Traci Thirteen
5 years ago - 12-year-old Traci' begins learning how to spellcast. Her father Doctor Thirteen forbids her from using her magic to help people.
2 years ago - 15-year-old Traci has a falling out with her father Terry Thirteen. She leaves home, staying with Ralph & Sue Dibney for a while before getting her own place in Metropolis, developing her "urban magic".
1 year ago - 16-year-old Traci helps save Superman from Metallo along with Natasha Irons and Miss Martian. He convinces her father Terry Thirteen to allow her to use her powers to help people.
now - 17-year-old Traci meets Jamie Reyes through his teammate Natasha Irons. She is invited to join the Justice Society.
Traci is a pretty neat phenomenon in comics because she's had a relatively minimal number of appearances, but each time she's managed to strike a very positive note. Every version of her has been fun, but what's even more interesting is that each version of her has been wildly different.
Traci's Comic HistoryTraci appeared for the first time in 2003, in the story 'Lost Hearts', which crossed over between the various ongoing Superman stories. It was a quaint little esoteric tale, and kind of an odd fit for a Superman. In it, we meet Traci, a teenage girl living alone in the slums of Metropolis with a talent for magic, particularly 'urban magic', the ability to tap into the inherent magic of cities... a concept readers at that point might recognize from another character; Jack Hawksmoor, from the Wildstorm series Stormwatch & The Authority.
Traci's role here was to serve as a sort of guide for Superman. Rereading this story, I'd say it's pretty clear that creators Joe Kelly & Dwayne Turner either had much broader plans for the character, or simply got caught up in the process, because she had a LOT going on, from her busy (possibly a little over-sexualized) but undeniably fun design, her cool attitude, and her adorable iguana familiar that she could turn into a giant lizard monster, She was clearly a character that someone could do some fun stuff with. By the end of the story, it was revealed that she was actually a legacy character; the daughter of Silver Age paranormal skeptic and investigator Doctor Thirteen. |
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Traci appeared again in another Superman crossover, this time teaming up with Natasha Irons (in one of her first appearances as the new Steel) and the Cir-el Supergirl to stop Metallo. It was a quick little crossover, but it increased the visibility of these characters quite a bit.
Traci made a few small appearances in the crossovers surrounding the Infinite Crisis in 2006 dealing with the changes in the world of magic, but the biggest change in her profile came in the following year when she became a regular recurring character in one of the best ongoing series of the decade, Blue Beetle. Her magical adventures crossed over with Jaime and friends several times, and the two of them soon decided they should try dating. The whole series was full of refreshingly honest relationships devoid of unnecessary drama, and this one was no exception, depicting the two of them as competent, decent people who were putting an honest effort into the relationship. It was a bit of a departure from the punk rock skater girl Traci had been previously, but her characterization here was too likable not to enjoy. Traci would make small appearances here and there in other books post 52, but these two depictions really make up the bulk of her relevant depictions. |
Our Traci Thirteen StoryWe want to allow both of the predominant depictions of Traci to happen; her punk rock city mage period, and her more mature, world-traveling magical adventurer period. This lets her look to evolve over time, as well as allowing her to evolve and add elements like the Staff of Arion to her arsenal. (although she really should keep Leroy the Iguana as a regular element.... he's great). There are references to her having stayed with the Dibneys for a time in her appearances in Blue Beetle, and we're absolutely going to include that.
In the comic, she was dating Jaime while he was in the Teen Titans, and that led to her making a few appearances there and even turning down an odder to join them. We're going to do something slightly similar, but are actually going to have her accept an offer to join the Justice Society... she's good friends with both Jaime and Natasha Irons, is absolutely a legacy character, and as a magic-user, she even represents a power set that is usually pretty well represented on the Society... it just makes so much sense for her to join them. Also, speaking of Natasha... in the post-rebirth era, Traci has returned recently as the girlfriend of Natasha Irons. Now I LOVE her relationship with Jaime because I love that series... but I think it's very fair to say that Traci is probably bisexual, and I'm more than willing to find out what sort of love triangle might happen between these three. (*cough*thrupple*cough) |
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