Legends
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| Justice League episode | |
|---|---|
| |
| "Legends" | |
| Airdate: | April 21, 2002 (Part I) April 28, 2002 (Part II) |
| Production Number: | 18-19 |
| Airdate Order: | 16-17 |
| Animation Services by: | Koko Enterprise C.O., LTD. |
| Episode images (14) | |
"Legends" is composed of the sixteenth and seventeenth episodes of Justice League. It originally aired on April 21 and 28, 2002.
John Stewart, Hawkgirl, J'onn J'onzz and the Flash are transported to a parallel world protected by a series of comic book heroes from Lantern's childhood.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
[edit] Part 1
Metropolis is in awe. Several Justice Leaguers are fighting a giant robot secretly controlled by Lex Luthor from a remote location. It is eventually destroyed when Superman tears it open and Batman destroys its reactor with a batarang. Following the explosion, the Flash creates a whirlwind so as to prevent the robot from falling over his teammates. However, he reaches such a high speed that he inadvertently transports John Stewart, J'onn, Hawkgirl and himself to an alternate Earth that resembles an idyllic 1950's town.
After John prevents a villain from stealing a violin, the League members are mistaken for villains by the Justice Guild of America, the resident superhero team. The Green Guardsman, Black Siren, The Streak, Tom Turbine, and Cat Man fight the Leaguers, but they cease once the Flash saves their youthful sidekick, Ray Thompson, from being crushed. The Justice Guild makes the four League members honorary members of their team.
Tom Turbine explains to the Leaguers the theory of infinite number of alternate universe, each having its own vibrational pattern. He believes that Flash's speed is what caused them to come to their Earth. However John feels that something is wrong: he remembers the heroes from the comic books of his childhood, but never knew that they were real people. J'onn theorizes that the creators of the comics must have had a subconscious link to this Earth; what they thought was creativity was actually flashes of the Guild's real exploits. Tom Turbine unveils his interdimensional portal he designed but lacks a proper energy source to help them return home. While waiting for that to happen, the League fights along the Guild against the Injustice Guild, a group of supervillains that run afoul of the Justice Guild.
However, the Leaguers begin to notice flaws in the world: the ice cream truck passing through never stops; J'onn starts seeing haunting images of the city being destroyed; and Hawkgirl and Lantern discover that all the books in the library are empty covers. They also notice that the two police officers they have seen patrolling the city are the only ones around. When they try to stop the ice cream man to question him, he acts scared and drives off in a hurry, saying that "he" might be watching. Trouble also seem to happen when they get too close to the truth. Finally the Leaguers (starting with Hawkgirl) discover the graves of the Justice Guild!
[edit] Part 2
J'onn later discovers that the whole city was an illusion. In this universe, years ago, Seaboard City was destroyed during the Cuban Missile Crisis that started World War III. Ray Thompson, after being exposed to the fallout, developed powerful psionic powers. When J'onn mind-probes Ray, he reveals his true form, that of a hideous mutant. Ray decided to create a "new" city based on his childhood, complete with his favorite heroes - in reality, they died during the catastrophe, thus the end of the Justice Guild brought the end of the comic. However, the real inhabitants of the city are all terrified of Ray.
The Leaguers battle Ray, but are outmatched by his powers. The Guild hesitates, realizing that defeating Ray will end their existence - then they decide it doesn't matter, and join the League. Together, they manage to strain Ray to his limits, knocking him out. Without his concentration, the city disappears and so does the Guild, and the ruins of a destroyed civilization appear. The survivors emerge, having been stuck in the fantasy world for forty years, vowing to rebuild their city, while the Leaguers use a device built by Tom Turbine to return home, powered by Lantern's ring.
Back in the real world, Lantern is mourning the "deaths" of his heroes. He says it doesn't make sense, when they weren't real to begin with. Hawkgirl says they still sacrificed themselves to help the League, which is reason enough to mourn them.
[edit] Background Information
[edit] Production Inconsistencies
- While remotely controling the robot, Lex Luthor is shown wearing the battlesuit he acquired in the next episode "Injustice for all".
- The "Previously on Justice League" montage of Part I events features a shot of the Streak that is actually from Part II. It's the shot of when the Streak suddenly stops after sighting the blimp.
- Why didn’t the Flash try to break free of the block of ice by vibrating his body? He did so in Superman: The Animated Series episode "Speed Demons," and then he was frozen from head to toes.
- Why didn't John Stewart think of using his Ring to power the turbine before?
- If Ray recreated the city in his ideal image, why are there graves for the Justice Guild?
- Just one week before, a teaser showed an appearance by the Justice Society, despite the episode having been changed in pre-production.
[edit] Trivia
- Wonder Woman does not appear. Batman appears in the beginning of Part I and in the end of Part II but has no lines. Superman has a small speaking role in the the beginning of Part I and a cameo in the end of Part II, when Flash describes to them their adventures in Seaboard City.
- Several of the producers identified this as their favorite episode from Season One.
- The Justice Guild's HQ resembles the mansion used by the Joker in The New Batman Adventures, "Joker's Millions".
- J'onn's line, "It seems we are not in Metropolis anymore" is a reference to the movie The Wizard of Oz.
- Hawkgirl's line "Curiouser and curiouser" is uttered by Alice in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Both characters say this after finding themselves in a strange world.
- William Katt, who voices the Green Guardsman, also played a superhero in The Greatest American Hero.
- "Ray Thompson" may be a homage to Roy Thomas, a DC writer who worked on 1940s and 1950s-style DC Comics such as All-Star Squadron and Secret Origins.
- The Justice Guild of America is a pastiche of the Golden Age superhero team the Justice Society of America. The creative team wanted to use the JSA but DC Comics declined.
- Green Guardsman ― Golden Age Green Lantern, Alan Scott;
- Alan Scott's power ring wouldn't work on wood, just like the Green Guardsman's won't work on aluminum.
- Green Guardsman getting attacked by a TV antenna may also be an intended in-joke to Alan Scott who, in the 70's revival of the Justice Society, was a TV executive.
- Tom Turbine ― Golden Age The Atom;
- Streak ― Golden Age Flash. Jay Garrick;
- Black Siren ― Black Canary;
- Cat Man ― Wildcat and Batman.
- Green Guardsman ― Golden Age Green Lantern, Alan Scott;
- The real names of the JGA members, as seen in their tombstones, are nods to their DC Comics counterparts' real identities:
- Green Guardsman's real name is "Scott Mason" ― the Golden Age Green Lantern is Alan Scott;
- Black Siren's real name is "Donna Nance" ― Black Canary is Dinah Lance;
- Cat Man's name was "T. Blake", which was the name of a Batman rogue of the same name.
- Likewise, the Injustice Guild is a lampoon of the Injustice Society, the rivals of the Justice Society in the comics.
- The Music Master ― The Fiddler;
- The Sportsman ― The Sportsmaster;
- Dr. Blizzard ― The Icicle;
- Sir Swami ― The Wizard.
- Luthor's robot bears a striking resemblance to the Prototype-03 from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
- Most of Ray's exclamations ("Holy hijacking, Cat Man!", "Holy hostages!", etc) are nods to the 1960's Batman. The Justice Guild also has a red phone that the Police can use in case of emergencies.
- This episode is dedicated to the memory of Gardner F. Fox, a DC Comics writer who worked on the original Justice League comic. Fox scripted the first JLA/JSA team-up in Justice League comics and he is also credited with the creation of the DC "Multiverse."
- The line of dialogue from The Streak that John Stewart is a 'credit to his people' is a subtle line of dialogue referencing racial issues of the 50s/60s, which is the era that the Justice Guild's idealism is based. The line however, was not intended to portray any kind of negativity.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Maria Canals | Hawkgirl |
| Phil LaMarr | Green Lantern |
| Carl Lumbly | J'onn J'onzz |
| Michael Rosenbaum | The Flash |
| Corey Burton | Dr. Blizzard Ice Cream Truck driver (uncredited) Mayor (uncredited) |
| Jennifer Hale | Black Siren Swell sweetheart (uncredited) |
| Neil Patrick Harris | Ray Thompson |
| Jeffrey Jones | Sir Swami |
| William Katt | Green Guardsman |
| Udo Kier | Music Master |
| Ted McGinley | Tom Turbine |
| Michael McKean | Sportsman |
| David Naughton | The Streak |
| Stephen Root | Cat Man |
[edit] Uncredited Appearances
[edit] Quotes
Music Master: This calls for a little travelling music. |
Dr. Blizzard: If you'll excuse me, Mr. Mayor, but I'll be taking off with my "chill" gotten gains. |
Flash: Like I said, you never had a snowball's chance in-- |
Flash: That's it. I officially want to go home. |
Hawkgirl: Are you okay? |
| Previously produced episode: "Fury" | Episodes of Justice League | Next produced episode: "A Knight of Shadows" |
| Previously aired episode: "Fury" | Next aired episode: "Injustice For All" |
