Ever since 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, "Martha moment" has become an all-too-convenient term for DC's more questionable narrative twists. Having said that, Titans season 3 just had its very own "Martha" moment. Though Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill's cinematic dust-up in Batman v Superman has its fans, their showdown is generally considered a low point for the DCEU, not least by Warner Bros., who completely changed the franchise's direction as a result. Though Batman v Superman's problems are more complex than any single issue, the film's woes came to be exemplified by the ridiculous moment Bruce and Clark stop fighting because they realize their mothers share the same first name.
Heading into Titans season 3, Gotham has neither Batman nor Superman to rely on. The city does have Nightwing and Superboy, and they're getting along just as famously as their fully-sized counterparts. Throughout Titans season 3, Dick Grayson has treated Conner Kent like a superhero Swiss army knife, ready to serve whenever his half-Kryptonian abilities are required. After being told to stand aside not once but twice in "The Call Is Coming From Inside The House," Superboy finally snaps and asserts dominance over Nightwing, defiantly informing Dick that he won't be a plot device any longer.
Dick's response is puffing a handful of Kryptonite dust into Superboy's face, sending him to sleep before moving onto Krypto - and this is Titans season 3's "Martha" equivalent. Just like the infamous Batman v Superman scene, Titans' Kryptonite dust is a divisive, anti-climactic cop-out to resolve Nightwing and Superboy's fight without actually resolving it. Hearing his mother's name emanate from Clark's lips felt like a weak reason for Batman to stand down, and neither character emerged looking good. Similarly, Conner Kent feebly taking a nap after Dick blows fairy dust over him does justice to neither character. Conner looks weak, and Dick looks like a, well...
In both scenarios, a much simpler solution was staring our heroes in their perfectly-chiseled faces. Had DCEU Batman and Superman just spoken to each other, the entire mess could've been avoided, and their maternal connection could've been uncovered over a nice Scotch (orange juice for Clark!) in the Batcave. All Titans' Nightwing needed to do, meanwhile, was trust Superboy. He's the Man Boy of Steel for a reason, and would have been quite safe from Jason Todd's pea-shooters.
The most important comparison between Batman v Superman's Martha scene and Titans' Kryptonite dust, however, is how both could be considered contrived. Whether it's Superman mentioning his mother at the exact right time, or Nightwing picking up a sprinkling of Kryptonite Bruce Wayne just-so-happened to keep in his office, neither feels like an appropriate conclusion to their respective superhero disagreements. It's also important to remember that Dick didn't go to Wayne Enterprises for the green powder; he went there to hack Bruce's security and fortuitously recalled Kryptonite was in the room, highlighting how hard Titans was trying to temporarily sideline Superboy... one way or another.
If this were Nightwing v Superboy: Dawn of Hair Gel, the Kryptonite dust might be more problematic but, fortunately, Titans season 3 doesn't depend on the outcome of a single feud like Batman v Superman. That's encouraging because, on the whole, Titans has been much improved in season 3, and it'd be a shame for a single Superboy slip-up to negate that positive growth. Nevertheless, Martha and Kryptonite dust are both questionable ideas executed in hokey fashion during scenes that could have played out far better.
DC lore has constantly changed how Kryptonite is used, so while the green dust sending Superboy to sleep doesn't completely fit with how the radioactive rocks are generally employed, that's not the biggest problem. A bit like referring to DC gaffes as "Martha moments," the Titans Kryptonite scene is an all-too-convenient way of addressing a more complex problem.
