Thanks to the events of Absolute Power, a once laughable C-listBatmanandGreen Arrowvillain has just skyrocketed to prominence with a MAJOR power upgrade—obliterating the entireTitansroster in one swift attack. This shocking rise in power positions him for A-list status, but the real question looms: can he hold onto this newfound dominance and completely redefine his legacy in DC lore, or will he fall back into obscurity?
…readers learn that Tockman’s brain has undergone a significant transformation, specifically in the temporal lobe…
John Layman and Pete Woods’Titans#17 continues the wild ride of issue #16, which brought major changes to the team. Among these shifts were Wally“Flash”West leaving to work with the Justice League full-time, Roy“Arsenal”Harper joining the roster, andNightwing stepping down as team leader, passing the leadership position to Donna Troy.
However,the biggest shocker came when Clock King attacked the entire Titans team and took them out in seconds—an achievement that seemed impossible for such a low-level villain. The preview forTitans#17 finally begins to shed light on how William Tockman managed to pull off this astonishing feat.
The full issue ofTitans#17 will be released on June 28, 2025, by DC Comics.
ABSOLUTE POWER Gave Clock King the Power to Manipulate Memories & Time Perception
Tockman’s swift defeat of the Titans in issue #16 made it clear that the villain had undergone a major power upgrade, given thatClock King is typically portrayed as a C-list villain with no metahuman powers,relying instead on gadgets. While some versions of Clock King suggest he can see a few seconds into the future to anticipate his opponents' moves, even with this ability, there’s no way he should have been able to take out the entire Titans team. By the end of issue #16, it was evident that this wasn’t the William Tockman readers were familiar with, and this was confirmed in issue #17.
Titans#17 opens with Clock King’s narration, where he reveals thatduring the events ofAbsolute Power, he was one of the individuals who gained new abilities when the powers stolen by Amanda Waller’s Amazo task force were released. As the preview continues to unfold, readers learn that Tockman’s brain has undergone a significant transformation, specifically in the temporal lobe—the part of the brain responsible for memory and the perception of time. While the preview ends here, the implications are clear:Clock King is now a high-level meta with the ability to control memory and time perception, which ultimately enabled him to defeat the Titans in record time.
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Will Clock King Be Able to Hold Onto His Newfound A-List Status?
Cover B Card Stock Variant by Rahzzah forTitans#17 (2024)
While it remains to be seen exactly what Clock King wants with the Titans, issue #17 promises to trap them in their past memories. The issue’s synopsis teases:“…the Titans [are] looking backward, reliving their most horrific and traumatic moments, again and again…”Hence, it will be intriguing to see how the Titans confront Clock King’s new powers, as these abilities are something entirely unfamiliar to them. While it’s likely theTitanswill find a way to defeatClock King, the real question is how much damage he could inflict on the team—the answer to this will determine if he can hold onto his newfound A-list status.
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Teen Titansis a superhero animated TV series based on the DC Comics team of the same name. Airing from 2003 to 2006, the show follows five young heroes—Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy—as they battle villains while navigating adolescence. The series was widely praised for its blend of action, humor, and character development, and it spawned a popular spin-off,Teen Titans Go!.
