Traci Thirteen, also known as Girl 13 and Traci 13, is a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

featured in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

s published by

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

. Created by writer Joe Kelly and artist Dwayne Turner, she first appeared in ''Superman'' vol. 2 #189 (February 2003). Traci is the daughter of sorceress Meihui Lan and Doctor Thirteen, a renowned investigator and skeptic of the supernatural. Despite her father's disapproval of her mystic powers, Traci eventually separates from him and embarks on her own superhero career as a sorceress. She combines her magical abilities with the detective skills taught to her by her father and

Elongated Man Elongated Man (Randolph William "Ralph" Dibny) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''The Flash'' #112 (February 25, 1960). The character made his live-action debut on The CW's live-actio ...

. Throughout her appearances, Traci becomes an ally of the

Superman Family Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

and has been involved with several superhero teams, including

Justice League Dark Justice League Dark, or JLD, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team made their debut in ''Justice League Dark'' #1 (September 2011). The team features some of the more supernatural characters in t ...

, Night Force, and Justice League Queer. The character is often written to be of Asian descent and

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

, having been love interests to both

Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) Jaime Reyes is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Cully Hamner, the character made his first appearance in '' Infinite Crisis'' #3 (February 2006). Jaime Reyes is the ...

and

Natasha Irons Natasha Irons is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Louise Simonson and Chris Bastista, first appearing in Steel (John Henry Irons), ''Steel'' (vol. 2) #1 (February 1994). Since the character' ...

. Traci 13, has made several notable appearances in animated media. She appeared in the animated film '' Teen Titans: The Judas Contract'' and made her debut in the third season of ''

Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen T ...

'', where she was voiced by

Lauren Tom Lauren Tom (born August 4, 1961) is an American actress. She began her career on stage, winning an Obie Award, and gained recognition for her role in '' The Joy Luck Club'' (1993). On television, she is known for her roles in the NBC sitcom ''Fri ...

. In ''Young Justice'', her character is named Traci Thurston.

Publication history

Traci Thirteen first appeared in ''

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

'' vol. 2 #189 (February 2003), and was created by Joe Kelly and

Dwayne Turner Dwayne Turner is an American comic book artist and illustrator in the film and video game industry. Biography Turner began his professional career in the late 1980s while still in college

Fictional character biography

Traci 13 is a member of the ''Homo magi'', a lineage of humans with inherent sorcery abilities. Her father, Doctor Thirteen, prohibits her from practicing magic due to her mother's death caused by magical influences. Traci relocated to Metropolis' Suicide Slum, determined to live independently alongside her pet iguana named Leeroy. There, she discovered and harnessed the "urban magic" of the city, adopting the moniker Girl 13 and becoming a sort of superhero. She crossed paths with Superboy, who developed an attraction to her, though the feeling was not reciprocated. Utilizing her magical abilities, Traci defended an injured Superman from a spectral female ninja, alongside fellow "Supergirls" Natasha Irons and Cir-El, forming a friendship with them.

''Day of Vengeance''

In the one-shot ''Day of Vengeance: Infinite Crisis Special'', Traci joined a large group of mystical heroes, including

Doctor Occult Doctor Occult (Richard Occult, sometimes nicknamed the Ghost Detective, and one time referred to as Doctor Mystic) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (the crea ...

, the

Phantom Stranger The Phantom Stranger is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, of unspecified paranormal origins, who battles mysterious and occult forces, sometimes under their Vertigo (DC Comics), Vertigo imprint. The character ...

, and

Rex the Wonder Dog Rex the Wonder Dog is a fictional superhero dog in the DC Comics universe. Created in 1952 by Robert Kanigher of Wonder Woman fame and artist Alex Toth, Rex has sometimes been compared to Superman's dog Krypto, who was created three years later. W ...

in cleaning up one of the Spectre's many rampages. The

Rock of Eternity This page lists the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics. Sites Arrowcave The Arrowcave is the former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy. Avernus Cemetery Avernus Cemetery is a hidden burial grou ...

had exploded over

Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...

, unleashing multiple mystical horrors. The group soon recreated the rock, trapping the demons again.

''One Year Later''

She resides with her father in Doomsbury Mansion, the ancestral home of her family, annoyed by his skepticism and boring outlook. ''

Blue Beetle Blue Beetle is the name of three superheroes appearing in a number of American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939. The most recent of the companies to own rights to Blue Beetle is DC Comics, which bought the rights to the ...

'' #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 The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...

, 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'' vol. 3 #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. She does remain an ally of the Titans, helping them when they need it, especially during the prison riot caused by Shimmer and

Jinx A jinx (also jynx), in popular superstition and folklore, is a curse or the attribute of attracting bad or negative luck. Examples of "jinxing" in the 21st-century press include the suggestion a ship might be "jinxed". The connection was made wi ...

, 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 ''

'' alongside Black Alice and

Zachary Zatara Zachary Zatara, also known as Zatara, is a superhero featured in American comic books published by DC Comics. He made his first appearance in ''Teen Titans'' (vol. 3) #34 and was created by Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel. The character is the cousin ...

. The feature ended in September 2010, when ''Teen Titans'' reverted to a standard 22-page format.

DC Rebirth

During the 2016

DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 (2011–2016) initiative in May 2016 as its launching point ...

event, a newer version of Traci 13 was introduced. The character seemingly retains some of her earlier history in her previous version, being the daughter of the witch and homo magi Meihui Lan and Doctor Terry Thirteen, a well-known ghost hunter and skeptic. Unlike prior versions, the Thirteen family is depicted as being a family line of detectives and investigators who generally are irrationally skeptical of the supernatural. It is also expressed that in this continuity, while the exact circumstances are unknown in how her mother died, her father blames Traci and forbids her from using her magical abilities. When he suddenly disappeared, she became a freelance problem-solver specializing in the supernatural in Metropolis. She was later reunited with her father, who was revealed to have been possessed by demons shortly after her mother's death.

''Superwoman'' (2016- 2017)

Traci first appears in the ''Who Killed Superwoman'' storyline, warning Steel, Natasha, and Lana of Lena Luthor's plans, who has since taken the identity of "Ultrawoman", converted her body into a mechanized chassis, and worked to discredit her brother, Lex Luthor (now known as the "Superman of Metropolis"), whom have used her parapalegic condition (in which he inadvertently contributed to due to his arrogance in the past concerning her treatments) to his advantage as her contributions to LexCorp was kept secret with Lex gaining all the credit. Creating Bizarro Superwoman as her servants, she began causing havoc in Metropolis, prompting Taci 13's attention due to the nature of her powers making her have an affinity for its well-being, including becoming with concerns with acts that damage the city itself. Traci later appears in the ''Midnight Hour'' storyline, with Natasha and Traci having been dating and Traci's powers having weakened. She helps the Superman Family and Maxima fight the entity known as M1dn1ght, a computer program made by Lena Luthor previously was given sentience by Superwoman unintentionally through her powers, using her powers to investigate the connection between the program and Lena. She informs the team of the connection as M1dn1ght uses black holes to kidnap Metropolis civilians. M1dn1iht manages to capture Superwoman, revealing her origin as a program made to save Lena should she be captured as a failsafe, before Superwoman escapes. Later, Traci uses her powers in order to send Superwoman into the "Void" a digital dimension of computer code in order to battle M1dn1ght once more, who has since worked to instead gain independence from Lena's programming. Not long after Steel and other citizens were saved by Superwoman and M1dn1ght temporary merging of the minds, Traci is mentioned to be working with the Superman Family in monitoring Metropolis's police scanners for criminal activities.

DC Universe (2018- Current)

In between her appearances in ''Superwoman'' and ''Raven: Daughter of Darkness'', it is mentioned in the 2018 ''Titans Special'' series by Natasha that both Traci and Nastasha had broken up. In the ''Raven: Daughter of Darkness'' series, Traci is later approached by Baron Winters to combat the Shadowriders, a group of entities who are magicians. While skeptical due to his reputation (from her father's account), she eventually briefly joins Winter's Night Force (consisting of familiar young magic users:

Raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...

, Klarion the Witch Boy, Zach Zatara, Black Alice and newcomers Skye, and Robert Diaz) to combat the magic murdering villains and reveals herself as a fan of the Teen Titans hero, Raven.

Characterization

The character was originally presented as a heterosexual character, as her only relationship was with Jaime Reyes prior to the rebooted continuity post ''Flashpoint''. This depiction is consistent with other media versions of Traci, as she appears in both ''Young Justice'' and ''Teen Titans: The Judas Contract'' as a love interest to Jaime Reyes''.'' When reintroduced in DC Rebirth, the character's history was retroactively rebooted with a new background, presenting the character in a relationship with fellow

hero,

Powers and abilities

Traci 13, as a member of the homo magi race, possesses inherent magical abilities and is classified as a "Magician", making her proficient in casting spells. Compared to peers like Black Alice and

, Traci 13 demonstrates a higher level of skill in mystical aptitude and understanding. Her expertise lies in "urban magic," a form of magic that enables her to tap into the mystical energies present within a city to perform magical feats. In recent iterations of her character, her urban magic abilities grant her a deep understanding of scientific concepts and technical skills. She exhibits proficiency in areas such as comprehending binary code and integrating her powers with technology. Traci 13's magical abilities can be further enhanced through the use of magical artifacts. Primarily, she wields the Staff of Arion, a powerful artifact created by the sorcerer

Arion Arion (; ) was a kitharode in ancient Greece, a Dionysiac poet credited with inventing the dithyramb. The islanders of Lesbos claimed him as their native son, but Arion found a patron in Periander, tyrant of Corinth. Although notable for his mu ...

. By focusing her concentration, she can manipulate the arcane energies of the staff to cast spells with considerable power, allowing her to confront formidable magical entities such as

Eclipso Eclipso () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Haney and Lee Elias, the character first appeared in '' House of Secrets'' #61 (August 1963). The character bears notable similarities to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. ...

. In addition to her magical prowess, Traci 13 possesses acute detective skills.

Other versions

Terri Thirteen

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 Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

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 The Amazons (Ancient Greek: ', singular '; in Latin ', ') were a people in Greek mythology, portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Hercules, Labours of Heracles, the ''Argonautica'' and the ''Iliad''. ...

and Atlanteans. She still remembers details of how reality should be, and meets

Madame Xanadu Madame Xanadu (Nimue Inwudu) is a fictional character published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur''. Jeryl Prescott portrays X ...

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. Doctor Thirteen magically attacks her, apparently having learnt the art of black magic. 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.''Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint'' #3 (August 2011)

In other media

Television

* Traci Thirteen appears in ''

'', voiced by

. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. Introduced in the third season, this version is Traci Thurston, a member of the

Team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to in ...

who is in a relationship with Jaime Reyes. In the fourth season, Thurston becomes a student under

Zatanna Zatanna Zatara (), known mononymously as Zatanna, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in ''Hawkman (comic book), Hawkman'' #4 (N ...

and joins her

Sentinels of Magic The Sentinels of Magic is a fictional team of supernaturally powered superheroes created by Geoff Johns and Matthew Dow Smith appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''Day of Judgment (comics), Day of Judgment ...

, during which the group becomes

Doctor Fate Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version was originally created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in ''More Fun Comics' ...

as part of a rotation agreement between Zatanna and

Nabu Nabu (, ) is the Babylonian patron god of literacy, scribes, wisdom, and the rational arts. He is associated with the classical planet Mercury in Babylonian astronomy. Etymology and meaning The Akkadian means 'announcer' or 'authorised pe ...

. * In October 2017,

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

announced a one-hour drama series based on Traci Thirteen and her father Dr. Terrance Thirteen, titled ''Project 13'', was in development, with

Elizabeth Banks Elizabeth Irene Banks (; February 10, 1974) is an American actress, director, and producer. She is known for playing chaperone Effie Trinket in ''The Hunger Games'' film series (2012–2015) and an ICCA commentator in the ''Pitch Perfect'' ...

attached as an executive producer. The project never came to fruition.

Film

Traci Thirteen appears in '' Teen Titans: The Judas Contract'', voiced by

Masasa Moyo Masasa Moyo is a Canadian television, film, and voice actress. Filmography Film Television Animation Video games References External links * * Living people Canadian film actresses Canadian television actresses Canadian vid ...

Video games

Traci Thirteen appears as a character summon in '' Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''.

References

External links

DCU Guide: Traci Thirteen
{{Blue Beetle Characters created by Joe Kelly Comics characters introduced in 2003 DC Comics characters who can teleport DC Comics characters who use magic DC Comics fantasy characters DC Comics female superheroes DC Comics LGBTQ superheroes Lesbian superheroes Superhero detectives