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Aziraphale writes...
After watching the season premiere of YJ, I have an additional question:
In your reinterpretation of the White Martians, I was confused by their new portrayal as an oppressed underclass compared to the Green Martians, in contrast to their depiction in the comics and other media as hatemongering conquerors. And that led to a confusing racial allegory that I already didn't think worked well, but then I noticed Ma’alefa’ak's birth name is "M'Comm", something original to this show and not the comics, and he was imprisoned in a jail with a giant X on the building. M'Comm X? If this was an intentional reference to real life civil rights leaders, what was the thought process in turning a character who had murdered innocent teenagers the previous season into a Malcolm X analogy?
Greg responds...
I see where you're coming from, but that's not where we were coming from.
The X on the building comes from the X on Martian Manhunter's chest. In our mind, that was the symbol of the M'huntrrs, i.e the Martian police, that J'onn J'onzz was a member of before coming to Earth. I totally see how you got there, but I promise you it literally never occurred to us to associate that X with M'comm to create any kind of Malcolm X reference or analogy.
The name M'comm was, for us, just following in the tradition of most Martian naming, i.e. you take a relatively average human name and Martian it up a bit. Hence John becomes J'onn, Megan becomes M'gann, etc. M'ree, M'aatt, J'ann and M'comm follow along those lines. So, yes, M'comm is a Martianing up of Malcolm, but I never specifically thought of associating him with Malcolm X, any more than I think of J'onn being associated with some specific Jon or John.
Way back when we were developing Season One, Brandon and I rejected the idea of there being an evil race on M'arzz. I find that notion from the comics very troubling. But we did think that the MYTH of an evil race would be useful for the ruling castes to justify their caste system. Scapegoating, in essence, creates a self-justifying belief: "Oh, so the A'ashenn are angry about the way we treat them? They don't like how we keep them in their place? Well, that's because they're hate-mongering would-be conquerors! Thank C'eridyall we DO keep them in their place!"
I've said before that I regret having used White Martians at all. We were following in the footsteps of the comics, but I do wish we had thought to use Grays instead of Whites. For one thing, the idea of Martians being either "little green men" or "Grays" feels right to me, in terms of alien-mythology. But mostly, it's because here in the real world, the word "white" is obviously associated with people of European descent (such as myself) - i.e. so-called Caucasian - and not with the actual color white, i.e. the snow white or chalk white of our A'ashenn. In essence, we were distracted by the visual look of the White Martians and didn't have the sensitivity to focus on the actual and very real connotation of the WORD "white".
That's one of the main reasons why, this season, we made a conscious choice to largely stop referring to the Martians as White, Green, Red and Yellow, in favor of A'ashenn, G'arrunn, B'lahdenn and Y'ellonn. We actively wanted to create some mental distance between the A'ashenn and Caucasians by avoiding the common word "white". We don't want the oppressed A'ashenn associated with the decidedly NOT oppressed Caucasians in any way, shape or form. It's not a perfect solution, but after consulting with our multiple sensitivity readers, it felt like the best we could do, given our failure of imagination and sensitivity way back in Season One.
Brie writes...
Hey Greg!
I have seen people say that Wallace West (the second) and Emiko Queens relationship in the comics is Spitfire 2.0
An archer and a Kid Flash being in a relationship alone is enough to draw parallels, but they also started off fighting/being sarcastic before eventually opening up to each other and starting to date.
My question is:
1) What do you think about people calling them spitfire 2.0?
2) what do you think about Emiko Queen in general?
3) what do you think about Wallace West (the second) in general?
Thanks for taking the time to answer this! I'm loving season four so far!
Greg responds...
1. It feels like a tribute, so I guess it's a smile. But this question is the first time I've heard of this.
2. She's interesting.
3. Also interesting.
Thanks!
Ash writes...
Hi Greg, fantastic start to Season Four and perhaps bigger congratulations on finishing the queue.
Have a range of questions both new and old, but I'll start off with a few new ones that I don't Think will be covered in the very soon to air episodes.
1) Once is Happenstance, Twice is Coincidence, Three times is Enemy Action. With Mgann appearing to match Megan Wheeler and Mree (now Emree) matching Marie Logan, we've at least reached the Coincidence level. Given that Hello Megan didn't air till 17 years after M'gann was born, I was curious if there might have been some "Enemy Action" inspiring their names that may have come at a point later than is common for human newborns?
2) I am absolutely loving the Martian language, sorry for avoiding apostrophes here I know that Ask Greg tends to misrepresent those. Was curious if you came up with most of it, or who otherwise to thank and credit as well?
3) With the Blahdenn specifically, I was curious to their name. It resembles Blood, in much the way Aashenn resembles Ash, Garrunn Green and Yellonn Yellow, but we see in Image that Martians have Green Blood, so I was curious if this was the route association and how it fits given that all their blood I would think to be green across races?
4) This is with an assumption that the Maayavaana is not just a light show with magic but does involve some deeper invocation of Ceridyall and the love shared by the couple, clearly a success for Mgann and Superboy. My question is whether this rite would be possible if there were not a deep sense of love shared?
5) We've seen that a Martian telepath, even one as strong as Mgann, has range limitations. On Marzz, is there something like piggybacking signal jumping system that aquires larger ranges, or was Emree and the Zeta Project sufficiently close for her to contact Queen Jarlia Jaxx?
Just a final comment; have loved every bit of worldbuilding and all the new Martian characters. Emree is an absolute favourite and hope to see much more from her as she develops and learns more of her familys truths.
Greg responds...
1. I'm honestly not sure if I understand your question. But it sounds a bit paranoid on the surface of it..
2. Originally, back in Season One, it was a cooperative effort between myself and Nicole Dubuc. This season it's been mostly me and Brandon Vietti. I mean, it's mostly all proper names, as the rest is translated for you. But I'm glad you're grooving on it.
3. Out of universe, Brandon and I wanted names for the races that the AUDIENCE would more easily grok by association. So A'ashenn does indeed equate from white ash, B'lahdenn from red blood, G'arrunn from green and Y'ellonn from yellow. But we're categorically NOT saying that, in Universe, those Martian words evolved out of these human words.
4. Possible, yes. As brilliant, no. The brilliance depends on two factors: the love of the couple and the skills of the Priest or Priestess.
5. There's a potential snowball effect, and yes, if a large linked body is sending signals between each other, than it can overwhelm at a greater distance, as long as SOMEONE on the link is close enough to be in range. And, yes, The Science Center was sufficiently close to the Palace.
We like Em'ree, as well. :)
Impetuous_77 writes...
I have a few questions about the que ball himself...Hro tic tac
1. How old is Hro talak
2.Why is Hro talak bald
3. Did Hro talak ever get into a romantic relationship with Shayera?
4. Is Hro talak single
5. Is Hro talak nice at all?
Thank you for making him a piece of crap, I've always hated how abusive he was in JLU.
Greg responds...
1. By the end of TEAM YEAR EIGHT, Hro Talak was 52.
2. For one of the myriad reasons folks are bald.
3. No spoilers.
4. No spoilers.
5. I'll leave that to your imagination.
Verdragon writes...
What did that Reach metahuman failsafe that was kept at STAR Labs Detroit actually do?
Greg responds...
We may never know.
Caleb writes...
I've been sitting on this question for a while, so it's not strictly related to the season 4 premiere (which I really enjoyed), but here we go:
Agendas is one of my favorite episodes of Young Justice. I love seeing superheroes interact in decidedly not-super ways. Anyway, I was looking at the membership timeline of the Justice League on the YJ Wiki and noticed that (as a rule) there seem to be no new members for years, and then a huge jump in membership around the same time. What was really odd was the (at least) 10 season 3 additions (from Aquaman II to Steel) all joining around 6 months before the season began. This is contrasted with the Team, where members come and go much more frequently. So…
1. Is the meeting/discussion/vote format depicted in Agendas the primary way that new members are added to the Justice League?
2. Are there any outliers besides Doctor Fate (who was then legitimized by the vote in Agendas)?
3. When multiple members are added in a single day (like Atom, Plastic Man, Icon, and Red Arrow in Usual Suspects or the aforementioned season 3 batch), how are their Zeta-designations assigned? When they debuted as heroes? How many votes they got? Whatever order Batman dictates?
4. Whose arm do I have to twist at DC to get a comic miniseries of Earth-16 Justice League Election Specials?
Greg responds...
1. Yes.
2. On occasion, a hero may be drafted into the League on a probationary basis, during an emergency or for other reasons. But then he, she or they would have to be confirmed in a League vote, as with - as you noted - Doctor Fate.
3. Batman has nothing to do with it. He doesn't run the League. He was chairman during Season One. But since then, we've had multiple chairpersons, including Captain Atom, Black Canary, Wonder Woman & Aquaman (II), and Black Lightning. Generally speaking, if members join at the same time - without having first joined on a probationary basis (as Doctor Fate did) - they are in essence inducted in the order they debuted publicly as heroes.
4. I wish I knew...
Gigliovaljr writes...
Hey Greg,
It has been a delightful surprise for the sudden premiere of YJ Phantoms and I hope there's more episodes soon.
Looking back at when YJ returned, you had a lot less restrictions, allowing you to tell the story more to your choosing, but I can't help but wonder how different season 3 would have been if Young Justice had never been cancelled to begin with and still had those restrictions.
Could you tell us more of how different season 3 would have been if the show had continued back in 2013? What would have changed in regards to characters and story? What plans for season 3 did you come up after the original cancellation and what plans were scrapped?
Greg responds...
I can't answer that. It's hypothetical to a wild degree. Our general plans for the first four seasons haven't changed from back when we first developed the series. But we didn't break Season Three in any detail until DC Universe picked us up for a third season. And we didn't begin breaking Season Four until DC Universe picked a fourth season up - months before DC Universe became DC Universe Infinite, and we moved over to HBO Max.
Nick writes...
Since you were willing to clear up by earlier confusion about the G-series of designations (https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=24794), I was wondering if you could find it in your heart to help me with the Z-series, considering it is also seemingly defunct after the events of “Nevermore.â€
In the Season 3 premiere, Batman exits the League along with Green Arrow, Plastic Man, Katana, Hardware, and Batwoman, as well as some Team members (Robin, Arrowette, and Spoiler). We also later see that Orphan and Metamorpho are members of this team.
Thanks to promotional materials, our current understanding of the Z-series is as follows:
Z-01: Batman
Z-02: Green Arrow
Z-05: Katana
Z-07: Robin
Z-08: Arrowette
Z-09: Spoiler
Z-10: Orphan
This leaves three spots open for some of the aforementioned Justice Leaguers. There is also the additional inclusion of Metamorpho, which means Batman Inc. had at least eleven members unless some of the Leaguers who quit with him did not end up joining his team. My real confusion lies in the exact designation ordering. My previous understanding has been that designations are distributed in the order that characters begin their heroic careers when there are multiple heroes joining at the same time. But if this was the same for Batman’s team -- who were seemingly all recruited at the same time -- then why is Katana Z-05? Based on the debut info you have recently revealed for some of the newer Leaguers, we know that Katana began her heroic career in Japan in Team Year Three, prior to Hardware (Team Year Five), Batwoman (Team Year Six), and Metamorpho (Team Year Seven). But since there are two slots prior to Katana (one of which is presumably Plastic Man) and only one after before getting into the younger heroes, I was wondering if a) these promotional materials were a mistake or if b) any of the debut info was incorrect or c) if Batman assembled his team in different designation batches despite them all ultimately walking away from the League at the same time.
If you’d be willing to clear up the confusion, I would sincerely appreciate it. Hope production on the last few PHANTOMS episodes is going smoothly!
Greg responds...
Okay, to be clear, I'm spelling out the Z-Designations BECAUSE they are defunct. I will not be doing this for non-lettered designations (Justice League), A-Designation (guests), B-Designations (Team), C-Designations (pets) or D-Designations (Outsiders).
Z-01: Batman
Z-02: Green Arrow
Z-03: Plastic Man
Z-04: Hardware
Z-05: Katana
Z-06: Batwoman
Z-07: Robin
Z-08: Arrowette
Z-09: Spoiler
Z-10: Orphan
Z-11: Metamorpho
Marvelman writes...
In "Needful", why did Gar's telepathic plugs (or whatever they are) fall off during the cave-in? They had always seemed to adapt to whatever form Beast Boy took regardless of size.
Greg responds...
No, they didn't. His speakers never changed size. They stayed on his collar but maintained a consistent size, whether he was a green elephant or a green mouse. So, in essence, if he and his collar becomes too small to hold the speakers, they fall off. This happened last season when he became a green hornet, and this season when he became a green cockroach.
May Zozi writes...
Okay so my question requires a bit of background:
All three of the Harper boys (Will: B06, Roy: B25, Jim: A45) have different designations yet are identical as they are clones. So, why does the Zeta Tech not view them all as one person?
In S2, the eye scanner at the Arrow Cave viewed both Roy and Will as the same person. When it scanned Will's eyes it recognized him as Roy, who was already inside, then the alarm went off. I am supposing the technology must be different and I am guessing the Zeta tech is more advanced. But then how does it function? WHAT differentiates them?
The only two things I could think were age and physical attributes. All three Harpers are different ages (technically with Jim being the eldest and Roy being the youngest due to time spent on ice) and have differing physical attributes (hair, facial hair, muscle mass, height, limbs in Roy's case.)
My main question is: how does the zeta tube recognize people? Is it through blood, through DNA, through physical attributes? And how can it tell the Harper boys apart?
Thank you so much and really enjoying S4 thus far! :)
Greg responds...
Captain Marvel and Billy Batson were genetically identical, but the Zeta Tube didn't recognize them as the same person. You're assuming that the Zeta Tube is genetically testing potential travelers. And it clearly isn't. I mean how do you genetically test Red Tornado to identify him? Or Sphere?
Liam writes...
Before I ask any questions, I just wanted to say I love Young Justice Phantoms so much so far and I can't wait to see the rest! I'm a big fan of you and Brandon's work on Young Justice and I just wanted to say thank you to both of you for it. It's such a fantastic show that has become such a big part of my life and I am forever thankful. 1) You've said before that important real life events have happened in the YJ universe. Are the people who acted in these events the same people or a fictional character who is not them? (So basically, if Person A carried out an event in our world, could it be assumed the character who did the same was an alternate version of Person A, or a different character who's only similarity to person A is carrying out the action?) 2) Was Hello Megan a popular earth show on Mars, or was it just popular amongst M'gann's family? If it was only popular amongst all martians, what about it made them so interested while earthlings didn't seem to like it all that much considering it was cancelled due to low ratings? 3) What were the cultures you pulled from in order to create martian culture? With mention of a caste system, I assume hinduism is one of them but I assume there are others 4) In season 3, Artemis had mentioned that they know the soul exists because of Secret, does this mean Artemis developed an interest/exploration of the concept of spirituality after meeting Spirit, or was it a belief she had prior? 5) This is an add on to the last question, but I assume it would count as a second question anyways. Does Artemis have any spiritual practices that she has developed or is it more of just a recognition? This last part isn't a question, but thank you, Brandon, and the entire YJ team again. I know some fans dislike it or even wish it wasn't part of the show, but personally I love the way the character's personal lives are incorporated into the show because it adds in a sense of realism that really helps build character
Greg responds...
1. If I understand your question correctly - and I'm not sure I do - then there is an Earth-16 version of real life people doing real life things.
2. It wasn't necessarily a huge M'arzz hit. But there's no Nielson ratings to confirm.
3. As you noted, the Indian caste system was an influence. Racism, in general, is an influence. But I don't want to imply any one to one relationship between Mars and any specific culture or nationality.
4. I don't think Artemis' knowing about the soul implies anything more than that, so your either/or question doesn't follow.
5. This, in essence, is a spoiler request.
Thanks for all your kinds words.
Anonymous writes...
1 How long has baazovi been an agent of the light?
2 Was Baazovi a part of the light before he became an ambassador for markovia?
Greg responds...
1. Long enough.
2. No spoilers.
Claire writes...
Was M'gann close to any of her green martian siblings growing up? Obviously not close currently since none were going to her wedding.
Greg responds...
Not particularly - or consistently.
Anonymous writes...
Hi Greg !
What does Zatanna think about Dick and Barbara relationship ? I mean what was her reaction when she learned it?
Greg responds...
Zatanna and Dick broke up long before he started dating Barbara. Zatanna and Barbara are friends, and Dick's super-power is getting along with his exes. So everyone is good with everyone.
Emory writes...
a) What is Ollie’s relationship with Roy and Will like right now?
b) Did Roy join school after he left the team?
c) Is Roy Native American in YJ as well?
Greg responds...
a. Pretty solid.
b. You're the second person today to ask me that. I haven't thought about it, strangely.
c. He might have some Native American ancestry, but generally, he's a white guy.
Natalie writes...
I seen a lot of people react to Will/Artemis subplot in Outsiders with visceral disgust. I thought it was an interesting way to tackle the theme of loss, and I wanted to ask a few questions.
1. How did you come up with it- and why Will, of all people?
2. How much does Lynn Stewart-Pierce know about Jade? Is she aware that Lian's mother is Artemis' sister?
I have to say I found Paula's approach to the whole issue in-character- she 's very traditional in certain ways. Lynn is lesser-known, but from what little's been seen of her, she doesn't strike me as traditional in the slightest. I can't imagine her being OK with Will dating/marrying the sister of his kid's mother unless she didn't know about the relationship.
Greg responds...
1. They were housemates. Such things happen.
2. Enough.
2a. Yes.
3. I think Lynn was being sympathetic toward two - as she perceived them - lonely people. She was, frankly, also being a little gossipy.
Dean Paterson writes...
How Old is Harper Row In Young Justice: Phantoms
Greg responds...
By the END of Team Year Ten, Harper Row is 18.
Anonymous writes...
Is it a coincidence that Megan and Harper both have the exact same number of freckles? Is it a conspiracy?
Greg responds...
A freak of nature. Or, you know, an art conceit.
Paco Cruz writes...
First at all, I gotta say thank you for creating this show, it’s amazing. I discovered this show pretty recently. It help a lot, I was diagnostic with cancer and since I had extra time in my hands, I decide to watch it. And let me tell you it help a lot. Now I cancer free. So mostly it’s a thank you note. Although I just have a question (I’m pretty sure that I hasn’t been asked before, I read like 300 question in the search for Zatanna. But then again, it might slipped) Is there any chance for Dick and Zee get back together? I really love their chemistry. Currently I have watched the first 2 episode of season 4. Sorry for my bad English. And thanks again. Hope you doing great.
Greg responds...
I'm very glad you're cancer-free. But I can't answer your question. It easily qualifies as a spoiler request, and I don't give out spoilers.
Verdragon writes...
Two questions, both on the overly specific subject of Martians stealing Earth TV.
1: Is J'onn basically pirating Earth television to send back to Mars? Like, are the execs running Space Trek seeing a large spike in their ratings from no discernable source?
2: J'onn says he's been bringing Earth TV to Mars for 60 years, has he been active on Earth as a superhero for that long?
Greg responds...
1. Technically, I suppose Martians are pirating the signal.
2. Since 1960, yes.
Marvelman writes...
I was recently about real-life bio-weapons that are being developed to target specific ethnicities. It was news to me! Were you aware of this when you conceptualized Desaad's bio-weapon at the end of "Needful"?
Greg responds...
I've heard it's theoretically possible. But, no, I have no inside knowledge.
Verdragon writes...
Is Infinity Inc. an actual business venture or was the Inc. part of its name just for the sake of making the group sound catchy?
Greg responds...
Can't it be both?
Nellie writes...
Hi Greg! So happy for season four!
A few questions:
You said here you didn't remember confirming if Bruce was Tim's legal guardian here (https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=24832). But you kinda did earlier in this reply (https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=17071). Any clarifications?
In reply to this question you state that Paula is half-Vietnamese, which would make Artemis and Jade a quarter Vietnamese (https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=21311). In pretty much every other questions, you've stated that Artemis and Jade are a half-Vietnamese, which would mean that Paula isn't mixed. Any clarifications on that front?
In True Heroes, it was stated that Tara was 15. In your reply in to this question (https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=24377), however, you stated that she was 16. Can we take we to mean she turned 16 sometime during the story?
Greg responds...
Nothing is canon, including what I write here, unless or until that it appears in canon media (episode, comics, video game, audio play). So, as for Tim: no spoilers. And as for Paula, at some point, I clearly had a reason to state that she was biracial. I honestly don't remember why, but I reserve the right to remember again at a later date.
Season Three began in Team Year Eight and ended in Team Year Nine. So, in True Heroes, she's 15. By the END of Team Year Nine, as clearly stated in the answer cited above, she's 16. But Season Three ended in February of Team Year Nine. All I'm saying is that she turned 16 by December of that year. I'm not saying which month her birthday is in.
Verdragon writes...
Do Markovia and Vlativa have parliaments and constitutions or are they actual monarchies where the royals are also heads of state?
Greg responds...
Both Markovia and Vlatava are constitutional monarchies.
Verdragon writes...
1. When exactly was Beast Boy's last trip to Mars, because he mentions having been there before at some point prior to M'comm taking on his Ma'alefa'ak persona, but it wasn't brought up previously.
2. Was the plot of "The Prize" based around who was available at the time to do the recording, or was it always planned to feature those characters specifically?
3. In-universe, why did Waller only send Tuppence on the mission to abduct Clayface rather than both her and Tommy?
4. Why are Martians shapeshifting into noted alien-hater G. Gordon Godfrey like they are the Outsiders? Do they just find his endless stream of hatred funny or is it to mock him?
Greg responds...
1. On screen, Aqualad assigned Beast Boy, Miss Martian and Superboy on a mission to Mars immediately after the end of Season Two.
2. Brandon and I came up with the basic story in advance. We asked a quantity of specific actors, and most - but not quite all - were available. So I cut those few unavailable actors' characters, which we had been planning to use, out of the script, as I was writing it. It was a very fast turnaround.
3. Reasons.
4. I'll leave that to your interpretation. But maybe different Martians have different reasons?
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