This episode starts with a nice touch - neatly wrapping up the Lex Luthor plotline from the Superman Animated Series, which is somewhat of a relief: it's about time he was brought to justice. Watching Lex get away with it episode after episode (and comic book after comic book issue) gets tiresome after a while. Now if they'd just follow up on some stuff from the Batman animated series as much as they do with Superman here (and later in Twilight)
After that it's Lex's show. One supposes he hid away a lot of money elsewhere (or he's just bluffing the other villains and can't pay them), but each of those villains gets their little moment. If anything, the episode is a little too rushed. All the villains get _are_ little moments. This is probably inevitable, given we've got all of them and the Justice League en masse.
The Ultra-Humanite fares best (and stuff here foreshadows his final fate in part 2). The Shade is well done, altough he's a pale *heh* shade of his current comic book incarnation as an immortal hero/villain. Solomon Grundy is a big tough brute kinda lpayed for laughs. Cheetah doesn't get much to do here, and Copperhead isn't given much time before he becomes capture-fodder.
And the last few minutes give us...the Joker. Mark Hamill tends to upstage everyone, unfortunately - a credit to the actor's voice-presence. Only Clancy Brown can really hold his own (he had plenty of practice in World's Finest :) ). The Joker captures Bats pretty easily, but we find out why in Part 2.
While this is mostly a villain episode, we finally get to see the League in action as a full team for the first time since the premiere movie and this is more the kind of thing they should be doing in this reviewer's opinion, rather than these 3- and 4-member team-ups. Hopefully we'll continue to get more full team efforts. While not everyone gets the screen time you'd hope, the writers do a great job of balancing seven heroes and eight villains.moreless
The League captures a dying Luthor, who breaks out of prison and assembles a group of villains to defeat the heroes.
 George Newbern |
Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El |
 Maria Canals |
Hawkgirl/Shayera Hol |
 Carl Lumbly |
Martian Manhunter/J'onn J'onzz |
Kevin Conroy |
Batman/Bruce Wayne |
Susan Eisenberg |
Wonder Woman/Diana |
 Michael Rosenbaum |
Flash/Wally West (Seasons 1-2, 4+) |
 Ian Buchanan |
Ultra-Humanite |
Guest Star |
Efrain Figueroa |
Copperhead |
Guest Star |
 Sheryl Lee Ralph |
Cheetah |
Guest Star |
 Mark Hamill |
Joker/Solomon Grundy |
Recurring Role |
 Clancy Brown |
Lex Luthor |
Recurring Role |
 Stephen McHattie |
The Shade |
Recurring Role |
Watch Online
Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions
-
TRIVIA (6)
ADD TRIVIA-
When Batman is lying in the Watchtower's infirmary, the IV drip is attached to his arm through his glove.
-
In the closing credits, Olivia d'Abo's first name is misspelled as "Oliva".
-
In the long shots the prison is on a remote, rocky island surrounded by water (presumably Metropolis Harbor). But after Ultra-Humanite and Lex escape, they jump over a wall and in practically the very next scene, implied to be only a minute or so later at most, they're in an alleyway in Metropolis. Not only that, but Ultra-Humanite is perfectly dry and hsi fur well-groomed. Wet gorilla fur, anyone?
-
How did Batman get off the satellite? In the later episode, "A Knight of Shadows (2)," we hear that without the Javelin 7, Batman and the rest are stranded on the satellite without it. Here he says he'll take the shuttle, but if that was the case they could have done it there, too.
-
Anybody find it odd that despite how this episode plays up Batman as a solo guy trying to prove himself as being able to do things on his own without the JL, he calls them for back-up just to help him with an ordinary tenement fire. What did he do before he joined the JL when he had to deal with fires?
-
In the scene where the father hugs Trina and Superman and Flash come running up, the father has three legs - one right and two left legs.
-
-
QUOTES (12)
ADD QUOTES-
Star Sapphire: Common criminals – is this what I've been reduced to?
Lex: Criminals, yes, but common? Most certainly not. -
Ultra-Humanite: What do I need with money?
Lex: Everyone needs money – the only question is, how much. -
Ultra-Humanite: I'd hate to see anything happen to you, Lex.
Lex: I'm sure. -
Lex: When money talks, people listen.
-
J'onn: This is the end of an era.
Lex: The end of your era, maybe. -
Solomon Grundy: (to Lex) You're crazy.
Joker: And what's wrong with that? It's done wonders for me. -
Lex: Can't anybody die in peace around here?
-
Green Lantern: Why do they always run?
-
Hawkgirl: That's fast.
Flash: Fastest man alive!
Hawkgirl: Which might explain why you can't get a date.
Flash: Yeah...hey, what's that supposed to mean? -
Joker: But seriously, Lex, you need me.
Lex: Like I need skin rash. -
Hawkgirl: I'm used to being thanked when I save somebody.
Batman: I'm not used to being saved. -
Shade: Lex Luthor? Well, the plot thins.
-
-
NOTES (13)
ADD NOTES-
Character bios available: Lex Luthor, the Joker, Cheetah, Ultra-Humanite, the Injustice Gang 2, Solomon Grundy, The Shade, Star Sapphire, Copperhead, The Injustice Gang 1.
-
This episode features a "reunion" of two actors who have played Lex Luthor: Clancy Brown here, and Michael Rosenbaum, who plays Lex Luthor on Smallville. Now if they could only have gotten John Shea ...
-
The entire Justice League appears in this episode, although Wonder Woman has no dialogue.
-
The Injustice Gang members in this episode: Lex Luthor, Ultra-Humanite, Star Sapphire, Shade, Copperhead, Solomon Grundy, Cheetah, and the Joker.
-
Although Lex Luthor's assembled villains never use a group name, the creative team refers to them in-house as "The Injustice Gang."
-
Look carefully and you can (very briefly) see giant statues of Jan and Zayna (the Wondertwins from the original SuperFriends series) - watch for it when Copperhead throws Cheetah, right before Solomon Grundy appears.
-
The Joker design that they use here is the one they used in the flashbacks in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. He also seems to have kept his more sinister personality from the aforementioned movie, as opposed to his more wacky personality from Batman: The Animated Series.
-
This episode was written before "Fury," but delayed to tie in with a video game release.
-
When the League confronted Luthor in his office, notice that Batman pocketed the Kryptonite. This looks like the chunk he used against Amazo in "Tabula Rasa." After it was shattered, he gave a shard to Terry McGinnis to use against the possessed Superman in Batman Beyond episodes 46-47, "The Call (1)," & "The Call (2)."
-
Lex's escape pod is a mirror of the escape his alternate self used in the "Brave New Metropolis" episode of Superman: The Animated Series. The alternate was dark, but the shape, use, and the funny 'L' ending in a dot nose weapon is the same.
-
This episode loosely echoes the Rock of Ages storyline from JLA #10-15 (and released in trade paperback), with Lex Luthor creating his own Injustice Gang (the Joker being the only member found here and there both) and planning to blow up the JLA satellite.
-
Efrain Figueroa takes on the role of Copperhead from Jose Yenque in "Fury" (or vice versa, depending on the airing order).
-
This episode along with "The Brave And The Bold, Part 1 and 2" and "Injustice For All, Part 2" was released on DVD as Justice League: The Brave And The Bold.
-
-
ALLUSIONS (5)
ADD ALLUSIONS-
Lex Luthor and the Ultra-Humanite
There's a certain irony in Lex recruiting the Ultra-Humanite. When Lex Luthor first appeared in the comics, he had red hair in a bowlcut. On the other hand, when the Ultra-Humanite first showed up he was a bald supervillain that looked not more then a little like the "bald" Lex Luthor we eventually got (while U-H got a succession of different bodies). Apparently the artists liked the "look" of the Ultra-Humanite more, and grafted it onto Lex Luthor to make him look more impressive. So there's a certain irony in the allusion to Lex recruiting the Ultra-Humanite here. -
Cheetah Humanoid animal
Although her origin is not clearly stated, Cheetah appears to possibly be related to "splicers" - human beings with animal genetic material that gives them similar powers. The DC animated series have introduced this concept in Batman Beyond, in the episode "Splicers," although that was set in the future - maybe they're early versions? Ironically, that episode featured Ian Buchanan as the bad guy - Mr. Buchanan also plays the Ultra-Humanite in this episode. (nothing in part 2 and her conversation with Batman contradicts this) Copperhead may also be a splicer - we see he wears a costume in part 2, but he still has fangs and the forked tongue. -
Lex Luthor Multiple costumes
The writers and producers pay homage to different incarnations of Lex Luthor. First we get the uber-businessman version created by John Byrne post-Crisis and featured in Superman: The Animated Series. Then we see him in prison greys, which is what he wore in most of his pre-Sixties appearances. Then he dons a variation of his skintight purple-and-green bodysuit that he wore in the 70's (and on Challenge of the Super Friends as part of the Legion of Doom). In "Legends" and part 2 of this episode, we'll also see him wearing the purple-and-green battle armor that he wore during most of the 80's (and in the Super Powers animated series). -
Audio/Visual: Ultra-Humanite watching Madame Butterfly.
Ultra-Humanite was watching (and listening to) Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly. Set in Japan, it revolves around Madame Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) and her love interest, the Lieutenant Pinkerton. The opera is based on the book by John Luther Long and the drama by David Belasco and its first production took place in Milan in 1904. -
Green Lantern: Drop the weapon, Magilla.
Magilla Gorilla was an old 60's cartoon and the main character's name was Magilla.
-
|
|
-
Green Lantern and Vixen?, or Green Lanten and Shayera?
04/25/1328
-
Justice League Unlimited returning to network TV
02/22/137
-
Why did Cap't Atom side against the JLA?
02/04/133
-
Does "A League Of Their Own" Contradict The Cadmus Arc?
10/07/1213
-
who is the best super hero?
05/30/128
-
Destroyer (2)
S 5 : Ep 13
Aired 5/13/06
-
Alive! (1)
S 5 : Ep 12
Aired 5/6/06
-
Ancient History
S 5 : Ep 11
Aired 4/29/06
-
Far From Home
S 5 : Ep 10
Aired 4/15/06
Season 1 Episodes
See AllEp 28
A League of Their Own (2)
Ep 27
A League of Their Own (1)
Ep 26
The Savage Time (3)
Ep 25
The Savage Time (2)
Ep 24
The Savage Time (1)
Ep 23
Metamorphosis (2)
Ep 22
Metamorphosis (1)
Ep 21
A Knight of Shadows (2)
Ep 20
A Knight of Shadows (1)
Ep 19
Injustice For All (2)
Ep 18
Injustice For All (1)
Ep 17
Legends (2)
Ep 16
Legends (1)
Ep 15
Fury (2)
Ep 14
Fury (1)
Ep 13
The Brave and the Bold (2)
Ep 12
The Brave and the Bold (1)
Ep 11
War World (2)
Ep 10
War World (1)
Ep 9
Paradise Lost (2)
Ep 8
Paradise Lost (1)
Ep 7
The Enemy Below (2)
Ep 6
The Enemy Below (1)
Ep 5
In Blackest Night (2)
Ep 4
In Blackest Night (1)
Ep 3
Secret Origins (3)
more
-
Gislef USER EDITOR
User Score: 6647
-
TvTome_Murdok
User Score: 295
-
dju010
User Score: 269
-
mnemnoc
User Score: 208
-
SrRui
User Score: 143
-
Antiyonder
User Score: 120
-
shatterdaymorn
User Score: 120
-
Shuffleking74
User Score: 112
-
Niten_za_Kensei
User Score: 106
-
bluecatcinema
User Score: 92
More
Less
