Review: Young Justice: Phantoms “Involuntary”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Answers come to light as Beast Boy, Miss Martian, and Superboy uncover an awful truth.

Our Take:

As the wedding between the two heroic lovebirds draws near, so are the secrets behind the Martians. This week’s episode continues the latest Young Justice arc once again, and this time, no secret is safe. If you think preparing for a wedding was stressful, the show’s fourth episode shows that we haven’t seen anything yet.

“Involuntary” sees Superboy, Miss Martian, and Beast Boy continuing their investigation while M’Comm secretly plants a virus bomb in the storage room. The investigation leads them to Kar’Main, who informs them about the shocking truth behind the Red Martian King’s death. It is revealed that priestess S’yrra was responsible for murdering the king with her uncontrollable magic after he refused to give her his blessing to marry Prince J’emm. Later on, the heroes discover the bomb, and Superboy makes the ultimate choice to save everyone.

The fourth episode proves that its fourth season continues to fascinate me despite its small amount of punches being thrown. Following three episodes of wedding preparations, “Involuntary” finally puts one of the two character arcs to rest while adding more problems with the other. The revelation of S’yrra being the murderer wasn’t overly surprising to me, but her reasoning behind it was well-handled without making her seem like a bad guy. She didn’t mean to harm the king. Instead, she was upset that he was standing in the way between her and her love, Prince J’emm. The episode also continues its strength in representing themes of race and equality regarding J’emm’s speech near the end. Who knew superheroes and politics could still fit well together?

“Involuntary” also showcased more of Superboy’s dilemma, as his strength remains diminished due to the lack of solar power. It provided a difficult challenge for the character, which also added intensity to the scenarios. This episode proved to be an excellent example of this as Superboy sacrificed himself by destroying the bomb inside the lava. That’s one way to put the wedding plans on hold.

Overall, “Involuntary” sets the next stage of the “Wedding on Mars” arc engagingly and shockingly. The story and characters in the episode signify that the fourth season isn’t slowing down anytime soon. With one problem out of the way, it didn’t take long for another one to appear in the form of Miss Martian being alone without her future husband. I wonder if it’s too late to return the wedding gift I bought for them?