The New Teen Titans #33
New Teen Titans #33 is a structurally inventive chapter within the celebrated Wolfman/Pérez run, introducing the Trident Trio — three rogue H.I.V.E. operatives who each adopt the same costume and codename to deceive both the public and the heroes — a concept Wolfman consciously recycled and expanded from his earlier Marvel work. The issue serves a critical narrative function in the larger 'Terra Incognita' story arc, one of the key bridges leading to 'The Judas Contract,' as it deepens reader suspicion of Terra's unreliable backstory while she operates alongside Kid Flash, and advances the morally charged subplot of district attorney Adrian Chase and Robin breaking the law together to pursue mob boss Anthony Scarapelli. Perhaps most significantly, Starfire's solo visit to Wayne Manor in this issue delivers one of the earliest explicit confirmations in continuity that Jason Todd has replaced Dick Grayson as Batman's partner, quietly marking the close of the Robin chapter in Dick's life before his transformation into Nightwing.
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The issue was written by Marv Wolfman with layouts by George Pérez and inks by Romeo Tanghal, under the editorial supervision of Len Wein as editor, Nicola Cuti as assistant editor, and Dick Giordano as executive editor. It was published with a July 1983 cover date, with the direct edition going on sale March 22, 1983. The Trident concept was, by Wolfman's own later admission, a deliberate creative echo of his Brothers Grimm characters from Marvel in 1978 — two different people passing as one villain — scaled up to a trio for this story. The issue sits within the broader 'Terra Incognita' arc, which Wolfman and Pérez famously plotted together in person, their collaborative method being, in Wolfman's words, so integrated that by the end he had 'no idea who pitched what.'
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of the Trident Trio: three rogue H.I.V.E. operatives — weapons designer 'Prof,' enforcer Sammy Jaye, and an unnamed former Golden Gloves fighter — who each independently adopt the Trident costume and weapon, created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.
- The Trident concept was acknowledged by Wolfman as a deliberate reworking of his own Brothers Grimm characters from Marvel Comics (1978), where multiple people posed as a single villain.
- Starfire travels to Wayne Manor and learns firsthand that Jason Todd has replaced Dick Grayson as Batman's partner — a key transitional story beat ahead of Dick's imminent rebirth as Nightwing.
- Adrian Chase (the future Vigilante) appears alongside Robin, staging a break-in at the home of mob boss Anthony Scarapelli; Chase's civilian identity had debuted in New Teen Titans #23 (1982), with his Vigilante debut coming in New Teen Titans Annual #2 (August 1983).
- The issue is part of the 'Terra Incognita' storyline and was later collected in the trade paperback New Teen Titans: Terra Incognita.
- Story title: 'Who Killed Trident?' — a whodunit structure in which each Titans sub-group (Cyborg/Changeling, Raven/Wonder Girl, Kid Flash/Terra) independently encounters a different 'Trident,' not realizing they are facing separate criminals.
- The Trident character was later adapted for the Teen Titans animated series (2003–2006), voiced by Clancy Brown, though the TV version's origin and backstory differ entirely from the comics.
- The creative team for this issue was: script by Marv Wolfman, layouts by George Pérez, inks by Romeo Tanghal, colors by Adrienne Roy, cover by George Pérez.
Cast · 27 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
The Teen Titans must track down the mystery of who killed the super villain Trident.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).