Season 1, Episode 5: “Champions”
Written by Matt Wayne
Directed by Lauren Montgomery
Original release: November 11th, 2006
Running time: 22 minutes
Air time: Saturday morning
This is a sports-themed episode (kind of), since it takes place at the Intergalactic Games.
One of the highlights of this episode is that it goes WILD with its aliens design.
I particularly love the two commentators: it takes a while to notice, but those things on the sides of their heads are just the headphones, they have three eyes on top!
Also, one of the two commentators is named Frank.
There’s no additional joke, the very visibly alien guy is just Frank.
The reason why we are here is that Lightning Lad is going to compete in the dodecathlon.
And also because there’s a bunch of dignitaries attending the games, so the Legion is here just in case anyone tries to attack them.
Lightning Lad isn’t the only contestant in the dodecathlon from planet Winath.
That would be his brother Mekt, voiced by James Arnold Taylor who has a very prolific career in voice acting.
After the title sequence, we learn that Lightning Lad has always been about the dodecathlon (which is mentioned in this episode and… nowhere else in the entire series).
But also that his brother Mekt has a history of stealing his brother’s wins.
Interestingly, there is no mention in this episode of Mekt having received the same powers of his brother. Which is why I’m calling him Mekt, as does the episode, because he’s not Lightning Lord… yet.
Also Phantom Girl, despite being the most critical of Lightning Lad in general, proves to be a very supportive friend.
You might think that Lightning Lad would be the star of the episode, but we’re also concentrating on Phantom Girl. She’s not going to share many scenes with him, much to her disappointment…
Visiting the dignitaries, Superman makes a gaffe that I feel should have caused a minor diplomatic incident.
She’s been mentioned before, but this is the first time we actually meet Phantom Girl’s mother: Winema Wazzo, the current President of the Galaxy.
She’s voiced by April Winchell, prolific voice actress and radio host.
Superman doesn’t make the best first impression.
At least I think he doesn’t: the president doesn’t seem to care.
Given that this series makes several Legionnaires more alien-looking than they usually are, I initially wondered if those things on the President’s head were horns… maybe Phantom Girl isn’t wearing hairpins and those white things on HER head are smaller horns?But no, th
e tie-in comic book (which I will review separately later) does show the President with the hair down… this is just her hairstyle.
I found Phantom Girl’s impression of Superman’s “kid from a small farm” antics hilarious.
I always appreciate any version of Superman who appreciates being made the butt of the joke; it’s one of the most endearing aspects of the character when he’s done right.
If Phantom Girl was looking for an ally in her never-ending battle with her mother… she definitely picked the wrong one.
The exact nature of the dodecathlon is kept very vague on purpose; one of the events is some kind of rocket race, where Mekt knocks Lightning Lad out of the way… because one of the judges ignores he broke the rules.
Still, Lightning Lad wins the race anyway.
Here is the full scoreboard in Interlac:
1) Lightning Lad
2) Mekt Ranzz
3) Tarl
4) Jo Nah
5) Drake Burroughs
6) Mota
7) Tenzil Kem
Interesting that Lightning Lad is competing under his codename, unlike his brother.
“Jo Nah” and “Tenzil Kem” are the real names of Ultra Boy and Matter-Eater Lad, who we are about to see.
“Drake Burroughs” is an easter egg: that’s the real name of Wildfire, who sadly doesn’t appear in the series.
I don’t know if I’m wrong decoding “Tarl” and “Mota” or if they are easter eggs I’m missing.
I love how Phantom Girl clearly has no idea what Superman is talking about.
Her mother is not doing much to keep her at ease.
Although honestly I’m with her mom… I wouldn’t say this about any other version of the characters, but these two WOULD make a good couple!
The spoiled daughter of the most important person in the Galaxy who wants to prove her independence and the farm boy who doesn’t want to be the most important person in history… they WOULD be interesting to read.
The fact that we never got to see Martha Kent interact with Winema Wazzo is a crime.
Good thing they were outside, because Superman’s X-Ray vision spots a bomb beneath the flying platform hosting the dignitaries.
The subtitles identify it as a “Death Bomb”, but I’m pretty sure Phantom Girl actually said “Dark Bomb”.
And it’s pretty powerful: even after Superman throws it into space, he BARELY escapes its enormous gravitational pull.
The only reason why he doesn’t plummet back to the ground is that Phantom Girl stops his fall; I really like this scene, where we see she phases through him first.
Well that was overkill. And a confirmation that it really was supposed to be “DARK Bomb”.
They soon spot a suspect in the crowd and follow him.
Without interacting from Zoidberg from Futurama.
While Superman pursues the saboteur, Phantom Girl distracts the crowd by starting a Lightning Lad chant.
This comes up a couple more times in the episode. By the second I’m already tired of “Light-ning-Lad, Ligth-ning-Lad!” already.
The saboteur is a disguised Tharok.
Before the next event, which involves surfing above an erupting volcano (!!!), the possibility to evacuate the place is raised… and it’s quite ridiculous.
There was an attempt to DESTROY HALF THE PLANET, I think hysteria is the LEAST of your problems now!!!
Again: HALF THE PLANET, guys! Priorities!!!
The first to compete is Tenzil Kem from Bismoll, whose name REALLY trips the subtitles.
Especially because he doesn’t have any speaking lines, so he doesn’t show up in the credits, but he will later become Matter-Eating Lad.
Lightning Lad would get a good score, if Mekt didn’t shove another contestant in his way.
Mano damages a ship to make it crash against the skybox where all the dignitaries are.
Superman prevents it, but since apparently NOBODY IS WATCHING ANYTHING, Phantom Girl has to distract the crowd.
She definitely give a better show against Persuader. Noticeably, this is already the SECOND time in the series she has beaten him.
No wonder they had to use the Emerald Eye’s magic for these disguises: how else were they going to turn Validus into this child?
Well Validus IS a giant baby, but you know what I mean.
Also: NOBODY SEES THIS.
This dodecathlon is WILD, but isn’t there ANY other sport at this entire competition?
Tenzil Kem is the first one out of the race.
The final round is one of the most bonkers fictional sports I’ve seen: a marathon across rivers of lava while avoiding drones, giant boulders and LASER BLASTS.
Mekt cheats by activating a mine, but honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if this was part of the rules.
Having to save the life of another contestant costs Lightning Lad much precious time.
And so we are at the end of the games, where one of the contestants we saw during the race gets a name. It’s Jo Nah, who in this continuity doesn’t get to use the name Ultra Boy.
Well at least Lightning Lad got silver.
And that would be the end… if Mekt was done ruining things for his brother.
That device shuts down the force field protecting the place, so the Fatal Five can reveal themselves.
Emerald Empress had been disguised as the judge who ignored all of Mekt’s rule breaking.
What follows is one of the best gags in the series: the commentators waste no time switching to hyping the fight…
…and then cut to commercial. Not just in the story: this is where the actual episode has its commercial break, in a cute breaking of the fourth wall.
Turns out that ALL OF THIS was just a plan from the Fatal Five to kidnap the President.
At no point does the President attempt to use the phasing powers that her people are supposed to have, leading me to believe that in this continuity Phantom Girl is the ONLY person from Bgztl who can turn intangible.
You managed to place a bomb that could destroy HALF THE PLANET right under the President’s nose… did you REALLY need to bribe one of the athletes, Empress?
Phantom Girl phases her mother out of the arena, but now it’s the Fatal Five against only three Legionnaires.
This series REALLY overuses the Fatal Five, but they all have their moments.
This is probably the best maneuver Phantom Girl ever pulled: she grabs Mano, phases him through the ground, and uses HIS hand to disintegrate Tharok’s leg!!!
Despite that, there’s still the Emerald Eye to deal with. And blasting it with heat vision like in episode 1 won’t work this time.
I don’t think anyone expected Jo Nah to save the day, announcing which superpower he’s using!!!
He doesn’t get a ton of lines… just his powers and a “thanks”… so they don’t waste casting someone new: he shares Mekt’s voice actor.
Well she wouldn’t be Phantom Girl without a crush on Ultra Boy, wouldn’t she?
Honestly, a more interesting Legion line up than the pre-Reboot Legionnaires series.
Also: man is this art style WEIRD when it comes to legs!!!
More superhero fights should have in-universe commentators.
Even if it requires ad breaks.
I love the randomness of this being a fight between the Fatal Five and the Legion that includes future Legionnaires… and a squid athlete that appears in this episode only and has no speaking lines, but gets to fight VALIDUS.
Considering that the Emerald Eye previously transformed Validus into a small child… why is Emerald Empress inconvenienced by Superman throwing him at her?
It’s a shame that neither Ultra Boy or Zzok apply for a Legion membership after this.
Considering Emerald Empress admitted that Mekt was working with the Fatal Five, why isn’t he arrested!?
And so we close with the President honoring the Legionnaire who helped her the most…
…Superman.
That was cute. This is BY FAR the healthiest relationship Phantom Girl and her mother have in any continuity.
Cute finale.
Animated significance: 8/10
President Wazzo will play a minor role in the rest of the series, and even Matter-Eater Lad makes his debut. But the biggest significance is the introduction of Mekt, whose character development will seriously compete with the comics version.
Does any of this show up in regular continuity?
Phantom Girl’s mother being President precedes this cartoon, and I can’t think of anything else that will show up later.
Silver Age-ness: 6/10
Seriously, NOBODY notices the Fatal Five???
Does it stand the test of time? 8/10
A good episode, but it could have been better. The Lightning Lad and Phantom Girl plots compete for time and don’t play off each other very effectively.
Both are fine, but I found the Phantom Girl one to be the most engaging by a wide margin.
Because Ultra Boy doesn’t really play any active part in this series, the cartoon is unique for Phantom Girl because it’s her first incarnation to be completely independent from Ultra Boy.
As such it allows her to be more independent than usual and to hang out with other characters without inevitably returning to Ultra Boy.
Seriously, can you imagine the original or Reboot version of Phantom Girl to spend ANY amount of time next to Superman without bringing up her boyfriend?
Her relationship with her mother is obviously way more drama-free than the Reboot, but it does work in a sitcom kind of way.
The episode does do a disservice to the Fatal Five, though… the first episode of the series hyped them as being able to take on the ENTIRE Legion, but if we go by this episode… HOW???
We are Legion
16 active members (that we know of)