Rocket (real name Raquel Ervin) is a superheroine, partner and protégé of Icon. She became a member of the Team after her partner was inducted into the Justice League, and later graduated into the League herself.
Rocket is an African American woman with short spiky black hair. She wears a formfitting blue shirt that includes a partial hood that covers her cheeks and forehead. Over this, she wears brown coveralls and her belt, which is red and has three blue glowing circles on it. The belt, from which she draws her powers,[7] is kept in place by black straps on her thighs. She also wears black kneepads.[8] She has three silver hoop earrings on her right ear and two on her left ear.[9]
While at her own bridal shower, Raquel wore a light blue dress with puffed sleeves for both arms.[3]
History
Early life
Raquel is from Dakota City.[10] She was inspired by the other sidekicks to pick up a costume, and convinced Icon to do the same.[9]They became superheroes in May 2010.[11]
As part of a simulated training scenario of the Team, a simulation of Rocket prepared for battle along with Zatanna, Red Arrow, Garth and Tula against the invading aliens after Icon's "death".[8]
With all adults gone, Rocket had her hands full keeping Dakota City safe. She used her force field to lift a bus to safety after it balanced precariously off the edge of a bridge.[13]
When Icon was considered for membership in the Justice League, Wonder Woman expressed the hope that one day Rocket could join, to bring more women into the League, an idea that both Black Canary and Hawkwoman approved of.[14]
Along with the Team in the Hall of Justice, Rocket watched her partner, Icon, be inducted into the Justice League. Rocket felt a bit left out, as she was the one who influenced Icon to become a hero. She should be outside congratulating him. During Red Arrow's induction, Rocket was surprised at his reaction—as if being a sidekick was inferior to being your own hero. She had always looked up to the sidekicks, and felt them as her inspiration. As Robin was about to explain the prior six months to her, he got an alert and Rocket left with them to help.[9]
Rocket was completely unfamiliar with the Team, or its recent history, and had to be briefed quickly about Cheshire and the suitcase she was carrying. They were tracking her airplane, but it turned out it crashed in a snowy valley.[9]
As the teens reached the scene, the group investigated the crashed plane. Rocket expressed concern as to why the Justice League had yet to investigate themselves, but was quickly answered by Zatanna. They were then ambushed by Cheshire, Riddler, Shimmer, Mammoth and other enemies. The two groups began to fight. Rocket was harmed by Apokoliptan weaponry but was rescued by Aqualad. After the Team won the battle and obtained the briefcase, Rocket watched as Zatanna silenced Riddler with her magic. She wanted to know if this was a normal day for them; Zatanna told her it pretty much was.[9]
Back at Mount Justice, Batman congratulated the Team on their job, and they left with the case. Rocket finally got to congratulate her mentor, and apologized for leaving. Icon remarked that they have both found a team in which they belong.
With the League gone, the Team discussed the ambush and the mole, which left Rocket perplexed. As the Team explained what the mole matter was, secrets by Superboy, Artemis, and Miss Martian began to unravel; leaving Rocket once again baffled.[9]
Since their secrets were out, the three had nothing to fear and the Team helped ambush Lex Luthor, Sportsmaster, and Queen Bee and their allies. When Lex Luthor, Mercy, and an unconscious Queen Bee attempted to escape in a helicopter, Rocket chased after them. However, Rocket was occupied and held back by missiles. Unfortunately, she was needed back in battle as instructed by Aqualad and was unable to follow. Eventually, the Team won the battle, leaving Rocket to happily agree that this is a normal day for the heroes.[9]
Batman revealed to the Team Red Arrow was the mole. They didn't believe it, and planned to find him themselves. After Batman left, Red Tornado mysteriously powered down. Half of the Team went looking for Roy, Robin, Rocket, Zatanna and Kid Flash stayed behind to examine Tornado. Robin discovered it was a hardware problem, and Zatanna proposed transferring his consciousness into the John Smith android. While they were doing that, Black Canary arrived in the Cave, and attacked them. Robin planted a gas pellet on her, and Rocket trapped her in a force bubble. She soon passed out. They took her, and Tornado, with them on the Super-Cycle. Red Tornado explained the entire League was under the Light's mind control.[15]
After combining with the rest of the Team and Red Arrow, the Team traveled to the Watchtower in the Bio-Ship. Red Tornado had shut down security, which allowed the Team to dock at the bottom of the station. Once inside, they set out to negate the effects of the mind control with cure-tech. Rocket trapped Captain Atom in a bubble, which distracted him long enough for Aqualad to tag him with a patch of cure-tech. They next ambushed the returning away team. Rocket planted a patch on her mentor's neck.
In the observation decks, the Team had to deal with the heavy hitters. After preventing Wonder Woman from using her lasso on Robin, Rocket trapped the Amazon in a force bubble. She could easily contain her, but because she had to keep up the bubble, she could not help in the rest of the fight.[15]
The Team had reconquered the satellite, and Vandal Savage and Klarion were forced to escape. As the clock struck New Year, Kid Flash and Artemis gave each other a kiss. In their wake, Miss Martian and Superboy, and Zatanna and Robin, also kissed. Rocket took the opportunity to give Aqualad a peck on the cheek too and happily stated that she was getting used to the Team.[15]
2011-2015
Rocket stayed with the Team for a while, but eventually joined the Justice League.[5] Her first briefing would be on December 1, 2015.[16]
Rocket joined the rest of the Team in grieving Aquagirl's death in the Cave. She attended Batman's debriefing, though she had not taken part in the fatal mission.[17]
Before heading to their first meeting, Rocket and Zatanna stopped by the Cave to wish Nightwing a happy birthday. Rocket gave him a more modest kiss than Zatanna, and before they left, Bumblebee insisted she showed the latest pictures of Amistad.[16]
In anticipation of her wedding, Raquel and the female members of the League and the Team held a bridal shower at a downtown café. She felt guilty about celebrating so soon after Artemis's death as Artemis was supposed to attend the party and even bought a present for Rocket. They decided to go ahead, and toasted to her memory.
The celebration was interrupted by Captain Cold, who planned to rob an armored truck full of cash that drove past the intersection. He encased the entire street, and the terrace where the heroines were, in ice. Rocket protected and freed them with a force bubble, and all together, after Zatanna used the spell to change into their respective costumes, they charged at the terrified villain.[3]
Rocket protected Doctor Fate from the Warworld's missiles with her force bubble, allowing Fate to focus entirely on defending Earth from Mongul's attacks.[20]
The Warworld May 26 post-12:35, UTCTime Zone
She continued to shield Fate as he conjured a massive magical barrier to partially block Mongul's saturation missile attack.[20]
The Warworld May 26, post-12:40UTC
Rocket and the other Leaguers looked on as the Warworld's weapons ceased fire following the Team's defeat of Mongul.[20]
Blue Beetle was ambushed by Batgirl and Impulse, an ambush meant to fail. Rocket and Zatanna stayed back, and waited until Blue Beetle had taken both of them out. Rocket used a force bubble to contain Blue Beetle, and Zatanna reinforced it so Blue Beetle could not find an escape. Zatanna then released Batgirl and Impulse.[22]
The Team took Blue Beetle to a Bialyan temple Batgirl had discovered months earlier. It was guarded by Devastation, Mammoth, Shimmer and the regular army, and Rocket had a hard time avoiding them because she had to focus on maintaining her bubble. When they reached a temple beneath the base, Rocket placed Blue on a dais in front of Zatanna, as she was going into a mystic trance. Green Beetle arrived, but the Team kept him busy, while Zatanna summoned Isis's powers. Rocket maintained her force bubble until Zatanna instructed her to let Blue go, and then flew off. Zatanna, with the power of Isis, prevented the Reach from controlling Blue Beetle's and Green Beetle's bodies. Rocket flew back to base with the Team as they debriefed Blue Beetle.[22]
When magnetic field disruptors planted by the Reach threatened the Earth, Rocket joined 39 other heroes of Earth in a briefing in Metropolis. The heroes would use a computer virus provided by Lex Luthor to safely disable the devices. The heroes were paired off with another into twenty squads: one member would run interference against Beetle-tech Drones guarding the disruptors, allowing the other to get close enough to plant the virus.[23]Rocket was assigned to Zeta Squad, and worked alongside Adam Strange.[24]
Within thirty minutes, all squads had succeeded in their mission.[23]
Rocket has no inherent superpowers, but with the belt that she wears, she has the following abilities:[7]
Flight: Rocket is able to fly, encompassed by a purple aura.[12]
Force bubble: Rocket can create blue bubbles of kinetic energy,[13] that grow stronger if kinetic force is exerted on the target. She can also use a bubble as a projectile [15][25]
Rocket, or Raquel Ervin, is a hero originally from Milestone Media. She is also the first comic book heroine who is a single teenage mother. In the comics, Rocket held liberal views on economic and social issues, which resulted in her often clashing with her conservative partner, Icon. Under her influence, Icon eventually began re-evaluating his views. Following the "Final Crisis" storyline, the Milestone universe merged with the mainstream DC Universe. After the company's wide relaunch, "The New 52", her status in or if she ever existed in the DC Universe is unknown.