Tara is a short, slender teenage girl with blond hair and brown eyes. She has a pointed chin much like her mother's, and a round nose like her father. By 2020, Tara's hair has grown longer, reaching down to her shoulders.
History[]
Early life[]
As a child, Tara used to play super-heroes with her big brothers, Gregor and Brion. She usually chose to be Wonder Woman.[5]
2016-2018[]
Brion, studying in England at the time,[6] invited his little sister to London. Instead of spending time with her, he went clubbing, leaving Tara all alone in the city.[7] On July 28, 2016,[6] armed kidnappers led by Henchy raided her residence and kidnapped her, killing several guards in the process. They took her back to Markovburg in secret and locked her in Bedlam's base in the basement of the Children's Hospital.
Helga Jace tested her for her family's connection to the geo-force. When the results came out as positive, she bathed her in Tar to activate her dormant Meta-Gene. As Tara was reborn as a meta-human, Jace felt that she was now the girl's mother, and grew attached to her. However, Baron Bedlam separated them and forcibly took her away.
Shortly after, Deathstroke liberated her from Bedlam, or at least claimed to have done so. Training her one on one in the League of Shadows, he weakened her trust in everyone else until she was completely dependent on him.[7] As a member of the League, she participated in missions, which involved what she later described as unspeakable things.[1]
Tara and Black Spider were sent to Greater Bialya to assassinate Jaqqar Marlo. When Marlo managed to elude the Spider, Tara dropped a boulder on Marlo. Spider praised her by stating the bosses would be proud.[8] By October, Deathstroke decided to set up the next part of the plan. Terra "washed out" of the League, or so he claimed.[9] In reality, she was placed in a position where she could be discovered and taken in by the Team and their allies.[10]
In a highly advertised meta-human auction, Tara, under the name Terra, was forced to fight her fellow meta-humans in the auctions to gauge her capabilities. She fought against Holocaust but lost the battle, though was spared from death by the speaker. The biddings proceeded with Tara's offer being bought by an unknown party. After she was purchased, she was shocked and elated to see that among them was her brother Brion.[1]
Catching up with her brother, Tara revealed that she was informed of their parents' death from her abductors. She was amazed to see his new friends and watched as the others went to save the other captive meta-humans. Tara soon persuaded her brother to aid her in rescuing the prisoners, since she understood their pain. Brion agreed and the siblings used their powers to save Tigress and Nightwing from the Terror Twins, allowing the pair to get the captives away. She soon retreated with the others on the Bio-Ship.[1]
Tara returned with Brion's group to their hideout. She met Brion's girlfriend Halo and Dr. Helga Jace, and relieved the latter of guilt in her reluctant role in her abduction at her uncle's hands since her own hands were sullied too.[1]
Will Harper and Artemis Crock allowed Tara to stay with them. Feeling confident enough to move forward with the plan, she woke up early to send a message to Deathstroke that she was in.[1]
Nightwing's team held a breakfast meeting on the beach, where Dick, Conner and Artemis offered Brion, Violet, Forager and Tara the chance to join the Team.[11]
Miss Martian welcomed Geo-Force, Halo, Forager and Terra to the Team.[11]
Star City November 06, 17:21PST
Tara took Brucely for a walk. She stood outside by a window and recorded the conversation inside, as Helga asked to do more to help. Tara sent the recording to Deathstroke.[11]
Geo-Force created a tunnel underground to allow the Team to infiltrate the Russian base, and Terra took them through it on a large rock she levitated. Inside, they found military volunteers being fused with powered armor. With no illegal activity going on, Tigress opted to leave. The Team then caught sight of a trio of supposed convicts preparing to attack the base. The Team intercepted the attack, and forced the attackers into retreat though Halo was injured. The Team was then confronted by the Rocket Red Brigade, but the Brigade was soon taken down by the regrouped Task Force X. The Team defeated the Task Force, and Tigress convinced the Brigade to let them go.[12]
Though they had originally planned to go to the harvest festival at the Meta-Human Youth Center, Brion and Tara spent Thanksgiving at the Harper house, so Brion could be with Violet.[13]
Beast Boy called a meeting of the Team and Aquaman to put forward his idea of a new team. When Aquaman objected, Beast Boy told him he did not need permission, and the five other members he had already recruited stepped forward. Terra opted to remain with the Team. Aquaman acquiesced on the condition the new group reported to Miss Martian.[14]
After gaining Aquaman's approval, Gar brought everyone to the Premiere Building penthouse, which he had set up as headquarters for the new group, as well as living space for those without homes of their own, including Team members like Tara.[14]
Violet, Tara and Artemis watched reports on the Outsiders' first mission from the Harper kitchen. Artemis admitted that she would miss having the girls living with them, and they decided to have an ice cream sleepover for their last night together. The sleepover was interrupted by a thunderstorm, which disturbed both Lian and Violet. Artemis asked Tara to comfort Lian. Tara later put Lian to bed, and texted Deathstroke while in her room, informing him that the Outsiders were coordinating with the Team and Justice League in secret. He told her to stand by.[14]
Tara and Forager later returned for their scheduled training, but Tara told Artemis that Violet had blown them off to hang out with Harper Row. Later, Tara and Artemis sparred one-on-one in the gym. Artemis tripped Tara, making Tara recall her training with Deathstroke and grow frustrated. Artemis acknowledged that Tara was used to harsh training, though Tara initially tried to pretend she had no training, she went along with it when Artemis talked about getting some training for the fight club in Bialya. Artemis assured that her training was less intense, recalling her own with her father, and Tara smiled as they resumed.[4]
Terra took part in a joint Team/Outsiders mission to prevent a terrorist attack at a UN climate summit in Bwundasa. Halo and Terra were assigned to protect Ambassador Troia, who came under attack by a masked Lady Shiva. When Shiva slashed her sword toward Terra, Halo leaped in the path, and her throat was cut. Terra and Troia forced Shiva's retreat.
On the Bio-Ship afterward, the squad discussed how the mission felt like a set-up.[15]
The squad took a meta-teen rescued in Bwunda to the Meta-Human Youth Center. After El Dorado had an argument with his father, he told Halo to boom tube them out, which she did, with the rest of the squad following in solidarity.[15]
Violet called Tara into her room with Brion and told the siblings how Gabrielle Daou had been bribed to let their parents' killer into the Royal Palace. Tara was on the verge of a panic attack while Brion stormed off to his room. As everyone else was busy, Tara texted Deathstroke, reporting on the ongoing argument between the Outsiders and their parents.[15]
Tara was awakened when Forager brought Vic back, who was being taken over by the Fatherbox fused with him. Shortly after, Forager realized Violet had run away. Tara explained that Violet had told her and Brion about Gabrielle's role in their parent's deaths and they had reacted poorly. She insisted on going with Artemis to find her.
They went to Happy Harbor to get Sphere, who Artemis surmised could sense Violet. The Super-Cycle took them to Gabrielle's home in Dhabar. Tara hugged Violet, who then boom tubed them back to the Premiere Building. Later, on the balcony, Tara answered a call from Deathstroke asking why she had not reported on schedule. She lied, saying there had been nothing to report.[16]
Tara was walking the streets when she was confronted by Deathstroke, who demanded to know why she had not shared information about Halo and Vic. She claimed she had not as both were still developing situations, but Slade saw through the lie, and told her she had gone soft on them. He told her that despite appearances, the "heroes" could not be trusted and would turn on her, eventually wanting to control her. Telling her that he had never been anything but straight with her since he "rescued" her from her abductors, he gave her an antidote chip, just in case.
She returned to the Premiere Building in time to hear Jeff's outburst after he realized that Batman and others were secretly coordinating and manipulating their teams. During the fallout, Helga was able to slip a control chip onto Tara and Brion. Though the antidote chip Slade gave her negated the control chip, Tara played along. Helga took them and Violet to a lab.
There, Helga handed Violet over to Ultra-Humanite and Gretchen Goode. Helga had expected to leave with Brion and Tara but was tempted to stay to find out what Gretchen had in store for Violet. Gretchen took them all to an X-Pit, within the safety of a red cube, and explained her theory that Halo was the key to the Anti-Life Equation. She tested the theory by pushing Helga out of the cube with Violet. Violet tried to heal Helga, exposing her to Anti-Life. Now under Gretchen's control, Helga was ordered to reveal her secrets, including that she saw Brion and Tara as her children since she created them as meta-humans. Goode then returned them to the lab, but Tara freed Brion from his control chip. Before Brion and Tara could do any more, everyone else boom tubed out. They returned to the Premiere Building and told everyone what had happened.
Later, Tara called Deathstroke and admitted he had been right about the "heroes" and asked for instructions.[7]
Terra was part of Beta Squad who were sent to find Violet while Alpha created a distraction. After dodging some Apokoliptan forces, they found Violet with Granny Goodness. Granny used Violet to place the Team under the Anti-Life Equation.[18]
Terra and the other thralls stood by as Gretchen appeared by Granny and the two merged. Vic then boom tubed in, and freed Violet from her cerebral leash, who then cleansed everyone else of Anti-Life. They destroyed Granny's Ghost Dimension device and force Granny into retreat.
The squad returned to the Premiere Building where Vic was inducted into the Outsiders as Cyborg.[19]
Tara and Brion met with Gregor Markov at the Luthor Grande Hotel. After watching Brion's GBS interview, Gregor said that it was exactly the kind of positive press he could use to bring Brion and Tara home, eventually. Tara stepped aside to inform Deathstroke that Gregor was out of Markovia.
Later, the trio saw news reports of Baron Bedlam staging a coup in Markovia. Brion realized that the Outsiders were best placed to respond to the crisis.[20]
Terra was on Alpha Squad of the joint Outsiders/Team response to the coup. Tara received orders from Deathstroke over her comm, telling her to publicly execute Beast Boy.
Alpha boom tubed to the Palace after Beta flushed out Bedlam. Bedlam taunted Brion and Tara about their parents, and in his rage Brion pushed Bedlam and himself through a window. They continued to fight outside, where a GBScameraman recorded them. Brion was able to trap Bedlam in rock, and began pummeling him. Bedlam surrendered, but Brion wanted to keep going. Beast Boy stopped him, telling Brion that the Outsiders don't deal out punishment. Deathstroke told Terra to kill Beast Boy, so nothing could prevent her and Brion from killing DeLamb. Terra then levitated a rock over Beast Boy. Tigress and Halo then arrived, and Tigress told Tara she did not have to follow Deathstroke's orders. Tigress explained that they had known about her working for Deathstroke since before she was rescued, but wanted to give her the chance to change her path. Tara remembered how the Team had trusted her and taken care of her. As Deathstroke tried to convince her otherwise, Tara sent the rock to one side, threw away her comm, and rushed into Tigress's arms. Brion was incensed that this had been kept from him. Zviad Baazovi and a group of Markovians then arrived on the scene. Then Bedlam broke free and made a run for it. Brion captured him again and killed him. Though his teammates were shocked, the Markovians cheered for Brion. Tara said that she and Brion should turn themselves in for their killings, but Brion justified himself and Baazovi came to his defense, calling him a king and suggesting he had the military's support. Brion then spoke to the crowd, taking the crown for himself. He called on Tara for her support, but she refused. Brion then angrily ordered them all out of his country.[10]
Tara was sentenced at the World Court. She was given probation and released into Gregor's custody. She would attempt to redeem herself as part of the Outsiders.[10]
Terra went to the Vault to help Tigress and the Team decide what to do with a pair of alleged defectors from the League of Shadows. Terra insisted that Cassandra Savage was loyal to her father and would not turn against him. She remembered that Deathstroke did not think Onyx was cut out as an assassin as she was not bloodthirsty enough, which might explain her defection.[21]
Terra, Tornado and the Stranger looked on at the damage caused by the now dormant volcano, and were surprised by the arrival of Vandal Savage by boom tube. The Stranger then disappeared with Savage.[24]
Tara went to a monthly group therapy session led by Dinah, also attended by Lia, Violet, Leslie, Andie, Vic and Gar. When Violet expressed difficulty handling the possibility of a new romantic relationship due to their unresolved feelings for Brion, Tara encouraged them to move on with their own life, as Brion had made his own choices.[25]
Gorilla Squad boom tubed to the LexCorp Robotics factory, but were immediately faced with a number of Lex-Bots. Terra sent the others inside while she and the Super-Cycle dealt with the robots. She was forced to admit they had bitten off more than they could chew, but fortunately she had called for reinforcements and Mongoose Squad joined them via boom tube. More Lex-Bots also arrived, however.[28]
Mongoose Squad kept up the fight until Perdita was rescued by Alpha Squad and both teams returned home.[30]
Powers and abilities[]
Geokinesis: Much like the other members of her family, Tara's powers are a type of geo-force.[8] Tara can control and manipulate rocks. She often levitates large slabs that she can use to carry herself and others.[1] She carries small rocks up her sleeves that she can project at high speed like bullets.[15]
In the comics, Tara Markov is Terra, a Teen Titan who is central in The Judas Contract storyline. However, she is the result of an extramarital affair with an American woman, instead of a legitimate daughter as depicted in the show.
This is her third animated appearance. She appeared in the Teen Titans animated series and its spin-off, Teen Titans Go!, and the Teen Titans: The Judas Contract movie.
Regarding Terra's betrayal, the showrunners explained:
“
We felt that the Judas Contract had been done authentically multiple times in animation, and we wanted to provide a twist that would suit our version of the character and highlight the abuse Tara Markov had suffered, while showing the possibility of Terra’s redemption instead of her death.[31]
We hoped Tara’s traditional story that fans know and expect would serve as a misdirect for the ironic, be-careful-what-you-wish-for ending to Brion’s story in season three. In effect, we were going for a double twist ending that would cap our season-wide storyline about meta-kids caught in the crossfire of Earth’s genetic arms race.[31]
