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Episodes |
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"Initiation" |
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Episode Number- JL-53 (straight count), JL3-01(as
'Justice League'), JLU-01-01(as 'Justice League Unlimited') |
Writer: Stan Berkowitz
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos
Star: George Newbern (Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El), Carl Lumbly (Martian
Manhunter/J'onn J'onzz), Kevin Conroy (Batman/Bruce Wayne), Phil LaMarr
(Green Lantern/John Stewart)
Recurring Role: Nicholle Tom (Supergirl), Walter Lang (Robber #2), Kin
Shriner (Green Arrow)
Guest Star: James Sie (General Kwan), George Eads (Captain Atom) |
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Episode Description |
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The Justice League reforms in a new
satellite headquarters and adds a new expanded roster of members. They then
recruit Green Arrow to aid Green Lantern, Captain Atom, and Supergirl in
defeating a nuclear monster in China. |
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Full Synopsis |
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At a grocery store a robbery is thwarted
by Green Arrow. Green Lantern shows up to help him and brings him to the
satellite via teleporter. Superman informs the assembled heroes they will
now be working all together and J'onn will coordinate specialized teams and
send them into a field. There's a strong radiaoactive signal spotted in
China and J'onn assembles a team of Green Lantern, Supergirl, and Captain
Atom. Green Arrow insists on going with them so he can drop them off.
They arrive and local militia open fire on them. They are greeted by General
Kwan who tells them to leave. Green Arrow goes off on his own to track the
radiation and comes to the aid of a local soldier. As he argues with General
Kwan, they see a huge flaming behemoth who opens fire on the army. Green
Arrow tries to distract it but his explosive arrows are useless. The others
show up as GL rescues him just in time. Captain Atom tries to drain its
energies but there's too much and he's knocked out.
Supergirl engages the creature while GL conducts rescue operations. The
behemoth attacks GL, badly injuring him, then escaping. The three heroes
consult with the local hazmat teams and manage to find out the creature's
weakness despite its classified nature as a creation designed to "protect"
China from outsiders. They have to shove a carbon rod into the behemoth's
rods and Captain Atom volunteers for the duty. Supergirl distracts the
creature while Captain Atom makes his run despite the intense heat. He
fails, and his containment suit is breached, forcing him to get clear just
before as he blows up. Supergirl goes down and Green Arrow grabs a
containment rod and tries to hit the slot in the reactor. He constructs a
makeshift arrow and makes the shot, with Supergirl administering the coup de
grace.
Back at the satellite they manage to restore Captain Atom's energies. Green
Arrow and Batman have a chat and Green Arrow decides to stay both to keep
the League honest and meet Black Canary. |
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About the Expanded League |
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On his official website, Dwayne McDuffie
addressed lingering questions about some of the heroes included/left out of
the series. Firestorm (from the Super Powers series) was considered
until Waverider was added and a new Firestorm was created in the comic.
Black Lightning was in one of the original pitches until DC Comics refused
to allow him to be in any animated series. Robin, Batgirl and other
Batman-related characters are on a banned from the series list by DC.
Commander Steel, Vibe, and Hawk & Dove are in the series since they never died
(nor did they appear) in the
animated DC Universe. All four are dead comic bookwise.
Among all the heroes present: Green
Arrow, Red Tornado II, Obsidian, Sand, Atom-Smasher, Dr. Light 2 (female
Japanese version, not the Teen Titans villian), Dr. Fate, Blue Devil, Fire,
Ice, Wildcat, Vigilante (the Western hero - Greg Saunders), Waverider,
Starman (the alien Prince Gavyn), Johnny Thunder and his Thunderbolt, Rocket
Red, Metamorpho, Bwana Beast, Hawk & Dove, Booster Gold, Elongated Man,
Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., the Question, Aquaman, Aztek, Crimson Fox, Vixen,
Etrigan the Demon, the Huntress, Steel III (John Henry Irons), the Crimson
Avenger, the Atom II (shrinking version - Ray Palmer), Mr. Terrific II, Dr.
Mid-Nite II, Hourman, the Shining Knight, the Creeper, Zatanna, Orion,
either Huntress, Gypsy, Vibe, Ray, Black Canary, Steel II (Hank Heywood),
and Nemesis (Tom Tresser).
Of the regulars, only Batman, Green
Lantern, J'onn, and Superman have dialogue, although Wonder Woman and Flash
appear. |
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Visual Changes |
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The small wrinkles that used to be under
Superman's eyes in Justice League have vanished, creating a much younger
look for him.
Green Lantern gets a new "look" here - he
shaves his head and grows a goatee.
An
all-new Watchtower is presented seeing as how the last one
was destroyed in the Justice League season 2 finale. |
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Production Changes |
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Advertisements for the new season
featured the swooping in-and-out logo and the "swooshing"
musical cue popularized by the various Superfriends cartoon
shows.
A number of crew changes, the most
significant being long-time writer Dwayne McDuffie being promoted to
producer and series story editor.
Updated credits with new musical score,
removal of Hawkgirl for the time being, and clips from the concurrent
episode (ala the original Mission: Impossible, or the closing credits
to The Wild Wild West). |
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Trivia |
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Look very closely, and you can see images
of the faces of Copperhead, Cheetah, Shade, and Star Sapphire on the tiny
computer screens by the screen that J'onn and Green Lantern are looking at
when they talk about the nuclear monster in Asia. All of whom have been
members of the Injustice League in previous seasons.
According to the TV Guide for the week of
July 25-31, Kin Shriner was so dedicated to his role as Green Arrow that he
showed up at the recording studio dressed as the character from the comic
book. |
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Logic Right Out The Window... |
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After the League goes to question the haz-mat
guys in the destroyed village, the haz-mat men are walking around with
clicking geiger counters--obviously the place is highly irradiated.
Presumably Captain Atom and Supergirl are invulnerable enough not to be
adversely effected, fine, but what about Green Arrow and the soldiers
milling around the area, none of whom are wearing protective suits?
In the scene where General Kwan meets the
Leaguers and asks them to leave, it's day, but in the very next scene, where
John is reporting to J'onn back at the Javelin, it's night.
When GL accidentally yells out "Shayera!"
to try and stop Supergirl from leaving to take on the monster, the closed
captions incorrectly read "Kara!" instead.
There seems a curious reluctance by Green
Lantern and his team to bring in reinforcements. With China at stake and
their leader down, shouldn't they call in some back-up? Or is the world now
having such troubles that all the other heroes we saw are tied up elsewhere?
And if the world now needs that many heroes, how did it get along before the
League brought them all together and coordinated them? It's not like the
heroes have other things to do - Booster Gold and Obsidian have nothing
better to do then sit around at the end and watch Captain Atom reinflate.
And all the heroes were on the Watchtower shortly before GL and his team
left.
In the various group shots while Superman
is speaking, the position of characters varies wildly. We'll see a front
shot of a character such as Waverider and someone else on his left. In the
next shot we see a shot from Waverider's left side and the character just
seen there is no longer present. Then we'll see a shot of Waverider from the
rear and the aforeseen character is present but nowhere near him.
For some reason the new League satellite
has showers that open directly on to the main hallways. Watch Green Arrow
when he emerges to talk to Batman. Hate to be taking a shower in there if
someone else has to open the door to leave!
Shooting a containment rod like Green
Arrow does the first few times, without any fletching and with a
particularly high density, is pretty much impossible for a normal human
archer like GA is portrayed here.
Isn't the grocery store robbery at the
beginning a bit of overkill on the part of the bad guys? A gang of men
busting in with heavy-duty firearms at what is basically a Walmart. Only in
the comics, apparently...
Presumably some of the heroes we see at
the beginning are just for show. In the comics, Waverider can alter the flow
of time and Johnny Thunder's Thunderbolt (the pink lightning bolt) is a
genie. It seems any of them could dispatch the nuclear/atomic monster pretty
readily.
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Continuity References |
Green Lantern:
Shayera!
In a potentially heart-wrenching scene, Green Lantern, who just received
significant injuries from the nuclear cannons of Brimstone, attempts to stop
Supergirl from going out to fight it on her own by calling out to her, but
alludes to her as Shayera instead of Kara. This is, of course, refers to
Shayera Hol--better known as Hawkgirl--with whom he was romantically
involved with and who resigned from the Justice League following the events
of "Starcrossed." |
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Pop Culture References |
Visual:
Green Lantern and Green Arrow being beamed up
The scene where the Green Lantern and Green Arrow are beamed up to the
Justice League's headquarters is reminiscent of the way that Captain Kirk
and his crew were transported back and forth to the starship U.S.S.
Enterprise in the original Star Trek series.
Green Arrow:
You're not gonna leave me up here on Mount Olympus...
In Greek mythology, Mount Olympus was believed to be the home of the gods
which was located above the clouds, just like the League's Headquarters. In
reality, Mount Olympus is a 2,917 m (9,570 ft) high mountain in northern
Greece, the highest point in Greece, on the boundary between Thessaly and
Macedonia, near the Aegean Sea.
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Quotes |
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Superman:
But from now on, we have to be more coordinated than that. We can't be
cowboys any more...or cowgirls.
Batman:
Those monsters you don't fight – they tend to step on little guys.
Green Arrow:
Gee, Bats, I don't know. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy a good radiation burn
as much as the next guy...
Supergirl:
I've just about had it with you guys. You've got 'til the count of five - 1,
4...
Green Lantern:
If you see anything, don't try to engage.
Captain Atom: Roger that.
Green Lantern: Ummm, you can just say ‘Okay.'
Captain Atom: Okay.
Green Arrow:
Is that a containment suit?
Captain Atom: Uh-huh. I'm not flesh and blood any more - just living
energy.
Green Arrow: That wouldn't be nuclear energy, would it?
Captain Atom: With a name like "Captain Atom," what do you think?
Green Arrow: I think you're what I marched against back in college.
Supergirl:
Why don't you take the stick out, Corporal?
Captain Atom: Captain.
Green Arrow:
I still don't think I belong up here.
Batman: That's the point. Someone like you will keep us honest.
Supergirl:
So, aren't you going to give me the "You did good" speech?
Green Lantern: You're headstrong, unprofessional, and reckless. If
you ever jeopardize yourself or your teammates again by running off
half-cocked without a battle plan, I will personally see you're kicked out
of the League. I don't care who your cousin is. And incidentally...you did
good.
Green Arrow:
Say 'Ah', dirtbag. |
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