Spoiler Alert: Solarman, Part 3 · 4:39am Sep 7th, 2014
: Kraal orders Ben taken away so that the Circlet can be c-c-cut off of his arm. But Altarra arrives and threatens the robots with her gun. Once again, why would the robots care? They're not alive!
A-anyway, Ben and Altarra get attacked by a bunch of Dalek lookalikes. The two manage to slide behind a door, b-but Altarra stays on the ground and disappears in a burst of energy. I-is she d-d-dead?
: Um, I....THINK so? She wasn't hit or anything....I have no idea WHY she'd be dead. Anyway, the Dalek rip-offs are about to capture Ben when Altarra's R2-D2 rip-off opens a window, allowing Ben to turn into Solarman and destroy them.
: Solarman takes to the little robot, who he names Beepie. I am both stunned at the lack of creativity behind this character and relieved that his time on this Earth was short.
: Solarman an' Kraal get inta a scrap 'till Kraal activates the Energizer. Solarman flies away ta get inna Beam-O-War 'wit the device. E'en though the Energizer should be able ta absorb his solar-power blasts, Solarman manages ta blast its ray all the way back ta the device itself, causin' the whole ship ta explode. Solarman manages ta save his little robotic nuisance from the craft, while Kraal flies away, swearin' vengeance an' whatnot.
: The pilot ends with Ben in his room, talking with Jennie about what happened as if it actually happened. Apparently, he decided that feigning insanity would be a great way to hide his pointless secret identity. However, Kraal's threats to return still ring in the back of his mind, which the pilot repeats as if we would have forgotten after only a minute.
: Despite our jests, Solarman is not that bad a show, given that it was made just a little after "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends" and before "Batman: The Animated Series." Still, it's no wonder it didn't catch on. Unlike similar characters like Shazam, Spider-Man, Nova, Firestorm, or even Ben 10, there's one thing missing from Solarman, and that's creativity. There is nothing to separate him from any other teen hero in concept, personality, powers, or even costume, and his primary purpose as a piece of merchandise is pretty transparent. My only regret about this pilot is that the money wasn't spent on something worthier, like a Thor or Daredevil cartoon.
: Well, my only regret is that I'm going to have the theme song stuck in my head all day.
: And MY only regret is that the Energizer didn't keep going....and going....and going.... and going....
: Applejack, PLEASE tell me she didn't just use that joke.
: Twi, ah'm the Element 'a Honesty, 'member?
: ....dang it!
: ....and going....and going....and going....
...and going and going and going and going and going and going and goin-
Anyways, this does feel really bland..and Green Lantern ish...like, Green Lantern meets Ben 10 or something
2434174 Basically. He's the sort of truly bland character that usually comes and goes without anyone noticing, because he feels like he was cranked out in a sweat shop. Kind of like Max Steel.
....and going....and going....and going....and going....
I honestly didn't even think of the Ben 10 connection but..... Yeah. You know a solar powered hero CAN work in theory, actually Superman and any Kryptonian PROVES it can work, but the difference is they function under the principle of SOLAR BATTERIES! They take in solar energy and generally hold it, for long periods of time I might add, which of course means they don't work under reverse werewolf rules where their biggest weakness is a cloud passing overhead and can't work on overcast days or when it's raining!
Worst super weakness ever.
2435251 It really is. And it's not even like Solarman was waiting for it to become daytime, or for it to stop raining or something. No, he couldn't transform because of freaking light cloud cover!
That being said, though, it wasn't clear in the pilot if he needed sunlight to transform, or to have his powers. Because it's slightly less lame if he just needed to wait to transform, instead of his powers just constantly turning on and off.
Say, have you watched Assault on Arkham yet?