Welcome to Adventure(s) Time's fifty-eighth installment, a look at animated heroes of the past. Suggestions are always welcome, folks. This installment comes from a suggestion from Gravity Falls Poland, a true DCAU fan if ever there was one. This week, we're examining the final appearances of the villain we all assumed to be Batman Beyond's arch-nemesis. Turns out, he ranks as little more than a footnote in the mythos. Still, at least that design is pretty cool.

Derek Powers, alias Blight, is the man responsible for the death of Terry McGinnis' father. Unlike Batman, who traditionally isn't able to gain revenge on the murderer of his parents -- in some incarnations, never even learning his identity -- the producers weren't so cagey with the Beyond incarnation. Terry knows who ordered the murder, going back to the two-part pilot. (And, honestly, doesn't seem overly obsessed with revenge. Playing Batman is something he tends to view as something to do for kicks during much of this season.) What he doesn't know is Powers' dual identity as the fluorescent villain Blight, at least not until this episode.

RELATED: DC’s Solicits Reveal First Look at Batman Beyond’s Joker

"Ascension" is the first season finale, airing on May 28, 1999. Written by Robert Goodman and directed by Yukio Suzuki, this is one of the very few Beyond episodes outsourced to Japanese directors. This practice was utilized fairly often on Superman, and on some of the later Batman episodes. These episodes are notable for the fluid motion and more stylized look. It's hard to argue they're not the most visually appealing episodes from these runs. Beyond rarely employed the practice...this and "The Winning Edge" are Suzuki's only director credits.

The premise has Derek Powers growing weary of the expensive and cumbersome process he needs to cover his glowing skeleton. (Terry reminds the audience that he threw the nerve gas at Powers that created this condition. And that he isn't sorry.)

Powers decides to name his son, Paxton, acting chairman of the board...more as a public face than anything. A group claiming to be fishermen affected by Paxton's lax environmental practices interrupts the introductory meeting, however. Derek is incensed, losing control of his powers and exposing himself to the world.

RELATED: Batman Beyond’s Scarecrow Uses a New Tactic to Scare Victims

Later, Paxton has the gall to commission a new Bat-signal to attract Batman's attention. Batman agrees to help Paxton locate his father, only to later discover he's caught in the middle of a nasty father-son feud. The episode ends with Blight possibly dying aboard a nuclear submarine. The death Batman refuses to believe...a fact he gleefully makes known to Paxton.

There's certainly an indication we'll see more of the Powers' family struggle. And, if the creative team had only themselves to answer to, perhaps we would've. The network, however, submitted its notes after the finale of Season One. The verdict: less of this corporate espionage stuff. Kids' WB! wants kid-friendly plots. So, drop the boardrooms and focus on Terry's life in high school. Hence, about half of Hamilton Hill High's staff and student body turn out to have connections to supervillains. (Or outright be supervillains.)

The comic book tie-in, however, wasn't bound by these restrictions. And given that the regular writer, Hilary J. Bader, was also a staff writer on the cartoon, Beyond became the Adventures title with the strongest links to its source material.

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Batman%20Beyond%3A%20Blight%27s%20Final%20Moment']



Batman Beyond #18 (April 2001) comes from Bader, penciler Craig Rousseau, and inker Rob Leigh. And, hey, let's not forget that awesome Brian Stelfreeze cover. The creative team presents what very well could've been the resolution to the Blight storyline...assuming Bader was assigned that episode.

So, the epic final showdown between Batman and his father's killer opens with an appearance by the villain Stalker. He possibly owes the most to Spider-Man's rogues gallery, a well the animators returned to often. This time, the influence of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko led the producers to create an African big game hunter, as opposed to a Russian big game hunter with an African influence.

Well, it's an intriguing way to open the story. Surely, the action will move on soon, unveiling Blight as the true threat.

RELATED: Bruce Wayne Gives Batman Beyond’s Robin a New Costume and a Major Upgrade

Or, just keep on going for numerous pages. Either way. Actually, as a Batman/Stalker fight, this is perfectly okay. There just isn't that much to it, even if Bader seems to think forcing Batman to question if he's "hunter" or "prey" is some deep philosophical question. (The story is in fact titled "Prey or Hunter, Hunter or Prey.") Halfway through the issue, we begin to discover just what Stalker wants.

His target is Blight, and Stalker's decided Batman is the perfect lure to draw him out in Gotham. There is a logic to it, as Stalker is obsessed with his honor as a hunter, and Blight is unusual prey. Yet, there's no real connection here. The villains don't know each other, have no reason to have strong feelings either way about the other. Blight could've been any other unusually powered villain from the DC Animated Universe.

Regardless, Stalker's plan works. Batman is forced into a confrontation with Blight, the man who ordered the hit on his father. And the climactic battle lasts...approximately six pages. Nearly half the length of the initial fight with Stalker. It does have some cool moments...

RELATED: The Origin of Batman Beyond’s Doomed Romance with Ten

...but ultimately, it's rushed and unsatisfying. In the end, Stalker aids Batman in dousing Blight in a shower of hot lead. Batman declares he's neither hunter nor prey...he's Batman!...a second before Stalker knocks him out and disappears with Blight's body. Batman wonders just what he wants with the body, a question answered in the closing splash page.

And, with that, Blight's story in the initial run of the DCAU is over.

Page 3: [valnet-url-page page=3 paginated=0 text='Easter%20Eggs%2C%20Behind-the-Scenes%20Stories%20and%20More']



The Wrap-Up

Design-y

One of the few notable elements from 1970s Batman not adapted in The Animated Series is the villain Doctor Phosphorus. Eventually, they'd find a way. The producers acknowledge his look as the inspiration for Blight.

Continuity Notes

The tie-in comic has Bruce stop Terry, via communicator, before he can tell Blight he killed his father. Terry's already told him this, though, back in the episode "Ascension." His response? "Do you have the slightest idea how little that narrows it down?"

RELATED: Batman Beyond and The Return No One Demanded

Also, "Ascension" has another sequel in the comics canon. Miss Winston, Derek Powers' secretary, is implied to have a crush on him here. She drops out of the cartoon, but reappears in Batman Beyond #8. Winston survives an assassination attempt and develops the new persona of Vendetta . Her new mission in life is revenge on Batman and Paxton, following her love's death.

Hey, I Know that Voice

Accomplished film actor Cary Elwes voices Paxton Powers. (In a later episode, he'll be replaced by actor Parker Stevenson.) Sherman Howard, who played Lex Luthor on the live-action Superboy series, voices Derek Powers. Interestingly, the producers were very close to having him voice Luthor in the DCAU Superman series. He narrowly lost the role to Clancy Brown.

Approved By Broadcast Standards & Practices

Well, Batman's pride in ravaging Blight's body with nerve gas, and learning no real lesson from it, is rather unusual for Saturday Morning TV.

I Love the '90s

Laptops fifty years in the future will have CD-Rom drives. At least, that's what the Batman Beyond producers seemed to believe.

Battle of the Failed Arch-Nemeses

Truthfully, as the final showdown with the man responsible for his father's murder, neither of these stories do the job. An argument can be made that Terry not obsessing over his father's murder, not allowing this to define him, is very specific character writing. It prevents him from becoming a direct clone of Bruce, and opens up new avenues to explore as motivation. Initially, Terry seems to get a kick out of facing danger as Batman. Later, we discover he's a reformed juvenile delinquent. His life as Batman is penance for the mistakes of his youth. As this was a retcon, it' s possible the producers decided on this motivation after reevaluating the character. It certainly works better than "out for kicks."

Still, any confrontation with the man behind his father's murder should feel like an event. "Prey or Hunter, Hunter or Prey" is not that story. Pairing the two disparate villains for one issue isn't a bad idea, but the execution feels superficial. The question at the heart of the story is also nonsensical. Under what circumstances would Terry, the cocky avenger of the night, ever truly think of himself as "prey"?

"Ascension" feels closer to what the final Batman/Blight battle should be. The animation is fantastic, and the action sequences still feel intense today. Watching the episode, you're certain the producers have more planned for the character, so it lacks any sense of finality, though. It'd be interesting to see what the official return of Blight could've been. But, boy, everyone sure loved those zany episodes where the kids in school kept running into trouble...right?

So that’s all for now. If you have any suggestions for the future, just leave a comment or contact me on Twitter.