A Mallah and the Brain That Aren’t Evil!
My Adventures With Superman Ep 6 Review
Last time on My Adventures With Superman, Clark Kent’s life fell apart. Lois forced him to admit that he’s secretly Superman and was livid for not telling her. Jimmy felt neglected by his friends, and that drove him to set off on his camping alone. As a result, he got captured by some kind of gorilla monster! If that wasn’t strange enough, though, it gets even stranger in this episode. A brain and a talking gorilla, a government conspiracy, and a lot of issues come into play in this episode, and it’s glorious! They’re Mallah! They’re Mallah and the Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain!
Having to Make Things Right for Jimmy
The episode starts off with Lois and Clark not on speaking terms since the former’s livid over the latter lying to her. However, they have more immediate concerns regarding Jimmy, who went off on their camping trip alone. Since he’s not answering their calls or texts, they fear the worst (and they’re right). Thus, the two put aside their issues (well, it’s mainly Lois with the issues) to help Jimmy.
Right away, the episode makes the issues that Lois and Clark have take center-stage rather than keep them on the back burner. The change in dynamic’s evident, with Clark now openly using his powers in front of Lois, which doesn’t help her ill feelings towards him. By the episode’s midpoint, Lois makes it clear why she feels so hurt by Clark’s secret-keeping. She’s fallen for him, and she thinks he fell for her; now she’s worried that his feelings were a cover to throw her off.
Put yourself in Lois’ shoes. Imagine thinking that the person you like may not feel the same way. Now imagine that they’re pretending they do to manipulate you. For someone who hates lies so much, that’s the most painful thing imaginable. In other words, cut Lois some slack, Twitter!
Silver lining: Clark gets to show firsthand that his heroism isn’t an act. He’s the real deal. That, and Lois gets to see Clark without a shirt.
Jimmy, Mallah, and the Brain
Meanwhile, Jimmy Olsen finds himself at the mercy of the gorilla that kidnapped him. However, despite everyone expecting it to be a version of Gorilla Grodd or some other evil primate, the show subverts expectations. While his captors are known as villains, in this universe, they are not. At best, they’re paranoid about being found.
This is Monsieur Mallah and the Brain. Unlike the versions I grew up with in Teen Titans (or most versions), Mallah and the Brain aren’t evil in the show. They give off mad scientist vibes, but are more like an old, married couple, with it being explicitly stated they’re an item. They only take Jimmy prisoner because they think he’s a threat, but once he treats them with excitement rather than hostility, they start warming up to him. As previously mentioned, they’re not evil; just rightfully paranoid about being found by the Government, having once worked for them under Project Cadmus.
Surprisingly, the Project Cadmus in this show wasn’t the morally-grey organization it’s known for being. Instead, that goes to its infamous counterpart, Task Force X; AKA the ones led by Slade, Waller, and the General. They tried wiping Cadmus out when they refused to make weapons, with Mallah and the Brain being the only survivors. Jimmy sympathizes with their plight, comparing how they were ignored by others to what he’s going through with Clark and Lois.
Jimmy is Smarter than We Gave Him Credit
In addition to this, when finally reunited and Clark tries to tell Jimmy the truth, the latter drops a bombshell by revealing he’s always known the truth. He just kept quiet about it out of respect for Clark, rightfully seeing it as something he didn’t want to talk about. This is yet another great moment for not just Jimmy, but for the series as a whole. It’s taking a look at the classic tropes of the old comics, like Superman being able to hide his secret identity by excuses or everyone being oblivious and subverting that. That would seem stupid in the modern day.
Reconciling the Trio as New Threats Emerge
Ultimately, the Daily Planet Trio manages to work out their issues, with Clark gaining Lois and Jimmy’s forgiveness by admitting he just wanted to be treated normal. As for Mallah and the Brain, they manage to build a wormhole to take them to another dimension where they can be safe from Task Force X. Here’s hoping that they turn up again in the future, albeit not evil like many of their counterparts.
There’s just one problem: Task Force X now has all of Cadmus’ tech, and they’re more determined than ever to bring down Superman. Worse, the General recruits Dr. Ivo to help them, which anyone should recognize as a being a horrible decision. So while Clark’s social life is improving, the threat against Superman’s greater than ever.
The show’s first season is now halfway over at this point. While there are a few problems with the pacing, it’s still incredibly entertaining. The sense of mystery surrounding Task Force X and Superman not knowing what he is gives a new spin on an old tale. That, and the main trio remain as fun as ever. This wasn’t the most exciting episode, but sometimes you need to go slow to help develop the characters. Here’s hoping we see more of Mallah and the Brain.
That, and I loved the references to Gurren Lagann!
I Give “My Adventures With Mad Science” a 3.5/5
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Adult Cartoons, Animation, Blog Posts, My Adventures With Superman, TV Shows
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