Traci Thirteen

Publication history

Traci Thirteen first appeared in Superman #189 (February 2003), and was created by Joe Kelly and Dwayne Turner.

Fictional character biography

The latest in the long line of "Homo Magi," humans born with innate powers of sorcery, Traci is forbidden by her father, Doctor Thirteen, to practice magic, since her mother, Meihui Lan, died due to magical influences. Traci moved to the Suicide Slum of Metropolis, determined to live on her own (with her pet iguana Leeroy). There she began to tap into the "urban magic" of Metropolis, and assumed the name of Girl 13, becoming a super hero of sorts. She met Superboy, who was attracted to her, but the feeling was not mutual. She used her magic to defend an injured Superman from a ghostly female ninja, along with fellow "Supergirls," Natasha Irons and Cir-El, with whom she formed a friendship. The Spectre's attack on magic during the Day of Vengeance mini-series does not seem to have had an effect on her powers.

Day of Vengeance

In the one-shot Day of Vengeance: Infinite Crisis Special Traci joined a large group of mystical heroes, including Doctor Occult, the Phantom Stranger, and Rex the Wonder Dog in cleaning up one of the Spectre's many rampages. The Rock of Eternity had exploded over Gotham City, unleashing multiple mystical horrors. The group soon recreated the rock, trapping the demons again.

One Year Later

Currently she resides with her father in Doomsbury Mansion, the ancestral home of her family, annoyed by his skepticism and boring outlook. Blue Beetle #16 established that Traci was raised and trained by Ralph Dibny and his wife Sue some time after her mother's death. A member of the Croatoans, the paranormal detective organization shown in 52, she travels around the world, sometimes with her father, and sometimes solo, fighting paranormal menaces with her growing magical abilities. She has recently started a relationship with Jaime Reyes, the current Blue Beetle. As a result of Jaime becoming a full-time member of the Teen Titans, she has also begun interacting with his teammates, such as during a recent Christmas adventure. For a period of time, Red Devil appeared to feel annoyed by Traci's presence as she distracted his new friend Blue Beetle. However, after she bought him a series of much desired video games, she became quickly accepted by Eddie. She is also featured on the cover of Teen Titans #66 as a potential new member. She opted not to join however, feeling it would be too weird to be on a team with her boyfriend, despite how much fun it would be to mess with his head. However, she does remain an ally of the Titans, helping them when they need it, especially during the prison riot caused by Shimmer and Jinx, using her magic to disable Jinx's connection to the Earth, thus undoing her barrier spell.

Beginning in May 2010, Traci began co-starring in a back-up feature in Teen Titans alongside Black Alice and Zachary Zatara. The feature ended in September 2010, when Teen Titans reverted to a standard 22-page format.

DC Rebirth

In the DC Rebirth reboot, Traci is once again a young superhero. She is now a lesbian and is in a relationship with Natasha Irons.

Powers and abilities

Traci Thirteen has "urban magic" and can tap into the magic of cities to cast spells, teleport, fire blasts of magic energy, create mystic force shields, and can even transform her pet iguana into a dragon. During her tenure in the Blue Beetle series she shows increased proficiency in any kind of magic, being able to teleport, conjure simple items and clothing, using her astral projection to communicate with distant people and access to magic spells unrelated to the urban setting, as a full blown member of the Homo Magi race.

52

A character named Terri Thirteen briefly appeared in the series 52 as a member of the Croatoan Society. It is believed this character was actually Traci, but misnamed Terri due to editorial oversight.

Flashpoint

Traci appears in the 2011 Flashpoint crossover event, as revealed on DC's blog. In this reality, Traci rescues her father from Paris before it is destroyed by the Atlanteans, though she feels guilty she was unable to save her mother and siblings. She discovers that her father and superheroes from around the world are preparing to take drastic action to stop the Amazons and Atlanteans. She still remembers details of how reality should be, and meets Madame Xanadu for advice. When she tries to stop the heroes from launching nuclear weapons, her father drugs her and proceeds to start the countdown. Traci teleports to find help, but is unsuccessful, and returns to face her father. Apparently possessed, Doctor Thirteen magically attacks her. Failing to defeat her father, Traci decides to teleport to Western Europe to sacrifice herself. Doctor Thirteen arrives and finally accepts his daughter back. But when Traci is impaled by Amazons, Doctor Thirteen becomes enraged and begins a killing spree. Traci is restored to life from her spiritual connection to Earth and manages to stop her father by showing him the planetary consciousness. As the nuclear weapons are about to be activated, Doctor Thirteen uses his magic to destroy them. Traci rescues her father and teleported them back to Earth. It is revealed that they have both used up all of their magic.