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miscellaneous_section) wrote2024-04-17 11:27 pm
miscellaneous_section) wrote2024-04-17 11:27 pm
Why Lexor is Too Dastardly in the Cartoon- A Visionaries Analysis
Has it been four years since I'd written this? Man, time does fly. So, I mainly talked about why I liked the Star/Marvel comic interpretation of Lexor more than the cartoon's. Despite it being six issues long -and being cancelled half way through a four-part storyline-, I'm impressed that the writers decided to leave some room for Lexor to grow as a character; we can see where he can improve and/or becoming worse.
I have been pondering on a fanmade third-part of the cancelled storyline where Lexor and Mortdred are teamed up to outsmart Ectar and Witterquick to obtain the Fire Crystal. I also have a headcanon for Lexor's kingdom having the crystal, and because of it they're the best place to get armor, weapons, and other items because it's made fast because of the amplified fire and heat.
You can read it here on AO3 or go under the cut if you like!
I remember having a discussion with someone back on Tumblr about my dissatisfaction with Cravex’s portrayal in the fandom. (I swear if that character analysis from prysmos.com was still up on the Internet, I would definitively say this is the worst examination of his character. If I ever had the chance to read it, though. But thank god it isn't up anymore.) But she did reply that a lot of the characterization that I talked about aren’t overt, so fans are left to do the work to come up with something after 30 years after its broadcast.
So I’m going to do just that! I enjoy writing analyses the most, so what do I have in mind? Hmm… Ooh! I know. How about Lexor? The conniving, cowardly Darkling Lord who will manipulate anyone to do his dirty work, and he’s willing to murder and backstab others to get what he wants. That was just in the cartoon alone in a span of the first three episodes. Then there’s his Star/Marvel comics counterpart, and the six-issue series seems like it was made for an older audience in mind. What will the writers come up for Lexor in a more dark and mature take? Well- he’s seems like a pretty okay guy in the comics.
I was surprised by this take of his character when I first read it. And that, I think, makes Lexor scarier as an antagonist. He’s also my favorite version from the Visionaries thus far. But why though?
To start off, lets compare how Lexor was introduced and the fight between the newly formed Darkling Lords against the would-be Spectral Knights. The comics play out somewhat the same but with spider’s milk and Darkstorm spilling it on the three unsuspecting knights: Cravex, Cindarr, and Lexor. So with Darkstorm’s numbers increased and a fight breaks out, Lexor actually puts up a struggle, but he’s still everybody’s punching bag. That’s where he books it behind a boulder while everyone fights, and this is where the differences start to show themselves in the comics. They may be small differences but they make a big impact, and they are worth talking about. Because we get to read Lexor’s thoughts in the moment. He’s petrified that he might die young, he hopes that either they all kill each other or a miracle happens to end the fighting, and he expresses regret for ever joining with Darkstorm. And that’s mostly because his side was losing. In the cartoon Lexor barely puts up a fight, Leoric kicks his ass, and Lexor crawls under a table like a little bitch. That’s it.
Merklynn does stop the violence, and the knights final task is to open the door and walk into the shrine. Which is revealed there are many apparitions in the room, and they’re terrified by the sight of it but they press on despite it. These thought bubbles, while given to the wrong characters, one bubble caught my eye when I first read it. It’s Lexor again, and this is one those moments that made me stop for a second.
Leoric’s words manages to inspire strength in Lexor, for him to face what lies ahead of him despite the horrors that shake him to his core. This one piece lead me to like this iteration more than the other so far.
So they all get their spells and animal totems, Merklynn magically yeets them out of his mountain shrine and then they start trying to kill each other again. God I’m already sick of this shit. The differences between the comics and cartoon start to become more apparent, to the point where they’re now separate story lines for the same basic plot. In the show Darkstorm proposes a fake peace treaty, even though Leoric and Ectar knew that he wouldn’t keep his word but whatever, and the Darkling Lords capture all seven of the good guy knights and toss them in a dungeon. I have no idea if it’s at Leoric’s castle or Darkstorm’s. When I first watched the episode, I lost track which location they were at. At this point in the story the Spectral Knights are formed. Pretty late into game guys. Also Lexor attempts to drown them in the dungeon. So where was Lexor in the comics?
In the comics the Darkling Lords and the others go their separate ways once the lines have been drawn. In New Valarak the remaining knights form a sacred order to preserving the light in the darkness of their world, they don’t call themselves the Spectral Knights in this version at all. Only other people call them the Spectral Knights. That’s a little weird, but points for getting ahead of the game. Meanwhile in Darktorm’s Domain the lords with no power staves bitch about it, and so Darkstorm decides that Reekon and Mortdred should do some errands and possibly find something that could tip the scales of power to their side. Mortdred doesn’t mind because he thinks it’s a privilege of the highest order, and Reekon just complains about it as they go to the blacksmith, Harkon. They get Darkstorm’s armor fixed up and find the Skyclaw that Harkon built a long time ago. Mortdred accidentally infuses it with magic, and now it’s his vehicle to command. They go back to show off and Darkstorm throws a celebratory dinner for their find. They plan what to do next now that they have the Skyclaw in their hands. Cindarr says they should attack right away, but Lexor has a different idea.
Darkstorm may call him a “careful coward”, but I say he has a functioning brain stem. They don’t have the big picture what the Spectral Knights can do or the defenses they have. The may have also found vehicles that Ectar and Feryl can use by now. So another reason why I like this version more than the cartoon. But then there’s the power of Invulnerability. A spell that either makes him a brick wall to physical attacks or puts up a magic barrier for all types of attacks.
The comics do portray the spells including the power of Invulnerability better than the show, because now all the powers have actually limitations to what the user can do. Not a one-time use and back to Merklynn’s for a recharge every five minutes. But the comic writers wrote Lexor using this power in an interesting light. Through out the comic when he uses the Invulnerability spell all his fears and doubts go away immediately, but he lets this get to his ego to the point where he thinks he’s the best Darkling Lord since no one can lay a hand on him. It’s unnerving to see this change come over him this quickly and it works. Lexor in the cartoon never gets those kind of moments. And I think this is my main problem with him in the animated series.
I think the writers played their hand too early with Lexor in the show. This is such a detriment to his character. Because where else can he go? I also think this demonstrates the limitations to a purely evil character, especially someone this dastardly. The only amount of depth that he’ll ever get is that he can tell when someone else is lying, but that’s because he’s a lair himself. So he knows all the bells and whistles to it. Plus he’s played for laughs for the most part. That’s all there is to him. Any attempt to further flesh him out would be out of left field. And it has happened in the cartoon, actually. In the 12th episode of the series, Honor Among Thieves, Azron voluntaries to be a distraction while Ectar sneaks his way through Darkstorm’s castle to get the Crystal of Detection back. Reekon orders Cravex to intercept Arzon. Both in their animal forms they fight. Reekon and some guards enter the courtyard, and Reekon is about to signal the guards to shoot Arzon down along with Cravex. But someone tries to stop him but they fire their arrows anyway, and it’s- Lexor of all people. This scene actually had me say aloud, “Since when did you start caring?”
This is the same Lexor who tried to manipulate Cravex to do his dirty work but failed, and he gets decked in the face for it. The same man who would totally let Darkstorm drown if Lexor didn’t need him to use the magical orb that they stole. This is the same guy who didn’t care about Fletchen’s well-being, and he said he would find someone else to help her if she was in danger. The same man who would let Northalia be buried in an avalanche and leave the people to their fate. So yeah, I don’t buy him being concerned for anybody’s well-being after everything the writers have shown to the audience so far.
The comics on the other hand don’t play their cards so soon, the writers took their time with him. Even when the series was canceled they sprinkled bits about his character through thoughts, interactions, and dialogue. They also showed a different perspective to his most basic traits much like what they did with Mortdred, but that’s for another time. He isn’t played for laughs, he tells very few fibs, he’s got a bright mind for strategy that was briefly shown, he can be intimidating with his spell, and he can be a thoughtful person, too. He actually gave Virulina some flowers in the third issue, but she’s a bad guy so she doesn’t like flowers and shoves them back to his face. And yet, I also can’t help but feel sorry for him.
He seems alright for all the six-issues that were printed, but I can see why he acts like this. The world of Prysmos has lost all its advanced technology and electricity, everyone is out for themselves, and “might makes right” is the new law of the land. He is full of genuine fear and panic about what could happen to himself, and it's perfectly understandable given the situation. Plus his character has more room to develop further.
This does not.
So yeah, Lexor in the Marvel/Star comics has the basic foundation for a layered antagonist. I feel disappointed knowing he didn’t get to shine in an issue of his own, much like how Witterquick and Cindarr did in the 4th issue of the series. This could have been the most well-rounded version of Lexor out there, but given there’s only six issues that wasn’t the case. But in the end, this is why I enjoy the comics version of Lexor over the cartoon.
I have been pondering on a fanmade third-part of the cancelled storyline where Lexor and Mortdred are teamed up to outsmart Ectar and Witterquick to obtain the Fire Crystal. I also have a headcanon for Lexor's kingdom having the crystal, and because of it they're the best place to get armor, weapons, and other items because it's made fast because of the amplified fire and heat.
You can read it here on AO3 or go under the cut if you like!
I remember having a discussion with someone back on Tumblr about my dissatisfaction with Cravex’s portrayal in the fandom. (I swear if that character analysis from prysmos.com was still up on the Internet, I would definitively say this is the worst examination of his character. If I ever had the chance to read it, though. But thank god it isn't up anymore.) But she did reply that a lot of the characterization that I talked about aren’t overt, so fans are left to do the work to come up with something after 30 years after its broadcast.
So I’m going to do just that! I enjoy writing analyses the most, so what do I have in mind? Hmm… Ooh! I know. How about Lexor? The conniving, cowardly Darkling Lord who will manipulate anyone to do his dirty work, and he’s willing to murder and backstab others to get what he wants. That was just in the cartoon alone in a span of the first three episodes. Then there’s his Star/Marvel comics counterpart, and the six-issue series seems like it was made for an older audience in mind. What will the writers come up for Lexor in a more dark and mature take? Well- he’s seems like a pretty okay guy in the comics.
I was surprised by this take of his character when I first read it. And that, I think, makes Lexor scarier as an antagonist. He’s also my favorite version from the Visionaries thus far. But why though?
To start off, lets compare how Lexor was introduced and the fight between the newly formed Darkling Lords against the would-be Spectral Knights. The comics play out somewhat the same but with spider’s milk and Darkstorm spilling it on the three unsuspecting knights: Cravex, Cindarr, and Lexor. So with Darkstorm’s numbers increased and a fight breaks out, Lexor actually puts up a struggle, but he’s still everybody’s punching bag. That’s where he books it behind a boulder while everyone fights, and this is where the differences start to show themselves in the comics. They may be small differences but they make a big impact, and they are worth talking about. Because we get to read Lexor’s thoughts in the moment. He’s petrified that he might die young, he hopes that either they all kill each other or a miracle happens to end the fighting, and he expresses regret for ever joining with Darkstorm. And that’s mostly because his side was losing. In the cartoon Lexor barely puts up a fight, Leoric kicks his ass, and Lexor crawls under a table like a little bitch. That’s it.
Merklynn does stop the violence, and the knights final task is to open the door and walk into the shrine. Which is revealed there are many apparitions in the room, and they’re terrified by the sight of it but they press on despite it. These thought bubbles, while given to the wrong characters, one bubble caught my eye when I first read it. It’s Lexor again, and this is one those moments that made me stop for a second.
Leoric’s words manages to inspire strength in Lexor, for him to face what lies ahead of him despite the horrors that shake him to his core. This one piece lead me to like this iteration more than the other so far.
So they all get their spells and animal totems, Merklynn magically yeets them out of his mountain shrine and then they start trying to kill each other again. God I’m already sick of this shit. The differences between the comics and cartoon start to become more apparent, to the point where they’re now separate story lines for the same basic plot. In the show Darkstorm proposes a fake peace treaty, even though Leoric and Ectar knew that he wouldn’t keep his word but whatever, and the Darkling Lords capture all seven of the good guy knights and toss them in a dungeon. I have no idea if it’s at Leoric’s castle or Darkstorm’s. When I first watched the episode, I lost track which location they were at. At this point in the story the Spectral Knights are formed. Pretty late into game guys. Also Lexor attempts to drown them in the dungeon. So where was Lexor in the comics?
In the comics the Darkling Lords and the others go their separate ways once the lines have been drawn. In New Valarak the remaining knights form a sacred order to preserving the light in the darkness of their world, they don’t call themselves the Spectral Knights in this version at all. Only other people call them the Spectral Knights. That’s a little weird, but points for getting ahead of the game. Meanwhile in Darktorm’s Domain the lords with no power staves bitch about it, and so Darkstorm decides that Reekon and Mortdred should do some errands and possibly find something that could tip the scales of power to their side. Mortdred doesn’t mind because he thinks it’s a privilege of the highest order, and Reekon just complains about it as they go to the blacksmith, Harkon. They get Darkstorm’s armor fixed up and find the Skyclaw that Harkon built a long time ago. Mortdred accidentally infuses it with magic, and now it’s his vehicle to command. They go back to show off and Darkstorm throws a celebratory dinner for their find. They plan what to do next now that they have the Skyclaw in their hands. Cindarr says they should attack right away, but Lexor has a different idea.
Darkstorm may call him a “careful coward”, but I say he has a functioning brain stem. They don’t have the big picture what the Spectral Knights can do or the defenses they have. The may have also found vehicles that Ectar and Feryl can use by now. So another reason why I like this version more than the cartoon. But then there’s the power of Invulnerability. A spell that either makes him a brick wall to physical attacks or puts up a magic barrier for all types of attacks.
The comics do portray the spells including the power of Invulnerability better than the show, because now all the powers have actually limitations to what the user can do. Not a one-time use and back to Merklynn’s for a recharge every five minutes. But the comic writers wrote Lexor using this power in an interesting light. Through out the comic when he uses the Invulnerability spell all his fears and doubts go away immediately, but he lets this get to his ego to the point where he thinks he’s the best Darkling Lord since no one can lay a hand on him. It’s unnerving to see this change come over him this quickly and it works. Lexor in the cartoon never gets those kind of moments. And I think this is my main problem with him in the animated series.
I think the writers played their hand too early with Lexor in the show. This is such a detriment to his character. Because where else can he go? I also think this demonstrates the limitations to a purely evil character, especially someone this dastardly. The only amount of depth that he’ll ever get is that he can tell when someone else is lying, but that’s because he’s a lair himself. So he knows all the bells and whistles to it. Plus he’s played for laughs for the most part. That’s all there is to him. Any attempt to further flesh him out would be out of left field. And it has happened in the cartoon, actually. In the 12th episode of the series, Honor Among Thieves, Azron voluntaries to be a distraction while Ectar sneaks his way through Darkstorm’s castle to get the Crystal of Detection back. Reekon orders Cravex to intercept Arzon. Both in their animal forms they fight. Reekon and some guards enter the courtyard, and Reekon is about to signal the guards to shoot Arzon down along with Cravex. But someone tries to stop him but they fire their arrows anyway, and it’s- Lexor of all people. This scene actually had me say aloud, “Since when did you start caring?”
This is the same Lexor who tried to manipulate Cravex to do his dirty work but failed, and he gets decked in the face for it. The same man who would totally let Darkstorm drown if Lexor didn’t need him to use the magical orb that they stole. This is the same guy who didn’t care about Fletchen’s well-being, and he said he would find someone else to help her if she was in danger. The same man who would let Northalia be buried in an avalanche and leave the people to their fate. So yeah, I don’t buy him being concerned for anybody’s well-being after everything the writers have shown to the audience so far.
The comics on the other hand don’t play their cards so soon, the writers took their time with him. Even when the series was canceled they sprinkled bits about his character through thoughts, interactions, and dialogue. They also showed a different perspective to his most basic traits much like what they did with Mortdred, but that’s for another time. He isn’t played for laughs, he tells very few fibs, he’s got a bright mind for strategy that was briefly shown, he can be intimidating with his spell, and he can be a thoughtful person, too. He actually gave Virulina some flowers in the third issue, but she’s a bad guy so she doesn’t like flowers and shoves them back to his face. And yet, I also can’t help but feel sorry for him.
He seems alright for all the six-issues that were printed, but I can see why he acts like this. The world of Prysmos has lost all its advanced technology and electricity, everyone is out for themselves, and “might makes right” is the new law of the land. He is full of genuine fear and panic about what could happen to himself, and it's perfectly understandable given the situation. Plus his character has more room to develop further.
This does not.
So yeah, Lexor in the Marvel/Star comics has the basic foundation for a layered antagonist. I feel disappointed knowing he didn’t get to shine in an issue of his own, much like how Witterquick and Cindarr did in the 4th issue of the series. This could have been the most well-rounded version of Lexor out there, but given there’s only six issues that wasn’t the case. But in the end, this is why I enjoy the comics version of Lexor over the cartoon.