Favorite Female Characters #12: Donna Troy

DC Special The Return of Donna Troy #4
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley.

Donna Troy has gone by a few different super hero names during her time in the game: Wonder Girl, Troia, and Darkstar. I first met her back in Teen Titans #44, when DC rebooted the series in the late 1970's. I was immediately captivated by her down to earth personality. Donna had the boys in her group sweating with admiration and a little something else while maintaining a quality of innocence. She was someone I could be.

I followed Donna through her many trials and tribulations to come. After the attempt to reenergize the Teen Titans series failed, Donna languished in the back pages of Wonder Woman for a two story arc and vanished. She was to rematerialize when Marv Wolfman and George Perez presented readers with The New Teen Titans in November 1980.

The New Teen Titans series is still regarded as one of the great titles of that era. Wolfman and Perez humanized the team members and focused on their friendships while putting them through the ringer. To me, Donna became even more human and likable. In the Landmark NTT #38, Donna discovered her roots with the help of Dick Grayson AKA Robin. This origin held until Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Donna was regarded as Wonder Woman's adopted sister, and took her cues from their Amazonian background. Donna also fell in love during this time period, and in NTT #50 married Terry Long in an incredible ceremony. Things didn't stay wonderful for long.

Donna was given a new post-Crisis origin in which she was adopted by the Titans of Myth and raised to become a God someday. This storyline appeared in New Titans #50-55. Donna took the moniker of Troia complete with new hairdo and outfit.

Donna became pregnant and gave birth to a son, Robert, and in true goddess style, tried to kill her teammates. Because of this, she gave up her powers and became a mentor to the Team Titans group from the future. This ended badly as well.

During Zero Hour Donna, who had by then split with her husband, became a Darkstar. It was during this period of estrangement that the Titans lineup changed and she met and dated Green Lantern Kyle Rayner. I enjoyed that particular relationship, and wish it would have lasted longer, but the BYRNE happened.

John Byrne was helming the Wonder Woman title at the time and decided to bring Donna back to that title. Her origin was rebooted again. Donna gave up her Darkstar outfit previously and was powerless for yet another period of time. Her new origin as laid out in Wonder Woman #134-136 has now established her as Wonder Woman's "Clone" of sorts. She was made as a doppleganger to be a playmate to a lonely Princess Diana.

During this time, Donna broke up with Kyle because her ex-husband and son were killed in a car wreck and she couldn't deal with the fallout while in a relationship. It was a hectic period, and Donna re-adopted the moniker Troia, complete with a revamped outfit.

"Titans" title was brought back in 1999 as the result of JLA/Titans mini-series. This series lasted until issue #50, and Donna remained a member during it's tenure. She was killed during Teen Titans/Young Justice Graduation Day, and readers thought they lost her forever.

This past few months, DC has undertaken a new series called DC Special: The Return of Donna Troy. Her longtime fans are thrilled and relieved to have her back. It is evident that she will be one of the key players of the upcoming Infinite Crisis, which will put her in the spotlight where she belongs.

Donna Troy is all about heart. She is courageous and patient. She has a great sense of humor and is a loyal friend. All the qualities I look for in a heroine, Donna embodies to a "T". If you have never read much about Donna, take a look at some of the titles I have mentioned above. She deserves a second look, and a second chance.