Superman: The Animated Series, Season 3, Episode 6: Absolute Power
Not one of my favourite episodes. It's an episode that's honestly comparable to several others in the DCAU's history, but Jax-Ur and Mala's return, having apparently reformed and taken over a planet as a pair of benevolent rulers... doesn't actually get presented right. Despite Jax-Ur's long PR speech, I never really buy for any second that the villains have reformed at all, or that the planet they've taken over are in any sort of an utopia. Whatever ethical conflict that Superman has for 'interfering' in the 'rightful' rule of Jax-Ur and Mala is absolutely banal, and the alien side-characters that end up taking Superman's side is likewise under-developed and one-dimensional. There could be an interesting story being told of Superman having to confront the fact that Jax-Ur's Marxist rule might actually be to the planet's benefit... but the show opted for the easy (and more child-friendly) out of having Jax-Ur and Mala be super-duper evil invaders all along. There's absolutely no choice that Superman has to make, because the two villains are evil, and it's smashy-smash time.
That said, the episode features a relatively unique Superman monologue at the beginning and end of the episode ("evil triumphs when good men do nothing"), and a pretty neat black hole battle and spaceships blowing up which is cool-looking if it doesn't completely salvage the episode. I really wished that if the moral of the episode was meant to be a critique on Superman standing still while empires rise, then they would actually show that, instead of the conflict presented by this episode.
Jax-Ur and Mala straight-up die this episode, though, being sucked into the black hole, which is surprising considering the relatively tame and deathless series this has been.
DC Easter Eggs Corner:
- Jax-Ur and Mala, of course, are homages to the Superman II versions of General Zod and Ursa, so we get several references there. Jax-Ur gets a ''kneel before me", and the Phantom Zone being torn apart by an energy explosion is a reference to how Team Zod were released in the movie.
- Sarah Douglas, the actual actress that played Ursa in Superman II, voices Mala for this episode.
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