#silver kryptonite leading to a Kryptonian of choice

[spectral-phases]

Ghosts and Danny Phantom With the JLA

Guys, guys, I like some DP x DC as much as the next person. It's fun. It's whimsical. There are many ✨️✨️opportunities✨️✨️ for trauma and whimsy. I'm not immune to the appeal.

But can we please, please stop with the whole "Only John Constantine knows how to deal with ghosts" or "the Justice League are government shills and wouldn't help Danny" or "The JL just straight up ignored Amity Park for bad reasons and made a kid fight all this stuff on his own."

Superman can hear a cry for help in the far reaches of the solar system and smell brownies baking from space and know exactly where they are from (ask not how smell travels from Earth's atmosphere and into a vacuum and into an air tight space station; nor how sound travels through the vacuum of space in real time for him. The rules of your so-called "physics" do not apply to him). Unless there were some serious shenanigans at play, he's hearing a call for help and answering (we don't have to recognize these feats as canon, they are quite silly, but his senses are very good).

(Superman/Batman 2008 #46) (He is under the effects of silver kryptonite here...which seems to act like weed to him. He has the munchies real bad and is craving some chocolate)

(Superman 1987 #204)

You wanna talk ghosts and Justice League, there's the ghost hero Boston Brand, aka Deadman, who Batman helped solve the murder of. He was a performer who knew Dick Grayson in the circus and died similarly to the Flying Graysons (his high-risk act was sabotaged) and the early Nightwing costume looks eerily similar to Deadman's. In some versions, Deadman helped Dick when he was learning how to do high-wire acts. Deadman just starts possessing people near an experienced Gotham Vigilante, or even Jim Gordon (Oh, yeah, Batman told me about you), and it might take a second but they're very quick on the uptake of speaking to Deadman now (Damian was not because he didn't know about Deadman yet). It's very casual for them.

(Blackest Night: Batman 2009 #1)

(Blackest Night: Batman 2009 #2)

The Speedsters can move so fast they can interact with ghosts and force them out from possessing them by using the Speed force:

(The Flash 2014 #28/#29)

Batman has dealt with so many ghosts he wouldn’t be phased by anything. He has developed ways to fight ghosts on his own with Nth metal batarangs.

(Batman Eternal 2014 #6)

Batman also treats with child ghosts kindly, multiple times. Ghosts of children being dealt with by Batman is a recurring event.

Traveling from Gotham to Austria specifically to let a spirit rest by offering her the heart of her murderer (who Batman did not kill, to be clear, he just acquired it from the corpse):

(Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 1989 #10)

The remains of a ghost of a girl that was going to be sacrificed to trap a demon in Gotham hundreds of years ago gets buried next to Bruce's parents like his sister:

(Batman 1940 #454)

Batman comforting the spirit of a child who has been possessing people and murdering people because he's angry about his death and not being able to be with his parents anymore:

(Batman: Gotham Knights 2000 #4)

Batman knows how to summon ghosts (Deadman here, to solidify him):

(Batman/Deadman: Death and Glory 1997 #1)

Ghosts in Gotham are so regular that Robins know how to check for traces of ectoplasm when dealing with the supernatural. It is on the checklist for confirming what bullshit they're dealing with today.

(DC Pride: Tim Drake Special 2022 #1)

Speaking of ghosts and Robins, did you know that one of Young Justice's first members after the founding three was Greta Hayes, aka Secret? She had several powers, including changing her form, but she initially couldn't pass through objects like a normal ghost.

(Young Justice: The Secret 1998 #1)

(Young Justice 1998 #7)

The government agency called the DEO (Department of Extranormal Operations), had been experimenting on her and asked them to find her and bring her back, but when they found her and she told them what was really going on, they told the DEO to get fucked and helped save other metas being held at the same facility Greta had been. And then she was a part of the team until she got brought back to life and could live normally as a civilian. Young Justice is hounded by APES (All Purpose Enforcement Squad) around the globe because they helped Secret.

(Young Justice 1998 #4)

In summary, the DC heroes would not say "oh, ghosts, yeah, you’re a prank caller, bye-bye." Or help the guys in white. Or for one goddamn second believe ghosts don’t have sentience. Or not be immediately seeing red over the "Anti-Ecto Control Act." Hell, when the JL is contacted by the DEO whining about Young Justice's involvement with Secret, Batman's very clear that he does not trust the DEO. I doubt Batman, of Gotham "every government official is dirty" City, would just trust the guys in white at all.

(Young Justice: The Secret 1998 #1)

Danny would not be some marvelously weird and super special guy to them. The ghosts in Danny Phantom are a little weird compared to ghosts normally seen in DC (being more tangible, physical, and powerful), but it's not mind blowing or impossible to wrap their heads around (new species of ghost they have to learn about). He would just be another kid hero, ghost king au or not. Captain Marvel is a 14 year old boy who can look like a guy in his 30s through the 'Wisdom of Solomon.' Martian Manhunter can fly and turn invisible and shape-shift (and read minds). They have fought the concept of Death itself, Nekron, and an army of undead:

(Blackest Night 2009 #8)

Like yes, they would like to help Danny, ofc, and they would be upset if he had been captured and tortured, obviously, but nothing he could say would phase them in an earth-shattering way, alright? So many heroes and villains have died and come back to life. They've been tortured and hurt. They're just going to trauma share with Danny ("yeah, that reminds me of the time..." or "Oh, that sounds like something so and so talked about..."). They aren't going to cower before the Ghost King, or whatever title he has in the ghost king au.

You cannot have Danny be young enough to be equal to any of the Teen Titans/Young Justice and have him be this super weird thing to them. You cannot have a fully formed Justice League and have them ignore calls for help from Amity Park. It's just. It's not how they work.

Justice League Dark, the supernatural/occult branch of the JLA, is led by Wonder freaking Woman in some instances, and do you think this warrior woman who squares up with any conquering god on the regular with her god/spirit-containing Lasso of Truth is going to ignore Danny/Amity Park for "safety"? Pfffft. Nope. Pariah Dark pops up and she wants to get tagged in on the fight. Hell, she's tagging herself in for the fight.

(Wonder Woman 2016 #62) (She is trash-talking Ares, God of War, on how to use her Lasso of Truth. I love her so much.)

(Wonder Woman 1942 #607) (oh, look, her being kind to a dead spirit of a dangerous creature her allies want dead)

Justice League Dark also has the Spectre, the avenging angel of God (yes, that God. Judeo-Christian God, aka The Presence). The Spectre is a spirit, so the most powerful ghost they know.

(Detective Comics 1937 #1006) (Notice, how Batman does not give a singular flying fuck about how strong the Spectre is while arguing against the Spectre's Old Testament style vengeance?)

If you wanna go the route of Amity Park being ignored, you need to get creative with it. There was a period of time where Lex Luthor was president trying to outlaw being a superhero and Amanda Waller was in charge of the DEO, and so you can have them do some bullshit that Vlad can even get in on to isolate Amity Park, maybe that's when the Anti-Ecto Acts became a thing because Lex and Waller are meanaces. Hell, maybe even the Reality Gauntlet or DC magic using villains are the deus ex here. Or weird timeline shit after Clockwork fixes things in a Glitch in Time and the worlds are suddenly merged and believe they always were originally. Or. Maybe it's Clockwork meddling trying to mold Danny for a ghost king au. There are limitless possibilities that don't involve making the JL complete assholes/incompetent morons in ways they never would be.

There's even room for funny shenanigans. The Bat of whatever team meets Danny is told "the ghost boy in Amity is violent and dangerous" and they're suddenly there trying to help him solve his murder so he can move on and Danny’s just "???"

Maybe the guys hounding Young Justice for Secret are actually the GIW. Maybe the facility she was in had files on Danny too. Maybe Clark, Conner, Jon, or Kara get hit with silver kryptonite and track down the Fenton residence for fudge. Maybe that's how they break through whatever is shielding Amity from the world, a Kryptonian got sent to space on a silver kryptonite trip. Idfk. Bring the whimsy into it. Please. I'm so tired of the "you left us to rot because you thought we were joking" posts.

Please. Just some whimsy. Or some creativity. Or just blame it all on Clockwork. I beg of you. You can have your angst, god knows we need our angst, but just don't destroy the DC characters in the process. They're so much fun, and have such rich histories, and ghosts have been such a long standing part of their world that I would appreciate that not being ignored, even if canon is a sandbox and you can do whatever you want. I'm just tired of it, especially since some of these things predate the Justice League itself.

[sarksarkos]

Supergirl '60: Sometimes You Can Have Nice Things

I had to take some time off from this weird comic blog thingy due to some personal stress. It's fortunate that the next few comics on my to-do list are some genuinely sweet comics about Supergirl, who is one of my favorite characters. Welcome to the gutters!

Yes, sometimes, comics are about people you like having a nice time, and then you read them and go "oh, that's nice. Good for them!" As much as I rib on these comics for their storytelling choices, a lot of the appeal of Superman comics of this era is a sense of honest, good-hearted fun. These aren't life-or-death struggles, they're just characters who enjoy each other's company having a good time.

The Supergirl story from Action Comics #267 is the first encounter between Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes. Like they did with Superboy back when they first appeared, they play a few games with her beforehand, performing a few clandestine feats out of costume and hinting that they know her secret identity.

After a little fun, the Legionnaires reveal themselves as being Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad, the three founders of the Legion of Super-Heroes. In the original published version of the story, they identify themselves as the children of the original founders, using Marty McFly logic, but later reprints would change that part of the story. It's an interesting bit of story because they don't retcon it away, they just pretend it never happened.

The Legion invite Supergirl to visit the future with them and see all the wonders of the 30th century. It's meant to be a fully automated utopia where labor is obsolete, but judging by their ice cream technology, our standards of living have taken a nosedive. Only nine flavors in the year 2960? Baskin-Robbins had more than that in 1949! I mean, okay, they're space flavors, and I am interested to see how they gave ice cream the flavor of a planet hot enough to melt lead, but still.

Supergirl and the audience are introduced to Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, and Invisible Kid, three long-time members of the team. The Legion is still very functionalist, with the characters not having much development beyond their unique abilities. In fact, they don't even do anything in this story besides show off their abilities once each. I'm reasonably sure that Colossal Boy is the first superhero with the power to embiggen himself, which would be interesting if he actually did anything with it.

Supergirl passes her super-initiation test by digging a tunnel through the earth, but gets rejected because a lump of Red Kryptonite causes her to age into an adult. That is barely a disqualifying factor for Jury Duty let alone a team of superheroes. Then again, they are kids, and nothing's more sacred than "no adults in the secret club."

I haven't mentioned Red Kryptonite before, because it's the kind of comic book element I dislike. Each lump of Red Kryptonite has a different effect on Kryptonians that are exposed to it. The effects could be anything from shrinking to uncontrolled hair growth to turning into an ant-man. Each effect is temporary and each lump only works once. I'm not fond of it because it's such a naked plot device with no internal logic or consistency. I think Smallville did it best by giving it a standard effect of lowering a Kryptonian's inhibitions, but its more common form has been left in the Silver Age where it belongs.

Nevertheless, Supergirl would go on to join the Legion, in a much better story.

Action Comics #270 gives us the story "Supergirl's Busiest Day," which is exactly what it says on the tin. She does everything a supergirl could possibly get up to. This comic shows Supergirl's impulsive side and her yearning for adventure. Superman was already settling into his persona as Clark Kent, a man with the personality of a display mannequin, but Supergirl was young and vital and wanted to be out saving the world and having adventures.

This day, while Superman is off on a space adventure, Supergirl is responsible for the safety of the earth and all her friends. And my god, her friends just cannot stay saved. Krypto goes off on a walkabout in space and gets trapped by an alien dog catcher. Atlantis is under attack by an evil merman with a magic trident. Batman and Robin have a cave-in and are slowly running out of oxygen. Supergirl has to handle all of that while keeping her existence a secret, and by the end even she's getting exhausted.

Once Supergirl comes back to Earth, he calls Supergirl to the Fortress of Solitude, and the poor girl is worried that after all her hard work she's going to get super-grounded. But nope, it turns out that everyone in the comic was taking part in a big show to give her a day of adventure, and why? Because it's her birthday! Everyone gets together to have a big party with a statue and super-gifts and a cake the size of a small car.

This is the kind of twist that these comics use, like, every other issue or so. The protagonist goes through a series of bizarre events, and it's revealed that it was just a big hoax set up by somebody - usually Superman - without their knowledge. Sometimes and it's all a big laugh at their expense, or some kind of patronizing attempt to keep them out of the loop, or a complicated rigamarole to avoid a ten-minute conversation. This story works for me because it's a twist on the twist. They're not trying to prank Supergirl or hide important information from her, they're going to great lengths to make her feel celebrated. It's still an improbable amount of effort and a flimsy excuse for a narrative payoff, but it leaves a better taste in my mouth so I'm willing to cut it some slack for that.

Until next time!

[delicioushologramperson]

@elvesandlanterns I developed it more!

Kryptonite Bait

Who knew that having people out to get you could be so profitable?

Billy's life had gotten much more comfortable ever since he had started to trade all these neat looking rocks he kept finding around the sites of his fights as Captain Marvel. 

Every week, like clockwork. Some new hopeful villain would ask for him through the restaurant he used as a point of contact. He would always get two meals out of them. The first to start negotiations, which would end with the buyer leaving with a quest to bring back through peaceful means whatever useful things Billy had decided on that day. After all, they didn't want to garner the dear Captain's attention too early did they? The second meal was to seal the deal, after which Billy, who kept his stock in that neat looking lead box he was given by a kind old lady, would give them whichever rock they wanted to try to use on Captain Marvel. 

And every week, like clockwork, some new hopeful villain would get delivered to a cell, and then the cycle would start all over again, because Billy was more often than not there before the police could get the chance to secure the scene.

Solomon said that considering his choice of using glamours, very useful these, and his refusal of mortal money, as he had no accounts to his name, plus hundred dollar bills weren't safe to pay with for a street kid, many probably thought that he was a fae of some kind.

Mercury, roman god of financial gain, commerce, eloquence, messages, communication (including divination), travelers, boundaries, luck, trickery, and thieves, was having a blast.

Billy hadn't started this with the goal of pleasing a divinity, but he was hardly going to complain about having the favor of one of his Patrons.

---

On Clark's behalf after Superman saw something concerning happen in Fawcett during monitoring duty at the Watchtower, Bruce decided to take a look around.

---

"Captain Marvel, were you aware of the appearance of a new black market in your city?"

"Mr Batman, sir, many disappearing professions are going strong in Fawcett; apprenticeships are common; we have a reputation for making convincing fake antiques because the traditional knowledge that was used to make the originals is still easily available, the old machines and tools needed for it included. The market for imitations is booming. And that's just what is popular on the mundane side. You will have to be a little bit more specific."

"I am talking about the fact that Fawcett currently has more kryptonite in circulation than Metropolis. I am hoping you might give me an explanation that doesn't revolve around "a fae did it"." 

Clark didn't need a mirror to know that he had gone several shades paler than his natural skin tone.

"Oh, that's easy! We have no Lex Luthor there to outbid everyone else, and people like Dr Sivana never shared that magic was the way to go with me! Most newbies are under the impression that I am a kryptonian, so I get pelted with rocks regularly! I almost feel like a Christmas decoration sometimes with how colored they tend to be! It goes green, red, green, blue, green, red, green, silver, green and then it keeps going! I even saw orange, pink and periwinkle a few times! The white one was the worst though! It wasn't enchanted, and yet that thing killed all the plants around it for some reason! It ruined a whole backward! I had to isolate it magically and then bring it to the Rock of Eternity!"

"You don't sound concerned." Bruce very much did.

"Should I? It keeps kryptonite contained in an area where neither Superman or Lex Luthor are likely to go. It also reduces the risk of first time villains stumbling on something that actually works against me or researching magic for nefarious purposes. Where is the harm?"

"What if it leaves the city?"

"I got the same fist sized piece of luminous green rock thrown at me on seventeen different occasions. It got into the police evidence locker three times that I know about and vanished within twenty-four hours each time. Pretty sure I am kryptonite bait at this point."

What if villains keep throwing enough kryptonite and other very interesting rocks and stuff at Captain Marvel, because they think he is a kryptonian like Superman, that Billy is becoming responsible for the creation of a black market of such things in Fawcett.

Not that he is aware of it. He just know that he can get useful things if he trade the pretty rocks he keep finding around the sites of his fights as Captain Marvel.

The people he trade with think he is a fae of some kind because he doesn't ask for money (doesn't have the accounts for what they offert and walking around with that many bills just doesn't feel safe) and use glamours (from spells and/or objects).

Mercury is having a blast with this Champion.

Fawcett end up with more kryptonite in circulation than Metropolis, because there is no Lex Luthor there to outbid everyone else, and people like Dr Sivana never shared that magic was the way to go with Captain Marvel.

So the new hopeful villains of the week buy kryptonite from Billy, who keep his stock in that neat looking lead box he was given by a kind old lady, try to use it on Captain Marvel, get arrested, and then the cycle start all over again because Billy is more often than not there before the police can get the chance to secure the scene.

Batman and Superman try to talk to Captain Marvel about it, only to get asked (thanks Solomon) why he would put a stop to something that not only keep kryptonite contained in an area where neither Superman or Lex Luthor are likely to go, but also reduce the risk of first time villains stumbling on something that actually work against him or researching magic for nefarious purposes.

[sueboohscorner]

#Supergirl S2 Finale Recap & Review Ep 222 "Nevertheless, She Persisted" #Supergirlfinale

Episode grade: 9

When we last saw Supergirl, she was under attack from her more-famous cousin aboard the Daxamite mothership. By way of explanation, Queen Rhea the Smug reminds Kara that Daxam is littered with the detritus of Krypton, which means they have an abundant source of Kryptonite. The variety she's using on Superman is silver, and it's affecting his mind, causing him to hallucinate a battle with Zod. (On Smallville, silver K caused Clark to experience vivid paranoid delusions, so I appreciate the consistency, even though I know the two series are not actually in a shared continuity.)

The fight is really good, too. Comic book fans are used to seeing some pretty thin explanations for why two heroes are suddenly punching each other, but this one is solid, so I'm feeling respected as a fan. Ultimately, Kara triumphs, then collapses in exhaustion.

When they both awaken, Superman makes it very clear that the silver K only affected his mind, not his body; Kara beat him for real, at his full strength.

Because Superman's in town, it would be wrong not to at least talk about Lex Luthor. Lillian visits Lena to deliver Lex's unfinished symphony of anti-Kryptonian tech. She suggests to Lena that while Lex never got it working, Lena might be able to complete his work, reconfiguring it to affect Daxamites instead of Kryptonians. "You could be the Luthor who saved the world," Lillian tempts her.

At DEO headquarters, Supergirl and Superman make a grand entrance. Winn and Superman have an endearing interaction, as Winn clearly hopes to be remembered from last time, and Superman comes through with a compliment and a charming "good to see you again," only to leave Winn blushing and stammering. 

Kara introduces her cousin to her boyfriend, and it's a sweet moment, with Mon-El clarifying that he's a Daxamite, but "not like the killy ones."

Kara asks Winn to open a channel to the mothership, and she challenges Rhea to a traditional duel. Kara is the champion of Earth; Rhea represents Daxam. If Kara wins, Rhea and her forces have to leave the planet. Mon-El is really not happy with this plan, because he knows Kara isn't a murderer, and his mother definitely is. 

Kara and Clark go off to visit Cat Grant, who, as you may recall, has a deep and unabashed affinity for Clark. They ask Cat to help with the DEO's efforts to clear the area so the duel won't cause civilian casualties, including overeager media. (Although...couldn't they just not hold the duel in the heart of downtown National City? I admit that feels a little strange to me.)

Cat hilariously asks their help intervening with James' alter-ego, because she's worried he'll get himself killed, playing superhero without any superpowers. She tries to use Star Wars references like, "punching out bad guys like he's Darth Vader," and "get killed by a lifesaver." When they correct her on these points, she breezily says she's never seen a Star Wars movie. It's a fun bit, especially because Calista Flockhart is married to Han Solo himself!

Meanwhile, Lena is a hero, so she reaches out to Supergirl about the device she's working on. Supergirl and Superman go to see her and Lillian to learn more. Lena explains it will make the planet uninhabitable to all Daxamites, then asks Supergirl if she knew that Kara Danvers was dating Mon-El. (Agh, Lena, how do you not know??? This is the one part I just don't buy.) Supergirl gives Lena the go-ahead to prep their Plan B, and Winn is dispatched to help Lena with the work.

Kara and Rhea meet for the duel, and Rhea demands that Supergirl swear again to honor the agreement about the duel, and Supergirl says, "On my honor." And now I'm a little confused about honor, because there have been all these wacky moments when Supergirl's sense of honor is so overblown that she rages at Mon-El's lie about his past or she risks her life to offer Rhea a chance to surrender...but now, she's flat-out lying while invoking honor. We know she's lying, because Lena's working on Plan B, with Supergirl's blessing. So...I don't know about this "on my honor" business. Is it meant to indicate that Supergirl has learned there's a time when lying is appropriate? I just don't know.

Not that it matters, of course, because Rhea has zero honor, and we all know it. She starts having her ships and soldiers attack the city, because it distracts and distresses Supergirl, and because if she can't have this place, then no one can. 

Superman and J'onn exchange an oath, "Stronger together!" and head into the city to join the fight. (I really appreciate these moments of outspoken feminism and support. Every time they reference Hillary Clinton, my heart swells and aches a bit.) Mon-El goes to help protect the people. M'gann shows up with a bunch of White Martians who share her path of peace.

Lillian is eager to just turn on the device as soon as it's ready, but Lena reveals that she saw this coming and gave the activation control to Supergirl; only Supergirl will make this decision.

Rhea's long-term exposure to the Kryptonite on Daxam has caused her blood to become toxic to Kara; one good punch that breaks the skin, and Supergirl is in trouble! Still, Supergirl is strong and resolute; she's doing well in the fight, but it's clear that Rhea's instructions to her army were of the scorched-earth variety. The Daxamites are not going to leave peacefully, no matter what. Mon-El nods to Kara, knowing she has to activate the device.

Because Mon-El has been here so much longer, he's got a little time before the effects would be fatal. Rhea turns to dust within moments, and good riddance to that bitch. Kara calls Alex to pull the Kryptonite pod out of storage and get it ready, so they can get Mon-El off-world before it's too late.

Now, as a fan of DC Comics, I've always known that Mon-El was going to have to leave because of lead in our atmosphere. But knowing it all along doesn't make it any easier to watch, and that's because of Chris Wood. He's been such a wonderful part of this show all year. Charming, effortlessly likable, hilarious, and so good in these more intense moments, too. I hope he sticks around The CW, because I watch almost every show on this network, so I have a good chance of seeing him again soon.

I appreciate that the show made time to share my pain, as my eyes were filled with tears. Superman is the first to offer his condolences, admitting to Kara that he's not sure he could have made the selfless choice she just made; if he had to sacrifice Lois to save the world, he might fail that test. He tells her again that she's truly the stronger of them.

Alex talks to Kara next, and afterward, she immediately proposes to Maggie, because life's too short, and love is everything.

Kara visits Cat again, and Cat delivers another inspiring pep talk. After Kara leaves the room, Cat calls her Supergirl...so, she does know, I guess, which makes sense...but Lena doesn't? Anyway...

Lillian takes credit publicly for vanquishing the Daxamite invasion. Since the DEO is a secret organization, they probably can't offer any contradictory evidence. At least maybe Lena will continue to distrust her vicious mom, who took the role of "the Luthor who saved the world" for herself after all!

In the Kryptonian pod, Mon-El is zooming through space, then gets sucked through a wormhole! I 100% predict he's being sent to the future, where he will become a member of the Legion of Superheroes.

Finally, we go back in time to the destruction of Krypton again, and this time, there is a third pod revealed as having launched after Kal-El's and Kara's. The people surrounding the pod are all very creepy with black hooded robes, skull emblems on the walls, and a general ominous vibe. We can't see the baby-shaped thing they're loading into the pod, but we do see one of the caretakers feed it a drop of blood from her finger.

I'm predicting the Season 3 villain is Doomsday. Any other guesses? And will everyone miss Mon-El as much as I will?

[mewatchingtv]

Supergirl Season 2 Episode 22 "Nevertheless, She Persisted" Review

Supergirl challenges Rhea to battle to save National City. Meanwhile, Superman returns and Cat Grant offers Supergirl some sage advice.

This was a really great and entertaining episode that did a really good job for a season finale at wrapping everything up from the season and bringing everything in from start to end. I loved the beginning fight scene between Supergirl and Superman especially with the introduction of silver kryptonite that makes the person affected see their worse enemy so Superman thought he was fighting Zod instead of Supergirl. All the preparation for the fight between Rhea and Supergirl was very interesting to see all of what Kara did to try and make it a fair fight and set things up just in case she lost. But with that, it was a little annoying that neither side of the fight stuck to the rules about not proceeding with their attacks until the fight was over. The moments between Lena and Lillian were very interesting with Lena still hating her mother and her mother starting to believe that maybe Lena is the better candidate to help in her quest to destroy any alien life over Lex. But I did like how when Lena was given the weapon that could destroy Supergirl and Superman she decided to change it so that it could work for there current fight where the machine would case out into the atmosphere a high amount of lead instead of kryptonite. I was interesting how they had an underlining choice that Kara had to make where she had to choose between saving the people of earth or the man she loves Mon-El. Then the ending was really great with Kara still working through her heartbreak but still wanting to stick to her underlining instinct to go out and be Supergirl. And just overall this was a really great episode and I can't wait to see what the next season might bring especially with what the ending teased with an evil Kryptonian living on earth all these years like Clark.