Legends | Episode 18
Aired: April 21, 2002
Heroes: Batman, Superman, Hawkgirl, J'onn Jonzz, Flash, Green Lantern and Justice Guild of America(The Streak, Green Guardsman, Black Siren, Tom Turbine and Cat Man)
Supporting: Sgt. O'Shaughnessy
Villains: Lex Luthor, Injustice Guild(The Sportsman, Dr. Blizzard, Sir Swami, The Music Master) and Ray Thompson
Objects: Power Ring, Nth Metal, Battlesuit, Utility Belt (Batarang), Stradivarius, Transdimensional Gateway, Flame of Rasputin, and Novelty Weapons
Places: Metropolis and Parallel Universe (Seaboard City)
Beasts: Luthor Robot
Written By: Andrew Kreisberg
Directed By: Dan Riba
Legends | Episode 19
Aired: April 28, 2002
Heroes: Hawkgirl, J'onn Jonzz, Flash, Green Lantern, Justice Guild of America(The Streak, Green Guardsman, Black Siren, Tom Turbine and Cat Man), Batman and Superman
Supporting: Sgt. O'Shaughnessy
Villains: Injustice Guild(The Sportsman, Dr. Blizzard, Sir Swami, The Music Master) and Ray Thompson
Objects: Power Ring, Novelty Weapon, Nth Metal, Transdimensional Gateway, and Utility Belt
Places: Parallel Universe (Seaboard City) and Justice League Watchtower
Beasts: Rog
Written By: Andrew Kreisberg
Directed By: Dan Riba
Summary
Summary written by VortexInfiniteLex Luthor is out of prison and causing trouble. Controlling a destructive robot from a makeshift base, he battles the Justice League, who use their teamwork skills to stop the madness. The heroes prevail, but at a price. When Flash's super-speed combines with a powerful blast, he, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and the Martian Manhunter are thrown into another dimension, where the Golden Age never died.
After a confusing clash, the lost members of the Justice League meet the Justice Guild. On the JL's Earth, they are classic comic book heroes from the sixties, the ones that Green Lantern idolized as a child. In Seaboard City, they are flesh and blood and just as corny as ever. They have a roll call, decoder rings, and a teen mascot named Ray Thompson. Their motto is "Let Justice Prevail!" and like any good superhero team, they have an equally corny super villain team out to get them and the new arrivals.
The members of the Injustice Guild decide to have a competition among themselves. Reverting to Super villain 101, they plan to steal precious items that have connections to the four elements: Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. Naturally, they tip off the JGA and a cat-and-mouse game ensues. The villains eventually get away with their heinous acts and also manage to bag Flash and the Black Siren to boot.
The Justice Guild launch a rescue mission and succeed in saving the fallen heroes and putting the Injustice Guild behind bars. But all is not well. Green Lantern and Hawkgirl have discovered that this Justice Guild is nothing more than a shadow of the true team which died in a cold war nuclear disaster forty years before. This is a surprise to the JGA, but not Ray Thompson, who has been behind the illusion all along. A child during the nuclear devastation, he was mutated into a powerful psychic who used his powers to revive his favorite heroes and the world he and the other citizens of Seaboard City lost.
However, Ray's fantasy has gone out of control. His rule is nothing more than a dictatorship, confining the surviving citizens into puppetry and monotony. There is no such thing as free will in Ray's world, and that is why he must be stopped. The Justice League is no match for Thompson's power, but he cannot stand against his own creations, who turn against him. The Justice Guild delivers the final blow and Ray's hold over the ruined city is lost. As are those who broke it.
The true heroes leave behind a grateful city to rebuild their lives and find a way back home, where the Justice Guild never existed outside of paper and pencil. Green Lantern does not understand how he can miss people who were never "real" so much. Hawkgirl comforts him by pointing out that anyone who gives their lives to save others are "real" enough.
Review
Review written by VortexInfiniteThis episode is nothing short of a masterpiece. It mixes humor, drama, and action in a masterful way. The JGA and the Injustice Guild deliver some of the most side-busting lines this side of The Simpsons. Whether it's Green Guardsman being inadvertently racist or Hawkgirl being forced into serving the men some dessert, the episode continually pokes fun at history.
And yet, it gives a lot of respect as well. The Justice Guild balances out its campiness with pure heroism. Their sacrifices for their friends and fellow citizens are very touching, especially at the end. Watching the JGA disappear for the last time makes one's throat choke up. If you aren't remotely touched by that scene, you are made of stone.
The characterization of Green Lantern continues. Underneath all that disciplined, no-nonsense exterior, we learn that John Stewart has a past and a soul. He feels for the heroes he lost, even if he knows he never actually met them. His relationship with Hawkgirl goes to another level. The once feuding twosome are now best friends. Something more? Maybe that'll be answered later...