The Splicers Are Legacy Villains | Batman Beyond

[@krvgames9258]

Technically, Dr Cuvier isn’t just a legacy villain to Kirk Langstrom. He’s also a legacy villain to the DCAU’s Cheetah. It was thanks to Cheetah’s research on herself that splicing became possible in Batman Beyond.

[@SerumLake]

Did they actually say that in DCAU material? Because, if so, I missed that.

[@krvgames9258]

@@SerumLake Well I got that information on TVTropes in Cheetah’s folder on Justice League. But I’ve not read any of the DCAU tie-in comics, so some of that information might be in the tie-in comics.

[@SerumLake]

it wasn't in any of the Batman Beyond tie in comics, but I can see why people may make the connection to Cheetah, considering she was able to speak like a normal person and the Man-Bat couldn't. I don't think that connection was ever explicitly made, but I could've missed it.

[@krvgames9258]

@@SerumLake Well I looked at her folder in the Other Villains character page for the DCAU Justice League characters, and in the trope Small Role, Big Impact, it says that on the DCAU Wiki her research on herself is a major factor to Splicers. But we shouldn’t really take information from fandom wikis at face value because usually sources aren’t cited for information. And that is why that I think the other members of the original Justice League, besides Hawk Girl, should’ve gotten their own DCAU cartoons so we could get to know more about them and their villains.

[@carolynbrognano614]

@@SerumLake Its mentioned that she experimented on herself when she was privately talking to Batman in the JLAS episode about the Injustice League.

[@PrinceSilvermane]

Splicers also briefly show up in that one episode of Static Shock where Static gets sent to the future. When they're on the street in plain clothes Virgil sees a Splicer gets explained about the genetic engineering they do and asks, "Shouldn't that be illegal?" and Terry just responds plainly, "It is."

[@TheVeritas1]

Thanks for bringing up the splicers in Static Shock. What's cool is how that scene foreshadows the Kobra leader splicing himself to gain serpent abilities to fight Batman and Static.

[@SirCreeper2]

"Would you kindly," a powerful phrase... a familiar phrase.

[@SerumLake]

@@SirCreeper2 A man chooses. A slave obeys.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Gotta love BioShock 1 and 2+Minerva's Den (which also has Carl Lumbly a.k.a. Martian Manhunter there). Shame Infinite was too ambitious and broke certain promises.

[@Qloworm]

I love how Terry defeats Cuvier by turning him into a giant teratoma. 10/10 children's nightmare fuel.

[@zenebean]

It was the most horrific body horror I saw as a kid... don't know how they got it on kids tv lol. Body horror isn't blood I guess

[@samweaver9109]

Teratoma?

[@pizzaruby5140]

@@samweaver9109 A mass of flesh, hair, and teeth. I uh....don't recommend looking it up unless you can stomach pictures of real life examples.

[@SerumLake]

@@pizzaruby5140 yeah, don’t look!!! 🤢

[@samweaver9109]

@@pizzaruby5140 I'll take your word for it and stay away!

[@jacktoma21]

While the man-bat transformation was up there for me, what really got me as a kid was the hallucination Scarecrow monster from Fear of Victory. Didn’t help that the bastards handling the dvd release put images of it on the dvd case interior and menu art.

[@SerumLake]

Now that's not one I hear all that often, but I bet there'll be others out there that were also traumatised by that!

[@milosbatmanvideos]

You mean the part after the guy falls onto the haystack and says "No get away!"?

[@jacktoma21]

@@milosbatmanvideos yep, exactly

[@thegladve]

@@SerumLake let's be honest, Splicers as an episode is an especially terrifying concept since it feels more close to reality since it's not as far fetched as episodes like Tyger Tyger or On Leather Wings since those episodes deal with full body transformations harkening to the horror classics of golden age Hollywood while this episode feels much at home with The Fly (1986) i.e body horror based on adopting characteristics of animals rather than turning into anthropomorphic ones.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

That hallucination was scary, but I didn't get the hype for it, since B: TAS Scarecrow wasn't that fearful to begin with.

[@rosettasilver3763]

I like how even his first name - Abel - is a reflection of his character. Abel from the Bible was the second son of Adam and Eve and was a shepherd that tended to livestock. In the episode, Couvier leads his fanatical splicers like a herd of animals to do his bidding.

[@SergeantSup]

Anyone else just thinking "I would absolutely become a Splicer" I mean you don't have to get outright were-animal features; you could just go in and be like "Hey, can you give me a prehensile tail" or "More durable skin" or any number of features that would be useful in one's personal life but could also be hidden like tattoos

[@Mr.Brothybear]

If it worked like that That stuff would be so expensive

[@ariadnefrolich7243]

I'd want cat ears, tail, retractable claws, and night vision. Oh! And a cat's balancing ability; mine has always been awful.

[@romeobelisario3190]

As a complete aside from the whole social allegories involving Splicing, Splicing is basically a more controllable version of the Ooze/Mutagen from the TMNT, and it has a ton of parallels with how Splicing can give humans bestial qualities and vice versa. I'm surprised more goons/villains didn't just using splicing as a quick power boost, since suddenly giving yourself the partial abilities of strong animals like tigers or rhinos is just cool.

[@Compucles]

Well, it is difficult and expensive to undergo an illegal process like that, and I'm sure plenty of others would just prefer not to look like a weird human/animal hybrid no matter how much power it could give them.

[@WarhawkBeyond2040]

One thing that i always loved about the DCAU was they were never afraid to embrace the horror aspects to tell their stories when things need to get darker and Batman Beyond did a great job in taking what BTAS did to the next level

[@vSide0]

I love the part that you said about having characters with suddle connections from past villains are more satisfied. I completely agree with you and I do belive thats the reason why batman beyond is such a good successor to batman they didn't just copy and paste a lot of his past villains.

[@SerumLake]

Oh yes, I agree. It’s one of the big mistakes that the mainline comics make, with Scarecrow Beyond and even bringing The Joker back 🤦

[@PrinceSilvermane]

100% agreed. Like I remember that one episode with an elderly Bane because they made that connection as if they were baiting the idea that Bane was still operating and it turned out he was barely even aware of what was happening around him. Making Freeze return as he was is a great idea, but it was something they wisely used VERY sparingly. New Villains with connections to the old or original villains was definitely the best route for Batman Beyond.

while most teen fads definitely do not increase violent behavior (think about the stuff the Satanic Panic pushed and still pushes to this day) it IS kinda hard to discount the claim in this episode because of how behavior can be the result of genetic markers at times between individuals and depending on species. The guy that turned into a anthropomorphic goat for example, ungulates are known to be tempermental (Horses will react badly if they feel their space is invaded despite being docile usually, while rhinos are always eager to gore out of self defense), so combining the natural behavior of other animals with hormonal teens spells disaster no matter which way you slice it.

[@ianfinrir8724]

The saying "stubborn as a mule" exists for a reason.

[@aqwkingchampion13]

“…no matter which way you -slice- splice it.” Sorry, I had to.

[@NobodyC13]

@@aqwkingchampion13 I saw it, and knew it had to be done.

[@seeleunit2000]

That is something to think about. Though you're right about most fads. Well, what I would like to know is, what's with the moral guardians constantly freaking out every time there's a fad that teenagers love ? I never understood that mentality and it just keeps happening and it's as though no one remembers the reason they were losing their mind, and the cycle repeats.

[@seeleunit2000]

That is something to think about. Though you're right about most fads. Well, what I would like to know is, what's with the moral guardians constantly freaking out every time there's a fad that teenagers love ? I never understood that mentality and it just keeps happening and it's as though no one remembers the reason they were losing their mind, and the cycle repeats.

[@CyberXIII]

The one thing this episode brought up that I wish was explored more? How much agency you should have in modifying your own body. On the one hand, yes, the splicing was dangerous and a lot of Cuvier's lackeys were obviously exploited teens or misfits. On the other, saying you can't do anything to your own body is the same as saying you don't OWN your own body, which is a very dangerous sentiment.

[@ibrahimihsan2090]

0:26: Langstrom's transformation was arguably the first BTAS episode I ever laid eyes on when it aired on TV as a kid. I wasn't necessarily super scared, just felt that it was disturbing but in a "oh, I am scared, and I like it, I wanna watch it all" kinda way. It was genuine horror movies that I was really scared of at the time(cuz I believed I'd get nightmares because of them). Otherwise, I would not compromise on cartoons that just happen to be scary(I did not believe I'd get nightmares out of them and many of them were my favorites too like Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated or Courage the Cowardly Dog)

[@thecreepoid901]

I appreciate you putting the context of the time the episode came out in the video. When I recently rewarded the series, I was worried about how well this episode aged, but the context you gave really helps.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Believe me, Batman Beyond has aged far better and ended more properly than certain sequel series (sorry, The Legend of Korra and Eureka Seven AO) and most Spider-Man cartoons that I know of, as an example.

[@nathanweast4397]

8:23 there was one other mention of lesser known character from Batman Beyond "rumored" to have done splicing; a female heavy metal singer which is confirmed when she sticks out her dragon-like forked tongue. This was in the episode featuring the controversial journalist with an intangibility belt allowing him to go "in deep" for his news stories.

[@Moostar95]

Reminds me of the cyberpunk red board game. Allowing you to roll as a animal human hybrid. A shame the game, 2077, never added that as an option. Thank God for mods.

[@katt-the-pig]

I always liked the concept of splicing, for obvious reasons. I can easily see it becoming a real thing in the future, albeit with the transformation taking months rather than the cartoon's seconds. And hopefully without the boosted aggression.

[@Titleknown]

Oh buddy, you have no idea how many people would jump on the fursona HRT train if that became real and affordable...

[@hiruyabebaw7140]

​@@Titleknownscary thing to think about

[@Enterprise-D666]

I also think that it was a subtle reference to Marvel’s The Lizard and other characters like him who were humans spliced with animal DNA. In The Lizard’s case, Dr. Curtis “Curt” Connors was a geneticist and good friend to Spider-Man who had sometime prior lost an arm and wanted nothing more than to get it back and because reptiles have the ability to regenerate lost limbs, he used a formula to give him that ability. It worked normally for a time but he slowly mutated into a humanoid lizard creature.

[@Valirat]

That's pretty obvious

[@Enterprise-D666]

@@Valirat I thought so. Wasn’t sure. The Lizard has always been one of my all time favorite Spider-Man villains.

[@TheVeritas1]

I never thought of the Lizard angle, but it makes perfect sense.

[@dkupke]

On the plastic surgery comparison, it’s worth noting that it has its better side. I’ve read heartwarming accounts of plastic surgeons volunteering their services in third world countries, such as helping women who have been disfigured by gang violence. Splicing could have its better side, like helping handicapped people regrow limbs.

[@Compucles]

@@dkupke The obvious beneficial uses for splicing are to eliminate genetic diseases, genetic deformities, and even allergies. However, it would not be able to regrow limbs lost to injury, merely ones not properly grown due to a genetics issue.

[@seeleunit2000]

This was very satisfying. You know, I really wish Splicing would feature more often in Batman properties... Considering how it just goes along so naturally.

[@entothechesnautknight1762]

While the series was made in the era where people were getting god damn *leg extension surgery* to be taller, i do feel that Splicing is one of those aspects that is vastly underutilized in the series. I mean, the ban seemed ludicrously quick, especially for something that seemingly only one study had ever been done on, and the only Splicers that had actually been shown to be aggressive were the ones explicitly under Chimera's control/the ones that took *his* formula. The non-cult splicers we see in the episode, like the vampires, just kinda seem normal. While you can make comparisons to cosmetic surgery, like the episode did, i think there's also a real connection to a similar early 2000s craze; the fear mongering around stem cell research, which also ate a sudden and unexpected ban, and also lead to the research being sent "underground" in a sense, with legitimate scientists being forced to go to more amicable countries to the research. And thanks to the lack of pressure for ethical standards because of the ban in the US (who largely regulated these kinds ethics at the time), this lead to an increase in criminal activity in the feild, such as cohercing women to give up their eggs and faking results, thanks to the pressure to fill the vacuum left by the US, much like how Splicing became associated with criminality in the show because only criminals could do it. Its far from a perfect comparison, but if one imagines putting an Axolotl's regeneration or Ostrich's immune system into a hospital patient, for example, then i think the positive use cases become more similar, and an outright, full-stop ban on *all* splicing starts to feel a bit similar to the ban on stem cell research, rather then just a ban on a dangerous cosmetic surgery. Combine that with how the formula is reversible *without* the person's consent, and how there are many psychological ties to forms of body dysmorphia (not just related to trans people), and one can imagine a newer Batman Beyond continuity properly toying woth Splicers as legitimate societal rebels, ones who face increased scrutiny from police and society, and face the risk of forceful de-transitioning at any time based on the whims of Gothem's law enforcement, who again, banned the practice wholesale based on very little, very biased evidence. One that creates its own dissidents, blindly striking back against a society that's trying to (or has) taken happiness from them, and its own villians in the shadows, preying on those stuck down there with them, or tricking them into fighting for something they don't quite believe in. (In a fairly network-safe way too!) Hell, maybe you could even throw Mad Stan in the mix, he'd probably just be mad the government banned something, and just follows in pretty much any splicer that attacks a government building.

[@SerumLake]

I like your line of thinking.

[@Titleknown]

Ye, I've always thought Splicers were a very "they would have written this very differently these days" idea, and that would be a really good way to go about it.

[@DKrules9]

Cuvier does appear in a cameo to Cult of Kobra part two which explains how they were able to turn their leader into a dinosaur. Not a great episode but it’s thanks to his work that kobra began splicing humans into dinosaurs hybrids.

[@SerumLake]

Oh yes, that tedious Kobra two parter...

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Gotta like that continuity bit. Wish the DCAU did more, even if it became heads-on.

[@Compucles]

You know, if you spell Kobra backwards, you get the cobra Pokémon Arbok. OK, not the best joke, just amusing that they both change the "c" to a "k" with how they choose to spell it.

[@gottesurteil3201]

Yeah I bet they really are thanking him for that contribution.

[@alexandrefrauches132]

Cuvier represents a type of legacy character I really wish to see to more of nowadays, in which takes inspiration for another character'selement or consequence of their actions than the identity itself (unlike Terry, Sam Wilson and Miles Morales who take the mantle the Bruce, Steve Rogers and Peter Parker). Cuvier is not a Man Bat Beyond, but his abilites come from his years working with Dorian (who in turn worked with Langstrom).

[@isaacherrear8379]

First time seeing a scientist. Transform into a Man-Bat. I was scared I was a little kid. And for that I was scared for life. The transformation on the Batman show. On the main path and clayface . Is still freaks me out of this day

[@SerumLake]

Glad it's not just me ;)

[@michaelandreipalon359]

For some reason, I wasn't scared by that. Mostly because I've prolly seen way scarier transformations, like that memorable one from An American Werewolf in London.

[@Billpro25]

No joke. Batman TAS was probably solely responsible for my love of gothic horror up to the modern day.

[@lexofexcel886]

Now I'm onboard with the connection between Dorian and Cuvier, and I think it's a great subtle callback. The allegory for body modification is a little clumsy, given the harmful hormonal imbalances it seems to cause at least warrants a surgeon general's warning, if not a ban.

[@SerumLake]

I suppose it could be comparable to some of the more radical forms of cosmetic augmentation. Recently there’s been a spate of women dying from non-surgical Brazilian Butt Lift procedures (they get filler injected into their buttocks to make them fuller or rounder, and it has caused all sorts of problems…) but, yeah, it’s not exactly the same as turning yourself into a snake!

[@powerist209]

Yeah, not just it…like any satire on plastic surgery or “body modification is deviant” kinda had those vibes. I mean recent one being Gegege no Kitaro didn’t have much of that vibe and mostly show societal beauty standards being condemned. Like South Park’s Rhinoplasty (which is a bit more obvious…even if the point was to show Mr. Garrison’s homophobia and refusal to accept that he’s homosexual) and Futurama’s Ben Her for example.

[@Nightmare704RY]

@@SerumLake I'm half paraguayan and lived there half my life (Paraguay is close to Brazil) this practice has been around for years at this point, and yes, many people died or had severe health complication in Brazil, Argentina and other places of south america due to this practice.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

​@@powerist209Wait, that yokai anime?

[@NobodyC13]

@@SerumLake Or cases involving Dylan Hafertepen aka Noodlesandbeef, who maintained a cult-like attitude towards body modification and body shaping, especially genital augmentation, over his lovers and people associated with him. The most high profile and suspicious cases involving Dylan's husband, Tank, and friend/associate Gitbigger being referred to shady cosmetic doctors, by Dylan himself, to receive silicone injections for genital augmentation and both suffering and dying from complications to said procedures.

[@SETHRX7]

6:18 I remember that part. Dr Cuvier had this gene combo ready specifically for himself so his transformation will be powerful but manageable and aesthetically pleasing to him. Later mutation is real result of random dosing.

[@ajerjavec4723]

There’s another villain you forgot to mention that has ties splicing Achilles Milo not only did he create a serum to return the guy named Romulus into a werewolf who later appeared in the comics with tiger, but showed up in justice league, unlimited and specifically mentions Kurt Langstrom

[@milosbatmanvideos]

oh yeah professor milo's one of my fav batvillains i hope that video on him comes soon

[@SerumLake]

Oh I didn't forget him, I just think he's not very significant (even if Romulus did appear briefly at the start of my video) - stay tuned for a video on that subject in a few weeks!

[@milosbatmanvideos]

@@SerumLake yay i hope milo gets a video i can't wait to see what you have to say about him

[@samweaver9109]

@@ajerjavec4723 AND then gets murdered by Doomsday.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

​@@SerumLakeNot significant? His credentials leading him to join Project CADMUS and him being responsible for Doomsday doing a lotta damage to Superman says otherwise.

[@VulturineValkyrie]

I wont lie ive been waiting for this one since you started covering batman beyond villans the splicers was my favorite part of the show something about it stuck in my head as a kid and never left when I think of batman beyond

[@milkiassamuel780]

You know if Splicing was actually real thing today, you know for a fact it would be insanely popular with the Furry community 😅🐺

[@davidgeorge1943]

Well duh. Heck, some people have even tried it already, although with comparatively cruder methods.

[@NobodyC13]

Would it be wrong just to find out what having a tail is like?

[@XanderKHD]

If splicing was perfected to the point with no side effects, You can bet I would jump at the chance for something like wings. Who wouldn't want to fly by themselves?

[@Mr.Brothybear]

Yea those Side Effects might be detrimental to your health and body

[@WhiteFangofWar]

Definitely a series with a lot of terrifying moments for kids, my number one being Batman's hallucination sequences from Dreams in Darkness, coupled with the knowledge that Scarecrow was counting down to share it with the entire city. Not the only time a product belonging to an old Gotham rogue gets sold to the masses- Bane's venom got turned into slap patches to help people win at sports. The fight is not so much against Cuvier as the movement he is leading, which started all the way back with Man-Bat and Emile Dorian's hybrids.

[@aidanhever3369]

You forgot to mention that this episode seems like an homage to H. G. Wells' horror story: The Island of Dr. Moreau.

[@TheVeritas1]

I can see the parallels.

[@scrizzl05]

Personally, I always thought Kuvier was inspired by Cheetah and her work, along with Langstrom's.

[@channelofbrothers2272]

I gotta say, even tho i didn't see Tyger Tyger, i am actually impressed with how tygress was made, it intrigues me

[@TheVeritas1]

You must see "Tyger, Tyger." It's such a great BTAS episode.

[@channelofbrothers2272]

@@TheVeritas1 İf i find the full episode i promise I'll watch it, but still knowing that someone decided to keep Dorian's legacy alive, means that it's real commitment

[@squeethemog213]

I personally love this episode due to my love of body horror and cool transformations. Thank you for making this vid 🙏😃

[@SerumLake]

You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed it!

[@nikkivalle8480]

Tygrus wasn't a tragic volunteer. That creep lab-grew Tygrus from scratch, he never knew anything but that island and the mad scientist who made him and he was never anything else. Also I saw someone point out Cheetah in another comment so I'm gonna remind fellow DCAU fans that Copperhead exists too.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Wait, Copperhead's a hybrid too?

[@nikkivalle8480]

@@michaelandreipalon359 in DCAU Justice League's case/episode pair Injustice for All he bit and poisoned Batman. And when he's seen without his snake head-hat thing his face is still reptilian and he is shown to actually have skin that color.

[@snes90]

The part in the episode where Cuvier holds back his minions before smugly setting them loose on Batman (11:06) has forever stayed with me. There was all this frenzy leading up to it when gets accented by this one moment of calm. And it almost had no significance, except to show Cuvier was wholly in control, the arbiter of mercy and wrath. And then it cuts to commercial (so we can imagine the pummeling the splicers delivered). The man broke the 4th wall and allowed the break in the episode.

[@MrNetWraith]

Splicers, to me, exemplify Batman Beyond's weakness when it came to actually designing and/or following through on interesting villain concepts - especially the latter in the Splicer's case. Splicing would have been a perfect opportunity to flesh out Terry's rogues gallery; it's a simple, mass-producible, easily applied superpower generating method. There is countless potential for spliced crooks to expand upon, from simple thugs with bestial buffs to full-blown supervillains; splicing was basically a slightly more limited version of the Big Bang Gas from Static Shock, and Batman Beyond threw it away after one episode. I do agree that more subtle forms of legacy villains have their place, and the splicers are a great thematic follow-up from the likes of Man-Bat, Cheetah and Tyger-Tyger, but the series did *not* use them to their full potential.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

At least they used them to a decent enough potential, the original stuff. Contemporaries like Spider-Man: The Animated Series failed to hype up certain stuff like a mob civil war between Kingpin and Silvermane in comparison.

[@justinarzola4584]

It would of been interesting,the episodic nature of BTAS and Beyond meant they probably didn't want to adopt the idea for more episodes or create a mini arc out of it.

[@emmasprague5465]

ooooo i hope you cover earth mover!! that episode was genuinely so scary

[@SerumLake]

@@emmasprague5465 I was thinking about talking about that next year, but maybe I could move some things around…

[@da_BemBem]

One thing that always annoyed me, is we rarely see someone who is a spliced with an animal and doing heroics. I honestly think that a splicer from NeoGotham could easily have chosen to gain some of these traits to more effectively do some local street level vigilanteism. For good or for ill.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

I don't mind. They better stay as mostly unsympathetic as the darned Seppers from Star Wars. Not everyone deserves redemption, after all, like the real life ChiComs.

[@da_BemBem]

@michaelandreipalon359 Sounds like you don't have a broad pallete for stories then. And are weirdly political.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

@@da_BemBem Oh, I'm still OK with broad perspectives in fiction (I am a fan of the TIE Fighter video game despite the pro-Galactic Empire leanings, after all); it's just that the Seppers aren't as sympathetic as its misguided fanbase thinks they are (hence the existence of the more enlightened Alliance to Restore the Republic a.k.a. the Rebel Alliance), and same goes for the Nazi-esque Zeons of Universal Century Gundam. Meantime, political stories are fine as long as they don't too... hard-on'd in the process and start alienating casual and even veteran audiences. Oliver Stone post-Platoon, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, and maybe even the latest season of The Boys seem to have missed that point, as a reference.

[@AnAverageGoblin]

@@michaelandreipalon359no offense, but it sounds like you put too much weight into politics for your identity.

[@AceTheBirb]

I could imagine a Batman Beyond character that became a splicer because they wanted to be more capable to help people, maybe choosing some subtle abilities like enhanced stamina, durability, and strength

[@mccloaker]

If that tech existed, the real threat wouldn't be 'increased aggression' but simply cancer. Cells changing shape and function so rapidly? You'd have so many tumors popping out of your body, you wouldn't be a leopard, you'd be popcorn.

[@burner555]

Deadpool be like

[@seafreak2237]

4:54 wtf y would you need a chainsaw in you’re knee?!

[@QueenMonoChrome]

Maybe because it's due to my flag in my pfp (even if I didn't fully know it yet at the time) but the idea of easily changing parts of your self via science has always appealed to me so The Splicers were a favourite part of BB/otF growing up, even if Cuvier wasn't really charismatic I also liked how they kept Splicers semi-relevant even after he was shut down with the snake cult and more notably the Jokerz member....Woof? The Hyena guy in the particular Jokerz group that got picked up by 'dear Uncle J' in the movie And as I mentioned an age ago, but Splicers gettign sorta referenced in the 04 The Batman with their take on The Terrible Trio was great, even if you could argue they took in universe inspiration from Man-Bat...but did they really? Langstroms transformations in the cartoons always wound up mindless, pure beast whereas Splicers have been a lot closer to a (slightly more agressive) human mind in a body with modifications if that makes any sense

[@thesmilyguyguy9799]

Good Point

[@KingDoopliss20]

I always LOVED the splicer episode. I loved the 'take on 'comedic surgery' of the future, way more refined, and done with a serum cus thats futuristic and gets around messy bloody. That episode always stuck with me cus of the forced transformation on batman and ace playing a roll in it. I'm glad it was never a MAJOR though line or over used thing. BUT it was also kind of used by the Kobra cult in the episode where they turn their leader into a dinosaur(and THAT was one of my fav episodes although looking it up apparently it was a 2 part 'tv movie' Batman Beyond: Curse of the Kobra )

[@SerumLake]

You know, you’re the first person I’ve come across that likes that Kobra two parter. More power to you 🫡

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

Maybe Chimera pronounced Shymera picked the altnunciation specifically so people could talk about him without confuse but text media would be inconvenienced about him! (Hilarious!) Honestly wouldn't be shocked if the show makers just misunderstood how to say the word, but I like the detail myself personally.

[@SerumLake]

You have no idea how many times I accidentally pronounced his name properly when I was recording this voice over…

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

@@SerumLake Maybe if he ever comes back abd becomes super important they could have him genuinely say it was a mispronunciation he liked better than the right way and so he simply rolled with it.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

I bet the makers did misunderstand the pronunciation, unfortunately.

[@DariusExplains]

Rapper Ice T played the "Bullyeee". PS You should do a video on Terry's friend "Big TIME". Basically Two Face Beyond.

[@J1P2K]

Cuvier also appears in the two parter, “The Curse of the Kobra,” in a flashback.

[@Karlos1234ify]

I love your videos, perfect timing for this time of the year

[@tornado5d267]

While not my favorite villain, I really like chimaera and similar villains to him because of how they remind me of the island of Dr. Moreau which got me into the bio punk genre of media, I also love body horror which also fits in perfectly with Dr. Moreau and media inspired by it.

[@TheSpartan451]

The social contract liberates you from the obligation to correctly pronounce the name of a person who is trying to kill you.

[@TheVeritas1]

😅

[@Americanbadashh]

But that doesn't apply here since he isn't trying to kill the Serum

[@akashashen]

So Cuvier's philosophy was, "My body, my choice." How timely.

[@SerumLake]

More like “your bodies, my canvas”

[@shanewright344]

​@@SerumLake I think Cuvier operates under the facade of "My body, my choice" in order to indoctrinate the disenfranchised youth of Neo-Gotham. However, this episode reveals that he actually does indeed operate under the mantra "Your body is my canvas". There is nothing more horrific than someone who sees you as merely a "thing" to play with.

[@TheVeritas1]

​@@SerumLake Nailed it.

[@XanderKHD]

​@@SerumLakeI'm disturbingly reminded of Dr. Steinman from Bioshock. Very similar philosophy.....

[@silverseer573]

Cuvier's splicing procedure is an evolution of Langstrom's research, in a sense. It improves upon the original, attempts to make it acceptable to the populace at large. I've always found it unfortunate that the show put such a hard "NO" on the entire thing. Chelsea didn't become more violent, if I remember correctly. Celina didn't become more violent after being transformed by a more primitive version of the formula, as you noted. The series didn't frame it as "it needs more time to perfect", it was just "kids are dumb, so no!". On a related note, Cuvier was an interesting villain who I thought could've had a more ambivalent spin if they wrote him to be more out to uplift everyone how they want. Instead of reducing him to a monster spouting animal puns at Batman.

[@TheCelticTiger32]

Dr Cuvier could also be a reference to Doctor Moreau from the novel The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G Wells. Both have French names and both have experimented with animal human hybrids

[@artmanxp]

Honestly if the splicing tech was well regulated i dont really see the big issue issue with splicing. Its mostly the fact he was selling its to gangs and cultists.

[@SellavinAtoms]

I would love to see you talk about the gorilla one day, because you can't help but feel for his character.He was taking as a young age and lost his mother, and he wanted revenge on the one responsible, maybe someday.

[@kaylaturnis9486]

Don't forget, Batman Beyond was voiced by Will Friddle who also voiced Ron Stoppable in Kim Possible and it was funny in one episode of Kim Possible where Gill called Ron a chipmunk when he became a muscular beaver to fight him when he dived into that pit! 🤣🤣🤣

[@michaelandreipalon359]

I really wonder if that show's creative team watched enough Batman Beyond and took it to stride.

[@NobodyC13]

@@michaelandreipalon359 Well they did a "Batman Beyond" episode. Ron discovers the relics of a past superhero "The Fearless Ferret" in an old man's attic (voiced by Adam West) and negotiates with the old man to take up his mantle, with their dynamic being similar to Old Bruce and Terry. Ron's antics cause a retired villain to come out of hiding (with his gimmick being "What if the Joker was a skunk furry and he gasses people with stink bombs). The episode ends with the reveal that the Old Man and villain were just actors confusing their time on the show for actual superhero work (which would be like if Adam West and Caesar Romero actually thought they were Batman and Joker).

[@rosenrot234]

I remember seeing that one poison ivy episode with the plant babies at the end. I think to this day my childhood still goes Nope a bit at the creepy plant babies. The confusion over missing the rest of the episode didn't help because then that just made my brain fill in the empty spaces.

[@cinnamonflavord]

I think its more amazing that the French man survived becoming a chaos spawn and exploding

[@glitch42]

Thank you for thinking of us who read the subtitles

[@TheJack-c4f]

Amazing Video (as Always) and Also Never known that Hyena (the One from the Jokers in the Batman Beyond Movie) was A Splicer thank ya For Revealing that To me (I thought the First Time he was one of the Hyenas of Harley Quinn Mutated).

[@Gaymore16]

Honestly, i feel like Spliceing won't be as much as a issue in the show if it didn’t have these huge factors -increased aggression -ANYONE can get it, even teenagers, which is disgusting and it wouldn’t of been as bad if it was only for 18+ people -people can use the splicing to enhance their bodies and use it to do crime and basically be a supervillain (if it only affected looks, it would of been fine, but it can give you strength and other animal related abilites, and if in the wrong hands, can basically make criminals) - people can steal serums and use it on people who aren't unwilling.. at least its reversible.. -you can't choose what features you want, Chimera does Just a little thingy on where Chimera went wrong with the splicing and no wonder it became illegal, if it didn’t include any of the bad stuff listed above, i felt like it would of been a little more accepted (maybe still taboo, but not illegal)

[@razorburn645]

I bet the military would love that technology.

[@Gaymore16]

@razorburn645 definitely if Cadmus was still up by the time Batman Beyond came, they would of made superhumans to get rid of the justice league using splicers if that issue still wasn't resolved

[@arjuntandon1000]

Splicers showed up in a Static Shock episode, and Virgil comments on it…there’s something about the Cult of the Cobra (who were splicing a lizard god, which a Batman Beyond episode with a guy named Xander explores)

[@TheVeritas1]

Another Static fan in the thread. Welcome.

[@milosbatmanvideos]

My fear of moon of the wolf was basically my answer to your fear of feat of clay

[@milosbatmanvideos]

Your words reminded me of my fear of that episode alot tbh

[@SerumLake]

you're not going to be happy in a few weeks then

[@ThatGenericPyro]

aw yeeeeeeeee Always wondered what happened to ol' Anthony, majorly looking forward to that (it's one of my favorites)

[@apriltheuerkauf1907]

This episode has always lurked in the back of my mind since I saw it as a kid.

[@Colejones9505]

I really love Cuvier's final transformation looks like some the fly kinda body horror.

[@dannydumlet]

Weird thing is the only DCAU one that scared me was Earthmover. The whole episode. Honestly funny cause I was much younger when the Batman and Superman stuff was on and what did scare me when I was younger was like the Halloween episode of Eureeka's Castle, the piriate ghosts in Garfield and Boogaloo in Ghostbusters the cartoon (not even Samhain weird right?)

[@amyrosefan1883]

You’re right, it’s spooky season! I’m hoping that you can talk about the episode Earthmover. That episode creeped me out when I was a kid. Seeing the horrific corpse of Jackie’s father made my skin crawl. Please cover that soon! That episode horrified me a lot!

[@Elitedestructfulnoob]

When I was watching this I felt a bit of body horror go down my spine the chills I had watching the teens morphing into these “creatures” horrified me to the point I almost closed the video

[@SerumLake]

I like that expression, feeling body horror going down your spine 👍

[@Elitedestructfulnoob]

@@SerumLake thanks it felt like you would feel actual cold chill going down your spine

[@justice8718]

Genesis 6 shows us that not even God could cure this damage easily.

[@fireblast133]

truthfully if he had pushed the splicing aspect as medical tech and the cosmetics portion was the side project, Cuvier would have made a fortune and likely have gotten splicing well accepted in society.

[@danielramsey6141]

There’s a Static Shock Episode where Static gets flown into Batman Beyond’s Future, an he’s shocked when a Lizard-Like Punk walks passed him. Terry telling him that it’s a Splicer. “They know it’s illegal, but it doesn’t stop them.” I always found stuff like Transhumanism to be very Attractive. To be able to retroactively Change your body to becoming something more. Becoming more confident in one’s identity with a modified body. I think that’s why furries are so interesting. Not just because they can be cute, alluring or attractive. But because they enjoy the sense of freedom that a change in identity can bring.

[@AnonEcho98]

Honestly, I first forgot about Dorian, and more so jumped at him being an improvement over Langstrom's formula.

[@The_Phantasm]

One aspect about Harley Loves Joker that I think more so connects it to the mainline comics rather than the DCAU is Harley having the bleach white skin she has consistently had ever since the New 52.

[@aaronatkinson177]

Each time I watch this episode i always think of bioshock and resident evil

[@CyborgCharlotte]

As a trans person myself, I really don’t see the connection between Splicing and Gender Affirming Care. It’s really clearly a cosmetic surgery allegory what with the celebrities and rich people parading their modifications around, the effect it’s having on young people in Gotham It’s like Splicing in Bioshock, it *can* be read as something like that if you deliberately ignore a few pieces and assemble them incorrectly, but whereas the writers of Bioshock intended their Splicers to be a allegory for drug addiction, these splicers were clearly intended as a cosmetic surgery allegory

[@gottesurteil3201]

Forgive me but what you're describing feels like tautology.

[@CyborgCharlotte]

@ Tautology?

[@starshipjive411]

I kinda think they could have done more to show that splicing was dangerous. I mean yes Cuvier and his mooks were aggressive but I think it was implied that they were already criminals to start with . Personally I would have shown Chelsea having mood swings and acting more erratic after getting spliced.

[@jordanloux3883]

Okay, I have never seen anyone use splicers use splicing as a metaphor for being transgender (though sadly I can easily see it being used as a bad faith argument). It also makes no sense if you think about it for more than three seconds, since, you know, transitioning isn't something that you can do and undo with a single shot. It is years of therapy, surgeries, and more.

[@SerumLake]

I agree that it's a completely baseless argument.

[@Compucles]

Neither can any form of DNA alteration be done easily if at all, but we're looking at a future where very controllable and very fast DNA alteration *is* possible. As such, while it still may not be possible to use splicing on such a grand level as to completely switch someone's gender without major side effects, the possibility is at least arguable. Although, with such a quick change in hormones, therapy would still be required even more than with the surgical route.

[@maureencora1]

One of the Best Episodes of Batman Beyond.

[@allenw794]

I actually went into those scary scenes, especially Manbat and splicers with a "Yes Please where do I sign" Also thank you for addressing the pronunciations.

[@williehughes1690]

Splicing was one of those aspects that definitely sold me on the world of neo Gotham being a cyberpunk world.

[@darkwolf9637]

One thing that really doesn't matter but did make me think about it, just how quickly this dude gets used to no longer having legs and instead having a snake tail now. Just immediately knows how to use it perfectly

[@jamestoner3900]

Splicers is one of my favorite Batman Beyond Episodes Cuiver is a great villain, his Unstable unearthly Transformation is still scary as hell, it looks like something from The Thing (1982), imagine if he in that form went loose in Neo-Gotham 😱 I think Cuiver should have remained dead, NO Way anybody could have survived an Explosion like that, I think Cuiver dying in the explosion was a fitting end The Vampire Splicers we seen briefly in Splicers I think should have been brought back, they would have been a great set of Antagonists, they could have formed a Splicer Vampire Cult and I think they would have been The Future Version of The Lost Boys Vampires (The Lost Boys is one of the best Iconic Vampire Movies), they'd embrace their Spliced Vampirism and refuse to be transformed back to Humans because they wouldn't be "Established as Individuals" they would love their Vampire look King Kobra from Splicers is someone else I think they should bring back, I think if he hadn't been turned back to Human, Kobra could have captured him following the events of Curse of The Kobra Episodes and Kobra saw him as their new Worshipped Deity and he'd be the perfect Splicer

[@DFuxa]

I actual hope that splicing and similar related theme shows might be revisited at some point. With furry culture, mental illness, and progressive values are on the rise; this could make for an interesting story.

[@jordanloux3883]

They actually DID kinda do that in Future's End. There's a cat splicer named Kyle who is a used to be a homeless teen... while also being John Constantine's magical protege after meeting him on an online forum.

[@bruuuuuuuuhhhh]

Guh

[@SerumLake]

I'm not a fan of the mainline continuity Batman Beyond comics (even though I keep buying them...) Constantine's Splicer Protege? No thank you.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Though I fear that such a modern take will be too anvillicious, a la Grey's Anatomy's COVID ep and those all too controversial Brooklyn Nine-Nine eps about the BLM movement.

[@glennparker7028]

6:33 Wait Chimeras can breathe fire??? That's fricking awesome!!! My respect for them just went up!!! They've now tied with dragons,in my personal opinion of course!!!

[@filipvadas7602]

What always felt odd to me about splicing was that nobody seemed to even TRY to splice themselves with an Axolotl or certain types of jellyfish. Giving people healing absolutely WILD healing factors. Hell, I could see it being used to save people when they would *otherwise be dead* It makes me wonder if Splicing has more serious side effects than we're aware of.

[@fumarc4501]

The episode that freaked me out as a kid, and now appreciate as one of my favorites, “Tyger, Tyger”. So I’d argue that Dr. Dorian be a precursor to Splicers too. Also, I appreciate you taking the time to go over the when this episode took place and focusing on the theme instead of through the current climate’s lends. I literally remember talking to my parents about cosmetic surgeries. Not to have one, but to understand what they were and why people would want one. Surgery as a child is very different as an adult.

[@Tadicuslegion78]

"Hey kids, want to see a man become a lovecraftian horror?"-Batman Beyond but seriously, it's a shame they never have really used that idea more in other a show or comic like a modern day Island of Dr. Moreau

[@TheVeritas1]

Dr. Dorian on BTAS is the closest the DCAU has come to Moreau.

[@mlgodzilla4206]

I love how he’s named after a French zoologist and paleontologist Would’ve been cool to see Chimera be part mastodon

[@WobblesandBean]

The end of this episode haunted me as a kid. And honestly, it still does.

[@XanderKHD]

I wouldn't be surprised that the animators were inspired by the likes of Akira for the transformation. Considering how Batman beyond references the movie in multiple other ways, it's a given.

[@darkAwesome100]

Overall, I do wish splicing was real and, more importantly, accessible to the average person. There are a lot of problems related to body modification, everything from beauty standards to health risks and more, but ultimately I feel that a person's desire to change how they look isn't a bad thing. I hope for a day when body modifications even this extreme are as safe and easy as changing clothes.

[@johannesseyfried7933]

I remember an old audiobook series, "Jan Tanner", who had a villain that was somewhat similar to Dr. Cuvier: Benjamin Brain, a crazy, old scientist who was splicing animals with human DNA to make his own squad of henchmen: falcons, tigers, elephants. They both also seem to die in the story they are introduced.

[@luiz4200]

9:57 How old will Cuvier be in the beyond future?

[@SerumLake]

about 60, give or take a few years.

[@tayloredwards4968]

He was a pretty cool one episode villain. I wish you would appeared in more episodes

[@michaelandreipalon359]

He did, via a flashback in the "Curse of the Kobra" two-parter. Either way, he rather stay dead... sorry, tie-in comics.

[@tomcurl8034]

I think splicing shouldn’t be outright illegal, and that having it regulated would be a good middle ground, especially if it’s used to help treat people with medical conditions that are genetic in nature

[@friesforlife8120]

One thing I like about Justice League And JLU was the fact there were characters that showed the possible early stages of splicing like Copperhead and Cheetah

[@darkstrideisi3346]

Splicers was the only episode of Batman beyond I’ve ever watched and it’s stuck with me ever since

[@GhostPlanetFilms]

Dr. Moreau of Neo-Gotham!

[@williammarkham3628]

Batman takes on big furry

[@dazzlethestar151]

I'll do you one better: Batman BECOMES a big furry.

[@thebeavpercabethftw9604]

Big Furma.

[@ianfinrir8724]

Batman was a furry before it was cool.

[@Ghost-Coat]

All jokes aside I’m pretty sure that’s not the case, since the animal gene slicing was used to make people stand out from the crowd, and not to make them feel more comfortable with themselves

[@civilbeast165]

Cuvier was my inspiration for the catalyst of something I’ve been working on

[@EditDeath]

Honestly the body horror in this always gave me Akira vibes, which was pretty awesome. As for DCAU scares, the Justice League episode "Legends" really messed with me when I first saw it, at least the ending. That villain reveal, the tragedy of the world it takes place in, and the implications of what the introduced heroes choosing to fight the villain actually means considering what they really are, it was a lot to deal with in just a few minutes of screentime

[@lenaarhur8720]

As a transgender person, I really appreciate the time you took here to address the real life inspirations for Splicers. If the episode were released today, it would be impossible to separate splicing from transness; the huge increase in our visibility, the unfortunate political controversy surrounding our existence, and the massive overlap between the transgender community and they furry and therian communities has intrinsically tied many of the themes brought up in Splicers to the idea of medical transitioning. To be honest, I myself was concerned about the parallels between the two before you brought up the historical context for the episode. The idea that people alter their bodies as a method of improving their lives and affirming their identities is incredibly important, but it’s clear to me now that splicing in Beyond is first and foremost done for a social benefit, or as a form of escapism within a corrupt society, and not done for any personal actualization. Did transgender people exist at the time of Beyond’s release? Of course. Would many people at the time, given the opportunity, splice to become more comfortable and happy in their own bodies? Absolutely, but I need to remember frequently that shows like Batman Beyond were focused on exploring the social issues observed by the majority of people at the time, and not on bringing about awareness and visibility to the marginalized communities living in the shadows, as much as I would like them to be.

[@SerumLake]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Your words carry more weight than mine can.

[@chickadeestevenson5440]

@@SerumLake Therian/Otherkin here. I deal with phantom limbs of things like wings and a tail. Yeah, this ep could never have been writen as is today.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Can agree. If this ep came out now, there would be lots and lots of obnoxious clickbaity and sensationalist articles praising and/or damning it... such is the ever expanding mass media that needs reform, even if... with fire and blood.

[@nemowindsor8724]

Well said. I don't think it was intended to be cruel to trans people at all, and certainly I think you have to ignore many aspects of the trans experience to make this episode an allegory against it.

[@jfb173jb]

Oh boy..... I really hate to be this guy; but there are some who could, and most likely have said, that aspects of trans and furry elements could just be much the same as those presented in this episode. I'm not denying the struggles and the unease you may feel since you don't feel like your body matches who you are. But there do come questions of the real certainty in these cases. Like what if you were able to transition, and you still didn't feel right? Or for those of the various animalistic aspects, what if you did have the change made and it caused a catastrophic collapse of your system and body? And just to put things in the open, I may be right wing leaning, but that doesn't mean I agree with the caricatures that are up for election. I just question if you truly are sure and if you could live with possible consequences that arise. And what it could mean for many more down the line. Let alone the fact that as a teen or similar these matters might always be seen as just escapism.

[@l0stndamned]

"you cab never go wrong with a bit of body horror". That's what I keep saying but my friends tell me I'm making things weird.