Superman: The Animated Series S3 E6 "Absolute Power" - TV Tropes

Jax-Ur and Mala have escaped from the Phantom Zone and have subjugated an entire planet, ironically dubbing it "New Krypton". After rescuing a distraught spaceship from a black hole, Superman stumbles upon New Krypton. At first, he feels he should leave Jax-Ur and Mala alone to rule as they please, but he reconsiders when he sees they are secretly creating an armada with the intent of attacking Earth.

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Tropes:

• Abhorrent Admirer: Mala keeps Alterus around as both a high-ranking lieutenant and an attractive boy toy. He only barely masks his disgust at her advances in her immediate presence, and is quick to show much he hates it otherwise. It proves a significant factor in his betrayal the first chance he gets, and he seems to see it a signifiant stain on the pride of his race even to have put it up with it for so long.
• Admiring the Abomination: Jax-Ur admires the black hole, deeming it absolute power and is almost jealous about Superman's fate. Of course, he never wanted to be sucked into the thing.
• Artistic License – Physics: Since time, too, is affected by a black hole’s gravity, slowing down as the gravitational pull gets stronger, it would theoretically take countless ages for Mala, Jax-Ur, and the ship’s debris to be sucked in as opposed to the seconds that it took in the show.
  • At least, it would from Superman's perspective. Due to the dilation, Jax-Ur and Mala would see any nearby light blueshift and time outside the black hole's gravity well accelerate as they're sucked into the event horizon and crushed. Superman would see them slow down and eventually remain stuck just outside the black hole's event horizon, locked in a silent scream for eons until they finally disappear.
  • In all other respects, it's surprisingly averted by the black hole itself. It has a spherical event horizon, an accretion disk and falling objects are spaghettified as they are sucked in. It also has a powerful gravitational force, as it rips Jax-Ur's ship in two when it gets too close.
  • In another aversion, Superman also puts on an air mask once he gets inside the escape pod. As the air inside was ejected when he opened the door, he had to wait some time until the ship repressurized and the interior reached breathable air levels. He also doesn't seem to hold his breath when he's exposed to the depths of space.
• Artistic License – Space: According to Superman's narration at the beginning, the black hole is located just six light-years from Earth's own system. Of course, it pretty much goes without saying that if there were a black hole of any substantial size that close nearby, we'd know about it. In addition, "New Krypton"'s system is supposed to be very close to it — which would presumably make it either Barnard's Star or possibly Wolf 359, both of which are red dwarfs; aside from the unlikelihood of either having a habitable planet, Kryptonian powers wouldn't work there.
• Asshole Victim: After having attempted a coup on Krypton, threatened Earth, and enslaved an innocent planet, Jax-Ur and Mala get sucked into a black hole. Once safe himself, Superman looks unsympathetic over what became of his fellow Kryptonians.
• Batman Can Breathe in Space: Averted like in past episodes, as Kryptonians can't breathe in space. This proves to be a problem during the climax when Superman gets sent out through a hull breach. He has to hold his breath until he can reach an escape pod, whereas his opponents have oxygen masks and are free to exert themselves.
• Batman Gambit: Just as Jax-Ur and Mala are about to send Superman and Cetea into the black hole, Alterus reports a gravitational anomaly has disrupted the ship's navigation systems and put them all in danger. After the two Kryptonians leave to attend to this business, Alterus frees Superman and Cetea, saying he sabotaged the navigation system as a distraction.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Superman admits to himself why he didn't expect it sooner that the evil Kryptonians had a hidden agenda in taking over Earth.
• Book Ends:
  • The episode started with Superman's narration and it ends with one too.
  • The black hole released Jax-Ur and Mala and by the end, also sealed their fates.
• Bring It: After Superman confronts Jax-Ur and Mala on the bridge.

  Superman: I decided to stick around. I thought we might find a new planet, a nice, cozy one just for the two of you.

• Capitalism Is Bad: Deconstructed. Jax-Ur claims that his and Mala's dictatorship of the alien planet transformed it from a chaotic, backwater society where workers were constantly competing into a streamlined, futuristic utopia where everyone has a place. Of course, he ignores the fact that they only work together under the threat of death because he and Mala made themselves into a global threat. He even quotes a twisted version of Karl Marx's distribution of wealth philosophy.

  Jax-Ur: A job for everyone according to his abilities and our needs.

• Cruel and Unusual Death: Jax-Ur and Mala intend to throw Superman and Cetea into the black hole. Ironically, they themselves are sucked into the black hole, presumably tearing them apart and crushing what's left into microscopic diamonds. They're even shown spaghettifying as they're pulled in.
• Double Standard Rape: Female on Male: Averted. Mala's constant sexual assault of Alterus is not treated as a joke, and it's even one of the instigating factors in him betraying her and Jax-Ur.
• Evil Is Petty: Jax-Ur and Mala could've just ruled over this one planet and been left alone, but they wanted to invade Earth to get revenge on Superman.
• Explosive Instrumentation: To a ridiculous degree near the climax of the episode. Superman simply knocking Jax-Ur and Mala into one of the smaller consoles causes a chain reaction of explosions across the entire bridge, destroying vital controls and causing the ship to be caught in the black hole's gravity well.
• The Farmer and the Viper: The natives of New Krypton rescued Jax-Ur and Mala from certain death in outer space, and the two repaid them by conquering their planet, destroying every trace of their culture and natural environments, and subjugating their entire civilization as the beginning of an intergalactic, warmongering dictatorship.
• Green-Skinned Space Babe: Cetea fits the standard template, as an attractive humanoid alien woman with a skin-tone not found on Earth (though it's orange rather than green). That said, there isn't any indication of anything romantic between her and the visitor to her planet (Superman).
• Heel–Face Turn: Alterus betrays Jax-Ur and Mala after finally fed up with their insane plans and being used as Mala's personal toy.
• How They Treat the Help: Jax-Ur derides a waiter as an idiot for an accident that he himself helped cause. Superman is noticeably sympathetic towards the poor waiter, which Mala mocks him for.
• Irony: Superman's closing narration notes how grateful Cetea's people were to him, but he feels he should instead be grateful to them for reminding him of the importance of standing up to evil no matter what.
• Jurisdiction Friction: Superman does notice that the aliens are not too happy with Kryptonians running their home, but Jax-Ur points out it's not his right to which Superman reluctantly agrees.
• Lesser of Two Evils: Cetea remarks that her people would rather have to rebuild a planet devastated by a super-powered rumble than continue to live under Jax-Ur and Mala's tyranny.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: After being saved from certain death, Jax-Ur and Mala repaid the scientists by taking over their planet.
• Pyrrhic Victory: Superman thinks this will be the case for Cetea's planet. If he fought Jax-Ur and Mala, the planet will be ravaged apart by the battle.
• Recycled Animation:
  • When Superman deflects the blast shot by Alterus, there's a full screen frame of a fire explosion, which is reused footage from "Where There's Smoke" when Volcana blasted Superman with a fire ball in the parking lot. This is used again three more times when Jax-Ur and Mala's ship start blowing up and three times more when it is pulled into the black hole.
  • When control panel of the ship explodes it features an explosion that is reused footage from the gas canisters that Superman ignites in "The Way of All Flesh".
• Resigned to the Call: Cetea begs Superman for help since he's the only one can stand up the Jax-Ur and Mala. He refuses on the grounds that the planet would be devastated in the ensuing fight, but then Cetea shows him the armada, and he realizes he has no choice.
• Sex Slave: It's strongly implied Alterus reluctantly became one to Mala given her suggestive comments towards him and his own personal disgust of her.
• Sequel Episode: To "Blast From the Past" (concluding the Jax-Ur and Mala storyline).
• Smooch of Victory: When Mala compliments Alterus on doing well as he "always does" she plants a deep kiss on his lips, with her body language and comments from Jax-Ur implying she is planning to do more with him later. However, given his disgusted reaction behind her back, it was more of a "Take That!" Kiss to him.
• Sour Supporter: Alterus follows orders Jax-Ur and Mala's orders, but he hates being under their thumb. After Jax-Ur demands the remaining escapees be recaptured, he noticeably hesitates when saluting him. He later privately expresses disgust for Mala's affection towards him. While freeing Superman and Cetea, Alterus concedes he deserves worse than a plague for things he's done under the Kryptonians' command.
• Space Mask: As their ship comes apart near the black hole, Jax-Ur and Mala don these. Superman has to hold his breath, until he can get to a mask in an escape pod.
• Stealth Insult: In response to Jax-Ur explaining his admiration for the black hole.

  Superman: You would admire that.

• This Is Gonna Suck: After realizing they've been had, Mala detects an escape pod with only two people aboard. Jax-Ur's tone indicates he knows where this is going.

  Jax-Ur: Two?
  [Superman enters]

• Title Drop: "Of all the phenomena of nature, none fascinates me more than a black hole. It is the one true force of absolute power."
• Ungrateful Bastard: Superman sarcastically says this after the aliens he saved immediately ran away from him. Although, they have a pretty good reason why. He also mentions this again when he finds out Mala and Jax-Ur's response to being saved by the aliens was to enslave their planet. Eventually, though, when Superman liberates their people, they genuinely thank him for what he did for them.
• Unrealistic Black Hole: The black hole near New Krypton is just a big space hole that sucks. No time dilation around it, any noticeable event horizon, gravitational lens around it, or any effect on large bodies orbiting within its vicinity.
  • That said, the fractal stretching when Mala and Jax-Ur get sucked in is accurate, even if the timing isn't. The gravitational pull is also rendered accurately, tearing apart their ship as it gets pulled closer.
• Utopia Justifies the Means: Jax-Ur tries to invoke this to justify taking over the planet as the aliens were a divided and warring people before he and Mala united the planet by taking it over and turning it into an orderly and efficient civilization without crime or poverty. Unfortunately, it's actually a militaristic authoritarian dictatorship with the Kryptonians in charge.
• Wham Shot: Mala suddenly appearing among the alien soldiers.
• Witch with a Capital "B": Alterus refers to Mala this way to Superman and Cetea.

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