The saga of the Huntress and the Question (so what do you think their ship-name should be? Let me know in the comments!)
[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue...]
In Justice League (Unlimited), and in fact the entire Dini-verse, despite the fact that it was written for a younger audience, there are a large number of themes that surprisingly mature. One theme is romance.
Obviously Batman has Catwoman and Talia Al-Guhl and Superman has Lois Lane. However, the two Justice League series has four (including a love triangle)!
Green Arrow and Black Carnary
John Stewart and Hawkgirl…
…as well as Vixen
Batman and Wonder Woman (they never go anywhere with this, but it’s obvious they have feelings for one another. I’ll have to do a deep dive on this one of these days)
And finally, the subject of this week’s review. First, let’s discuss the participants, as most people aren’t comic geeks who love the minor heroes more than the marquee ones…
The Huntress debuted on Earth-2 (where DC stashed their Golden Age heroes until they were needed) prior to Crisis as Helena Wayne, the daughter of Bruce and Selina Wayne. Following Crisis, she was reimagined as Helena Bertinelli, the last surviving family member of a slain Mob Boss, who became a ruthless vigilante in an attempt to avenge her dead family.
Huntress makes her debut in a brief appearance fighting a bunch of robot spiders (but that’s not important for this review)
The Question was created by Steve Ditko as part of Charleton Comics’ “Action Line” (which was ended a year later). When Ditko joined DC Comics, the company (as a “gift”) bought the rights to the Action Line, dumping them on Earth-4 in the DC Multiverse and forgetting about them until Crisis (though they were re-imagined in Watchmen, with the Question being the inspiration for Rorschach)
In the comics, the Question was a very philosophical hero (starting out following the teachings of Ayn Rand in Charlton, and Zen Buddhism following Crisis). However, in JLU the Question is a cynical conspiracy theorist looking for everyone’s “angle”.
Question made his debut working with Supergirl and Green Arrow trying to find out why Supergirl was having disturbing dreams (while I won’t cover that for this review, it is kinda important as you’ll soon discover)
And now that we’ve established the players, on to the story!
NOTE: I will mainly be focusing the scenes involving Huntress and the Question. Any elements beyond their involvement I will likely ignore (unless it’s important later) If you would like to view the episodes in their entirety, they’re available on Max or behind your favorite paywall.
PREVIOUSLY ON…
Following the events of A Better World, an organization known as Cadmus (a government shadow ops group with off-the-books funding from Luthor) emerges of the League’s radar, performing such acts as illegal cloning (including a clone of Supergirl, which was the source of her bad dreams (told you it would be important)) The Question begins poking into Cadmus’s business after helping Supergirl and Green Arrow, trying to find the bottom of that rabbit hole.
Meanwhile, Lex Luthor has announced his candidacy for President (and is apparently doing well despite his criminal past. A criminal billionaire with no prior political career running for President? Like that could ever happen!)
Now, on with the show!
We open at the estate of Mafia Boss Steven Mandragora where a couple of his bodyguards are arguing about their secret scone recipe (sure, why not?) when they hear a noise in the bushes. Suddenly a figure from the bushes makes short work of them (but, this being for kids, doesn’t kill them despite using a crossbow) The figure then scales the building and enters the study.
You were expecting someone else?
Huntress uses an aerosol to spot the alarm beams and evade them. She then enters Mandragora’s bedroom and shoots the figure under the blanket (OK, this got dark quick!) However…
…as you may have guessed, Mandragora isn’t there. She then gets contacted by J’onn in the Watchtower and teleported.
Guess who’s in trouble? J’onn expels Huntress from the Justice League. As she goes to her quarters to gather her things…
Huntress enters the Question’s quarters, makes fun of his looks (what she thinks he looks like under his faceless mask) and his obsession before offering to help him with Cadmus in exchange for helping her track down Mandragora. (Something tells me she knows two things about Cadmus: Jack and Squat)
And where is Mandragora?
In a safe house being guarded by the FBI, Green Arrow, and Black Canary. Turns out Mandragora has promised to turn State’s Evidence against his fellow Mob Bosses in exchange for Witness Protection.
Meanwhile, the Question has found out about Mandragora’s location, and offers to tag along with Huntress.
Later, Mandragora’s goons, dressed as cops, attack the FBI while Canary and Arrow are on lookout duty outside. Then…
(Thanks to Princess Darkseid)
A wee bit later, as Huntress and the Question head to the waterfront, the Question reveals he knows Huntress knows nothing about Cadmus. Further, he knows about her connection to Mandragora.
So, if the Question knows why Huntress wants Mandragora, and that she has nothing to offer in exchange for his help, why is he helping?
Meanwhile, Canary (with Arrow riding behind) has caught up with them and demands that they stop. Question drives his car into a rail tunnel. Just one problem…
Question manages to turn into the side tunnel before the train hits him, but Arrow has to call for J’onn to teleport him and Canary. J’onn does so…over the bay where they land safely in the water.
Meanwhile, Question reveals that there’s a freighter from Mandragora’s country arriving shortly.
(Thanks to Unlimited)
So now the Huntress and the Question are An Item, but it’s not their last appearance together. This episode focused primarily on the Huntress’s obsession, while the next is all about the Question.
We open on Metropolis, where a warlord from Apokolips named Mantis is tearing up the city.
Fortunately, Superman is on the scene with an assist by Captain Atom (another Charlton import: Captain Nathanial Adams (USAF) was condemned for a crime he didn’t commit. He exchanged his death sentence for being a guinea pig for an experiment that turned him into a living nuclear reactor (similar to Firestorm, but with energy conversion instead of matter manipulation)) After a brief battle, Superman manages to activate Mantis’s Boom Tube and Captain Atom blasts Mantis through.
Following the attack, Lois Lane shows up looking for alone time with Superman, so Captain Adam makes himself scarce. After leaving, Captain Atom is summoned by General Eiling (calling the good Captain by his actual name)…
…and drafts him into Cadmus.
Meanwhile, the Question and the Huntress have a “date night” where they break into LexCorp to dig up information about Cadmus.
Eventually, Question manages to download the files, but Huntress now wants an actual date in return. (Exactly how can they have a date night like regular people when Huntress hasn’t even seen Question’s face? It’s not like he can eat while wearing that mask!)
Later in Question’s apartment (wait, why does he have an apartment? He has free housing in the Watchtower!)
(Thanks to Blue Kryptonite)
The Question goes to the Watchtower to confront Superman about this. Question reveals he knows what the Justice Lords did…and that events are lining up to make those same events happen in our universe!
Despite Superman’s assurances, the Question storms out of the Watchtower and to…
(Thanks again to Unlimited)
Huntress guesses that Cadmus must have Question.
Superman agrees to help Huntress rescue Question.
Obviously, Cadmus was expecting this. Fortunately for Huntress, Cadmus’s weaponry doesn’t affect Superman so she can hide behind him. Then Superman spots something and flies off, leaving Huntress to deal with Cadmus’s goon squad.
I think she's fine, if a bit annoyed.
They eventually find Question and free him…
…though he’s still a bit loopy (even for him) As they prepare to leave…
(You thought I casually mentioned Eiling drafting Captain Atom?)
The episode ends there and picks up on the next episode…
Fortunately, Superman manages to keep Captain Atom busy and gives Huntress his comlink so she can contact the Watchtower once she’s clear. One problem…
Huntress tell J’onn what he can do with his attitude and demands transport to save the Question (who, despite everything, is still a Member in Good Standing)
Later, in the infirmary, Question tells Huntress about the aerosol that seals/removes the mask from his face and changes his hair color, since he was having trouble breathing through it. After using the spray…
D’AWWWWWWW!
Now they can have a proper date night once he recovers!
Hope you enjoyed! Please let me know if there are any other JLU characters you would like to see a deep dive on (not that many got enough screen time to be able to)
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