Trident (DC Comics)

Trident is the name of a number of supervillains in the DC Comics universe.

History

Trident triplets

This trio of characters first appeared in New Teen Titans #33. New Teen Titans writer Marv Wolfman later acknowledged that he recycled the idea of multiple people posing as a single villain from his earlier characters the Brothers Grimm.^[1]

In the story, the three alter-egos of Trident were operatives of the H.I.V.E., with Prof being a weapons design specialist. Eventually, they decide to team up and strike out on their own. Each adopts the costume and code-name of Trident, and each is armed with a powerful trident. The trident's right tine shoots fire, the left tine shoots ice, and the center tine releases a blast of devastating force. Trident operates in New York City, each criminal taking turns at committing several large robberies, leading the public to believe them to be a single person. Eventually, the Sammy Jaye Trident tries to cheat his two partners out of their share of loot. The other two kill Sammy, and his costumed body is discovered by the New Teen Titans. Starfire eventually figures out that there is more than one Trident.^[2]

Some time after the two surviving Tridents are imprisoned, Wildebeest springs the Black Trident, Gizmo, Puppeteer, and Disruptor from jail. These villains are eventually recaptured by the Teen Titans.^[3]

Karate Kid

The name Trident was also used by a Starro-infected Karate Kid who claimed to be a member of the Trident Guild. However, these beliefs were due to the effects of brainwashing by Starro.^[4]

Powers and abilities

Trident carries a trident that has three tines: the right shoots fire, the left shoots ice, and the middle releases a blast of devastating force. He can project holograms which make him appear several feet away from where he is actually standing while concealing his true position.

In other media

Television

• Trident appears in Teen Titans voiced by Clancy Brown. Trident is depicted as an extremely arrogant fish man and is an enemy of the Atlanteans. He intended to overthrow Atlantis and take over the surface world by making an army of clones of himself using toxic chemicals. He was attacked by the Teen Titans in their T-Sub, accompanied by the Atlantian superhero Aqualad. His own ego, however, thwarted his plans when Beast Boy and Aqualad enticed his entire clone army to turn on each other, and they were soon afterwards buried in an undersea cave by the Titans. Trident later reappeared as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil. He takes down Aqualad with help from Plasmus in "Calling All Titans," and is defeated in with the rest of the Brotherhood in "Titans Together."

References

1. Aushenker, Michael (February 2010). "Brother(s) Grimm". Back Issue!. TwoMorrows Publishing (38): 83.
2. New Teen Titans #33
3. New Teen Titans #41-42
4. Justice League of America Vol. 2 #3