Destroyer
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| Justice League Unlimited episode | |
|---|---|
| |
| "Destroyer" | |
| Airdate: | May 13, 2006 |
| Production Number: | 39 |
| Airdate Order: | 39 |
| Animation Services by: | D.R. Movie Co., LTD. |
| Written by: | Dwayne McDuffie |
| Directed by: | Joaquim dos Santos |
| Episode images (17) | |
"Destroyer" is the series finale of Justice League Unlimited. As Darkseid comes to claim vengeance on Superman by destroying Earth, the Justice League has no choice but to ally with Lex Luthor and the Legion of Doom to battle the might of Apokolips.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Lex Luthor and the surviving members of the Legion of Doom arrive at the Metro Tower, warning them of Darkseid's impending invasion (a small flashback explains that when Darkseid destroyed their headquarters, Sinestro managed to shield them with his ring), and they then stole a Mother Box from a rescue party headed by Lightray.
After delivering their message, the League announce that they're locking up the Legion. As several prepare to fight back, an emergency message arrives: Boom tubes open, and the Apokoliptan fleet appears, and soon releases Parademons and ground troops. The Legion insists that they be allowed to fight alongside the League; they may be criminals, but Earth is their world too. Batman agrees, saying that the League needs all the help they can get. Superman and Wonder Woman reluctant to go along, but Luthor announces that he isn't saving Earth: as far as he's concerned, both the Justice League and the Legion of Doom are little more than tools to help him achieve revenge on Darkseid for taking Brainiac away. Superman reluctantly goes along, but Wonder Woman orders that the villains fight in mixed teams.
Mr. Terrific, handling central command from the Watchtower, sends out an "Omega-level alert" to the entire League: a series of cut-scenes shows various Leaguers preparing for battle and being teleported away.
Superman, Batman, and Luthor confront Darkseid at his command ship, hovering over the Daily Planet building in Metropolis. Darkseid tells Superman that he intends to make Superman suffer by watching his adopted world die, before killing him, adding with a smirk Superman's last words to him before their last standoff: "Let's go."
As the battle progresses, the Apokoliptan forces set up huge drilling machines designed to dig holes straight through to the Earth's core, creating fire pits that will make Earth another Apokolips. Mr. Terrific orders them taken out at all costs. The Leaguers destroy several, though Shayera is badly wounded.
Over the Great Wall of China, a middle-aged Asian man tells his wife to find cover, then reveals himself to be J'onn J'onzz, who joins Wonder Woman in battling Darkseid's Parademons.
In Metropolis, the battle royale between Superman and Darkseid has destroyed much of the Planet's building, while Luthor and Batman hold off Parademons. Suddenly, Metron appears to Luthor, who demands a solution. Metron offers him one, and they both disappear. Metron takes him to the Source Wall, beyond which contains the only thing that could stop Darkseid. Metron warns that only a "twelfth level intellect" could survive the journey through the wall, but Luthor only claims "then I'm overqualified". Luthor flies through an opening in the wall, sees a great light...and screams.
On Earth, Darkseid appears to be winning, when Batman staggers him with a flying kick. Darkseid is astonished that a mere mortal would dare to strike him. He prepares to kill Batman, but Superman, who now has his second wind, knocks Darkseid through the wall. For the first time in their acquaintance, Darkseid is uncertain, maybe even a little afraid, as Superman approaches and says:
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And with that, Superman hurtles his entire body forward, and delivers a single, earth-shattering punch that sends Darkseid flying into the air and through several skyscrappers. With his speed, Superman is waiting for him at the other end, and knocks him to the ground.
Darkseid decides he's wasted enough time in hand-to-hand combat, and traps Superman in a torture field called the Agony Matrix. While Superman lies helpless, Darkseid draws a knife with a Kryptonite blade, intending to cut Superman's heart out. Then Luthor appears, having returned from the dimension Metron transported him to.
Luthor holds up the only thing in the universe Darkseid wants: the Anti-Life Equation. Darkseid takes hold of it, and both he and Luthor disappear in a blaze of light.
With Darkseid apparently gone, the Apokoliptan forces retreat from Earth. But Batman says that one day they'll probably see both Darkseid and Luthor again.
Wonder Woman announces that its time for the villains to go back to jail. Atomic Skull objects, saying they helped the League save the world. Batman agrees to give them a five-minute head start. When the League makes it clear that concession is all they are offering, the Legion turns and runs.
Finally, the entire expanded League sets off after the villains, as "the adventure continues..."
[edit] Continuity
- Darkseid's 2nd invasion of earth is the third large-scale invasion since the Imperium Invasion and the Thanagarian Invasion.
- Both Darkseid and Superman recollect their last encounter in Justice League episode, "Twilight, Part II" (even though they do so from different points of view).
[edit] Background Information
[edit] Production Inconsistencies
- Orion appears at the end of "Alive!" as one of the heroes confronting the Legion, but in the recap at the beginning of this episode, he has been removed from the picture, and is not to be seen at all in the story. When the scene is shown in the closing credits, he appears again in the group.
- S.T.R.I.P.E. was in the lineup of heroes that rushed outside the Metro Tower in "Alive!", but in this episode he is teleported with Stargirl from a loft.
- As she leaves the Metro Tower, instead of holding her Cosmic Power Staff, Stargirl is seen clearly holding one of the spears of the parademons. In fact, she is not seen holding her Staff at all, instead fighting hand-to-hand.
- Lois, Perry, Ron Troupe and Jimmy are seen inside the Daily Planet during Darkseid's siege of Metropolis. This seems rather imprudent, not to mention reckless, seeing as Darkseid's gigantic mother ship was hovering the building.
- Two inconsistencies in the battle Shayera takes part in: 1) During the opening shot, it is night but when it cuts to Shayera, it is day, and 2) this battle takes place in Washington D.C. and yet from the Watchtower, the monitor displays New York.
[edit] Trivia
- Lex Luthor's line "we found ourselves dependent on the kindness of strangers" echoes a famous quote from Tennessee Williams's play A Streetcar Named Desire.
- The name of this episode "Destroyer" and the previous, "Alive!" are also the names of two best selling albums by the rock band KISS.
- Order of Battle:
- Metropolis: Superman, Batman, and Lex Luthor vs. Darkseid
- Washington, D.C.: Shayera Hol, Commander Steel, and Atomic Skull
- Paris: Green Lantern, Flash, and Giganta
- over the Great Wall of China: Wonder Woman, Shining Knight, Vigilante, and Star Sapphire, joined later by J'onn J'onzz
- Rome: Doctor Light, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Bizarro
- Tokyo: Sinestro, Steel, and Blue Devil
- Unknown City (probably Los Angeles or Chicago): Hawk and Dove, The Creeper, The Question, and Captain Atom
- Unknown Mountainous Location: Zatanna and Volcana
- Cairo: Toyman
- London: Hawkman, Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E.
- Venice: Killer Frost
- Commander Steel saves Shayera by picking up a Parademon's shield and throwing it spinning through the air, in a nod to Marvel Comics' Captain America, whom he resembles. He saves Shayera from having her wing impaled by a Parademon's spear, resembling how the also-Marvel Angel had his wings orginally crippled.
- In the final shot, the entire expanded League runs past the camera, ending with the original seven, but last of all with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The shot fades out as Batman runs last into the camera, a nod to how the DCAU all started with Batman: The Animated Series.
- Each major invasion of Earth that has taken place throughout the series has a similar goal of building a weapon that can destroy the planet. For example, Darkseid's goal of creating "Apocalypse on Earth" using drills refers back to the very first episode, "Secret Origins," where the Imperium's goal is creating darkness on Earth using drills of their own. Another reference is when the Thanagarians try to destroy the Earth by using a hyperspace bypass. Every attempt, of course, failed thanks to the Justice League.
- There is irony when Darkseid tells Batman no one has survived his Omega beam in the comic books years later Batman is blasted with the Omega Beam by Darkseid and is believed dead.
- In the final scene, the Justice Leaguers run down the stairs of the Metro Tower in groups, which are nods to the DC Comics:
| Group | Reference |
|---|---|
| The Question, Captain Atom, The Creeper, Hawk and Dove | Created by writer/artist Steve Ditko |
| Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E., Crimson Avenger, Vigilante, Shining Knight | The Seven Soldiers of Victory |
| Hourman, Doctor Mid-Nite, Wildcat, Doctor Fate | The Justice Society of America |
| Vixen, Steel, Vibe, Gypsy | The "Justice League Detroit" |
| Booster Gold, Elongated Man, Fire, Ice | The "Justice League International" |
| Zatanna, The Atom, Red Tornado, Black Canary, Green Arrow | The "Justice League Satellite" era |
| J'onn J'onzz, John Stewart, Hawkgirl, Flash, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman | The founding members |
[edit] Cast
[edit] Uncredited Appearances
[edit] Quotes
Shayera: Send us first – give the others the chance to get their pants on. |
Giganta: If you think you're locking us up while the whole world is under attack, you got two fights on your hands. |
Batman: Search through the telemetry on the attack groups, find the best-protected mother ship. That's where Darkseid will be. |
Darkseid: I'm more powerful than I've ever been and the last time we met, you barely managed to hold your own. |
Lex Luthor: Problem? |
Darkseid: Flee. |
Darkseid: Super or otherwise, you're merely a man, and I am a god! |
Darkseid: It's called the Agony Matrix – direct neural stimulation of pain receptors. All of them. Imagine the worst pain you've ever felt in your life, times a thousand. Now imagine that pain continuing forever. Oh that's right – you don't have to imagine. |
Metron: I warn you one final time – only a twelfth level intellect has the slightest hope of surviving what you are about to experience. |
Darkseid: Still alive. You impress me, Kryptonian. More... your valor has touched my heart. Oh yes, there is still some small part of me that knows mercy. I will end your pain with something special I've been saving for just this occasion (takes out a Kryptonite knife). I'm going to carve out your heart and put it on a pike in my throne room. |
Darkseid: It's beautiful, isn't it? |
Wonder Woman: It's past time that Luthor's partners in crime were locked up. |
J'onn J'onzz: (on the cell phone to his wife) I should be back in time to dinner. I love you too. |
Superman: A head start? You're getting soft in your old age... |
(final line) |
| Previously produced episode: "Alive!" | Episodes of Justice League Unlimited | Next produced episode: None |
| Previously aired episode: "Alive!" | Next aired episode: None |
