For the purposes of this article, we're going to say that the truly authentic New Teen Titans were the ones that cropped up in the 1980s.

See, the first Teen Titans appeared in the 1960s. Then they experienced a minor lull and underwent a semi-reinvention in the '70s, adding characters like the Joker's Daughter, The Bumblebee, Bat-Girl and Golden Eagle.

But it wasn't until 1980 when DC Comics emerged under an official The New Teen Titans comic title that the transformation was complete. Previewed in DC Comics Presents #26, this fresh-faced crew fused the older standbys like Robin, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash with entirely original characters like Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Terra and Changling.

The major difference between this camp and its band of '60s predecessors was that, this time, the Teens were no longer sidekicks. They'd finally emerged from the shadows of their mentors (with the aid of gradual age progression) to become their own men... and women. This time around, they were confident enough in their own ability to bust the bad guys without having to play second fiddle or beg an assist from their older superheroic counterparts.

Under this title, Wonder Girl married and Robin graduated college. Then, in 1988, the comic title evolved, dropping the "Teen" from its name to become The New Titans, and crimefighting business went on as usual for another eight years.

But any channel-surfing animated series enthusiast knows that yet another group of New Teen Titans airs regularly on the Cartoon Network. So will the newest New Teen Titans one day become passe, only to be usurped by another newer New Teen Titans crew? Well, if history is any indication, we'd guess so....

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