Miss Martian and Superboy Hook Up

by Christopher Scott

Young Justice “Terrors” (S02E02):

So, if you couldn’t tell by the summary, this is another tale of two of our heroes. The rest of the team pretty much sits the whole episode out. Miss Martian and Superboy are taking center stage as … villains? Let me explain.

A pair of twin troublemakers, the Terror Twins (which you would think would make their powers something fear-related, but it doesn’t) are “terrorizing” New Orleans. The Young Justice team and the Justice League team up for like three seconds to take them both out. Miss Martian and Superboy are given collars made to look like their powers are suppressed and are gussied up to look like the duo and take their place on the way to Belle Reve Prison. Confused yet?

It’s flashback time. Remember in the very first episode when four ice-based criminals attacked the Justice League on the same day? Well, apparently Batman hadn’t forgotten. After what I’d imagine was hours of investigation spanning weeks, if not months, he has determined all four criminals were eventually transported to the same jail. Two immediately, and two more were en route. This jail is the big house to almost every criminal mind in the DC universe that isn’t locked up at Arkham Asylum. Superboy and Miss Martian, disguised as the enemy, would be transported in as well, in an effort to uncover the truth behind why all of the ice-based criminals wanted to be admitted all at once.

And back into the present… we go to find this duo locked up in a transport with Icicle Jr. and Mr. Freeze (two of the four from that chilly event). The group meets the warden, Amanda Waller, and the prison psychiatrist, Hugo Strange (more heavy hitting characters from DC). The two explain that no one has ever escaped. No one ever will. And don’t bother trying to escape unless you want to be shocked to death by the collars everyone in the prison wears. That’s sure to keep everyone in line.

The men and women of the prison are separated into two different wings. To compensate for this Miss Martian sets up a telepathic link between them so that they can stay in contact. She is quickly accepted by her peers but Superboy must earn their respect. He thwarts an attack on Icicle Jr., which catches the eye of Icicle Sr., who seems to be the ring leader of the prison. After gaining respect, the two incognito heroes begin to gather intel.

There are a few more uninteresting scenes here where Superboy, pretending to be a Terror Twin, confronts his very real problems with his “father,” Superman, with the help of Hugo Strange, but they are short and don’t uncover anything we didn’t already know. The first step of the real plan starts in the mess hall. After accounting for the whereabouts of all the League members, Mr. Freeze stages a fight with Icicle Sr. in an effort to get taken to the warden. The breakout plan is given to Superboy, who gives it to Miss Martian and everything is laid in motion.

Mr. Freeze, once in Waller’s office, destroys his collar and threatens Waller to release the collars. She does so, but also commands a lockdown of all the exits. All of the prisoners are running amok. It takes Miss Martian about 3 seconds to blow her cover by saving one of the guards from a villain. She gets “put on ice” and is out of commission, as is her telepathic link. Superboy has one plan now above all others: get to Miss Martian.

Now, were you still wondering why this episode had anything to do with ice-based criminals? Well, the plan is to use ice attacks on the heavily reinforced doors to weaken the metal, and then use strong villains to pound away at the cold metal. I would have gone with fire-based criminals to melt the doors away, but nobody asked me.

Superboy makes an effort to distance himself from the action and then convinces Icicle Jr. that the collars are being turned back on. Being a gullible B-rated criminal, Icicle Jr. is quick to believe him and aids Superboy in turning them back “off.” Then the two work on making a door to the women’s side of the prison. As soon as the door is opened Superboy unleashes some inner fury, dominates the villains in his way, and saves Miss Martian. He reaches out to her telepathically, she breaks free, and the two kiss. Good for them. :)

The episode ends rather abruptly here. Obviously, with the collars reactivated, the uprising is quelled. Hugo Strange is put in charge of the prison. And what would a Young Justice episode be without a nod to the Light? Icicle Sr. and Hugo Strange are happy with the arrangement, agreeing that this was really the plan all along. Really? The plan was to lose? Or was the plan to get Superboy a girlfriend?

I liked it overall, but I am still missing some real teamwork. Still no Kid Flash, Robin, or Artemis. Who are you waiting for the most!? Leave your comments below.