DCSHG: For The Girl Who Has Everything

I have been remiss in recent times to review all of the Supergirl appearances in DC Superhero Girls. Perhaps I am falling into a 'comic continuity' funk, knowing that Shea Fontana's version is going to be replaced by Lauren Faust's soon.

Thankfully, I stumbled upon the most recent episode, a Supergirl-centric tale available on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJWCG4ZyTm4

It is a shame I lost track of this because it is a ton of fun.

The title is 'For the Girl who has Everything' and comic fans know that title as a riff on 'For the Man who has Everything', the classic Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons Black Mercy story from Action Comics Annual #11. We know in that story the Black Mercy flower shows Superman his fondest desire, that Krypton did not explode and he has a family. Of course, he realizes (with the help of this friends) that this is a flawed 'perfect reality' and breaks free.

And this isn't the first time we have seen a Supergirl take on this story. It was part of Supergirl season one on CBS:
http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2016/02/supergirl-episode-13-for-girl-who-has.html

So what is the DCSHG Supergirl's perfect world?

It turns out that maybe Supergirl is a perfectionist or just needs to be in control of all things. Her origin story is sad and chaotic when you think about it so maybe she just wants that sense of stability.

And so we see that despite an art project being assigned to Harley, Batgirl, and Supergirl, Kara did the whole thing. This diorama, meant to portray a perfect world, earns the group a C. It only reflects Supergirl.

Harley isn't happy.

And it turns out that Supergirl has a lot of things on her mind.

Her adoptive parents can't attend an upcoming school event. She is pretty sad by the whole thing.

I wonder if this is a running theme in this season?

I do recall that one of the menaces this season are the 'Krypto-mites', little sentient chunks of Green K.

Here, they show up in the Super Hero High hangar and just start attacking the vehicles there. Supergirl is powerless against their radiation but luckily the others, Wonder Woman, Harley, and Ivy, show up and drive them off.

Inside Supergirl's rocket is a purple flower. And botanist Ivy seems intrigued.

Okay, was the Mercy there the whole time and Kara never noticed it?

Did the Krypto-Mites leave it there as a trap? If yes, who gave it to them?

But we know what that is. I wonder what viewers who don't know what that is think of the concept?

We head right into the second part.

Kara, who had been incapacitated by the Green K exposure in the first half, awakens in her bedroom.

It is a different world.

She got an 'A' on that project.

Principal Grodd showers her with praise.

Out on campus, she spies Krypto-Mites but she finds she is invulnerable to them.

Grodd tells her she can't be hurt anymore. She is the most powerful hero in the world, one without weaknesses.

(We could talk about the very very brief Silver Age time when Kara was also invulnerable to K but this isn't the place.)

And then, like all Black Mercy visions, this becomes a dark version of a 'perfect world'.

Because Supergirl is so perfect there wasn't the need for other super-heroes. They all quit. Super Hero High is now Supergirl High, adorned with her image and iconography (sort of like that art project).

This isn't the world Supergirl wants.

It is a nice rendering that the world slowly descends into darker and darker purple. And Grodd, as the voice of the Mercy, becomes larger and larger.

Finally, Kara rejects this demon world, attack the Kong-sized and suddenly plant-like Grodd.

Pretty cool to see Supergirl realize how this isn't a wonderful life and defend herself.

Suddenly we see things as they really are with the rest of the gang trying to rip the Black Mercy off Supergirl.

Katana arrives and just like that, snicker snack, the Mercy is cut off Kara.

Ivy apologizes to Kara. She didn't realize the Mercy would do this. She thought it might cheer Kara up.

Supergirl then apologizes to her pals, getting them all in a super-hug.

More than ever, she realizes she needs this extended family.

So all in all a fun DCSHG-appropriate take on the Black Mercy. A lesson is learned.

I do like the Donner-esque state of Supergirl's bedroom. And the framed pic of Krypto is cool.

The animation quality seems lower than I am used to for DCSHG. But still, all in all a lot of fun.

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