Knights of Rao

"Tyranny anywhere is a threat to Freedom everywhere."

- The Knights of Rao Motto The Knights of Rao are a team of young heroes in DC Comics. The team is formed by Terra out of her and her teammates' worshiping of Superman as well as the determination of putting an end on the existence of Vandal Savage, who was responsible for the deaths of the young heroes' loved ones, and on the tyrant threat.

Terra / Tara Markov
"Just like the Justice League and the Teen Titans swore to do, we'll save the world. Whatever it takes."

- Terra during the presentation of the Knights in Kandor. The team's founder and leader. After being saved from the hands of Slade and trained by Superman as a heroine, Terra was persuaded by the fact that Tyranny was the only threat to Freedom and Hope on the world, which is one of the primary reasons she formed the Knights of Rao.

Toymaster / Hiro Okamura
"Tyrants are just like the bullies. They don't think. They don't feel. They only act like they can do whatever they want whenever they want and as if nobody tells them what to do."

- Toymaster sharing his negative opinions about Tyranny and Bullying with Terra A 13 old young but highly intelligent boy from Japan with an I.Q. of 210 and the team's second-in command. He was found by Terra after she saved him from a group of mercenaries from Project Cadmus who were sent by Amanda Waller to capture him and recruit him to the Task Force X program. One of his primary reasons for being in the team is his uncle, who was a successful College teacher in Japan before his death in the congress where Savage killed Ronnie Raymond. He also believes that Tyranny was also the main cause of Bullying.

Blue Lantern / Collin Hill
"Since Savage took away my parents and my brother left me in that orphanage without saying goodbye, I felt like I had nothing left. I was all alone. But after Adara made me a Blue Lantern, the Corps and the team became all I have now."

- Collin while in a interview with Lois Lane. Collin Hill, an 9 year old boy who was orphaned by Savage's killing of his parents in the congress and felt disowned by his older and uncaring half-brother. Collin also ended up joining the Blue Lantern Corps when the Corps' guardian entity Adara (posing as a Peacock) felt he needed Hope to overcome grief and bonded him with a Blue Lantern Ring. He was eventually found by Terra when she saw him fighting a Project Cadmus robot made of Manhunter Technology which was going for a rampage in Coast City.

Alpha-Wolf / Milo Chaves
"I'm not 'El Terrível' anymore. Never have been... Never really wanted to be... Never will be. And you, mi amigo, will never be that god you're tricking me in turning you into. Adios."

- Milo rejecting the spirit of the Wolf Amulet's offer of his old human form back in exchange of the spirit's freedom before tossing the amulet into the abyss. An unhappy teenager from Mexico whose family died along with Ronnie Raymond and the other National Leaders with him by the hands of Vandal Savage. He used to work as a talented but abused and poorly paid theater actor who was bullied by the main actors (with exception of Esperanza Del Rey, who was secretly in love with him) and also greatly despised by the public. One day, he ended up locked by the bullies inside a cave where he ended up finding a mysterious wolf-headed amulet which permanently bonded him with a curse: he now had the appearance and the abilities of a Werewolf (he was also given with Enhanced Canine Bite, Supersonic Wave Howling, Poison Breath and the ability to communicate with Dogs, Wolfs and other Canines). After escaping the cave, he figured out that his new look made the public unable to recognize him, but see him differently (seeing him as a beloved celebrity and not as a hated freak as they used to treat him in the theater), to his delight. The spirit of his curse continued persuading him to take the Amulet to the Moon Temple in exchange of freeing him from his curse. But reminded that he was hated before and now beloved for his new look, Milo refused and threw the Amulet away. He was then found by Terra after she saw him battling and defeating a berserk Super-Soldier of Project Cadmus attacking his neighborhood and recruited by her to join the team, on which he adopted the alter-ego Alpha-Wolf. He later started wearing a new suit designed by Toymaster which prevents metahumans with power absorbing abilities (like Parasite and Amazo) from duplicating his powers.

Omega Knight / Jason Burke
"Ares believes himself superior to all Gods of Olympus. Superior to even Zeus himself. But for me... he is just like the rest of these criminals. Arrogant. Foolish. A great reason why not only Princess Diana of Themyscira, but other heroes on Earth won the strength of defeating him. Showing that he is vulnerable. I will be following the same patterns to help you put an end on these tyrants' schemes."

- Jason Burke accepting Terra's offer of joining the Knights of Rao. Jason Burke, the son of Alicia Burke (a successful and popular athlete in Olympic Games) and Alexander (a former Spartan soldier who was executed by his brothers for betraying their lord Ares by stealing an ancient Olympian Artifact created by Hephaestus for the War god himself), is a teenager who developed amazing abilities from the Artifact his father stole. The artifact gave him the Strength of Hercules, the Speed of Hermes, the Wings of Icarus and the powers of the main Gods of Olympus (the Light of Zeus, which enabled him to cast Lightning Bolts, the Arsenal of Poseidon, which allowed him to craft Water-made constructs based on weapons, and the Spawns of Hades, which enabled him to create Fire-made constructs based on Animals). He was found by Terra battling alone against a pack of Minotaurs sent by Ares to get the Artifact back and recruited by her in her team, on which he adopted the alter-ego of Omega Knight. He is also in the team because Ares was also collaborating with Project Cadmus to bring on more war.

Indigo Lantern / Amber Lang
The daughter of Superman's first lover Lana Lang, she is one of Tara's closest friends and a member of the Indigo Tribe. She and her friend Dionne were recruited by Terra as members of the team due to their belief in their friend's cause and Luthor's corrupt alliances with Sinestro, who has been a long time enemy to both Lantern Corps.

The Emerald / Dionne Stewart
John Stewart's daughter, she is one of Tara's closest friends and a member of the Green Lantern Corps like her father. She also battles crime on the identity of the "Emerald". She and her friend Amber were recruited by Terra as members of the team due to their belief in their friend's cause and Luthor's corrupt alliances with Sinestro, who has been a long time enemy to both Lantern Corps.

Static / Virgil Hawkins
Dakota City's primary superhero with the abilities to manipulate Electricity and Technology. He and Gear were recruited by Terra and Toymaster after the duo proved their worth by helping Batman deal with the Joker. He is the team due to Doctor Edwin Alva, the corrupt scientist responsible for creating the Quantum Vapor which turned many teenagers at the docks into "Bang Babies", being a member of Project Cadmus (also because Alva crossed the line by killing his own employees years ago and aiding the Joker with his plans against the Bang Babies.

Gear / Richie Osgood Foley
Virgil's best friend and sidekick with a Superhuman Intelligence which allows him to build high-tech machines and gadgets. He and Static were recruited by Terra and Toymaster after the duo proved their worth by helping Batman deal with the Joker. His reason for being in the team is the same of Static.

New Gaia / Delilah Raymond Snow
The 14 year old daughter of the deceased Ronnie Raymond (Martin Stein's first merging partner as Firestorm) and widowed scientist Caitlin Snow (Killer Frost's heroic counterpart Winter Star). She has a small, but very strong degree of her father's ability to manipulate Matter. She was eventually merged with three Element Shadows (symbiotic organisms created in a secret Project Cadmus lab held by Tala which can absorb Earth's elements and bond with an organic host body) which had duplicated Terra's elemental abilities and enveloped her like a bodysuit with the Earth Shadow as the skin, the Metal Shadow being the Leotard-like suit and the Ice Shadow forming the hair, the Owl wings and Fox tail. Thanks to her own abilities to manipulate Matter, she was able to control the organism. However, Delilah joined the rampage when the Element Shadows showed her a vision of Savage killing her father (which caused a nuclear explosion which likewise killed the other National Leaders, including Tara's father Viktor Markov, indirectly leading to a guilt-ridden Superman's self-imposed exile) and exacted revenge on Tala for letting this happen by watching as Luthor framed Superman. Delilah eventually destroyed every robot and Kryptonite in the facility. Tala tried to stop her, but Delilah fought back and viciously attacked her. Right before she could finish the witch off, Delilah was calmed down and comforted by her mother Caitlin and convinced to leave with her after Terra stripped the witch off her powers with Toymaster's River Styx serum. As Tala faced accusations for the rampage caused by the Element Shadows after they departed to unknown places, Delilah and Caitlin had a mother-and-daughter heart-to-heart before Caitlin allowed her daughter to train with Terra, who eventually saw Delilah (who dubbed herself New Gaia) as a new recruit for the team.

Galaxor / Mitchell Davies
As a child, Mitchell Davies was a big fan of the Justice League of America, even managing to get a signed photo of himself with the Flash. After a guild-ridden Superman casted himself to exile, Mitchell was chosen by S.T.A.R. Labs Australian Sector scientists to become a superhero for his fitness, lack of questions, and eagerness to be among his idols. After some genetic tampering, a series of steroid shots, and a new tech suit, Mitchell took on the name Galaxor. He was recruited to Terra's team by Toymaster, whom he had been old friends with, sometime after the construction of the team's headquarters. He is primarily in the team because he shares Toymaster's same belief and opinions about Bullying (which he also believes it was caused by Tyranny).

Long Shadow
He was a member of the Ultimen (the group itself a reference to the Super Friends). Long Shadow has the ability to increase his size, increasing his strength (he also demonstrated superhuman strength, fighting lava men hand-to-hand even before growing). He also gained enhanced vision and hearing. Long Shadow came off as the most innocent and selfless member of the Ultimen, a quality which set him apart from his somewhat greedy teammates. He was eventually recruited by Toymaster after he was given with a serum which would allow him to live longer than the other Ultimen. He is currently in the team because he was convinced that Tyrants plan to use living beings as weapons.

Sun Rose / Esperanza Del Rey
A former Mexican stage-play actress who used to work in the same theater where Milo did. Among all main actors who treated Milo very badly, she was the only one who loved him and treated him in better terms as she felt great discomfort over how the other actors bullied Milo and felt disgusted of Armando Monteiro's selfish narcissist behavior and of other actors' great ambitions with their performances in the show. She was also the only one in Mexico who was aware of Milo's transformation into the Alpha-Wolf, but still loved him. Latter, when Milo had to battle a Project Cadmus Super-Soldier, she unexpectedly joined his fight when a Star Sapphire ring, sensing her deep love for him, attached to her. Just after she helped deal with the situation, Esperanza joined the team as Sun Rose (due to the identity of Star Sapphire already belonging to Carol Ferris). It was also revealed during an interview on her by Lois Lane that she lost her parents one year before the team was formed and was forced to live the rest of her life in Alberto Murieta's Hotel, which was also the Stage-Play Theater. She also confessed during her interview with Lois that she was in the team because of her love for Milo, which has become all she had, and because she believes that Tyranny is the main cause of Forced Marriages, implying that Murieta would have forced her to marry Monteiro after (what would have been) their last show.

Catgirl / Carrie Kelley
An orphaned teenager in Gotham City who was raised at the age of 6 by Selina Kyle as her daughter after her parents died when Dr. Edwin Alva implanted a bomb in one of his facilities to cover the truth about his experiments' failures. After some training with Catwoman, Kelley took on the identity of Catgirl. She eventually joined Terra's team after helping them expose the truth about the Alva Industries' failures and involvements with the creation of the Bang Babies as well as after forcing Alva to surrender when she revealed her identity to him and reminded him of her parents' murder (the same way Bruce Wayne as Batman did to the burglar who killed his parents).

The Royal Guard Patrol
A group of accomplished teenage sportspeople and Chess players with metahuman abilities who were brought together as a family by their trainer Mike Falsworth (who was also another victim of Savage's rampage) and saved by Terra from terrorists working for both Savage and Project Cadmus. They formed an Chess game-themed superhero team named the Royal Guard Patrol (paralleling the Royal Flush Gang).
 * Cade Fergunson (the King), an Basketball player and Fencing champion and the team's leader with Telepathy and the abilities to liberate Solar Energy and animate objects (which are his Pawns). He is also armed with his sword (which is composed of Olympian metal).
 * Sarah Falsworth (the Queen), an Surfer, Mike Falsworth's daughter, Cade's girlfriend and the team's second-in command with the abilities of Flight, Water bending and Energy manipulation (Optic Blasts, Energy Absorption and Force-field Generation). As her namesake Chess-piece is the strongest piece, she is considered to be the team's most powerful member.
 * Lucas Blake (the Bishop), an Archer and Skeet shooter with ability to teleport. He is also armed with his Crossbow and is as talented as Green Arrow and Deadshot in hitting his targets and never missing them.
 * Adam Hill (the Knight), Collin Hill's cousin and an Gymnastics champion with Superhuman Speed Running abilities and Shock-wave Fists.
 * Karen Blake (the Rook), Lucas' older sister, Sarah's best friend and roommate and a professional boxer and wrestler with Superhuman Strength and Leaping and a unbreakable skin.

Origin
The team was formed by Superman's prodigy Terra out of her deep faith for Freedom and Hope and her belief that Tyranny is the one true threat affecting the world and after recruiting enough candidates, Terra named her team "Knights of Rao" in homage of Rao, the Sungod of Krypton and added the motto: "Tyranny anywhere is a threat to Freedom everywhere.".

River Styx Serums
One of the Knights' primary weapons against Tyrants (mostly super-powered ones). The serum is composed of water extracted from the same name river which forms the boundary between Earth and the Underworld (the domain often called Hades, which also is the name of its ruler). The serum's main capabilities is to permanently strip a superhuman figure (from the most average metahuman to even the most powerful god-like metahuman) for his/her powers. This experiment was used by the Knights as their last resort to neutralize super-powered Tyrants and villains (in order) Tala, Ace of the Royal Flush Gang,

Anti-Bullies
Extra-advanced robots created by Toymaster with Kryptonian technology. Originally designed to repel Bullying, they were later upgraded to help stop Tyranny.

Spy-Bots
Drones build by Terra and Toymaster to help find more recruits and keep the Tyrants in check.

Rogues Gallery
Like other superhero factions, the Knights of Rao also have a list of villains they stand against. Their primary rogues are the World's Tyrants, government agents, politicians, officers and business people who turn out to be as corrupt and irredeemable as the super villains.

The World's Tyrants
"Luthor used to think that metahumans like Superman are menaces. But after what he had really done and even let Savage do, I just figured out what was really wrong with this world: too many tyrants."

- Terra explaining Caitlin Fairchild the Knights of Rao's mission on Earth Down below is a list of the World's Tyrants with information of their civilian works and their corrupt crimes against society. There are also info about their fates by the hands of the Knights.

Vandal Savage
"Nonsense! Am I really supposed to believe that mere pitiful mortal children are ruining my plans?! If you come over me with that ridiculous excuse again, I will bathe my throne with your blood!"

- Vandal Savage voicing his disbelief of the Knights of Rao's activities and existence after hearing one of his lackeys informing him that they were hunting Tyrants. "You're no god. And no man either. You're just another parasite that doesn't deserve to breathe in this world. Just like the rest of these filthy dirty tyrants. It's over now."

- Terra after she and Toymaster empaled Savage with the River Styx serrum, stripping him off his immortality permanently before leaving him to die in his collapsing vessel.

A immortal cavemen who became a Nazi Dictator. He is the Knights' primary antagonist, who was responsible for the deaths of the young heroes' loved ones and (indirectly) Superman's self-imposed exile. He was widely unaware that the young heroes were foiling his plans with their tyrant hunting campaign as he believed that Tara Markov, the young daughter of Viktor Markov, had been turned into Slade's living weapon. He eventually learned of the young heroes' existence, but only in the last second after they aided Steve Trevor on defeating him and, using Toymaster's River Styx serum, stripped him off his powers, leaving him mortal (as confirmed when Terra infected Savage with one of Poisson Ivy's venomous plants), before escaping his damaged space vessel with Trevor using a Boom Tube, leaving the powerless Savage to die when the jet crashed on the war-field Darkseid was battling Superman.

The Enchantress
An ancient dark force which transforms its host, archaeologist Dr. June Moone, into a powerful sorceress. She was recruited as one of Project Cadmus' Agents and Super Soldiers by Maxwell Lord, who had scavenged the temple where the Enchantress' totem was hidden and allowed the entity to possess June. However, the entity turned against her captors and plotted revenge against mankind for imprisoning her and her brother's souls in artifacts after years of worshiping them. During her attempt to open an extra-dimensional portal in Midway City which would engulf and destroy the world, she and her brother Incubus fought against both Task Force X Squad and the Knights of Rao while the Royal Guard Patrol escorted innocent citizens to safety. Just as the Squad members were subdued, she and her brother were none less defeated and destroyed by the Knights of Rao. Incubus was destroyed by Omega Knight while Toymaster and Blue Lantern destroyed the Enchantress' device with a remote-controlled bomb, closing the portal, and Terra crushed the Enchantress' heart, freeing June from the entity's possession and restoring everything and everyone to normal. As June was taken to hospital for full recovery and Deadshot and Barbara Gordon expressed gratitude to the young heroes for freeing them from Waller's eyes and their assignment in the Squad, the Knights of Rao were also successful in exposing Project Cadmus' involvement with the Enchantress' rampage.

Superman Revenge Squad
A group of super villains who once sought to destroy Superman and get revenge on him. They were defeated and humiliated by the Knights of Rao.
 * Metallo (John Corbin): A former U.S.A. Soldier who was meant to be Lois Lane's fiancee who was exposed for his crimes by Superman, he was turned by Lex Luthor into a Cyborg who uses Kryptonite as his Power Source. He was defeated by Terra, who weakened his Kryptonite heart before transferring his mind to an average human clone body.
 * Livewire (Leslie Willis): A former shock jock turned into an electrokinetic super villain bent on taking revenge against Superman, whom she used to insult and antagonize through her radio station and she blames him for her metahuman transformation. She was defeated by New Gaia, who absorbed her electricity with her Element Shadow bodysuit and channeled it against her (Delilah also mocked at Livewire: "You've been cancelled, Sparky."), and later depowered by Toymaster's River Styx serum.
 * Weather Wizard (Mark Mardon): One of the Flash's foes who sought revenge on Superman after the Man of Steel teamed up with the Scarlet Speedster to defeat him. He was defeated by Blue Lantern, who managed to block his weather-themed attacks and destroyed his wand.
 * Toyman (Winslow Scott): A criminal toy-maker who used deadly weapons and creations disguised as toys. He sought revenge on Superman after numerous times the Man of Steel defeated and humiliated him. He was defeated by his old science rival's nephew Toymaster in a mech-suit fight.
 * Parasite (Rudy Jones): One of Superman's deadliest foes with the abilities to absorb other living beings and metahuman's strengths through physical contact. He was defeated by Alpha-Wolf, who was immune to his absorbing powers thanks to a special anti-parasite suit he was wearing and greatly crippled him, and later stripped off powers with the River Styx serum.
 * Kalibak: The son of Darkseid and a ruthless gladiator of Apokolips. He sought revenge on Superman for defeating and humiliating him numerous times at the eyes of Darkseid, who branded him a failure and banished him from Apokolips. He was defeated by Omega Knight and then, teleported away from Earth with a Boom Tube generated by a Mother Box Delilah collected from a Lexcorp Facility.

Project Cadmus Elite
A group of Project Cadmus' agents and super-soldiers formed by corrupt superheroes who battle crime through both criminals and citizens' fear of them. They were defeated by the Knights with help from the Teen Titans.
 * Black Talon: The team's field leader, who seeks to honor the memory his deceased master and trainer Ra's al Ghul by destroying the most powerful warriors on Earth, even Superheroes. He and the Elite fought against the Knights of Rao and he was defeated by Terra and Nightwing.
 * Fury (Helena Kosmatos): A teenager who was enhanced with a super soldier serum which granted her Amazon strength. She and the Elite fought against the Knights of Rao and she was defeated by Indigo Lantern, Emerald, Starfire and New Gaia, who latter took her to the Amazons' custody.
 * Red Lantern (Nick Hammond): The estranged son of Green Lantern villain Hector Hammond and the Gang war rival of Collin's brother, who had framed him for past robbery. His great rage attracted the attention of a Red Lantern power ring which attached to him. He and the Elite fought against the Knights of Rao and he was defeated by Blue Lantern and Raven and stripped off his Red Lantern ring.
 * Zoom: The Flash's teenage clone. He and the Elite fought against the Knights of Rao and he was defeated by Alpha-Wolf and Beast Boy.
 * Han-Zod: Superman's teenage clone. He and the Elite fought against the Knights of Rao and he was defeated by Omega Knight, who made use of his own strength and Zod's vulnerability to Magic, and Toymaster and Cyborg, who were armed with Kryptonite-powered gadgets.
 * Hot-Streak (Francis "F-Stop" Stone): One of Static's first foes with Pyrokinetic powers and one of the gang members at the docks when the Big Bang occurred. He and the Elite fought against the Knights of Rao and he was defeated by Static, Gear and Aqualad.

Cadmus Ultimen
Super-Soldiers created by Project Cadmus to have a team of superheroes loyal to the United States government. The Ultimen were test tube babies, created in Cadmus laboratories by Emil Hamilton and possessed complete sets of false memories (most likely implanted there by Dr. Hugo Strange, the only member in Cadmus with such knowledge). Once they discovered their creators' true purposes, they broke out and wreaked massive havoc until they were defeated by the Knights of Rao with help from defected member Long Shadow and Justice Leaguers Geo-Force and Supergirl. They were later destroyed by an out-of-control Lex Luthor with the power of the Orange Lantern Rings and Battery.
 * Galatea: The team's leader and Supergirl's twisted clone. She was defeated by Terra, who wore a armor made of Kryptonite stone and Red Sun Gauntlets to deal significant damage to her.
 * Wind Dragon: A member of the team with the abilities to manipulate wind. He was defeated by Blue Lantern.
 * Shifter and Downpour: Twins with shape-shifting abilities. Shifter can transform into any animal and her twin Downpour can turn his body into living water. Downpour was defeated by Omega Knight, who crippled him with numerous Water-made sharp weapons, which jammed his powers, and then knocked unconscious. Shifter was defeated by New Gaia, who attacked her weakest spots and beat her up until she was down.
 * Juice: A member of the team with Electrokinetic abilities. He was mastered and defeated by Static.

Royal Flush Gang
A group of Project Cadmus teenage super soldiers who reemerged as the Joker's twisted accomplices. They are mainly defeated by the Royal Guard Patrol.
 * The King: The gang's leader with the ability to shoot Heat Blasts. He was defeated by the King of the RGP.
 * The Queen: The gang's second-in command with the ability to manipulate metal. She was defeated the Queen of the RGP.
 * Jack: A member of the gang with complete body elasticity. He was defeated by Bishop, who shoot several Heat and Freeze arrow with his Crossbow at him.
 * Ten: A member of the gang with Superhuman Strength and unbreakable skin. He was defeated by Rook, who proved herself stronger than him, and Knight, who attacked him with his shock-wave fists until Ten was down.
 * Ace: A member of the gang who has telepathy and is able to create illusions which drive people insane just by looking at them even through video broadcasts. She was the only one who is chosen by the Joker to fight the heroes indirectly, which was foiled when the RGP members and Batman's teammates were using dark glasses to prevent the influence. As Batman, King, Geo-Force, Knight, Bishop and the Robins subdued the Joker, Supergirl, Queen, Batgirl and Rook managed to intercept Ace and depower her with Toymaster's River Styx serum. The progress also reverted Ace to her true form as a five-year old child girl with blue eyes (her teenage form was just an hallucination created by her powers). Assuming that Ace herself had been twisted by her own powers her entire life, King and Queen, renaming Ace as Bryony, adopted her as their own daughter.
 * Wild Card (Hector Hammond): A former science teacher who was turned into a metahuman maniac with Telekinesis and Telepathy with a Project Cadmus serum composed of Orange Lantern energy and later brainwashed by the Joker into becoming Ace's replacement in the Gang. He was defeated by Static and Gear.