These two have an interesting dynamic that's not quite as straight forward as the Bizarro and Jason friendship. While on her own mission for the lost Bow of Ra Artemis encounters Red Hood and they discover Bizarro together. She's captured by Black Mask and put in a cell with Bizarro after he's "awake." Artemis can break out any time she feels like it but stays to get more information about the bow. In the third arc of the series we learn that Artemis actually taught Bizarro the English alphabet and some words during this time. Bizarro couldn't see her due to Black Mask locking him up with his back turned to her but he heard her and grew to care for her.
Artemis isn't sure how to properly describe what she looks like to Bizarro since he's still new to the world and can only compare herself to the red of Superman's cape. Bizarro already has positive associations with that color at this point thanks to the first thing he ever sees being Red Hood and what he knows of Superman. This part of their relationship makes what we see in the first arc more complex.
When Jason comes into the cells Artemis tells him that she's "observing this creature. There is nothing there." At the end of their conversation Bizarro interrupts to mimic Superman and Jason questions her assessment that there's "nothing there." I can think of three different reasons for Artemis' behavior.
- Artemis already taught Bizarro out of boredom and it didn't change her opinion of the clone. She might think he's too simple and see him more as a weapon.
- Artemis already taught Bizarro and is acting uncaring. Either as a facade because she doesn't want to admit she cares and/or she's in denial about it.
- Artemis didn't teach Bizarro yet and Jason gets her to think about bonding with him.
I'm not sure how this works given the little we see. The time table (*1) for her to teach him after Jason's visit in the cells is unclear plus Bizarro already knows how to speak, at least a bit. It's possible that Bizarro was a fast learner because he has some of Clark's memories and just needs help focusing. Artemis doesn't really seem to bond with Bizarro until after the first arc as she doesn't speak warmly of him. In the second scene with Jason in the cells she tells Jason that he's naïve to see Bizarro as an innocent when he's a weapon and mocks him for it. When Jason attempts to reason with Bizarro about his identity Artemis tells him Bizarro can't understand because he's a monster.
Naturally this gets Bizarro upset and he lashes out soon after. Artemis prepares to attack Bizarro while he's having a fit to protect Jason but he saves himself by reasoning with Bizarro. This stuns her a bit but she still calls the clone a monster when the two fight later on. Jason asks her not to kill Bizarro which only gets her to agree to go slightly easy on him. Once Black Mask loses control over Bizarro the first thing he does with his freedom is help Artemis up while expressing concern.
She does start to soften up enough to care about Bizarro but she's not blinded to the threat he could pose. Not that Jason is blind, not completely as he sees in the field that the clone is a potential danger, he just isn't as ready to confront it head on. She essentially left it up to Jason to decide what to do and judge if Bizarro was indeed a threat. It's not something she's really for or against. I think she mainly wanted Jason to look into it and not treat the subject lightly.
Later on we hear from Artemis that she spent most of her life trying to be the Shim'Tar and is only learning to be herself thanks to Bizarro's more innocent carefree nature. While the trio is separated for most of their time in Qurac Bizarro trusts both of his friends to know what to do with the refugees. His bond with her isn't stressed as much as the one with Jason yet, he still will do things for her. He carries Akila off to die away from others at Artemis' request. While Jason blames himself for all the tasks Bizarro did to make him happy I think it was in part for her too.
Bizarro manages to make Artemis extremely limited list of people she's let into her heart. When he's dying she accepts it better than Jason although she's still more willing to let Luthor help save him. Where Jason lets his emotions dictate how he acts Artemis uses logic. If Bizarro dies there's nothing they can (or rather should) do but Luthor actually created him thus he's the best person to help. When Bizarro has his intelligence increased she sees the value in what Bizarro creates but she also points out some worrying problems.
Which makes sense, Artemis tells things as she sees them and if she notices troubling behavior that's a warning sign for her. When Akila came back she didn't want to notice what was wrong with her. Pretending there wasn't a problem solved nothing and she lost Akila regardless. Jason tries to brush off her misgivings as Artemis being a solider that likes order and hates change. From a certain point of view I get what Jason means but all the same she has changed too. That's not really the whole story for why she's bothered. Bizarro changes how they do things but he creates a sense of order with it. Artemis worries about the jump of intellect Bizarro has and both of them (Jason to a lesser extent) question the ethics of what he does.
He hasn't really stopped to think about the possible fallout of his choices. When Bizarro takes them to the Fortress of Solitude he shrugs off concerns of invading privacy assuming he'd be welcomed and seen as a younger brother. Artemis rightfully points out he still wasn't invited over. When Jason asks if Bizarro is being too proactive he laughs it off. When Ma Gunn wants to give Jason letters from his dad Bizarro suggests the mission is more important. All of this might have to do with his need to prove himself before his intelligence fades but he's clearly not thinking everything through.
Artemis is and hasn't let go of the possibility that something is wrong.
*1 When Jason first goes into the cells it's after being gassed and knocked out for awhile. Artemis got hit with the same gas although she might have a higher resistance to it. We don't know how long he's gone between that visit and the next.
Naturally this gets Bizarro upset and he lashes out soon after. Artemis prepares to attack Bizarro while he's having a fit to protect Jason but he saves himself by reasoning with Bizarro. This stuns her a bit but she still calls the clone a monster when the two fight later on. Jason asks her not to kill Bizarro which only gets her to agree to go slightly easy on him. Once Black Mask loses control over Bizarro the first thing he does with his freedom is help Artemis up while expressing concern.
She does start to soften up enough to care about Bizarro but she's not blinded to the threat he could pose. Not that Jason is blind, not completely as he sees in the field that the clone is a potential danger, he just isn't as ready to confront it head on. She essentially left it up to Jason to decide what to do and judge if Bizarro was indeed a threat. It's not something she's really for or against. I think she mainly wanted Jason to look into it and not treat the subject lightly.
Later on we hear from Artemis that she spent most of her life trying to be the Shim'Tar and is only learning to be herself thanks to Bizarro's more innocent carefree nature. While the trio is separated for most of their time in Qurac Bizarro trusts both of his friends to know what to do with the refugees. His bond with her isn't stressed as much as the one with Jason yet, he still will do things for her. He carries Akila off to die away from others at Artemis' request. While Jason blames himself for all the tasks Bizarro did to make him happy I think it was in part for her too.
Bizarro manages to make Artemis extremely limited list of people she's let into her heart. When he's dying she accepts it better than Jason although she's still more willing to let Luthor help save him. Where Jason lets his emotions dictate how he acts Artemis uses logic. If Bizarro dies there's nothing they can (or rather should) do but Luthor actually created him thus he's the best person to help. When Bizarro has his intelligence increased she sees the value in what Bizarro creates but she also points out some worrying problems.
Which makes sense, Artemis tells things as she sees them and if she notices troubling behavior that's a warning sign for her. When Akila came back she didn't want to notice what was wrong with her. Pretending there wasn't a problem solved nothing and she lost Akila regardless. Jason tries to brush off her misgivings as Artemis being a solider that likes order and hates change. From a certain point of view I get what Jason means but all the same she has changed too. That's not really the whole story for why she's bothered. Bizarro changes how they do things but he creates a sense of order with it. Artemis worries about the jump of intellect Bizarro has and both of them (Jason to a lesser extent) question the ethics of what he does.
He hasn't really stopped to think about the possible fallout of his choices. When Bizarro takes them to the Fortress of Solitude he shrugs off concerns of invading privacy assuming he'd be welcomed and seen as a younger brother. Artemis rightfully points out he still wasn't invited over. When Jason asks if Bizarro is being too proactive he laughs it off. When Ma Gunn wants to give Jason letters from his dad Bizarro suggests the mission is more important. All of this might have to do with his need to prove himself before his intelligence fades but he's clearly not thinking everything through.
Artemis is and hasn't let go of the possibility that something is wrong.
*1 When Jason first goes into the cells it's after being gassed and knocked out for awhile. Artemis got hit with the same gas although she might have a higher resistance to it. We don't know how long he's gone between that visit and the next.
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