Pre-Crisis Primer: Underwater Bumblebees

Tales of the Teen Titans 45-47

“Final Conflict”

Garth, Aqualad, normally doesn't wear pants. It's Atlantean.

Terra is dead. Deathstroke is in jail. The Titans are in disarray and H.I.V.E. is responsible. Try to kidnap partly unstable teen superheroes and murder one of their friends? Big fucking mistake.

Remember how I mentioned that H.I.V.E. is this super-secret criminal cabal that took the time, money, and resources to put together an entire network of like-minded individuals complete with numerous henchman, matching sinister-robe costumes, underground bases, and exotic weaponry? Click the link if you forget, that's why I include these things. H.I.V.E was all set to wreak some havoc across the globe when they decided that the greatest threat to their plans would be the Teen Titans. Not Superman, not the Justice League, not Batman or Swamp Thing or even Green Arrow, but the Teen Titans. Even though Deathstroke failed to complete their contract, H.I.V.E. seemingly thinks that the Titans will at least be distracted enough licking their wounds and put their master plan in motion. 

The leader of the H.I.V.E. is an old woman.

The first thing that happens is H.I.V.E. runs into the Titans. Life's a bitch, H.I.V.E. Before I forget, H.I.V.E. Stands for 'Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination.' Too cool. I love acronyms that don't really mean anything besides mean bad guy words thrown together to send damn evil.

Aquald and Aquagirl are the lucky Titans who stumble across the underwater hidden beehive base of the intrepid criminal organization and bear witness to the start of their plans: setting off a nuclear explosion near the hidden city of Atlantis! In the DC Universe, both Pre- and Post-Crisis, Atlantis is not a lost city or a myth, merely hidden beneath the waves and the home of Aquaman. Aqualad is the Atlantean sidekick of Aquaman and a reserve member of the Titans, only called in when shit gets too real. Kind of like now.

H.I.V.E.'s big plan? The reason they wanted the Titans dead and built this sprawling network of criminals? They were going to poison all the bodies of water on the planet and force the world's leaders to accept the rule of H.I.V.E. Kind of a disappointing plan. Rote and ho-hum. If thought about for a second it makes no sense. Also, why start with the middle of the Atlantic ocean, where Atlantis is located. Not much drinkable water there. I don't think it's too much of a surprise to reveal that this plan fails miserably. 

Gar's an elephant when he's not happy.

The Aqua-couple makes it to New York where the Titans are trying to come to terms with Terra's death by concentrating on the upcoming nuptials between Donna Troy and Terry Long. Some members are doing better than others as Changeling is missing. He was in love with Terra, he was closest in age to her, and he thought they had been friends. He's ignoring the Titans and going on a tear in New York City, busting gun-runners and muggers, and any criminal unlucky enough to get in his way. Cyborg tries his best to reach out to Gar, who is not ready to accept his friends help yet.

The rest of the team: Raven, the newly-christened Nightwing, Jericho, Starfire, and Donna Troy team up with Aqualad and Aquagirl and take as much ass-kick as they can carry to H.I.V.E.'s underwater doorstep. Raven ends up kicking the most ass using her empathic abilities to not only

kill a bunch of H.I.V.E. Soldiers but also messing up Aqualad. In typical Raven fashion, she freaks out and disappears form the flight, fleeing as fast as her demon-born abilities can take her. Lucky for Raven, she's not leaving her teammates in a lurch because H.I.V.E. goes down easily under the righteous indignation of the Titans. They never stood a chance.

I love how Aquagirl is casually tossing some dude.

Beating, explosions, mass-suicide of H.I.V.E.'s leadership, and a classic escape-the-base scenario before the ocean rushes in to kill everyone and that's the end of the bee-themed super-criminals. That's what they get for fucking with the Titans.

Finally, at the end of the story Raven is still missing. That won't end well, promise.

Bye H.I.V.E.