JLUCast 17: “Maid of Honor”

Wonder Woman makes a new friend in a jet-setting princess. But her taste in grooms leaves something to be desired! Vandal Savage returns to take the Justice League on a Bond-ian adventure full of international intrigue, hidden bases, and deadly super weapons! Join Chris and Cindy in their discussion of “Maid of Honor”!

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Clip credits:

Clips from Justice League “Maid of Honor”, music by Kristopher Carter, theme by Lolita Ritmanis

17 responses to “JLUCast 17: “Maid of Honor”

  1. Great show, Franklin family, as always.

    Vandal Savage can be a great villain, in that not everyone can see him in that way. He’s the example of someone with a presence, who can exude an air of dignity and charisma, that is a true mask for what he’s really up to. Though he’s got more than a bit of facial hair that he could twirl, Vandal sneaks up on you while shaking your hand.

    Please don’t let him run for politics.
    Again.

    My best to you all,
    Ranger Gord Tolton

  2. In the news recently, there were reports that physicists discovered evidence of a reverse universe. That must be where Dolly Parton is in the Oval Office while Mr. Trump is a 25-time No. 1 Billboard country music-chart recording artist and prominent defender of women’s rights. I’ve had my bags packed and just need to learn how we cross over. I don’t think saying one’s name backward works: I tried that already.

    Oh, JLUCast? Great show, I liked your discussion of this Justice Bond mashup.

    1. Trump’s version of “Jolene” will bring you to tears.

      President Parton used her bra collection to create enough masks for everyone in the US, and distributed them back in January, thereby curtailing the Covid-19 outbreak stateside.

      Chris

  3. Thanks for the show, Franklins.

    When I looked at the preview image and plot description, I didn’t even remember this episode. After I got to listening, I finally (sort-of-halfway) remembered it. I don’t think that speaks well of it that I found it so forgettable, because Batman and Wonder Woman are my two favorite Justice League members. I really should have enjoyed an episode focusing on the two of them more.

    As a WW fan, I don’t want to a story where she her flits around with some spoiled princess. That reminds me of that old B&B where Supergirl and Wonder Woman give up crimefighting to move to Paris and become models. Bob Haney was able to make that goofy fun. Really, the episode writers may have been going for a Bond vibe, but I think this came off as more of a Hallmark movie. Ok, I haven’t seen a Hallmark movie with a death ray, but, otherwise…Sorry to be so negative. I generally try to play nice.

    https://www.comics.org/issue/19649/cover/4/

    Even though I like Batman and WW, I’ve never wanted them to “couple up.” If Superman shouldn’t get with Diana because he has Lois, Batman has Catwoman and Talia. Heck, in the animated continuity he also (very icky and creepily) hooked up with Batgirl, the one thing I really hold against Bruce Timm. Batman would never hook up with the daughter of one of his best friends or the ex of his son, which is what Dick really is. The animated Batman probably hooked up with Zatanna, too. Just because I like Batman doesn’t mean I want him hooking up with every attractive DC heroine. I’m a Bruce Timm fan but sometimes he seems like a teenage boy writing slash fiction when it comes to Batman and the ladies. I promise it isn’t just nerd-boy jealousy because Batgirl and Wonder Woman are my top 2 comic book crushes.

    Cindy, don’t be too hard on Chris for his Lynda Carter comments. The other day, my mom came over, picked up a comic I had on my table and said, “Her face isn’t as pretty as Lynda Carter’s.”

    The comic my mom saw:
    https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f52FDlU6Xvc/V6wczfhKSOI/AAAAAAAAbtI/Pj8u3o7eGBEB42EXvhnmOp8IVT3n6RwbwCLcB/s1600/DC-SUPERHEROES_V1N1_80_1.jpg

    As for the tater sack comment, I already commented on Rob’s Super Friends show that there is a Beverly Hillbillies episode that has a bit of a Batman 66 spoof (Money Man/Super Banker). Elly May wears a tater sack and she looks damn good in it…I mean she always looked good but she looked even better than normal in the tater sack. Chris, don’t comment cause I don’t want you to get slapped, and I don’t think Cindy can slap me through the internet.

    1. Hey, I thought the same thing about this episode before rewatching. You may rewatch it and still feel the same, but hey, that’s what makes the world go around.

      I think the Batman/Wonder Woman coupling works fine here, because the BTAS guys never went too far with romance on the previous series. Batman/Bruce wasn’t in a serious relationship with Selina or Talia, so it doesn’t feel like he is “cheating”. I guess you could argue Superman and Lois never got “serious” on STAS either, but their relationship was bubbling under the surface for the entire run.

      I don’t care for the Bruce/Babs thing, although the 60s show hinted at some romance between the two, when the age gap between her and Dick was nearly a generation. The Batman Family title and then the work of Chuck Dixon in particular made Dick/Babs romance viable, so I still tend to lean that way, myself. I didn’t like the hints at the Bruce/Babs romance in “Return of the Batwoman” and Batman Beyond. I definitely didn’t care for the fairly tastelss tacked-on segment in “The Killing Joke” animated film, but thankfully that’s outside of the DCAU. I have Timm’s “Naughty and Nice” book…so I am well aware that Timm has… tendencies. 😉

      I haven’t went and looked for that Beverly Hillbillies episode yet, but I can imagine Donna Douglas looked just fine in a tater sack!

      Chris

  4. This was such a good spotlight on Diana. In particular, I enjoyed how many times she deflected bullets in this story, and the amount of ammo used was incredible. She was definitely a bad-ass. “You give up, right?” I sure would!

    My first comics with Vandal was Wally West’s Flash. I can appreciate his different looks over the years, but the Cro-Magnon look is so intimidating, I’d love to see it back. Still that wouldn’t fit the Bond tone of this story, so master planner was appropriate and darned effective.

    But considering “electricity is evil,” Savage’s plan should have been to mass produce his electrical gun!

    Great show as always! Thanks, Franklins!

    1. Savage falls in that category of villains who would be more successful if he just went legit. The electro-gun, or even a series of historical memoirs would make him a fortune!

      Chris

  5. Impressive pod cast. Most impressive. This was a fun episode. Nope sorry Chris Cindy is right. They were just friends. The boy toys Audrey brought along are probly what she meant about party favors. This isn’t a Paul Dinni Hmm Vox I wonder if he was a Banshee bit. Since they did put in Marvel charcters on the sligh. Phillis is great As Savage. I liked him ok as J’ohn on Small ville. But, he was better here. And The meet the Spartens movie. A joke on 300. Yeah Savage goes full Moon raker in this one. I don’t see Audrey as Hepbern. Out side of movies she seemed to be more down to earth. And the glamour gal thing was put on to get roles. While she had royalty it was a title with no money behind it till she got famous. Or so it said in one of the many Audrey Hepbern books I got. This Audrey is more Paris Hilton than any thing else. Er the one in the cartoon.
    IE fame but not realy mucg responablity till she has to take over then she woman’s up. And takes her responablities to her people seously. Heavy is the head that wares the crown and all that. Yeah the meteor birthed Savage and his counter part the Imortal man, but like some other charters the villain was way more popular than the hero. Dark Side and his crew over New Gwads. Dr. Doom and FF. (Prof. Allan will probly smile on that one.) Kobra over his brother. And the list goes on. Savage was just one of those break out bad guys. Oy Flash in space glad they saved him. Yeah ofcorse WW knew that was Bats. She’ll just let him tell her in his own way. Having had to ware a mask with the beer bug out there. I’m glad I don’t have it, but I will ware the mask. Yeah unless it’s a Spider Man mask people will know it’s you. Mine covers the bottom of my face and I ware a sky cap. Cause I work in Dairy and some times frozen. Every knows it’s me. Only time I wasn’t reconized was when I was the Mr. Brown mascout from the milk people. I was working as part of an over night groucey crew. And the first day was a day work. I.E. 9am to 5 pm. isteed of 10 pm to 7 am and the person hired to be the mascot didn’t show. So I was asked to do it. Standing in the cooler every so once in a while cause I was dressed as a big cow person. I never talked and yep only time people didn’t know it was me.

    So yeah people talk about Clark and the glasses, but relalty is. Masks that aren’t Spider Man covering don’t work to hide your face. It’s comics so we go with it. Again at work cause of the beer bug fear. I ware a bandana that covers the whole bottem of my face and a sky cap (Not calling it a beenie.) It’s basicly a balaclava. And folks say hey to me by name. And let me in. Even before I put on my name tag. They even know it’s me at the gym when I ware it. I work out in it. Ok not on the tredmil. 2 miles at 4.5 speed and a 4.5 incline would be a bit much. So yeah. Thinking WW knows that Bats. When he’s almost beaten to death later and his mask is off no one is like La’ gasp Bat Man is Bruce Wayne. Not even Walley. Yeah invonrable Amazon is a better meat sheild than MMA fighter in a Bat suit. No mater how much armore bruce has on Diana can take more punishment than him. Glad they took out his weapon. Mangled for the moment. The imortality thing also gives Savage a heeling factor. Some how so he’ll be fine. Over all a cool WW epasoide. And builds on the Diana , Bruce romance started by Brynne in the comics. Can;’t wait to hear the next epasoide.

        1. Oh also though I was dressed as Mr. Brown. My pro nones are still she her, miss and witch. It was a job. Some times women play male parts under those antimorphic costumes. I remem ber when I was 12 one of the girls they hired to be Motgomry Mouse got over heated and almost took off that head peace they give ya to ware and I saw. Yeah my friend Ashely wanted her B-day party at a scatting rink. And she wanted the Get A long gang thing. Ware they scatted around on roller skates did a skit and brought us all cake.

          Saying so I don’t opps again. As for the Snoring thing I can simpathise. I snore and once when me and my dad went on a job ware we did refits for stores. We had to stay in the same room cause we went to different towns and did the re fits. I.E. re set the in caps in the stores so the people in the store could do the other work. Any way he told me I snored, but he snored load enough that he sounded like Godzilla. I could almost hear people running away shouting Gojira! Gojira!

          Any Way once again cool Pod cast can’t wait to hear the next one.

  6. Hey excellent episode
    Been awhile but life will do that to you

    I distinctly remembering finding this one a bit boring as a kid something about the whole kingdom politics and the princess getting into shenanigans wasnt something That kept my attention.
    The whole Roman holiday refrance flew over my head.
    And on the whole princess being possibly into diana I’m split on one hand I dont think there is anything there but with the writers on this show you never know especially with the other and future stuff they snuck under the radar.
    If the show was made now I definitely could see them leaning more into her being into diana

    With savage was shocked seeing him pop back up
    He was great and getting to see his comic origin was a treat.
    Though with him trying to pass himself off as a desendent I always thought it was a missed opportunity to bring in one of his actual desendents from the comics for a episode could have got some good conflict and story out of that.

    On his lackey vox the most interesting I find about this character is his power and tech might have influenced
    Of all things a teen titans character.
    The character mal Duncan who other then his guardian persona was the herald with his sound blasting horn.
    Around I want to say after this episode was when a bunch of teen titans were maimed or killed off in a event comic
    Mals horn was destroyed and his neck and chest were badly injured.
    Fast forward to the geoff John’s teen titans run mal along with bumblebee were apart of the doom patrol and he now has a cybernetic implant on his neck and he speaks with a distorted voice and he can shoot portals and sound attacks and he went by a new codename vox.
    Now I’m not saying John’s might have cribbed from the show but Its a big possiblity or just a really big coincidence
    Just some food for thought.

    This episode looking back is alright not one of my favorites but one I wouldn’t skip.

    Keep up the good work and cant wait for the next episode

    1. Thanks for the reminder on Mal as Vox! I had totally spaced on that. But yes, that was post Infinite Crisis and “One Year Later” , so Johns may have cribbed a bit of the concept the and the name from here. Great catch, Dial C!

      Chris

  7. I don’t recall this episode of JL at all, but it sounds fun. I like the idea of a ROMAN HOLIDAY pastiche but inserting Vandal Savage. His list of conquests must outdo Wilt Chamberlain. That “I want to go out with a bang–or more, if possible” line really made my eyebrows go up.

    As I have said before, Cindy’s laugh is infectious, back when such a concept wasn’t so terrifying.

  8. Hi Franklins,

    Great job on the podcast, as always. I recall Chris saying he didn’t fondly recall this episode before he rewatched it to prepare for the podcast. I felt the same way after originally watching it but watching it a second time provided a new perspective. I enjoyed the Batman/Wonder Woman focus in the first part – I think she was handled very well, enough to wonder why she never got her own series. In any event, I will say that as much as I enjoyed rewatching the episode, it still isn’t one of my favorites. I know that you have to go into each episode with a healthy level of disbelieve, but there were a few too many things that were glossed over to ignore:

    1) The limo “escape” was way too easy. Perhaps the writers wanted to show that Audrey was a capable and clever person (worthy of Wonder Woman’s friendship?) but they made the guards look totally incompetent. Certainly not worthy of guarding a princess.

    2) How exactly did Kasnia get the plans for their contributions to Platform 1 approved? Surely an independent architect reviewed the blueprints prior to installation. Did anyone notice some odd extras being added on? No one put two and two together and say “hey, these modifications could be used to turn Platform 1 into a rail gun!”?

    3) Speaking of sneaking things past the other governments, how exactly did Kasnia get 12 astronauts onto the space station (yes, I counted them)? Considering there were only 4 hostages, I can see how they were captured, but really, what was Kasnia’s reason for sending so many astronauts? If Kasnia is not such a large and wealthy country, could they even afford to have 12 astronauts?

    4) As far as those astronauts are concerned, how’d they manage to get those weapons they had with them? I suppose no one frisked the astronauts prior to boarding the shuttle? Smuggling 12 rifles onto the space station probably not so easy…

    5) Notice how almost all of the military for Kasnia (including those 12 astronauts again) are so eager to throw in with Vandal Savage? I mean, was Audrey and the royal family so hated by Kasnia that they didn’t even bat an eye when someone usurped the throne? Audrey had not one single member of the cabinet/military loyal to her and her father? That’s cold.

    6) As for Audrey, at the end of the episode, referring to the destroyed castle, she indicates that she never liked it due the drafts and she will rebuild it. So wait, the people of Kasnia were already upset enough about the amount of money spent on the space station to KIDNAP YOU, but you just whimsically state that you will spend MORE MONEY rebuilding THE CASTLE. I’m sure that will go over real well with the voters. To me, her comment, and lack of sincerity about that implication undoes any maturing she does earlier in the episode and makes it hard for me to take her seriously as a ruler.

    7) Vandal Savage. Do you think he really thought this plan through well? I suppose over his life span this attempt to rule the world amounted to just a “what the hey, let’s give this a try and see if it works” attempt, but think about it. He declares he has the ultimate high ground but in truth he can only fire the rail gun at the part of the Earth that is facing the rail gun at the time. If he wants to fire the rail gun at the US, what’s he going to do if the current orbit has it facing China? Tell the US to “hang on” for another 12 hours until they are in range? What’s to stop the US from launching an all out attack on Kasnia while the rail gun is happily orbiting over Russia? Furthermore, doesn’t he know about the Watch Tower? Wouldn’t he have thought about the League launching an attack from the Watch Tower? Perhaps he thought he’d get lucky and hope the JL was off-world? Seems like pretty sloppy planning on Savage’s part.

    Like I said, I can usually provide a healthy level of disbelief but this episode required too much to be put into one of my favorites. I do like that Batman tries to pretend Wonder Woman is wrong about his identity, but I also found it interesting that he doesn’t seem to mind so much. Recall that he seemed a little ticked off that Superman used his X-ray vision to learn his identity (“you peeked – S:TAS – Worlds Finest story arc). Perhaps Bats is chilling out or maybe because he feels Diana can be trusted? Either way, at this point half the team knows his identity (Diana, Superman, J’onn – I assume) so perhaps he realizes it’s not worth fighting.

    Thanks again for a great podcast – I can’t wait to hear your insights, observations and thoughts on Hearts and Minds. Until then stay safe and be well!

  9. Fun show, you two. Chris’s Dr. Evil impression was dead good.

    Audrey’s guards should had known better about the cab switch, UNLESS the guards that fell for it before were sacked and these were new ones — but that is only a guess.

    The Flash has been known to survive in a vacuum for a few minutes at one time. Or at least Barry Allen has. In the 1970s, Flash fought Black Hand in a two-part story which had Black Hand steal the Flash’s protective radiation aura just like he would steal Green Lantern’s power. Black Hand mixed the aura radiation with already-stolen power ring energy to create a super energy aura that would protect him from anything — even yellow. The Flash, meanwhile, would burn to a crisp if he went at full speed.

    Conveniently, a movie studio was shooting a film taking place on the moon, so the Central City Stadium was used for the set, and the production crew pumped all of the air out of the stadium to create a perfect vacuum so the set would be more realistic. Flash lured Black Hand there so he could battle him at full speed. Because of Black Hand’s aura, the villain was completely unaware he was even in a vacuum, and was surprised to see the Flash not even catching fire. The battle took place for a few minutes, the Flash holding his breath the entire time. He thought to himself that he was not sure that his body would survive an environment with no air pressure, but his years of super-speeding must have toughened him up. I suppose we could say the same for Wally — but that is only a guess.

    Looking forward to the next one.

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