One Man Zoo
Beast Boy: “I’m the entire animal kingdom crammed into one magnificent specimen.”
Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2015)
Raven: “You’re something crammed into something alright.”
A gang in a warehouse unloads a shipment of weapons. One hears a noise and investigates. He finds a cat, but notices that the cat’s fur is green. Thinking the cat is diseased, the gangster picks up a nearby hammer to put it out of its misery. The cat runs towards the rest of the gang, the gangster in pursuit.
As the cat nears the gang, it grows bigger and its body changes from a green cat into a green hippo. The hippo barrels into the crooks, knocking them out. The gangster drops the hammer and wildly fires a gun. The hippo turns into a hummingbird and easily dodges the gunfire. The hummingbird flies in front of to the gangster and transforms. The gangster sees the slavering maw of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and faints. Beast Boy chuckles before shifting into a falcon and flying away.
Beast Boy is the DC Universe’s spittoon. He beat an incurable disease and became an important member of the Doom Patrol and several versions of the Teen Titans. So who is he? How did he get his powers? Why is he green? Let’s find out.
Scene Select
Not Easy Being Green: Beast Boy’s Backstory
[Beast Boy is breaking down over the people he’s lost in therapy]
Young Justice: “Forbidden Secrets of Civilizations Past!” (Season 4, Episode 20)
Garfield: “I could have done something!“
Black Canary: “What? What could you have done differently to save any of them?“
Garfield: “I don’t know! I just needed to be better! They needed me to be better!“
Beast Boy debuted in Doom Patrol #99 in 1965. He was created by Arnold Drake and Bob Brown.
Garfield Logan was the son of two scientists obsessed with resurrecting extinct species of animals. The neglectful scientists didn’t notice Garfield playing with one of the test animals until he was bitten and infected with a nearly incurable disease. The Logans used an experimental formula they had invented to turn Garfield into a Green Monkey, the only species able to survive the disease. And yes, skeptical reader, green monkeys exist.
Their plan worked, but turned Gar’s skin and hair green despite Green Monkeys having yellow fur. At least he got shapeshifting powers from the deal. The Logans died in a boat accident while searching for a cure, leaving Garfield an orphan with survivor’s guilt. Gar was adopted by a court-appointed guardian who had an eye on the family’s fortune.
Lady Luck finally smiled on Garfield when a superhero team called the Doom Patrol investigated his adopted father, who was conspiring with their enemies. They rescued Garfield and trained him, giving him the name Beast Boy. Doom Patrol members Mentallo and Elastigirl (no, not the one from The Incredibles) cared for him and became his new parental figures. That left Beast Boy floundering when the Doom Patrol sacrificed their lives to save a town and he became the sole survivor again.
The Judas Contract: Beast Boy’s History
Beast Boy: “We’ve got to get back to the Tower and…”
Teen Titans, “Betrayal” (Season 2, Episode 10)
Terra: “Beast Boy, I’m not going back. I can’t.”
Beast Boy: “What? Why can’t you?”
Slade: [Appears from shadows] “Because she’s not your friend – she’s my apprentice.”
Beast Boy wandered for a while before becoming an actor in a Star Trek pastiche. He was manipulated by the half-demon sorceress Raven and joined a new Teen Titans team. The team helped Beast Boy come to terms with his lingering guilt and the Doom Patrol’s deaths. He even found a girlfriend in his Titan teammate Terra.
Life hates Beast Boy. Terra was revealed as a villain in love with Deathstroke the Terminator, The Titans’ archenemy. Deathstroke manipulated the underaged Terra’s affection to lure the team into a trap, saving Beast Boy for last. He managed to convince Terra that Deathstroke was using her. Terra inadvertently saved the team while launching a kamikaze attack at Deathstroke.
Terra’s betrayal nearly destroyed Beast Boy. He resumed wandering and joined several other teams when he wasn’t with the Titans. He eventually learned that the Doom Patrol had been resurrected and rejoined his surrogate family. He is currently a member of the Teen Titans and in a relationship with Raven.
Sad Clown: Beast Boy’s Powers and Personality
[The Titans are in a ship underwater]
Teen Titans, “The Deep Six” (Season 1, Episode 8)
Beast Boy: “Time to do what I do best. Try not to be jealous.”
[he exits the ship and turns into a whale]
Raven: “He just put on 300,000 pounds. I am so jealous.”
Beast Boy can change into any animal he has seen without limit. He can use any ability or attribute those forms possess. Beast Boy often uses forms in combos like flying above enemies as a bird before dropping on them as a whale. The only downside is that the animal is green.
Beast Boy isn’t limited to Earth’s animals. He has transformed into alien animals, mythological creatures like dragons and phoenixes, and even demons when he was trapped in Hell. Beast Boy also transformed into completely fictional creatures like the Jabberwocky or animals he imagined.
Long-time Titans writer Marv Wolfman claims that Beast Boy can transform into other humans, but doing that would be pointless because they would be green. All I’m saying is that Kryptonians are animals and a green Kryptonian still has all of Superman’s powers. Ah well, gotta keep the Titans challenged somehow.
Beast Boy’s craptastic life has given him more guilt than you could shake a dozen Spider-Men at. He’s afraid of the Titans dying like everyone else and is terrified of losing himself to his animal instincts. He hides his pain by clowning around, constantly joking, and playing pranks.
The Actors Who Play Beast Boy
Greg Cipes – Teen Titans Teen Titans Go! Teen Titans Go!: To The Movies.
Brandon Soo-Hoo – Justice League vs Teen Titans, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, more
Logan Grove – Young Justice.
Ryan Potter – Titans.
Didya get all that?
It really ain’t easy being green.
Jared Bounacos has written for Movie Rewind since 2016.
Comments
Aradia LeCrone
Sounds like this could definitely be a winner.