Titans Does Another Death Fake-Out: Why [SPOILER] Is Still Alive

The latest episode of Titans features yet another death fake-out. DC Universe’s flagship show, Titans is developing something of a reputation for fake deaths. So far, a wide range of characters have apparently been killed off, only to return from the dead. The only superhero whose death has stuck so far has been Aqualad’s, killed in flashback in Titans season 2, episode 4.

There’s a sense in which the latest episode of Titans, “Conner,” was entirely about writing a way out of a death. It introduced viewers to DC Universe’s version of Superboy, a clone of Superman who possesses most of his powers – albeit possibly at a reduced level. Superboy was held back for this point in the season as a convenient plot device, because he happened to be walking past Titans Tower at the very moment Jason Todd’s Robin was falling to his death. Unfortunately for Conner, that act of heroism meant he unwittingly allowed Lex Luthor’s aide Mercy Graves to track him down, and he was shot with a Kryptonite bullet.

Of course, no viewers are really expected to believe that Superboy is dead. The character was first teased in the post-credits scene of the Titans season 1 finale, meaning he was set up to be important. The entirety of Titans season 2, episode 6 is dedicated to establishing Conner as a character, so audiences can get a sense of who he is and how he operates. In narrative terms, it would make absolutely no sense to kill off Superboy at this point.

Which begs the question: Why did DC decide to end this episode with Conner bleeding out from gunshot wounds? The simple answer is that the injury means a critically-wounded Conner has to be taken into Titans Tower for medical care, and no doubt the Titans will quickly figure out what’s ailing him; Dick Grayson will surely recognize Kryptonite, and once the bullets are out, Conner will begin to heal at an accelerated rate. For all that’s the case, though, he will still need time to recuperate – leading to the Superman clone sticking around Titans Tower for a little while. The gunshots are essentially just another plot device.

It will be fascinating to see where Titans season 2 takes its Superboy subplot. Deathstroke will certainly find the team a lot tougher to handle if Superboy sticks around, even if Conner doesn’t seem to be equal to Superman; notice that he wasn’t able to leap a tall building in a single bound. Meanwhile, CADMUS is sure to want to retrieve Superboy’s body, so they can be expected to launch attacks on Titan Tower. No doubt that will escalate when they realize he’s still alive. Titans is unlikely to use Lex Luthor himself as a villain; but Mercy Graves is sure to return.

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Thomas Bacon
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Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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