Exactly. Their downgrading gave way to her ascent even faster.
Which is why, ultimately, his title run is more about him than the character. NO ONE can do what that kid does with such consistency.
My whole point is that...when you take the fact that the guessing game being the center of the metagame puzzle was ultimately IGAU's biggest turnoff and detracting factor, couple it with the presence of this absurd cybernetic foxtailed player who already lives in a world of 50/50's finding a way to exploit it better than anyone there was/is, and factor in Killer Instinct taking off like a rocket, and...well...coconuts.
And none of it would be possible, or at least as empirical and destructive, were it not for Babs.
I do not agree.
Aquaman didn't have a 50/50 and he was winning plenty of majors/locals.
Doomsday doesn't have one, and he's placed quite a bit.
Raven didn't have one, and she made top 8 at KiT.
Sinestro does, but that's not all that Sinestro uses in a match up.
Batman has a situational 50/50, but most Batman players don't use it, and he's placed/won plenty of majors.
Zod primarily zones, and he's placed. He has mix-ups, but I don't think he has a true, unseeable 50/50. (Dave/Pig can correct me on this.)
If the 50/50 was as strong as the narrative implies, why didn't Killer Frost do more? Her ENTIRE deal, just like Batgirl, is the 50/50 and she controls space very well.
The Flash does have plenty of 50/50s, but he has to play EVERYONE ELSE'S GAME first, before he can come in and start his. He's a very footsie intensive character. Superman is another one with a situational guessing game, but primarily wins with footsies/counterzoning/conditioning. He, like Batman, is a very solid character.
I don't buy the narrative.