Justice League Unlimited, Season 2, Episode 10: Flashpoint
No, no alternate universe shenanigans happen in this episode, but it's still a very impactful, hard-hitting episode. Honestly, episodes 9 through 12 of Justice League Unlimited's second season are just such well-done storytelling that I dare say that they form the absolute climax of the DC Animated Universe. Yes, JLU season three exists and I love that season with its huge amount of supervillains, but that simply feels less epic, dramatic and thought-provoking compared to the Cadmus plot of JLU's second season. Which is why these episode reviews takes me a lot more time to crank out than the simpler Justice League Action, or even earlier episodes in this show.
See, this episode comes in right after the excellent "Question Authority", following through with it like a serial, and the conflict between the Justice League and Project Cadmus absolutely erupts in this episode. Skipping ahead to the climax of the episode, the scene of idyllic people doing everyday things in a town is interrupted when a huge pillar of light rains down death and destruction from above, destroying a town. Yes, the episode smooths it over by making it very blatant that Luthor aimed the Justice League's cannon down onto an abandoned Cadmus site, and it's the shock waves that destroyed the town and injured the people around it, but it's no less horrific. It's a horrifically 'real' slice of life, showing just what got destroyed instead of just buildings blowing up or people running. By showing the 'before' and 'after' of the lives of the people living near the blast site, the sheer devastation of the mortals caught in-between the war of these titans -- superheroes with fantastical powers and an army of shady governmental people -- are really shown very well.
Some of the civilians turn on the superheroes that are there to rescue them, and while the President believes J'onn that the League did not fire the cannon, the breach of trust was evident, and this, at least, was enough to anger the normally sensible Waller to retaliate, declaring war against the Justice League and unleashing her own army of superheroes.
And the League fraying apart at the seams is done absolutely well in this episode. From J'onn's conflict with Huntress, to the battle between Superman and Captain Atom, to the clash of ideals as Green Arrow rises to the forefront to ask all the questions about what the Justice League has been doing with the justification that 'we're the good guys', to the harsh confrontation between Superman and Question... so many great character moments are done here that honestly I'm not sure I can cover it all with justice. Just watch the episode, really.
The first scene of the episode follows right where we left off from last episode, and it's a pretty harsh one as Captain Atom and Superman do battle against each other. Again, I really wished Captain Atom has received some actual characterization before this episode so I would actually care about his conflicting loyalties between the League and the military -- in retrospect, maybe Green Lantern would've been a better choice? Though I wouldn't buy John betraying the League at all, so I guess that's why they went with Captain Atom.
And while Superman and Captain Atom are doing battle, Huntress has to deal with J'onn, who initially refuses to beam her up because she's no longer Justice League. It's a small continuity nod, maybe, but I really like this scene in showing just how, well, elitist the League has became, especially when you consider that Shayera gets what amounts to a free pass while Huntress isn't given much of a chance to redeem herself.
Superman defeats Captain Atom in a fight that's hard to watch, especially since 'Clash' happened relatively recently, and this time there's no misunderstanding. Superman tries to talk down Captain Atom, but this isn't like his fight with Captain Marvel -- it's not Superman that's mistaken, it's not hm being clouded by anger -- but he's forced to take Captain Atom down. And Superman's absolutely pissed-off "STAY AWAY FROM HIM! He's Justice League." to the Cadmus medics is absolutely well-delivered.
Question and Huntress's relationship is explored somewhat in this episode, but it's mostly reaffirmation with some d'aww moments when Helena sees Vic's face again, but what's absolutely powerful is the confrontation between Superman and the Question in the infirmary. Question straight-up tells Superman that he went to kill Luthor so Superman won't be able to. Question notes how great a job Cadmus and Luthor have been doing in ruining Superman's reputation, turning his friends and comrades against him and creating a superhuman arms race... but while Question doesn't lose his faith that Superman is a hero, he's also insistent that Superman cannot succumb -- even if he needs the Question's harsher assistance. And his final line in that argument: "carry on, then. If you're wrong, it's not like it's the end of the world, right?" which really is very powerful in telling just how impactful these godlike superheroes really are. Their actions shape the destiny of the world, and even Cadmus was formed in reaction to the League's existence.
The fact that this conversation is done with Question maskless, talking with an expressive, beat-up face, really seals the deal.
Superman and Supergirl very nearly go down to end Cadmus once and for all -- Hamilton's betrayal fresh in their minds -- but J'onn and Green Arrow stop them from doing it. J'onn is the League's unyielding moral pillar. He might seem heartless at times, but as the overseer of the League and the person who's least bound by emotions, he's also the person best suited in stopping the other senior members of the League from doing something stupid. Green Arrow, meanwhile, reminds Superman that he was brought abroad the League as what amounts to a normal man, someone to remind the gods of the League what it's like to be men. In his words, "Batman said I was supposed to keep you guys honest." Superman's retort, and Flash's reply that, yes, Superman is acting very much like Batman in his scowliness, is very well-delivered. Green Arrow's line about how he's the only person in the room without superpowers, and he's definitely being scared right now, is also well-told. Yes, Cadmus is illegal, but wouldn't their efforts be better directed to proving this instead of just storming down and kicking down a branch of the government that probably has a good reason for doing what they do?
Flash is the League's little brother, sometimes rash and stupid, but very brutally honest and well-meaning, and all of these combined really ends up stopping Superman from taking the offensive in this war. Green Arrow, Flash and J'onn remind Superman that it's actions like this, actions that break the law, is why ordinary humans have reason to fear the Justice League. It's very interesting to see such a different yet similar take on Green Arrow, Flash and Supergirl after their recent live-action team-up in the CW stories. Green Arrow as this "ultra-lefty" who believes that the government should protect the people, Flash as the ever-optimistic young hero, and Supergirl being troubled and taking the whole thing personally considering Cadmus cloned her... yeah.
Of course, while Waller and Hamilton might have reason to doubt the Justice League, Lex Luthor is a straight-up villain, and he hacks into the Justice League's Watchtower and unleashes the cannon unto Earth. J'onn and Superman's desperation in stopping a weapon of their own making, this time, isn't enough. And yes, a devastation is unleashed upon the Earth. Luthor was the one that fired the gun, but Green Arrow's later line, "It's our gun. If we didn't have it, they couldn't have used it." is a really well-done summation of the League's state. Between the cannon, the Question's assassination attempt and Superman very nearly crushing Cadmus single-handedly, everyone is trying to be proactive, when it turns out that their proactiveness ends up harming them in the end, and if nothing else Cadmus increased their precautions because the League was proactive in taking the war to them.
This attack of what appears to be war cripples the League, and causes Amanda Waller to unleash her own army of Ultimen, led by Galatea. It's an amazing way of fanning the flames, and all it takes is Luthor taking control of a gun for a moment.. It's a pretty hard scene to watch as the people realizes the League's cannon is responsible for the destruction of their lives, and while they're well-intentioned, while it's an accident, while it's Luthor that's behind the scenes... the people have a right to be angry.
And as members of the League go down to help out a site of destruction that they're partially responsible for, Green Arrow ends up feeling a bit of a crisis of faith as he wonders just what the fuck they've been doing in their giant watchtower in space all this time when they're responsible for hurting the people they protect. Flash? Flash just tells him to shut up and help the people in need, and point fingers later. He's young, younger than most of the cast, but Flash stays true to what the League is.
No, not all the hard philosophical questions are really answered in this episode, because Waller and Cadmus don't really allow the League to catch their breath as they unleash their Ultimen army to stop what they view as a group of superheroes that have gone rogue and mad with power. It's an amazing episode of Justice League Unlimited, and I really, really love the balance between the powerful personalities of Superman, Green Arrow, Captain Atom, Question, Flash, Supergirl, J'onn and Waller, with so many opinions being thrown around. Waller as an antagonist who's an extremist, if well meaning, is so much more awesome than the simple 'evil government bitch' that modern portrayals use her as.
With two more episodes to deal with the big Cadmus plot, this episode is a huge turning point and definitely one of the most eventful and philosophical of them all.
Justice League Roll Call:
- Speaking Roles: Superman, Huntress, Question, Captain Atom, Supergirl, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Flash
- Non-Speaking Roles: The Ray, Nemesis, Dr. Light, Steel, Atom, Dove, Booster Gold, Vixen, Vibe, Rocket Red, Elongated Man, Gypsy
- Major Villains: Lex Luthor, Amanda Waller, Emil Hamilton, Dr. Moon, General Wade Eiling, Galatea, Ultimen Army
DC Easter Egg Corner:
- Cadmus's creation of the Ultimen was seen in "Ultimatum", though the Ultimen seen here lack the personalities and independence of the original Ultimen seen in that episode. The Justice League's giant space cannon was first seen in "Dark Heart", and J'onn notes how the cannon was made in response to the League being outgunned in the Thanagarian invasion. Galatea was recovered by Cadmus in "Fearful Symmetry".
- References to Huntress and J'onn's conflict in "Double Date" are made. Green Arrow calls back to Batman's reason for bringing him into the League in "Initiation". Question also makes references to Superman's clash with Captain Marvel in "Clash".
- Galatea throwing a red towel over her shoulder pays homage to her inspiration, Power Girl, who wears a red half-draped cape.
- Despite sharing a title with the 'Flashpoint' maxi-series event that rebooted the DC comics continuity, this episode preceeded the comics' Flashpoint series by six years.
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