Teen Titans #45
Teen Titans #45 holds a dual distinction that makes it one of the more quietly consequential Bronze Age DC issues: it delivers the first appearance of Karen Beecher — who would go on to become Bumblebee, DC's first African-American female superhero — and simultaneously marks the debut of Mal Duncan's Hornblower identity, equipped with the mystical Horn of Gabriel. These two introductions, arriving in the very second issue of the title's 1976 revival, planted seeds that would grow well beyond the Bronze Age: Karen Beecher has since become a fixture across DC animation, comics continuity, and merchandise, appearing in Young Justice, Teen Titans Go!, and DC Super Hero Girls. The issue also belongs to a transitional moment in DC history when the publisher was actively expanding its roster of characters of color, a creative push that — while commercially modest in 1976 — helped lay the representational groundwork that would matter enormously to subsequent creative teams.
In "You Can't Say No to the Angel of Death (or Can You?)", written by Bob Rozakis and illustrated by Irv Novick with inks by Vince Colletta, Mal gains the power of Azrael’s horn after defeating the Angel of Death—only to face a new challenge when a street gang threatens the rebuilding of their neighborhood. With the Titans summoned by his newfound abilities, Mal must decide how far he’s willing to go to protect the people he cares about. The cover by Ernie Chua and Vince Colletta captures the intensity of this pivotal moment in the Teen Titans' early years.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 14 grades ▾
This exact issue on ebay
Raw / ungraded ▾ $1.5–$45 17 listings
More listings for this title
Read it digitally
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The series had lain dormant since its cancellation with issue #43 in early 1973; the 1976 revival kicked off with #44, written by Paul Levitz and Bob Rozakis, and by issue #45 Rozakis had taken full creative ownership of the title. Rozakis — then also serving as assistant editor to Julius Schwartz and already known as DC's 'Answer Man' — scripted the issue with interior art by Irv Novick and inks by Vince Colletta; the cover was penciled by Ernie Chan (credited at the time as Ernie Chua) over Colletta's inks, with E. Nelson Bridwell serving as associate editor alongside Schwartz. The 1976 run carried an inconsistent editorial team — Westfield Comics has noted that both Joe Orlando and Julius Schwartz edited various issues — and the title's unstable creative rotation contributed to the low sales that would ultimately end the revival with issue #53 in 1978.
Trivia · 7 facts
- First appearance of Karen Beecher, the character who would become Bumblebee — DC's first African-American female superhero — introduced here as the scientist girlfriend of Mal Duncan; she would not adopt the Bumblebee identity until Teen Titans #48.
- Mal Duncan abandons the Guardian identity he acquired in the previous issue (#44) and becomes Hornblower, gaining the mystic Horn of Gabriel after defeating Azrael, the Angel of Death, in a contest for his life.
- The issue establishes a narrative constraint on Hornblower: by defeating Azrael he wins the right to live, but if he loses any fight — to anyone — he must die, a high-stakes condition that shaped subsequent stories in the revival run.
- Written by Bob Rozakis with interior pencils by Irv Novick and inks by Vince Colletta; cover art by Ernie Chan (Ernie Chua) and Vince Colletta; edited by Julius Schwartz with E. Nelson Bridwell as associate editor.
- Aqualad rejoins the team in this issue, appearing alongside the classic lineup of Robin (Dick Grayson), Kid Flash (Wally West), Wonder Girl (Donna Troy), and Speedy (Roy Harper).
- The issue has been reprinted twice in collected form: in The Official Teen Titans Index #2 (Independent Comics Group, September 1985) and in Teen Titans: The Bronze Age Omnibus (DC, August 2017), which collects Teen Titans #25–53.
- The issue exists in a Mark Jeweler advertisement insert newsstand variant, a common distribution variant of the era for comics sold through military PX and similar outlets.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Stålpojken #7/1978 (1978), Faucon Noir #7 (1978), Superboy #4/1978 (1978), The Official Teen Titans Index #2 (1985), Teen Titans: The Bronze Age Omnibus #[nn] (2017)
Key issues in Teen Titans
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.