Beast Boy

Garfield Mark "Gar" Logan, also known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Arnold Drake and Bob Brown, and first appears in Doom Patrol #99 (November 1965). In Superboy Comics #33 (6/54), Superboy meets a green creature from Outer Space that can morph into any animal it wants to (also green).

Fictional character biography
As a child, Garfield contracted a rare illness by being bit by a green monkey called Sakutia but then was saved by his parents who used an untested serum on him. This serum had the unintended effect of turning his skin and hair green and granted him the ability to metamorphose into any animal of his choice. His parents later die in a boating accident, which to this day, Garfield believes he could have prevented. In his days with the Doom Patrol, Garfield has a romantic relationship with a girl from his high school named Jillain Jackson. After he saves her from Galtry (who was using the alias "Arsenal"), the relationship dissolved. Beast Boy is deeply affected by the deaths of the Patrol.

Addressed as nothing but Beast Boy (and epithets, as the team is upset at his invasion of their headquarters) upon his debut, in his second appearance (Doom Patrol #100) he is twice called 'Craig' by Galtry (in his own introduction). In the following issue the first name Gar is used, and later the last name Logan is casually dropped in a caption, each as if they had already been established to the readers. The full "Garfield" is not invoked until The New Teen Titans some fifteen years later.



Joining the Titans
He later joins the West Coast team of the Teen Titans (known as Titans West), and is part of the New Teen Titans assembled by Raven. At this time, Garfield takes the name Changeling. He remains with various incarnations of the team, and forms a close friendship with Cyborg. He later uses the name Beast Boy again, under which he gets his own miniseries Beast Boy. Following a failed attempt to recreate "Titans West" as "Titans L.A.", as recounted in Titans Secret Files #2 (October 2000), Garfield rejoins the main team.

Beast Boy's character is often used as comic relief. However, this is only a facade, as he uses humor to hide a deep inner pain. Beast Boy has suffered many hardships in his life (both his real parents have died, and his foster mother, whom Garfield became very close to, died in battle along with virtually all of the other Doom Patrol members with whom he was part of the team and his foster father was driven mad by a helmet he used to fight enemies). During his time with The New Teen Titans, Gar fell in love with Terra, a young girl with earth-manipulating powers and fellow Teen Titans member, who turned out to be a spy working for Deathstroke. Despite all his hardships, Garfield is friendly and upbeat.

"One Year Later"
While the events of Infinite Crisis unfold, details of Beast Boy's life "One Year Later" are revealed in the current Teen Titans comic book. Teen Titans vol. 3, #34 (May 2006) shows scenes from the year between the conclusion of Infinite Crisis and One Year Later, from the damaged Cyborg's POV. Garfield leads the Teen Titans, before quitting the team following the breakup of himself and Raven. He then joins his original team, the Doom Patrol, citing that the team need his help and that Robin can handle leadership. He is also feeling uneasy about remaining in a team without Cyborg. After Cyborg awakes, Beast Boy and the rest of the Doom Patrol helps the Titans fight off the Brotherhood of Evil, who have managed to clone Brain. The clone is a failure, however, and Mallah ends up tearing Brain's head off so that he can preserve his master's brain.

After returning, Beast Boy is infuriated to discover that the Chief has been manipulating them and trying to do the same to Kid Devil. Garfield and his parents stands up to the Chief and made him step down as the Doom Patrol's leader. Beast Boy stays on his old team saying that they still need him. However, he does answer a call from Raven to help the Titans combat Titans East. Raven later demonstrates hints that she still loves Garfield and offers to help him heal after the battle with Deathstroke, but Garfield remains uncertain.

Titans
In Titans #1 (2008), Gar is attacked by Trigon, who floods his room with lava. In retaliation, Gar joins the new Titans team, wearing a costume similar to his old Changeling uniform. In later issues, the group are attacked by the Children of Trigon, who use Garfield's suppressed anger and rage against Raven, who is also affected in the same manner. The two attack the other, but the fight is eventually broken up when the Titans begin to recover from the attack.

Raven's three half-brothers then use her and Gar, transforming him into his demonic beast form, to act as keys to open a portal to Trigon's realm. Raven uses her own power to influence greed in others to make her half-brothers steal what little power Trigon had left. The portal is closed, and Trigon's sons, believing they have gained great power, leave the scene, returning Gar to normal.

Following this, the team has settled themselves down at Titans Tower (supposedly the New York base), where they attempt to recover from recent events. Raven and Beast Boy go out together on a "not-a-date". During this, Raven reveals that since she faced her brothers, she has begun to feel as if she is losing control and slipping back under the thrall of her father's powers. Although Beast Boy rejects the idea, he is blind-sided as Raven gives into her darker side, under the influence of her half-brother's coaxing. Using her teleporting powers, she and the Sons of Trigon vanish, leaving a distraught Beast Boy behind to warn the others.

The Titans are later able to save Raven, using a gem that she had entrusted to Donna Troy. The gem carried a piece of her pure-soul self, which then cleansed the evil of Raven. Afterwards, Raven gave Beast Boy and the rest of the team similar magical items in case she should ever be corrupted again.

Powers and abilities
Beast Boy has the ability to morph into any animal that he has seen himself or has seen in an illustration (as is the case when he shapeshifts into an animal such as an extinct dinosaur).

Beast Boy's powers are unknowingly borrowed by Robby Reed. While using Beast Boy's powers Robby goes by the alias Changeling.

It was revealed Garfield's greatest fear is to be rejected by his surrogate family, The Doom Patrol.

Static Shock animated series
Beast Boy is referenced in Static Shock when Bernie Rast says "...what about that kid in the Titans. Yeah the green one".