Superman: The Animated Series
Episode 21
Action Figures
Metallo returns again. John Corben in his third appearance and second as Metallo emerges from the sea with amnesia. It’s actually one of the few amnesia storylines that make sense. His memory got all foggy from wandering at the bottom of the ocean for so long. His human brain was implanted in a giant robot so it makes sense an issue like this might come up without a lack of communication with humans.
The news report intro summarizing his origin was way expositiony and unclear why that was included in the episode. It’s a giant billboard stating who the villain is going to be. Plot wise it is ridiculous a TV report would do a “where are they now” segment on a missing villain and an hour later the villain appears.
Other than that, the episode is okay. He shows up, saves some children. The kids' parents are scientist who are on an island with a volcano that’s about to blow-up. Dad is busy working but thinks his kids are staying out of trouble playing somewhere away from danger and plans to evacuate the island with plenty of time. It basically works in terms of the plot.
Metallo saving them, becoming their friend is nice. It shows Corben isn’t inherently evil. The kids have him save other people and that works too. He becomes a giant douchebag when he gets his memory back and it doesn’t make sense. Him hating on Superman and Lois Lane makes sense. Giving the kids crap doesn’t make sense. Metallo’s character is inconsistent in the story which might be blamed on the amnesia but his actions in the start versus his actions by the end are a stretch.
The show missed a great opportunity to make the villain a tragic hero. Instead of being defeated while saving his new friends or some variation on that, he fights Superman and loses, gets incased in lava, spends the rest of the episode training his mind to not get amnesia again.
It’s similar to the BtAS episode Sideshow. That episode is truly a tragic episode, there Killer Croc had the potential to be a better person but Batman ruined it. Here Metallo is just a jerk who accidentally did some good deeds.
Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com
