Lois, why can't you see the bigger picture? It is requested that this article, or a section of this article, be expanded. Once the improvements have been completed, please remove this notice.

Justice League episode
"Secret Society"
Airdate:	November 22, 2003
Production Number:	45-46
Airdate Order:	43-44
Animation Services by:	DR Movie Co., LTD.
Written by:	Stan Berkowitz
Directed by:	Dan Riba
Episode images (5)

"Secret Society" is the forty third and forty fourth episodes of Justice League. As the Justice League undergoes training to trust each other, Gorilla Grodd organizes a Secret Society to bring them down.

Contents 1 Plot 1.1 Part I 1.2 Part II 2 Continuity 3 Background information 3.1 Home video releases 3.2 Trivia 4 Cast 4.1 Uncredited appearances 5 Quotes

Plot Edit

Part I Edit

After J'onn J'onzz and Green Lantern fail to capture Shade from stealing a computer chip, the League decides that they need to train. Shade was able to escape thanks to Giganta who picked him up on a Hummer. He soons finds out that Gorilla Grodd and Giganta (who was fiercely loyal to Grodd) had formed the Secret Society All members had their own motivations and they included: Shade (who was offered the chance by Grodd to be a master criminal), Sinestro (who has sworn blood oath against all Green Lanterns), Killer Frost (who is there simply to kill), and Parasite (who wanted revenge against Superman). In its formation, Grodd took pains to encourage a more cohesive organization in order to avoid the infighting of Lex Luthor's Injustice Gang. His first plan was to rescue Clayface from Morgan Edge's mansion where Killer Frost froze Morgan. Grodd tells Clayface that he'll help him find a way to return Clayface to his true identity of Matt Hagen after they defeat the Justice League. The Secret Society defeated the Justice League the first time they met, but Grodd decided to spare them, seeking to humiliate them before killing them. The Justice League then start blaming each other for their faulty performance, questioning the League's effectiveness and purpose. The episode ends with all members walking away in a different direction.

Part II Edit

While keeping surveillance on the League, Grodd reveals that the accident the Flash caused in The Brave and the Bold has given him psychic abilities. He has been using these powers to manipulate the Leaguers moods, causing them to lash out at each other with feelings they would have otherwise kept repressed. Flash tries to track Shade by threatening a henchman who has been bailed and is told he is has a base at the North Hill Subway Station, but walks into a trap and is captured by Sinestro. Batman is contacted and tries to rescue Flash, who is impersonated by Clayface, but Batman realises who he is as he overplays his part. However he is then captured by the rest of the Society. The rest of the League is eventually captured in their training facility with the exception of Green Lantern, who tracks the Society to their hideout, only to be discovered due to Grodd's telepathy and captured. The League is taken to a stadium in Gotham City to be executed live on national television, but are saved by J'onn J'onzz who managed to infiltrate the Society by impersonating Clayface during the previous battle, having told Killer Frost to freeze him. He releases his captured friends and the League battles the Secret Society. The League is victorious in the end, Superman finally overcoming Grodd despite his telepathy, but realize that they have some issues that need to be worked on.

Continuity Edit

• Flash calls Superman out for the "whole stinking group" being his idea as Superman was the one to suggest it at the end of "Secret Origins".
• Shade refers to the two previous incarnations of the Injustice Gang, as shown in "Injustice For All" and "Fury".
• Grodd makes his first appearance since "The Brave and the Bold", and refers to the accident with his mind-control helmet caused by Flash.

Background information Edit

Home video releases Edit

• Justice League - Season Two (DVD)
• Justice League - The Complete Series (DVD)

Trivia Edit

• With the exception of Killer Frost, each member of the Secret Society belongs to the rogues gallery of one of the members of the Justice League in the DC Comics except for J'onn J'onzz and Hawkgirl:

Hero	Rogue
Batman	Clayface
Flash	Gorilla Grodd & Shade
Green Lantern	Sinestro
Superman	Parasite
Wonder Woman	Giganta

• Brian George replaces the late Brion James as the voice of Parasite;
• In the comics, Giganta is often portrayed as a brutish woman, whereas in the DCAU she is almost excessively feminine, even girlish (by contrast, Jennifer Hale voices Killer Frost as excessively rough and masculine).
• Grodd's explanation of Giganta's origin is a call back to the Golden Age Giganta, who had been artificially evolved into a strongwoman by a renegade scientist.
• The exchange between Shade's thug and Flash is a spoof on Lloyd Bentsen's famous cutting remark to Dan Quayle during the 1988 U.S. Vice Presidential debates: "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy".
• Sinestro claims that his beams move as fast as Flash does, the speed of light; in fact, Flash's top speed, exhibited in "Eclipsed" and Justice League Unlimited, "Divided We Fall" is still slower than the speed of light.
• Clayface's overplayed "yo" likely came from the Lightspeed Energy Bars commercial Flash did in "Eclipsed" where he says "Thanks, yo" to the kid in the commercial.
• The scene of the League and the Society rushing at one another in the football stadium is a clear homage to the opening title of the old Challenge of the Super Friends animated series.

Cast Edit

Actor	Role
Powers Boothe	Grodd
Maria Canals	Hawkgirl Nurse (uncredited)
Kevin Conroy	Batman
Susan Eisenberg	Wonder Woman
Brian George	Parasite Morgan Edge (uncredited)
Jennifer Hale	Giganta Killer Frost (uncredited)
Stephen McHattie	Shade
Phil LaMarr	Green Lantern Stadium Announcer (uncredited)
Ted Levine	Sinestro
Carl Lumbly	J'onn J'onzz Doctor (uncredited)
George Newbern	Superman
Ron Perlman	Clayface
Michael Rosenbaum	Flash

Uncredited appearances Edit

• Ron Troupe
• Shanna Squires

Quotes Edit

(as Flash dangles him off a roof) Shade's thug: Who do you think you are, Batman? Flash: It's been a long night. Just tell me where Shade is, okay? Shade's thug: Look, buddy, I know Batman. I once ratted out a counterfeiter to Batman. And believe me, you are no Bat- (Flash drops him) -MAAAAAAAAAAANNN!

Clayface: What gave me away? Batman: You overplayed your part, "yo". Grodd: Oh, everyone's a critic.

Hawkgirl: You don't care about me. John Stewart: What are you talking about? I'd give my life for you! (awkward pause) Hawkgirl: You don't know what you're saying.

Previously produced episode: "Hereafter"	Episodes of Justice League	Next produced episode: "Comfort and Joy"
Previously aired episode: "The Terror Beyond"		Next aired episode: "Hereafter"