‘Creature Commandos’ Ending, Explained: Is Ilana Who Circe Says She Is?

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The animated series titled “Creature Commandos” has concluded its debut season on Max, signifying one of the initial productions under the new DC Universe (DCU) spearheaded by James Gunn. Spanning across seven episodes, the series delivered a perfect blend of what fans anticipate from a Gunn-written DC production – excessive action, witty banter, and character progression that lends depth to its unconventional protagonists, who are inhuman antiheroes. As the curtain falls on this season, let’s examine how the team led by Gunn chose to conclude it, and speculate about the fates of these characters following this climactic episode.

Note: spoilers for Creature Commandos Episode 7, “A Very Funny Monster,” below

Episode 7’s Character Focus

Initially, the series Creature Commandos adopted a unique narrative style by interweaving its primary storyline with detailed flashbacks of the characters’ pasts, set before they were transferred to Belle Reve. In Episode 7, “A Very Funny Monster,” the focus shifts to one of the characters: Nina Mazursky, the water-dwelling woman who must wear a breathing suit for survival.

In Episode 7, viewers get a peek into the unconventional childhood of Nina, who was born with lungs outside her body. To save his child’s life, her father, a renowned scientist named Edward, constructs a custom suit for her to breathe in. However, this device is cumbersome and puts excessive strain on her fragile frame. In an attempt to resolve the problem, Edward administers Nina with DNA from aquatic creatures, unknowingly causing her to evolve into a half-human, half-aquatic creature that cannot breathe water.

Currently dwelling in a waterproof suit, flashbacks reveal Nina’s past, which was spent at an exclusive school where she was mercilessly tormented by her peers. This relentless bullying pushed her to flee from home and find solace in the urban waterways. Eventually, she was found, apprehended, and tragically, Edward met his end when a police officer fired at him as he tried to reach Nina amidst the crowd of onlookers. It is presumed that Nina was then taken to Belle Reve.

Nina Must Carry Out a Mission

In the current timeline of the series, Episode 7 marks the conclusion of the season’s storyline. The Commandos, without Flagg, move towards the castle to execute their plan – the elimination of Princess Ilana of Pokolistan. They are guided by information from the Themysciran sorceress Circe, who predicts that Ilana’s actions will lead to the end of the world. However, Flagg doubts this and suspects it might be a clever trick. Regrettably, his injuries sustained in the battle with Clayface in Episode 6 are too severe for him to travel to Pokolistan and prevent them.

In a pond, the commandos spot Ilana swimming leisurely. They contemplate the most effective method to eliminate her, and opt for Nina diving subtly beneath her to execute the task. With hesitation, Nina consents. The other commandos watch tensefully, especially Weasel, who feels uneasy about Ilana’s potential demise given their shared playtime during fetch in episode 1. This scenario reminds him of his childhood friend from episode 4, stirring memories of the girl he used to frolic with.

As the Commandos inch towards our objective, Amanda Waller delves into Flagg’s tale, making a beeline for Dr. McPherson’s residence – the Themyscira scholar who authenticated Circe’s vision. Upon arrival, we find her lifeless body and remnants of Clayface. Now, I can’t help but believe Flagg’s claims that this entire scheme was orchestrated to assassinate the princess. I attempted to halt the order, but alas, it was too late; Nina had already plunged into the pond with a blade at Ilana’s spine. Just when everything seemed to be unfolding as planned, Weasel throws a wrench in the works by leaping into the water to alert Ilana. She spots Nina lurking beneath, and the two clash in a fierce battle that concludes with Ilana snatching the knife and fatally stabbing Nina.

The Commandos Were Tricked

It appears that a crisis has been avoided, although it came at a heavy cost – Nina’s life. Weasel receives pets from the soldiers due to his heroic actions, while the Bride confronts Ilana with the revelation. She discloses that Ilana is indeed who Circe claimed she was, and the encounter with Clayface was a deception intended to mislead the Commandos into believing they had been tricked. The footage showing their meeting provides strong evidence for this theory. When Ilana attempts to draw a weapon on the Bride, it’s too late – the Bride shoots her. The Commandos then make haste in departing the palace before the soldiers can uncover the truth.

At Belle Reve once more, The Bride chats with Agent Economos, who discloses that Task Force M now calls a slightly more luxurious section of the prison as their home base. This new area offers some additional amenities for the team. Moreover, there seem to be some new additions to the squad, such as Nosferata, an ancient Egyptian named Khalis, and the popular character King Shark, who made a comeback post-“The Suicide Squad”. To top it all off, she is warmly welcomed by a larger, revamped version of G.I. Robot; however, it remains uncertain whether his previous memory has been restored.

With that, we reach the conclusion of Season 1 for “Creature Commandos”. Fans will need to be patient until Season 2 to discover the consequences of The Bride’s actions against Ilana, whether the team successfully averted Armageddon or perhaps unwittingly brought it closer. Fortunately, the series has been greenlit for a second season, ensuring that our motley crew remains in action.

All episodes of Creature Commandos are streaming on Max.

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2025-01-09 23:01