Summary
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Titans #13!A newTitansvillain comes face-to-face with Beast Boy and reveals a horrifying twist to his shape-shifting powers. The DC Universe may have survived “Beast World”, but one small part of it lives onin the form of Apex Ava.
Apex Ava made her debut late last year when she gained powers similar to Garfield Logan during his darkest moment. But aside from her big-game hunting and unbelievable cruelty to animals, fans didn’t know too much about her. However, anew confrontation with Apex Avareveals a creepy spin on Beast Boy’s special abilities and it could be putting the jocular Titan in danger.
Beast Boy’s Doppelganger Can Only Transform Into Animals That She’s Killed
InTitans #13by Tom Taylor, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Adriano Lucas, and Wes Abbott, Raven’s evil side (who is posing as the real Raven), is furious at Nightwing for hiding his mind from her, thinking she’s onto him. However, Beast Boy and Cyborg interrupt and Raven is forced to reset reality so that they will not suspect her of anything.Beast Boy tells his friends that he and Cyborg are going to Kravia to investigate a reportof Kravia’s president being attacked by a talking green tiger.
By killing Beast Boy, Apex Ava claims there’s no animal she couldn’t turn into.
Shortly after Gar and Vic arrive in Kravia, the president and his agents are once again attacked by a green tiger. The rampaging beast turns into a bear and charges at the president, becoming a blue-ringed octopus and jumping down his throat. Thankfully, Beast Boy turns into a gorilla and removes it. While Cyborg takes the president to get medical treatment, Beast Boy handles his rival shape-shifter. After pinning it to the wall,the copycat is revealed to be Apex Ava.
Apex Ava marvels at Beast Boy, who discovers that she can only transform into animals she’s killed. Ava thanks Beast Boy for accidentally saving her life and giving her a portion of his power, but she also informs him that she wants to hunt and kill him. Ava confirmsher transformation powers are limited by what she kills, but killing Beast Boy would be like a ‘cheat code’. By killing Beast Boy, Apex Ava claims there’s no animal she couldn’t turn into. Fortunately, Raven arrives to help apprehend Ava, ending the fight.
Who is Apex Ava and How Does She Relate to Beast Boy?
Before the events of “Beast World” began, Apex Ava was an animal hunter who traveled the world hunting down the most exotic and dangerous prey. But during her travels, she was bitten by a monkey and infected with Sakutia, the same disease that once plagued Beast Boy. Once she learned she was dying, Ava began hunting humans until she was arrested and sent to Arkham Tower to live out the rest of her days. However, a Garro spore came for Ava and after killing it and eating it,she recovered from her illness and gained Beast Boy-like powers.
Apex Ava makes her first appearance inNightwing #109 (2024)!
With a clean bill of health and the world falling to chaos thanks to an out-of-control Garfield, Ava set up a small hustle in Gotham. Able to control the spores and the animal-human hybrids they created, Ava began kidnapping and infecting anyone who crossed her path, then forced them to fight one another in a gladiatorial arena known as the Pit. Damian Wayne investigated the people who had gone missing,only to run into Apex Ava, who subdued Robin and used a spore to turn him into a cat hybrid.
Nightwing discovered that something happened to Damian and teamed up with Superman Jon Kent to find him. They managed to find the Pit and found their ally fighting for Ava under the name Mr. Mittens. The duo rescued Damian and purged the spore from his body. Nightwing and Robin attempted to bring Apex Ava to justice for what she’d done, only to discover she could transform into animals. Apex Ava flew to freedom,vowing that she would be back one day to hunt Nightwing.
Apex Ava’s Twisted Powers Make Her Beast Boy’s Worst Nightmare
While it was revealed inNightwing #110that Ava could transform into animals like Gar, this is the first time it’s been revealed her power is based on which animals she’s hunted and killed. That said, this was hinted at by her body tattoos, all of which represent a different animal Ava has killed. Apex Ava may indeed come back for Nightwing one day,but with Beast Boy having the power she wants, she’s got a more pertinent prey in mind.
Beast Boy’s had some dangerous villains before, but none like Apex Ava.
Apex Ava is pretty much Beast Boy’s diametric opposite. Garfield has endless compassion for animals and isn’t limited to transforming into other creatures (he even became a Star Conqueror just a few months ago). But Ava is a psychopath who sees animals as nothing but game to stalk and kill. Originally, she might have been fine using her powers to work her way up the food chain and gain more powerful forms to transform into. But now that she has Gar in her sights,Ava’s not going to stop until she gains Beast Boy’s power.
Sure, Beast Boy is an experienced hero and Apex Ava is still adjusting to her powers. But even before she went green, she was taking down things that were bigger and stronger than her.Beast Boy had better look out because the world can’t afford a monster like Avaseizing his power. Just imagine the destruction she could do to the animal kingdom if she could become a dragon or a Star Conqueror like Gar. Beast Boy’s had some dangerous villains before, but none like Apex Ava.
Apex Ava is a Threat the Titans Need to Deal With
While Raven imprisoned Apex Ava in Titans Tower, it’s not going to be a permanent solution for her. She’s simply too dangerous for the power she possesses. Nothing short of finding a way to undo her abilities is going to keep Beast Boy safe, because as long as Ava can gain powers by killing other creatures, Gar is always going to be in danger. Hopefully, theTitanshave a way to deal withBeast Boy’snew nemesis because she presents a very real danger to him and the animal kingdom.
