10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About '90s Superman Cartoon
5. Some Characters Were Incorporated Into The Comics
It's common knowledge that Harley Quinn debuted in BTAS before she appeared in the comics. Nearly 30 years later and Harley is still one of the most popular characters in the Dark Knight's rogue gallery. STAS creator, Bruce Timm, devised an electric supervillainess called Livewire, hoping she would become "the new Harley Quinn".
Sadly, people didn't gravitate towards the character. You see, Harley was a kooky, funny character but had a tragic backstory, making her sympathetic. On the other hand, Livewire acted obnoxious and nasty to Superman, even when the Man of Steel saved her life. Although Harley was incorporated into the comics as soon as possible, Livewire didn't appear for ten years and only showed up in two episodes of the show.
However, Livewire isn't the only character who appeared in the show before the comics. The show debuted Lex Luthor's hench-wench, Mercy Graves. She only appeared in nine episodes but fans were won over by her relationship with Lex Luthor since she gave the supervillain much more depth. Mercy debuted in the comics three years after her appearance in the show and she made a cameo in Batman v Superman.