Next Saturday, we get the last new episode of “Young Justice – Invasion” before the program takes a break for a few weeks.  The episode, entitled “Depths” is solicited with this blurb:

Artemis rejoins the team to defend a critical satellite launch. But will her first mission back also be her last?!

Fans are already going nuts at the implication that long-running member Artemis might be killed next week!  When the program kicked off it’s second season by leaping forward five years, viewers were thrown for a loop.  Things got even crazier when we realized that several members were completely unaccounted for: Artemis, Kid Flash and Aqualad.  Over the course of the next several episodes, we discovered that Aqualad had turned evil and joined forces with his father, Black Manta and in the episode ‘Salvage’ it is revealed that Wally (Kid Flash) and Artemis are retired and living in Palo Alto, where they go to college.

Wally returned to action in this week’s episode, ‘Bloodlines.’  And now Artemis is set to return to duty… but will she live to see it through to the end?

Here’s a bit of behind the scenes info– Artemis in the comics is a flat-out villain.  She was purportedly inserted into the TV line up because the producers could not obtain the rights to Wonder Girl.  The comic book character’s villainous nature played into the show, when she was heavily suspected as being the “mole” on the team.  But as we now know, Wonder Girl, along several other heroes, has since joined the team.  We also now have two Roy Harpers running around.  Is Artemis one archer too many for the show?

My answer: hell no!  Artemis is more than just another archer.  She’s more than her comic book counterpart.  She’s a complex and strong character, burdened by the fact that she is a virtuous hero, when her father and older sister are lethal assassins and super villains.  She struggled with hiding this information, driving a wedge between herself and her teammates.  She and Miss Martian have a sisterly bond.  When M’Gann thought Artemis had been killed during a simulation, she was so traumatized, she subconsciously seized control of the simulation.  And of course, there is her relationship with Wally.  Despite his goofy demeanour, she developed a crush on him and was visibly irritated when he flirted with Miss Martian.  Eventually, he got it through his thick skull that she liked him and they have apparently been together for five years.  They even live together.

The show reaches a wider audience than the usual comic book and appeals to a younger demographic as well, with thousands of young girls identifying with the tough female characters on this show.  I can’t imagine how crushed they will be to lose one of their idols.  Even on ‘Teen Titans’ they sidestepped the issue when Terra was turned to stone and later revealed to be alive in the series finale, despite the comic book Terra’s famous  demise.

I hope the blurb was just a tease and that Artemis survives, even if she goes back to living as a normal civilian in Palo Alto.  But considering how much this show pushes the envelope, the death of a teen hero isn’t out of the question.

What do you think?  Will they kill off Artemis?  Should they?  Share your thoughts by posting a comment below.