WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for TITANS #21!
Watch out, Victor Stone—theTitanshave a new overpowered ‘Cyborg’ on the roster, one who will forever change the team’s power hierarchy by succeeding when all the others, including Victor himself, failed. The real kicker? This new team member was trying to kill the Titans less than a year ago, making this a dramatic shift in loyalties.
John Layman and Pete Woods’Titansrun has been teasing that Cyborg has been working on a secret project, one that even the rest of the Titans were unaware of. This led to plenty of fan speculation, especially since Victor was acting suspiciously when it came to the project, raising speculation that he might be on the verge of betraying the team.
However, issue #21finally reveals what Cyborg has been working on, and it turns out to be a surprising new team member—Vanadia. The name might ring a bell for some, and it certainly should, as not too long ago, Vanadia was attempting to kill the Titans before meeting her end at Raven’s hands.
The Killer Android VANADIA Returns as an Official Titans Member
Comic Page Comes from John Layman’sTitans#21 (2025) –Art by Pete Woods
Fans following theTitans series will remember that Vanadiafirst debuted in Tom Taylor’s run in issue #10.She was introduced as one of the antagonists in theAbsolute Powercrisis event, with Amanda Waller pulling her strings. However, her villainy was confined to theTitansrun, so she didn’t play a major role in the crossover event. Despite being overpowered and an android with powers that rivaled the Titans, Vanadia was short-lived, ultimately being destroyed by Raven’s dark half, the Dark-Winged Queen.
Now, inTitans#21,readers witness Vanadia’s grand return, but instead of being a foe, she’s now a member of the team. As Cyborg’s secret project, the Titans are understandably shocked when Vanadia comes to their aid during their battle with Psycho-Pirate, especially since the last time they saw her, she was trying to kill them. While some members remain skeptical about her inclusion,Vanadia proves herself to be a worthy ally when Psycho-Pirate unleashes a psychic attack that incapacitates everyone but her.Since she’s all machine and doesn’t have emotions, she is immune to his manipulation.
The Titans Just Gave Their Most Tragic Villain an Epic Full Circle Moment
Vanadia’s reintroduction to the Titans narrative, now as a full-fledged member, is a beautiful full-circle moment, especially given her tragic backstory. As some will recall,Vanadia was once human—a superfan of the Titans who dreamed of becoming a hero like them. This desire led her to be manipulated into participating in a dangerous experiment that promised to transform her into a hero. However, the experiment killed her, and her consciousness was uploaded into her current android body, before she was manipulated into trying to kill the team she once idolized. Now, though, Vanadia’s original dream has come true—she’s finally a member of theTitans.
