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"Justice League" Episode Guide

JLU

Season 5 - "Justice League Unlimited"

Many thanks to Aaron Thall and Barry Freiman for writing up the episode summaries for this "Justice League Unlimited" Episode Guide.

Episode Guide

This guide does not list airdates for repeat showings.

Episodes

  1. "I Am Legion" - Summary
  2. "Shadow of the Hawk" - Summary
  3. "Chaos at the Earth's Core" - Summary
  4. "To Another Shore" - Summary
  5. "Flash And Substance" - Summary
  6. "Dead Reckoning" - Summary
  7. "Patriot Act" - Summary
  8. "The Great Brain Robbery" - Summary
  9. "Grudge Match" - Summary
  10. "Far From Home" - Summary
  11. "Ancient History" - Summary
  12. "Alive!" - Summary
  13. "Destroyer" - Summary



Summaries

"I Am Legion"

Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos
Aired in the U.S.A.: September 17, 2005

Roles & Actors this episode:
Flash: Michael Rosenbaum
Hawkgirl: Maria Canals
Superman: George Newbern
Lex Luthor: Clancy Brown
Gorilla Grodd: Powers Boothe
Marnie: Tamara Fischer
Chuck Cuidera: Seymour Cassel
Agent Faraday: Scott Patterson
Brainiac: Corey Burton

Our Story:
Lex Luthor escapes from jail. The police are on his tail. Lex is talking to himself as if there's someone else there - but there isn't.
As he's about to be re-captured, with his back literally against a brick wall, the wall opens up and hands reach out and grab Lex. He's gone as if he was never there.
Superman, Hawkgirl, and Aztek investigate Luthor's disappearance. While there, they meet the new liaison between the Attorney General's office and the League, Special Agent King Faraday. There's an uneasy cooperation between Superman and Faraday.
Lex is in the company of Gorilla Grodd and is introduced to the combined super villains of the animated DCU organized as a Legion of Doom complete with their own headquarters. Grodd explains to Lex that the villains are still permitted to operate independently on their own criminal schemes but that they are all villains united when it comes to opposing the JLU. Grodd, of course, gets a percentage of every bad guy's criminal booty.
The villains united include KGBeast, Metallo, Copperhead, Bizarro, Toyman, Giganta, Knockout, Dr. Destiny, Killer Frost, Sonar, Heat Wave, Weather Wizard, Silver Banshee, Star Sapphire, Sinestro, the Key, Queen Bee, Dr. Polaris, Blockbuster, the Parasite, and Evil Star, among others.
Now Grodd wants Lex to join them. Lex says he has no motivation to be a part of Grodd's group - that is, until Grodd shows him the last remaining piece of Brainiac's circuitry. If Lex helps Grodd, Grodd will give Lex that piece of Brainiac. As it turns out, the invisible friend Lex is talking to is Brainiac though it's not clear if Lex is crazy or if some residual memory of Brainiac continues to live inside Luthor's body. Lex wants to be reunited with Brainiac (and Brainiac wants to be reunited with Lex) so Lex agrees to help.
Meanwhile, an old man chops wood outside a home in the country. This isn't just any old man - this is the last surviving member of the Blackhawks. He's called by his wife who hears a beeping coming from his old footlocker. "There's trouble on Blackhawk Island," the old man says.
At the new JLA base on Earth, Fire and Ice let Superman know that Aztek wasn't able to pick up Luthor's trail.
Flash is ogling Fire but he's too embarrassed to introduce himself to her. Hawkgirl teases him.
Just then a message comes in from Faraday. Blackhawk contacted him about the trouble and he identifies himself as the last surviving member of the Blackhawks there during the events of "The Savage Time", the first season finale to "Justice League" (before they were Unlimited). The Blackhawks kept certain dangerous weapons hidden on Blackhawk Island and, though they decommissioned the weapons there decades ago, the Island's security alarm went off.
Hawkgirl, Flash, and Fire grab a Javelin and head to Blackhawk Island. Meanwhile, Blackhawk prepares his plane; he's going to join up with the League. His wife gives him his leather Blackhawk jacket before he leaves.
Grodd teams Luthor up with Dr. Polaris and the Key and they are the ones on Blackhawk Island. Breaking into a secret room, they're confronted by a mechanical construct.
The Javelin is attacked by mechanical vultures and crashes. Fire grabs Flash and she and Hawkgirl use their powers of flight to escape the crashing Javelin. Hawkgirl battles more mechanical birds. Flash tells Fire to drop him so she can help Hawkgirl.
After they defeat the robotic birds, they all meet up on Blackhawk Island. They're joined by Blackhawk who insists on coming along with them. The heroes come upon the blasted remains of the robot guard that met the villains when they arrived. Hidden cameras show the bad guys that the League is coming.
Lex sends mechanical flying sharks with lasers for eyes after the team. Really. Then, out of nowhere, they're attacked by a War Wheel, like the ones used by Vandal Savage and the Axis in "The Savage Time."
A mechanical squid grabs Fire and pulls her into the water, dousing her flame. Flash speeds to her aid and creates a whirlwind that allows Fire to escape the watery depths. The whirlwind then smashes into the War Wheel, destroying it.
The heroes confront the villains. Polaris uses his magnetism powers on Hawkgirl's mace, sending her careening wildly around the room. As Polaris and the Key battle the heroes, Luthor works feverishly on getting into a locked vault.
Hawkgirl reminds Fire that magnets lose their charge when heated. Green flame emanates from Fire and engulfs the room. Polaris loses control over Shayera's mace. Shayera knocks him out. Flash bashes the Key.
Lex demands the League let his fellow villains go - and has a gun on Blackhawk to enforce his will. Lex sets the entire Island to self-destruct.
On their way off the Island, Blackhawk uses the Island's defenses to distract the villains and escapes. The villains let him go as they have what they came for. They disappear.
Meanwhile, the heroes work on shutting down the self-destruct countdown. Hawkgirl is about to smash the computer when Blackhawk returns and enters the shut-down code.
Back at the Legion of Doom headquarters, Lex delivers the Spear of Destiny (referred to in this episode as the Spear of Longinous) to Grodd. It turns out Grodd may hang it in his office - this entire exercise was a test of Lex's loyalty. The real mission is to come. Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".



"Shadow of the Hawk"

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Story: Dwayne McDuffie
Director: Dan Riba
Aired in the U.S.A.: September 17, 2005

Roles & Actors this episode:
Hawkgirl: Maria Canals
Green Lantern: Phil LaMarr
Batman: Kevin Conroy
Dreamslayer: John DiMaggio
Vixen: Gina Torres
Carter Hall: James Remar (uncredited as Shadow Thief)

Our Story:
Batman, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern John Stewart, and Vixen battle a group of bad guys. After defeating them, Hawkgirl is stopped by archeologist Carter Hall who claims to have found an 8,000 year old Thanagarian weapon in Egypt. Carter wants Hawkgirl to come with him to Egypt but GL says the League will examine the artifact and get back to him. Carter asks Hawkgirl out to dinner - she accepts. As Carter turns to leave, his shadow pauses before following him...
Hawkgirl prepares to leave for her dinner date with Carter. She runs into GL who is surprised because he's never seen her in a dress before and he thinks she looks "fetching". Batman interrupts their conversation. Batman's research shows that Carter Hall's real name is Joseph Gardner and that he changed his name to Carter Hall six months ago. Hall is an archeologist and current curator of the Midway City Museum. His excellent reputation took a hit five years ago when he started claiming that aliens had landed in ancient Egypt. Batman believes Carter is a stalker - he shows GL and Hawkgirl taped footage of Hawkgirl in various battles and, always, Carter Hall is present in the background. Shayera resents the interference and goes off with Carter anyway.
GL tells Batman that he and Shayera are supposed to be together - when GL traveled to the future, he learned from Warhawk that he and Shayera were fated to marry. So why, Batman asks, is GL still involved with Vixen?
The day after their date, Carter and Shayera take a Javelin to Egypt. They travel into an ancient temple uncovered by Carter - trailed by both the Shadow Thief and the Batman.
Carter disrobes. He tells Shayera that destiny brought them both here. He puts on a pair of wings and a mask and tells her he is Hawkman, that they're the reincarnated spirits of ancient Thanagarian visitors to Egypt.
Hawkgirl laughs at the revelation. Carter explains he learned all this after having touched a Thanagarian device called an Absorbacron (in the comics, the device was known as the Absorbascon). Hawkman shows Hawkgirl the hidden Hawk-ship that brought their previous selves to Earth.
Batman follows, listening to Carter and Shayera with a bug planted on her mace.
Carter tries to get Shayera to touch the Absorbacron so that it can tell her what it told him. She misinterprets the gesture and tosses him away. Just then, they're attacked by living shadows, manifestations of the Shadow Thief. The living shadows overpower the Hawks and knock them unconscious.
Shadow Thief has Hawkman and Hawkgirl tied up. He wants to know how to get into the deeper, hidden chambers of the pyramid where the more valuable Thanagarian artifacts are hidden. Shadow Thief simply wants to steal the artifacts and sell them on the black market.
Rather than see Hawkgirl tortured, Hawkman agrees to help the Shadow Thief. He starts to open the hidden chamber but his hand is struck by a batarang. It's the Batman.
Shadow Thief attacks. Batman uses light to weaken the Shadow Thief. Shadow Thief strikes the entrance to the hidden chamber, which brings ancient mummy guards to life. Batman and Hawkman fight the mummies.
Hawkgirl frees herself and attacks Shadow Thief. He is intangible - so Hawkgirl's mystical mace lights up; in his intangible state, Shadow Thief is vulnerable to light. He's surrounded by Hawkgirl with her mace, Batman with a flare, and Hawkman with a pyre. Desperate to escape, Shadow Thief spins, opening up the ground beneath him and swallowing up the Hawk-ship and other artifacts including the Absorbacron. Shadow Thief escapes.
With the Absorbacron lost, Hawkman has no way to convince Hawkgirl that he's telling the truth. Hawkgirl tells him it doesn't matter. Carter tells her that he knows the truth - that they are the reincarnations of Katar and Shayera Hol, and that he's in love with her. She says he doesn't know anything about her - and Carter begins rattling off Shayera's likes and dislikes. Hawkman flies off.
Hidden in the buried chamber - the dead, mummified remains of Carter's and Shayera's predecessors, holding hands.

Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".



"Chaos at the Earth's Core"

Writer: Matt Wayne
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos
Aired in the U.S.A.: September 24, 2005

Roles & Actors this episode:
Green Lantern: Phil LaMarr
Stargirl: Giselle Loren
Deimos: Douglas Dunning
Dino Trooper: Nicholas Guest
Silver Banshee: Kim Mai Guest
Metallo: Malcolm McDowell
Supergirl: Nicholle Tom
Warlord: Paul Guilfoyle

Our Story:
Gamera - or an incredible simulation -- is rampaging through Tokyo. Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. fly in, followed by GL John Stewart. They stop the flying turtle just as Supergirl arrives in her new costume. Supergirl groupies surround Kara. John is angry with Stargirl's recklessness.
Later Kara is piloting the Javelin back to headquarters by way of the North Pole. Kara suddenly loses control of the Javelin as the ship is pulled into a massive underground tunnel.
They are in what appears to be another dimension existing at the center of the Earth. They're attacked by native lizard men riding dinosaurs. Supergirl leads the attack but quickly realizes her super powers aren't working in this strange place. Stargirl teases her and finally saves her.
Suddenly they're face to face with the hero of this strange land - Travis Morgan, the Warlord of Shamballah. They are in Skartaris; but Morgan, it turns out, is from the surface world. His daughter, Jennifer Morgan, summoned the JLU members magically. Morgan's adversary in Skartaris is Deimos, a wizard. However, the wizard has recently been using high-tech weapons, which he has obtained from Legion of Doom members Metallo and the Silver Banshee.
Morgan introduces the JLU to a local rule who had been near death and was resurrected by the power of a Great Stone. He shows the heroes the stone - it's a humongous piece of green Kryptonite! Kara falls to the floor. After the Kryptonite is behind the lead door again, Kara reveals that, had her abilities been functioning properly, a Kryptonite stone that big and that close would have killed her.
Suddenly, Deimos launches an attack on the citadel where the Kryptonite is kept. Even without powers, Supergirl fights valiantly alongside Morgan's troops and the JLU. Warlord fights Deimos in the citadel. Meanwhile, Metallo blasts Kara who bluffs she is immune to Kryptonite. Warlord defeats Deimos and Deimos lunges at Morgan one last time; Morgan steps out of his way and Deimos plunges into an abyss.
Eventually Metallo grabs Supergirl and holds her close enough for the Kryptonite to slowly poison her. Kara refuses to give up and uses a dagger to remove Metallo's Kryptonite heart. The Kryptonite falls out leaving a paralyzed Metallo holding Kara with his arm - but she is still too close to the Kryptonite. Stargirl shows up and gets the Kryptonite away from Supergirl.
Later, Morgan speaks to his people - they are free. The League interrogates Metallo. GL offers him enough Kryptonite to live if Metallo will tell why they need such a huge piece of Kryptonite. Metallo is about to tell them about the Legion of Doom, but the bad guys planned for that eventuality and triggered an explosion that blew out Metallo's circuits.
GL wants to take the Kryptonite. Warlord wants to keep it in Skartaris. Supergirl says they should keep the Kryptonite because it can actually do some good in Skartaris with its healing properties down there. GL reluctantly agrees but only if they close off the entrance to Skartaris. Morgan says that he has everything he needs in Skartaris and that option is fine with him. They leave and seal the entrance. Supergirl's powers return under the yellow sun. She and Stargirl fly off, bonding over their adult oppressors, Superman and S.T.R.I.P.E.

Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".



"To Another Shore"

Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Director: Dan Riba
Aired in the U.S.A.: September 24, 2005

Roles & Actors this episode:
Martian Manhunter: Carl Lumbly
Wonder Woman: Susan Eisenberg
Lex Luthor: Clancy Brown (uncredited as Male Conference Member)
Heatwave: Walter Lang
Killer Frost: Jennifer Hale (uncredited as Giganta)
Devil Ray: Michael Beach (uncredited as Mr. Terrific)
King Faraday: Scott Patterson
Gorilla Grodd: Powers Boothe
Green Arrow: Kin Shriner

Our Story:
A ship in the middle of an undersea earthquake comes upon what appears to be the remains of a Viking ship which had been buried in the ice.
Meanwhile, on the Watchtower, Wonder Woman is dressed in a business suit and has her hair in a bun. She is attending an environmental conference on global warming on Themiscyra's behalf. She invites J'onn to attend but he makes excuses. Diana accuses J'onn of not liking humanity or not knowing humanity well enough to like them or not. She insists that they will continue their conversation later and leaves.
Bizarro and Star Sapphire fly into a swamp, arriving at Legion of Doom headquarters. There, Grodd tells the villains in attendance (Luthor, Bizarro, Star Sapphire, Killer Frost, Devil Ray, Heat Wave, and Giganta) about the Viking Prince. Prince Jon fell in love with a Valkyrie. Odin found out and separated them. Only when Prince Jon died a heroic death would he be reunited with her. But Odin gave Prince Jon invulnerability so that he could not die in battle and, as such, would not die heroically. The Viking Prince traveled around the Earth seeking out battles where he could risk a heroic death. Finally, the Viking Prince became bitter and set sail in his ship heading north, never to be heard from again.
Grodd suspects the ship found in the ice belongs to the Viking Prince and he wants Lex to reverse engineer the secret of Prince Jon's invulnerability. Grodd refers to invulnerability being a means to achieve the Legion of Doom's ultimate goal - but he holds off from disclosing that goal to the rest of the assembled villains.
At the conference, Diana argues that global warming is real though some in attendance deny the scientific evidence. Diana defends Themiscyra's position - apparently, Atlantis has already pulled out of the world assembly over environmental issues. The conference is being held in a building nestled above the ice that cradles the Viking ship - Diana argues that global warming was responsible for the ice melting that revealed the ship's presence. Diana suggests that the Amazons would go to war rather than simply pull out of the assembly, shocking the other attendees with her lack of subtlety.
Diana steps outside for fresh air and she's approached by JLU liaison King Faraday who goads her about her lack of diplomatic skills. Suddenly, there's an explosion. The Legion of Doom attack. Devil Ray surprises Wonder Woman and hits her in the shoulder with a poison dart.
As the bad guys make their move against Wonder Woman, they're interrupted by King Faraday and his government operatives. Faraday and his men literally fly in, wearing mechanical wings. Faraday and Wonder Woman are overpowered and hiding behind a chunk of ice. Diana calls for League back-up. J'onn suggests he can send Green Arrow and Mr. Terrific - Diana insists that she needs J'onn's help.
Green Arrow and J'onnÊJ'onzz arrive to battle the Legion of Doom. J'onn uses his telepathy to determine that they are after the Viking Prince's invulnerability. However, J'onn can't determine much else as there's a telepathic block in place.
Suddenly, a submarine breaks through the ice, which causes an avalanche that heads straight for the conference.
Green Arrow boards the submarine and battles Devil Ray's henchmen inside. The sub descends into the water. Wonder Woman swims after the sub.
Underwater, she tries to free the Viking ship. Devil Ray fires two more darts toward Wonder Woman but she deflects them with her bracelets. J'onn grabs Killer Frost. Wonder Woman smashes Devil Ray's helmet. He floats powerlessly to the surface.
J'onn, still holding Killer Frost, flies above the conference building and insists she use her powers to stop the avalanche. Killer Frost freezes the avalanche in place, saving the attendees.
Green Arrow fights the henchmen in the sub. He and Wonder Woman manage to free the Viking ship. Just as the henchmen overpower Green Arrow, Faraday arrives and announces to Devil Ray's submarine that they are surrounded. Quickly, they give up.
Wonder Woman declares that she will follow Viking tradition and lay Prince Jon to rest. She sails the ship into the sun as she recites an elegy.
J'onn decides to resign from the JLU so he can get to know humanity. He teleports to Earth and morphs into an Earthman where he joins humanity, already in progress, as John Jones.

Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".



"Flash And Substance"

Writer: Matt Wayne
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos
Producers: Rich Fogel, Glen Murakami, James Tucker
Aired in the U.S.A.: February 11, 2006

Roles and Actors in this episode:
Flash/Wally West: Michael Rosenbaum
Batman: Kevin Conroy
Orion: Ron Perlman
The Trickster: Mark Hamill
Captain Cold: Walter Lang
Captain Boomerang: Donal Gibson
Linda Park: Kim Mai Guest
Mayor: Lani Manella
Mirror Master: Alex Densoff

Our Story:
At the Rogue's favorite bar in Central City, Trickster, Mirror Master, Captain Cold, and Captain Boomerang (fresh off of Task Force X), gather to talk about old times and how they each nearly got the Flash. Instead, it quickly becomes about how the Flash always stops them.ÊThey're especially upset because tomorrow the Flash Museum opens its doors, honoring the one man standing between them and the riches they deserve. Together, they decide to work together to make sure that tomorrow is the Flash's last day on Earth.
Wally West finishes up some forensic work at his job at CCPD, then beams up to the Watchtower to find Batman and Orion on monitor duty. Since most of the founders are either on missions, on a leave ofÊabsence (J'onn), or just plain unwelcome by the general public (Shayera), Flash invites Batman to the opening ceremony, saying that he feels that the Museum isn't just about him... It's about the League, and he wouldn't feel right without another founding member there. After some utterly pathetic but manipulative begging, Batman agrees. Cheered, Flash departs to work on his speech for when they give him the key to the city. Orion doesn't understand why Batman is going along with it, and swears he would never go to such a thing... Before asking if Batman thinks it's a black tie affair.
Back in Central City, the Flash goes on patrol, checking in on some of his favorite citizens before hearing a cry for help from a little girl. Entering an abandoned club, he realizes that the girl is just a hologram created by Mirror Master, who, afterÊexchanging quips with Flash, combines a disco ball with lasers to try to cut our hero to pieces. With some artful dodging and clever use of a jukebox, Flash takes out the disco ball and scolds Mirror Master, telling him he'll catch him later.
Later, at the Key ceremony, the Flash's speech turns out to be about ten seconds long. Fortunately, that means that it won't be interrupted by the exploding boomerangs flying through the air towards him. Flash tells the crowd to clear out as he rips the city's seal off of the podium and uses it as a discus to take out half the barrage. Using his speed, he catches and tosses the remainder away... Before realizing that boomerangs return to the thrower. Kicking himself for forgetting, Flash creates a whirlwind that forces the boomerangs to destroy each other. Given no chance to rest, a giant remote control boomerang slams into him and takes off. It activates manacles, but Flash manages toÊkeep his left arm free. On a video screen, Captain Boomerang boasts that Flash will be slammed into the mountains outside the city, and in response, Flash rips out vital circuitry, causing the device to lose power and crash on the streets below, right in front of a slightly bemused Batman and Orion. Batman informs Flash that four of his enemies have dropped off the radar and they believe that they'll try to take Flash out. Flash says that he has an hour before the opening ceremony and needs to change into a new costume. Batman and Orion insist on going with him.
On a rooftop, the Rogues squabble over the cost of their crimes while Trickster plans his own attack. They ignore him, and decide to just attack Flash at the museum simultaneously. Miffed, Trickster quits.
At Wally West's apartment, Orion notes that considering that the Flash is treated like a king in this city, it's surprising that he lives so simply. Orion then accidentally destroys one of the Flash's cutouts of himself. Flash gets a ring with his emblem, and releases a costume from it. A quick change later, and he's ready to go. Batman, after seeing how many rings FLash has, says that they need to find out where the Rogues are and what they're up to. Flash blithely points his fellow heroes to the Rogues' Bar.
At the Bar, Trickster is wallowing in his dejection as the League arrives. Seeing them, the other rogues present make tracks, but Trickster tries to shoot them with an acidic snot gun (NOT a typo). Batman disarms him and Orion threatens physical violence if Trickster doesn't cooperate, but Flash gets him to stand down. Taking Trickster by the arm, Flash sits the villain down at the bar and reminds Trickster that he's supposed to take his medication. Flash promises to play darts with him later if Trickster tells him what the others are up to. Happy now, Trickster informs Flash of the impending ambush at the museum. Flash has Trickster promise to turn himself in once he's done with his drink, and the League departs.
At the Flash Museum, Flash signs autographs, seemingly oblivious to the advances of reporter Linda Parks, who embarrasses herself on camera through her infatuation with the hero.
Outside, Batman and Orion monitor for activity. Batman has removed all the mirrored surfaces, so Mirror Master cannot sneak in. Orion looks at the giant statue of the Flash, failing to understand why they honor a fool who takes the time to talk with men like Trickster. Batman notes that, obviously, Orion doesn't understand.
Linda checks her makeup, and the villains pop out of her compact mirror. It's instant anarchy as the Rogues attack the Flash. Hearing the commotion, Batman and Orion rush inside. Orion is quickly grounded by Captain Cold, and in the chaos, Linda falls into Mirror Master's portal. Flash rushes into the portal to help, even as Boomerang and Cold team up to incapacitate Orion.
In the mirror dimension, Flash and Linda are helpless to find the exit. Batman, struggling with all three villains, manages to fire a flare into the mirror portal, Seeing the flare, Flash and Linda escape. Flash immediately comes to Batman's aid and frees Orion. The heroes turn Cold's freezing power back on himself, and Batman shatters Mirror Master's portal with Mirror Master trapped within. Boomerang fairs no better.
Shortly afterwards, with Mirror Master yelling that the police had better have every piece, the villains are taken into custody as Linda laments the severe damage to the Museum, taking another chance to make an advance on the Flash. A bit taken aback, Flash recovers and laughs off the incident as a good opportunity to be on television. Orion sees all this and finally understands that the Flash acts like a fool to hide a warrior's pain. Flash shrugs off this apt observation by saying that the villains are in jail, no one was hurt, and he calls that a good day.

Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".



"Dead Reckoning"

Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Director: Dan Reba
Aired in the U.S.A.: February 18, 2006

Roles and Actors in this episode:
George Newbern: Superman
Kevin Conroy: Batman
Susan Eisenberg: Wonder Woman
Juliet Landau: Tala
Clancy Brown: Lex Luthor
Raphael Sbarge: Deadman/Boston Brand
Powers Booth: Gorilla Grodd
Michael Beach: Mr. Terrific, Devil Ray
David Ogden Stiers: Solovar
Sab Shimoto: The Master

Our Story:
At a Tibet monastery, the Master is questioned by the confused spirit of Boston Brand, who wishes to know why, now thatÊhe has solved his own murder, he has not moved on. The Master tells him that Brand's destiny was not to solve his own murder... But that of the Master's. While Deadman is confused by this, the Society arrives.
The Society makes their presence known by attempting to enter the temple. A lone monk stands in their path, and when Atomic Skull tries to get rid of the monk, it is the Skull that is sent flying. Several more monks appear, and a battle rages. The monks barely hold their own, while Tala, Luthor, and Bizarro watch. Seeing the tide of battle starting to turn, Luthor has Bizarro enter the fray, decimating the monks' resistance. The way clear, the villains start towards the entrance, but the Master confronts them. Devil Ray fires mini harpoons at the Master, who blocks them easily. So Devil Ray crushes him by caving in the top of the wall. Deadman appears in a futile effort to save the Master, as he is unable to affect the living world without possessing anyone. Luthor and Tala enter the shrine. Deadman shares words with the Master, who passes on. Livid, Deadman possesses Rampage and begins attacking the villains, but is stopped cold as Tala exorcises him from her. Tala and Luthor claim a mystical orb, and the monks collapse, their very souls absorbed into the strange artifact. Tala summons a portal, and the Society vanishes. Now free, Deadman can only look in horror at the carnage left in their wake.
The Society returns to their headquarters, where Tala, bowing, gives the orb to Grodd. Luthor is sickened by the display, and instead points out that their plan requires a level of technology not available at their headquarters. Grodd says that they take what they want, and he knows exactly where to go to get it.
Deadman confronts the spirit Rama Kushna, who tells Deadman that the monks are in a mystical coma, and that he will need help if he is to save them.
On the Watchtower, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman are discussing the possibility of spending time together without some emergency as the reason when Deadman possesses Superman and tells the other heroes that he needs their help. Wonder Woman is confused, but Batman recognizes the signature arrival of Boston Brand, a man whose murder he helped solve a year ago. SuperDead fills them in on what happened at the monastery, and Batman mourns the loss of one of his teachers, the Master. Deadman believes that with Superman's powers, he could easily avenge the Master, but Batman and Diana convince him that revenge is not the way.
Mr. Terrific locates the files on the villains Deadman saw, and that, combined with their recent experiences with unaffiliated villains coming together, convinces the League that Grodd has formed a new Secret Society. Deadman says his only clue was a mental flash of Africa, and the heroes realize that Grodd has targeted Gorilla City again. They contact Solovar, who informs them that the City is already being overrun and that he needs help.
Batman, Wonder Woman, and SuperDead beam down to Gorilla City, and SuperDead tries punching through the forcefield. The League convinces him that he can best help by infiltrating as a ghost and lowering the shield. Deadman leaves a very confused Superman and finds Atomic Skull. Possessing the villain, he trashes the main shield control, allowing the League access. However, Tala, Bizarro, Grodd and Luthor discover him, and Tala banishes Deadman from the control room. They see that the League has arrived, and Luthor sends Bizarro to kill Superman.
As the League and Gorilla City Security struggles with the Society, Bizarro attacks Superman. Even asÊGrodd and Luthor begin setting up the final phase of the plan, a mind control apparatus, Deadman spots Devil Ray, the man that killed the Master. He possesses Wonder Woman and proceeds to beat the tar out of the villain, stopping only when he realizes once more that murder isn't the answer. He leaves an annoyed Wonder Woman.
Grodd reveals to Luthor that his plan isn't just to control minds, but to transform humanity into apes. He activates the device, and the League shortly finds that Grodd has made monkeys of them. Luthor, to say the least, is not amused. The JLApe arrive, and Grodd knocks Luthor's gun away, saying that they might as well leave, as there's nothing the League can do now. Tala transports them away, and SuperChimp, after examining the device... hurtles it into the sky where it explodes, freeing the essence of the monks. The transformations are reversed, and as the League take a breather, Devil Ray, wanting revenge on Wonder Woman, takes aim at her. Deadman, without thinking, possesses Batman, grabs Luthor's gun, and shoots Devil Ray dead.
Horrified, Deadman leaves Batman, saying that wasn't what he meant to do. Superman and Wonder Woman try to console Batman, reminding him that it wasn't his fault. Disgusted, Batman walks away.
Rama KushnaÊwhisks Deadman away and shows him that not only are the Monks alive, but so is the Master somehow. However, Deadman has taken a life, and now the scales are unbalanced... Deadman's work is not done.
At the Society's headquarters, Grodd shrugs off the failure of his plan. Lex rightly considers that entire plan utterly stupid. Luthor laments that he can't wait a few more weeks... before shooting Grodd point blank and assuming command. No one protests.

Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".



"Patriot Act"

Writer: Matt Wayne
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos
Aired in the U.S.A.: February 25, 2006

Roles and Actors in this episode:
Phil LaMarr: Green Lantern
Michael Beach: Mr. Terrific
Kin Shriner: Green Arrow
Chris Cox: Shining Knight
Jeff Bennett: Rick Wilson
Tara Strong: Johnny
J.K. Simmons: General Eiling/The General
Giselle Loren: Stargirl
Mike Erwin: Speedy
CCH Pounder: Amanda Waller
Nathon Fillon: Vigilante

Our Story:
It's World War II, and in a German castle, a Nazi Scientist works to create a super soldier with the strength of a hundred men as his superiors watch. According to him, if he is successful, the soldier would become virtually unstoppable, and he will be the first of a new army. He fills the hypodermic... and is interrupted by the arrival of SpySmasher, who gets the drop on the Nazis. He orders the scientist to hand over the hypo, but the scientist defiantly drops it instead. Watching them carefully, the hero kneels down to pick it up, and the scientist takes the opening to kick the hero right into a leg lock, courtesy of the test subject. SpySmasherÊhead-butts the test subject to get free, and a battle rages. Spy Smasher quickly takes out one Nazi, then keeps the scientist from escaping. But chemicals are overturned, starting a blaze. As SpySmasher dodges gunfire and takes out the gunman, the fire reaches the most explosive chemical vat. SpySmasher grabs the vial as the lab begins exploding, and leaps out and down the cliff into the ocean, where hisÊsubmersible plane awaits him. He rides off into the sunset like the hero of a movie serial (nice ref).
In the present day, General Eiling finishes examining the classified file for Project: Captain Nazi, and looks up with a thoughtful glint in his eye.
Later, Eiling and Amanda Waller meet in aÊrestaurant to talk about old times. While Waller has mellowed in her stance against the League, and taken a broader view of their activities, Eiling sees what happened as nothing less than a surrender to the metahumans, whom he still isn't convinced are on the side of the angels. He remains concerned due to Superman's assault on Cadmus the year prior, and worries that if Waller is wrong, humanity would be helpless. Waller reminds him that it's a different world, and things aren't black and white anymore. Eiling doesn't agree.
On the Watchtower, Mr. TerrificÊreceives a report from Green Lantern that the sun they're trying to prevent from going super nova is going to take more resources than they thought, and more time. He ends transmission, and Mr. Terrific calls the remaining heroes on the Watchtower. A level lower, Vigilante and Shining Knight catch the elevator and continue their discussion of the movie "Dirty Harry". Knight feels that the character besmirched his honor by not following the rules. Vigilante warns his friend not to insult Clint Eastwood if he wants to keep hisÊTV access. As they reach the command bridge, Mr. Terrific says that half the League's resources are in deep space, presumably because of the super nova. The remainder of the League are spread across the globe, so they're shorthanded. After rebuking Green Arrow for not giving him the same respect he gave J'onn, Mr. Terrific tells the heroes, Shining Knight, Vigilante, Green Arrow, S.T.R.I.P.E., and Stargirl, that they're needed to fill in for Superman on an assignment. Stargirl expresses enthusiasm.
Too bad it's a parade. Riding behind a Superman balloon, the heroes ride with officers from Metropolis. None of the heroes are comfortable with this assignment, and Stargirl is annoyed that it takes five of them to fill in for Superman, just because none of them have superpowers. The officers thank the League for their good work, and Green Arrow says that the police and firefighters are the real heroes. Green Arrow points to the words on the float, Heroes One and All, and says that it doesn't matter that they don't have powers. Stargirl feels petty, and the words of the crowd seem to support her views, as the citizens are disappointed that their hero didn't show, and none of the good ones made it.
Elsewhere, Eiling arrives at a Cadmus base, claiming that he left some paperwork behind. However, when his code fails to grant him access to a specific room, it becomes apparent to one of the scientists that Eiling isn't doing what he says. Eiling punches out the guard standing there, takes a gun out and forces the scientist to open the door. After forcing the scientist to open the vault, Eiling goes directly for one specific item. The same serum SpySmasher captured. The scientist warns of the effects, what it did to the test animals. Eiling doesn't care and points the gun at the scientist again. Showing extreme bravery, the scientist moves quickly and hits the alarm. Eiling injects himself. The guards come in just in time to see the vial shatter and Eiling undergo aÊmonstrous transformation. The guards shoot to no avail, but the General will not kill them just for doing their jobs. He smashes through a wall and leaps away into the night.
At the parade, Stargirl wows the crowd with some fireworks and flying, and we can see that it's part of Vigilante's plan to win the crowd over. Stargirl's nod of heroism secure, he moves on to Shining Knight, telling everyone that he's from the days of King Arthur. When Knight doesn't cooperate, Vigilante slaps Winged Victory's behind, causing the winged horse to fly into the sky, amazing the people. Vigilante doesn't let up, talking about the enchanted sword. Sighing heavily, the Knight unsheathes his blade for all to see.
Which is exactly when the General arrives, ramming right through the head of the Superman balloon and shattering the float the heroes were standing on. As the dust clears, the General finds himself surrounded by the League and the police. He demands to know where Superman is, and when Green Arrow says that the ManÊof Steel is busy, the General tosses a gigantic piece of the float at the archer. Stargirl blocks it and takes the hit herself, at which point Green Arrow, S.T.R.I.P.E., Vigilante, and the police open fire, to utterly no effect. Shining Knight rides in, and the General tosses Shriner cars at the hero, who easily slices the cars apart (fulfilling a long held fantasy of everyÊparade goer ever). Vigilante gets ready for another attack, but is distracted as he sees several boys, the Newsboy Legion, tossing rocks at the General (and yes, I get the inside joke about the Newsboy Legion being in a Cadmus episode). Vigilante deputizes the boys and assigns them to get the civilians clear.
As he reenters the fray, Shining Knight leaves it, having seen cars buried under bleachers crushed by the Shriner cars. He frees one motorist, and is told of another trapped further in. He assures the driver that he will save the people. Back at the battle, the General reveals his identity and his reason for targeting Superman. Superman is the League's posterboy, and he needs to defeat their leader to prove that there's another superpower on the block, one that can protect the world from the League. S.T.R.I.P.E. just thinks Eiling has issues because Superman humiliated him. The General grabs S.T.R.I.P.E., who pulls free by rocketing into the air. As he coms back down, Eiling leaps up to meet him, and the resulting shockwave shatters windows everywhere. Green Arrow barely manages to dodge the glass. He calls for backup, and Mr. Terrific says he'll try to scrounge up the reserves.
As the Newsboy Legion continues to herd civilians to safety, the battle between S.T.R.I.P.E. and The General proves one-sided, as the psychotic supersoldier knocks the hero into a construction site and begins peeling the hero's armor open. He prepares to deliver a killing blow, when Johnny of the Newsboy Legion takes control of a wrecking ball and slams it into the villain. Annoyed, the General rips up the support for the device. As a now horribly vulnerable S.T.R.I.P.E. tackles the General, the machine tips over, causing Johnny to fall out towards the street. Vigilante, looking out for his Deputy, rides in and catches the boy.
The General defeats S.T.R.I.P.E., and Stargirl flies in to prevent a killing blow. As she occupies the General, Vigilante drops Johnny off and again assigns the Newsboy Legion to clear the area. He then turns his attention towards helping Stargirl, by ramming his cycle into the General. He succeeds only in destroying his cycle. Stargirl lassos The General to carry him somewhere away from the civilians. He calls them acceptable losses, and when he discovers that Stargirl's power comes from the staff, he yanks on the energy rope, knocking her to the ground. She drops her staff, and he prepares to crush her skull. Shining Knight flies in and does more damage with one swipe of his sword than all the other heroes combined. Eiling swats the Knight into a building. Vigilante and Green Arrow move in, bombarding him with arrows and bullets. The General stomps his foot, shattering pavement. Green Arrow dodges, but Vigilante is thrown into a car and knocked out.
That's when Mr. Terrific says that the reserves are on their way. Green Arrow thinks he's finally gotÊhigh-powered help... And instead gets Crimson Avenger and Speedy, a few years older since he was last seen on Teen Titans. The General scoffs at this, prompting Crimson Avenger to pull out his gun and gas the monster. The gas momentarily affects the General,Êbut not enough. He claps his hands, blowing the gas away and taking out Crimson Avenger in the process. Green Arrow and Speedy, all that remain, bombard the villain with their entire arsenal, but the General even shrugs off their most powerful weapon. Forced to resort to attacking withÊtheir bows, the GeneralÊdisdainfully slams them into the roofs of cars, removing them from the melee.
He screams for Superman, and the Shining Knight appears, telling the General that Superman is half a universe away saving a star-system. The General reiterates that he's doing his duty, and Shining Knight disagrees, revealing exactly why he took "Dirty Harry" so personally. Ages ago, King Arthur ordered him to destroy a village. Knowing that his King could not be so cruel, the Knight spared their lives. Eiling just says that means that the Knight was a poor soldier. He punches the Knight, and the Knight says that it is the moral decay of a thousand years. He reveals that Arthur THANKED him for sparing those lives, even as he swipes again with his sword, which Eiling catches and uses to toss the hero to the ground. Now without his sword, the Knight gets up to fight again, while the General rants about how power is everything, and how he does his duty. He says that the Leaguers present are just people, and their actions are meaningless. The Knight denies the General's claims. Despite his injuries, he will face his end as a hero, defending the weak. Eiling tells him to stand down. He refuses. The General grabs a car to finish Sir Justin off, sayingÊthat the League is a threat. AllÊmetahumans are, and that he will protect the world from them. Except that the citizens he wants to protect are now rallied around the unconscious Shining Knight.
He tells them to move aside, that people with powers are a threat. Tommy points out that The General is the only one here with powers. The old woman who earlier dismissed the Leaguers because they were not Superman, asks how many of them he's willing to kill in order to save them. Slowly, Eiling realizes that, yes, he has become what he hates, but that in the long run, they will see that he is right. He drops the car and leaves.
The aftermath shows the city damaged, but not as badly as it could have been. S.T.R.I.P.E. is carried away by a helicopter, while Crimson Avenger returns Stargirl's staff as she's carried away by an ambulance. Vigilante helps take Shining Knight to another ambulance, telling him that he'll be back on his feet by movie night. Before he's taken away, the Knight wishes to thank the old woman for her help. She says that there's no need, and that the Knight needs to get better. The world still needs protecting.
And as the Knight is taken away, we see the Newsboy Legion, playacting the roles of the heroes. They argue first over who will be Shining Knight, and then, if Vigilante is cooler than the Knight.

Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".



"The Great Brain Robbery"

Writer: Matt Wayne
Director: Dan Reba
Aired in the U.S.A.: March 4, 2006

Roles and Actors in this episode:
Phil LaMarr: Green Lantern, Steel
Michael Rosenbaum: Flash/Wally West, Dr. Polaris
Michael Beach: Mr. Terrific
Juliet Landau: Tala
Powers Boothe: Gorilla Grodd
Clancy Brown: Lex Luthor
Oded Fehr: Dr. Fate
Ted Levine: Sinestro
Lauren Tom: Dr. Light
George Newbern: Bizarro

Our Story:
Lex Luthor is speaking to the container holding Brainiac, saying that all his trials will be worth it if he can free the final piece of the rogue Kryptonian computer. Tala, attempting to flirt with Luthor, asks him not to talk to the rock. Luthor pushes her aside and attempts to open the container with a laser, but to no avail. He slowly comes to the conclusion that Grodd must be preventing his success somehow.
Luthor and Tala confront Grodd in a special holding cell, where the former leader of the Secret Society is shackled, a complex device attached to his head to inhibit his powers. Luthor demands to know how to free Brainiac, and Grodd casually asks why he should give up his onlyÊbargaining chip. Frustrated, Luthor and Tala leave, and Luthor wishes he could get at the information inside Grodd's head. Tala suggests that they break into his skull.
Later, a meeting of the Society shows Sinestro and Dr. Polaris wanting to know why they shouldn't take over leadership. After the idiotic stunt Grodd pulled, why would they want to follow someone who talks to a rock? Luthor responds by telling them that he'll show them how to make more money in a single day than they have their entire lives.
On the Watchtower, Green Lantern, Dr. Fate, Mr. Terrific, and Red Tornado work to convince Flash to allow Fate to access his mind. When Grodd mentally controlled Flash two years ago, he left a psychic residue, which could be used to find him and the Society. Flash says he doesn't want a stranger in his mind, before apologizing to Fate. But with J'onn gone, and Batman's investigation going nowhere, they have no other choice. Asking Fate to be careful (as he doesn't want to lose his one liners), Flash consents, and Fate enters his mind with a spell.
At the same time, Luthor and the Society finish hooking up Grodd to a machine designed to rip the information about Brainiac from his mind. Luthor warns that the device isn't as comfortable as Grodd would like it, and offers him a chance to give the information willingly. Grodd refuses. Luthor dons the machine's helmet and turns the devise on. Energy surges through it, and Grodd screams.
Fate finds a trace of Grodd's psychic residue, and begins to follow it through the mindscape, when the psychic backlash from Grodd's agony strikes him, and through him, Flash. Luthor feels it as well, until Tala rips the helmet off his head. Flash falls out of his seat, but as Green Lantern moves to check on him, Fate stops him, saying that it's not Flash... But Luthor. Luthor looks up and asks what they did to him, before bolting. He dodges attacks from Fate and Terrific, before Lantern catches him in a bubble. Luthor easily breaks through with his speed and races to the teleportation pad, where he threatens a technician's life. One of Terrific's floating balls slams Luthor from behind, and Lantern's bubble pulls the technician to safety. The transmat is damaged in the process. Luthor races off, even as Terrific tries to seal the control room. Luthor manages to get through the doors, and Lantern wonders where Flash is.
In the Society's headquarters, Flash wakes up in Luthor's body. It's gonna be one of THOSE days. He freaks out, thinking he's been captured, and moves towards the door in a panic, even as the Society thinks Luthor's gone nuts. Slowly, Flash realizes that Tala called him Lex.
On the Watchtower, Mr. Terrific puts the entire Watchtower on alert, warning them that Luthor is in Flash's body. He says to use any force necessary to contain him. Lantern doesn't want Flash's body harmed, and Mr. Terrific points out that that's not his main concern.
He point is made clear as we see the unconscious bodies of several League members (including an apparently healed Stargirl). Mr. Terrific's tracked Flash's comm signal to a storage room, but is suspicious. He tells only Lantern and Fate to go check it out. When they arrive, they find that Luthor has ditched the tracking implements. Terrific has Lantern and Red Tornado continue the search, while Dr. Fate departs, needing time to create aÊcounter-spell to reverse the mind switch.
Flash tries to sneak around the Society's headquarters, when Tala comes to check on Luthor. Flash, having never met Tala, doesn't have a clue who she is, and ducks into the men's room to hide. Once inside, he finally sees himself in a mirror, and realizes what's happened. He tries to contact the Watchtower, but belatedly remembers that his commlink is in his cowl, which is on his body. He sees Luthor has a cellphone, and ducks into a stall to make a call. Unfortunately, he's way out of any servicing area. Tala asks if he's okay, and is forced to enter when Dr. Polaris insists on confronting Lex. Polaris wants to know if Luthor's ready to go over the plan, or if he was bluffing. Flash, having no idea what he's talking about, says he's all over the plan, and that they should go do that. Polaris reminds Flash to wash his hands. Flash says he won't, because he's evil (by far, the best line of the episode).
Luthor continues racing through corridors, reaching the door for the Javelin hanger bay. He tries to type in codes quickly, but it's a losing effort as Red Tornado and Green Lantern catch up. Luthor slugs Red Tornado and begins vibrating through the door, causing an explosion. Lantern barely manages to save himself and Red Tornado, beforeÊpointing out that there was a reason why Flash never tried that trick. In the Bay, Luthor hijacks a Javelin, but Mr. Terrific points out that the base is on lockdown and the weapons won't fire inside the Tower. LuthorÊresponds by trying to ram through before Lantern slices the cockpit open. Luthor leaps out and creates a tornado to cover his escape. Red Tornado is forced to discontinue theÊpursuit in order to create a counter to the high winds.
Tala suggests to Flash that he remind the Society who is in charge. Flash, doing a horrible Luthor impersonation, tells them to question the plan at their peril. Bizarro asks if Luthor is his father (translated for those without Bizarro minds). Fortunately, none of the other villains get quite what Bizarro has realized. Flash realizes that by quizzing the villains, he can discover the plan. He's told that with Kaznia ready to join the European Union, they will be switching their currency to Euros. The bills are going in by train. Luthor, Tala, Sinestro, and Dr. Polaris will intercept it. It's a simple smash and grab. Flash realizes how big this is, compliments the villains for remembering so well, and departs. Tala just says Luthor needs rest, before running after him. She guides him towards a bedroom, and behind closed doors, Flash points out that what they're doing isn't restful.
Luthor takes a break in a League washroom, and realizes that he can at least learn Flash's secret identity. He pulls off the mask to see Wally West's face. Then he realizes he has NO idea who that is whatsoever.
Tala's still glowing from helping Flash relax as they walk down towards the hangar bay. He sees a communications room and tries to reach it in another attempt to get a hold of the League. Polaris stops him, saying that it's time to go. Before they can, one of the recently-deceased Devil Ray's henchmen comes up, saying that Grodd wants to see Luthor. Flash, Tala, and the goon walk to Grodd's cell, and Flash has them wait outside. He demands to know what Grodd wants.
Grodd says "Hello, Flash."
Flash tries to deny it, but Grodd knows better. Changing tactics, Flash attempts to forge an alliance with Grodd to stop Luthor, but Grodd prefers to watch as Flash twists in the wind, not knowing when the villains will figure it out and tear him apart. Tala enters to get Luthor. Grodd makes an advance towards her, and she says that Luthor is her man now. Grodd finds that most amusing.
Fate tells Mr. Terrific that he's devised a counter-spell, but needs to be in contact with Luthor to make it work. Luthor's in the cafeteria. Fate enters through a mystic portal, as Luthor brings new meaning to the phrase "food-fight", using superspeed to hurtle anything he can get his hands on at Lantern and Red Tornado. As fate emerges from his portal, Lantern's herded Luthor away from the silverware with energy blasts, and Fate trips Luthor with a mystic ball and chain. But before he can move in, Luthor speed hops to Fate, uses his helmet as a gong, and takes the magician out. Free again, Luthor bombards Red Tornado with plates and Lantern with food, before defeating them both, humiliatingly, with lemon Jell-O, which easily pierces Lantern's force field. To add insult to injury, Luthor not only runs off, but comes back to scarf down food before bolting again.
The Society transport reaches the train. Flash makes a reach for the communications console, but Dr. Polaris says that it's time. Helpless to stop this, Flash meekly says "Go." Sinestro and Dr. Polaris fly out as their transport opens fire on the choppers guarding the train. The guards attempt to shoot down the villains, but their mutual powers serve to not only protect them, butÊturn the bullets back upon the guards, taking out more choppers. Sinestro goes ahead and destroys the bridge. As the train goes over the edge, he creates an energy track and, straining, guides it into a cave.
Once the transport enters the cave, the villains begin loading the Euros while Flash ties up the guards. He tries to tell them they'll be okay, but Dr. Polaris turns it into a threat. One of Devil Ray's men informs the villains of an incoming priority transmission. It's Luthor, having commandeered comm equipment on the watchtower. He warns the Society that Flash is an impostor. FlashÊtries to bluff his way out, but when he can't say what Dr. Polaris' real name is, he bolts to the comm and overrides it, sending an emergency transmission to Mr. Terrific, before being taken out. Mr. Terrific manages to get the coordinates and contacts Dr. Light at Metro Tower. He tells her to send a team to Flash's location. Lantern and Red Tornado find a dummy transmission site. They wonder why he'd do that when a superpowered fist suddenly shatters one of Mr. Terrific's floating orbs. Luthor punches the hero out, then moves onto the technicians before he begins repairing the transmat.
Dr. Light, Steel, and Ice arrive at the coordinates via teleporter. Steel and Dr. Light track Sinestro's ring energy to the cave. Once they arrive, Dr. Light damages the transport and knocks the money away as Ice and Steel open up a ranged assault. Sinestro says forget the money as he, Tala, and the unconscious Flash enter the portal. Dr. Polaris just sees who he's up against and crosses his arms. Steel is suddenly propelled into the ceiling of the transport as Ice freezes one of the floating money containers. Dr. Polaris sends it right at her. She leaps over it as it shatters, but as she prepares to attack again, she discovers that Dr. Polaris is gone, the portal closed.
Luthor finishes repairing the transmat and prepares to escape. Mr. Terrific turns off the gravity to keep him on the Watchtower. Luthor turns his arms into whirlwinds to launch himself at the hero, who responds by turning the gravity back on. Luthor's attack turns into a painful crash, and Mr. Terrific contacts Dr. Fate, saying the patient is ready. They waste no time performing the spell. Lantern asks how they can be sure Flash is Flash, and Flash begins to recount an embarrassing story about Lantern, which convinces the hero a bit quickly. Unfortunately, Flash didn't learn much of importance during his stay.
Dr. Polaris hits a restrained Luthor. The Society thinks he must be J'onn, and Luthor explains what happened. Dr. Polaris doesn't care, and shatters the ceiling to threaten Luthor with the shards magnetically. He's ready to take over. Luthor responds by tapping his belt buckle, reversing Dr. Polaris' attack towards it's originator, restraining him and freeing Luthor. Luthor says something Flash couldn't have known: He rigged a failsafe against every villain whose power he augmented. When he asks if anyone else wants to question him, no one speaks up. As he walks away, Tala asks if it's really him. He says it is and insults her.
Tala, disappointed, says "Oh, Darn".

Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".



"Grudge Match"

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Story: Matt Wayne
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos
Aired in the U.S.A.: March 11, 2006

Roles and Actors in this episode:
Susan Eisenberg: Diana/Wonder Woman
Maria Canals: Hawkgirl/Shayera
Jeffrey Combs: The Question
Amy Acker: Huntress
Clancy Brown: Lex Luthor
Juliet Landau: Tala
Gina Torres: Vixen
Morena Baccarin: Black Canary
Corey Burton: Brainiac
Virginia Madsen: Roulette

Our Story:
It's the fight of the century! Batman vs Joker? Well... No. Superman vs. Darkseid? Guess again. Catman vs. Shatterfist? You got it! ...HEY! GET BACK HERE! The summary's just started! Metabrawl's seen better days, as thisÊtussle elicits nothing but yawns and boos from it's miniscule audience. This isn't lost on Roulette, reduced to running her show in a rundown dive ever since herÊdisastrous run-in with Black Canary last season. When she's given the take, which would barely pay the rent at best, she realizes she's hit rock bottom. Watching both fighters trying to goad the other into attacking, she really can't blame the audience for not betting.
Tala watches as Luthor's latest attempt to free Brainiac fails. Brainiac appears to Luthor to suggest a plan of action, and Tala whispers to Sonar that Lex is talking to his imaginary friend again (What, Foster's wasn't adopting?). Sonar interrupts Luthor and Brainiac to try and tell them that Roulette wants to see him. She doesn't let him finish and barges in. She says she's hit hard times, and that Luthor is taking far more off the top than Grodd ever did. Roulette begins to cozy up to Lex, trying to get some top name villains for Metabrawl, but Tala pushes her away mystically. Roulette takes offense, but Luthor breaks it up before there can be any violence, much to Sonar's disappointment. Luthor sees this, and realizes that Sonar just provided the solution to Roulette's problem. Roulette sees it too... All female fight cards. She envisions several names (Sonar tries as well, and gets "the look" from Luthor). However, it won't work with second string villainesses. Luthor points out that he wasn't talking about villains.
Going by the red skies, it looks like Black Canary stalks Gotham's streets this night, and her prey runs down an alley. Leaping from a fire-escape, she corners the thug, and with one punch, it's over... Canary's on the ground and the thug's moving again. Canary pulls herself up and tackles the thug, who puts up a surprising amount of resistance. Watching this absolutely pathetic display is the disgraced ex-Leaguer Huntress, who comments on the entire mess as the thug gets the upper hand again, despite Canary saying she doesn't need help. Taking this to heart, Huntress stands by as the thug gets up and runs past her. Canary gets up to try again, but Huntress stops her, and tosses a trash can's lid around the corner, nailing the creep. Canary, annoyed, moves toÊretrieve the wallet the guy stole. Her own wallet, it seems. Huntress can't believe that Canary got mugged. Canary brushes her off and says Huntress only cares about herself. Quite the contrary, Huntress shoots a tracer onto Canary's bike before she can take off.
Huntress tails Canary to her home, and via her phone, talks to the Question about it. She's deeply concerned, wondering if Canary's moonlighting, or cheating on Green Arrow. Question, engrossed with finding the 32nd flavor, doesn't see anything in the situation. Huntress tries to play "what are you wearing", but Question gives all the wrong answers (orange socks? What the...) Huntress hears a motorcycle, and looks down to see Canary taking off. She follows on her own cycle as Canary enters Bludhaven (and check out the Nightwing cameo! Take THAT, "The Batman"! ). She eventually tracks Canary to a parking garage, where the Leaguer is joined by Fire. Together, using a passkey, they enter the elevator and vanish. Huntress begins to pick the lock, but the elevator opens to reveal a group of enforcers. Huntress takes this in stride and steps inside. Much off-screen carnage ensues. She exits to find a hidden casino. Realizing something is seriously wrong, she switches to her civilian identity and infiltrates the audience of a fight about to begin. Roulette appears on a holo screen, welcoming the audience to Metabrawl GlamourÊSlam. The Match? Black Canary vs. Fire!
Huntress can't believe what she's seeing as Canary does a flying kick at Fire, who retaliates by igniting and unleashing a fiery assault on her teammate. The flames don't let up, and it's all Canary can do to dodge, until Fire gets a lucky hit in, striking Canary in the back andÊknocking her to the ground. Fire tries again to cook canary, but she dodges for a moment. Fire takes to the air and unleashes another assault, burning Canary's arms. With no options left, as Fire comes at her, Canary lets loose with her sonic cry and knocks Fire for a loop, and into the wall, injuring her and knocking her out. Canary stands victorious as Fire is taken back below by a platform. Huntress is still stunned as Roulette announces the winner.
Huntress confronts Black Canary about what's going on, but the only answer Canary's willing to give is a vicious spin kick that knocksÊHuntressÊinto a pylon. Canary attacks again with a downward snap kick. Huntress barely dodges, and the battle is on, with Canary going all out, and Huntress barely holding her own because she doesn't want to hurt her fellow heroine. Huntress manages to steal Canary's communicator, ready to call in the League, but Canary knocks it from her hand, and in the resulting melee, the device is crushed. A change immediately comes over Canary, but not soon enough, as Huntress punches her lights out. Exhausted, there's nothing she can do as Sonar and several enforcers get the drop on her.
Canary wakes up to see that she's locked up with her favorite crime fighter. Huntress fills her in, and together, they work out that Roulette's using Grodd's mind control tech and the League commlinks to force the female Leaguers to battle. Roulette enters with a doctor to check on Fire, and while Roulette isn't going to let Fire die from her injuries, now that Huntress is there and Canary's free, they'll have to die in the ring, making Roulette millions.
Shortly thereafter, Roulette announces a new battle as Huntress and Canary enter the ring in mechanical shackles. They release, and Canary massages her burned wrists. But they won't be fighting each other... They'll be fighting Vixen and Hawkgirl! Canary warns Huntress not to call her Girlfriend. Vixen moves first, lunging at the heroines. Huntress dodges, and Canary gets the honors of facing her as Hawkgirl tries to bash Huntress's head in with her mace. As Huntress does her best to stay out of the weapon's range, Canary discovers her cry is useless against Vixen. So sheÊhead-butts her instead, and swipes her commlink. However, Roulette sees this and shorts it out, rather than have the League spoil the party. Vixen leaps and lands on the commlink, freeing herself. She wakes up and Canary fills her in succinctly. Vixen doesn't waste any time, tackling Shayera before she can finish Huntress off. Shayera tosses her off by slamming her into theÊelectrified wall, but Canary moves in, keeping her busy and getting a good upward thrust kick in. Vixen tackles the heroine again, using boa constrictor power to restrain her long enough for Canary to get herÊcommlink and crush it. Shayera doesn't want to know what's going on. They tell her. She stands by her statement of not wanting to know. Huntress tells Roulette that it's over, and Roulette counters by bringing out her very best fighter... Wonder Woman! The Lady Leaguers are officially hosed.
Vixen wants to know if anyone has a plan. Shayera says "stay alive". Huntress fires an arrow and asks if anyone has a GOOD plan. Diana swats the arrow as Shayera attacks, but Diana easily tosses her off as Canary moves in, only to be swatted as well. Vixen enhances her strength and tries to grapple with Diana, but she's easily tossed aside as well. All the Leaguers tackle Diana at once, to no effect as they're all thrown across the arena. As Diana goes after Vixen and Huntress, Shayera and Canary change tactics and attack the arena wall, shattering it between Thanagarian mace and Canary Cry. Shayera grabs Huntress and Canary andÊcarries them into the stands before going back to help Vixen. Canary and Huntress start up the stairs, only to be confronted by the enforcers. Grinning, they clobber the goon squad. Meanwhile, even the power of an elephant can't keep Diana from tossing Vixen into the crowds, who scatter as she lands hard.
Diana rips some seats up and throws them at Vixen, but Shayera grabs her main romantic competition and gets her out of there just in time. Vixen tells Shayera to distract Diana so she can get her from behind. She drops Vixen just in time for Diana to attack her, slamming her into a wall. Vixen grabs Wonder Woman from behind, but only buys Shayera a moment's respite before being thrown aside again. Shayera moves to save Vixen, but Diana dodges, and Shayera almost clobbers her friend before halting her mace just in time, a stark change from how she used to be. However, someone else has changed too. Diana's resentment towards Shayera, building ever since the Thanagarian invasion, has come to the surface, and nothing can keep Wonder Woman from tearing Hawkgirl, the traitor, apart. Diana begins a vicious assault on her fellow founder more brutal than any punishment Shayera dealt out back in the day. Eventually, Diana swipes Shayera's mace, kicks her to the ground, and attempts to pulp her. Shayera barely dodges, and uses a judo move to knock Diana into the slot machines. Vixen and Hawkgirl take a moment to recover, but Diana quickly breaks free of the debris to attack again with a gambling table.
Huntress and Canary are still tussling with the goons, and seeing more arriving. Time to move the fight to higher ground and end the madness. Huntress fires a grapple arrow at the control box, and uses it to carry herself and Canary up to confront Sonar and Roulette. Canary says it's her fault for not taking Roulette down the last time, and unleashes her cry. Sonar tries to counter with his sonic gun, but the cry proves more than a match and shatters it. Huntress aims her crossbow at Roulette, assuming the gamesmaster isn't a fighter. Roulette proves her wrong by kicking the crossbow away and revealing that her hair pins are daggers. A martial arts battle erupts, with Huntress taking a nasty cut to her arm, but retaliating. Canary is taking it to Sonar, but he takes advantage of her burned wrists, aiming for them, and then using a sonic scrambler to try and liquefy her brain. Huntress proves herself superior to Roulette, and tosses her into Sonar before crushing the scrambler. Having had enough, Sonar surrenders. The ladies hit him anyway and demand to know how to turn off the mind control.
In the arena, things are going south quickly, as even together, Vixen and Hawkgirl are no match for Diana. She rips Vixen from her back and sends her sprawling to the ground, before grabbing Shayera's leg and doing the same to her. Both heroines are too exhausted and battered to continue, but Wonder Woman doesn't care. She grabs both by the hair and prepares to bash their skulls in when she suddenly wakes up and hopes they can explain what's going on.
In the aftermath, Vixen helps Fire, who looks like she'll recover. As the Leaguers lead the captured villains away, Canary offers to have Huntress reinstated. Huntress declines, but says she was totally wiping the floor with Canary earlier. Canary offers a rematch, and Huntress declines, citing her fill of mindless brutality. Canary agrees, saying that superheroes can do more than solve problems with their fists... Then they decide to fight anyway, best two out of three. And as round one begins, we-
Fade to black.

Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".



"Far From Home"

Writer: Paul Dini
Director: Dan Riba
Aired in the U.S.A.: April 15, 2006

Roles and Actors in this episode:
George Newbern: Superman
Phil LaMarr: Green Lantern, Steel
Kin Shriner: Green Arrow
Nicholle Tom: Supergirl
Matt Czuchry: Brainiac 5
Googy Gress: Bouncing Boy
Tomas Arana: Tharok
Joanne Whalley: Emerald Empress

Our Story:
It's the 31st Century, and Brainiac 5 and Bouncing Boy are men on a mission. They enter a hall of heroes, talking about how they're the only ones left, and need to plan a counter attack. Brainiac 5 has a plan, and Bouncing Boy realizes what it is as Brainiac dusts off a panel and reveals a time travel orb. Brainiac 5 says that the records state that in the 21st century, three heroes travelled into the future, and both heroes know that only two made it back...
In the present, the citizens are panicking, and Green Lantern and Supergirl are on the job. Kara's seems especially ready, and goes on the attack solo. Her target? Queen Bee, whose stingers only tickle the Kryptonian. What tickles a lot less is an energy blast from Dr. Cyber. Supergirl recovers instantly, swoops in, and destroys the Doctor's gun before throwing her into Queen Bee. One double head-butt later, and it's all over. The two villainesses collapse... and change into training droids. Kara says that was too easy.
As Superman and Green Arrow observe, Lantern mocks her choice of words. In response, Green Arrow sends in two more training droids, one becoming Atomic Skull, the other becoming Blockbuster. Kara says "I hate you..." right before Skull blasts her. But she comes back and begins pounding Blockbuster. Watching, Ollie's impressed. It's Kara's 21st birthday, and instead of celebrating it, she's training to be a better hero. Superman is proud, but Ollie's concerned. Kara's always been an outsider, and Superman can't understand, because of the differences in their upbringing. Heck, Superman's never even told Kara how proud he is of her. Ollie says that it's time he did just that.
Kara waits for John to tell her what she did wrong, but he just says he has nothing left to teach her. Ollie enters to congratulate her on beating the simulator, but before he can, the time travel device envelops all three of them. Seeing this, Superman rushes to the scene, one second too late.
The heroes reappear in the 31st century, and Kara immediately pegs Brainiac 5 for a Brainiac and attacks him, to no avail. Ollie calms her down, and Brainiac 5 explains that he's not a machine, but organic. He tells them he's the black sheep of his family, a hero. Lantern points out that he's a hero that just kidnapped the three of them. Bouncing Boy says that they wouldn't have, but the situation was dire. Bouncing Boy is wowed to meet Lantern, and nearly brings up Warhawk. John tells him to shut it before he creates a time paradox. Brainiac 5 explains about how they're members of the Legion of Super Heroes, and that the Fatal Five attacked their headquarters, capturing the rest of the team. Bouncing Boy says that their plan must be huge to risk taking on the Legion. When they ask why they were chosen, Brainiac lies and says it was random. Kara pulls the others aside and says they shouldn't trust a Brainiac, no matter how cute he is. Arrow trusts the kid, and John teases Kara over her word choice. Brainiac 5 and Bouncing Boy note that the date they pulled Kara from is the exact day Supergirl vanished from the history books. Bouncing Boy wants to tell her, but Brainiac 5 nixes that idea. Bouncing Boy says that being organic and having a heart are two different things. The Leaguers say they're in.
Brainiac leads them towards a weapons lab, but their path is blocked by a glowing eye that fires a green energy blast at them. The Fatal Five have arrived. Lantern shields them from the blast, and Emerald Empress is amused to see him... Lanterns are rare in their time. John's ring proves no match for the Eye, and Arrow's attempt to fight back against the villains is laughable. Bouncing Boy buys them time by ramming into the villains, but is soon taken down. Supergirl asks what Brainiac's power is, but isn't too happy to find out he doesn't have any. Even without powers, he tries taking on Empress's accomplice, but is swatted aside. Kara catches Brainiac and flirts for a moment, then tries punching the Eye, only to get knocked back, and into another fight. Still, it's hopeless, and one by one, the Legion and Leaguers are equipped with mind control disks. Fortunately, Brainiac's mind is too strong to be controlled, and as the villains prepare to leave, he passes Lantern and rips Kara's off. The Eye blasts him and Kara, fortunately knocking Arrow aside too. The three heroes can only watch as the villains and their comrades vanish. As the dust settles, Brainiac picks up the mind disk that was used on him.
A few minutes later, he begins analyzing the disk as Green Arrow watches on. It's psionic tech, but it can't be tracked because the signal is being blocked. Kara comes in with drinks for her and Brainiac, and wonders why she was saved instead of Lantern, who's more powerful. Brainiac claims that they can't understand the reasoning of a 12th level genius. Arrow asks Kara to get him a drink, and once she leaves, he calls Brainiac on his feelings for Kara. Once Kara returns, Arrow leaves to upgrade his arrows, and leave the two alone together.
On the Fatal Five's ship, we meet the remainder of the Fatal Five, including Tharok. He berates Empress for letting Brainiac go, but she points out that Lantern is more powerful, and that he needs to learn how to adapt.
Brainiac and Kara bounce ideas back and forth on how to find the missing heroes. Eventually, they realize simultaneously that they can track Lantern's League commlink. They call Green Arrow, who's finished upgrading his arrows, back to the bridge with good news. Soon, aboard Brainiac's personal transport, they realize that the Fatal Five are headed towards the capital of the United Planets, intent on finishing a job they'd attempted before. Brainiac's ship is much faster, so they catch up with little time to spare. They arrive just in time to see the Lantern and the Legion unleashed on the planet.
Kara tells Brainiac and Arrow to go after the control device on the Five's ship, while she holds off the Legion and Lantern. Brainiac tells her she doesn't stand a chance, and she says she's the only one with a chance of defending the Capital. Brainiac almost admits that he loves her, but catch himself and instead confesses that she never returned from this mission. Arrow's fairly angry, and Brainiac is just filled with sorrow. Kara kisses him, just in case, and goes to do her duty, streaking off to a fateful confrontation like a true hero.
GA manages to get Brainiac's focus off Kara and back on the job. Brainiac's plan? RAM THE SHIP. Despite the Five's attempt to shoot him down, Brainiac's fury over Kara's noble sacrifice overwhelms any thoughts of precaution, and he barrels into the enemy fortress. Protected by a kinetic field, Brainiac and Arrow infiltrate the ship to begin their part of the plan.
In the Capital, Kara mentally braces herself as she sees the Lantern leading the Legion towards the planet. She rockets up to meet them, dodging ring blasts. She K.O.s Lantern, then begins smacking the Legion around like pinballs before getting blasted.
The Fatal Five, blissfully unaware that Brainiac and Arrow survived the crash, get a rude awakening as the heroes break into their command center and begin wreaking havoc. Green Arrow's improvements do the job, while Brainiac shields them from harm.
On the planet, Kara continues hammering the Legion, then gets hit with a piece of building.
Arrow tricks the firey member of the Five to burn himself right through the floor.
Kara is magnetically enveloped in the metal from the building, but breaks free and tackles a shapeshifter.
Green Arrow begins beating up Tharok. He then turns to help Brainiac with Valadus, by ricocheting an arrow off the villain's head into the panelÊcontrolling the mind disks.
On the planet, Kara finishes off the shapeshifter and pulls her cousin's famous trick of punching back energy beams. But she's soon slammed into a building and grabbed in an energy vice by Lantern, who slams her through a building before dropping her onto a roof. Despite her pleas, Lantern begins charging up for the killing blow when the psionic shockwave from the ship shatters the disks. The Legion is confused, and can only watch as a mournful Lantern picks up a seemingly lifeless Kara.
The Fatal Five is finally getting the upper hand on the two powerless heroes, when Valadus's chest is punched open by Supergirl, alive, and with Lantern and the Legion behind her. Bouncing Boy proves how lame the Five are by throwing his weight around to finish them off solo.
Later, the Legion makes the three heroes honorary members, but say that they can't keep the rings, since the tech might pollute the timestream. Kara says she's keeping hers, as she'll be staying. Supergirl never returned... Because she joined the Legion.
Back at the Watchtower, Superman and Steel examine where the heroes vanished, and can only watch as Arrow and Lantern reappear. Superman asks where Kara is, and the heroes give him a holo cube. It contains a farewell message for Superman and the Kents. Superman watches it, proud yet mournful. As it ends, he tells Green Arrow that he was right, that he should have told her how proud he was of her. But he also believes in Kara, and that she's made the right choice.
That settled, he asks them who this boy is that Kara met. The episode thankfully ends before his inevitable scream of "WHAT?!" can destroy half the Watchtower.

Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".



"Ancient History"

Writer: Geoff Johns
Story: Matt Wayne
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos
Aired in the U.S.A.: April 29, 2006

Roles and Actors in this episode:
Phil LaMarr: Green Lantern, Bashari
Maria Canals: Hawkgirl, Shayera Hol
Hector Elizondo: Hath-Set
Gina Torres: Vixen
Robin Atkin Downes: Gentleman Ghost
James Remar: Hawkman, Katar Hol, Shadow Thief

NOTE: For the purposes of seperating characters in the present and the past and limiting confusion, whenever I use the name "Shayera" for this summary, I will be referring to the former incarnation, and not Hawkgirl.

Our Story:
The Gentleman Ghost has stolen an Ion Drive, and is well on his way to escaping when an emerald catcher's mitt blocks his path. Lantern appears, and the Ghost remarks that the visual pun is cute, before fading into a building and reappearing in the parking lot, running through the trucks. Lantern, not to be denied, spins a truck once the Ghost enters it, making the villain dizzy and forcing him to exit, where Lantern traps him in a bubble. However, the Ghost reveals an energy dagger at the end of his cane, and slashes the bubble, creating psychic feedback. The bubble fades, and as Lantern tries to recover, the Ghost moves in for the kill... Just in time for an axe to fly in and knock his cane away. He looks up to see that Hawkman has arrived. The Ghost tries for the better part of valor, but Hawkman came prepared with an N-Metal net, which captures the villain. Hawkman makes sure Lantern's okay, as the Ghost threatens revenge. Lantern re-establishes the bubble and bounces the Ghost a few times to shut him up. They exchange terse plesantries, and Hawkman asks Lantern to send Hawkgirl his regards before flying away. As Lantern takes off with the Ghost, the Shadow Thief emerges, grinning. Apparently it's Intangibility Week here at JLU, and J'onn didn't get the memo.
At Justice Tower, Vixen and Hawkgirl work out, discussing their unusual circumstances about Lantern. Vixen, preparing for a modeling shoot (and presumably a leave of absence from the League), tells Hawkgirl that she should go for it with John, as she's not worried. Hawkgirl laments, jokingly, that she can't just poison Vixen's water like on Thanagar. Lantern enters, and there's brief flirting with Vixen before he says he needs to speak with Hawkgirl. Vixen cooperates, and Hawkgirl, following up on her comment about water, tosses Vixen a bottle, which, after hesitation, Vixen tosses in a trash can. Lantern tells, Hawkgirl about his encounter with Hawkman, and we're treated to a recap of "Shadow of the Hawk". Hawkgirl's not worried, and Lantern, haunted by the knowledge of what the future holds for them, leaves.
Some time later, John is helping Vixen prepare for her trip. She's packed and ready to go, but as she starts to leave, she glimpses the Shadow Thief skulking about. She uses elephant power to smash through the elevator and tackles Shadow Thief, knocking both of them into John's apartment. John immediately switches to his uniform, and a battle ensues between the Thief and the heroes. However, Vixen proves no match for the Thief's ability to shapeshift and phase, and is thrown across the apartment. Meanwhile, Lantern fares no batter, as Thief envelops him, knocking him out. Thief mentions Hawkgirl, then departs with Lantern. Vixen is helpless to do anything but call Hawkgirl.
Both heroines go to Midway City Museum to speak to Carter Hall, AKA Hawkman, about what the Thief may be up to, but discover that someone has broken into the museum. They enter and look around, and find the Lantern, trussed up. The Thief emerges, and the battle begins anew. Hawkgirl takes the fight to the villain as Vixen tries to free the Lantern. However, Thief gets the better of Hawkgirl and knocks her out, before turning his attention to Vixen. He swats her across the exhibit, knocking her into a dinosaur skeleton. It falls on her, knocking her out and trapping her. Shadow Thief says she should have stayed out of it as he morphs his hand into a blade to finish her off.
Cue Hawkman, who arrives just in time to save Vixen, but even he's no match for the Thief, not even with help from a revived Hawkgirl. Inevitably, they're both overwhelmed, and awaken to find that they, along with Lantern, are chained and facing the Absorbacron. Thief explains that he rescued it from permanent burial, and Hawkgirl tries to tell him that it's just technology... BROKEN technology. Hawkman reluctantly conceeds that she may be right, remembering the pain when he first touched it. Ignoring these comments, the Thief forces all three heroes to touch the device.
Egypt, the ancient past. The Thief narrates how the idyllic society was forged by two stranded Thanagarian officers. Katar Hol oversees some business with Hath-Set as Shayera comes to see him. She still wants to bear his child, but he has no time for such things, as he must still bring peace to the continent. Shayera believes that he won't stop with one continent, and Katar says it's his responsibility. She tells him that it's also his responsibility to make sure his bloodline lives on. However, before they can continue the conversation, Bashari returns with good news about another conquest, another den of evil vanquished. Bashari, it seems, is a former incarnation of Green Lantern. He brings with him 100 stallions, a gift from Teth-Adam. Shayera asks what good horses are to ones who can fly. Bashari shows her, by teaching her how to ride, and racing her around the city and through their water ways. Their journey ends at an oasis, where friendship begins to become something more. As they share an illicit kiss, Hath-Set watches, concerned.
He brings news of "rumors" to Katar, who dismisses them, but with some reservations. Soon enough, Katar sees for himself that they are in love, and in a moment of anger and weakness, says that he wishes they were dead. Hath-Set takes it as an order.
Soon, a chambermaid enters a bedroom and screams before running into Katar, who moves past her to see Bashari and Shayera, dead of poisoned wine. Hath-Set says he did what Katar wished, and Katar throws him out before drinking the wine. He dies with his hand in Shayera's.
The vision ends, and Shadow Thief releases their arms. Hawkgirl thinks Shadow Thief is Hath-Set, but he reveals that he is the darkside of the union of Katar and Carter, freed by the Absorbacron to give Hawkman whatever he wants. Thanagarian tech? A villain to battle? Hawkgirl? All his. All that remains is to eliminate the last obstacle to his desires. He releases Hawkman and returns his axe, and tells him to kill the Lanten. Thief keeps prodding, but Hawkman instead frees Lantern, who, in turn, releases Hawkgirl. The battle begins for the third time, but the Thief decides to give Hawkman what he wants, even if he doesn't really want it, and breaks Lantern's arm. The Hawks get the Thief away from Lantern, and Thief shows Hawkman that Hawkgirl is again going to Lantern. She tells John to find Vixen, even as he makes an energy cast. Lantern runs into the next room where he sees that Vixen is still out cold, under the skeleton. Using his ring, he gets her out.
Thief fights both Hawks, but Hawkman begins choking the Thief when he threatens Hawkgirl. The Thief grabs Hawkman, and somehow is reabsorbed into Hawkman, who keeps choking himself until she stops him. He apologizes to her and says he knows they weren't meant to be.
At the Watchtower, fractures will keep Vixen down for a while. Hawkgirl leaves her and runs into Lantern, who finally admits to her the details of his time travel with Batman. Hawkgirl is hopeful for their relationship, but Lantern won't let destiny decide his course. He's staying with Vixen.
Hawkgirl goes to see Batman. She wants to know about her son.

Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".



"Alive!"

Writer: Matt Wayne
Director: Dan Riba
Aired in the U.S.A.: May 6, 2006

Roles and Actors in this episode:
Clancy Brown: Lex Luthor
Michael Ironside: Darkseid
Powers Boothe: Gorilla Grodd
Juliet Landau: Tala
Corey Burton: Brainiac, Weather Wizard
Walter Lang: Atomic Skull
Jennifer Hale: Killer Frost, Giganta
Daniel Dae Kim: Metron
Bud Cort: Toyman
Robin Atkin Downes: Watchtower Ops Tech

Our Story:
The villains watch the lightshow as Luthor, inside his lab, attempts again to free Brainiac from the rock. Tala, unafraid, steps through the crowd and enters the lab, just in time to see the finale. She warns him that he's going to blow up the base, but he shoves her aside, even as an exploding console proves her right. Ultimately, the experiment fails, and Luthor, in a rage, trashes his lab. Tala tells him that he needs to focus on the Society and ruling the world, and their convcersation quickly turns to science vs. sorcery. Luthor lets her try her powers on the rock, and she confirms that it is just that... a rock, but it also gives Tala and Luthor a vision of Brainiac's demise. The vision causes Tala pain, and she feels that is the end of the subject. Luthor disagrees, saying he recognized enough constellations to triangulate the location of Brainiac fragments. Tala tries to stop this madness, but he shoves her aside... He wants to be a god.
The Society soon begins retrofitting the base, per Luthor's orders. At a meeting, Luthor reveals his plan is to go into space and find Brainiac. He would become all-powerful, and they would serve as his lieutenancts. Several villains don't like that Luthor would be more powerful than them. Luthor uses Goldface as an example to prove that he already IS. Atomic Skull asks for more information, and in response, Luthor has the base take off, having turned it into a spaceship, and Grodd's stealth field into a hyperdrive.
As they go to warp speed, Grodd's cage is rattled, and he demands to know what's going on. Tala enters, and reveals that she's ready to change sides again. The time has come for revenge.
On the bridge, Toyman thanks Luthor for making him navigator, just as Grodd and many members of the Society pay a visit. Grodd orders Luthor to turn the ship around, then opens fire with a massive blaster when Luthor doesn't comply. All manner of chaos lets loose. The blast alerts the rest of the Society, and it becomes a free-for-all. Giganta tries to kill Grodd, but Tala stops her. Bizarro falls before a massive assault. Toyman toys with Killer Frost. Tala corners Luthor, but he turns her powers against her with a strange amulet. Toyman finishes off Frost with a killer yo-yo trick. As the chaos reigns, Grodd nearly kills Luthor, but Luthor is saved by a warning from Sinestro. The two evil leaders leave the chaos to continue their fight elsewhere. Grodd finds Luthor in a cargo bay, wearing power gloves that deflect the energy blaster's attacks. Grodd and Luthor go at it hand to hand, with Grodd winning until Luthor tricks him into using his mond control powers. His belt reverses the effect back on Grodd, and Luthor has Grodd bow down to him, before having the sinister simian step into the airlock. Luthor shoots the door and releases Grodd's mind. He mocks Grodd with the possibility that it could have gone either way, then opens the airlock. Grodd apparently dies, swearing revenge.
The rebellion quelled, Luthor asks the traitors why he should let any of them live. Killer Frost answers by freezing her fellow traitors, killing them. Luthor tells her she has a future. Toyman informs Luthor that they've arrived.
Tala tries to explain her actions, and Luthor tells her she still has a role to play, before Volcana knocks her out.
Tala wakes up, strapped into Luthor's reintegration machine. She realizes he planned this, even before she betrayed him. Luthor tells Toyman to throw the switch, but time stops. Luthor turns to see Metron, who has a warning of dire peril if Luthor proceeds. Luthor brushes off the warning, and time resumes. Toyman activates the machine, and Tala screams as the machine drains her vitality and powers. The villains watch in awe as a figure forms in the machine. Luthor welcomes Brainiac back, but there is a slight mixup.
The one he revived was DARKSEID. Complete with a Brainiac style makeover. Oops. Darkseid says that while their planet will suffer, he will grant them a quick death. And the ship blows up.
On Apokalips, the civil war reaches its conclusion, only to be interrupted by Darkseid's return. Both sides pledge loyalty, and he informs his minions that before he resumes his quest for the anti-life equation, Superman and all of Earth must suffer. And after them, New Genesis. And with Brainiac's power added to his own, he just might do it.
At Justice Hall, an ops tech runs into the control room with a message for Superman to hurry outside. Superman leads a horde of heroes outside, where Luthor and his Society stand before them. Luthor informs his old enemy that they have a little problem.
TO BE CONTINUED...

Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".



"Destroyer"

Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos
Aired in the U.S.A.: May 13, 2006

Roles and Actors in this episode:
George Newbern: Superman
Kevin Conroy: Batman
Carl Lumbly: J'onn J'onzz
Susan Eisenberg: Wonder Woman
Phil LaMarr: Green Lantern, Steel
Michael Rosenbaum: Flash
Maria Canals: Shayera/Hawkgirl
Michael Beach: Mr. Terrific
Clancy Brown: Lex Luthor
Michael Ironside: Darkseid
Walter Lang: Atomic Skull
Jennifer Hale: Giganta
Daniel Dae Kim: Metron

Our Story:
The League and Society enter Metro Tower's command center, where the Society fills the League in on what happened in the previous episode, cautiously editing their encounter with the unfortunate Lightray, who saved their lives.
Luthor reveals that Brainiac is dead, his consciousness snuffed by Darkseid, likely as revenge for their previous encounter.
The League thanks the villains for the heads up, then prepares to lock them up when boom tubes appear all over the globe. The invasion has already begun. The Society says that they're not gonna get locked up while their planet is threatened. Despite reservations, the League agrees to work together. Luthor says that it's just so he can get revenge on Darkseid. After that, it's back to business as usual. Mr. Terrific deploys all Leaguers via teleportation. The big three make sure that the villains are spread out evenly among the League teams. Superman, Batman, and Luthor head for the Daily Planet, where the largest ship, and thus Darkseid, reside.
In D.C., Shayera leads Steel and Atomic Skull. Paris finds protection in Flash, Lantern, and Giganta. China is defended by Wonder Woman, Star Sapphire, Shining Knight, and Vigilante. Rome's team is led by Green Arrow. Oddly, it seems Sinestro is on his own. Hawk, Dove, Creeper and Question clean the streets in Gotham. London finds new guardians in Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E., and Hawkman.
At the Daily Planet, Superman's team arrives and begins fighting the Parademons. Luthor thinks the plan is doomed to fail until it works. Darkseid predicts the death of humanity... The final battle has begun.
Luthor attempts to get Darkseid for killing Brainiac, only to be knocked off the building. Batman repels after him, catching the villain and crashing through the Planet's conference room. With the small fry out of the way, Darkseid lifts up the Planet's globe and smashes Superman with it, managing to crush the entire building, with people evacuating in the process (including cameos by the Planet staff, who presumably get out in time). Batman and Luthor barely survive the experience.
In China, Wonder Woman continues the fight as Star Sapphire takes a hit. Shining Knight manages to save the villain. An old man tells his beloved that he has to help.
The Steel informs Mr. Terrific that the drills are magma tappers. Darkseid's reviving his plan to make fire pits on Earth. Terrific tells all teams to target the drills.
Shayera's team wastes no time as she carries the Skull, who clears a path. While the villain covers her, she locates the best place to strike. A Parademon spears her wing, and Steel takes a manhole cover and takes the creep out and allowing Shayera to slam her mace into the critical point. It blows, hurting her. Skull scoops her up, obviously enjoying playing the hero, and takes her to safety as the tapper goes completely.
As Giganta keeps them in the clear, Flash and Lantern decide how to destroy their tapper. Flash creates a trench, which Lantern uses as the basis for a massive catapult, launching the device into an enemy ship.
Darkseid digs out Superman, but before he can beat the Kryptonian to death, Batman interferes with a well timed batarang. Luthor joins in with his pistols. Darkseid brushes them off with Parademons. Superman has used the distraction to recover, and rejoins the fight as Metron watches.
In China, Wonder Woman destroys another ship as the old man arrives to help. Shockingly, his act of punching a Parademon sends the beast flying through the air. He punches another, takes off, and morphs into a chinese dragon to nail some more, before transforming onto J'onn! He's BAAAAAAAAACK! Diana, thrilled, hugs him before the heroes regroup for the next round.
Across the globe, heroes and villains act nobly, halting the advance of the Parademons at every turn. One gets the feeling Darkseid didn't plan this one out very thoroughly.
At the Planet, Batman runs out of grapples and refuses Luthor's gun. Instead, he steals a spear and proves he doesn't need one. Not now, not ever. Superman is still being dominated. Batman helps again, only to face down Darkseid's omega beam, which he skillfully dodges, a move that impresses even Darkseid. Luthor bows out of the fight. Darkseid returns to Superman, delivering a brutal beating, including a snapped back which, thankfully, Superman shakes off.
Luthor spies Metron and demands answers. Metron says that this was the most likely outcome. Luthor realizes that Metron knows of a way to defeat Darkseid. Metron warns that it's risky, and Luthor says he'll take that chance. The two vanish.
Batman again buys time for Superman to recover, and as thanks, Superman finally cuts loose for the first time in a long while, revealing to Darkseid that the world is like cardboard and tissue paper to him, and that this is a rare opportunity to not hold back. The resulting pummeling sends Darkseid halfway across the city and down into a massive self-made crater. The beating only stops as Darkseid uses the Agony Matrix to trap Superman, with the intent of torturing the hero to death.
Metron and Luthor arrive at the Source Wall. Undaunted by Metron's warnings, Luthor arrogantly leaps inside, where he's privy to the secrets of the universe.
Darkseid pulls out a kryptonite energy blade to carve out Superman's heart when Luthor returns, now in a business suit. And he's brought a gift for Darkseid: the Anti-Life Equation. Both villains take in its beauty as it activates, enveloping them. Batman barely pulls Superman clear before it explodes completely.
Darkseid's forces retreat without their commander. Superman can't believe Luthor gave his life to save the world. No one else buys it for a heartbeat. With the threat over, the League turns their attention to the Society. Atomic Skull rightfully says that they deserve SOMETHING for their help. The League agrees... A five minute head start, courtesy of Batman. The villains take the hint and run, but not before Giganta kisses the Flash.
Life returns to normal. J'onn, now back on the team, calls his love to tell her he'll be home soon. Flash watches this display, stunned. Superman and Batman tease each other over the five minutes they gave the Society. Wonder Woman, amused says that the adventure continues.
We cut away to a shot of various Leaguers running towards the camera, ending with the big three, and closing with an image of that which started it all, the insignia of the Bat.

Note: Thanks for the opportunity to step in as Summarizer, everyone. It's been a blast.
Aaron

Read our review of this episode in the "Justice League: Episode Reviews".