What happened to Blight?

[TimTwoFace]

Even though BATMAN BEYOND is pretty much over-and-done-with right now, I'd still like to see some more stories dealing with my favourite villain from the series, Derek Powers/Blight.

There's always the "fourth animated movie" idea, and I think it'd be cool to include him in that movie, along with another villain from the past.

But even more realistically, wouldn't it be nice - and a cool way to tie in the series' even more - to have a younger version of he pop up in the current BTAS universe as a rival of Bruce Wayne OR Lex Luthor OR some other industrialist. He'd be, what, 20 or so right now, right? I always thought that would be a nice idea - just put him in the background.

Just an idea. Hey, he'd work in the mainstream comics, too - and bring Inque over for good measure. The Clayfaces need someone to relate to. :)

-Tim

[Mattashell]

Even though Blight was not my favorite villain from that show, it still gripes me that he was killed at the end of the firstseason. After all he was the "arch-fiend" of that show. Terry needed someone to be his Joker/Lex. Once Blight was gone he was just taking out the trash. They really cut potential for "big" storylines and cross episode subplots by eliminating him. When they brought in Kobra at the end it really seemed like they were the new primary villain. That stunk. They were so cheesy and inapropriate for this show. They belonged somewhere else.

Matta

[Toddman]

I don't think that Derek Powers was old enough in BB to be able to make a "modern day" appearance in JL. The opening scene in "Rebirth" looks like it takes place about 20 years in the future and everything else in BB takes place 20 more years after that! I personally think it's a cool idea, but I would think that Derek Powers would be maybe 10 years old in JL's time, at the oldest. He seemed like he was closer to being in his late 40's/early 50's than in his 60's in BB.

It might be kind of fun, though, during one of the JL's giant battles on a crowded city street, to show a young boy in the onlooking crowd that answers to the name Derek. Or maybe even Warren (McGinnis).

Toddman

[TimTwoFace]

Well, even so, it would be cool to see him and HIS parents in the current continuity, be it JUSTICE LEAGUE or, more realistically, in GOTHAM ADVENTURES.

You're right, it was awful that they killed him off after the first season. I mean, that was a great episode and all, but after that, he wasn't used until one really bad BATMAN BEYOND comic where he's gone absolutely crazy and has no mind any more. That's not cool. I remember the producers said it helped Terry "move on and establish himself as Batman" - but come on, you need an arch-nemesis. There WAS no good arch-nemesis after Blight left. Inque was cool but still didn't reach that same plateau - and no one else came close on a continual basis.

I still say he'd be about 20 or so in the current continuity; he COULD pass for a VERY youthful 70 (plastic surgery, come on) and as it's set 50 years in the future...well...

Just an idea.

Maybe I just wanted the BATMAN BEYOND universe to be nicely tied up at the end, not just left hanging to be picked up in ten years by some other network. Bah.

-Tim

[Dark Knight]

Something tells me we would definately have seen blight again if the cruddy old WB didnt end it. After all they did set up that last episode with him for him to return. And there was that gaping plot wound with Paxton for two whole seasons!!! I was just waiting for him to come back and try to take revenge on his son, but alas... Hopefully there'll be another movie with the glowing green no-goodnick...

... and yeah I also think that Derek can't be any older than Tim in regular continuum. He's a LOT younger than Bruce. It would be cool to see the Powers clan in gotham in regular time though. Maybe we could also see a young King from the Royal Flush gang (although he'd probably be 10 or Jack at that time.)

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by Dark Knight
Something tells me we would definately have seen blight again if the cruddy old WB didnt end it. After all they did set up that last episode with him for him to return.

As I understand it, the "ending" we were given in episode #13 ("Ascension") was designed to round things off in case KWB didn't pick up the series past that point. When the network did pick it up, the producers certainly had the opportunity to bring Blight back sometime between episode 14 and episode 52. That they didn't, I believe, was their choice and was not forced by some "premature" ending.

[DerekPowers]

since we'll probably never get any new bb eps, i think if they ever (and i know its not likely) decide to make a new dtv bb movie, it should deal with the return of blight. he was the best villian in bb, and wasnt given nearly enough time to develop into what he could have been.

but that pitch black catwoman story sure did sound great, so i'd be happy with that or a blight movie, hell, id settle for anything at this point.

by the way, welcome to the boards tim two face!!! im guessing your the same timtwoface that does the animated newsletter....nice to have you around!

[Dark Knight]

Originally posted by Maxie Zeus


As I understand it, the "ending" we were given in episode #13 ("Ascension") was designed to round things off in case KWB didn't pick up the series past that point. When the network did pick it up, the producers certainly had the opportunity to bring Blight back sometime between episode 14 and episode 52. That they didn't, I believe, was their choice and was not forced by some "premature" ending.

True, but what more would they have done in a fourth season? They obviously set it up that they could bring Blight back whenever they wanted to, so logically they would at somepoint. If they didnt have ANY more plans for him they wouldnt have given him an ambigious death. I think Blight would have come back.

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by Dark Knight


True, but what more would they have done in a fourth season? They obviously set it up that they could bring Blight back whenever they wanted to, so logically they would at somepoint. If they didnt have ANY more plans for him they wouldnt have given him an ambigious death. I think Blight would have come back.

My point was that if they had plans to bring him back, it looks like they could have brought him back in the second or third season. You don't have to fantasize about a 4th season to imagine his possible return. So it looks like Bane's non-return wasn't the result of the network not renewing the show, but of the producers' own decision.

As for why they gave him the ambiguous ending but then didn't bring him back: I don't know. That's the thing about an ambiguous plot twist like in "Ascension": If they wanted to they could have brought him back, but if they didn't they could just leave him dead. So maybe they just decided they were through with him.

That is a good question to ask them at some point: Why did Bane never return?

[Dark Knight]

Originally posted by Maxie Zeus


My point was that if they had plans to bring him back, it looks like they could have brought him back in the second or third season. You don't have to fantasize about a 4th season to imagine his possible return. So it looks like Bane's non-return wasn't the result of the network not renewing the show, but of the producers' own decision.

As for why they gave him the ambiguous ending but then didn't bring him back: I don't know. That's the thing about an ambiguous plot twist like in "Ascension": If they wanted to they could have brought him back, but if they didn't they could just leave him dead. So maybe they just decided they were through with him.

That is a good question to ask them at some point: Why did Bane never return?

I know I got it. There were TONS of episodes between ascension and the end. I agree that they could have brought him back at any point between there and they had plenty of time to do it. I mean jeez, there were enough mediocre episodes in 2 and 3 that God only knows why they opted to have a talking Gorilla instead of a Blight follow up. But I do still say if there had been a fourth season he would have been a part of it more likely than not. What else would they have done... singing gorilla???

Oh yeah and my fantasies are reserved for things infinately greater than a fourth season of Batman Beyond. ;)

[James Harvey]

He did technically return in Batman Beyond #18...but I do my best to completerly ignore it, and have Acesnion be his last official appearance. I like how they killed him off. It was an interesting twist. Granted, it was left open that he was possibly alive, and I bet they would have gotten back to him, but it was neat to let him lie low. I would have liked to see him return, though.

[TimTwoFace]

Yeah, the BATMAN BEYOND writers wanted to flesh out the characters more in SEASON 2, which is why, during that whole time, they didn't have ANY more people coming from out of the past (until season 3, with "Out of the Past"), and purposely left both Blight AND Inque out of it altogether. Only HALF of those episodes were decent; half of them were horrid.

Anyway, what's this about a pitch-black Catwoman movie? I heard about that, too. Mixing her in with my fantasized movie of "what happened to Nightwing/Gordon/Two-Face/Alfred", as well as Blight, would be kinda cool.

Personally, the four I listed there are the four people I'd like to know the most about in another BATMAN BEYOND movie. But that Catwoman idea is cool, too.

-Tim

[Nightflower]

Originally posted by TimTwoFace
Yeah, the BATMAN BEYOND writers wanted to flesh out the characters more in SEASON 2, which is why, during that whole time, they didn't have ANY more people coming from out of the past (until season 3, with "Out of the Past"), and purposely left both Blight AND Inque out of it altogether. Only HALF of those episodes were decent; half of them were horrid.

Anyway, what's this about a pitch-black Catwoman movie? I heard about that, too. Mixing her in with my fantasized movie of "what happened to Nightwing/Gordon/Two-Face/Alfred", as well as Blight, would be kinda cool.

Personally, the four I listed there are the four people I'd like to know the most about in another BATMAN BEYOND movie. But that Catwoman idea is cool, too.

-Tim

I'd like to hear about this Catwoman movie also. I heard it mentioned a couple of times, but I don't know what the story is.