This Major Character’s Death in ‘Young Justice’ is For Real
In superhero comics, no one stays dead but Uncle Ben, right? But the major character death in Young Justice is likely to be permanent.
The 4th episode of Young Justice: Phantoms ended the first story arc of the season with a terrible blow. And while it’s hard to let go of a beloved character, it gives us an opportunity to explore death in the Young Justice DC universe.
The rest of this article contains major spoilers for ‘Young Justice: Phantoms’.
“I can’t feel his mind-touch!!”
At the end of the 4th episode, M’gann’s telepathic anguish cut through the hearts of every Young Justice fan watching. As she and Beast Boy realize that Super Boy was killed in an explosion, Superman arrives and the heroes discover that the air around them is full of Kryptonite particles.
The mystery of who killed Conner will likely be solved on one of the season’s upcoming arcs. But even after that question is answered and justice is served, the grief will still linger. And that’s the real point of the story.
Showrunners Talk Death in Young Justice
Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti spoke to Cinemablend about the death of one of the team’s founding members. And their words definitely have a sense of finality about them.
“I definitely think that the repercussions of even little things, but certainly something as big as Conner’s death have to play out across the rest of the season. I just think that’s real life, that’s essential. We’re not the kind of show that sort of does something and then forgets about it a minute later, even if it’s something relatively small.”
The Young Justice writers have proven that they’re keen on developing their characters for the long-haul. The writers follow through with past character experiences. So it makes sense that the next arc will focus on Artemis.
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Artemis & the Cycle of Grief
Episode 5 of Phantoms began the season’s second story arc. After the events on M’aarz, in which M’gann experienced the death of Conner, the story will come back down to Earth.
And she has her own experience with the death of a significant other, as pointed out by Weisman and Vietti:
I think also Artemis was the right character because we’ve seen her journey through grief and through loss. Those are certainly something that we’re picking up on with fans, having done a similar story between her and Wally, but now with Conner and [M’gann]. But now seeing, of all the people on our core team of characters, to have to go through this again. Not only for herself, but because she knows what an impact Conner has been for [M’gann] and everybody else on the team. And they’re more than just a team, they’re a family. And so to kind of experience this new loss through her eyes, knowing her backstory, I think there’s just a lot of resonance there, a lot of threads to pick up on. I think the audience will feel that and find those new threads interesting.
The 5th episode of the series sees Artemis experiencing a resurgence of grief. Not just for Conner, but also for Wally. And this new trauma triggers a series of difficult memories from her childhood.
Hope you’ve got some tissues handy. Courtesy of Warner Bros.
I have no doubt the show will do a wonderful job of exploring the deep interconnectivity of her experiences. But the story got me thinking about just how well Young Justice handles death and grief.
Why is Death in Young Justice so Revolutionary?
The death of a loved one is a common trope in epic hero stories. It’s often used to move a plot line toward justice or revenge. In Uncle Ben’s case, he’s the driving force of an entire origin story.
But as frequently as death appears in these stories, it’s not nearly as often that the story does the legwork of exploring grief in the long term. It’s alluded to, of course– but rarely do we see a nuanced, everyday portrayal of traumatic loss.
In reality, grief recovery lasts a lifetime. As we grow, so does our interaction with our loss. And Artemis has evolved as a character quite a bit since Wally’s death.
In episode 5, she talks to her mother about how previous coping mechanisms aren’t working anymore. And this seems like the first of many moments in which Artemis will be reacquainted with her grief.
What’s more, she’ll be experiencing it alongside M’gann, who will certainly have her own intimate relationship with grief. Personal, yes, but also likely as a Martian.
IT HURTS (courtesy of Warner Bros.)
Why it Matters
For many of us, we don’t really learn anything about grief until we’re experiencing it. Socially, we receive very little instruction on how to deal with unavoidable negative emotions. Almost all of us have more exposure to death through fiction than we do in real life.
Stories about grief give viewers an opportunity to explore uncomfortable emotions and concepts in a safe way. And that’s particularly important for the young adult audience that Young Justice can appeal to. But it’s also important for the show’s adult fanbase.
At 12, I experienced the sudden loss of a parent. And at 29 came the sudden death of a romantic partner. Now in my mid-thirties, I’m still surprised and ashamed when I experience a resurgence of grief. Because I, like a lot of people, hold on to the idea that after a certain (undefined) period of time, the grief cycle is supposed to end.
And so it does in movies and shows. But in real life, grief always swings back around– just like the show brings the loss of Wally back around the Artemis.
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Now That We’re All Sufficiently Whelmed–
I’m very eager to see how the writers of Young Justice get into the dynamics of these two characters. The team’s commitment to character development has always been top notch, and Phantoms continues that tradition.
Weaving a tale that allows Artemis to re-experience grief in a new way feels so meaningful to me. And I see a lot of value in this story arc for all kinds of fans– particularly after the tremendous losses of the past two years.
Character resurrections are important, too– I love Gwen Stacey and Bucky Barnes just as much as the next guy. But Young Justice has made room for deeper characterization in a way that superhero stories usually don’t.
Once again, YJ over here pushing the boundaries and making us feel the deep things.
Rest in peace, Conner Kent. I’m heartbroken to see you go– but for the sake of the story, please don’t come back.
Hug your friends, pet a dog, and tune in to new episodes of ‘Young Justice: Phantoms’ every Thursday on HBO Max. Memento mori, my loves.
