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REVELATIONS 2012-11 (Nov)
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Anonymous writes...
Mercy Graves.... a cyborg. Why did she ever allow herself, if she ever did, to become one in the first place?
Greg responds...
I don't tell stories in this forum.
Illyana writes...
Brandon recently posted on his Twitter (https://twitter.com/BrandonVietti) that Red Hood would not be appearing in season 2 of YJ. Obviously, you've got a bunch of other amazing stories to tell, which I'm most assuredly looking forward to.
My question is this: I know Jason Todd is a bit of a polarizing character; is his story one you'd ever be interested in exploring? Not trying to get spoilers for the potential season 3 - I'm just curious as to where you stand on the Jason Todd debate. Some people wouldn't want to touch that story with a ten foot pole. I'd just like to know if his tale is one you'd consider telling in any medium, YJ or otherwise. Or do you find yourself in the 'not a fan' group?
Please pass along my heartfelt gratitude to Brandon and the rest of the team. You folks have done a truly phenomenal job with the show and re-imagining much beloved characters. YJ is simultaneously nostalgic and a breath of fresh air; the perfect Saturday morning cartoon, in my opinion. Can't wait to watch more of the journey unfold.
Greg responds...
I'd be happy to take a pass at Jason.
Anonymous writes...
Is Arsenal's new arm more powerful than Luther's body guard's arm?
Also does it have new or different features compared to Luther's body guard's arm?
Greg responds...
Yes and yes.
Arlo writes...
Hi Greg. Thanks for giving us this great series, and for all you do to help keep it alive. Here's my question:
I've always felt that "Hunter's Moon" was a much darker storyline than any of the other Gargoyles episodes we've seen. I don't know if it's the way all three episodes open with a flashback that involves someone seeking vengeance, or the fact that this is the first time we actually see Goliath wanting to commit premeditated murder (not just "murder in the heat of battle" like before), or the fact that we almost lose two regular cast members (Angela and then Elisa), or the theme of hatred being passed on from parent to child for a thousand years. Maybe it's just that there's hardly any comic relief in these episodes, as almost every scene seems to involve one of our regular cast members going through emotional turmoil in some way.
Anyway, I was just wondering if you were deliberately trying to set a darker tone for these episodes, or if this is just how I perceived them myself. And if it was deliberate on your part, just wondering what your motivation was for that, because these episodes really do stand out to me as the darkest episodes in the series. And if it wasn't deliberate, then is there anything which in hindsight might have contributed to these stories coming out this way?
Also, why is it that you chose for the series finale to be so dark? I'm not criticizing, because I love these episodes and I love Gargoyles, but it just seems unusual (not in a bad way) that in a show where you've said yourself that you wanted Goliath's basic optimism to shine through, the way you chose to write the finale was by telling a story where we see his most vengeful side coming out. Just interested in understanding what your motivation for that was, story-wise.
Thanks for taking the time to read this question, and for all you do.
Greg responds...
It was a BIG story. But to me it seems of a piece with what came before (and even what came after in the comic). I'm not sure - though it was long ago - that we set out to make it darker, though we did set out for it to culminate much of what came before and to resonate with much of what came before too.
In any case, I think the ending of the thing is VERY optimistic. The fact that we put Goliath through the mill - and had him react realistically to that mill - during the three-parter doesn't change that. By the end, Goliath reaffirms his principles.
Harlan Phoenix writes...
What was the creative incentive for writing "Satisfaction" personally?
Greg responds...
There were a few things...
*First and foremost, I like writing "funeral" stories, i.e. the story that comes in the immediate aftermath of death. I like seeing how characters respond to death.
*I wanted to play the interaction between Speedy, Red Arrow and Green Arrow.
*I enjoy writing Lex.
*I liked the bridal shower gag.
*There were two other characters I REALLY wanted to include at the shower, but unfortunately that would have added four more designs to Phil's total for the episode, and he just didn't have time for them. But one of the reasons I chose to write this episode was so that I could introduce those two characters. Didn't work out that way, but it was part of the initial "incentive".
*I wanted to introduce the Grotto and show who was memorialized there. (This also added to Phil's total, but we all agreed these designs were essential.)
JoeMerl writes...
Hello, Mr. Weisman! Let me begin with the obligatory praise: "Gargoyles" had a big impact on my childhood, while "Spectacular Spider-Man" and "Young Justice" are new favorites. Thanks for making them!
I have a few questions, which I hope don't come off as too nitpicky or critical. I tend to over-think cartoons sometimes.
1.) M'Gann's subplot in season one feels kind of odd to me. You've said that White Martians and Green Martians look basically the same, but if that's the case, why bother keeping her true race a secret from the Team? She probably realizes that Martians look freaky by human standards, but color makes little difference to that, and they are only going to recognize a social connotation to her White-ness if she explains it. Am I missing something, or is it just that this is such a touchy subject for her that she is not really acting rationally?
2.) You've said before that you always try to capture the "core" of a character, no matter what details you change. Now, I only have second-hand knowledge about Artemis from the original comics, but from what I understand her moral alignment was opposite of what it is in YJ. I'm not necessarily arguing with the result---Artemis is one of my favorite characters---but I'm curious: why did you choose her for the Team (you mentioned several other female archer candidates), and what exactly do you feel is the "core" similarity between the original and Earth-16 versions?
3.) Another not-complaining-but-curious question: I understand the reasons Superman found Superboy's existence disturbing, and I like how they're nuanced if not perfectly noble. But other versions of his character did not go through those sort of issues. Is there a particular reason you decided to include them? Did it just make more sense to you than instant acceptance, or did you want to try something different with the character, etc.?
4.) A more minor query: about how fast can Billy's "Speed of Mercury" go? My math (which admittedly might be wrong) says it took him about a day to get home from India in "Alpha Male." I would have guessed it would just take a few hours, but maybe I'm just over-estimating it? (He's still flying about as fast as a plane, after all.)
I hope none of these questions were annoying, and thanks a lot for this forum! Good luck getting a third season!
Greg responds...
1. The latter, basically.
2. As to why we chose her, for the most part it was her backstory, which gave us the potential to play with our themes of Secrets & Lies. And the answer to the second half of the question is essentially the same. I don't feel there was a lot of there there with this character BEYOND her heritage. That birthright, such as it is, seemed like the core of who she was.
3. Yes, it made WAY more sense to us.
4. I think you're WAY over-estimating it.
Anonymous writes...
Was Ted Kord a member of the Team, the Justice League, or none?
Greg responds...
The League.
Anonymous writes...
Hi, I just have 1 question for you today :)
What exactly does Wally see in Artemis? I see that he probably likes how she's pretty and she kicks butt, but is that it?
Greg responds...
ASKED AND ANSWERED.
Anonymous writes...
Hi Greg,
I just would like to say sorry in advance if any of these questions turn out to be a spoiler request.
1. Since Zatanna can sense magic/mystic forces near her(as said in "Auld Acuaintance"), can anyone else that can wield magic do the same? What I mean is, can Klarion, Zartara, etc. sense magic near them too?
2. How did Artemis recieve the full scholarship to Gotham Academy? I mean, I guess maybe Batman gave it to her, but why?
3. In Denial, when Artemis and Wally held Kent's staff, why did it fly away with the both of them stuck to it?
4. Why is it that Barry runs at the speed of light and Wally runs at the speed of sound? Was the experiment Wally created done wrong or something like that?
5. In the comics, obviously the story that M'gann told the team about how she became Martian Manhunter's sidekick was a lie, but I was wondering what was M'gann's true story of how she came to Earth?
Thank you for taking your time to answer these questions. I absolutely LOVE Young Justice. It is the most AMAZING super hero show that I've seen in a long time. Congats to you and your team for making this incredible show!
Greg responds...
1. Yes.
2. He was trying to help her.
3. To find Kent.
4. Basically, yes. It blew up the West garage, and Wally was nearly killed in the process. It did not work as well as Barry's.
5. She stowed away on his ship.
Anonymous writes...
1. Can anybody besides Ra's Al Ghul can use the Lazarus pit?
2. Does the death penalty exist for supervillains?
3. How long has Hal Jordan been a Green Lantern for?
4. How long has the joker and the Riddler been fighting batman for and how many people have they killed?
5. What other teams was the martian manhunter apart of besides the league?
Greg responds...
1. See issues 11-13 of our companion comic.
2. Depends on the jurisdiction under which they were convicted of their crimes.
3. He'd been a Green Lantern for ten years before the start of Season One.
4a. The Red Hood became the Joker ten years before the start of Season One. Edward Nigma became the Riddler two years before the start of Season One.
4b. I don't have numbers for you.
5. I think he joined a Chess Club once.
B writes...
When you were creating the Superboy/Miss Martian breakup storyline, was the plotline from Buffy the Vampire Slayer where Willow erased Tara's memories of their arguments about Willow misusing her powers, leading to their breakup, an inspiration?
Greg responds...
Not a conscious one.
B writes...
Does the public know that the Green Lanterns' powers come from an alien source?
Greg responds...
That's a good question. Probably not.
Jasae Bushae writes...
Hello and salutation! I wanted to ask a few questions related to Kickstarter http://kickstarter.com/ (The getting people to put forward money to fund things thing) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickstarter#Top_projects_by_funds_raised
1A. What is your opinion of this 'get fans to fund a project' approach as compared to the current methods? and
2B. Would this be something you might consider using yourself? (gargoyles~)
2. and with your experience with several large companies like disney, marvel and dc. Can you see the likes of them making use of this method to let fans simply fund a project they have interest in instead of risking their own money on a project or getting financiers?
3. and this is kinda unrelated but are there any questions you WANT people to ask? I know you have in the past mentioned questions you dislike (and im pretty sure someone asked about which questions you like to receive) but im curious if theres a subject that the fans have overlooked that you would be overjoyed to discuss and answer questions regarding
Thank you and good luck working your way through the steadily growing list of questions~
Greg responds...
1A. It would seem to me that the money required would be prohibitive - particularly if one is talking about raising money for a property like Young Justice or Gargoyles that is owned by a major entertainment company. I can't see them relinquishing control of their Intellectual Properties (I.P.) for ANY price.
2B. What does "consider using yourself" mean in this context? How can I solicit money from anyone for an I.P. (like Gargoyles), which I do not own?
2. No, I can't. I'd love to be proven wrong, but I don't see it.
3. I can't think of anything off the top of my head.
EXALT writes...
How old is the original Roy/Arsenal as of Satisfaction? Always fifteen (thanks to the time he spent on ice)?
Greg responds...
He's biologically 15.
YJfan writes...
Hey Greg, Seeason 2 is awesome. Love the new characters as well as seeing the old ones develop and grow.I have been enjoying Beetle, Superboy, Bart and Lagaan.Don't like what Megan is doing though cause it feels like she is stringing poor Lagoon Boy along. He's kidnapped and she's worrying about Conner birthday. Do the other girls like Zatanna know what she did trying to mindwipe him? Wendy seems genuinely cool actually. I am so looking forward to see how the Aqualad vs everyone wants a piece of him now plot plays out. They are fun!You Lex Luthor is the best animated Lex I ever came across!PS. Did you know Superman and Wonder Woman are now an official couple in comics?It was huge news. I know, you said your show came before the reboot in comics. But reason I ask is because in your show, even from day one the interactions we've seen between these two characters seem to point to something more than friends/teammates.I personally think it a great idea and looking forward to seeing if you called it first in earth-16. :)
Greg responds...
1. No, they don't.
2. Yes, I heard.
EXALT writes...
I have a couple questions about your version of the Joker...
1)Usually, the origin of the Joker is a mistery to anyone, including himself. But you said that you create backstories pretty much for all your characters, even if you don't necessarely put them in the show. So, the question is: have you created an origin for the YJ Joker, or did you just stick with the "total mistery" thing (of course, if you DID create an origin, I'm not asking you to spoil it here).
2)In Revelation, the Joker claims to have multiple personalities. Was that a reference to his multiple origins?
Greg responds...
1. Red Hood.
2. If you like.
Chris Adams writes...
Hi Greg! Great to have YOUNG JUSTICE back.
I really admire the way you and your team use the breadth of your version of the DC Universe to produce an episode like "Satisfaction" - you have the story of Roy, Ollie, Roy, and Lex on the one hand, but you break it up with smart little vignettes featuring other characters. It's also good to see the continued use of non-heroic supporting castmembers like Wendy and, in issue #20 of the comics, Bette.
Two quick questions, since my original query about Mercy's power of speech (or lack thereof) is already in the queue:
1. Is Ray Palmer on the faculty of Ivy University?
Apparently no-one else in Ivy Town knows Conner well enough to know it's his birthday besides Wendy, which strongly suggests* that Karen doesn't attend Ivy University with them. Therefore:
2. Is she formally enrolled at any university, or only pursuing her studies with Professor Palmer under the aegis of the team?
* The other option would be that Superboy and Bumblebee choose not to socialise in their civilian identities, but that doesn't seem to be the way the team rolls.
Greg responds...
1. Yes.
2. I don't quite follow your preamble or your afterward - I'm not sure how or why you're concluding what you're concluding. But Karen, Wendy, Conner and M'gann all are enrolled and attend Ivy University. You do realize Karen was in Dakota City for the Bridal Shower, right?
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
Satisfaction
Commenting on current ep! No questions, just comments.
Short on shorts: Teen Titan Go psa - cute enough. Love SBFFs "Solomon Grundy No Fight Girls!" was mostly brilliant, but I was a little disappointed with end.
1-I was surprised original Roy's voice was so deep. Also so angry! (At least that quickly.) He correctly didn't blame our Roy, but crazy blamed Ollie. From Independence Day and onward it seemed Ollie had a warm relationship with Roy despite Roy's Angry Young Man vibe. Nice Ollie character work. I'm curious where Dinah works into this relationship. Did she even know the original? (Rhetorical- expect to learn that in story.) Nice way to get to Arsenal.
2- Grotto- Took me a bit to realize that those memorialized in the grotto were not necessarily team members. Ted Kord was the huge giveaway. (I have noticed Tim is "Robin B" to the computers, so assumedly the memorial is to Jason who wasn't a member of the team.) Nice bit between Blue Beetle and Impulse- both in their demeanors from not having interacted with the folks honored in that room, and in the discussion about why the League doesn't do the memorials. Also lovely to see Jaime's 'relationship' to Ted spelled out. Visually, the subtle run through of emotions on Bart's face is fantastic. You see all the other, none 'Impulse', thoughts flit by before he shapes his face into the sunshine and light one.
3-Artemis' grave- Brutal to put Paula through that. Jade is there with the baby; she's all vengeance, but from actual love. Sportsmaster...not so much.
4-Lex Luthor- blasé about enabling the alien invasion... and customized desks ;) Mercy bleeds? So a cyborg, not robot. Lex does like to pontificate...but he isn't wrong. Did Lex actually show a moment of concern for Mercy? "Except we gave you anesthesia. Your methods..." Again with the not wrong. Now where have I heard that vengeance is a sucker's game....?
5-Superboy and Wendy- Lovely little surprise there. She isn't in on the team ("6...22!") She really does have insight into Conner. Ivy Town? Mmm....
6-Bridal shower- I wondered if there was something romantic between Raquel and Icon, now I'm wondering if they're engaged. Captain Cold... "I'm completely doomed, aren't I?" BWAHAHA!
All my reviews have been positive- but just to state the obvious- Loving the show!!
Thanks again for reading fan rambles. I tried to lean more to comments then questions to make up for the length.
Greg responds...
All Grotto memorials were for League or Team members, including Jason.
Thanks for posting your rambles. They're fun for me to read.
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
Last old review-
Depths- nice way to start a hiatus... Wowie
Shorts - Sword of the Atom pIII- dialogue a little hokey. Teen Titan dividing tape; cute enough.
[Actual questions bookends the comments. The other #s are just observations.]
Q1 Rocket to Mars- How where they planning on dealing with Earth seeing true Martian form?
1-Wally and Artimas at home, cut ahead to CPR at end. I think it is the first time you've set up a flash forward to the end following present events. Works nicely. Love the way Dick's body moves with the CPR compressions. Nice attention to detail.
2-M'gan's reaction to Artimas is like stepping back in time. She's light and open as she really doesn't appear much this season.
3-Conference - took me till the second time to figure out why you didn't say "Drink the Kool Aid". Yeah, I bet the Kool-Aid folks have a special hate for Jim Jones.
4-Mmm.. GGG's hands,for a moment, look like alien claws. War of the Worlds ish.
5-Mimicking missing Leaguers is a good idea. (I wondered last issue that Psion said he knew Batman wasn't around.)
6-There is quite enough skilled (rust free) fighting and teamwork to make the Cape fighting interesting even separate from the overall plot. Add the revelation of what really broke up Conner and M'gann, Lagan being taken and...Artimas dying at the hands of Kalderan! Wow.
7-Nice how the test the villain gives is a test of honor. Will he take credit?
8-Back at Mt Justice... I think someone already asked who the girl next to Blue Beetle is. You'd think it would be easier to guess- there aren't that many white, non blond female teen girl superheroes. Yes... it's an exaggeration, but true enough to be sad. Mmmm.... Next to Jaime? Traci 13 would rock!
9-I truly was surprised by the Kal undercover/Artimas alive twist. Nicely done. For some reason the line about the League and team being in mourning and possibly never forgiving them stuck a nice chord with me.
Q2 I figure this is either an incidental or a major spoiler. If it is the former- What does Artimas's mom know? {Never mind- moot now}
Q3 How is the voice altered for the glamoured version of Artimas?
Simply passing herself off as dead would be one thing. Going undercover too...interesting.
Yay! current review is all that's left to post!
Greg responds...
Q1 - How is who planning?
Q3 - In show, you just have to take it for granted that the charm has changed the voice enough so that it's not recognizable. Out of show, Stephanie does deepen her voice slightly for Tigress. It's intentionally subtle.
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
At least I'm getting to the end of old reviews...but not there yet-
Bloodlines-
Certainly a satisfying first major look at the greater picture for the season.
But first the Shorts-
still Sword of Atom- so no mid messy divorce, no learning the language.
Teen Titans Go- Cyborg the lifeguard is cute, but who is he saving?
[First half is just comments- the questions start when the "Q"s show up. The rest is just thought ordering. Hey 5and 5!]
1-I know starting with a scene and coming back to it is derigur (sp?) in the show, but this one is somehow above and beyond. It isn't so much a teaser as does something to the mood. Misleading about Bart, but still honest.
2-Impulses entrance is a hoot. He might have wiped the floor with Tim and Garfield, but I get an impression that the learning curve will be as such that they won't be so outclassed for long
3-Roy and Cheshire- It is suspicious she seems to find what they are looking for so easily. On the other hand it is believable she'd do it to set Lian's father straight. Uh...seriously, not the place to bring a baby. Jumping ahead- Dispatch two bad guys, waken baby laughs, tens of men with spears. "Told you we should have left her with your sister." Nice beat. (Wonder if Artimas knows she's an aunt. -new ep! Lian's her middle name!) "Should I be concerned in the obvious delight our daughter takes in the ultra violence?" :) Cheshire opens the tube without even wiping the glass to see who is inside. (Already Liann is saying Dada?)
4-Bart blabs Bat identities. They keep their IDs secret from their team. As I mentioned before, it does leave you wondering if there is any discomfort, or even hostility to the Bat clique. It seems a little of a 'first among equals' incongruity.
5-Bart with his family...
The Garrick's 70th anniversary- making them in their 90s- a very spry 90s. I'm assuming Jay has some Flash related reason for being more like a late 70s year old, but Joan?
Didn't notice all the slip ups Bart made referencing Barry the first time around. Meant to tell you in private...Twins?! "Back in a flash!" Group moan. Since the beginning I have liked how the extended speedster family is portrayed. No gloom and doom for them. Well, maybe now Bart….
"Fox & Gardner" cute.
Q1 Bart learned whirlwind from father who learned it from Barry. Since Barry originally died before knowing he was going to be a father, who taught the son?
Super speed talking is funny. So is Wally's being outpaced. Wish the Network bug wasn't partially covering some of the alien subtitles.
Q2 Stranded in our time...big reveal-> actually a set up. Idea is great. I'm not yet clear on the mechanics of time travel in this universe and how Nathaniel remembers the changes. I assume it becomes clear over time. Is there a town shown to the bottom left of the wreck of Mount Justice? And does that town have more color after the time change?
I do hope that the Impulse persona is not entirely made up. That it is either based on an earlier version of himself, or an aspect of his personality not foregrounded in an apocalyptic future. Time will tell.
Q3 How big is Wally? Sometimes he looks bigger than Barry. Sometimes boyish.
Some more questions on Wally and speed brought to mind-
Referencing other questions -Geodude writes...
"Are Flash and/or Kid Flash capable of doing relatively complicated things at super-speed? Could they use their speed, for example, to assemble a store-bought bookcase or put together a jigsaw puzzle? ...
Greg responds...
1. Flash MIGHT be able to. But Kid Flash's speed is all about acceleration and deceleration. I'm not saying he couldn't do it faster than, say, Artemis. But he's not going to do it in a split-second. ..."
Me-
Q4-Is Wally's super-speed fundamentally different from Barry's (and Jay's?), or is it a question of skill and practice? We know he is very smart, but does he think ~quicker~ than ordinary humans?
I'm not well versed on the DC Speedsters, but what I've read seems to say they think quicker to match the movements as a necessary component of their powers. A rather clever Batgirl (Stephanie Brown) issue a year or two ago had her figure out that the kid sitting next to her in class had been spending all his time memorizing his route step by step for a planned heist in a speed suit because his mind would not be quick enough to respond to what he sees. In contrast, a few years before that Bart Allen (around the time he switch from Impulse to Kid Flash) read the contents of a library at superspeed because he felt he needed contribute more (and screw up less). He added that it feels as long to him to read a book as it does to anyone else, and things not at superspeed move glacially slow to him making him seem ADD.
Q5
A-If the speedster's mind does work faster, is it a default speed or is it only revved up while the speedster is speeding?
B-And if it is a default, does the rest of the world seem to move slowly to them?
thanks again.
Greg responds...
Q1 - We'll never know, but it might have been Wally or Jay, I suppose.
Q2 - I'm not sure what you're referring to.
Q3 - Occasional inconsistencies of animation aside, Wally is pretty-much man-sized now.
Q4 - Wally and Jay's speed-powers are VERY similar. Barry and Bart's are pretty much exactly the same. But those two subsets are different from each other. Barry and Bart can be instantly fast, almost without acceleration. They have way more control - even over their molecules. Barry has more experience, but Bart was forced to learn in a much more hostile environment, so he's not that far behind. Wally and Jay must both accelerate and decelerate. They have way less control than either of the other two. Both, of course, at this point have plenty of experience and training. Jay may have lost a step or two over the years, but not much. Wally's pretty much near his peak, though he may be (only) slightly out of practice since retiring. Wally's thinking is pretty much on a par with any non-powered person of similar intelligence - again, once he gets going, he may "think" faster, but he couldn't do that reading trick you describe Bart as doing in the old comics.
Q5A - The latter, if that.
Q5B - Sometimes.
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
And more old reviews-
Beneath
Shorts in short- hey I just read Sword of the Atom! SBFF love those girls
[Not so many observations, so I'm only numbering the questions this time around.]
Q1 Jaime seems to come from a well off family. That's a marked departure than his print origin. They ran a business and were better off than hand to mouth, but I remember money being tight, especially after his father was injured. What made you decide to change it?
Nightwing: "Uh, there's, there's no right answer for that, is there?" smart boy not to dig deeper :) She enjoyed that!
The dynamics between Mrs. Longshadow, Maurice, Jaime and the absent Ty- I'd say lovely, but it's the wrong word for the situation.
I wonder if the scarab realizing that his methods would have dead ended with Maurice is the start of him becoming more than blood thirsty programming.
Bumble Bee and Batgirl- first the funny in the air ducts, then the moment that comes when dealing with any bat family member- talking the empty air.
Of course Batgirl was the only one who could fly a plane, she's the only one who would need to. Of course Wonder Woman does have a jet....
Freeze Jr is still hung up on Miss Martian in Belle Rev?
Q2 Simon knows Batman is away? How?
Cast- Devastation… I could have sworn that was Kristen Johnston's voice.
In all a good ep- we see the girls in action as any other thoroughly capable team.
I'm guessing the other plot line will be some sort of Super Chief storyline, but in general it is nice to be reminded that Jaime is not just comic relief, but rather a powerful weapon. Though I do love him as comic relief too.
thank you
Greg responds...
Q1 - I'm not sure we decided any such thing. Are you responding to his house? His neighborhood?
Q2 - SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
Still more old reviews:
Salvage
Short shorts review:
-Shorts -Vibe (2parts)- amazing! Intentionally totally dated but not making fun of it!
Main event: (Q for actual questions)
1-Oh Roy... (Q1 Where'd his money go- wasn't he richer than Ollie? Used it up with the search?) The whole intervention was wonderfully done, right up to it failing. (And we caught us up with several characters.)
2-Now Snapper Carr knows they're there.
3-Blue Beetle: "Not Compatible? Not Compatible with what? I swear I don't understand half the things you say!"
Mal: "Feeling is mutual" :)
But that does raise the question, well two questions:
Q2 1- This may be the one error in the execution of the time skip- Finding Jaime's one sided conversations weird is funny, but not knowing that he is talking to the Scarab would imply that he was hiding, albeit poorly, the source of his power. However here he sighs and tells Conner the whole story (at least as he knows it -created by Ted Cord? A clearly deceased Ted Kord). Given how level headed and informed Connor has become, it seems odd that he wouldn't already know Jaime's situation. For that matter, you'd think at least the founding members would have had to know it to let him join the group. Am I missing something here that would explain it?
Q3 2-What made you go with the bloodthirsty Scarab and not the budding sentient Scarab? It is laugh out loud funny, but I have to admit to having a tremendous soft spot for the malfunctioning sentient weapon. Among my all time favorite lines I've read, not just in comics, was in the Blue Beetle comic when Jaime manages to defeat the Reach - right before starting on a dang near suicidal plan he asks the Scarab if he is in on it. (Even though there was no way for Jaime to go without him, and no other way to save his family and the planet.) The Scarab's reply of "Jaime:Friend. Scarab:Hero" was heartwarmingly awesome.
4-Speaking about emotionally wrought near sentient beings- the Golem was very nicely done. Connor meant a specific Ugly, but her was right; something ugly had killed it.
5-I only noticed upon rewatching this and the previous episode that "Partner" is an actual name for the new big bad, and not just a figure of speech.
6-Artimas and Wally...are so very sweet.
7-Cheshire and Roy...can't tell if she's there for him, or for an ulterior motive. Or frankly, she could be there for both. However it is, I like the suggestion that she gave up crime for him without any good guy component to it. It sounds like he wouldn't have married a criminal so she gave up crime. The marriage fell apart and she happily went back to it. She simply does not have a hero mentality and it makes her fun. It also gives her the possibility of being a good sister/wife/mother without being a good guy. You don't get the impression she would ever subject her child to what her father had subjected her and Artimas to. Strange to say it, but she is probably extremely healthy on an emotional level.
8 Q4-Lian makes her debut- How old is she here? Cartoon babies almost always seem to look a bit older than they are meant to be, (though I think there were some clearly newborns in Missing, IIRC). With that much hair I would guess minimum 9 months, but I'm guessing she is supposed to be younger and it isn't meant to imply Roy hasn't seen Cheshire for over a year. (9 months baby, plus it would be pretty impossible to hide a second trimester pregnancy from a husband = more than a year.)
9 -Of course seeing Lian makes me wonder about Amistad and Traya and Aquaman's son...that ends the list of small children of characters I can think of. (Unless Donna Troy shows up and had/lost her family.) Time will tell.
thanks again!
Greg responds...
Q1 - Yes.
Q2 - They knew about the Scarab - although at the time they all thought it was Ted's invention, not Reach-Tech - but they didn't know it talked to him.
Q3 - This feels like it's veering close to SPOILER territory.
Q4 - ASKED AND ANSWERED.
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
And another old review:
Alienated ...
...but first a short review of the shorts:
-Teen Titans Mothers' Day short was sick and twisted. I loved it, but the Mad musical number that poked fun at the Justice League is one of the funniest things I've seen in a while.
Back to our show: {Numbers without the Q in front of it are just thought ordering}
1-Bumble Bee looks a lot like Rocket in civies...or maybe.... after a lot of freeze framing...Has Rocket's face been made more angular than she had been 5 years before and Bumble Bees stayed rounder?
2-Blue Beetle: ~chuckle!~ but I'm saving up discussing him till later eps.
3-Boy in dreads does look a little like a young Virgil Hawkens, but it seems odd to me for him to be so significantly younger than Rocket.
4(Q1)-M'gann 'interrogating' the Krolatian - in front of Batman and While J'ohn is trying to do the same? She really is without boundary. Connor's look of shock makes sense, but shouldn't J'ohn and Bruce be at least a little surprised?
5-First time we see Kaldur - he does make a scary villain.
6-"Competitor Warrior"- Blue Beetle? The Reach?
7(Q2)-Love watching the Bat Family in action. They are so incredibly in sync with each other. The 'kids' kids with each other even more than with Batman. Does it cause tension in the YJ group to have a sub group or even clique, one who I think doesn't even share their real names?
Q3-who planted bomb?
8(Q4)-Nice smile of pride Wonder Woman has watching Wonder Girl. In all this fighting, I can't tell if they are using lethal measures or not. Last ep Allana saved the Krolatian whose mech she lured into a trap. Here they seem to be causing big enough explosions that you would not expect the mecha pilots to be able to get out. Is this JL willing to respond to lethal attack with lethal counter measures? Batman blew the platform out from under 'Manta's' men. It looked to be a 10-5' drop- though maybe that isn't a big deal for battle armored atlantians. It never struck me as important for WW to be willing to kill if necessary- it actually makes sense since she is a warrior before a superhero. But it does seem pretty integral to Supes and Bats.
9-More things I'm noticing while rewatching- when Kal tells NW he has two minutes left on the bomb his voice is different. He's got Conner incapacitated in a way that will at very least distract him if not let him hear the warning at all and he then gives Dick the vital info.
10-M'gann & J'onn ~chuckle~ I've forgotten I'm wearing something silly, I guess Martians can forget they're wearing a whole different species look.
11-For some reason I didn't realize the Krolatians understood English the first time.
12-Must find the issue with Kal's parents- I thought that's what his father looked like.
13-Black Manta replacing Ocean Master in Light- there is clearly some interesting stories in the gap/
14-The good byes-
-Wonder Woman/Wonder Girl- nice feel between the two of them, and a mention of Cassie's mom.
-Hawkman goes with Hawkwoman his spouse
...cut to Icon and Rocket. We never do hear from them. I get it might be the realities of voice work fees, but the body language was a bit odd. Are they romantically involved? {Since the new ep- I guess I'm wondering if they're engaged.} (Rhetorical question, not looking for an answer outside of the episodes.) It's been 5 years since we've seen them interact, and Icon has to be used to people aging into new roles around him. Even more than Static, I wonder what D MacDuffie would have done had he had the chance. The original series ended mid story, and there was no Icon cartoon, I don't think we ever saw Rocket in the main DCU (so far) to explore in other ways.
(Q5) Non rhetorical question: to your knowledge did MacDuffie leave behind any ideas or thoughts on where he might have taken her? Would you be more likely to, when possible, try to incorporate such ideas in light of his untimely passing than you would a living creator who might get a crack at doing it his or herself? Working with Peter David you probably hear all sorts ideas that didn't get used in the YJ comic run, but you both know he might work with those characters in a project of his own down the line. Even if it is extremely unlikely, it does remove some of the urgency.
-Super Man/Super Boy "little brother" J See- a clone is more like a brother!
-Martian Manhunter/Miss Martian are adorable- water the plants (plants on Mars)
-Batfamily- really a tight group, a family. I notice it is the first time they smiled all ep. Even when fighting. I can't decide if that is right to me or not. Dick and Barbara always struck me as the type to be having too much fun in the physicality of it not to smile, Tim to a lesser extent, but also.
-Dramatic goodbye- music, wind, break up, everything; nice. (Dang, Barbara is tall.)
15-Bibbo and Vandal are voiced by the same guy? Wow!
Greg responds...
Q1 - J'onn was not linked when M'gann did her thing. Both already know that she's more powerful. Whether they're suspicious is something I'll leave to interpretation.
Q2 - Not particularly.
Q3 - Black Beetle.
Q4 - Neither Batman nor Superman would willfully cause the death of anyone.
Q5 - I have no idea whether Dwayne left anything behind on this subject.
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
still posting old reviews:
Earthlings
Rambled observations to follow the short review of shorts:
Still bwahahaing Animal Man and not quite getting the Ardman shorts
{Actual questions are listed as "Q#". The other numbers are just thought ordering}
1-You do like starting at the end and then flashing back how they got there.
2-I love the Garth/M'Gann sibling dynamic, but I wish I could remember if Gar always had the freckles that match hers. Interesting implication in that he has received multiple transfusions from her to get to what he is. It's also interesting that he reverts to a more fully human shape when he is reminded of his mother's death. I wonder whether that is a 'natural' form or a change based on thought. Or if he even has a 'natural form' anymore. (That huge and unexpected, though very welcome, info dump you gave on Martians a while back explains why he is green- if skin color is ethnicity and she has a green parent it isn't particularly odd that Gar could become green. I do wonder why he is only green. I know that is from the comic, but I wonder the in cartoon explanation. Odd- Gar is the age Dick was last season, but he gets to be a kid.
What the Hey! Make that Q1- why is Garth only green?
3-The benefit of being so behind is catching details that can only be appreciated in hindsight - like the look that runs over Conner's face when M'gann establishes the link that allows them to communicate and Alana and her father comment about the sensation. It went right by me at the time, but in light of now knowing why they broke up...
4-"I assume you are not associated with the League"... "We are not members of the League" J\:) technically truthful.
5-Alana is younger than I imagined. She seems of an age with the first YJ team, not the same age as Adam.
6-Seeing Conner talk and act is spot on- a-jumping like earliest version of supes -b-his demeanor matches his description- looks 16 but is not a 16 year old. (Others already asking why M'gann ages at human rate.)
Q2-They took a risk luring the mecha into the sand- how did they know it wasn't the one holding their teammates? Alana sends the Krolatian the rope as second nature- she matches the teams method...and then M'gann mind strips the Krolatian. It was spooky the first time, but seeing Conner's reaction in light of why they broke up it is even scarier. I can't tell from the frame if Alana is looking at the Krolatians carrying their comrade away in shock or at M'gann. M'gann is without boundary- even if she was reacting to them almost getting her brother.
thanks again for taking the time to do Ask Greg!
Greg responds...
Q1. Miss Martian was green when she did the transfusion.
Q2. I think you should watch it again. Because one of us is confused.
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
Hello! And thanks again for answering our questions and reading our comments!
Just saw Saticfaction and am very happy. I'm also happy to see this queue reopened. Now that Ask Greg is open I can post saved up reviews! Yay...uh, well, 'yay' for me. :}
I have a lot of saved comments from when it last closed - particularly all my {overwhelmingly positive} episode reactions since the time skip. Maybe I'll get around to doing a blanket rection to the comics before the queue closes again...but probably not.
Onward....
{Actual questions will have "Q#" by them. The other numbers are just for keeping my thoughts ordered}
Happy New Year-
All those warnings to check dvr settings for the new title...of course I was so far behind reading Ask Greg I came to them at least two weeks late. By my spill time on my Green Lantern recording I figured out I missed this ep and reset it for the next week- but seeing this episode was under less than optimal watching: poor quality buffering and strangely mirror imaged segments on the internet. {I wonder which shorts I missed ~sniff~}
1-Nicely constructed opening scene- first Superboy, unchanged, fighting Clay Face which is an in story throwback. M'gann is next, but hooded. But then she says something about 'Delta squad', and Robin walks out of the shadow looking different. Beast Boy and Blue Beetle show up to confirm things are really different, followed by Bumble Bee. (She's a extra step because we met her as a civilian.) Finally M'gan throws back her hood looking shorn and older and the voice on the other end of the com signs off as Nightwing. Elegant.
2-I see some thinking L'gann is set up to be silly, but by introducing him sparing with Nightwing, humorously and graciously losing, I think he comes across more positively. The more negative impressions probably come from fan possessiveness over the M'gann/Conner relationship, and not anything he is or has done. He is a somewhat silly character- in the cosmic 'oh, come on!' sort of way. He isn't bad or silly looking, but to use his powers he puffs up like a carnival prize. He's a pretty powerful guy, but he knows he's second string at this point and it gall him and leaves him a little insecure. Same for following Conner as a boyfriend. No crime there, even if he appears later being a little mean about it. (Though I am getting ahead of this ep.) And as for Conner's reaction to M'gann and L'gann- You have two relationships to follow from first season- already know one is going to be meaty.
3-Didn't think of it at the time, but if Bumble Bee is b22 and after Tim Drake, I wonder if I'm misreading a vibe that Mal was an active member and somehow forcibly sidelined- like a loss of power. IIRC his comic book counterpart went through a bunch of personas gaining and losing power sets. (I googled it a while back, I just remember it being convoluted and there being a question over who created him…I think.) I look forward to learning how he and Bumble Bee joined up- how old Tim is (what, have 15 people already asked?) and how long he's been Boy Wondering it.
4-hrmmm if Tim is about 13 now, I wonder if that girl whose father was saved from the Black Spider was at least 8 then? I thought not, but if she is Arrowette, she'd be pretty young. {The advantage of first writing this before the shut down- I already have the answer.}
5-General statement- Love Blue Beetle! (But he really shines in later episodes so more on him later.)
6- (Q1)-In the UN- light blue shirts means private security, not NYPD, right?
7- Lobo sounds like he's from Mos Isly ;) Wow- others noticed it too. Maybe it's something about the way the sort of minds that like YJ work.
8-Wonder Girl - Nice having it both ways- Power house entrance, and then Lobo owns her. Neat trick; it should undercut itself but doesn't.
9-Batgirl - Entrance of an uber competent bat professional. It's a bat thing. (Though I hope we eventually get to see her start in flashback at some point.)
10-Tearing Secretary General in half- coulda been gruesome...but wasn't.
11-G Gordon Godfrey... Not the voice, that's pure Tim Curry fun, but the visuals... I can't decide if it is a specific parody or a general parody. A general parody of our cable new/opinion/ego shows is great. But that spinning G keeps making me thing it may be a specific parody, and that would be distracting. Of course it means it is distracting to me because I am wondering about it, but in principle I applaud a general parody. I feel a little like the headmasters that wanted to sue Dickens over 'their libelous portrayal' in Nicholas Nickleby- even though they had two eyes instead of one he was clearly besmirching the reputations of their boarding schools... Ironic that he actually lists some real aliens in his paranoid rants. Come to think of it- they are also hiding Watchtower...nice cut.
12-Zatana and Rocket are Leaguers? Cool. Also nice how even on the Watch Tower the original YJ members still hook into each other for silent chats. (And that the main members declined joining the League.)
13-And in Rann's corner of the galaxy...by now Hal is not the "NO" joke of last season; John is going to contact him. Others have commented on the watch for all leaguers already having Zatanna and Rocket shown, even though they just joined. Also on how does the GL League not know. The answer works for me.
14-Nice brotherly dynamic between Tim and Dick.
15-Love how Jaime is okay being in Gamma. ["Yes I do. YES I do. Yes I Do!" Sorry, couldn't resist.] It is consistent for Jaime's print character to say that. He's the kid who tells a bad guy to cease, leave and 'feel free not to tell me' what he was planning, and who in his heart of hearts wants to be a dentist when he grows up. (At least pre52.) Not yearning to be in the most dangerous squad is his kind of smart. The Crolotains don't like the Reach...interesting. I've heard some complaint about his falling into some Spanish a little stereotyply...didn't notice it the first time, but now I'm not sure if it isn't a bit much. On the other hand, there is the constraint of the format...he's American so you can't give him an accent for English words, and he does come from a part of the country that has a lot of Spanish speaking communities so it is reasonable that people get used to keeping certain phrases in Spanish even when speaking in English. I know there are words I simply am more used to saying not in English, despite having English as my first language. When the words are generally understood, I don't think I would think not to use them. As humorous as it was when he talks to the Crolotaian and then starts relaying the information to his teammates without switching languages, it is also the kinda thing a bilingual person might due. There may be no delay in understanding, but when the brain is talking in one language it sometimes forgets to switch. Since the Scarab feeds him the language as readily as English or Spanish the reaction would be the same.
Q2-Is that Black Lightning? Little fuzzy backward screen....
16-The team does seem more Teen Titany than Young Justice. Of course the original YJ never got the chance to be a two generation team. Although the type of work they do is, as someone pointed out, very Outsiders like.
17 -Who isn't in the episode is at least as interesting as who is- Roy, Wally, Artimas, Aqualad. Not appearing at all is a teaser in and of itself.
18-And of course, the controversial time skip: You've pulled off a (near) perfect execution; dropping us mid story and giving us some info, some indications and some glaring absences. The pace continues in the following eps to be perfect. {One possible quibble with Blue Beetle that I'll ask about in a later review.} It comes down to whether you like time skips or not. I tend to be an 'or not' because I miss the in between stories. With Time Dancer you found a way to have it both ways- skip in the main line and then have it's own comic for the skipped decades. I don't know if you plan to keep the comics behind to have it both ways here. {Since I wrote this, but before posting you've answered that the comics will follow the skip} I'm guessing not for marketing reasons {I was right}, unless you are cleared to have more than one line {Which would be super cool}. On a business level, I (still guessing) would think your corporate shepherds would insist that the book be a direct connection to the show. In an ideal world you'd get a comic line for both time lines and at least one more with some sidekicking adventures and some general in universe tales. But in a real world we'd probably not be so lucky. Despite my apriori preference against skips, I'm certainly in for the long haul.
18 points and only 2 actual questions, and one is about shirts...odd.
Greg responds...
Q1 - I think it's U.N. Security.
Q2 - Well, Black Lightning was in the episode.
YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION: ISSUE: 22: "Players: Chapter Three: Landing on Boardwalk": On Sale: NOW!
YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION: ISSUE: 22: "Players: Chapter Three: Landing on Boardwalk": On Sale: NOW!
It's the third part of a six part story, and a LOT happens. Chris Jones handles the art (with color by Zac Atkinson) and a script by me, that includes over twenty characters from the series and spans five years of continuity.
If you're looking for your YJ fix, this is where you'll find it!
Harmony writes...
1. Who is shorter now that they're adults, Wally or Dick?
2. Original Roy said Ollie was his friend, does either he or Clone Roy secretly (Or not so secretly) Look up to Ollie as a father?
3. Can Mercy Graves talk?
Greg responds...
1. From memory, I'd say Wally is shorter, but I don't have the model sheets in front of me.
2. Both look up to him as a father figure, certainly.
3. If she has something to add to the conversation, sure.
Anonymous writes...
By the time of 2198, how famous are certain individual gargoyles? Was Samson's leader, who gets taken by the Space-Spawn a house hold name? Samson himself? Delilah? How about Demona... is she known to the general public?
Greg responds...
I don't know about household names, but Samson's leader would have been known. Samson, not so much. Delilah even less. Demona... NO COMMENT.
TheTavarse writes...
Not a question, but a declaration. In a perfect world there would be four clones of you. Original recipe Weisman to executive produce Young Justice, Clone-1 to write the comic, Clones 2 & 3 to executive produce the Arrow and Aqua family animated series and Clone-4 to write the web comic "Suoveihcsim" staring Rocket, Artemis, and Zatanna during the 5 year gap. Seriously, where's Dr. Desmond when you need him?
Greg responds...
What you really need isn't more of me so much as corporate sponsorship for all the things you - and I - might like to see.
Anon writes...
Why did Artemis choose the bow and arrow as her weapon of choice?
Greg responds...
She excelled at it. Sportsmaster pushed her that way. It suited her name. She admired Green Arrow and Speedy from a distance. Take your pick.
Anonymous writes...
What was it like when Artemis first met Wally's family, and well do they get along?
Greg responds...
I'm not going to tell a story here, but all in all they all get along great.
Anon writes...
I really love the Wally/Artemis in the show, and I was wondering who came up with the idea for it and how was it developed
Greg responds...
Brandon and Kevin and I came up with the idea, I guess. And you've pretty much seen how it developed on the show.
Anon writes...
What is Artemis's and Green Arrow's relationship like after the 5 year time skip?
Greg responds...
Positive and on-going. He's like the much older brother or avuncular uncle she never had.
Anon writes...
Do you consider Artemis a member of the Arrow family?
Greg responds...
Sure. She does. And they do. Though these concepts are more amorphous than I think the fans credit. Black Canary is part of the "Arrow" family too, I guess, but it's almost insulting to her to label it that way, as if she doesn't deserve billing. And etc.
lamberto writes...
great shout out to otis. the 2nd season has been awesome!
Greg responds...
Thanks!
Katie writes...
Hello, Mr Weisman,
I have a question about Invasion. Given that it has fewer episodes than the first season,and that you're trying to squeeze so many storylines into this season, how do you pace the events in the show? What I mean is, how do you make sure that the events in the show are satisfactorily handled and resolved without making them feel rushed?
Greg responds...
We do our best. Focus on what matters most. And let the story drive.
Ann writes...
I just have one question.
In the Young Justice ep. Coldhearted, why does Wally say "lucky stiff?" That seems to be a little bit old fashioned for a teen to say that.
Is there a reason why he knows that type of slang?
Greg responds...
I guess cuz the writers and I know it.
Though honestly, it doesn't seem hard for me to believe that a teen would have heard the expression. For example, on "Young Justice".
Shade234 writes...
If you did have a longer Season 2 opening, who would you include? Would you have Nightwing; Superboy and Miss Martian and Kaldur and Artemis and Wally with their new looks? Or would you have had, Wonder Girl, Robin, Blue Beetle, Lagoon Boy, Bumblebee, Batgirl, and Beastboy?
Greg responds...
I don't know. Why do I have to choose?
Green Lantern's Nightlight writes...
I don't know how the first person who asked about this found out (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=7729), but I was very, very surprised to see that you were involved in an animated spin-off of Stargate. I'm also surprised that not only would it have been faithful, but also was approved by all of SG-1's execs (which is I assume was why it was approved in the first place), neither of which was the case for Stargate: Infinity. It's a shame that your Stargate couldn't have been made instead of DIC's.
I know that with most shows you haven't worked on in long time you usually don't remember much, but I want to take a chance and ask a few questions because info on Stargate: The Hunted is scarce and when I say "scarce" I mean there's nothing except for what I already read in the archive questions.
1. Had you watched the show or movie beforehand and asked to be involved in a production that was already starting or was it something you pitched yourself?
1a. If it's something you hadn't watched before how much research did you have to do to be prepared?
1b. How much had been prepared before it was halted (i.e. was anything written beyond the pilot?) and how long were you involved for?
2. What was it like meeting RDA and the other execs? How interested were they?
Maybe The Hunted can be Stargate's comeback, although it would have to be in another form due to the show's change in development as you even said in one response (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=8784). Of course that's one of many possibilities of one of many fans and the fact that you're already working on YJ makes it impossible anyway.
Thank-you for your time.
(Of course the above was never a request just a one fan's feeble thought.)
Greg responds...
1. I had already seen the movie and the television pilot, but nothing beyond that, when Jay Fukuto, who had been one of my bosses on Gargoyles but at the time had moved to MGM Animation, hired me to develop the animated series.
1a. I then watched every episode of the live-action television series that I could get my hands on. And I got hooked, and kept right on watching as long as the series (plural) were on the air.
1b. The pilot wasn't scripted, though a basic outline for it was written, and character designs for all the leads and a few villains were done, as I recall. I was involved for as long as the project was alive - which wasn't long.
2. It was very cool. They were all really nice and seemed to like what we were planning/trying to do. They showed us around. We saw a scene being shot for an episode.
Also, you're in luck. I happen to be in my Beverly Hills office today, and so here's the bible. [[Notes in double brackets were added TODAY.]]
STARGATE: THE HUNTED
(development bible for the animated series)
by
Greg Weisman
November 6, 1997
Revised: November 12, 1997
Revised: July 12, 2001 [[NOTE: This 2001 date was long after the project had died. I must have done another pass at some point while trying to reignite interest in it.]]
STARGATE: THE HUNTED
(development bible)
[NOTE: I've attempted to include all the relevant backstory that I can, from both the original feature and the live-action series, as well as my (hopefully modular) additions. I've intentionally tried to work this so that the live-action series can choose to incorporate or ignore the embellishments of the animated series without damaging the continuity of either show.] [[As you'll soon see, though this was approved by the SG1 E.P.s at the time, since then they did things with their continuity that would now render this development incompatible.]]
THE (ANIMATED) HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE
Eons ago, when the Universe was young, a benevolent alien race, known even then as the ANCIENTS, journeyed from planet to planet, from galaxy to galaxy, bearing great gifts of peace and prosperity to the primitive native species of these alien worlds. How did they traverse the void? Did they use STARGATES or STARSHIPS? No one knows. No one remembers. Long ago, the Ancients just vanished. All that remained (almost all) were the legends and the icons of these godlike beings.
Millennia passed. A new race rose to prominence: the GOA'ULD. Parasitic, worm-like creatures, they appropriated host bodies to survive and interact with other aliens, and they appropriated the legends and the aesthetic of the vanished Ancients to instill instant respect (and eventually fear) in all the species they encountered. They used their advanced technology to create ominous retractable helmet/masks for themselves and their servants. Masks which resembled the faces of the Ancients. Masks which would inspire awe, terror and worship.
Over ten thousand years ago, a dying Goa'uld named RA brought his spaceship to the planet EARTH (in what is now EGYPT) and took a new, HUMAN, host body. To the primitive EARTHLINGS, Ra was a God. He introduced them to the mythos of the Goa'uld, (counterfeited from the Ancients). He set up a Stargate and enslaved the natives, sending many to mining camps on the planet ABYDOS.
Once the Stargate was erected, other Goa'uld followed. They scoured our planet, removing pockets of civilization, seeding humanity throughout the cosmos. They used guinea pigs from the human race to create a new and separate species, the JAFFA. The Jaffa have marsupial pouches which they use to incubate larval Goa'uld.
The Goa'uld weren't the only aliens to come to Earth. At least one other race, the benevolent ASGARDIANS, sojourned here as well. It seems that much of human mythology has been confused with and by all these various invaders.
Eventually, however, the humans had had enough. They rebelled against Ra and the others, forced them to flee back through the Gate to other worlds. Then humanity sealed the Stargate and buried it, so that it could never be used again. To the Jaffa and to the descendants of the repatriated humans, Earth became the legendary "TAURI" -- the WORLD OF THE PYRAMID, the FIRST WORLD.
Ten thousand years passed. Earth developed a science and technology of its own; primitive by Goa'uld standards, but more advanced than most. In 1928, PROFESSOR LANGFORD (accompanied by his daughter CATHERINE LANGFORD) uncovered the buried Stargate in GIZA, Egypt. By 1945, the Langfords had discovered the Gate's purpose, though not how to use it.
In 1994, Catherine Langford, working under the aegis of the U.S. AIR FORCE recruited an anthropologist and linguist named DR. DANIEL JACKSON to join the STARGATE PROGRAM in CREEK MOUNTAIN, COLORADO. Jackson was able to decipher the symbols on the Stargate, allowing it to be activated for the first time in centuries. Air Force COLONEL JACK O'NEILL, accompanied by Jackson, led a team through the Gate to Abydos.
On Abydos, the team encountered a primitive human civilization, the descendants of the slaves that Ra brought from ancient Egypt. Jackson assumed that Ra had appropriated the mythology and iconography of the ancient Egyptians in order to pass himself off as a god. (Jackson was only half-right.) O'Neill, Jackson and the others helped the Abydosians gain freedom from their evil master by destroying Ra once and for all. Convinced that the Abydosians were no threat to Earth, O'Neill brought his team back through the Gate. Only Jackson, who had fallen in love with an Abydosian named SHA'RE, stayed behind.
And that was it -- for three years. Then in the fall of 1997, another Goa'uld, APOPHIS, came through the Gate to attack Earth. O'Neill, now accompanied by Air Force scientist CAPTAIN SAMANTHA CARTER, took another team to Abydos, but APOPHIS wasn't there -- yet. O'Neill and Carter met up with Jackson, who in the intervening years had continued to study the Gate. He took them to a cave covered with symbols: a map of a vast network of Stargates. But while they were in the cave, Apophis attacked. He kidnapped Sha're and O'Neill's friend SKAARA and stole them away to the planet CHULAK, where both were taken as host bodies for two other Goa'uld. O'Neill, Carter and Jackson pursued Apophis to Chulak. There they met TEAL'C, a Jaffa and the leader of Apophis' royal guard. They managed to convince Teal'c to rebel against his master, but even with this Jaffa's help, they failed to rescue Sha're and Skaara. They returned to Earth.
In response to the new Goa'uld threat, the U.S. PRESIDENT and the JOINT CHIEFS created STARGATE COMMAND (SGC). Headed by GENERAL HAMMOND, the SGC consists of multiple small teams who use the Gate to travel to other worlds, make alliances, gather new technology and battle the Goa'uld or any other dangers they encounter.
SG-1 is led by Col. O'Neill and includes himself, Jackson, Carter and Teal'c. For four years they've gone on mission after mission, searching for their lost friends, facing danger, etc. This series ISN'T about them.
THE TEASER
QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, September 2002. [[Again, this is probably a revised date from when I tried to renew interest in the project. The original date was probably 1998 or 1999.]] P.F.C. MATEO ROBLES JR. doesn't know anything about aliens or worm-gods or Stargates. He doesn't even know that much about the Air Force. He's a U.S. MARINE, and he's been a Marine... for all of ten months. All MATT really knows right now is that if he doesn't get to that Marker before the enemy he's dead meat. Well, that's the duty. No sense griping about it. SERGEANT QUAID signals him forward. There's forest for the first hundred yards, but the Marker's in the clearing. Matt takes off; he runs a serpentine pattern through the trees. So far so good: he's at the clearing. The Marker stands alone. Matt does a tuck and roll, comes up back to the Marker and sweeps the clearing for anything larger than a fire ant. Nothing. He gives the "all clear" through his throat-mic, and the other four members of his team move in. And BAMM! O'BRIEN takes one in the back. BAMM! BAMM! WASHINGTON and CHUNG are down. Where's it coming from?! BAMM! Matt's tagged in the leg! Man, that stings! But now he knows. Those shots came from above; the bogies are in the trees. UP in the trees. Matt shouts a warning to the Sarge, and both men train their scopes high. BAMM! Matt's hit in the shoulder with so much force it whips him around 180°. BOOM! Matt hears his own weapon discharge. He looks up, his eyes tearing with pain. Quaid's on his knees, staring at Matt with a look of complete betrayal frozen on his face. There's a big red stain soaking his chest. Matt mouths the words "I'm sorry." Then BAMM! Another shot from above -- and it's over.
THE SET-UP
Matt Robles had joined the Marines the day after his eighteenth birthday. He went through Basic in SAN DIEGO. It was tough, but he was getting through it all right. Then when it was just about over, everyone in the unit was given a written exam. Multiple choice. A lot of touchy-feely questions that didn't make much sense at the time. Matt either failed the thing or passed it with flying colors, because he was one of only ten guys on the whole base who were pulled from duty to undergo personal "interviews" with three different Marine shrinks. These questions here were even stranger. But he must have had the right answers. The shrinks sent him for special training at Quantico.
There were 53 Marines in the SGC program. (No one knew or would say what SGC stood for.) Most were officers. Matt was one of only four privates. And he was clearly the youngest, least experienced guy in the bunch. The testing began the day they arrived. Psych tests. Intelligence tests. Medical exams. Stress tests. Endurance tests. And the training -- like Basic times ten, with an emphasis on Covert Op Combat. Small teams. Matt wondered if SGC wasn't a cover for the CIA or something.
So far, nineteen men and twelve women had washed out. Matt had done all right though. Until tonight. He dragged his sorry butt back to HQ. Purple paint covered his left calf, his right shoulder and was splattered across his face. He could live with that. It was that big splotch of his own weapon's red paint on Sarge's chest that made him want to crawl into a hole. He knew he had washed out for sure. Quaid agreed. When questioned by the C.O., Sgt. Quaid didn't hesitated to relate how Matt had led his whole squad into a "deadly" ambush and then had personally "blown away" his own Sergeant. Matt stood rigidly at attention through the whole tirade. It was all he could do. The C.O. got right in Matt's face: "You're the luckiest piece of bug-smear I've ever met, Marine. They picked you. If it had been tomorrow, I'd have told 'em to pick again. But they called two hours ago, and I already gave my O.K. So don't blow it kid. Or else."
They still wouldn't tell him who or what had picked him. They barely gave him time to shower, pack and hit the tarmac for a flight to Colorado.
Creek Mountain, Colorado. Some kind of Air Force Base he had never heard of. Matt stood in a line with eight other individuals. There was one other Marine, a captain. Plus a Navy SEAL, an Army Green Beret, four Air Force officers and one civilian (who looked like FBI). They stood in that line, waiting in silence for over an hour. Then one by one, the others were picked up and taken to join their new squads. Matt waited. And waited. And waited some more. Finally, a Colonel came in. Matt stole a quick glance; the man looked familiar. The Colonel scanned the room. "Where's Robles?" he asked.
"Sir, right here, sir!"
The Colonel turned. His nametag read "O'NEILL". Matt definitely knew this guy from somewhere. O'Neill glanced at Matt, then said dismissively, "Mateo Robles."
"Sir, yes, sir!"
"Son," the Colonel said through gritted teeth, "I know Matt Robles. I fought with him in the Gulf War. He's a hard-as-nails Sergeant. Not a wet-behind-the-ears recruit. Matt Robles is a friend of mine, and you are no Matt Robles."
"Sir, you're talking about my father, sir!"
"What?"
"Sir, I'm P.F.C. Mateo Robles JUNIOR. I think you're thinking of my father, Gunnery Sergeant Matt Robles SENIOR.... Sir!"
O'Neill actually groaned.
And that's how Matt got the job. A screw-up. Two of them, in fact. The C.O. at Quantico giving Matt the thumb's up before the last combat drill. And O'Neill, too busy or too lazy to read the files, picking what he thought was Matt's father's name off a master list of possible candidates for SGC.
Colonel O'Neill was tempted to toss Matt out. But he was buddies with Matt's dad and figured he'd give the kid a chance for his father's sake. O'Neill reached a reluctant hand out to Matt for the Marine to shake. "Welcome," he said "to SG-1. Don't get too comfortable. You won't be on the team for very long."
THE PILOT STORY
We are quickly reintroduced to the Stargate, SGC, SG-1, O'Neill, Jaffa, Goa'uld, etc., all through Matt's naive eyes. For any viewers who've seen the movie or the live-action series, they can get a kick out of watching a "virgin" learn the ropes at warp speed. But for viewers new to the Stargate properties, we won't take anything for granted. Matt is going to be as blown away by all this as you or I would be if someone actually pulled us off the street and proved to us that all this was real.
That is, Matt would be blown away, if he had the time. We soon find out that the SGC wants to double the amount of SG-Teams that they currently operate. They don't want to break up working squads, and they don't want new teams to be exclusively staffed by virgins. So they've set up a training program. Each squad gets an apprentice. SG-1 gets Matt -- and a new mission.
The team is sent to a new planet, RAMSYS IV. They step out of the gate into a huge arena: THE TERMINUS, a cross between the Roman Coliseum and Grand Central Station. There are TWELVE Stargates in almost constant operation lining the walls of the stadium oval. Goa'uld, Jaffa, slaves and traders of all description come and go as casually as you please. L.A.X. has better security. SG-1 is able to quickly lose itself in the crowd. O'Neill immediately grasps the implications of their discovery. Ramsys IV could be the answer to SGC's prayers: a source of new technology, of new allies, of mapped routes to other worlds, of Goa'uld movements and who knows what else.
The squad splits up to investigate, Matt tagging along with O'Neill. They soon encounter a Goa'uld named OSYROS and his exotically beautiful sixteen-year-old ward, ISIS. When it turns out that Isis is being groomed as a host body for Osyros' Goa'uld mate, Matt impetuously attempts to rescue her before O'Neill can object. He nearly succeeds, but Isis has other ideas. She betrays Matt to Osyros, because she wants to be a host to the worm-god. She's been raised to believe that it is a great honor, and that once the RITUAL OF TRANSFERENCE is complete, she will be a goddess.
Matt is thrown into the Ramsyan brig. There he meets OHNU, one of the last of the Ancients. Ohnu's very existence threatens the Goa'uld hold on the known universe. Across a thousand worlds, Goa'uld are believed to be gods -- the Ancients of myth and legend reborn. If word spread that the Goa'uld were simply an alien race who had appropriated the mythos of the Ancients, revolution would surely follow. The Goa'uld ANUBIS has been assigned the task of making sure that revolution never happens. He has scheduled Ohnu's execution to take place in the Terminus the next morning.
O'Neill and the rest of SG-1 stage a prison break. They rescue Matt, but he insists on going back for Ohnu. When Teal'c hears about the Ancient, he helps convince O'Neill that Matt is right. Unfortunately, it may not be that easy. The Goa'uld are now alerted to their presence. With or without Ohnu, SG-1 needs to escape to Earth. And the only way back is through one of the now heavily guarded Stargates in the Terminus.
With no where else to turn, Matt once again sneaks into Osyros' palace to talk to Isis. He tries to convince her to help SG-1. He also tries to convince her that she's got this host thing wrong. Once the worm-god invades her body, then her mind, her will, everything that makes her the person she is will cease to exist. She refuses to believe that. The Ritual of Transference, her ascension to godhood, will take place tomorrow in the Terminus immediately following the execution. Matt pleads with her, but she won't help him. She won't even help herself. Still, something has changed. This time, when Osyros approaches, she doesn't betray Matt. She allows him to escape.
Dawn approaches. O'Neill drills Matt on the plan. Priority-One is to get the team back safely to Earth. Priority-Two, if at all possible, is to rescue the Ancient and bring him along as well. Matt asks about Isis. O'Neill shakes his head. The whole team is sympathetic, but they're not going to be able to save someone who doesn't want to be saved.
The sun rises, and in the Terminus... all hell breaks loose. Our heroes manage to free Ohnu, who uses his great strength to help them fight their way toward a Stargate. But they are still greatly outnumbered. Osyros has Matt in his sights, ready for the kill. At the last second, Isis uses HORUS, her pet URSHAWK, to deflect Osyros' shot. Matt realizes that Isis has finally seen the light. He and Ohnu break away from the rest of the team to save Isis, who is fighting off Osyros' attempts to complete a hasty transference. They succeed, but wind up at the opposite end of the Terminus from the rest of SG-1.
There's no way they can survive inside the Terminus. There's no chance for either group to fight their way back across to the other. There's no time for good-byes. Matt and O'Neill exchange one look. One look that says it all. And then SG-1 dives into one Stargate, a Stargate that sends them safely back to Earth. And Matt....
Matt, Ohnu, Isis and Horus dive into another Stargate. And finally, our series begins.
THE SERIES
Matt Robles hadn't been on the team long enough to learn all the ins and outs of Stargate travel. For example, he doesn't know how to work the Gate. Isis does, but she doesn't know the "address" for planet Earth. And neither she nor Ohnu has anywhere else to go. She lived her whole life in the shelter of Osyros' Palace, while the remnants of Ohnu's once great people now live as nomads, constantly on the run from Anubis and the other Goa'uld determined to wipe them out of existence. So Earth is the goal; it represents home, family and normalcy to Matt; sanctuary to the others. But finding Earth won't be easy. All our intrepid band can do is continue to try one of the billions of possible combinations that the Stargate allows until they either (A) arrive back on Earth by pure chance or (B) run into one of the SG-Teams on another planet or (C) find a world where the address to the legendary "TAURI" -- the WORLD OF THE PYRAMID, the FIRST WORLD -- has not been forgotten.
Option C is what carries our series along. Earth's address consists of seven out of the 39 symbols visible on the Stargate. Each symbol represents a constellation. The six constellations necessary to reach Earth are (in order) AURICA, CETUS, ANDROMEDA, CANCER, PISCES AUSIRINUS and PERSEUS. The seventh symbol changes depending on what planet you're "dialing" from. As our series progresses, Matt and the others will gather the address, piece by piece, until they ultimately find their way home in the last episode of the first season.
In the meantime, they'll be bopping from planet to planet, finding adventure, meeting alien races and trying to dodge the multitude of enemies who are relentlessly hunting them down. Sometimes, they'll get stuck on a planet for episodes, other times it'll be in and out in one. But every time they'll learn a little more about themselves and what they're capable of surviving, not to mention what makes surviving worthwhile.
THE CAST - REGULARS (THE HUNTED)
Matt - P.F.C. Mateo Robles Jr. is nineteen years old. He's not particularly tall (5'9" tops), but he's well built, solid. He's well trained, but he's got no real combat experience. He's green, raw, a work-in-progress.
Matt enters our series with a massive inferiority complex. He's keenly aware that he only got into SGC because of multiple screw-ups. And the events of our pilot, the events that send him off on his little Space Odyssey, don't do much to change his self-image. He may never see his family again, and he has no one to blame but himself.
The truth is, you couldn't ask for a better leader. You couldn't ask for a better man to bring everyone home safely. What Matt forgets is that there was a reason why he was in place to benefit from all those military SNAFUs. Out of the thousands of men and women tested for their SGC potential, Matt was one of the very few to make it to anything resembling the final cut. He's smart and open-minded. Doesn't draw conclusions based on appearances. A natural good judge of character. He believes in things like freedom and loyalty. Semper Fi actually means something to Matt. Plus he's tough, and -- Sgt. Quaid's red-stained fatigues aside -- he's good at his job.
The events on Ramsys IV should make all that clear to everybody except Matt himself. He's still got a self-confidence problem. If he slows down, the whole situation becomes completely overwhelming, and he becomes convinced that he's in way over his head (which, of course, he is). But only when he thinks too much. When he goes on instinct, he's a formidable (if occasionally fallible) guy.
Matt's greatest strengths can also be his greatest weaknesses. He does tend to wear his heart on his sleeve. He's probably a bit too trusting, too ready to sacrifice everything for a hopeless cause. He's going to have to learn some hard lessons along the way, but he'll come out of all this a better man.
It should go without saying that Matt has no "super-powers". But early on in the series, he will acquire a couple of alien weapons that he quickly gets proficient with. One of these is a big old plasma cannon. The other is a metal gauntlet, which can be worn or thrown, and acts as a taser to stun his opponents. Matt also wears a slim headgear (earphone and microphone) which translates all the various alien languages he'll encounter.
Isis - Isis is human, sort of. That is to say, Osyros created her from largely human genetic material. But he wasn't experimenting at random. Osyros designed Isis to be the host body for his Goa'uld mate. And not just any host body, but the perfect aesthetic compliment to his own Magnificence.
Isis looks like the Ancient/Egyptian ideal brought to life. She is beautiful and exotic. She wears no make-up, because she doesn't have to: those Cleopatra eyebrows, in fact that whole Cleopatra look was built right into her genetic programming. It's all organic, not add-ons. Same with her hair: she has none. Instead, she's got a completely organic fin-like crest that feels like silk and looks exactly like an Ancient/Egyptian headdress. She also has snow white skin. (We're talking WHITE here, not Caucasian.) And like the Ancients, she has four digits on each hand and foot instead of five.
Physically, she's quite literally perfect. She's 5'7", light as a feather, slim, but shapely. Designed to be enthralling, she's grace personified. Not a clumsy bone in her body. Every movement is precise and elegant. (A little challenge for our animators.) Pragmatically, this translates into speed, fluid motion and agility. When she needs to, she can perform like an Olympic-level gymnast or a center-ring circus acrobat, as if someone had flipped on a switch inside her. In a short sprint, like a fifty-yard dash, she'd beat Matt without working up a sweat. In fact, I'm not sure if she does sweat. These abilities should border on, but not quite achieve, the status of super-powers. Nothing she does should come across as impossible, just extremely difficult.
But Isis is more than just the sum of her genetic programming. She's a person. A sixteen year old girl. Unfortunately, this girl's entire life to date was spent under Osyros' watchful eye. Because it suited his purposes, Osyros treated Isis like a princess. He taught her that the Goa'uld are Gods and that someday she would be one of them. Therefore, she starts our series a bit on the haughty side. She's used to having servants at her beck and call; she's not used to life on the run. Still, she's not the whiny type. She may feel like whining on an on-going basis, but she's got too much royal dignity to act like a spoiled child. Around an alien campfire, she may expect Matt to wait on her like a servant, but when he doesn't, she doesn't complain. She's very bright, a quick study.
Isis and Matt have immediate chemistry from the moment they lay eyes on each other. Major post-doctoral chemistry. Neither knows quite how to deal with it, let alone how to admit to it. So in unabashedly standard TV fashion, that chemistry is initially translated into open hostility. After Ramsys, that hostility tones down a notch into a kind of begrudging mutual respect. Over the course of our first season, however, it'll be clear that these two are falling in love. One of those great archetypal loves, where they literally can't live without each other.
Ohnu - Ohnu is short for OHNUBYS (pronounced oh-NOO-bis, as opposed to Anubis which is pronounced AN-yoo-bis). Ohnu is one of the last of the nomadic Ancients. His skin is charcoal grey, with a slate like consistency. (The Ancients are silicon-based life forms -- whereas humans are carbon-based.) Ohnu has four digits on each hand and foot instead of five. He's over seven feet tall and carries the proportional bulk to match. He's bipedal, but he has the head of a jackal. In fact, the face of one of his ancestors literally provided the inspiration for the Goa'uld/Egyptian Jackal-God. (Believe me, there's a strong family resemblance.) Ohnu is impossibly strong. (And, yes, this strength could qualify as a super-power.) He has a deep booming voice. And, by the way, he's about twelve years old.
It's easy to forget. Easy to see him as the strong, silent type, because God knows he is that. But he's also shy and childlike, with a real appreciation of beauty and the desire to be gentle. The Ancients mature fast physically, and Ohnu is a bright (and formidable) kid, but emotionally he's still very much a child. Lonely, even scared.
The Goa'uld have been hunting his people for centuries. He and his family had been living in secret on a backwater world when they were discovered. His parents made him hide while they created a diversion. But he had been found almost immediately. Now he has no idea whether his parents survived or not. Either way, he's got an unhealthy share of "survivor's guilt." He doesn't like to hide anymore. And he has a tendency to lash out, which can be dangerous. He's also as impatient as any child and just as impetuous, which is a problem, because Matt and Isis are both impetuous too. We don't have any cautious types in this group.
When we start out, Matt is Ohnu's absolute hero: the guy who saved him from the Goa'uld, the guy who watches over Ohnu and keeps him safe. This could present a problem later on, because Matt's far from perfect, and Ohnu may not like having a hero with feet of clay. Eventually, however, this hero-worship (and the reality check that follows) will evolve into a real friendship. Matt and Ohnu are as much like brothers as two guys could be.
Initially, Isis won't know how to deal with this young giant. But eventually, her feelings for him will become truly maternal. Through Ohnu's eyes we'll see beyond Isis' little princess to the loving, nurturing woman, just waiting to bloom.
Horus - Horus is an Urshawk. An alien animal that looks sort of like a cross between a falcon and a bear cub. He's small enough to perch on Ohnu's massive shoulder, or to rest briefly on Matt or Isis' arm, but he's got a truly impressive wingspan, and with the right air currents he can fly faster than a sky-sled. He's got short, soft brown fur and a mean set of talons.
He can't talk, but thanks to Osyros (who genetically bred Horus to be a companion for Osyros' mate), Horus is a linked psychically to Isis. He feels what she feels, knows instinctively what his mistress wants. It's no different for her, except that her mind has more distractions, so she has to focus more to understand Horus. Particularly since the Urshawk's mind doesn't articulate desires or information, rather it emotes needs or sends the occasional image.
Horus isn't sentient by human standards, but he's about as smart as Lassie on an average day, and he's an innately good judge of character. Decent people must smell better to him, I guess. Or maybe it's body language. At any rate, Horus took an immediate shine to both Matt and Ohnu. In fact, Horus' good opinion of Matt was one of the reasons that Isis started to trust Matt on Ramsys IV.
Horus' ability to fly and fight is invaluable to the others. It's important to remember that he's a real part of the team and not just an alien mascot.
CAST - RECURRING (THE HUNTERS)
Osyros - Osyros is a Goa'uld. The Governor-King of the entire Ramsys system. His host body is human, but when traveling to other worlds he wears the helmet/mask of the Ancient Pharaoh-God Osiris.
Osyros likes to consider himself an artiste. His canvas is the test-tube, his paints, DNA. In fact, he's an extremely talented geneticist, who takes great pride in his "compositions," no matter how monstrous. He considered Isis to be his greatest creation, the culmination of two decades worth of work. He regarded her escape as a personal betrayal. To say he was infuriated doesn't nearly cover it. Now he'll use every resource at his disposal to reclaim Isis for his beloved mate (and to destroy the human who stole her away).
Osyros has all of the standard Goa'uld technology. The ribbon weapon, the force field, etc. His eyes glow periodically, and he has a Goa'uld's enhanced physical strength. He has all the resources of his kingdom at his disposal, including his Jaffa guards. In addition, he has his creations, living organic weapons to unleash against our heroes.
Fortunately, he has his share of weaknesses too. He's arrogant, vain and something of a showman. He can't just kill somebody; he's got to make a production number out of it. On that level he's a bit of a cliché, which just might give our guys a chance.
Naph-rauc - NAPH-RAUC is the captain of Osyros' PHARAOH GUARD. She is Jaffa, the same species as Teal'c. She has that X-shaped marsupial pouch in her belly and incubates the larval Goa'uld -- Osyros' mate -- that Isis was supposed to take into her own body. This Goa'uld keeps Naph-rauc healthy and enhances her physical strength. Naph-rauc wears a version of her master's retractable Pharaoh helmet-mask, and she has a pharaoh tattoo on her forehead. She wields the Jaffa's standard laser-staff weapon.
Naph-rauc is in love with her master, whom she truly believes to be a god. She's fanatical in the performance of her duties, and wishes there was some way that she could become the true host to Osyros' mate -- she's really bought into all the things that Matt convinced Isis were untrue. Unfortunately, a Jaffa cannot be a permanent host to a Goa'uld, so all the prayer and worship in the universe could never convince Osyros to grant her request. Osyros is not above leading her on, however, playing on her feelings as long as she's of some use. But he has no real interest in her, beyond the practical.
Creature - CREATURE is Osyros' main enforcer. His intelligence is limited, but he obeys his master without question. Osyros is constantly "improving" Creature's design. Early on, he might appear largely human (like a male version of Isis), but with each successive appearance, he'll be looking more and more monstrous -- and not incidentally he'll be more and more pissed off about it. Genetically incapable of blaming his boss, he'll want to take it out on our crew. Take it out in a big way.
Anisis - Halfway through the series, Osyros will introduce his newest creation: ANISIS, a second-generation version of Isis. She was speed-grown from Isis' genetic material after Isis escaped. The Ritual of Transference was performed, and Anisis now hosts Osyros' Goa'uld mate. Anisis looks exactly like Isis, but is physically stronger. As a Goa'uld, Anisis' eyes glow periodically. She also has all of the standard Goa'uld technology: the ribbon weapon, the force field, etc. But the speed-growth process was flawed. The worm-god within cannot remain there indefinitely. So this Goa'uld has a very personal reason for wanting Isis back, for needing her back.
Anubis - Anubis is a Goa'uld. Like Osyros, he has all of the standard Goa'uld technology. The ribbon weapon, the force field, etc. His eyes glow periodically, and he has a Goa'uld's enhanced physical strength. His host body is human, but he wears the Jackal-headed helmet/mask of the Ancient/Egyptian god Anubis.
Anubis is a thinker. Shrewd. Methodical. Stable. His assigned task is to rid the universe of the last of the Ancients. He takes his job very seriously, and until Ramsys IV, had met with tremendous success. Ohnu's escape was horribly humiliating. The fact that Ohnu's a jackal-headed Ancient, and thus a personal threat to Anubis' own mock-godhood, only exacerbates his problem. Anubis is determined to hunt Ohnu down and execute the Ancient, along with anyone else who's ever laid eyes on him. There can be no witnesses.
Anubis and Osyros do not get along and won't be joining forces until the very end of the first season. Normally, Anubis would have ordered Ohnu's execution the moment he was captured. But Osyros wanted to make an "event" out of Isis' Ritual of Transformation. He wanted to use Ohnu's execution to add glory to the ceremony. Anubis had reluctantly agreed, but only because he was on Osyros' turf. The end result was disastrous, and so Anubis has no intention of playing anymore of Osyros' games.
Emir'c - EMIR'C is Jaffa, the same species as Teal'c. He has that X-shaped marsupial pouch in his belly that houses a larval Goa'uld. That Goa'uld keeps him healthy and enhances his strength. Emir'c is the captain of Anubis' JACKAL GUARD. He wears his master's retractable Jackal helmet-mask, and he has a jackal tattoo on his forehead. He wields the Jaffa's standard laser-staff weapon.
Emir'c is an out-and-out sadist. Anubis is too pragmatic to indulge in that sort of thing, but he tolerates it in his captain, because Emir'c ultimately gets the job done with considerable efficiency. Matt and Emir'c will particularly detest each other.
Kraytor - In one of our first episodes, Horus will run afoul of an alien who has nothing to do with the Goa'uld. He is called KRAYTOR THE DEVASTATOR or sometimes KRAYTOR THE UNRELENTING. He's a single-minded brute, massive, tusked, grim. If his prey is inside a small village, his usual M.O. is to nuke the whole province and then move in to identify the corpses. Kraytor's pursuit therefore causes multiple problems for our team. In addition to the threat from Kraytor himself, potential allies can turn into enemies because they don't want our gang bringing the Devastator to their hometown.
Vlash - VLASH is a bipedal, four-armed, felinesque alien with a devilish grin. He's the Captain of THE WHITE TIGER, an honest-to-god spaceship. (Vlash doesn't know how to work the Gates, though he'd sure love to learn.) Vlash is a mercenary and space-pirate, with his eyes squarely fixed on his own self-interest. Or at least that's how he likes to think of himself. Actually, he's a decent guy underneath it all. This decency expresses itself through his laissez-faire attitude, his sense of humor and a slight tendency to flaunt authority and aid the underdog.
Vlash begins the series as an occasional nemesis of our gang. But when he finds out what they're up against, he helps them out once or twice. Perhaps once too often. Halfway through the first season, his multi-species pirate crew will get tired of all the trouble Vlash has gotten them into for the sake of four penniless fugitives. The crew mutinies and strands Vlash with our group. At that point, Vlash will become a regular. The fifth man on the team. Though with a slightly different goal. Vlash is as determined to get his ship back as Matt is to get home. [[Sounds a bit like Captain Jack Sparrow, though of course this was written long before the first Pirates movie.]]
Vlash is dashing or vain, depending on your point of view. He's as arrogant as Osyros, but a lot more fun to be with. He's proficient with an energy cutlass and a Magna-Blaster, and he's not above using his own claws in a fight.
Me-Tok - ME-TOK starts out as Vlash's First Mate aboard The White Tiger. He shares all of Vlash's selfish qualities and none of his charm. Initially, Me-Tok seems like Little John to Vlash's Robin Hood. Later, 'Tok's the guy who leads the mutiny and takes command of the ship. He seems like a good ol' boy at first, but he's actually fairly contemptible.
A NOTE ON THE ANCIENTS
The race of the Ancients is the animated series' main addition to the STARGATE continuity. Millennia before the Goa'uld surfaced, this largely benevolent and highly advanced silicon-based alien race traversed the known galaxies, exploring and (unintentionally) influencing untold civilizations. At the time, the Ancients were shape-shifters, able to morph their slate-like bodies to resemble whichever primitive race they encountered. This ability, combined with their advanced technology and a few Herculean feats, helped make the Ancients into the godlike legends upon which the Goa'uld would later build their Empire.
Over time, the Ancients lost the ability to shape-shift, trapping their bodies in specific forms that were then passed down from generation to generation. The Ancients came to be identified by CLANS, which were in turn based on their newly fixed forms. The major clans included the JACKAL CLAN, the SERPENT CLAN, the FALCON CLAN and the PHARAOH CLAN. (There were other minor clans as well.) This new existence caused much strife. Individual Ancients would battle for supremacy within each clan, and the clans would also battle each other. The CLAN WARS decimated the Ancients', (though they did add drama to the legends surrounding these "gods").
Despite the in-fighting (or maybe because of it), the Ancients continued to desperately stretch their influence across the cosmos. Ultimately, however, they stretched themselves too thin. Their own great civilization began to atrophy and collapse, fading into the realm of myth. The Ancients themselves, those that survived, became nomads -- and later fugitives, once the Goa'uld had surfaced.
Ohnu, obviously, is a member of the (largely dispersed) Jackal Clan. Because Ancients physically mature so quickly, Ohnu's parents (who may resurface at some point) might be relatively young. In addition, it's very possible that many of Ohnu's ancestors -- going back for generations --might still be alive somewhere.
HARDWARE
Goa'uld & Jaffa - Goa'uld technology in our series comes right out of the movie and the live-action series. Lots of stylized Egyptian metal. Retractable helmet/masks. Stylized jet fighters with retractable wings. The Goa'uld favor the ubiquitous Stargate for instantaneous travel, but they also have immensely immense pyramid-shaped starships, complete with ring-like teleportation devices for ground to orbit transport. The Goa'uld favor ribbon-like handweapons that can blast or sear but can also be used to put a victim into a trance. Their Jaffa Guards favor primitive-looking fighting staffs that double as laser blasters or "Zat-Guns" that can stun or destroy. Again, refer to our live-action predecessors.
Human - Standard issue military hardware, with a few minor additions that the average civilian may not have seen before, but could easily believe might exist as classified. However, Matt won't have access to any of this stuff once his odyssey begins.
Matt, Isis, Ohnu - As previously noted, Matt will acquire a couple of alien weapons. One of these is a big (very big) plasma cannon. The other is a metal gauntlet called a TALEX, which can be worn or thrown, and acts as a taser to stun opponents. Isis will also have a talex. Matt will also wears a slim headgear (earphone and microphone) which translates all the various alien languages he'll encounter. As to vehicles, our only limitation is what will fit through the Gate. Matt may find a great flying tank on one planet, but it's not going with him to the next world. On the other hand, when Matt finds MULE, the computerized talking SKY-SLED with an attitude, he takes the thing along for the rest of their adventures.
Pirates - Vlash and the other pirates travel in the Starship White Tiger. Unlike the Goa'uld ships, the Tiger is a lean, mean fighting machine. But not everything is always gonna be working perfectly. Vlash and his men favor hand weapons like energy cutlasses and Magna-Blasters. When making a raid, they skate through the air on fast-moving airsleds.
Alien tech - Most of the worlds our heroes will visit are going to be primitive by Earth standards, but there will also be plenty of exceptions to that rule. Alien technology should be very strange looking. For example, some of it might be organic. We can have vehicles, weapons, robots or whatever seems to make sense for a story, a planet and its people. (Kraytor's equipment in particular, should be as deadly and devastating as he is.)
TONE & STYLE
Although we'll be treading on some of the same turf as the live-action show, we don't want to simply become a junior version of Stargate: SG-1. We want to distinguish ourselves as a separate entity so that we aren't constantly suffering in the comparison. We start out in their sandbox, but then we'll take off on a decided tangent to their whole playground. Let's take full advantage of that tangent.
The Animated Stargate: The Hunted should make use of what animation does best. We should open up the scope of what we're creating. It's as easy (and cost-effective) to paint a truly otherworldly background, as it is to draw one that looks like it could be found somewhere near Vancouver. So we want weird environments: underground cities, water worlds, cloud deserts or whatever. It's also as easy to design a truly alien alien as it is to draw one whose look could be achieved by a human wearing great make-up. We want inhuman aliens (although not so weird that they're unrelatable to our audience, unless that's the point of a specific story). Similarly, new alien technology should be shocking and stunning.
We don't ever want our audience to forget they're on an alien world. Let's use a dark but rich color palate: purple, navy, magenta. As a guideline, unless there's a specific reason to set a scene in daylight, let's keep the starry night sky above our heads, to remind us how far Matt is from home. Besides, night looks cooler in action animation than day does (at least in my opinion).
Let's open up the scope of our stories as well. Space Opera is fair game. So is mysticism. The live-action series makes a point of the fact that they're doing science fiction and not science fantasy. Same with us, but we'll traverse a section of the cosmos where science hasn't always caught up with religion and magic. This is a true odyssey through the unknown.
We can have bittersweet moments, even bittersweet endings -- even tragic endings. Although each individual episode should tell a complete story from beginning to end, we don't always have to tie up all the loose ends by the last commercial break. We should be weaving a tapestry, a one season epic novel that begins with Matt leaving Earth in the pilot and ends with his return home in the season's final episode. Along the way there'll be setbacks as well as triumph, mystery as well as revelation.
For all that, don't be afraid to lighten things up a bit too. It probably goes without saying, but comedy offers a nice counterpoint to drama. Don't hunt down a joke or gag, but don't shy away from humor when and where you find it. Depending on how many episodes are ordered, we might even do an entire episode dedicated to slapstick.
We're doing Romance here. High Adventure. Strangeness. Pursuit. Discovery. Intrigue. Politics. Exploration. Friendship. So go to town.
EPISODES
A typical episode will find our heroes gating to a new planet, where they search for part of the "address" back to Earth, run into an alien culture and/or escape from one of the many villains who are hunting them down.
Having said that, I don't want this series to become too formulaic. How we choose stories will depend a lot on how many episodes are ordered in the first season. The more episodes we have, the stranger some of our choices can be.
Hopefully, all this will allow us to mix things up quite a bit: big space battles, spiritual mini-quests, alien persecution, episode-long chase scenes, comic opera, etc.
And if we make it to the second season, we'll turn the whole premise on its ear. The Hunted will become the Hunters. Matt and his team will join SGC and attempt to turn the tables on their former pursuers.
STARGATE: THE HUNTED
The Steadfast Knight, the Good Princess, the Child of Power, the Loyal Beast (and later the Rogue). These are archetypal characters lost in a big dangerous universe, hunted by nemeses with powers and resources that dwarf our heroes' meager skills. Yet somehow, they'll find a way to triumph over their enemies, and somehow, they'll find a way home. Really, it's pretty dependable, classic stuff. Should be fun. Wish us luck. [[Obviously, we were pretty much luck-free on this project.]]
Andreas G. writes...
As near as I can tell it hasn't been asked so I have a question regarding the whole Aqualad being a bad guy ruse. Well, sort of.
Is Kaldur still actually codenamed Aqualad? It just somewhat surprises me he'd keep the codename if he was trying to gain Black Manta's trust and also that others would still refer to him as that name, his HERO name.
Greg responds...
No, not since he went undercover - though inevitably some people still refer to him by that name.
Susan N. writes...
Mr. Weisman,
I would just like to thank you for including Jason Todd in the Young Justice Universe. He is my favorite Robin by far, and I find that he isn't included in the DCAU very often. It means so much to me that he existed at one point on earth-16, that you and your team actually acknowledged his existance. Even if you have nothing planned for him,(and since your're you, I think you do have plans) I couldn't be more pleased if I tried. I hope that we see more of him in the future, either through flashbacks or a brief dip into his comic story.
Greg responds...
So do I.
Anonymous writes...
As of the start of season 2, are/were Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon in a relationship?
Greg responds...
SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
abigail writes...
Dear Greg,
Is Batgirl's identity as Barbara Gordon not a secret to the rest of the Team? Considering the she (unlike Tim and Dick) never wore sunglasses the few times we've seen in civillian clothing, and also taking into consideration to not everyone knows Robin and Nightwing's identities- the whole thing strikes me as rather odd. You'd think Batman would enforce the "no revealing your identity" to her as well. Can you please explain this?
Greg responds...
Barbara's identity is known to the rest of the Team. Batman is her mentor, but not her legal guardian (unlike Dick & Tim), and in any case, she's over the age of consent now.
Young Justice Fan writes...
"Satisfaction" was great -- the writing, acting, directing and animation all melded to form a very visceral and dramatic piece.
Quick question -- the hospital scene was beautifully written and acted and I thought the storyboarding also played a huge part in getting the emotions across. I was wondering who boarded that particular scene -- it really sticks out in the entire YJ canon so far.
Again -- wonderful work! YJ just keeps getting better.
Greg responds...
I'm afraid I don't remember, and my script where I would have listed the board artists is currently boxed up.
Eric writes...
How did Blue Beetle adopt the name in YJ?
Greg responds...
Do you mean how did he adopt the name "Blue Beetle"?
Probably after some conversation with Captain Atom and/or Guy Gardner and/or Peacemaker, during the period after he 'acquired' the Scarab, but before he joined the Team.
btgr writes...
In YJ did you based Wade Eiling on disgraced US Marine Lieutenant Colonel "Oliver North"?
Greg responds...
No. We based him on Wade Eiling from the Captain Atom comic book that Cary Bates and I wrote in the 80s and early 90s. And Eiling was loosely modeled on Captain Kirk.
Thomas writes...
I notice that with Gargoyles you have given so much information that fleshed their world. Can you give information for the Young Justice Wiki on Kryptonians, Thanagarians, Amazons, Atlanteans, Termians and other races to give the world more dimnension?
Nothing major, spoilerish. Just fleshing material
Greg responds...
NO. Most of the Gargoyles "flesh" is either (a) from the canon, which had 65 canon episodes and 18 canon comic book issues or (b) info given LONG after the show was done producing new episodes and/or (c) stuff I regret having revealed.
If and when the series ends (in all its forms and media), I may consider being more forthcoming. But I may not. Ideas minus execution are open to second-guessing that just isn't any fun. (Well, not for me, anyway.) And if Gargoyles has proven anything, it's that you never know when you'll get another shot at it, and so some secrets are better left kept.
Brandon writes...
I really enjoyed "Satisfaction", and the show in general thus far. I did have one question though:
At the beginning of the episode, Roy Harper says "the sidekicks formed their own team", which sounded (to me, at least) like he was familiar with Wally and Kaldur. But, when he was abducted, the only active sidekick at the time was Robin. How does he know the other two sidekicks? I'm sure there is a simple explanation that I'm overlooking. Anyway, great show! I really enjoy the way you work characters from different eras and continuities into a single universe.
Greg responds...
Roy had received piecemeal information from Oliver and Roy (and probably Dinah) since arriving at the hospital. As he mentioned, they talked AROUND a lot of things with him. There's also a television set in his room, which would have elicited some conversation, as well.
Anonymous writes...
I'm not surprised that Roy accepted the robotic arm part from Lex. Lex does what he does best after all. But how do we know that Lex didn't just have that arm part rigged in the event that Roy tries to take out Lex?
Greg responds...
I'm sure Lex knew that the League would vet the arm thoroughly before allowing Roy to incorporate it. Sometimes it pays to not put a bomb in the gift horse's mouth.
Justice Avenger writes...
Hi Greg :) What was Jason Todd's designation number?? I'm guessing it's B12. Thanks ;)
Greg responds...
SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
Anonymous writes...
Does Tornado still live in the cave as den mother and does Black Canary still train the team? Or are those the "senior" members jobs now?
Greg responds...
Tornado no longer lives in the Cave - especially since the Cave is no longer.
Canary does still occasionally train the Team, but mostly that's handled by senior members.
Tupka writes...
So, we're back, and how. Loved it, though I'm curious who Raquel's marrying. Noble? Is Amistad his?
I can ask a lot more about Satisfaction or the recent comics, but everyone will have those. So instead, I'll just do some questions on obscurity of characters.
1. Amber Joyce - If I've done my research correctly, she was a blonde actress with precognitive powers. What made you decide to use her as a pilot rather than someone else who has a more fitting background (like, say, Deanna Barr or Celia Forrestal or something?)
2. Jeremiah - was your choice to go for him instead of (for example) Starshine Stone a matter of personal favoritism, SPOILER REQUEST, or did the availability of male and female voice ranges for the episode play a role?
3. Jeremiah and Noor Harjavti both had their only comic appearance in the same issue. The same goes for Singh Mahn Lee and the nation of Bwunda. Was it deliberate, coincidence, or did you/your staff/your researcher just came across one in search of the other and thought "We can use this"?
4. You mentioned in an earlier answer you included a WildStorm character, but in such a way that the legal department wouldn't recognize it. You're obviously not going to tell us who you were talking about, but can you point in a general direction (Gen 13? Authority? StormWatch? Tranquility?)
Greg responds...
Rocket questions are all spoilers.
1. I was combining her with another Amber. Plus I wanted the name Amber for its association with an Amber Alert, since the whole episode was one big Amber Alert.
2. Personal preference. Sometimes the more obscure the character, the more fun it is for me.
3. Noor and Jeremiah were both characters I created, so I was familiar with them. As for the other examples, both ce courtesy of master DC researcher John Wells.
4. I gave a hint already tonight.
Greg Bishansky writes...
1. Did Xanatos know Demona's name before she revealed it to Goliath?
2. For that matter, while we know Xanatos regarded the gargoyles with benign amusement and interest, and you've said before that he always rather liked Goliath as a person... what did he think of Demona? On the one hand, while we know he felt she had her uses, on the other hand there she was talking about the genocide of humanity right in front of him. I guess I feel for being as intelligent as he was, and knowing about how much she despised humans, he put a lot of blind faith into her... he didn't even have the page with the Stone By Night spell translated prior to putting her on the air. That was a mistake far larger than the creation of Thailog.
Greg responds...
1. Yes.
2. I do think he underestimated her. He has a low enough opinion of fanatics, that he perhaps didn't take her quite seriously enough as a threat.
Carter writes...
This is something I've been meaning to ask for awhile:
How do you decide to credit a character? Is it which "identity" they spend more time in? In Alienated, Kaldur is referred to more by his name, but he's credited as Aqualad.
Regarding Kaldur, does he go by another identity while out in the field? Is he just "Kaldur" to the Manta troopers, or do he and his father share it depending on who's leading the troopers?
How'd you guys settle on the Invasion storyline? Was it something you naturally felt drawn to, or were there others you thought about pursuing?
Jason Todd's known for not only being the most disliked Robin, but never being in any DC cartoon canon, barring Under the Red Hood. So I'm happy that you guys have brought him in.
It's been a great season so far, and I'm very interested to see where you're going with all of this.
Greg responds...
I try to pair each actor's name with the version of the character's name that predominates in the episode. I'll admit that on occasion, I'm a little too quick to just go with his or her most common identity.
2. ASKED AND ANSWERED.
3. It felt right.
Matthew writes...
Just saw "Satisfaction." It's great that YJ is back. It strikes me that Luthor is acting a lot like Xanatos in this episode. Now the characters are of course similar, but some traits seem particularly like Xanatos. The comment about buying a quality desk seemed very Xanatos. The comment about revenge being for suckers is undoubtedly something Xanatos would say (my memories rusty, but Xanatos may have said those exact words.) Actually, I always considered one of the differences between Luthor and Xanatos is that Luthor would want revenge. Now as character who has been written by different people for decades there's bound to be differences in character. Hell, Luthor originally was a mad scientist, not a corporate executive.
I guess I'm asking do you seem the resemblence between Luthor as you write him and was the similarites intentional?
Greg responds...
I definitely see similarities, but I see nuanced differences as well.
YJ Wiki editor writes...
Previously you've stated that Blue Devil was 25 (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=14743), but more recently you said that he's 26 (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=15672). Was this an oversight or did you just change your mind/update your timeline?
The same goes for Serling Roquette (originally 22, http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=14763) and Wildcat (91)
Greg responds...
At the end of Season One:
Ted Cassidy - 25
Ted Grant - 91
Serling Roquette - 22
I can't explain the error. I must have been looking at the wrong year on my timeline - but in my defense, those questions were ASKED AND ANSWERED. If they hadn't been asked a second time, I wouldn't have messed up.
Anonymous writes...
How does Angela currently feel about Demona? She was devastated at the end of "The Reckoning" when she thought Demona was dead, but the next time she saw her, Demona almost destroyed all life on Earth. Does she still feel bad about the "I hate you" or does she think it was justified now?
Greg responds...
I'm sure her feelings are quite complex. But I'll leave anything more specific either to your interpretation or to future stories.
Kevin writes...
1. Why are there sorcerers and wizards if there is no difference between them?
2. Are Lords of Order and Chaos the strongest type of magic users on Earth 16?
3. Do the hosts of Nabu become stronger magically the longer they are Doctor Fate?
4. How long has Nabu been active as Doctor Fate?
5. Has Klarion ever consider inhabited a host body like Nabu does?
Greg responds...
1. Why are there janitors and custodians?
2. Pretty much.
3. I'm not sure what "stronger magically" means to you.
4. Millennia.
5. I wouldn't put anything past him.
Someone writes...
How do you feel over the names people give the couples on young justice? For example Chalant for Dick/Zatanna, Birdflash for Wally/Dick? Awesome show ^.^
Greg responds...
I really have no opinion on that.
Christine writes...
Thank you for young justice. Not only did it get me into DC comics, but also I now have a best friend thanks to our mutual love of YJ.
I also have a question though:
Why do a lot of important events happen in New Orleans? As a native New Orleanian, I love it. Was that a choice that was just a happenstance, a love of the city on your part, a secret alien base as yet undisclosed, a magic base that is actually the center of earth-16?(or is it simply because having fights in the float factory is an opportunity one should never pass up?)
Greg responds...
I have a fondness for the city that dates back pre-Katrina. But it also has some nice settings for battle, and more importantly is - from a DC Universe standpoint - close to Belle Reve Prison. Throw in the fact, that we like to reuse locations to save money, and you begin to see why we return not just to New Orleans, but to many places.
Of course, the funny thing is, my daughter now lives in New Orleans. But she didn't when we started the show, and I had no idea she was going to move there when we first put it into YJ.
Nobody writes...
Ohmygoodness, seeing Jason Todd broke me. Completely. Broke. Me. You, Brandon, and everyone else who makes this show are life-ruiners.
Just kidding (not really). Despite the emotional roller coaster ride, I really do love Young Justice. Seriously, I wake up early Saturday morning to watch this show, and I never get up early on a Saturday. If that doesn't show how much I love it, I don't know what does.
Anywho, questions. Two serious, one silly, and none that have anything to do with Jason Todd.
1. Can Beast Boy talk when he's transformed into an animal (An actual animal, not his animal/human hybrid form he takes most of the time)? I know he can communicate telepathically, but can he physically talk?
2. When Jaime is connected to M'gann's telepathic link, would the other people in the link be able to hear Khaji Da as well?
3. Got anything thoughts on this picture?
http://thataintmytumblr.tumblr.com/image/25378942894
(Yes, I know it's not real. This by the way is the silly question :P )
Greg responds...
1. Nope.
2. If you mean the Scarab, nope.
3. It's cute, I guess.
Mirami writes...
Finished watching "Satisfaction" about an hour ago. It wasn't as big as the promos released made it seem, but it was still just wonderful. I loved it! Keep up the great job~
Greg responds...
It wasn't as "big"? Maybe you need a new t.v.? A widescreen.
Anonymous writes...
What are the designation numbers of Wolf and the sphere?
Greg responds...
SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
Peema writes...
1. Can we assume that Roy (Red Arrow) is biologically 23/24 years old in Invasion?
2. Can you clarify Jaime's age? One time you said he was 15 and another time you said he was 16.
3. How old is Bart (physically)?
Greg responds...
1. Yes.
2. At the beginning of Season Two, he is 16.
3. Assuming he survives until the end of Team Year Six, he'll be 13.
Greg Bishansky writes...
What exactly did Demona's position as Macbeth's primary adviser entail? He said that he had planned for her to govern at his side... very, very strong words for a king. We know she maintained command of her clan, and she also seemed to have command of a number of his human troops but what was she doing during "peace time?" Was she advising him on strategic and diplomatic alliances? Tax policies? This was definitely much bigger than what Goliath's or Hudson's positions with Prince Malcolm were. When I hear "govern at my side" it makes me think that for all intents and purposes, even if not in name, she was the co-ruler of Scotland.
Greg responds...
"Peace time" is a relative term. She helped him maintain his army and (if you will) his air force, along with other defenses. She advised him on military strategy, and as we saw, he was open to hear anyone give advice on anything. But her primary job description was basically Secretary of Defense.
She was not co-ruler of Scotland.
Greg Bishansky writes...
I have a question about gargoyle justice. Goliath considered dropping Tony Dracon to his death in "Protection," but decided that "gargoyle justice isn't human justice." So, I have to wonder... in what circumstances does a gargoyle arrive at taking the life of another to extract justice? I guess I'm just curious to know where does banishment end, and death begin?
Greg responds...
An enemy in the heat of battle - particularly one who has attacked a member of the clan - was considered fair game for killing.
Dc hero writes...
Hey Greg nice to be back.
1. I know it was important to the plot but why did no one stop Roy running down the street with one arm? I know there're some cruel people out there but I think someone would've tried to stop him.
2. Are some member of the team sexually active? I know Roy(clone) was.but did Dick have sex with Bette?
3. Are you guys able to use more controversial issues in the comics such as drugs or sex even if it's under the Cartoonnetwork banner?
Thank you for your time Greg. I was definitely satisfied(pun intended) this week. Hoping for season 3 and no more hiatuses.
Greg responds...
1. How do you know someone didn't try? How do you know he was running down the street for more than a block?
2. I'll leave that to your imagination and/or interpretation.
3. I'm sure all creative choices are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Irenerb writes...
Love the show! B)
1) what is sportsmaster origin? How did he become who is today?
2) what county is sportsmaster? His nationality?
3) how old was sportsmaster and Paula when they first meet?
Thanks and the show is awesome B)
Greg responds...
1. I don't use this forum to tell entire stories.
2. County? Did you mean country? Anyway, he's American, born and raised in Gotham City.
3. I haven't nailed down a precise year for when they met.
Eagle-Owl writes...
YJ questions:
1. Does Sportsmaster know Black Manta is part of the Light now?
2. If so, does he realize what the Light will do to him if he kills Manta?
Greg responds...
1. Yes.
2. Patience, grasshopper...
Eagle-Owl writes...
YJ question:
When Superboy and Miss Martian broke up, did that create any tension between Superman and Martian Manhunter, considering it WAS Superman's clone and Manhunter's niece?
Greg responds...
No.
Lorisa214 writes...
1) How old were Artemis & Jade when Jade ran away?
2) And how old where they when their mom got caught/sent to jail (did it take a year for her to be convicted?)
Greg responds...
1. Jade was 13. Artemis was nine.
2. The same.
2a. She plea-bargained.
Lorisa214 writes...
Hello!
Are anyone besides Artemis & Wally going to University/college?
Greg responds...
Yes.
Kevin writes...
1. What are the blue crystals in the Blockbuster formula?
2. Why did the Light use Kobra Venom on Poison Ivy's plants instead of the Blockbuster formula?
3. Would the Blockbuster formula have a different effect on Mr. Tawny, Wolf, or the other animals in India?
4. Was Rex the Wonder Dog an inspiration for Wolf?
Greg responds...
1. Don't know. But they look cool, don't they?
2. Kobra-Venom combines Blockbuster with Venom. It's more stable.
3. Yes. It reduces intelligence.
4. One of many, perhaps. But way down the line behind Krypto and Wolf.
Kevin writes...
1. How long does the Parasite have access to someone's powers and abilities?
2. How long does it take for someone to get their abilities after the Parasite takes them? Do aliens have a quicker recovery time?
3. Why did you decide for the Parasite's absorption ability not to have energy effects like he has in other animated incarnations?
4. Why does Red Arrow have different re-curve bows?
5. What were the alter egos of the team the Dangers based on?
Greg responds...
1. It's relatively brief.
2. A few hours to one degree or another.
2a. Apparently not.
3. I don't know what you're referring to.
4. Different from what?
5. What makes you think they were based on anything?
Anonymous writes...
At what age did Sportsmaster start training Artemis?
Greg responds...
From birth, in his mind.
Curious writes...
I wanted to ask three related questions if it is not to much trouble.
1. What exactly are the 'lords of order and chaos'? I couldn't really find much information on them (plus this being your universe artistic license could easily rewrite their purpose) and I am curious since two of the characters (Nabu/doctor fate and Klarion) fall into this catagory.
2. What made you decide to make Klarion a lord of chaos? Initially he was a young witch boy from another dimension who happened to be versed in magic (and more than a little bit of a nasty streak) and in a later incarnation he was a rebellious kid from limbo town (witch city under gotham) with a confusingly grey moral chompass.
So I am sorta curious what made you decide to go in the direction of 'lord of chaos' for the Klarion character.
3. If Teekl is Klarions connection to the mortal plain then does that make her Klarion's equivalent to Nabu's helmet of doctor fate?
I appologize if one or more of these questions could be considered spoilers but from looking around, few people have bothered to ask anything in regards to this very interesting character.
Greg responds...
1. I think the terms are fairly self-explanatory. They are personifications of two natural mystic forces in the universe.
2. Clarity, Consistency, Coherence.
3. Yes. In a way.
Someone Not Really Important writes...
please answer my question, and please do not answer my question with another question
In some questions, people asked if we'll see the league's reaction to Robin fighting crime.
In Agendas, we saw that Wonder Woman did not approve of this.
Was the 'spoiler alert'? and if so, is it only a small part of it?
Greg responds...
In "Agendas", you did NOT see that Wonder Woman does not approve of Robin fighting crime. LOOK AGAIN.
And I'd love to answer your question - really. But I honestly do not understand it:
"Was the 'spoiler alert'? and if so, is it only a small part of it?"
What does that mean?!
You went to a lot of trouble to preamble this question with a lot of pleases, etc., and then didn't take the time or trouble to clearly state - or even proofread - your question.
So... sorry. But I can't answer it.
Angela writes...
How is wonder woman able to stay immortal? In the comics she can't age only when she is on paradise island.
Greg responds...
Exactly.
Diana writes...
Hey Greg,
it's known, that to control the phoenix gate, one has to think of a special place and time.
Now, that the gate was released by Goliath, one question popped into my head.
Brooklyn couldn't control the gate during his Time Dancer adventures.
But could it be that his subconscious mind influenced the gate's „direction"?
Could the gate (or rather the phoenix) have probably sensed his feelings like fears, inner conflicts or wishes?
Or did the phoenix just follow its own reasons without noticing such things?
By the way … I liked the character of Brooklyn before, but it's due to the Comics (especially Clan building Vol. 2) that he became one of my ultimate favourites. ;)
Greg responds...
Mostly, the Phoenix is the Phoenix. Beyond that, we're talking SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
Shatter writes...
What Math class is Dick in, in season 1?
Greg responds...
I dunno.
Kittygirl56 writes...
Hi! I'm a big fan of Young Justice! and I have a few questions(well,opinon questions,but a question is a question.)Thank you.
1.Why is Kid Flash considerably slower than Flash?
2.Out of the 4 pairings that were created in the first season,which one was your favorite?
3.If Wolf and Sphere(In super-cycle mode)were to travel the entire way around the earth, which one would win?
4.If you had to choose a battle between the season 1 team,who would fight who?
5.Name your favorite line from Young justice.
Greg responds...
1. It has to do with the nature of their different origins on Earth-16.
2. Do you mean romantic pairings? I don't have a favorite.
3. You mean in a race? Sphere. By a lot.
4. What?
5. I'm not sure I have just one. Maybe, "Dude, that's your sister!"
Anonymous writes...
So far in the Young Justice series, Superman's only weakness as we've seen thus far is exposure to green Kryptonite. What other weaknesses does Superman have which haven't been shown but can be confirmed for sure in Earth-16 continuity? And would those same weaknesses affect Superboy in a similar manner (considering he's half human as it is shown that green kryptonite hurts him on somewhat of a reduced level)?
Greg responds...
I've never understood where people got the notion that Superboy was less effected by the Kryptonite. I've seen that sequence over and over, and I just don't get it.
Anyway, Superman and Superboy don't have any other specific weaknesses that I can think of. But in general, our versions of both characters are not as all-powerful as other versions have been. So lots of things can hurt them.
Superman has fairly massive (how should I put this), um, 'ultimate invulnerability', i.e. ultimately there's not a lot - besides Kryptonite - that can do a lot of permanent damage to the guy. I think the best example is the bomb that destroyed Malina Island. It hurt him, knocked him unconscious, but ultimately he was physically fine.
Superboy is not quite as tough. I can't seem him surviving that blast at point blank range the way Superman did. But as we've seen time and time again, though there's plenty that can knock him down and/or out, there isn't much he can't walk away from ultimately.
EXALT writes...
How far in her pregnancy is Iris as of Bloodlines?
Greg responds...
Very unfar. She missed one period by enough days to take a pregnancy test.
aly writes...
Hi Greg i'm a HUGE young justice fan, I was wondering if there is any specific reason Artemis cut her hair in season 2?
Greg responds...
Um, split ends?
Look, it's been five years, in that amount of time, folks occasionally want a change.
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
Auld Acquaintance. Still happy.
Shorts:
Plastic Man- hee hee New Teen Titan backwards in time costume changes! Starfire has to do a Lady Godiva to coer her naked costume ;) (Toy Wonder- the nerd in my got it, rest of team- nope)
Q1 "He called us 'kids'" was that Batman managing to get a hint on in a funny way? Poor command or subconscious resistance?
The team's psychic link must make things a little easier for the animators...and dubbers.
Q2 Sphere/cycle is a 'her'?
Q3 The Light's cause is described. How would Klarion fit in or even find interesting to watch?
What was Atom dissecting? More Starro?
Lovely misdirection with Reddy,Roy & Dinah- even if knew it was coming.
Nice hanging of lantern on the speed of the cure tech 'small miracle'
M'gan's resorting to form against uncle convinced me he knew and thought it nothing odd- like the 'game'. With all information you chose to share on the Martians I wonder why we haven't seen him in that form at some point.
Wonderful raproachma between the supes.
Equally nice, though less obvious, is the body language between Roy, Ollie and Dina. That's family...makes what comes later a bigger shock.
I missed the implication that Guardian was a clone too.
Not to the mystery of the 16 hours..
Greg responds...
Q1 - Poor command on Klarion's part.
Q2 - Yes, that was established in "Disordered".
Q3 - I'll leave that to your imagination/interpretation, though it seems pretty clear to me where he's finding his fun.
Q3a - Yes, more Starro.
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
Another happy review: Usual Suspects-
First the shorts-
Green Care Bear-not a bad parody. Odd it seems it wouldn't be my thing, but I liked it better than the Ardman one, and that would ordinarily be my thing.
On to the show.
Rocket has nice line that needed saying, "Since when is being a sidekick a bad thing?" (So here too she convinced Icon to be a hero? For now I am assuming her original back story.)
Icon- "You don't know Raquel...though I thought she'd at least stick around." Nice beat. Icon has a strangely stilted form of speech, like someone new to the language and not, presumably, here for 150 years already.
Old times for Artimas and Jade = "Dad pitting us against each other." No, that's not at all dysfunctional....
Great voice acting "OK Fine. We're sisters, I don't actually want you dead." Sheepish- like a bad guy has to apologize for not always being the absolute worst.
Zatanna & Rocket walk off together here... and are inducted together the JL 5 years later.
Super Boy coming clean is a rare instance of someone choosing that moment to NOT dig deeper.
Didn't notice the first time I saw the episodes, but when Conner inspired Artimas to come clean Cheshire was already on the way to pick her up. She was actually past the time to not dig deeper and was probably in the hoping something unexpected saves her stage. M'gann too, even deeper, since Artimas has said no to her father's face before. Queen Bee was exerting power over M'gann. (It also has a slight parallel to Superboy handing the arrow back to Arrowette in the original Young Justice- trying to give her a chance to unmake a bad decision.)
"Who's next?" "I am." "I swear I was kidding." Great timing and image.
mmm... Robin knew Artimas's secret, Conner knew M'gann's (wish I could recheck his reaction to bald M'gann.) Nice that they took the involuntary step back. Accepting is not the same as not being startled.
Q1{All that recent Martian info!! I wish we knew what magic trigger gets you in the mood to share that much info. Was that something that would have been in the comics if they had longer to hold off the time skip?"
Q2 The Martians have War of the Worlds' looking alien hands-despite two fingers? Do their mouths move and do they talk?
Conner standing still as ruse till Queen Bee was down was great strategy.
Lex's reserve is lovely
"This has been a good day." Meanwhile at the Watchtower... Irony
Q3 "RECOGNIZE VANDAL SAVAGE A04" Vandal has a low number League designation? Is that a real indication of former membership?
Greg responds...
Q1 - Given enough issues and/or episodes, I'd get to everything eventually.
Q2 - If by "move" you mean "open and close", then yes, their mouths move. But they can't articulate English with their natural mouths. And on Mars they communicate telepathically.
Q3 - It's an "A" designation. League members have no letter in front of the number. For example, Superman's designation is "Zero-One". NOT "A-Zero-One".
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
I've finally read all the answers and questions in the queues. (Wow!) Now, before the queue is closed I can post...really old reviews. (All positive ;)
Performance- very nice...
...But first a very quick review of the DC Nation shorts:
"Animal Man...!" bwahahaha SBFF...happy happy.
Question 1- apropos of very little, what do you think of the new DC logo? Personally, I like it fine on tv, especially when they can fill the bottom image with moving images. Although it still strikes me as a good logo for a different product when I see it still, mostly I don't notice it any more.
Haly's Circus...you can go home again!
Question 2 (a little long) - Haly's always seemed to me a bit of a golden childhood that Dick can revisit at any time and has a lot to do with why he is nowhere near as dark a character as Bruce. They couldn't raise him after his parents' death, but they were still family. They saved money to support him. They always welcome him to visit and step right back into his old life.
I'm working on the assumption that you are too busy to keep up with the current main universe comics, but are you aware of the current Court of Owls storyline? In it it turns out that the circus and the Graysons were part of a centuries old kabal that controls all but only rises to the knowledge of the public as nursery rhyme references. The circus exists to provide enforcers who are made somewhat dead somewhat immortal and unquestioningly loyal. Dick would have been next had it not been for the accident that killed his parents and took him away.
Divorced from Batman and Dick it is an interesting story, but I find it galling that they have so changed the circumstances of Dick's life- it has made monsters of his circus family, of his own parents; they all knew what was in store for him. It seems too far a departure from the basic truths of a character.
{Oddly I'm enjoying the heck out of the current Wonder Woman storyline which does the same to Thymiscara - now there are no men because they go out on ocean raids, take over ships, get pregnant, kill the men and give away the male babies. They would have killed the boys, but instead they trade them for armor and weapons because Hephaestus insists upon it. His own history making him particularly empathetic to unwanted children. I should object to the change on the same grounds, but the new mythological based series is so different my mind has simply been treating it as a fantastic elseworld run.}
If you are familiar with the City of Owls story, what do you think of it? In general, what do you think are the limits to how far you can push a story while remaining true to its essence? You've done several adaptations, what are the guideposts you use to what is and what is not acceptable?
Personally I reference the movie The Iron Giant when, er...spoiler free version...when the Giant makes a momentous decision at potential great cost to himself, he remembers a previous discussion with the boy, "You are who you choose to be". He smiles and says, "I am Superman". Any none elseworld depiction of Superman must be one in which that thought make sense. To my mind, Dick is always an orphan of a loving family, not someone who narrowly escaped the family job of unkillable assassin. If you want to have a Batman protégé who was created to be a killer make a new one. (I guess a new new one besides Cass and Damian.)
Back to commenting on the episode. (mostly just listing what caught my eye.)
mmm...Flying Grayson poster is reminiscent of Nightwing's costume...not the high collar version. Clever. Of course now I wonder what Dead Man's costume looks like on Earth 16.
Love:
Q;"Who knew a Martian could be vulnerable to a human virus?"
A;"Uh...HG Wells"
(Also, nice body language with Conner on edge of M'gann's bed in that scene.)
Question 3 No one questions them staying in costume and mask on the train?
"Does this circus have an elephant I don't know about?" "Not on foreign tours."
2 pts - one for actually show how their observation skills would work and another probably being realistic for a traveling circus.
Chuckle: "Uh guys, I found Ray"- mask
It is interesting how in sync Artimas and Roy are. They actually work in concert as well as Bat Family members work with each other.
Robin spy camera tube is more or less real world spy tech.
"There is no mole." The irony!
Question 4 I love that the closing credits are for the Danger family- It ups the fun of them generally being listed according to whether or not they are in costume. Was the series idea to credit characters as they appear in a particular ep just for fun, or was it humor borne of necessity?
thanks and more to come...
Greg responds...
Question 1 -
Question 2 - I'm not familiar with it. As you guessed, I haven't had the time to read it, so I'm not going to comment on something I haven't read.
Question 2a - What I think works in adaptation - as cold, theoretical ideas - may to some feel like it goes way to far and to others feel like it does not go far enough. It's all about execution, really. But I start with simply what FEELS right to me. If that doesn't work, than I can't execute anything that will work. As for process, I try to think in terms of boiling down a character or a story or a dynamic to its essence. What is the essential appeal? What essentially makes this character unique? Etc. Then I feel free to either jetison OR keep the rest of the details, as it suits my interpretation - always being true to the essence that seemed to matter to me. Or in the case of Young Justice, to us, i.e. myself and Brandon.
Question 3 - Circus folk. Whatchagonna do.
Question 4 - I'm anal about stuff like that.
Anonymous writes...
What are Shimmer and Mammoth's real names?
Greg responds...
Look 'em up on Wikipedia.
Batwing Forever writes...
I'm glad to see that the comics will be addressing another major family in the DC Comics continuity. So now we have the Flash Fam and the Arrow Fam getting some love.
But what about the BAT FAMILY??? They've been practically ignored for most of the series, with the focus being so much on building the romance and shining some light on the Light (no other way to phrase that, sorry). I can't help but feel that they're not getting the attention they deserve, especially since we got cheated out (AGAIN) of the all important evolution of Dick Grayson from Robin to Nightwing. I do hope that at least the comics or the upcoming Legacy game will give these amazing characters the love they deserve.
Greg responds...
Wow, I love that you feel 'cheated'. No entitlement issues there.
We feel we've given love to everyone. If you're a big fan of any single aspect of the show, that aspect can NEVER get enough love, am I right?
But, given enough issues and/or episodes, I have plenty of Bat-Love to give.
Anonymous writes...
Do you/did you like Barbara Gordon better as Batgirl or Oracle in the comics?
Did you like Dick Grayson better with Batgirl or Starfire?
I'm just curious.
Greg responds...
Feels like answering these questions would amount to SPOILERS.
Jazzy Jazz Aqualad Fan writes...
Hi , I just forgot to ask about Rocket and Aqualad.. I mean i would like to know what happened because i have a feeling that it will not be mentioned in the show.. Poor Kaldur never gets any love but i trust you have something planned for him and i love the show!!
Greg responds...
Rocket and Aqualad went out for a little while, but it didn't stick. As to any plans we may or may not have: SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
Anonymous writes...
regarding your post about not owning a smartphone... i saw you playing on your phone one year at sdcc. i think it was way old school, with the green screen and all. haha. :)
anyway, my question is: are the yj stories in the dc nation magazine new stories, and are they canon? (trying to decide whether i need to pick it up.)
Greg responds...
Ah, those were the days...
To be fair, it didn't have a green screen but it was tiny and it wasn't a smartphone. I held onto that phone until it flat out stopped working. Then I had it fixed three times, but it kept dying. So, finally, just this past September, I broke down and bought an iPhone. But I still mostly ONLY use it as a cellphone. I don't check e-mail or the internet on it. I do not WANT to be that connected.
I'm not sure I've seen the DC Nation Magazine, so I'm not sure.
Femi writes...
I have a rather odd question. First is it true that the final episodes of Roughnecks were read during a Gargoyle Gathering? If so do you have any idea where i could get my hands on that? I hope this does not violate the spoiler rule
Greg responds...
It's true. The 2000 Gathering Players performed a radio play version of the final three - never produced - episodes of Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles.
But "get [your] hands on" what exactly? On a live event that took place twelve years ago? How would that be possible?
Anonymous writes...
Why do you love to troll us?
Greg, if I didn't like you so much, I would hate you! Bye and good job Master of Trolldom!
Greg responds...
When have I EVER trolled anyone?
Maybe I'm confused, but are you sure you're using the term "troll" correctly?
Cuz by the definition I know, I'm not even sure if it's possible for me to troll on MY OWN DAMN WEBSITE.
Lorisa214 writes...
Was that Lois Lane in the first episode of season 2 around the end? She was the first the swim to the surface after the explosion?
Greg responds...
No. Perhaps you're thinking of Noor Harjavti?
Marvelman writes...
1) Are Aqualad's electric charges a natural ability, or do they come from his suit?
2) Are the charges magic-based? Is that why Aqualad took Superboy down so easily in "Alienated"? Or, do they just go beyond what SB's invulnerability can withstand?
3) While we're on the subject, does Connor share Superman's vulnerability to magic?
4) I know this is outside of your control, but do you have any insight into why Cartoon Network always seems so secretive about when new episodes will air? For example, why would it be so hard for them to put out a press statement saying: Young Justice is going on hiatus but will return sometime in Fall 2012?
5) What's going to happen next? (joking)
Greg responds...
1. Neither. They're sorcerous and come from a combination of his training and his mystic dermal icons.
2a. Yes.
2b. Perhaps a little of each.
3. Let me put it this way: the Earth-16 Superman shares EVERYBODY's vulnerability to magic. Neither he nor Superboy are specially vulnerable.
4. I don't know.
5. Reruns on Boomerang and new issues of the comic for the time being.
Anonymous writes...
Thus far, when members of the Justice League attend meetings at Watchtower, they have:
a. Vote who joins/leaves the Justice League (which has been seen in Season One as an example).
b. Vote on who becomes the overall leader of the Justice League (a term of one year according to archives; no example has been actually seen yet).
What else normally goes on during these meetings besides other than what is just mentioned above?
Greg responds...
I dunno. Whatever business needs to get covered. Briefings. Things related to the Light, for example. I mean what do you think goes on?
btgr writes...
1. Did you based the character designs of both that thug voiced by John DiMaggio from the Green Arrow DC Showcase and Henchy from the YJ episode "Coldhearted" on video game character Marcus Fenix from the Gears of War series, or was it just a coincidence?
2. Who do you think would win in hand to hand combat? Merlyn or Count Vertigo?
Greg responds...
1. Well, I didn't design the character, so I have no idea. But I can tell you I've never heard of "Marcus Fenix" or "Gears of War".
2. See, now, the Hulk is more powerful because the madder he gets, the stronger he gets. But the Thing can still beat him if he keeps his wits about him.
(Haven't used this one in a while, huh?)
Peach writes...
Does La'gaan ever give M'gann the respect she deserves by calling her by her given name? The fact that he's always calls her "angelfish" makes me think that he views her as a possession rather than a human being (well, a Martian, but hopefully you get my point).
I hopes he's not the typical rebound guy who acts like a jerk. Because, right now, I'm wondering if it was your intention to make La'gaan as unlikeable as possible to the fans.
Greg responds...
Gee, that seems like a truly odd interpretation of that particular habit.
First off, La'gaan has and does call her M'gann sometimes. So... pay attention.
Second, "Angelfish" is a TERM OF ENDEARMENT. She likes it. This notion that it means he views her as a "possession" - well, frankly, I don't even understand the logic of that. How does that follow? I have a pet name for my wife - which in private I use interchangeably with her given name - and I can say with real confidence that she feels it brings us closer, because it's something personal we share.
Feels to me like you're REACHING for reasons not to like Lagoon Boy. It's perfectly legit not to care for him, but there's no need to invent reasons.
EXALT writes...
Would you ever consider doing rambles about YJ like you did for Gargoyles?
Greg responds...
Maybe... someday in the DISTANT future.
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