What If The Teen Titans...

"Justice League" and "Teen Titans" were some of the greatest animated series in comic book pop culture history. Justice League was built over an entire decade through numerous television shows and was beloved for having a great narrative, flawless continuity, and fleshed-out characters. Teen Titans captured young viewers across the nation with it's unique animation, well-developed characters, and memorable episodes. For as good as they both might be, my theory could make them even better. What if The Teen Titans and The Justice League Animated Series were set in the same universe?

While most of my "What If" posts revolve around certain scenarios and the repercussions of them, this entree is an actual theory. One of the few comic book related theories I've come up with. The reason JL (Justice League) and TT (Teen Titans) never crossed over was because the brains behind the DC Animated Universe-Paul Dini and Bruce Timm-didn't work on TT so they didn't count it as part of their universe. The DCAU consisted of cartoons based off of Batman, Superman, Static, Batman Beyond, Zeta, and The Justice League. Due to the difference in animation, the use of certain characters, and overall lack of communication between both of the show's crews, TT and JL never got the chance to crossover. However, I believe that Dini and Timm left hints to something saying the opposite. That in fact, Teen Titans might have been a precursor to Justice League.

Exhibit A: Dick Grayson

It all starts with Dick. Featuring in "Batman: The Animated Series", Dick Grayson is a college-aged crime-fighter who works alongside his legal guardian Bruce Wayne/Batman. As Robin he remained on the show for three seasons, but in season four Dick returned as Nightwing. However, Nightwing couldn't make any appearances in JL aside from a possible background cameo due to another version of Dick Grayson hitting television. In "Teen Titans: The Animated Series", Dick Grayson appears as a sixteen year old vigilante known as Robin. Leaving his unnamed mentor behind to pursue a solo career that is swiftly exchanged for leading a team of teen heroes. In the episode "How Long is Forever?", Starfire travels twenty years into the future and finds Robin is now Nightwing. When she returns and tells Robin of this adventure, he takes a liking to the name. So, our hypothetical timeline seems to imply Dick Grayson-between the ages of nine and twelve based on prior origin stories-became Batman's sidekick, left his side at sixteen, led the Teen Titans, returned around eighteen, and became Nightwing a year later? It would explain a lot. Comic book versions of Dick Grayson at that time implied he was between nine and sixteen when he was Batman's sidekick, so why would the animated version be eighteen? Where was he prior to season one of "BTAS"? Where did get the whole "Nightwing" idea? Let's move on.

Exhibit B: Wally West

Well, this is clearly reversed. Wally West appears in his early to mid-twenties in "Justice League" in 2001, but in 2005 an episode of TT called "Lightspeed" featured Wally West as Kid Flash, clearly being around sixteen. Well, if TT's Wally grew up into JL's Wally it would make perfect sense. Wally and Dick being around the same age in TT, and being around the same age in JL? Dick growing up to be Nightwing, and Wally growing up to be The Flash just as they did in the comics? Further more in season three of JLU there is an episode called "Flash And Substance" where The Flash Museum is built and in it is a glass case containing the Kid Flash costume. In the very same episode Wally mentions having "an uncle" who is attending the museum opening. As if there are any other relevant uncles in Wally West's life. And in case you weren't following: Kid Flash appeared in TT in 2005, but that JL episode about The Flash's museum came out in 2006. Coincidence? Why would Wally have a Kid Flash costume to give to the museum? Was he the only Flash or was his "uncle" The Flash before him while was his sidekick like in the comics? Speaking of which, in the comics Barry Allen created a costume he could fold into a super-small shape and store in a ring, but when Wally shows off the very same in ring in JL he has a dozen of them. Barry would use and reuse the same one because he knew how to fold it, but Wally has several rings because he's either too lazy or too impatient to fold one. And where did he get the rings? Or the suit? Let's move on.

Exhibit C: Terry McGinnis & Virgil Hawkins

Finally we come to the most unlikely source of reference, "Static Shock" and "Batman Beyond". Two shows related to the DCAU, but pretty far removed. Static focused on one teenaged superhero, and Batman Beyond was in the far future. In the episode "Future Shock", Static travels to the future and teams up with Old Bruce Wayne and his successor Terry McGinnis. However, Static isn't unfamiliar with Bruce as he met him in an earlier episode titled "The Big Leagues" where Batman and Robin teamed-up with Static. During their team-up, Static asks Terry what ever happened to Robin. Terry claims "he's with The Titans". Virgil replies, "You mean with that little green guy". This is pretty solid evidence. That is, if they were talking about the same Robin. The Robin who met Static was Tim Drake, the sidekick of Batman in season four of "BTAS". Before Tim, Static didn't really know the other Robin. Terry-on the other hand-has heard of Dick Grayson. He borrowed some of Dick's clothes at Wayne Manor, and Commissioner Barbara Gordon talks about Dick with Terry over coffee. Terry didn't know who Tim Drake was until the film "Batman Beyond: The Return of The Joker". So while Static is imagining Tim Drake/Robin hanging out with Beast Boy, Terry is thinking of Dick Grayson and the adult Titans. And yes, I said adult. They are never mentioned, but if the end of Starfire's future trip is any indication The Teen Titans-one way or another-would most likely reunite in adulthood. Especially with so many members, as the team reaches army levels at the end of season five. Remember, Starfire's future trip was twenty years (Dick went from sixteen to thirty-six) and Terry's future is forty years (now placing Dick at fifty-six). But then you may be wondering, "How can Static know who Beast Boy is if TT takes place two or three years before "BTAS"". Enter Speedy. Roy Harper/Speedy appeared in the TT episode "Winner Takes All" and appeared to be sixteen or seventeen. This was in 2004. Then in the JLU episode "Patriot Act", Speedy is summoned to aid Green Arrow. He looks like he's in his mid-twenties. This was in 2006. When he shows up in JLU, Speedy is wearing the exact same costume as the one in TT. So why can't Beast Boy and the other Titans be active during Static's early days? Clearly Nightwing, The Flash, and Speedy all are. Why would either Static or Terry know about The Titans if they don't exist in this universe? Why are Dick, Wally, and Roy visibly teenagers in TT, but all young adults in JL? Time to wrap up.

Now there are two things in the way of this theory. One, the comic book continuations. Both Justice League and Batman Beyond got comic book series expanding on their lore after the DCAU was off television. The Teen Titans got a short-lived comic extension as well (sadly named "Teen Titans Go!"). In their comics, The Justice League was referenced by Beast Boy. Of course, these are just comic tie-ins. Can they really count? The second issue is just the unlikeliness of it all. I'm sure Paul Dini and Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie all saw what Teen Titans was like. I'm sure all their references to The Teen Titans and the legacies of their characters were just plain old references. But given the timelines syncing up, given the missing backstories, and given the timing in which episodes came out, I like to believe the men behind Justice League Unlimited wanted to make some kind of connection. But hey, that's just a theory. A Comic Book Theory!

Thanks for reading!

Swear on my life, I'll never make that joke again.