The heroes have faced stiff opposition throughout Young Justice: Phantoms. After getting past the Light, and seeing Vandal Savage and Darkseid revert to the shadows, they came under attack from Lor-Zod. The rogue Kryptonian wanted to free his father Dru-Zod from the Phantom Zone, which led to him killing Green Lantern Tomar-Re and a scary Justice League homage.
Unfortunately, despite Team Nightwing’s best attempts to throw him off, the Kryptonian achieved his goal of bringing Dru-Zod and his mother Ursa over to Earth. And though it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse after Dru-Zod’s power was unleashed, Young Justice likewise empowered Ursa by turning her into Emerald Empress. However, this version of the character is potentially even more fatal.
When Lor-Zod took his parents to the Fortress of Solitude, rather than patiently plan their takeover of Earth, his mother wanted to move as aggressively as possible. Even the general tried to calm her down, but Ursa was built for war and wanted to flex her power. The relic Lor-Zod took from Metron’s lair — the Eye of Ekron — sensed her rage, and like a Green Lantern ring to willpower, it slipped out of his pocket and chose her as its vessel.
The eye turned Ursa into the Emerald Empress, known for terrorizing the future — especially against the Legion of Super Heroes. Debuting in 1967, the character’s history has been altered a few times, but whether as a member of the Fatal Five or a solo terrorist, she’s always sought to enslave the galaxy. This narrative fit Ursa perfectly, with her first act being to blow the Bioship apart. Lor-Zod and Dru-Zod were extremely impressed as Young Justice revealed the strongest Empress ever.
The penultimate episode of the season concluded with the Zods attaching kryptonite to an injured Kal-El, while taking M’comm, the mysterious Kaizer-Thrall, and a seemingly loyal Superboy to Metropolis. Once they arrived, Ursa was the one calling the shots, ready to make the entire world kneel before her family. The Emerald Empress is poised to conquer a planet that’s short on heroes.
While Young Justice has often introduced different takes on established DC Entertainment characters, this version of the Empress is the most striking because of her seemingly massive power. She’s a worthy adversary in her own right and not just Dru-Zod’s wife or Lor-Zod’s mom anymore. In the end, Ursa may end up being more threatening than either one.
Young Justice: Phantoms airs its season finale Thursday on HBO Max.