Man, Sasha's out here introducing us to all these criminally (heh, pun) underused supervillainesses. And it makes me wonder why we never get to see Kara fight her own villains anymore. She's either fighting Clark's or getting involved in personal drama...or being a Red Lantern that one time. Give Kara her own rouges gallery again!
The sad part is the Red Lantern phase ended up treated just like that in the comic itself...just a phase. Seriously by the end it honestly felt like the characters were just waiting for her to move past it, and not treating it like the seemingly irreversible change it was for most everyone else who becomes a Red Lantern.
I always joke that all of Supergirl's female villains wanted to take her place, and all of her male villains wanted to marry her. It's an exaggeration, but not by much. I suppose it reflects what the editors at the time thought young girls were concerned about: romance and status. Agreed that Black Flame needs a comeback, and also that her "fake" pirate queen background was cooler than her real one.
Lesla and Zora's relationship is interesting. Everyone says they were friends, yet given Lesla's all-about-me attitude (whereas Zora's just dramatic) and how Zora always talks about idolizing her I'd assume it was an uneven relationship. This is complicated by Lesla taking Zora's name, suggesting there's a mutual care between them. Also, I love how meta the surname situation is. Zora gets Lesla's last name to enhance their established connection but in-story it was Lesla who took Zora's name to explain her lack of patronym.
honestly, its biggest problems were its clunky dialog, overly complicated stories, and godawful release format. If the seasons were 13-9 episodes, or even 6 episodes, and they streamlined the story without talking down to the audience, it actually could've been good.
The Supergirl rouges gallery's biggest problem seems to be that they only get a couple of appearances before being forgotten. DC should really think about bringing some of these weirdos back and building them up a bit as serious recurring enemies. Oh, and "Nasty" Luthor retrospective please?
With him being so popular in the Round Robin, I'm absolutely begging you to do a video on Superboy. Whenever a Superboy shows up in a story I'm always like "Is this Jon? Conner? Young Superman? Didn't Superboy become Superman? Which is the one who punched reality so bad Jason came back? Which is the Legion of Heroes one and how? Most importantly, which one had the groovy spiky jacket??"
@ wow neato I can explain 98% of that, or, you can wait for Sasha’s version, which would be far more entertaining. Suffice it to say, the Pocket Universe Sagas are my all time favorite Superboy stories. I wish DC would do a collected edition, as they are tough to get issues for people to read.
Jon is Superman's biological son. Conner is a clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor. Young Superman would be the Superboy comics from the golden age. Yes, recently Jon has taken up the mantle of Superman. The Superboy from Earth-Prime is the one that punched reality (He's just a version of Clark Kent from another reality). Jon is the one from the Legion of Heroes.
@@lagvaldemag8593 It's sorta both. He is actually Kal-El but the universe he's in doesn't have any actual superheroes and Superman was just a comic character. He was teleported to New England when Naomi and Jerry Kent found him and named him Clark. He was made fun of growing up because he had the same name as superman but he took it in stride. Then after he found out about his powers Crisis on infinite earths happened before he got angsty in Infinite crisis and punched reality.
3:30 Actually, in issue Amazing Spider-man 39 and 40, where Green Goblin reveals himself to Peter Parker for the first time, that’s exactly what happens! Norman’s just going on and on, and Peter is not really interested at all, but he was hoping that if Norman just kept talking, he could figure out a way to escape.
Funny to think that people sending letters in decades ago might still be around to see their letters read aloud on a world wide computer network...Who knew??
That Bob Rozakis knows his stuff. Maybe 19070's DC should give him a job... Wasn't Lois's son in that imaginary story where she married Lex someone who went on to become a space criminal? Now we have the ominverse, he and Black Flame can join forces and become omniversal space pirates. I'd buy that for $3.99
Marvel used to give 'No-Prizes' to letter writers who pointed out errors AND offered logical explanations. Bob Rozakis, when he later worked for DC, did that as the Answer Man in the Daily Planet pages of comics in the 70s. It's funny to see him writing in as a fan-boy.
Sasha, never, ever again, leave some content at the end because you think the video ran too long. You´re the Godess of Comics. None of us are ever tired of a single part of your videos. We want it all!!!!
1:53 There was also a story in the Bronze Age where a STAR Labs employee creates something that makes everyone in Metropolis afraid of water, so Superman drains all the water from Metropolis. It was nicknamed “Thirsty Thursday” in the future.
I like when the hero and villain have no personal connection. "He killed my uncle's cockatoo, Now it's personal!" is overused these days. To me it removes some of the virtue from being the hero. It makes it seem like they wouldn't have done anything if they hadn't been directly impacted. One of my favorite hero/villain combos is Corbin Dallas and Zorg in 5th Element. They never even meet!
I feel like Black Flame was the prototype for Reign from the Supergirl TV series. No Prate Ancestry, Super Robots, Future Fillings, Anniversary Pee Covers we’re harmed or retconned in the making of said episodes. And didn’t Bob Rozakis end up working for DC Comics later on? Plus: Kryptonite Balls!?! No way that would make the E. Nelson Birdwell cut! Still, that was my favorite Supergirl uniform, and my favorite MiiiiiiikeSekowsky! Even if they glossed over Comets rampage, or Kara’s need to be liked in the future, where TH-cam comments are a thing of the past. Sass that, Rozakis…
I actually love your idea for bringing back pirate queen Blackflame! It's really a shame that they don't utilise more of these villains, every hero deserves their own rogues gallery. Also, can we just show some respect for how awesome Sasha's repertoire of character voices is?
I have to say thank you to you Sasha because you brighten my day a little bit when you upload. It was really helpful to me last March when my dog had just passed away. She was a very important part of my life. As most peoples pets are. But what made her special to me was that she was a “miracle dog “ when we first got her she had complications with her brain and the vet gave her a diagnosis of about 20% chance to live if even that high. She ended up pulling through and living another 8-9 years. Until last year when we found out she has cancer and they gave us a similar odds. I knew she could pull through and she did. But sadly died 2 weeks later in my arms. I was very upset and the people around me were very loving and supportive. But on top of that I had your videos and those always cheered me up. I’ve come to another point in my life where I have to say a sad goodbye and here are your videos again. So thank you
The Pirate thing could work really well. A greyish kryptonian path could work well as well. Could even have her a kinda redemption arc where she goes from villain to anti hero. Having for some reason or another take the place of Supergirl or maybe even Superman or both in protecting earth while they're gone. Have her fail, feel conflicted, struggling with the weight of things and the decisions she has to make, whether to try to be like the other supes, maybe think about going injustice and Zod like for the sake of everyone on Earth. If given a decent introduction through a tie in comic she could be given an opportunity to truly become a great character and maybe even a staple. A darker counterpart to the main supes but still on the side of good or at least not evil.
The Desperado Dame would of been a better fit than the Maid of Menace, it fits the whole pirate theme more… Also there a Leprechaun villain in DC, I want an obscure retrospective please :)
Yarr har fiddle dee dee Being a pirate is alright to be Do what you want cause a pirate is free Yarr har! Wind at your black flame wherever you go! Blue space above and blue skies below You are a pirate!
Need more Legion of Super-Heroes content! How about commenting on the convoluted Kara/Brainiac Five pairing? Or the tragically brief life of Ferro Lad?
Wait … was that snarky letter from DC’s own Answer Man Bob Rozakis? Was that a stepping stone for him on his way to becoming a DC Comics editor? Or was he already an editor and calling out a co-worker in a public letters column? Harsh.
OK, I think I have come up with a moderately brilliant way to bring the Black Flame pirate queen future back into actual canon, while retaining some of the existing flavor of the character. Hear me out. So, Black Flame is reintroduced into modern comics, and at first, it's essentially a retelling of this story. Black Flame shows up, boasts to Supergirl about how she's a pirate queen from the future and a descendant of hers; Supergirl checks on... wait... is Kandor around at the moment? Oh, well, whatever the current enclave of surviving Kryptonians is; there always seems to be one these days. (Anyway, this could also be in spin-off media, so I'll just keep it as Kandor.) She goes to Kandor to see if anyone's missing, and discounts the possibility of Zora Vi-Lar - but here's where the first changes comes in. First, Zora is not just a friend, but an actual sister of Lesla-Lar - and second, Kara doesn't just see her at work on a view-screen, she actually meets her, and she's perfectly nice and sweet - no ill-feeling towards Supergirl at all. Zora loved her sister, but she was a bad seed; she's got no desire to avenge her, and the name 'Black Flame' rings no bells at all. Ah, but there could still be trickery, the reader will say - and so it seems, at first, since Supergirl again goes into the future, and they've never heard of Black Flame, and she's remembered and revered as a great hero. But evidence keeps piling up that it couldn't POSSIBLY be Zora, which finally culminates in Black Flame actually kidnapping Zora, and removing her mask right before Supergirl's eyes - and they're the spitting image of each other. Almost no difference; she and Black Flame could be twins. But how can this be? Simple, cackles Black Flame - 'I said I was a pirate queen from the future, and the descendant of Supergirl. I told you the truth - but I never said I was a descendant of YOU'. So here's what is ACTUALLY the case: Black Flame is a result of branching realities. She's from the dimension where Lesla-Lar really DID become Supergirl, for keeps, long enough to form a dynasty - she's Lesla's descendant, not Kara's; she and Zora look alike because, by one dimensional remove, they're family. In that dimension's future, the first Supergirl is remembered as a great hero who went bad, and Black Flame, as a pirate, reveres her ancient ancestor for the legacy of crime and conquest that she's always tried to live up to. However, her rivals exiled her here, to an alternate reality and past where the whole timeline that created her never existed - so she's going to MAKE it happen. Lesla-Lar isn't available, so she's going to brainwash Zora, kill Kara, and have Zora replace her as Supergirl, and turn to crime. Then Black Flame will go far into the future of the resulting timeline, team up with her inevitable Kryptonian pirate queen counterpart, and, with her help and backing, invade her own timeline to rule again! Bwahahaha! Naturally, it doesn't work. Kara stops her and sends her to the Phantom Zone; Zara goes back home, and the legacy of Supergirl remains untainted. But the Black Flame is still out there, scheming to break loose and regain power, and in the meantime, Zora - who, let's not forget, is a brilliant scientist - did get just a TOUCH of the brainwashing before she was released, and is starting to get some odd and disturbing ideas...
I want black flame to come back but this time her fake backstory of being an evil space queen descended from supergirl is real. I think that would be such an interesting dynamic and could bring so much conflict. Also it’s not unrealistic to think that if Kara and Clark start a line of superpower children, one of them is eventually going to be evil and abused their powers.
fun fact, in a superman and batman elseworlds comic that details their entire lives, superman has a son and daughter and the son is evil and powerless.
11:45 the first thing that flashed in my mind was the"Klingon Death Scream"!!! Haven't seen STNG since it was on the air. It was one of the coolest things I had ever seen Worf joining in to warn the next life a Klingon warrior is coming.🤣 Metal!
I love Heart of Glory so much, it's such a good episode. It's the first time you really see how different Worf is culturally from other Klingons, and also the bigotries still in place since the peace is still relatively newish. However, it's also nuanced cause those Klingons do turn out to be sus. The struggle he has to go through in that episode. It's so good! People give season 1 of TNG a lot of flak but there are some solid episodes.
I hope you have Starfire (no... not that Starfire and no not the other one) on your list of hit-and-run-never-to-return Supergirl villains from Mike Sekowsky's run. She came across as a bargain basement Dr. Cyber... but she had that fancy bedazzled eye-patch.
We NEED a "Kryptonian Bad Girls in the Phantom Zone!" spin-off! Also, isn't Black Flame's first panel shot a duplicate of the Magical Super-Girl's cover appearance? Nice shout-out, if so...
Black Flame"s fake yet prefect backstory really feels similar to the Red King from the House of El Future State story and now I want to see the two of them team up and talk about how they're totally cooler the rest of the family because evil.
Loved all of your amazing content from this channel, it helped me learn a lot. If you don't mind, I have a recommendation for a video: either the history of the Hobgoblin in Marvel Comics and how so many people have taken the mantle, or (A personal favorite of mine) the time Spider-Man beat Hobgoblin when he was super drunk. Please make a video on this if you can, the world NEEDS to know!
They could just have the same origin but she goes and becomes a real pirate queen. But I like the fact it's a fake out. Feels like commentary that people would just believe a villains origin.
Lesla's obsession for Kara in my opinion worked better with Lelsa essentially seeming more irrational over over it whilst showing the magnitude of Kara's influence both good and this case bad on people. It reminds me of the fighting game approach in reverse where villians who committed acts in the story introducing characters that were victim to their actions aiming to get back whilst the perpetrators were ignorant of the impact they caused.
I think I'm correct in saying Adventure Comics #400 is the original Streaky's last appearance in a pre-Crisis publication, barring reprints. Although technically he's a robot imposter in that tale, so his genuine last appearance is #398.
Just wanted to point out that the second letter writer you cited, Bob Rozakis went on to write and edit at DC from the late 1970's to the early 1990's. He would go on to write a number of stories for Superman and Superman Family characters under Schwartz & Bridwell. I wonder if they remembered the letter from the kid who told them "Imagen what I'll do if I really like an issue."
Personally not feelin Black Flame , except for Her Costume ( without the mask) Your Wig & Black Top are Perfect for this video 👍🏾 Going to leave it to Silver Age Madness… I Hope Your not done with Merpeople, I’d Luv the Aquaman taking His shot at Mermaid Lois video…Keep Up The Outstanding Work Sasha 🖖🏾
If Lesla & Zora came back and both went for their Supergirl related goals Lesla would be cosplaying Supergirl whilst Zora's cosplaying a space pirate queen. That just sounds beautifully whacky to me.
Black Flame is probably the most iconic of Supergirl's obscure villains at the time given how many appearances outside of Supergirl's comics she had. It feels like they wanted to make her into something but it wouldn't stick between changing creative teams.
Silver age was so crazy. I mean could Kara maybe consult with Kal (or vice versa) about all these Kandor problems as they come up? Also Kandor seriously needs to stop stalk-watching the Super cousins so much, and pay more attention to the evil scientists they are raising. And why call herself Black Flame? Name seems kinda random. Great job as usual Sasha! keep em coming!🥰
Supergirl has quite a few villains with variations of "black" and "flame" in their names: Black Flame, Starfire, Night Flame, Blackstarr... All great and completely different characters that can't be used in stories too close together to avoid confusion.
@@BrandonVout I hadn't realized that she didn't get along with Starfire! But now you've got me wondering... Did she ever go up against Captain Marvel's, Black Atom?
@@CieJe.Alexander Different Starfire. DC had a bunch of characters with that name at the time. Supergirl's Starfire was a crime boss with a jewel for her eye that had hypnotic powers. I believe she went up against Black Adam but I can't remember a specific story.
21:15 LMAO you really called out that boy’s taste. Now that I remember, covers during that era usually showed Kara in peril so I guess they must have clicked with the readers xD
Cover design follows clickbait rules. Show heroes in peril or acting like jerks to build curiosity and maybe follow through. Also, covers with monkeys or gorillas on them sold much better to the point DC had to put a limit on how many "monkey issues" they could release in a month or literally every cover artist would draw them on every issue (this is why DC has so many gorilla villains from that era).
@@BrandonVout Yeah that's part of it but I've also seen comparisons in blogs and stuff that show peril covers featuring heroines were much more prominent than such covers for male heroes, at least around the bronze age. This is not a criticism of those pratices btw, it's more as an observation which I think points to demographics at the time
How could we NOT stay around for the extra sass??? Also, I have loved hearing about these forgotten villains and now desperately want to see more of them come back!
I love how later DC hired Bob Rozakis as an editor, after that sick burn of a letter... Also, space pirates, even fake ones, are the coolest. They absolutely should bring Black Flame back.
Superman off-world reminds me of the Supergirl film from 1984. Also in Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, Clark is exposed to Gold Kryptonite but his son still has powers, so it's not hereditary
Ultimate letters page sass can be found in Detective comics from the 1970's. Target? Batgirl. From issue 419: "As for the Batgirl story? I didn't even read it. Do you think I'm going to waste this good feeling on the likes of her?" Please do a deep dive into the Marianis Trench that is 70s Batgirl ('Tec. 411, BG tied to a fabric cutter while enmeshed in the mini-midi-maxi [as in skirt] war; 'Tec. 412-413, BG investigates killer wings, during the "battle" with non-powered beauty technicians a wig gets stuck to her face. It remains there for two panels.). You need to see it to believe it (404-405, Babs investigates the murder of an X-rated film producer... and almost germts encased in plaster, as in plaster caster. Think intimate trophy).
Another Supergirl video, and you with the classic Power Girl bob and window sweater. Fashion accessorizing to optimize comics lore. This channel has all kinds of Easter eggs like the Invincible collection in the Leslie Larr video - Mark being his own legacy relative like Kara.
17:55: Wait, is that the Headmaster Mind and Punch?! Awesome! Headmaster Mind was easily the *LAMEST* villain from the original JLA run. He appeared in Justice League #28 where he got actually cool villains like the Top, Matter Master and Tattooed Man to join his "crime school" schtick. For some ungodly reason, Denny O'Neil brought him back in the late Silver Age as the leader of a conspiracy against Green Arrow in Justice League #69 (Nice!). That story would have been *SO* much better if he wasn't the one behind it. He then was brought back one last time to fight Wonder Woman in Adventure Comics #461, where he was mercifully killed. Punch was a know-it-all teenager who actually tried to join the Headmaster Mind's school, but the Headmaster Mind just literally kicked him off his porch. Punch instead attempted to prove himself be expecting his own plan to kill the Teen Titans in Teen Titans #19. The best part of that story was the cover and the art. I apologize for my tangent, I just had no idea that they ever brought those characters back. Like, why, though? I suppose if anybody could make the Headmaster Mind usable, it would the the DCAU. It looks like they actually played him for his humor instead of trying to make him a serious threat (seriously, they originally wanted to place him on the same level as Dr. Destiny, Despero or the Crime Syndicate). I think that's the only way his character could he used, as is. Sorry again for my tangent. That scene just triggered a memory for me I wasn't prepared for. Great retrospective as always, Sasha!
God how I love your videos! You know what would be awesome? A video on the Phantom Zone prisoners! It definitely has potential in the modern age bringing them back. Bonus if it's Kru-El, Superman's father's cousin! Pretty, please?
Honestly. Pirate Queen Black Flame woukd be rad as hell in modern canon. Even leave in some of the sillier elements. Make the planet have like, some basic propulsion so it's like a giant ship, and say she carpet bombed a side of it so that there was always her "flag" on the surface as warning. Maybe she's been searching across the galaxy for tech to power her up more. Gives her motive and ability. Though I think she'd be best being a smart, cruel villain.
She has a great costume. Perfectly simple. Honestly, she could be a fun character to bring back. Maybe like from an alternate future and somehow gets stuck in the past . Starting out as a villain but maybe becoming buddies with her great ancestor and becoming good. Idk there’s some fun stuff that can be had
3:32 I was playing fallout yesterday and when Preston Garvey went to tell me his backstory I told him "no I don't want to hear it," he literally just went "c'mon man, hear me out" and then told me anyways. I feel like that's what would happen.
I think I remember seeing the "Return of the Black Flame" story when I was a kid. The artwork looked familiar. I did get surprised when I recognized that artwork as being done Mike Sekowsky, the first artist for the Justice League of America! It was the S-shield; Mike always drew it large but with curved sides. Aside from that, Mike's stuff always seemed a little stiff to me. No matter. Steve Ditko's art seemed stiff sometimes too, but I love his Spider-Man and Dr. Strange stuff!
With super powers, comes insanely super complicated stressed-out lives. Black Flame is awesome. We need stories based on her fictitious pirate queen fabrication. Plus, skull planets are cool.
Black Flame standing over Kara is going to live rent free in my head and I don't know how to feel about that. The show is over now but I think Black Flame could've been made into a serviceable in Supergirl.
Your comment about heroes not listening to villains' monologing/ backstories: Spider-Man kept ignoring, and interrupting the "tragic origin" story of "Street!" The living asphalt villain... It was hilarious, as Spidey kept stopping him to say "Don't care!" "Didn't ask!" And "Woah! Too much info!"
Man, Sasha's out here introducing us to all these criminally (heh, pun) underused supervillainesses. And it makes me wonder why we never get to see Kara fight her own villains anymore. She's either fighting Clark's or getting involved in personal drama...or being a Red Lantern that one time. Give Kara her own rouges gallery again!
I'm all for that.
yes please🙋♂️
The sad part is the Red Lantern phase ended up treated just like that in the comic itself...just a phase. Seriously by the end it honestly felt like the characters were just waiting for her to move past it, and not treating it like the seemingly irreversible change it was for most everyone else who becomes a Red Lantern.
Ya
Let’s get some originality though. We need male and female villains, and no easy wins.
I always joke that all of Supergirl's female villains wanted to take her place, and all of her male villains wanted to marry her. It's an exaggeration, but not by much. I suppose it reflects what the editors at the time thought young girls were concerned about: romance and status. Agreed that Black Flame needs a comeback, and also that her "fake" pirate queen background was cooler than her real one.
Inverse of the famous “Every man wants to be James Bond and every woman wants to be with him” saying
Lesla and Zora's relationship is interesting. Everyone says they were friends, yet given Lesla's all-about-me attitude (whereas Zora's just dramatic) and how Zora always talks about idolizing her I'd assume it was an uneven relationship. This is complicated by Lesla taking Zora's name, suggesting there's a mutual care between them.
Also, I love how meta the surname situation is. Zora gets Lesla's last name to enhance their established connection but in-story it was Lesla who took Zora's name to explain her lack of patronym.
Imagine if CW’s Supergirl actually gave us Pirate Queen Kryptonitian Black Flame. The possibilities it missed 😔
honestly, its biggest problems were its clunky dialog, overly complicated stories, and godawful release format. If the seasons were 13-9 episodes, or even 6 episodes, and they streamlined the story without talking down to the audience, it actually could've been good.
They came pretty close with that woman the Legion fought.
The Supergirl rouges gallery's biggest problem seems to be that they only get a couple of appearances before being forgotten. DC should really think about bringing some of these weirdos back and building them up a bit as serious recurring enemies. Oh, and "Nasty" Luthor retrospective please?
Silver Banshee has been a consistent Supergirl foe, at least.
With him being so popular in the Round Robin, I'm absolutely begging you to do a video on Superboy. Whenever a Superboy shows up in a story I'm always like "Is this Jon? Conner? Young Superman? Didn't Superboy become Superman? Which is the one who punched reality so bad Jason came back? Which is the Legion of Heroes one and how? Most importantly, which one had the groovy spiky jacket??"
@ wow neato I can explain 98% of that, or, you can wait for Sasha’s version, which would be far more entertaining. Suffice it to say, the Pocket Universe Sagas are my all time favorite Superboy stories. I wish DC would do a collected edition, as they are tough to get issues for people to read.
Jon is Superman's biological son. Conner is a clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor. Young Superman would be the Superboy comics from the golden age. Yes, recently Jon has taken up the mantle of Superman. The Superboy from Earth-Prime is the one that punched reality (He's just a version of Clark Kent from another reality). Jon is the one from the Legion of Heroes.
I think Superboy (Conner) is the one with the spiky jacket. The 90's one, from the Death of Superman. I might be wrong, tho.
@@adivorcee2357 I heard that Superboy Prime (the one who punched the reality) wasn't Clark Kent but a fan of Superman from 'real world'?
@@lagvaldemag8593 It's sorta both. He is actually Kal-El but the universe he's in doesn't have any actual superheroes and Superman was just a comic character. He was teleported to New England when Naomi and Jerry Kent found him and named him Clark. He was made fun of growing up because he had the same name as superman but he took it in stride. Then after he found out about his powers Crisis on infinite earths happened before he got angsty in Infinite crisis and punched reality.
3:30
Actually, in issue Amazing Spider-man 39 and 40, where Green Goblin reveals himself to Peter Parker for the first time, that’s exactly what happens! Norman’s just going on and on, and Peter is not really interested at all, but he was hoping that if Norman just kept talking, he could figure out a way to escape.
Funny to think that people sending letters in decades ago might still be around to see their letters read aloud on a world wide computer network...Who knew??
That Bob Rozakis knows his stuff. Maybe 19070's DC should give him a job...
Wasn't Lois's son in that imaginary story where she married Lex someone who went on to become a space criminal? Now we have the ominverse, he and Black Flame can join forces and become omniversal space pirates. I'd buy that for $3.99
Kinda love Maid of Menace, but Dame of Damnation hits different! Whatever we call her, I need to see more!
Plus, there’s the rhyme scheme. Wait for it…wait for it….
There you go.
I'm waiting for 2058 when the magic totem that Jimmy used to create the original Supergirl has another 3 wishes available.
I always loved Black Flame's first issue, it shows Kara's intelligence in overcoming an enemy of equal power.
Marvel used to give 'No-Prizes' to letter writers who pointed out errors AND offered logical explanations. Bob Rozakis, when he later worked for DC, did that as the Answer Man in the Daily Planet pages of comics in the 70s. It's funny to see him writing in as a fan-boy.
Sasha, never, ever again, leave some content at the end because you think the video ran too long. You´re the Godess of Comics. None of us are ever tired of a single part of your videos. We want it all!!!!
1:53
There was also a story in the Bronze Age where a STAR Labs employee creates something that makes everyone in Metropolis afraid of water, so Superman drains all the water from Metropolis. It was nicknamed “Thirsty Thursday” in the future.
I like when the hero and villain have no personal connection. "He killed my uncle's cockatoo, Now it's personal!" is overused these days. To me it removes some of the virtue from being the hero. It makes it seem like they wouldn't have done anything if they hadn't been directly impacted.
One of my favorite hero/villain combos is Corbin Dallas and Zorg in 5th Element. They never even meet!
Agreed, and it does sound more noble to be heroic to hep people than just to clean up your own mess.
I feel like Black Flame was the prototype for Reign from the Supergirl TV series. No Prate Ancestry, Super Robots, Future Fillings, Anniversary Pee Covers we’re harmed or retconned in the making of said episodes.
And didn’t Bob Rozakis end up working for DC Comics later on? Plus: Kryptonite Balls!?! No way that would make the E. Nelson Birdwell cut!
Still, that was my favorite Supergirl uniform, and my favorite MiiiiiiikeSekowsky! Even if they glossed over Comets rampage, or Kara’s need to be liked in the future, where TH-cam comments are a thing of the past.
Sass that, Rozakis…
I was thinking the same thing! He become an editor, or something like that.
Yes, he did.
Yes, he did: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Rozakis
I actually love your idea for bringing back pirate queen Blackflame! It's really a shame that they don't utilise more of these villains, every hero deserves their own rogues gallery.
Also, can we just show some respect for how awesome Sasha's repertoire of character voices is?
0:29. I love that panel of Lesla pointing. The eyebrows.
Batman: "The answer is simple. Metropolis _ _ _ _ _ . That's too many letters for "zoo", so it must be Petco."
Based on Alan Moore's "Whatever happened to the man of tomorow", yes your chidren also born with power even if you had contacted gold kryptonite
that's such a good comic. Really wish sasha did a video on it.
2:48 It seeme like Kara doesn't really like sand. Understandable. It can be coarse and rough and irritating. Not to mention it gets everywhere.
I have to say thank you to you Sasha because you brighten my day a little bit when you upload. It was really helpful to me last March when my dog had just passed away. She was a very important part of my life. As most peoples pets are. But what made her special to me was that she was a “miracle dog “ when we first got her she had complications with her brain and the vet gave her a diagnosis of about 20% chance to live if even that high. She ended up pulling through and living another 8-9 years. Until last year when we found out she has cancer and they gave us a similar odds. I knew she could pull through and she did. But sadly died 2 weeks later in my arms. I was very upset and the people around me were very loving and supportive. But on top of that I had your videos and those always cheered me up. I’ve come to another point in my life where I have to say a sad goodbye and here are your videos again. So thank you
These retrospectives are rapidly becoming some of my favorite content.
The Pirate thing could work really well. A greyish kryptonian path could work well as well. Could even have her a kinda redemption arc where she goes from villain to anti hero. Having for some reason or another take the place of Supergirl or maybe even Superman or both in protecting earth while they're gone. Have her fail, feel conflicted, struggling with the weight of things and the decisions she has to make, whether to try to be like the other supes, maybe think about going injustice and Zod like for the sake of everyone on Earth. If given a decent introduction through a tie in comic she could be given an opportunity to truly become a great character and maybe even a staple. A darker counterpart to the main supes but still on the side of good or at least not evil.
The Desperado Dame would of been a better fit than the Maid of Menace, it fits the whole pirate theme more…
Also there a Leprechaun villain in DC, I want an obscure retrospective please :)
I want to say the Golden Age Green Lantern and Wonder Woman did meet leprechauns once or twice.
I thoroughly enjoy your different voices for each character. My favorite voice you do is Batman.
Yarr har fiddle dee dee
Being a pirate is alright to be
Do what you want cause a pirate is free
Yarr har! Wind at your black flame wherever you go!
Blue space above and blue skies below
You are a pirate!
Need more Legion of Super-Heroes content! How about commenting on the convoluted Kara/Brainiac Five pairing? Or the tragically brief life of Ferro Lad?
Bob Rozakis eventually became a writer and editor at DC. He had a regular feature as the Answer Man.
Wait … was that snarky letter from DC’s own Answer Man Bob Rozakis? Was that a stepping stone for him on his way to becoming a DC Comics editor? Or was he already an editor and calling out a co-worker in a public letters column? Harsh.
"I've been watching you check on me."
*Careless whisper plays*
This was fun, always great deep diving into obscure DC characters. Which is why I love *Brother Power The Geek* so much.
Talking about Supergirl and you have the powergirl look lol good job 👍
OK, I think I have come up with a moderately brilliant way to bring the Black Flame pirate queen future back into actual canon, while retaining some of the existing flavor of the character. Hear me out.
So, Black Flame is reintroduced into modern comics, and at first, it's essentially a retelling of this story. Black Flame shows up, boasts to Supergirl about how she's a pirate queen from the future and a descendant of hers; Supergirl checks on... wait... is Kandor around at the moment? Oh, well, whatever the current enclave of surviving Kryptonians is; there always seems to be one these days. (Anyway, this could also be in spin-off media, so I'll just keep it as Kandor.) She goes to Kandor to see if anyone's missing, and discounts the possibility of Zora Vi-Lar - but here's where the first changes comes in. First, Zora is not just a friend, but an actual sister of Lesla-Lar - and second, Kara doesn't just see her at work on a view-screen, she actually meets her, and she's perfectly nice and sweet - no ill-feeling towards Supergirl at all. Zora loved her sister, but she was a bad seed; she's got no desire to avenge her, and the name 'Black Flame' rings no bells at all.
Ah, but there could still be trickery, the reader will say - and so it seems, at first, since Supergirl again goes into the future, and they've never heard of Black Flame, and she's remembered and revered as a great hero. But evidence keeps piling up that it couldn't POSSIBLY be Zora, which finally culminates in Black Flame actually kidnapping Zora, and removing her mask right before Supergirl's eyes - and they're the spitting image of each other. Almost no difference; she and Black Flame could be twins. But how can this be? Simple, cackles Black Flame - 'I said I was a pirate queen from the future, and the descendant of Supergirl. I told you the truth - but I never said I was a descendant of YOU'.
So here's what is ACTUALLY the case: Black Flame is a result of branching realities. She's from the dimension where Lesla-Lar really DID become Supergirl, for keeps, long enough to form a dynasty - she's Lesla's descendant, not Kara's; she and Zora look alike because, by one dimensional remove, they're family. In that dimension's future, the first Supergirl is remembered as a great hero who went bad, and Black Flame, as a pirate, reveres her ancient ancestor for the legacy of crime and conquest that she's always tried to live up to. However, her rivals exiled her here, to an alternate reality and past where the whole timeline that created her never existed - so she's going to MAKE it happen. Lesla-Lar isn't available, so she's going to brainwash Zora, kill Kara, and have Zora replace her as Supergirl, and turn to crime. Then Black Flame will go far into the future of the resulting timeline, team up with her inevitable Kryptonian pirate queen counterpart, and, with her help and backing, invade her own timeline to rule again! Bwahahaha!
Naturally, it doesn't work. Kara stops her and sends her to the Phantom Zone; Zara goes back home, and the legacy of Supergirl remains untainted. But the Black Flame is still out there, scheming to break loose and regain power, and in the meantime, Zora - who, let's not forget, is a brilliant scientist - did get just a TOUCH of the brainwashing before she was released, and is starting to get some odd and disturbing ideas...
Love how when it comes to comics and anime literally anything can be a title, no matter how odd/wtf, and still be accurate
Sasha, I love your black shirt with the window. With the short haircut, you remind me of an evil/elseworld Power Girl.
I Really like these obscure or forgotten villains. Keep them coming
I want black flame to come back but this time her fake backstory of being an evil space queen descended from supergirl is real.
I think that would be such an interesting dynamic and could bring so much conflict.
Also it’s not unrealistic to think that if Kara and Clark start a line of superpower children, one of them is eventually going to be evil and abused their powers.
fun fact, in a superman and batman elseworlds comic that details their entire lives, superman has a son and daughter and the son is evil and powerless.
@@ProjektTaku Was that Batman/Superman Generations?
@@blackrazer22 yeah. Its honestly a pretty cute story for the world's finest.
Fun fact: Pre-Crisis Supergirl had a foe called Starfire. She had a gem in her eye.
So that makes two other Starfires before the New Teen Titans one, as the character Red Star went by that name too.
@@CMWaters also the character from Star Hunters. Also from DC.
@@CMWaters I think there was a story involving all of them (except sadly the Supergirl villain).
11:45 the first thing that flashed in my mind was the"Klingon Death Scream"!!! Haven't seen STNG since it was on the air. It was one of the coolest things I had ever seen Worf joining in to warn the next life a Klingon warrior is coming.🤣 Metal!
I love Heart of Glory so much, it's such a good episode. It's the first time you really see how different Worf is culturally from other Klingons, and also the bigotries still in place since the peace is still relatively newish. However, it's also nuanced cause those Klingons do turn out to be sus. The struggle he has to go through in that episode. It's so good! People give season 1 of TNG a lot of flak but there are some solid episodes.
@@CasuallyComics
Can you explain those klingons in the first episode of discovery??
I really hope that’s the same Bob Rozakis who worked as an editor for DC in the mid-70’s and 80’s.
4:40
So that's where Dr. Robotnik got inspiration for his announcement
DC comics have 80 years old interesting villains who show up once, before never returning...
Damn those readers were ruthless, they got no mercy for faulty continuity
Hey Sasha, the letter writer Bob Rozakis actually ended up working for DC and had a column called “The Answer Man”
I hope you have Starfire (no... not that Starfire and no not the other one) on your list of hit-and-run-never-to-return Supergirl villains from Mike Sekowsky's run. She came across as a bargain basement Dr. Cyber... but she had that fancy bedazzled eye-patch.
My descents may become evil but their teeth shall always be perfect! Perfect!
We NEED a "Kryptonian Bad Girls in the Phantom Zone!" spin-off! Also, isn't Black Flame's first panel shot a duplicate of the Magical Super-Girl's cover appearance? Nice shout-out, if so...
Black Flame"s fake yet prefect backstory really feels similar to the Red King from the House of El Future State story and now I want to see the two of them team up and talk about how they're totally cooler the rest of the family because evil.
Bob Rozakis is from my hometown! Meaningless, but comments feed the algorithm.
Loved all of your amazing content from this channel, it helped me learn a lot. If you don't mind, I have a recommendation for a video: either the history of the Hobgoblin in Marvel Comics and how so many people have taken the mantle, or (A personal favorite of mine) the time Spider-Man beat Hobgoblin when he was super drunk. Please make a video on this if you can, the world NEEDS to know!
The Elf from the random villains squad reminds me of Steve Gerber’s Elf With A Gun, at least visually
They could just have the same origin but she goes and becomes a real pirate queen. But I like the fact it's a fake out. Feels like commentary that people would just believe a villains origin.
Lesla's obsession for Kara in my opinion worked better with Lelsa essentially seeming more irrational over over it whilst showing the magnitude of Kara's influence both good and this case bad on people. It reminds me of the fighting game approach in reverse where villians who committed acts in the story introducing characters that were victim to their actions aiming to get back whilst the perpetrators were ignorant of the impact they caused.
"But for M. Bison, it was just Tuesday!"
I think I'm correct in saying Adventure Comics #400 is the original Streaky's last appearance in a pre-Crisis publication, barring reprints. Although technically he's a robot imposter in that tale, so his genuine last appearance is #398.
Just wanted to point out that the second letter writer you cited, Bob Rozakis went on to write and edit at DC from the late 1970's to the early 1990's. He would go on to write a number of stories for Superman and Superman Family characters under Schwartz & Bridwell. I wonder if they remembered the letter from the kid who told them "Imagen what I'll do if I really like an issue."
Personally not feelin Black Flame , except for Her Costume ( without the mask) Your Wig & Black Top are Perfect for this video 👍🏾 Going to leave it to Silver Age Madness… I Hope Your not done with Merpeople, I’d Luv the Aquaman taking His shot at Mermaid Lois video…Keep Up The Outstanding Work Sasha 🖖🏾
15:44 - Good lord, I think that's the sassiest I've ever heard the Answer Man get 😂 We were all with you, Bob!
If Lesla & Zora came back and both went for their Supergirl related goals Lesla would be cosplaying Supergirl whilst Zora's cosplaying a space pirate queen. That just sounds beautifully whacky to me.
Black Flame is probably the most iconic of Supergirl's obscure villains at the time given how many appearances outside of Supergirl's comics she had. It feels like they wanted to make her into something but it wouldn't stick between changing creative teams.
My goodness that one-piece is gorgeous. The hair is surreal, a 40s flip, impervious to wind.
Silver age was so crazy.
I mean could Kara maybe consult with Kal (or vice versa) about all these Kandor problems as they come up?
Also Kandor seriously needs to stop stalk-watching the Super cousins so much, and pay more attention to the evil scientists they are raising.
And why call herself Black Flame? Name seems kinda random.
Great job as usual Sasha! keep em coming!🥰
Supergirl has quite a few villains with variations of "black" and "flame" in their names: Black Flame, Starfire, Night Flame, Blackstarr...
All great and completely different characters that can't be used in stories too close together to avoid confusion.
@@BrandonVout I hadn't realized that she didn't get along with Starfire! But now you've got me wondering... Did she ever go up against Captain Marvel's, Black Atom?
@@CieJe.Alexander Different Starfire. DC had a bunch of characters with that name at the time. Supergirl's Starfire was a crime boss with a jewel for her eye that had hypnotic powers.
I believe she went up against Black Adam but I can't remember a specific story.
I like the letter sections because it shows that fans have not changed over the last 50 years, they're just louder.
21:15 LMAO you really called out that boy’s taste. Now that I remember, covers during that era usually showed Kara in peril so I guess they must have clicked with the readers xD
Cover design follows clickbait rules. Show heroes in peril or acting like jerks to build curiosity and maybe follow through. Also, covers with monkeys or gorillas on them sold much better to the point DC had to put a limit on how many "monkey issues" they could release in a month or literally every cover artist would draw them on every issue (this is why DC has so many gorilla villains from that era).
@@BrandonVout Yeah that's part of it but I've also seen comparisons in blogs and stuff that show peril covers featuring heroines were much more prominent than such covers for male heroes, at least around the bronze age.
This is not a criticism of those pratices btw, it's more as an observation which I think points to demographics at the time
"I'm so nerdy I'm trying to answer the letter." That's why we love you, Sasha. Don't ever change.
How could we NOT stay around for the extra sass???
Also, I have loved hearing about these forgotten villains and now desperately want to see more of them come back!
Holly heck, that sand despair voice over, i can't, i had to stop the video. Very good, lol.
I feel like Black Flame could show up in JLQ in a heartbeat and Batwoman would be like "Damn I don't want to punch you, but I'm going to"
You did the voices very well in this vid haha, top marks.
An actual space pirate queen could be a cool villain. Like a cross between Corsair from X-Men and Belit from Conan the Barbarian.
I love how later DC hired Bob Rozakis as an editor, after that sick burn of a letter...
Also, space pirates, even fake ones, are the coolest. They absolutely should bring Black Flame back.
Superman off-world reminds me of the Supergirl film from 1984. Also in Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, Clark is exposed to Gold Kryptonite but his son still has powers, so it's not hereditary
Ultimate letters page sass can be found in Detective comics from the 1970's. Target? Batgirl. From issue 419: "As for the Batgirl story? I didn't even read it. Do you think I'm going to waste this good feeling on the likes of her?" Please do a deep dive into the Marianis Trench that is 70s Batgirl ('Tec. 411, BG tied to a fabric cutter while enmeshed in the mini-midi-maxi [as in skirt] war; 'Tec. 412-413, BG investigates killer wings, during the "battle" with non-powered beauty technicians a wig gets stuck to her face. It remains there for two panels.). You need to see it to believe it (404-405, Babs investigates the murder of an X-rated film producer... and almost germts encased in plaster, as in plaster caster. Think intimate trophy).
Another Supergirl video, and you with the classic Power Girl bob and window sweater. Fashion accessorizing to optimize comics lore. This channel has all kinds of Easter eggs like the Invincible collection in the Leslie Larr video - Mark being his own legacy relative like Kara.
I imagine Woody, Buzz, and Weezie guarding Supergirl.
17:55: Wait, is that the Headmaster Mind and Punch?! Awesome! Headmaster Mind was easily the *LAMEST* villain from the original JLA run. He appeared in Justice League #28 where he got actually cool villains like the Top, Matter Master and Tattooed Man to join his "crime school" schtick.
For some ungodly reason, Denny O'Neil brought him back in the late Silver Age as the leader of a conspiracy against Green Arrow in Justice League #69 (Nice!). That story would have been *SO* much better if he wasn't the one behind it. He then was brought back one last time to fight Wonder Woman in Adventure Comics #461, where he was mercifully killed.
Punch was a know-it-all teenager who actually tried to join the Headmaster Mind's school, but the Headmaster Mind just literally kicked him off his porch. Punch instead attempted to prove himself be expecting his own plan to kill the Teen Titans in Teen Titans #19. The best part of that story was the cover and the art.
I apologize for my tangent, I just had no idea that they ever brought those characters back. Like, why, though? I suppose if anybody could make the Headmaster Mind usable, it would the the DCAU. It looks like they actually played him for his humor instead of trying to make him a serious threat (seriously, they originally wanted to place him on the same level as Dr. Destiny, Despero or the Crime Syndicate). I think that's the only way his character could he used, as is.
Sorry again for my tangent. That scene just triggered a memory for me I wasn't prepared for. Great retrospective as always, Sasha!
Not gonna lie, a Kryptonian pirate queen could be boss as hell.
I have to say, I love your Black Flame Pirate Queen pitch...!
God how I love your videos! You know what would be awesome? A video on the Phantom Zone prisoners! It definitely has potential in the modern age bringing them back. Bonus if it's Kru-El, Superman's father's cousin! Pretty, please?
The Imaginext Super Friends comics had a lot of fun callbacks. It's the series that introduced me to Mopee.
8:58: That’s gonna be stuck in my head for awhile
Honestly. Pirate Queen Black Flame woukd be rad as hell in modern canon. Even leave in some of the sillier elements.
Make the planet have like, some basic propulsion so it's like a giant ship, and say she carpet bombed a side of it so that there was always her "flag" on the surface as warning.
Maybe she's been searching across the galaxy for tech to power her up more. Gives her motive and ability. Though I think she'd be best being a smart, cruel villain.
That "coloring error" costume is actually pretty sick.
She has a great costume. Perfectly simple. Honestly, she could be a fun character to bring back. Maybe like from an alternate future and somehow gets stuck in the past . Starting out as a villain but maybe becoming buddies with her great ancestor and becoming good. Idk there’s some fun stuff that can be had
3:32 I was playing fallout yesterday and when Preston Garvey went to tell me his backstory I told him "no I don't want to hear it," he literally just went "c'mon man, hear me out" and then told me anyways. I feel like that's what would happen.
god i love these rabbit holes you fall into
I think I remember seeing the "Return of the Black Flame" story when I was a kid. The artwork looked familiar. I did get surprised when I recognized that artwork as being done Mike Sekowsky, the first artist for the Justice League of America! It was the S-shield; Mike always drew it large but with curved sides. Aside from that, Mike's stuff always seemed a little stiff to me. No matter. Steve Ditko's art seemed stiff sometimes too, but I love his Spider-Man and Dr. Strange stuff!
With super powers, comes insanely super complicated stressed-out lives. Black Flame is awesome. We need stories based on her fictitious pirate queen fabrication. Plus, skull planets are cool.
Black Flame standing over Kara is going to live rent free in my head and I don't know how to feel about that. The show is over now but I think Black Flame could've been made into a serviceable in Supergirl.
This is the important history. Thanks for showing us 😊
Lesla: “you’re ruining my life & destroying my life’s work!!”
Supergirl: “I don’t even know who you are.”
Kind of neat that she was motivated by revenge for a villain that was just envious.
Your comment about heroes not listening to villains' monologing/ backstories: Spider-Man kept ignoring, and interrupting the "tragic origin" story of "Street!" The living asphalt villain...
It was hilarious, as Spidey kept stopping him to say "Don't care!" "Didn't ask!" And "Woah! Too much info!"
1:36 American Maid!!!!! I'll always remember.
I love this video 😀... Thank you for telling us about such a saddy under used villain
I struggle to express how much I love this wacky silver/bronze age content, cos you just don’t get it from any other comics creator
Loving your voice for the Alien pirate. Sounded like Richard Nixon!
Great. Just what I needed, another super villain that makes me weak in the knees. 🤣😝
If Black Flame comes back, she should come back as a costume designer for supervillains. She was stylin'