I Am Legion
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| Justice League Unlimited episode | |
|---|---|
| |
| "I Am Legion" | |
| Airdate: | September 17th, 2005 (USA) |
| Production Number: | 27 |
| Airdate Order: | 27 |
| Animation Services by: | D.R. Movie Co., LTD. |
| Written by: | Dwayne McDuffie |
| Directed by: | Joaquim Dos Santos |
| Episode images (6) | |
"I Am Legion" is the third season premiere of Justice League Unlimited. It originally aired on September 17, 2005.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Lex Luthor escapes from prison and is rescued by a team of supervillains who bring him to a secret headquarters in a swamp. Grodd introduces his new secret society, The Legion of Doom.
Back in the city, Superman, Shayera, and Aztek help investigate Luthor's escape. Federal agent King Faraday re-appears, now the official liaison between the Attorney General's office and the Justice League. He explains that the League were not informed of Luthor's transfer because he was not deemed a threat, saying that Luthor has been talking to himself for some time.
Grodd explains that his organization is a sort of "co-op" for supervillains; Grodd provides them shelter, and allows them to organize teams for their own independent jobs, in exchange for a cut of the take. Luthor says he isn't interested in joining; his previous pursuits of money and power seem stale after his brief merger with Brainiac — "for a moment, I achieved absolute knowledge, godhood." Grodd comments on the tragedy of the whole affair, and reveals that every piece of Brainiac was destroyed by the Flash. Then Grodd reveals his trump card: a fragment of Brainiac, the last one left on Earth. Luthor demands the piece, but Grodd will only agree if Luthor does a job for Grodd. As Luthor hesitates, it is revealed who Luthor is speaking to—an image of Brainiac, who tells Luthor that his programming could be salvaged from that piece. Realizing that he could reconstitute Brainiac and reunite with him, Luthor agrees to join.
In the Metro Tower, Shayera and Flash are doing monitor duty. Shayera notices Wally's crush on Fire, another fellow Leaguer, and teases him about it. Exasperated by his shyness, she determines to tell Fire herself, until a call comes from Faraday. Chuck, the last surviving Blackhawk, says that he's received a remote alarm from the security system on Blackhawk Island, which is filled with advanced weapons and technology that they confiscated during World War II and afterwards. Seeing a likely lead to Luthor, Shayera, Flash, and Fire form a team to investigate.
On the Island, Luthor, Dr. Polaris, and The Key are slowly navigating their way through the Island's defenses.
On the plane trip to the Island, Fire shows interest in getting to know Flash better, but Flash is too flustered to respond. Shayera is about to intervene when the plane is attacked by two giant robotic vultures. The team abandons the plane and destroy the robots, with help from Chuck and his fighter jet. The four of them arrive on the island and make their way to the compound. Inside, Luthor is breaking into the compound's vault, and triggers more automated defenses to slow the team down.
The team gets past the defenses and confronts Luthor. They manage to defeat Dr. Polaris and the Key, but Luthor forces a stalemate by taking Chuck hostage. Luthor triggers the island's self-destruct countdown, and the villains escape, though Chuck manages to get away from them. Shayera chooses to stay behind and disable the self-destruct rather than pursue. They also notice that a box in the vault is empty.
Luthor and his cohorts return to the Legion's headquarters with their prize: the Spear of Longinus, which Hitler believed made its bearer invincible. Luthor asks what Grodd plans to do with it, and Grodd says that, as far as he knows, the spear is completely worthless — the whole mission was just a test of Luthor's abilities. Luthor initially laughs it off, but becomes outraged when Grodd reveals that Luthor still has to do something for for him before Grodd offers up the piece of Brainiac. Luthor is outraged, but Brainiac's voice tells him he has to play along, until they can get the piece of him back.
On Blackhawk Island, Shayera and Chuck pay their respects to the Blackhawks' memorial. Fire remarks that Superman will be upset that they let Luthor get away just to keep the museum from being destroyed. Flash smiles and says it was worth it.
[edit] Continuity
- Chuck refers to Justice League, "The Savage Time," when the Justice League, including Shayera, traveled back in time to World War II and fought with the Blackhawks against the Nazis under Vandal Savage.
[edit] Background Information
[edit] Conception and Creation
Special features on the Justice League Unlimited, Season Two DVD's reveal that the storyline throughout this season, dealing with the new Secret Society under the command of Grodd, was heavily inspired by the Legion of Doom from the Super Friends. Season Two of Justice League Unlimited, which culminated with the episode "Epilogue" in the latest chronological event in the DC Animated Universe, concluded all current storylines and involved (and defeated) many of primary antagonists which had previously faced the Justice League, as the producers had feared it would be the last season of the series and wanted to wrap up all unresolved issues; when a third season was ordered, a new plot was required. The Legion of Doom was proposed, and originally dismissed, as the idea had previously been explored in the Injustice Gang and Secret Society, but was later adopted when it was decided to introduce a full adaption of the previous organization, including the swamp hideout and large roster.
[edit] Trivia
- The title refers to a demon-possessed man described in the Bible. He was inhabited by a multitude of demons, and proved so strong he could not be restrained. He called himself Legion, "for we are many."
- Several visual references are made to "The Savage Time" including the "War Wheel" tanks. Inside the Blackhawk museum is one of Vandal Savage's portrait posters, and one of his Nazi-style flags.
- The costumes on display in the museum belong to Killer Shark, Queen Killer Shark, King Condor, The Hoopster, the Blackhawks, Chop Chop, and Lady Blackhawk.
- The self-destruct sequence is aborted with seven seconds to spare. This may be a homage to the James Bond film Goldfinger in which a technician helps Bond disable a cobalt bomb with seven seconds left.
- Part of her teasing of Flash's crush on Fire has Hawkgirl calling the woman "Brazilian". This could be a double-entendre: while Fire is indeed of Brazilian descent, the nickname could be a play on the world "lesbian", hinting at Fire's close, almost romantic friendship with Ice in the comics. Flash's worried look at Shayera's initial comment, before she finishes it, would seem to imply this further.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Maria Canals | Shayera Hol Fire (uncredited) |
| George Newbern | Superman |
| Michael Rosenbaum | Flash Dr. Polaris (uncredited) Agent (uncredited) |
| Clancy Brown | Lex Luthor |
| Powers Boothe | Grodd |
| Corey Burton | Brainiac The Key (uncredited) Aztek (uncredited) |
| Seymour Cassel | Chuck Sirianni |
| Scott Patterson | King Faraday |
| Takayo Fischer | Mairzey |
[edit] Uncredited Appearances
[edit] Quotes
Shayera: Why don't you just go talk to her? |
Shayera: Why would you even try to move a prisoner that dangerous without calling us? |
Warden: My people can handle this. |
Fire: You haven't said a word the whole trip. |
Shayera: Don't you ever scare me like that again! |
Flash: War Wheels, robot condors. You got a pretty goofy security system here. |
Chuck: Whoever you guys are, you've got no business being in here. |
Shayera: We going to do this the hard way, Lex? Please say yes. |
Flash: Now why is it you always find the keys in the last place you look? |
(Lex is holding Chuck hostage) |
Grodd: The Spear of Longinus. Hitler believed that whoever holds it is invincible. |
Lex Luthor: You mean you recruited me, sent me to an island full of death traps, and up against the Justice League. You made me risk my life, and all for nothing?!? |
Lex Luthor: I should kill you! |
| Previously produced episode: "Epilogue" | Episodes of Justice League Unlimited | Next produced episode: "Shadow of the Hawk" |
| Previously aired episode: "Epilogue" | Next aired episode: "Shadow of the Hawk" |
