The following article contains spoilers from Dark Crisis: Young Justice #4, on sale now.
Young Justice's adventures during the Dark Crisis have been a highlight of what made their early years so toxic. However, one moment drove home just how unhealthy the lives they led were. In Dark Crisis: Young Justice #4 (by Meghan Fitzmartin, Laura Braga, Luis Guerrero, and Pat Brosseau) Wonder Girl and Arrowette stumble upon the memorial for fallen young heroes, during which Wonder Girl expressed her disdain for the site.
It was originally meant to honor those who fell in battle. A place where Young Justice could mourn, but instead it became a constant reminder that their lives were never guaranteed and that they would likely die. It got so bad that Wonder Girl admitted it was like being reminded that her life was on a timer until she died fighting some villain or crisis. It's a surprisingly fatalistic viewpoint held by the team, and if it's any indication, one that may be shared by all sidekicks.
It's a horrible point of view, but one that history actually tends to support. Most members of Young Justice have either died or been thought dead at some point. The aftereffects are still clearly traumatizing them to this day. Granted, in the DC Universe, death is never guaranteed to stick, but that doesn't make it any less painful or scarring when it does occur. Young heroes, such as Robin, are especially vulnerable to this tragic outcome.
This, however, is just one example of a larger problem that the younger heroes have taken note of, in that they are far more vulnerable than their mentors. From a logical standpoint, this makes sense. They have less training and experience, so they aren't equipped to handle the same problems as their predecessors, even if they're training to take up the mantle. The problem with that is that they never do take over.
From a meta standpoint, readers understand that their mentors, even when they die, will never be gone for long, and the heroes they've trained to take over in their absence will do so, but will also step aside when they return. This creates a kind of plot armor that will never be overridden by anything, and it essentially guarantees that if they can't be at risk, then their sidekicks will be.
It also doesn't help matters that heroes take on new sidekicks all the time. Batman has had five Robins in canon, and they all have mixed feelings about how quickly he can and has replaced them. From their point of view, it must seem like their mentors are setting up their replacements because they know how dangerous their lives are and that it is likely they will die.
So, is it any wonder that Wonder Girl felt like the memorial was a reminder that she was living on borrowed time? Moreover, if she felt this way, then others probably have and still do feel similar. This series isn't just a reminder that "the good old days" of Young Justice weren't as bright as everyone pretends it was, it also reminds fans just how dark and upsetting life as a sidekick can be.