Teen Titans #4, DC Comics, July-Aug 1966

"The Secret Olympic Heroes" takes us back 2 years to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics for a "secret files"-type Teen Titans story. So what if that theoretically makes it a Pre-Teen Titans adventure! And because I apparently asked for it, Speedy! Yes, Green Arrow's teen sidekick guest stars.
"I'm going to be in the Olympics!" Yes, but if they test you for drugs, what are they likely to find, Speedy my friend?
That's right: Heroin. Opium. Junk. Bug Juice. Drowsamafeine. That stuff that makes Obi-Wan jump in a toilet in Trainspotting.

Oh, just a trick shot demonstration? Fine then. And the other Titans are gonna go as well, because there's this track and field star called Davy who wants to quit the Olympic team and Robin's got his mind set on bringing him to Japan to see if he won't run after all. What's more, there's this criminal organization who wants to prevent him from winning a medal, so the Titans might as well stop this "Diablo" from promoting bad sportsmanship and the like.

"The like" is basically blowing stuff up. Terrorism is an Olympic tradition, after all. But it's the first time I've ever seen a pipe bomb made to look like an autograph pad. Sign it, Robin, you're my faaaaaaaavorite!" WHRRAAAMM! Next target: The Olympic pool. It's Aqualad to the rescue of course!
Oh, Aqualad... Teen sidekicks are already fighting a daunting "might be gay" stigma, and you go and say stuff like that.

Anyway, Diablo captures the four Titans and chains them to the Olympic rings. Speedy, for his part, is scheduled to shoot a flaming arrow at the rings while blindfolded and earplugged. We wouldn't want him to hear the wind blowing through the rings after all. Personally, I think Speedy is so high on Japanese poppy seeds at this point that he can't see or hear his pals screaming at him to not burn them alive. Thankfully, professional quitter Davy runs the race of his life to deflect that fatal arrow. It makes him realize he should participate after all.

So the next day, he comes in third.

Comments