We're starting the final season of JLU with...
- "I Am Legion". Lex is broken out of prison by Grodd (Powers Boothe) and the new Legion of Doom (shades of the Super-Friends!). We get cameos from The Key Starro, Atomic Skull, Parasite, Cheetah, Black Manta, Shark, Blockbuster Doctor Polaris, Gentleman Ghost, Bane, Metallo, Copperhead, Volcana, Doctor Destiny, Toyman, Killer Frost, Bizarro, Giganta, Sonar, Heat Wave Silver Banshee, Sinestro, Star Sapphire, and a few others even I didn't recognize. The League calls in Aztek (obscure 90's JLA member played by Corey Burton), and they meet their new "liaison" from the feds, King Faraday (Scott Patterson). They are on a short leash after the events of last season. Back to Lex--Grodd offers him a role in the new group, but he refuses. He's also talking to himself--or someone else? Grodd offers a piece of Brianiac in exchange--that's who Lex is talking to. We switch over to an old man, who turns out to be the last remaining member of the Blackhawks. Looks like the Legion is breaking into their secret weapons stash, including a big old robot. Flash, Ice, Fire, and Shayera (Maria Canals-Barrera in a dual role) join the old man to check it out, and get attacked by robot birds. They work their way through Blackhawk Island security (flying robot sharks, robot octopi, warwheels), then find Key, Polaris, and Lex inside. The bad guys kidnap the old man, but he gets away and saves the island. The whole thing was just a test run for Lex.
- "Shadow of the Hawk" finally introduces Hawkman to the continuity--maybe DC didn't want the character used until now? In any case, the League is mopping up the Extremists (villain team from 90's comics), when archeologist Carter Hall (James Remar) strides in. He immediately starts hitting on Shayera, and amazingly, she reciprocates. Batman confirms that the artifact Cater brought with him from Egypt is Thanagarian. Back at League HQ (apparently, the Watchtower wasn't taken out of commission, as stated at the end of last season), GL is shocked when Shayera shows up in a slinky dress. Batman did some research on Carter--he looks to be a Shayera stalker. She ignores their concerns and goes with Carter to Egypt. Bats tags along in secret. Carter reveals that he is Hawkman, and they are reincarnated lovers. Shayera is incredulous. He explains that he touched another artifact--the Absorbichron (SA Hawkman concept) that apparently generates exposition. They both lived multiple lives together. He also found their ship in the crypt. Suddenly, they are attacked by--their own shadows? It's the Shadow Thief (SA villain associated with Hawkman) who can create and control solid shadows. After the bad guy threatens Shayera, Hawkman agrees to help him loot the crypt. Batman arrives (he was attacked by a shadow as well) and uses light to knock out Shadow Thief. There's a fight with mystic warriors, then Shayera uses her mace to light up the place--they corner the bad buy, but he escapes, taking out the crypt. In the end, Hawkman has waited thousands of years for Shayera, so he's willing to wait a little longer.
- In "Chaos at the Earth's Core", we start with Stargirl (Giselle Loren), S.T.R.I.P.E., and GL (Phil LeMarr on double duty) fight what looks like Gamera, the Giant Turtle in Tokyo. Unfortunately for Stargirl, Supergir (Nicholle Tom) gets all the glory. On the way back, their Javelin gets pulled into--the Earth's Core aka Skataris (mystical world in the comics). They fight some dinos and lizardmen--everything there is magic-based, which greatly hinders Supergirl. They run into Warlord aka Travis Morgan (Paul Guilfoyle)--his people need the heroes help in fighting prerequisite bad guy Deimos (Douglas Dunning). He brought in his own assistants--Metallo (Malcolm McDowell) and Silver Banshee (Kim Mai Guest). The good guys have to protect "The Great Stone" (a big piece of kryptonite). It's swords vs. lasers, with a superhero/villain battle thrown in. It ends with an epic sword fight between Warlord and Deimos while Kara (sans powers) and Metallo duke it out. Stargirl steps in to save her. GL scares Metallo into giving up his benefactor, but is brain is zapped before he can speak. They all return to Earth, sealing up the doorway to Skataris (and the huge supply of kryptonite) behind them.
- A ship is forced "To Another Shore" where there's a huge Viking statue and ship--what's the deal? Back on the Watchtower, Diana is in her civvies, going to a global warming conference. She asks J'onn to go with her, but he wants to stay at the HQ. He's apparently tired of humanity. Meanwhile, at the Legion of Doom (said in Ted Knight's voice), Luthor gives the team a progress report--he's amping up their powers with tech. Grodd gives the team an exposition on the Viking Prince, a classic DC historical character. We get some great artwork ala' Joe Kubert, who did the original comic series. The Prince was given invulnerability by the Gods, and the team is tasked to go get the body. Back to Diana, she's proving to be a lousy diplomat, threatening war to global warming naysayers at the conference that just happens to be near where the Viking ship was found. There's an explosion, and we get the classic spin-transformation sequence (created for the Lynda Carter WW show). She finds Heat Wave (Lex Lang), Giganta, Killer Frost (Jennifer Hale doing double duty), and Devil Ray (Michael Beach)--although he clearly looks like Black Manta. Was this a DC directive not to use the name? He shoots Diana with a poison dart, but King Faraday swoops in (he has a jet pack!). Diana calls J'onn, and insists he come help out--he brings GA with him. A Legion of Doom sub drags the ship out of the ice. GA flies down onto the sub with a rope arrow (singing a fanfare as he does) and gets inside before it submerges. (How does the Viking ship, still encased in ice, submerge as well?) GA is like Batman with bravado. Diana fights Devil Ray/Black Manta underwater. J'onn grabs Killer Frost and forces her to stop the avalanche caused by the bad guys. Faraday brings in 3 US subs to end the whole thing. The League is starting to put the pieces together about the bad guys. J'onn realizes he needs to reconnect to humanity. The Viking ship is hauled in space and left to drift into the Sun. This was a great episode.
If you would like to play along, the DVD box set is available on Amazon.