Teen Titans

Blackfire is a typical older sister. She borrows Starfire's clothes without asking, hogs all of her friends' interest, and demands to be the center of attention at all times. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that she also frames Starfire for crimes she didn't commit so she can avoid intergalactic imprisonment? Sounds like typical sibling rivalry to me.

Things were going well for Starfire before Blackfire showed up for a visit. Upon arriving on Earth, Starfire has not only become a key member of the elite superhero group The Teen Titans, but she has also gained several important friendships. One in particular is her blossoming relationship with Robin.

Saving the world and fighting supervillains by day, Robin and Starfire seek out some quality time alone while visiting a carnival by the sea. While watching fireworks atop a Ferris wheel, Starfire becomes the target of an intergalactic probe that resembles a robo-squid.

The Titans successfully thwart the attempt to capture Starfire and return to Titan Tower to find her older sister, Blackfire. Blackfire immediately asserts herself with introductions and before Starfire realizes it, her sister wedges her way in between Starfire and her teammates.

Of course, Starfire's worries are unfounded, but you can't help but feel sorry for her as she feels that Robin and company actually prefers Blackfire over her. The majority of the episode plays out as a series of misunderstandings and an overshadowing older sister raining on her younger sibling's parade, but things turn ugly in the third act when the team finds out that the probes are actually seeking to capture Blackfire for a series of crimes she committed in the Centari Sector.

It's pretty cold-blooded to frame one's younger sibling for crimes such as these, but let's face it, anyone privy to any of Starfire's comic origins knows that her animated counterpart gets off easy as far as Blackfire is concerned.

In the comics, Blackfire was actually passed over as rightful heir to the Tamaranian throne because she was born without the power of flight. The title of Princess was instead promised to her younger sister, Starfire, and this filled Blackfire's heart with disdain towards her sibling. So much so that she betrayed her entire planet to their enemies, a lizard race called the Gordanians.

This betrayal resulted in Starfire being sold off to the Gordanians for slave purposes. She remained enslaved until the Titans rescued her from her captors and she became a member of the team in return.

Of course, many fanboys would be quick to cry foul at the blatant reworking of character origins such as these. Blackfire is even granted the power of flight in the animated series, which many would feel violates the very essence of this character. I have been known to rant incessantly on varying revisions ranging from the treatment of Flash on the Justice League series to Greedo shooting first, and I can even appreciate the concerns in this case.

However, the revision of Blackfire's character does serve a purpose to an extent. Topics such as slavery and the destruction of an entire planet's populace are not necessarily ideal subject matter for an animated teen series such as this. So the writers had to discover other ways to work around these topics, and in this case Blackfire's major downfall character-wise becomes her egotism.

Although we are never really given much motivation for Blackfire's betrayal in this episode, it is made clear that she puts herself first over everyone else including family, which in a way retains the roots of Blackfire's self-serving nature in the comics. It was also a nice touch to have Starfire compare fireworks to the warnings of Gordanian attacks on her home planet; this reference is intended for fanboys, and I think it makes the necessary revisions easier to accept in a way.

All changes aside, the episode does stand on its own and proves enjoyable in many regards. I love the development of Starfire as the outsider on the planet. Even her sister seems to mesh well with the rest of the team, where Starfire often comes across wooden and confused by Earth's customs. Her depth of naïveté is an endless wealth of comedy if used correctly, and so far it has been.

Although the sequence provides a few laughs, it did strike me as odd to see the Titans out at a club. Beast Boy continues to get some of the best one-liners of the series so far. One hilarious quip comes when he bets the rest of the team that Cyborg can do "the robot" and proceeds to demonstrate the classic dance move. It was also fun to see Blackfire's constant flirtations with Robin turn up nil, only to result in fueling Starfire's wrath once the truth of her frame up has been exposed.

Focusing on Starfire allows for plenty of character development, and I only hope they dedicate this sort of approach to the other team members in future episodes to build up a better history and more well developed team all around. And who knows, maybe we will be treated to a Beast Boy and Cliff Steele, a.k.a. Robotman, reunion in the near future. Hey, a fanboy can dream can't he?

Next Week: We are treated to the episode that started it all, that's right, "Final Exam!" The H.I.V.E. Academy unveils its top three candidates for graduation, but before they get the diploma they must pass one final test: annihilate the Teen Titans!

Mario Anima