A Mixed Canon Teen Titans Blog

(I'm alive, I swear! Sorry this is so rough!)

I'm trying to figure out Gar's look, so I decided to roughly sketch a bunch of different ideas. If you have any notes or preferences, feel free to let me know! This is okay to reblog!

Rough take on a more cartoony Gar!

Random Gar style/design experimenting.

Drew a non specific Gar in a different style than my norm. I kind of like it. May practice this style more... and figure out Gar's design.

Gar Logan

I’m working on making my own version of Victor Stone/Cyborg, as well as other Teen Titans/DC characters. I’ve read that Victor’s character isn’t the best representation for black people. He has been portrayed as angry, submissive to white people, a big scary man, had a sports scholarship, literally considered dehumanized with his robot parts, interested in a white woman, Sarah Simms, who teaches him to love himself, and a myriad of other things. The parts I know I’m keeping from his portrayals are the facts that he has robot parts and he is black. Some changes I hope to make include: Victor does not doubt his humanity as a cyborg. He was dehumanized enough as a black man and was always well aware that he is as human as anyone else. Being part robot didn’t change his view on himself, even if others think differently of him. The problems Victor does have with his robot parts have to do with feeling he isn’t “disabled enough” to be seen as a role model for others with disabilities, as well as having difficulties adjusting to his new body. This would be where Sarah Simms steps in (along with the local group of children with handicaps she volunteers to help and spend time with). Sarah aids the children in teaching Victor how they live with their prosthetic limbs and other disabilities. Through this, Victor realizes their similarities and that he is just as valid in his disabilities as anyone else. This is also beneficial to the children, having the opportunity to be the teachers as well as getting inspiration from Victor. (If Victor had trouble with his artificial parts, then there’s no shame in the fact they did as well! If Victor could make almost an entire body of prosthetics work, they could do so with a single limb! If Victor could be a superhero, they could be amazing too!) Regarding aspects of his personality, I’m hoping to include positive and negative traits as no one is perfect. Here are some ideas I have in mind: When in a good mood, Victor’s really in a good mood. He is energetic and excited, loudly letting others know he’s happy and trying to bring others into his good mood. While usually a positive trait, doing what he can to spread the joy around, this can tie in with a negative. His sometimes boisterous nature can be seen as an annoyance, at times. When someone doesn’t share his good mood or seem open to cheering up, he usually leaves them alone, not wanting to annoy them or bring down his own mood. While trying to be respectful, this can lead to misunderstandings, some believing that Vic only cares about them when they’re happy.

During his sixth year of life, Gar was held captive by two thieves who used his animal abilities for robberies. When these thieves realized that Gar had somewhat accelerated healing, they took to using him as a punching bag. As long as they didn’t kill him, they could continue to use him for their crimes and he would ultimately heal. This didn’t make things any less painful or traumatic for the child, however. Being used as a tool by the thieves, then as a bank card by Galtry, and finally as a soldier by Dayton, Gar thoroughly believed himself a lesser individual to be used. It isn’t until he bonds with and is encouraged by the Titans that he feels a rise in self worth.

It would sure be nice if I could settle on a design for my Gar.

(Regarding my own original take on assorted DC characters.) Context --- “So, if you’re a hundred years old, but young and healthy too, can you keep up with your grand kids? I mean, old people move all slow and get tired easy and smell funny but you’re old and young so you smell better and look like you can move better, so, maybe you have a chance to win a race with your grand kids. Can you?” The Brit let out a long irritated groan, thoroughly annoyed with the green child’s chatter. Mere moments ago, the changeling was silently tailing him around the building, making sure he didn’t commit any crimes. Now he seemed to have grown bored. “Do you always talk so much in a library?” Neil whispered harshly at the boy. “And I don’t ‘ave any grand kids.” “I’m talkin’ quiet,” the eight year old assured. “I meant great grand kids,” he bluffed, reasoning the man was so old his grand kids were all grown up. “None of those either,” the Brit scowled. “...Great great grand kids?” Gar cocked his head. “No!” Neil spat in another whisper. “But you’re so old! You have ta have lots and lots of family by now!” The man stopped and took a deep breath before letting out a sigh. “I don’t.” “What about your parents?” Gar asked. “Died a long time ago,” Neil replied flatly. Gar could relate... “Brothers or sisters?” “No.” “Cousins?” “None.” “Aunts or uncles?” “Never.” “Wife?” Neil looked down, scowling deeply as his fists shook at his sides. “I mean, ya gotta have someone! Even if you aren’t related! Elasti-Woman and Mento are my mom and dad, but they weren’t always! Robot Man and Negative Man are my uncles! None of ‘em are related though! They’re my family! Ya gotta have a family too!” “No, I don’t!” the Brit snapped, raising his voice. Gar flinched, ears drooping and shrinking back as his tail fur bristled out. “Leave.” Neil warned. “But…” the changeling took a tentative step forward, “you need to have some sort of family… Maybe there’s someone special to you who’s your family, but you just haven’t realized yet? Everyone needs someone like that. Even the bad guys. You’d be so sad and lonely without-” “Leave me alone!” Neil yelled, teeth bared at the child. After a moment of silence, the villain turned and left, narrowly avoiding a call to security. Gar simply looked on with wide eyes, brows upturned in sadness as a realization set in. Mad Mod had no one. No wonder he was so mean...

(Regarding my own original take on assorted DC characters.) Context --- He should probably be scared. He was usually scared when they faced a villain. The changeling was still new to being an official member of the Doom Patrol, after all. He was young and inexperienced. But he wasn't scared. His tail waved slowly behind him as he tilted his head curiously, pointy ears perked to pick up every word of the villain's speech. Something didn't feel right. Or rather, something didn't feel wrong. As a boy with the entire animal kingdom in his blood, Gar had senses beyond that of a human. His sixth sense, one of them, was to pick up on the general vibe radiating from a person. His adoptive family, the Doom Patrol, all had a general well meaning sensation about them. When he first encountered Madame Rouge, however, he picked up on her demented malicious nature. This new villain barely exuded any sense of ill intent. He sounded malicious, even with that funny accent of his, but he didn't feel sincere. "Can you lot, misfits among misfits, defeat an even bigger freak?" Gar wasn't sure what the man meant by that. Why would he call himself a "bigger freak"? He seemed normal enough. Sure, he was really tall, but not superhero tall. He had big goofy front teeth, but Gar himself had a tooth that jutted out, even when he was fully human. The same could be said for their freckles, totally normal. Maybe it was because he had orange hair and dressed funny? But those were easy things to change... "A living contradiction! Young and old! Famous and unknown! Genius and stupid! Surrounded and alone!" He supposed that sounded freaky enough... The rest of his team seemed unconcerned with his strange speech. He was a villain. He had them abducted and in an unknown location. Now, he was challenging them to some sort of... battle? Maze? Gar wasn't sure exactly what he wanted, but the villain threatened to detonate the bombs surrounding them if they didn't participate. Mento had tried to use his helmet-enhanced telekinesis to disarm the bombs, but the bombs somehow bounced his mental powers back into his own head. They'd been enhanced somehow. Negative Man's second form was completely deflected upon trying to disarm them from inside. Elasti-Woman couldn't make her way inside the devices, even at her smallest size. Robot Man's metal body wouldn't be able to withstand every single blast, should he try to endure the explosions for them. That's when they tried one last idea. Beast Boy was instructed to become a naked mole rat and chew open a small entrance for Elasti-Woman. His attempt merely gave him an electric shock that sent him flying. All the while, the villain behind the impenetrable glass wall was becoming frustrated with their refusal to listen to him. But they were listening now. Gar had tried to say something, but Mento had silenced him. It was best they didn't irritate the villain further when he clearly had the upper hand. Still, it was weird that his keen nose didn't pick up on any hint of explosives. Something just wasn't adding up about this Mad Mod guy…

(Regarding my own original take on assorted DC characters.) Gar Logan and Neil Richards have a peculiar relationship. Their first interaction was with Neil as the villain Mad Mod and Gar as Beast Boy on the Doom Patrol. Mad Mod had a strange brand of villainy. Rather than commit crimes for his own benefit or goal, he targeted the Doom Patrol directly. He seemed to have no desire to destroy them, often focusing on keeping out of their grasp. Instead, he devised scenarios to test the team and sometimes simply being a nuisance, seeming to taking joy in messing with them. While the entirety of the Doom Patrol found him bizarre, it was ultimately Gar who put the pieces together. Neil Richards was simply a lonely old man in a young body taking part in a family he could never have in the only way he saw possible, villainy. The young Gar held hope that Mad Mod could be swayed from his villainy. While he was initially pushed away, Gar was able to warm Neil’s heart to him and the idea. Neil ultimately became an occasional ally to the Doom Patrol. While he did befriend the adults, to a degree, he took a particular shining to Gar. The old man saw aspects of himself in the young boy. The two of them shared a strange and peculiar relationship with clothing. Neil focused both form and function, a former fashion designer adoring many aspects of fashion while needing to cater to his lanky figure and flexibility. Gar adored colorful and varied clothing, overlapping with Neil’s interest in places. He also needed clothing that could shape shift with him, tailored to his mutated body type and relationship with textures. This was something Neil could help with, Both Neil and Gar had unusual minds, Gar being neurodivergent and able to think differently while Neil did the same with his super intelligence. The two also lost their biological parents at young ages, ultimately being adopted by at least one abusive male figure. They certainly had things to bond over. As the years passed, both became increasingly frustrated with the leader of the Doom Patrol, Steve Dayton. This led to Gar striking out on his own. Afterwards, Neil found interacting with the rest of the Doom Patrol pointless with the constantly butting heads and lack of Gar, deciding to move to California to revive his fashion brand. Strangely enough, the two continued to cross paths with both Gar’s acting career and eventual superhero work in Jump City.