperately doesn't want him hurt in the crossfire!!!!
(Batman and the Outsiders 5 by Mike W. Barr with co-plotting by Marv Wolfman and art by Jim Aparo)
And what are Brion's thoughts on Tara?
(Batman and the Outsiders 1 by Mike W. Barr with art by Jim Aparo)
He doesn't consider her a freak the way Gregor does, and he does claim her as his sister even expelled.
(Tales Of The Teen Titans Annual 3 by Marv Wolfman with art by George Perez)
He doesn't know her that well. He doesn't even know she died a villain. But he loves her. And she loved him. Couldn't that have been enough in another world?
(Batman and the Outsiders 1 by Mike W. Barr with art by Jim Aparo)
Tara is held in low regard, a freak, a meddler, while Brion is held up. Everybody but him makes the distinction of her being a half-sibling. Dare I say she's an outsider to the family? Is that too on the nose? If you're a She-Ra fan, I think you can read a similarity between Adora & Catra's treatment and Brion & Tara's treatment. That's another essay.
Brion has a sort of hopeful naivete that is truly opposite to Tara and is fascinating to think about if they had gotten more interaction. He's lived the life of the charmed, beloved prince who is not the prime heir. Any responsibility he takes is taken by choice. When he leaves for America, he does so by choice, to be received by a hero in costume and prince in civies. All the respect and peace and being held up that Tara has been so deprived of. Like even compare his overly protective "chaperoning" of Gabrielle (who is between 16 and 18 (identity unknown to them) to, say Tara and Slade:
(Batman and the Outsiders 14 by Mike W. Barr with art by Bill Willingham)
So that's Brion. I can imagine a world where she didn't push him away or he kept coming to her, insinuating himself in her life, giving her a single pillar of a support structure completely outside of her villainy. He's new to his powers; hers are old hat. Maybe he has her teach him, respecting her as a teacher. Maybe this is a tiny crack in the plan. She doesn't want to let him down (BATO 5).
OK SO WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER OUTSIDERS?
Well, she would have Questions about Batman as team leader. She believes in metahuman supremacy, indicating Dick is the weakest link of the Titans among other things:
(Tales of the Teen Titans Annual 3 by Marv Wolfman with art by George Perez)
She would be resistant, insubordinate, and suspicious to Batman as team leader. He's just a man. Why should the others be listening to him?
Batman also notably is somebody who respects kid and teen heroes. He's fought alongside Robin at this point for a decade, and Jason is just becoming Robin II when Judas Contract is going down. And Batman puts Halo on the team. She's believed to be 16, and she is a full member, not a junior partner, not a sidekick. She has skills, and Batman respects that. I think being on the adult team as a full member would fulfill that need to be respected that Tara is always pushing for while being tempered by Batman's suspicion and the fact he's not a meta.
Key to me is she doesn't just join the Outsiders. She starts out just spending more time with Brion and it slowly bleeds into splitting time between villainy (working "with" the Titans and enacting her plans) and heroism (helping Brion and occasionally teaming up with the Outsiders) until there is a meaningful conflict at play as to what she really wants, what makes her feel good, respected, powerful, respected, loved, respected.
I am so uninterested in sanding down her edges. She's an asshole who sucks!!!! She's also an incredibly interesting character! I think the Outsiders, especially if she's approaching them genuinely or semi-genuinely (as opposed to how she approached the Titans), is all about a web of conflict and positive relationships.
Brion - Prime ally. That is her brother. They love each other. He doesn't realize who she is not, not really. Conflict in hiding her worst qualities, inclination to push him away before he realizes. Will he bring out the best in her, or will she bring out her worst to "prove" him wrong for his naive beliefs in her? He is her voice of support on the team.
Batman - He is suspicious of Tara from the start, can smell a scheme on her and respects her enough to look into it genuinely. Also king of believing in redemption and also keeping secrets from the Outsiders. He tells nobody about this, merely casually encourages Brion to look after her (like he does Tatsu and Halo with each other) and, of course, finds all her secrets and keeps a hawk's eye on her for trouble. Tara is not sure about this guy. He's just a human; why is everybody listening to him? But he takes that as a challenge and ends up showing how his contingencies work against everybody including metas, which may lead to suspicion (she knows he knows and he knows she knows he knows kind of thing yay) and then a begrudging respect.
Tatsu - Tatsu is so suspicious of Tara. She's not mean to her by any means, and I think she has an almost positive inclination towards her at times, but she's also taking no bullshit. Tatsu has a magic sword which balances out the human element for Tara. I think Tara would kind of like her and respect her. I also think Tatsu's more positive feelings towards killing could be fun and interesting.
Halo - Tara doesn't like her on principle for existing and being young and nice and a cute girl superhero. Full on hate on sight. She absolutely respects her powers though. Halo likes Tara at first but does not take kindly to Tara's needless hate of her. Tatsu also gets defensive of Halo.
Metamorpho - Stupid jokes all the way down. They get along great.
Jefferson - I can see them getting along! I think his experience as a teacher, struggle with some inner turmoil regarding hurting people (his major inner conflict in early BATO), and abilities would lend themselves towards an interesting dynamic. Tara's not in school, so I can see him becoming a tutor she actually respects too. And, most importantly, a friend.
Tara Markov's Top Threat List On The The Team: 1. Halo (too powerful), 2. Batman (knows her secret, could tell Brion. Maybe murder later?), 3. Metamorpho (can trap her, and escape should be possible but might be tricky), 4. Katana (probably wouldn't hesitate to run her through with that damn sword if push came to shove, and push always comes to shove), 5. Black Lightning (wouldn't kill her, might reveal her secret if he found out...too moral), 6. Brion ( he's actually #1 because he's the only threat that would actually hurt)
I am imaging plots where she has to pick what she wants, where once the jig is up and her villainy is revealed, she fights the whole team! I want her to violently murder or almost murder someone and Brion to see it and be horrified and her to respond "THIS IS ME! THIS IS WHO I AM! I'VE BEEN LYING!!" (She hasn't been lying. Not completely.) I want the conflict to be crazy and the resolution to be satisfying. If she becomes a hero, it needs to be because she's not one now. It needs to be ugly and brutal and painful and also hopeful.
This is my vision of Outsider!Tara Markov.
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