After the events closing out Season 2 of the Justice League animated series (Watchtower destroyed, Hawkgirl quits), the show gets a major reset (note the new name of the show above). DC finally gives WB Animation access to all the crayons in the box--they can essentially use any DCU character. The cast explodes--you see obscure characters like Vibe and Crimson Avenger walking down a hallway of the expanded Watchtower. For a comics fan, this is like crack.
- Green Arrow (Kin Shriner) stars in "Initiation"
- Bringing in GA first only makes sense, since he was the first addition to the original JLA team in the comics
- We get an initial shot of at least some of the team--I had to hit the pause button to get the list: Shining Knight, Dr. Light, Nuklon, Hourman, Red Tornado, Obsidian, Starman, Vigilante, Mister Terrific, Gypsy, Johnny Thunder, Fire, Ice, Hawk, Dove, Elongated Man, Vixen, Huntress, Metamorpho, B'wana Best, Steel, Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E., Waverider, Booster Gold, Rocket Red, Aztek, The Question--plus a few I don't even recognize. Keep in mind--this is all before the new opening credits (think wailing guitar to the EXTREME!)
- Supes gives the initial pep talk (and exposition) to the team. Jonn's going to be the dispatcher, sending teams out as needed.
- There's a lot more CGI on this series--necessary since the new Watchtower is IMMENSE
- Captain Atom (George Eads) and Supergirl (Nicholle Tom) join up with GL (with GA tagging along) to check out a radiation problem in China
- It turns out to be a nuclear-based monster--an experiment that went out of control. Captain Atom tries to drain it, but no dice (he's another experiment--a living nuclear pile held together in a containment suit).
- None of the big guys have much luck--it takes GA shooting carbon rod arrows into in the monster to shut it down
- At the end, GA joins the League--once he sees Black Canary for the first time
- "For the Man Who Has Everything" is a retelling of the most beloved DC stories of the 1980's from Alan Moore.
- They stay very close to the original story--Batman and WW come to the Fortress of Solitude to give Superman birthday presents, only to find him catatonic with a strange plant connected to him
- The plant is a "Black Mercy" which puts you in a dream state that you never want to leave. Kal's living his fondest desire--Krypton survived, and he has a normal life and family there. A wife (played by Dana Delany--Lois Lane on his series), a son, even Krypto the dog.
- The plant is a "gift" from Mongul (Eric Roberts)--a big time baddie. Bats and WW try their best to fight him, but don't do well.
- Meanwhile, Kal and son goes to see Grandpa Jor-El (Christopher McDonald). He starts to figure out that "it's not right". He remembers an entire history that never happened. Krypton explodes around him, and he's back.
- However, the plant is now on Bruce--we're in Crime Alley, but Thomas Wayne stops Joe Chill--his parents are never killed
- Superman takes on Mongul with lethal force while Diana pulls the plant off Bruce and onto Mongul--putting him in his own fantasy of ruling the universe
- Hawk and Dove, the "war and peace" superhero brothers, star in, well, "Hawk and Dove".
- Fred Savage plays the warlike Hawk, while Jason Hervey plays the peacenik Dove. They give Diana a hand fighting the god Ares (Michael York) and an enchanted war suit.
- Diana's having a bad day--she's become more and more aggressive. Now she has to pick up the boys on the way to Kasnia/Kosovo. This will become a theme on the show--a "core" League member mentoring the younger members.
- Diana checks in with Hephaestus (Ed Asner) while Dove tries to get the warring parties to talk
- We get lots of great modern warfare footage
- We finally learn the war suit is run by rage--so when they drop their weapons, the suit shuts down
- Supergirl has some bad dreams--or are they?--in "Fearful Symmetry". She asks Green Arrow and The Question (Jeffrey Combs) for help.
- Kara and GA have a chat in the Watchtower commissary. We get a cameo by Wildcat in the background.
- The Question, understandably, is a conspiracy nut. When he mentions what Kara had for dinner last night, she asks if he went through her trash. His response: "Please! I go through everyone's trash"
- Their investigation leads them to Cadmus, a DC "mad scientist" lab, where she was recently patched up. They get attacked by black helicopters (of course), drones, and soldiers.
- They also find Gen. Hardcastle, a recurring bad guy on the various animated series. He's retired, but knows too much, so another super girl (who looks a lot like Power Girl) takes him out.
- She's Galatea--Supergirl's older clone. She pulls our heroes into a holographic training program, and the super-battle is on.
- Fun fact--The Question loves teen pop music
- There's a psychic link between Kara and Galatea--this is where the "dreams" came from. In the end, the mysterious overlords stop the fight and Galatea disappears.
If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.