Contains spoilers for Teen Titans Academy #5.
DC Comics has just revealed that the DC Universe has its own "super-soldier serum," as made clear in Teen Titans Academy #5, written by Tim Sheridan, with art by Steve Lieber. While this plot device is certainly more common in - and was popularized by - Marvel Comics, it's surprising to see DC finally including it in its canon. What will the presence of a super-soldier serum mean for the larger DC Universe—and how will DC differentiate its forthcoming super-soldiers from their Marvel counterparts?
Nearly every comic reader knows the importance of the super-soldier serum in the Marvel Universe. The serum has been a key part of Marvel's storytelling for not only Captain America but also several other characters who received the high-powered jab as well. With the release of the Captain America movies, the super-soldier serum has become an even more important part of the Marvel canon, as the serum helps connect many of the Avengers to one another. Of course, there are instances where the serum does not work as intended, leading to a variety of catastrophic issues for both the characters and the Marvel Universe at large. With how important this serum is to the Marvel Universe, it's no surprise that DC has decided to introduce a version of its own.
In Teen Titans Academy #5, the new students find themselves with Red X while investigating him. Chupacabra, Bratgirl, and MegaBat reveal their own origin stories to Red X in order to help further their investigations and perhaps encourage Red X to open up a bit himself. During the reveal of these backstories, Chupacabra explains that he was adopted by an evil scientist - Dr. Grusel - who experimented on him with a "serum" that would, in Grusel's words, "instruct your frail human DNA on how to rebuild itself into that of an apex predator...a creature of the night...a super soldier." However, it is soon revealed that this serum will not be giving Diego skills like Captain America. Instead, this super-soldier serum will curse Diego with a bat-like appearance and all of the bat-like skills he can handle.
One could easily dismiss Dr. Grusel as being nutty and exaggerating the benefits of the injection he has created. However, his mention of the super-soldier serum is not the only one in the issue; there is a further callback to this serum when Red X tells the Teen Titans Academy students, "I'm sure you don't think it was coincidence that Nightwing only recruited you after Diego was injected with super-soldier serum." Red X pointing out that these kids would have never been considered recruitment material by Nightwing means this serum is significant in their character creation and isn't just a throwaway reference for DC: these characters wouldn't be where they are without the influence of the serum.
DC choosing to put such heavy emphasis on a super-soldier serum is especially interesting because it means there are now characters who were both created with and impacted by a super-soldier serum. Yes, that super-soldier serum turns those injected with it into bat-creatures, but it's still a canon super-soldier serum. Will readers see the return of this serum in other issues? How far-reaching are the consequences? Will there be failed versions of this serum, like there were failed versions of Marvel's super-soldier serum? Only time will tell how DC handles this new addition to its canon.
Teen Titans Academy #5 is available now.
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