[6.8/10] Eh, this is a decent enough pilot for a Maxima series, but a pretty middling episode of *S:TAS*. There’s a solid story to be told about a bratty, self-centered, seemingly boy-crazy princess who eventually learns that she can use her ruling powers and her fighting prowess for good rather than selfishness, but this was a way too rushed to accomplish that. The episode does at least quickly and efficiently introduce us to the major players of Almerac, including Maxima, her advisor, and a power-hungry suitor. But it’s awkward to try to smash that introduction together with her trying to court Superman by throwing down with him. There’s some solid enough fish out of water material there, but the jokes in this one are actually pretty hacky (especially the busybody couple where the wife is spying on the fight and adding commentary from her living room window.) There’s some decent stuff with the twist that the suitor and the advisor were romantically linked and executing a power play, along with the suitor’s betrayal, but again, it happens so fast that it’s hard to care too much. At least there’s some solid action, with Superman and company fighting a giant monster that’s more tentacled-tongue and teeth than anything else and using his environment in a clever way to beat it. The end, where our heroes take back over the Kingdom and Superman has apparently taught Maxima the lessons of kindness and decency is fine, albeit once again pretty rushed. Honestly, my favorite part of the episode is the punchline, where Maxima’s real betrothed turns out to be Lobo. It’s a match made in Heaven. Overall, this is a missable episode aside from the Lobo cameo, but it’s plenty watchable, just a bit generic and stale and rushed.