New Teen Titans Vol 1 18

"A Pretty Girl is Like a -- Maladi!": When his son is killed by an American in El Salvador, Soviet official Varek Slavik takes revenge on the United States by sending his secretary, Maladi Malanova, to America as a courier, with the young woman unaware that she is th

"A Pretty Girl is Like a -- Maladi!"
Cover
New Teen Titans Vol 1 #18
April, 1982
Executive Editor	Joe Orlando
Cover Artists	George Pérez
A Pretty Girl is Like a -- Maladi!
Writers	Marv Wolfman
Pencilers	George Pérez
Inkers	Romeo Tanghal
Colorists	Adrienne Roy
Letterers	John Costanza
Editors	Len Wein
Previous Issue	New Teen Titans # 17
Next Issue	New Teen Titans # 19

"Starfire" was a rough translation of his Russian name. And when we saw your starbolt powers... well, we figured the name would fit you as well. Besides, we didn't think Kovar would mind.

— Robin

New Teen Titans #18 is an issue of the series New Teen Titans (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1982.

Synopsis for "A Pretty Girl is Like a -- Maladi!"

When his son is killed by an American in El Salvador, Soviet official Varek Slavik takes revenge on the United States by sending his secretary, Maladi Malanova, to America as a courier, with the young woman unaware that she is the carrier of a deadly disease. Learning of this, the Soviet government dispatches super-hero Starfire to the U.S. to stop Maladi. F.B.I. agent King Faraday alerts the Titans to Starfire's arrival, and a battle ensues when they mistake him for the plague-carrier. Having discovered the truth, the Titans roust still race to locate Maladi before Starfire, who plans to end her threat by killing her, inasmuch as her own condition is now incurable. The Titans fight Starfire to a stalemate and Maladi is finally taken to a hospital to die in peace. After being condemned for his callous attitude by the Titans throughout their encounter, Starfire ultimately reveals that Maladi was his fiancée, and he had only volunteered for the mission to spare her the pain of a tortuous death.

Appearing in "A Pretty Girl is Like a -- Maladi!"

Featured Characters:

• New Teen Titans
  • Changeling
  • Cyborg
  • Kid Flash (Flashback and main story)
  • Raven
  • Robin (Flashback and main story)
  • Starfire (Koriand'r)
  • Wonder Girl (Flashback and main story)

Supporting Characters:

• King Faraday
• Maladi Malanova (Dies)
• Starfire (Leonid Kovar) (Flashback and main story)

Antagonists:

• Varek Slavik

Other Characters:

• Andre Le Blanc (Flashback only)
• Jack McCarthy
• Madeline
• Moe Chennitz
• Stanislav Kryszewski
• Teen Titans (Flashback only)
  • Aqualad

Locations:

• El Salvador
• Soviet Union
  • Moscow
  • Siberia
• Sweden (Flashback only)
• United States of America
  • New York
    • New York City
      • East River
        • Titans Island
          • Titans Tower I
      • Manhattan
        • Fort Tryon Park
          • Cloisters
        • Hotel Fountaine
        • West Side Docks
      • Queens
        • Jamaica Hospital
        • JFK International Airport
• Vietnam
  • Hanoi (Flashback only)

Items:

• Donna Troy's Lasso

Vehicles:

• Robin's Motorcycle
  

Notes

• This issue is reprinted in New Teen Titans Archives, Volume 3.

Trivia

• It is rare for superheroes to identify a political affiliation, but in this issue we get a glimpse at the Titans' views. Wally West is very hostile towards Kovar and makes repeated comments about his hatred for Russia. Donna Troy asks Wally about this, saying "I've never heard you speak like this." Wally replies "Maybe because I knew our politics were always different. Look, I don't put you down for being liberals. Why attack me for being a mid-western conservative?"

See Also

• Cover gallery for the New Teen Titans series
• Images from New Teen Titans Vol 1 18