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Young Justice: Phantoms
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Emily writes...
1: Does Lex care for conner at all in a fatherly sense?
2: Does Conner view lex as a father? does he care for Lex in some sense?
3: Is Kate Kane a cousin or relative of Bruce in the universe?
4: Is Kate the first batwoman on earth 16 or did Kathy Kane exist too?
5: Is Kate a core member of the batfamily or is she more of a independent agent?
Greg responds...
1. I'm fine leaving that for your interpretation.
2. Ditto.
3. They are first cousins.
4. She's the first.
5. Hopefully, you've seen by now that she is part of the Bat family, which doesn't mean she can't also act independently. Those things aren't mutually exclusive.
Paul writes...
Did M'gann M'orzz/Megan Morse have a bridal shower on Earth, like Raquel Ervin did?
Greg responds...
Prior to leaving for M'arzz? No. The original plan was to have one on Earth, after she returned from Mars, before her Earth wedding.
Plans change.
Marvelman writes...
Did you ever consider having Ma'alefa'ak succeed in committing genocide? If so, why did you ultimately decide against it?
Greg responds...
If you're talking about in episode 404, than no.
Liam writes...
1: Is a child of a B'lahdenn still treated as a Noble if they come out white or green?
2: Are all martians born with the psychic powers and the ability to shape-shifting? Are the ones born without discriminated or treated negatively?
3: Are some A'ashenn grey or all of them white? This is inspired by your latest answer and your wish that you made the (A'ashenn all grey.
4: Did any martians travel to earth before
J'onn J'onzz? Did they inspire earth's myths of the Greys and little green men or other alien tales.
5: Did J'onn J'onzz always present as a black man? What was his decision for doing so?
5b: Does J'onn have multiple identities that he uses?
Greg responds...
1. In depends how conservative one's family is. If it's very conservative, the act of marrying a G'arrunn or an A'ashenn would disqualify you from still being considered a true B'lahdenn. An extremely liberal family wouldn't, in theory, care about caste at all. But, if we're speaking generally, then I suppose the answer is no. If you're visibly A'ashenn or G'arrunn, you're not B'lahdenn.
2. Yes.
2a. I don't know if there are any without, but you can imagine if there were what kind of reception they'd get.
3. Uh... I guess they're all white. (Or maybe it depends on the lighting or the filter on your camera.)
4. No spoilers.
5. No spoilers.
5b. I'm not saying he's NEVER used another identity, but he's fundamentally stuck with John Jones.
Liam L writes...
Can I just say that I love your decision to keep Mars a populated plant! I'm so glad we finally got to see it this season. I think the world building was incredibly interesting, so I have a few or well more than a few questions.
1: Are the other castes able to sense what a Y'ellonn former caste was? Are Y'ellonn of a higher caste respected more than a lower one?
2: Is becoming a sorcerer priest the only way to learn magic on Mars? Are the other ways legal?
3: if there's a different way to learn magic, is there a difference between the priesthood magic and the alternatives or is it mostly the same?
4: Is a red martian joining the priest hood common?
5: Do Y'ellonn permanently lose their shape-shifting ability? Or do they still still have shape-shifting but every transformation they remain yellow?
Greg responds...
1. Technically, yes. But it's considered very bad form to even try. Y'ellonsn are all equally Y'ellonn. Former-Caste no longer matters.
2. No. But that's the traditional route.
2a. Legal? As long as one's not doing anything illegal WITH the magic, I suppose it's all legal.
3. All magicks have their signature, but all magic is still fundamentally the same thing.
4. Percentage-wise, as common as the other castes, but there are fewer reds, so their are fewer taking the Y'ellonn.
5. The latter, though I imagine they have less reason or need to shapeshift.
Chip writes...
Since Garfield needed a Martian animal form to survive the atmosphere, how did he deal with the specifics of acquiring a Martian animal form during his first trip?
Was he stuck inside Bio-Ship until M’gann brought him a Ma’arzuu Beast or something else to observe, or some other solution? I’m just legitimately curious about the logistics of that first trip and shift,
Greg responds...
The short answer is #NoSpoilers, cuz it's part of an untold story. But I think your basically on the right track.
Masterdramon writes...
Aloha Greg! Finally caught up with the queue again, and figured I'd "celebrate" my asking my own question for the first time in a while.
First off, absolutely loving just about everything about PHANTOMS so far. The maturity of the storytelling, worldbuilding, and character exploration on display in just the first arc has been stupendous.
I particularly appreciated your acknowledgment in a recent answer of racial blindspots you and the creative team could see in hindsight with the way Mars-16's society was set up, and the genuine effort put into course-correcting here, resulting in a far more nuanced and topical take on racial prejudice and hierarchy than most contemporary shows would even dare TOUCH.
Meanwhile the animation, sound design, and voice talent remain top-notch as ever (particular props to Greg Cipes...people who have only heard him do Beast Boy in the VERY broad take from "Teen Titans Go!" have to have been thrown for a loop by his performance here). The dialogue, both dramatic and humorous, carries a sharpness that few other shows of its type can match. And that heart of mystery and black-ops intrigue, which always gave YJ its own strong, unique identity to set itself apart from other versions of the DCU, remains as strong as ever (though I totally called the king's murderer right off the bat, LOL).
All this combines to create what is shaping up to possibly be the best season of this show yet, and the reason why Thursdays are the day of the week I'll be most looking forward to for the foreseeable future. ;)
Now, to the actual question...
One element introduced in OUTSIDERS that really interested me were the Control Chips used by the Light and their associates. While they seem like garden-variety fictional mind control devices in terms of their utility and effects, their actual origin and functionality are never brought up on-screen, as they are clearly a well-known feature of the criminal underworld by Team Year Eight.
So these are a few of the questions that I've been mulling over since my last rewatch of OUTSIDERS. If any of these are considered to be spoiler requests or touch on unseen elements of PHANTOMS, feel free to skip over, but I figured I'd give it a shot!
1) Who first invented the Control Chips?
2) In "Auld Acquaintance" Vandal mentions that one of the Light's goals was cornering the market, as it were, on "every conceivable method of mind control." As he says this, we get a quick montage of examples from Season 1, including Starro-Tech, G-Gnome telepathy, the Joker's plant-controlling gloves, Queen Bee's pheromone abilities, and Psimon's psychic powers. Were any of these precursors or bases for the Control Chip tech?
3) Anything you're willing to share about how the Control Chip's level of...well, control, compares to the above-mentioned methods? For example, Starro-Tech explicitly only allows an external user remote control of the mind, without actually altering the victim's thoughts. If not neutralized by a Cure Chip, do Control Chips have this same limitation, or do they work along an entirely different vector?
4) Is there a "standard" Control Chip model used by the various meta-traffickers around the world, or is this the sort of case where once the technology exists, unsavory characters of all sorts reverse-engineered their own "flavors"?
5) How does the Control Chip imprint who the victim is supposed to be obeying? Clearly in Jace's case, for example, she had primed the chips she used on Brion and Tara so they would obey her, but is that done by a voiceprint sample, DNA, or some other method?
I'm probably overthinking this one little part of the worldbuilding, but hey, that's what this sight is for! That, and asking for the age of every character who has ever been mentioned for a single femtosecond, LOL...
Regardless, wishing you, the rest of the cast and crew, and all of your loved ones the absolute best! Cannot wait for the next chapter of PHANTOMS to enter my eyeballs.
Mahalo nui loa! :D
Greg responds...
1. They're a spin-off of Starro Tech, created, I assume, by Ultra-Humanite and his compatriots.
2. See above.
3. When activated - and they can be installed without being activated - one has to follow verbals commands, even against one's will.
4. Eh. Mostly the former, but certainly the latter may be happening, as well.
5. There are multiple options, but it does need to be prepped in advance of installation.
Thanks, Masterdramon - for your kind words here and for moderating Ask Greg. I and all the fans owe you a debt!
Isaac writes...
Hello! I was wondering if you ever watched Robert Kirkman's Invincible (2021) animated series? It's about superheroes and gave me the same vibes as Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice (just WAY gorier). I really enjoyed it, and one aspect of it that I absolutely loved was the longer episodes, running about forty-to-fifty minutes each. I know it's way above your pay-grade, but I was just curious, if you had the choice, would you want to extend your episodes to fifty-some minutes like Invincible? Or would you want to keep them a little over twenty minutes? Assuming of course you'd be able to still produce twenty to twenty-six episodes for each season, which Invincible didn't do at just eight episodes per the first season.
Anyways, Happy Halloween! I'm eagerly awaiting the next episode of YJ Phantoms! Artemis' arc is looking to be fantastic!
Greg responds...
I haven't seen Invincible.
In some ways, I'd love to stop worrying about episode lengths entirely. But I'd still want the same quantity of episodes (or more). And budget is definitely a factor. It's been great on the last couple of seasons of YJ that if we have (within our budget) been freed from the constraints of a maximum length. But I don't feel like we've been hugely restricted by running between 22 and 27 minutes. Don't know that we need "fifty-some".
Anonymous writes...
Why didn’t Gar meet Em'ree on his last trip to Mars like he did M’comm?
Greg responds...
Em'ree and M'gann weren't close. Gar didn't meet most of M'gann's siblings.
Chip writes...
I was wondering, given their caste differences, how did S’yraa S’mitt and Prince J’emm meet?
Greg responds...
Wow. Martian names and ASK GREG don't go well together, do they?
In any case, as always, #NoSpoilers.
Anonymous writes...
What was Em'ree referring to when she said "I didn't know that" on the Sacred Rivers? What did she not know? And why did she seem shocked at that?
Greg responds...
I think it's extremely clear what she's responding to in that moment, i.e. what was said immediately before she made that statement. So I'll just suggest you watch again.
Keira writes...
I do geuninely appreciate what you did with Halo in Outsiders. I thought you crafted the arc of an otherworldly being trying to outline its own identity very well. I thought the point of her arc was clearly communicated- last season she was trying to grasp the bare fundamentals of being human, and in this one, it seems like she's reached a place where she explore them in more depth.
Her arc was one of favourite parts of the last season, and I thank you for that.Looking forward to more.
Greg responds...
Thank you. I appreciate that. There is more to come.
Anonymous writes...
Were king Ma'arrun‎ and queen Sykara‎ married or rulers in their own time?
Greg responds...
Ask Greg has trouble with certain characters. So it's a bit hard to read what you've written here. But in any case, the answer is going to be #NoSpoilers.
Anonymous writes...
Young Justice Questions in regards to Batwoman:
1. Is her full name Katherine "Kate" Rebecca Kane?
2. Are she and Bruce Wayne maternal cousins?
3. When did she join the Justice League and what was her designation number during her time as a member?
4. Within the animated series, does her immediate family consists of Jacob Kane (father), Gabrielle "Gabi" Kane (mother), Elizabeth "Beth" Kane (twin sister), and Catherine Hamilton-Kane (stepmother)?
5. Within the animated series, when and why did Kate Kane become Batwoman?
Greg responds...
1. Yep.
2. Yep.
3. She joined the Justice League in Team Year Seven.
3a. I generally don't reveal designation numbers here, unless there seems to be no way in the future to ever learn said numbers.
4. No spoilers. But I will say she's related to Bette Kane, whom we met in Season One and in our companion comics.
5. No spoilers.
Edarad writes...
What was the deal with R'ess E'dda in episode 1 and his massive mind link? Isn't he a Queen's subordinate? That looked like an attack. Or at worst, an insurrection. Is that a Martian costume or something?
Greg responds...
It was a lawful psychic assembly/protest, believe it or not. It was certainly oppressive, and it was designed to catch the queen off guard. So it was also obnoxious. But, yes, R'ess is a subordinate to Queen J'arlia. Still, technically, he did nothing wrong - or at least nothing illegal.
Suzie writes...
I have a question about Superboy and the Kents.
1. Is John Smith aka Red Tornado still listed as Superboy's legal guardian.
2. Have Jonathan and Martha Kent adopted Superboy?
3. What kind of relationship does Superboy have with his adopted family?
Greg responds...
1. No.
2. I haven't given any thought to whether or not they officially went through that process. Probably. But in any case, if one assumes he was "written down" as 16 in Team Year One, by Team Year Ten he was over the age of consent and had or needed no legal adult guardian.
3. A good one.
Anonymous writes...
Young Justice Questions in regards to Superman:
#1. Are the names of Kal-El's birth parents Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van?
#2. Since Kal-El was born in 1977 and his ship landed in Kansas in 1978, how exactly is it possible for his ship to travel to Earth so quickly in the span of only one year?
#3. In the years prior to starting his crime-fighting career in 1998, who else besides Clark's parents was aware that Clark had powers?
#4. When exactly did Clark Kent learn the truth about his own origins?
#5. When exactly did Superman become aware of his weakness to kryptonite?
Greg responds...
1. Jor-El and Lara El, at the time of their deaths.
2. Through subspace.
3. No spoilers.
4. No spoilers.
5. No spoilers.
Elizabeth writes...
A) Does Roy Harper suffer from chronic phantom limb pain?
B) Is he going to college?
C) Does have a father-son relationship with Ollie?
Greg responds...
A. I don't know. I believe I'd have to do some research to answer that.
B. No spoilers.
C. Basically. Whereas, say, Clark and Conner really settled on a fraternal bond. And Bruce has a clear paternal bond with Dick. Ollie and Roy are somewhere in the middle.
Miraphosa writes...
Does J'onn still talk to the family that disowned J'ann? Considering he's related to them n all. Does Em'ree, or do any of M'ganns other siblings?
Also, do all martians have names starting with the same letter as their siblings? (stretching that even further, does that have anything to do with the letter of their dad's name? Considering M'att -> M'gann, M'comm, M'ree)
Greg responds...
1. J'onn's family is truly enormous. I wouldn't want to say he speaks to none of them. But he chose sides.
2. Em'ree, M'gann and the rest of the siblings have no real relationship with their mother's side of the family.
3. It's common but not an absolute rule.
Anonymous writes...
Hi Greg, hope your doing well.
1.Has Zatanna ever dated someone else after breaking up with Dick ?
2. Has Dick dated someone else after breaking up with Zatanna and before dating Barbara ?
3. Had Dick and Zatanna ever wondered to set back together after breaking up ?
4. Had they ever regret they break up ?
Thanks for your time !
Greg responds...
1. Technically, that's a spoiler request, but the obvious answer is yes. So... yes.
2. Dick's dated a lot of people. Some of whom he's had more than one go 'round with. So that just becomes a complicated question to answer while still avoiding spoilers.
3. There's clearly at least one typo in here, and maybe two. So I'm not exactly sure what you're asking. But if you're asking whether or not the THOUGHT has eve crossed their minds, I think the answer must be yes.
4. Depends what you mean by regret. Regret with a capital R? No. With a lower-case r? Sure. We all have moments of regret.
Marvelman writes...
Is Saturn Girl as powerful and skilled a telepath as M'gann?
Greg responds...
She's up there. One of the few who can hold her own.
Gigliovaljr writes...
Hello there Greg,
So Young Justice Phantoms did a surprise premiere, without any warning, and while that was great isn't it a little concerning?
There was absolutely no marketing for this and yet it dropped anyway. I'm concerned that the little to no advertisement this season got is going to hurt its chances of getting renewed for a fifth season because there was no hype and people don't know it premeired or where it premeired. Are you at all concerned that this lack of marketing is going to hurt the show's future? Is there any way for you or us to know if it has affected viewership significantly or if this season has shown some strong numbers?
Greg responds...
I'm not sure what you expect me to say. These were decisions made way above my paygrade. But the folks at WB, DC & HBO aren't in the business of throwing away money. Folks can agree or disagree with their strategies, but rest assured that they believed that this was what was best for the series.
However, what you do need to remember is that this isn't a broadcast show. It's streaming. Who shows up to watch on the first day isn't as important as it used to be. As long as we #SpreadTheWord and make sure everyone knows to #KeepBingingYJ on @hboMax, it's still possible to #SaveEarth16.
Anonymous writes...
If teekl was destroyed would klarion be permanently banished or only temporarily?
Greg responds...
Depends on how things played out. By now, I'm hoping you've seen how things played out. If not... um... what are you waiting for?
Anonymous writes...
Did you make an arc about mars in phantoms specifically so you could save money on talking animation or was that something you already wanted to explore regardless of that? Or both?
Greg responds...
Okay, (a), it doesn't save us any money. It saves the animators time, but we pay Studio Mir the same amount either way. It's not a budget issue, though I won't deny it doesn't hurt to have one less thing to worry about getting right.
And (b), the Mars arc was always planned. And we felt the time was right to explore M'gann's homeworld.
Woodrow Butdonthaveapaddle writes...
Hello Greg!
I'm in awe of how good Young Justice: Phantoms is so far, you and Brandon have certainly knocked it out of the ballpark again! I have two small questions that correlate to both Outsiders and Phantoms.
1.) What was the in-universe reason for Tim Drake to change his Robin outfit to the variation with the hooded cape? I personally thought it was a really cool-looking addition to the character's costume. In Phantoms, why did he choose to ditch the hood for an outfit more along the lines of his Invasion appearance?
2.) What was the in-universe reason for Cassie Sandsmark to trade in her original Wonder Girl outfit for a newer variation with knee-high boots and a dark red jumpsuit?
Thanks for your time! If writing was a superpower, then you'd be more powerful than Superman!
Greg responds...
1. He was moving into an even more covert mode with "Batman, Inc." in S3. By S4, he had become a public hero again with the Outsiders. The general public knows about Robin and has since Dick's time. If they did the math, they must realize this can't be the same guy, but most people don't think that through.
2. She wanted a more grown-up superhero look, especially once she was taking over as leader of the Outsiders during Beast Boy's (now prolonged) absence. It was time.
Jason R Carter writes...
1. Whose idea was it for Steve Dayton to sound like Alan Rickman?
2. Do Bio-ships reproduce by parthenogenesis or coitus?
3. Not so much a question as a request: please get Virgil a girlfriend. Daisy, Frieda, Madison, whoever. Please!
Greg responds...
1. I'm not sure I remember. Maybe Scott Menville's. Maybe Jamie Thomason's.
2. Isn't it visually obvious in episode 401? (I hope the answer is yes, that way I don't have to look up parthenogenesis.)
3. #WeDon'tTakeRequests #WeCan'tTakeSuggestions But who says he doesn't already have one?
Marvelman writes...
Was the Legion part of your plans for Young Justice from when you and Brandon first developed the show and season one? Or, were they a later addition?
Greg responds...
Without getting into specifics of exactly when and where we planned for them to show up, they were always part of our initial plan.
Anonymous writes...
Who created those speakers that Gar uses when he is in beast form? How do they work? What is their name?
Greg responds...
1. Well, if you're asking who created the core technology that they utilize, the answer is the Brain.
2. They translate mental speech impulses into a synthesized voice.
3. We call them "the little speakers on Beast Boy's collar."
Anonymous writes...
Dear Mr Weisman i have some Young justice related questions for you 1. Does Mrs M'orzz watch hallmark movies on a frequent basis as she was more familiar with the purpose a wedding ring then Mr M'orzz was? 2 Are any of Miss Martian sibling's (Em'ree and M'comm aside) members of the yellow Martian order? 3. what does Black canary do for a living?
Greg responds...
1. Only ones starring Danica McKellar or Lacey Chabert.
2. No spoilers.
3. She's a therapist, and she also owns a flower shop.
Ali writes...
I have 2 questions about Doctor Fate.
1: Do people have to consent to let Nabu possess their body? For Example would it have been possible for the Team or Kent Nelson to just have him possess some evil magic user such as Wotan or Orm by placing the helm on their head against heir will?
2: Does Doctor Fate have access to any non-mystical powers of their human host? He didn't seem to have super speed when possessing Wally, but I am not sure if he just didnt try to(which would be understandable as mid-battle isn't the best place to try out new powers).
Greg responds...
1. I mean obviously the Team or the League wouldn't do that. But whether it's possible is a fair question. It's clearly possible for Nabu to RETAIN control over someone against their will. But does the initial possession require consent? I'm going to tentatively say no. But that even Nabu wouldn't take possession without consent.
2. He would have any powers and abilities that the host body possesses.
Anonymous writes...
I love Prince J’emm! Such a pure and beautiful person he is! Have some questions about him! Please and thank you!
1. How did J’emm met Sy’raa and how long have the know each other?
2. As the future king, how is J’emm’s reputation among his people?
3. Does he have any siblings?
4. Will J’emm appear in more future episodes in Season 4?
5. Does J’emm ever wish to travel to Earth or the just visit other worlds in general?
Greg responds...
1. There's obviously a story in that. I try not to tell stories here at ASK GREG.
1a. Until this story is told, I prefer not to pin that down.
2. Very strong among the more progressive set. He makes the more reactionary set nervous.
3. No spoilers.
4. No spoilers.
5. For now, I'll leave that to your interpretation.
Hello, Gargoyles writes...
Does the Gargoyles show exist on Earth-16? Was it made by Greg Vietti or Brandon Weisman? Did any of our favorite superheroes watch it? Who was their favorite character? ;)
Greg responds...
I've written like four flippant, smart-ass responses to this question, and erased them all, as none truly seemed funny enough to justify all the noise that would come out of people (sometimes willfully) misunderstanding my humor as something serious.
So basically, here's the truth. We have the occasional Easter Egg, because that's fun to do and "get away with". But these properties are owned by two different companies. They do not overlap.
Anonymous writes...
"Please try to dispel the dark cloud shadowing your face and mind"?
Seriously? Seriously? You just can't help yourself,can you?
Greg responds...
If you mean, I can't help tossing in a Shakespeare reference, then the answer is... I don't want to help myself. I'm happy the way I am.
Anonymous writes...
Mr. Greg,
1. While J'ann's family mostly disowned her, how are relations on M'aatt's side of the family? Are they involve in their nieces and nephews' lives? Do they get along?
2. How strong is J'emm's abilities compared to most Martians? What about in compared to J'onn J'onzz or M'gann?
Greg responds...
1. No spoilers.
2. Few are as strong as M'gann, as we've established over and over. And J'onn is exceptionally well-trained and experienced. J'emm is young, but has the potential to be powerful.
Shill writes...
When did the Outsiders mission seen in 403 took place?
Greg responds...
February 24th, Team Year Ten
May writes...
Despite a multitude of differences, I've always seen M'gann as sort of a parallel to Starfire from the Teen Titans TV series, in terms of being an alien and overall personality.
Hynden Walch voiced both Starfire and her sister Blackfire in that show. Was choosing Hynden to voice Em'ree a purposeful choice because of that? Her voice seemed to match more how she did Blackfire than Starfire. Or was it all merely a coincidence?
Greg responds...
I believe it went down like this:
We needed to cast Elasti-Girl for "Nightmare Monkeys". As that episode included "Doom Patrol Go!" as a tribute to "Teen Titans Go!" we decided to use the TTG voice cast for the DPG characters, paralleling each as much as possible.
So...
Greg Cipes = Beast Boy = Beast Boy
Tara Strong = Raven = Negative Woman
Khary Payton = Cyborg = Robotman
Scott Menville = Robin = Chief
Hynden Walch = Starfire = Elasti-Girl
Since Hynden was now the official voice of Elasti-Girl, that meant she was now also the official voice of Rita Farr, who became Elasti-Girl, as well as the official voice of Rita Lee, the character that Rita Farr played on "Hello, Megan!"
And since Em'ree was ultimately going to take on the image of Rita Lee, Hynden was the only choice to play Em'ree.
Of course, the fact that Hynden is amazing didn't hurt.
Make sense?
Verdragon writes...
Two Mars-Earth communications satellite questions.
1. When was it first brought on-line?
2. I noticed that the satellite at least looks like it has Bioship-esque textures, was it in any way related to the Bioships or is that just a Martian design sensibility?
Greg responds...
1. During Team Year Nine.
2. That's a good question. I'm not sure.
NoOneSpecial writes...
Maybe this is a strange question, but from a production point of view, are you only allowed to use existing characters from the DC comics or you be able to create an original character for the YJ? I get that their could be a lot of factors in this and alternatives, e.g, like using a relative minor or unheard of character over a more mainstream one. But would you say you have enough creative freedom to create a purely original character for your show that has no DC counterpart that you are adapting? And not just being original, but also having an unmistakable presence in the series, equivalent to one of the mainstream heroes like Nightwing or Artemis. Is a lot of emphasis, from an executive pov, to keep focus on the heroes that are most recognisable to the audience, throughout any of the 4 seasons of YJ? I can think of couple of examples of this occurring in other shows such as Harley Quinn who was created for the Batman TAS, or X-23 who was created for X-Men Evolution. Of course those are two examples of characters that were such a huge hit that they became part of the comics. Now I'm not asking about anything that could be potentially upcoming, I'm just curious if creating original characters is something you could do if you so choose.
Greg responds...
We have created original characters for YJ. Tommy & Tuppence Terror, for example. Frankly, we view Kaldur'ahm as a pretty damn original character, as well. He has antecedents and inspirations from the comics, but no one like him existed before Brandon, Phil and I created him. And he certainly has prominence in our series. And a version of him then became part of DC Comics' continuity. Not as popular as Harley, of course. But we think of him as a significant addition to the canon.
Our preference, however, is to use existing characters on the show whenever possible. We just think it's more fun for the viewer that way. Sometimes the more obscure, the better, like Penny Randolph. Other times, we're bringing in heavy hitters like Cyborg.
In any case, no one has set any restrictions on us, one way or another.
NoOneSpecial writes...
1.J’ann’s family disowned her for marrying a white Martian with the exception of J’onn. What is J’onn relationship like with the rest of his family then? Do they disown him as well for keeping in contact with his sister? Or are they proud to be related to the Martian Manhunter?
2.Is J’onn really highly regarded on Mars? Most of his heroic exploits are on Earth. I’m guessing maybe he could have done some heroism on Mars too, but one might argue he has more loyalty to the Earth than Mars itself given that he lives there and risk his life for the Earth. For other heroes Wonder Woman and Aquaman I can understand because their respective homes are still a part of the Earth. But what makes J’onn such a hero to the Martian people?
3.Was J’onn an official manhunter before he arrived on Earth or is a kind of honorary title he has?
4.Megan said that Bio-Ship was originally meant for J’onn. How did J’onn travel to and from Mars prior to Season 1? Did he have another Bio-ship that he used for travel?
5.Were Megan and her siblings all born roughly at the same time? If not, how many times can Martian couples reproduce. What would be the average number of children a Martian couple can produce?
Greg responds...
1. A family isn't a monolith. He has different relationships with different members of the family.
2. Television.
3. He was a M'hontrr.
4. Initially, J'onn was accidentally zeta'd to Earth, and he was trapped there for years. How he first got back to M'arzz is a spoiler, as are any details associated with his travels prior to him departing M'arzz with Bio-Ship (and the stowaway M'gann).
5. They were not all born at the same time. Our thinking is that the M'orzz family is of a typical size.
NoOneSpecial writes...
1. A Yellow Martian permanently alters their skin color when they become a Priest/Priestess. How is this done? Is this some kind of special ceremony or process when becoming a Priest or is this someone Martians can do naturally if they wanted?
2. Do Yellow Martians still face prejudice if they were once White Martians? Do Yellow Martians in general have a similar status to Green or Red Martians?
3. Did B’arzz have any prejudice toward White Martians prior to becoming Green Beetle?
4. Do Martians have a form of currency?
5. Murder is supposedly hard to get away with on Mars since everyone is telepathic. But M’comm was able to shield his thoughts from Megan when she interrogated him. Not to mention he was plotting to kill as well. And as we find out in the end, it as S’yraa who killed the king. If M’comm and S’yraa don’t share their thoughts openly or if they simply lie, then it seems murder would be easy to get away with on Mars.
Greg responds...
1. There's a ceremony. Which is not to say a Martian couldn't turn yellow if she, he or they wanted. But turning yellow doesn't make one Y'ellonn, anymore than Miss Martian turning green made her G'arrunn.
2. All Y'ellonn are treated equally, independent of their caste of origin. They are a separate caste, held (generally) in high esteem. Probably below B'lahdenn, but above G'arrunn. But they are supposed to remain apolitical.
3. He was relatively enlightened. But it's hard to be raised in a racist society and come out with NO prejudices. One has to WORK to overcome that indoctrination, I've found.
4. Uh... probably. Haven't thought about it, honestly.
5. It's easy to sense a lie. To push through and get to the truth - when it's being hidden - is more difficult (for all involved). But it's not impossible. If one has a suspect, a psychic interrogation tends to reveal the truth. (M'hontrrs aren't as reticent as M'gann was.) S'yraa got away with hiding her crime for so long because she was never a suspect - until she was.
June writes...
I love how all the Martian characters have different designs. At least all main and secondary Martians. B'arzz looks entirely different from R’ess E’dda. A lot of aliens in other shows all look the same. Was this a purposeful decision? Who's was it, if so?
Greg responds...
Most of the Martians are based off the same single design, with differences of skin color and costuming and size, etc. This was done intentionally to show how - as an outsider - one can easily be blind to subtle differences in the "other" tribe, when in fact every individual is unique.
Anonymous writes...
Why did Alan Tudyk only voiced on episode of season 3? Did he become unavailable because he’s becoming more high profile?
Were Troy Baker and Nolan North together in the studio for season 4? They broke off their partnership on YouTube. Are they still friendly?
Greg responds...
1. Green Arrow only appeared with a speaking role in one episode in Season Three.
2. They were definitely in the studio together pre-pandemic. They seemed friendly to me.
Izzy writes...
Hello! I've seen the last three episodes of Young Justice: Phantoms and I'm eagerly awaiting the fourth. The relationship dynamic between M'gann and her family (especially M'comm) is rivaling Artemis's in terms of pure curiosity and intrigue. I love it and I want to know everything! And given what was shown in the trailer, it looks like even more of Artemis's family dynamics are going to be explored, which is fantastic. I think this is going to be something they'll bond over this season. But who knows! Anyways, on to the questions:
01. You mentioned in a recent Tweet that ‘Catwoman: Hunted’ is, like your Green Arrow short, a story that also occurs similarly on Earth-16. Given that information, is it safe to assume Catwoman exists on Earth-16?
02. Are Lucas Carr and Bethany Lee alumni of Happy Harbor High School, or did they graduate elsewhere? Given that Snapper was at least living in Happy Harbor as a teenager, I assume he attended the public high school. The same can be said for Bethany, if her backstory from the comics as the daughter of Happy Harbor’s police chief before becoming one herself is largely unchanged.
03. Given you are a Stanford alumni and have thought about what dorms Wally and Artemis spent their Freshman years in, did you give any thought into who their respective roommates were? Not asking for spoilers about who they were, just merely if you guys ever bothered to come up with them.
04. Is Batwoman Jewish on Earth-16 like she is in the comics? If so, wouldn’t that make Batman (by proxy, if not in practice) Jewish as well, at least on his mother’s side?
05. This is a long one! I know birthdays aren't something you come up with unless the story needs it, but do you have the same line of thinking with babies born during the story? Artur, for example, was born on February 1st, 2011 (according to the YJ wiki, which got the date from Legacy). For Lian, however, we only know she was born in September 2015. Do you have a birthdate in mind for her, or just the month? For Don and Dawn Allen, you answered in an ask that their due date was sometime in the September following Invasion. I’m not asking if that due date was accurate or when, if you know it, their actual birthday(s) are, but merely the concept as a whole. Was Artur the only one assigned a birthdate in-story because the diary entry needed a timestamp? Since then, a whole bunch of other super-kids (Anissa and Jennifer, Jonny, Traya, Amistad, and most recently Rhea) have been introduced, with Rhea being (according to Unknown Factors) born on January 21, 2019. While Rhea’s birthday is obviously a byproduct of the story and thus laying credence to your stance on only assigning birthdays when needed, she was also the only one explicitly shown. I guess this whole question can be summed up to: do children (emphasis on children somehow connected to the main cast) born DURING the story get assigned birthdays even if the story doesn’t necessarily showcase/reference their birth outright? If not birthdays, then just birth-months? Or is that only come up with when needed as well?
Greg responds...
1. Yes, in some form.
2. Yep.
3. I actually did give a little thought to Wally's roommate. I have a notion, but I'm not locking it in unless or until a story requires it.
4. Yes.
4a. I think it must be true that Martha Kane Wayne was Jewish. That means by Jewish tradition, Bruce Wayne is also Jewish. But I think it's also clear that he was raised as a Protestant Christian. Beyond that, again, I'm not going to go into details until or unless a story requires it.
5. Just birth years, unless the story indicates an obvious (thus necessary) birth month. And just birth months unless the story requires or dictates a birthdate.
Anonymous writes...
Congrats on a 4th season can't wait to see it, now I have browsed the archive many times and since these questions weren't there, so I am assuming they haven't been asked
1. How big is the Timeline currently.
2. You said Earth-16 has some significanct relation with the number 16, I am assuming that means there's more to that then you all dropping 16 in every episode. If so how long do we have to wait is the answer only going to come when we reach season 16.
3. How concrete is the timeline like are their things in it which you thing can be subject to change or is it already vague aside from the necessary stuff i.e have you gone back and changed something thinking this has to better why didn't I think of this before.
Greg responds...
1. It's currently 719 pages long.
2. That's funny. No spoilers.
3. I've changed things occasionally. I've certainly corrected math errors that I've made. But I tend not to fix things in the timeline until Brandon and I have decided on things and/or NEED to decide things. That's way more than you've seen, obviously. But otherwise, we try to leave things open when we can.
Marvelman writes...
As a Canadian, the only way I can support season 4 right now is to binge seasons one and two on Netflix over and over again. Does this actually do any good in regards to getting a season 5?
Greg responds...
I honestly don't know, but it might help, and it certainly doesn't hurt.
Anonymous writes...
The current host of Dr Fate will die eventually and then he will require a new host, but it is unlikely that anyone will ever want to wear a helmet that robs them of their life unless they are in an extremely desperate situation. My question is has nabu considered this. Has he thought about this future situation for him at all?
Greg responds...
He's been through this for century upon century. I'm sure he's thought about this, but in the end, I'm sure he'd say something along the lines of, "Fate will find a way."
Amelie writes...
Hello Mr. Weisman! I hope you and the team working on YJ are doing well!
1. In episode 6 of season 2 "Bloodlines" where Bart first appears we see that in almost nothing in the future has changed after his departure (except for Neutron). Does this imply that the future is going to look that moded?
2. At the end of a Young Justice comic collection you wrote that you made a list of about 100 young heroes as potential main characters for the series. Are you ever going to publish this list?
3. If you were allowed to publish Young Justice comics again, when would the play? Before, during oder after season 3? (Assuming you already know what you want to publish).
4. Will you and your team keep on making these entertaining (and well-written) credits for following seasons when YJ gets a go from HBO Max? (I will riot if HBO Max cancels this show #keepbingingyj)
5. What do you keep from your interactions with your fans?
You heard that probably a lot, but I just want to let you know that your show got me through 2020 and I am really thankful for you, your team and the fanbase not giving up on this amazing show!
Greg responds...
1. You should look again. The ash has stopped falling. Mount Justice is still destroyed, but that's about as far as you can see. So you don't know from the visual what has and hasn't changed.
2. Probably not.
3. No Spoilers.
4. Our goal is to continue to stuff as much entertainment value and content in as possible.
5. Mostly good stuff.
Thanks. I'm not sure how much help we were in 2020, but I'm hoping we've helped with the back quarter of 2021!
Miraphosa writes...
Did M'gann choose to be an ethnic majoriy on earth purposefully?
Like, was she aware being a white woman on earth would grant her a racial privilege she didn't have on mars? If that wasn't something she thought about before coming to earth, did she realize it after? What would that thought process be like for her?
Basically, how did M'gann identity as a white martian factor into her choice to present as a white woman on earth (if at all)
Greg responds...
I don't think that was in the forefront of her mind. I think she specifically chose to identify with Megan Wheeler. By the time she had the brain space to think about how she should or should not be presenting herself racially on Earth, she had already established her Megan Morse identity. So many people that WE get to see on the show know she's a shape-shifter, that it's easy to forget that the vast majority of humans that Megan interacts with do not. So in order to maintain her secret identity, she maintains her current racial status.
In order to honor her racial background, she stopped presenting herself as G'arrunn some time ago when in super-hero mode.
And just to be clear, M'gann doesn't equate being A'ashenn with being Caucasian.
Young Justice Statistics
Well, as I tweeted today, YOUNG JUSTICE: PHANTOMS is complete, with all 26 episodes in the can. I've also updated all my various reference documents to include everything from Season Four (not to mention Seasons 1-3, our various comic books, the AudioPlay and the video game). And since statistics kinda fascinate me - and since maybe they might fascinate you as well - here are a few.
The Young Justice Timeline is currently 718 pages long. In the past, I've reported that the length of the timeline mysteriously differed between my laptop and my desktop computers, but during the pandemic, my (relatively) ancient desktop finally bit the dust. So now the laptop page count triumphs.
There are 759 characters confirmed - one way or another - to be in the Earth-16 Universe. Some have only been mentioned or referenced briefly. Others, obviously, have had entire arcs dedicated to them. Calling some of them "characters" might also be a bit of a stretch, but I have reasons for including every single one. And - anal individual that I am - I have actually ranked them all in order of their importance to the series. This is something I once did as a hobby for the Buffyverse (which you can find in the ASK GREG archives under the heading of "Buffyverse Geek-Out"), and I've been perfecting my ranking system ever since. The idea is to attempt to make an incredibly subjective thing as objective as possible, based on things like screen time and amount of dialogue and the amount of times other characters reference them, etc. It's still not perfect because I do wind up with point scores, and especially with the lower ranking characters, I wind up with a number of ties. Thus, in order to break any tie, I'm forced to apply more subjective criteria.I was thinking about listing them a few per week, starting with 759 and working my way backwards toward number one. But some of the names haven't been intro'd yet. So it occurs to me that I need to wait until the Phantoms' season finishes airing.
Across four seasons (98 episodes) an AudioPlay and a video game, we've used 128 actors, a phenomenally talented group if ever there was one. Some have only voiced one character. Others have voiced over a dozen. I'm honored to be included among them - even if hiring myself is a rather dubious way to earn this distinction.
There's probably more, but this will do for now.
Just a little peek into my weird brain. Hope you enjoyed it. And I hope you enjoy the show.
M. writes...
I dare say that Jade and Will's relationship is one of the best in the entire show. You, Brandon and the writers have managed to develop something that feels so true and pure without showing much on screen. But If ever you had the chance, would you write a story about their relationship?
Greg responds...
I feel like we have. But if you're asking if we'd be interested in exploring it further, the answer is clearly yes.
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