Summary

• Beast Boy can mimic animal attributes and has deep knowledge of animal biology, a supplemental "power" that stems from his shape-shifting abilities.
• Garfield Logan's transforming powers give him an edge in combat situations, with the information he knows about all kinds of fauna also helping.
• Titans #13 reveals Gar's zoology expertise, enhancing his already formidable superhero abilities.

The shape-shifting Beast Boy commands the ability to transform himself into any animal he chooses, complete with the strengths, weaknesses, offensive and defensive techniques, and accurate physiology inherent to each. But for as often as Garfield Logan changes his appearance to employs the skills of whatever animal he needs at the moment, Beast Boy has a secret second “power” that helps him fully realize the potential of his unique superhero gifts.

More recently acting as the main antagonist of the Titans: Beast World event after losing control when transforming into a planet-sized Starro dubbed “Garro,” Beast Boy’s ability to mimic animal attributes has been fine-tuned over the years, with his mastery over this incredible talent constantly opening up new and different ways Gar can utilize his powers.

In the latest issue of DC’s ongoing Titans comic, it’s revealed that not only does Gar gain the attributes of any fauna he wants, but Beast Boy also has deep knowledge of the biology of any animal he encounters or changes into, as well!

Beast Boy Is an Expert in Animal Biology Thanks to His Shape-Shifting Powers

Titans #13 - 2024 (Tom Taylor and Daniele Di Nicuolo)

An issue that sees the Titans face off against a shape-shifting villain called Apex Ava, Beast Boy ends up saving the president of a foreign nation after pulling an octopus-transformed Ava out of his mouth. Telling the nearby Cyborg to get the president to a hospital as there is no antivenom for the bite Ava’s “blue-ringed octopus” has just given him, Gar goes on to specifically name-drop the kind of venom it was — “tetrodotoxin” — as well as give follow-up info about how it paralyzes its victim to a point that a ventilator may be needed to sustain their breathing.

Making total sense that Gar would know all there is to know about not only the animals he turns into but also the ones he hasn’t, Beast Boy's unique power is a surprisingly scientific and nuanced one when properly used. Unable to always turn into an elephant or a lion every time he gets into a scuffle, Gar would feasibly have to learn the ins and outs and the pros and cons of every animal he faces, transforms into, or interacts with, especially considering one wrong move — whether on his end or by others — could spell doom for everyone involved.

Beast Boy’s Powers Ensures He Knows Everything About the Animal He’s Transforming Into

Whether Beast Boy does his homework watching nature documentaries, reading books about the Animal Kingdom, or simply acquires this biological knowledge of the organism he embodies the moment he shifts into it, the idea that Gar becomes an expert on all things fauna is a low-key but incredibly important wrinkle in his powers that demands to be further explored in comics. Beast Boy and his fellow Titans constantly do all they can to save the innocents of the world, with Gar’s seemingly infinite knowledge of animal biology being a unique and necessary aspect of an already impressive power set.

Titans #13 is available from DC Comics.