"The end of times," as Flash puts it in the final minute or so of this episode, and that's pretty much what we have here. "Destroyer" is the second part of the 3rd Season of JLU (or the 5th of JL if you want to count it like that), but in all due respects it is likely the end of the "Timmverse", which began with B:TAS in the early 90's and has spanned across three networks and 14 years of cartoons, from S:TAS, B:TNGA, BEYOND, spin-off fodder like STATIC SHOCK and THE ZETA PROJECT (both of which I saw little of), and finally JL/JLU. Unlike Marvel's 90's projects, many of the same writers/producers/actors stayed on board for the entire affair, allowing the "DCUA" to have its own continuity; revamping classic characters and boiling them down to their essence; using what worked and what didn't to compile an "Ultimate" version, from Batman to Superman to even lesser stringers like The Question.
I don't envy the writers of JLU this season. Their last, with the "Camdus" arc with the finale of "Divided We Fall" and "Epilogue" felt like a true artistic finale to the entire series, with all of the weight, the time, the music, the everything to go with it. And then something happened; they were renewed. Granted, CN seemed to forget by the time the ink was dry; after months of delays, the first 3rd of the series was chugged out in two weeks, and then nada for months, and so it drug out, as always. CN lost interest in the show almost as soon as they renewed it, and did everything in their power to help its demise. Maybe they figure, after 14 years, the time is now to tap younger fans, sell more toys, let us old fogies go off and rent the DVD's or something. And in truth I have been very critical of this season, which, while good overall, lacked the PUNCH of the last, and it felt that the tales were running out of steam. Some good character moments, some good brawls, but the Timmverse has always done that. No, something was not quite right, so now may have been the time to say farewell, while our memories are still fond.
How did this fare as a finale? TEEN TITANS chose to end on a somber, downer sort of note with "Things Change", which, while not bad, was a bit of a disappointment after a previous action spectacle. I was curious how JLU would fare, and they chose the complete opposite track; "Destroyer" has very little character growth, and not much of a plot. All it has is a parade of action packed "fanboy" moments to give the characters a sendoff. Nearly every hero who's had a line or screentime on the show had a moment here, and even some of the longtime villians. If any character "owned" this season, it was Lex Luthor. After his role in Camdus, however, it did feel like a bit of Luthor overkill (especially since the Superman DTV will have Luthor & Brainiac yet again, and SUPERMAN RETURNS has, yep, Luthor again). At this point I am glad he sacrificed himself, because I am officially tired of him. He had great moments, great lines, great growth, but he's said all he has now.
As an action packed spectacle, the episode delivers. JLU chose to end on a light hearted BANG, and that is rather commendable. They know they're pandering to the fans, and that's fine, too. Why is "pleasing your audience" a dirty term sometimes? WWE makes a living on knowing their audience's expectations and milking them to the hilt. Too many comic writers try to "fool" and outmanuver their audience, and the result are stories that are unfulfilling. "Destroyer" was far from perfect, but at the end my gut reaction was, "Wow". I can criticize, I can nitpick, but that was the reaction from my gut, and so that's the final tally.
The episode picks up from the last, all-villian centric episode. Luthor's attempt to magically revive Brainiac backfired, and instead he's revived Darkseid, who's angrier and more powerful than he was before. Facing an invasion from Apokolips, what's left of the "Secret Society" shows up at the JLU's doorstep to offer a warning...and assistance. Very quickly they explain how they survived; Sinestro used his Power-Ring to shield a few survivors of Darkseid's "Omega Blast" (Luthor, Toyman, Bizarro, Volcana, Heatwave, Killer Frost, Star Sapphire, Giganta, Evil Star, and Sinestro himself). Seemingly every other villian onboard had been killed; talk about heavy casualities (but not a bad bonus to some overworked Leaguers!), as well as "instant karma". Granted, Grodd and Tala looked iced by last week anyway. Noticed by Lightray from New Genesis, they jump him and grab his "motherbox" to open a boom-tube to get back to Earth. Superman and the rest of the League are not quick to believe them, and even less eager to trust them (they first plan to hold them in lock-up). Mr. Terrific notes that the invasion has begun, and the motive seems to be the same as it was in some of S:TAS' episodes; invasion of hordes of Para-Demons as they attempt to use their machines to drill into the Earth's Core and open "fire-pits" to turn Earth into a wasteland like Apokolips is. Only instead of just focusing on Metropolis, they're hitting cities all over the world, including Tokyo and Paris (and I don't mean Hilton). Faced with an invasion that even stretches a roster of 60 superheroes thin, Batman suggests they begrudgingly ally with the baddies (for the sake of "more bodies to throw at 'em"), and so they do. Seemed a bit odd coming from Batman (as even Superman doesn't want to team up with "Lex flippin' Luthor", and who could blame him, especially after last season). Just like that, the fight is on.
On the downside, the fights went down as I feared; nothing but hordes and hordes of nameless, static Para-Demons, who are supposed to be scary troopers, and yet even Dan Turpin, a middle aged cop from S:TAS, managed to punch one out. Which means even superheroes without powers can mow through a half dozen or more without breaking a sweat. Last week I'd hoped that some "named" grunts would show up, even for a few seconds, so it wouldn't feel as monotone. Like Mantis, Granny Goodness, the Female Furies, and even Vunderbaa. Now, I know the episode had a lot to do in under 21 minutes (yes, without a "previously" and the themesong, today's episode was under 21 minutes without commercials), but I'm just talking about those same "leaguers swat baddies" scenes, only with a few of those baddies not being Para-Demons, but some of those fellas. I know it'd have likely cost a little more, but it would have added to the excitement. A second of Capt. Atom paring blasts with Mantis, a few female heroines boxing the Furies, etc. Not much. Even in TMNT, a series known for hordes of "Foot Ninja", they at least mix it up with other designs, like Foot Techs (armored ninja who turn invisible and have strength boosts), Elite Ninja (teleporters in Fuedal Design), towering Foot Mechs, and occasional named henchmen (Hun, Karai, etc).
That said, despite the fact that it was the League vs. a mass of "expendable Para-Demons", the action scenes still felt some tenseness. Or maybe it was because nearly everyone got a "moment". The Question, who was shamefully ignored all season, gets a notable intro. Toyman, Sinestro, Giganta, Shining Knight, Green Arrow, Steel (both of 'em), Zatanna, they all get their moments to shine and swat some PD's. Surely it is worth appreciating such an expansive group brawl, even if it could have been better. JLU spent a slow burn introducing many "second stringers" over time, but it makes up for it here because you "know" most of the faces. I even enjoyed seeing Hawk & Dove lay some smackdown, so long as they're not speaking or related to the plot in anyway. No one could summarize the brawls accurately. Flash & Green Lantern had a memorable exchange, launching one machine into a large spaceship. Wonder-Woman got to unleash her warrior fury. But out of every cameo, the best came from a spunky little Asian man defending his wife, only to turn into...Martian Manhunter! Apparently he got a life and a wife, but isn't about to leave his friends behind. Considering that J'onn himself is hundreds of years old, the fact that he's not with some token 20-something chippy was appreciated, spoke wonders of the character.
Shayera also had a long sequence smashing the machine alongside Atomic Skull and Steel. No, not the armored Steel; the man in red, white, and blue, who was doing his best Capt. America impression is also named Steel, and he predates John Henry Irons by nearly a decade in the comics. Since the name is confusing, I'll call him Commander Steel (as that was his father's name in the comics anyway). Speaking of allusions to Cap with the shield-slinging (and decapitation; OUCH! Although TMNT still has the best decapitation scene from U.S. cartoon history), there were allusions galore here. Note how Ice "suited up" in a manner identical to Iceman's sequence from SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS. The Source Wall also had some images that resembled Galactus, which was also a creation of Jack Kirby (along with all "4th World" characters). Still, since this sequence was longer anyway, imagine how much cooler it would have been had Shayera been wounded by, say, a Female Fury? Oh, well...serves them right for setting the bar so high! Com. Steel wasn't the only "new Leaguer" given a mention; Blue Devil got in a short line too.
The true stars of the episode, despite all the name dropping (and the fact that all the 7 founders spoke), were Superman, Batman, and Luthor, as they took on Darkseid head-on. Luthor had some double-gun action that seemed reminiscent of Vigilante (who showed his talents too), while Batman gave his Batarangs and Electro-Knuckles a workout (note that Batman has used those "Electro-Knuckles" against Thanagarians in "Starcrossed" and against The Cadre alongside Superman in "Clash"). Naturally, this was Superman vs. Darkseid, Round 3, although Batman landed a few assists. It seemed a bit jarring that Batman could actually STAGGER Darkseid with attacks, especially considering Mongul barely noticed him in "For The Man Who Has Everything". I like Batman, but I don't like it when he is mistake for a metahuman. The exploding Batarang was good, but it seemed silly seeing Darkseid wobble like that when Batman flipped him (although, to be fair, Darkseid disregarded him as a "flea"). Batman even dodged his Omega Beam, although I'll admit that looked cool. One of those "fanboy moments". Luthor wisely kept away and happened upon the Metron, who was watching the fight for, um, the same reason cosmic omnipotents watch stuff. He goads Metron into helping him find a way to beat Darkseid, and here we get to the episode's major downside.
Things like The Source wall and the Anti-Life Equation are things that hardcore DC fans know of, and casual fans can look up online, but TV viewers would know nothing of, and the show gives them no explaination. In terms of the episode, it was just a dues ex machina, a "magic bullet" solution to beat Darkseid in one fell swoop. Sort of like some magic solution is used constantly in bad sci-fi or disaster movies. It is always lame and tiring to see. Plus, Luthor's already saved the day ("The Return") and nearly ended all days ("Divided We Fall"). It would have been simple, but I would have rather had the "World's Finest" defeat Darkseid. Probably would have been more satisfying.
But of course, I can't go on without that one moment that will be etched into our minds forever, the moment that'll become immortalized in about 100 avatars across the Internet. Yes, that is the "Super-Punch". This was what you call "solid arse pacing". Superman, after taking a malicious beating, gets his barings after seeing Batman get swatted AGAIN rather hard, and starts to lower the boom on Darkseid, getting angrier with every punch, and delivering an EPIC sort of speach about how his team won't surrender, and how its finally time to show off some REAL power. This moment worked MUCH better than homaging Moore's "BURN!" from "FTMWHE". Superman lays the smackdown with the mother of all punches that knocks Darkie through about half of Metropolis (I feel so sorry for insurance rates in Metropolis; isn't this the 3rd time the DAILY PLANET'S gotten smashed in as many years), and then he pulls a Goku and smashes him from behind.
Alas, then Darkseid wins out, brags about it, and then Luthor emerges with his "magic bullet" instant kill solution, the Anti-Life Equation. The fact that jumping out of Metron's bubble in the middle of outer space didn't kill Luthor is saying enough. Apparently he has a "12th level intellect" like Brainiac-5 does, because he mastered it. The comics have been fuzzy over the years about what exactly the Anti-Life Equation is (although several claim it to be a way to mentally control every mind in the universe), but in the cartoon, its some bright light that seemingly kills both of them. Of course, maybe it wasn't the "real" anti-life equation? Maybe it was some other power and Luthor just suckered him (like he was suckered out of Brainiac's power)? Who knows. Just like that, the Para-Demons flee and the battle is won, and it feels a little anti-climatic. To be fair, this was Luthor's season, so maybe in a way it was fitting how he solved the problem for them.
Fortunately, and this is saying a lot, despite the anti-climatic finish to the JLU's, and the Timmverse's, FINAL battle against their worst enemy, the show manages to put a smile on it. The JLU revels in their victory and even dares on the rest of the Society to try to escape them with a "head start". The main 7 all get in a last line, and they go with a "the adventures continue" ending, rather than hope to tie up whatever loose ends remain to be tied (which aren't many really). And then to the theme of the show, all the members race down the staircase in groups. Not of appearence, but of other means. Gotten from my own geekness and TV.com:
1). Question, Hawk & Dove, Capt. Atom, Creeper: all creations of Steve Ditko.
2). Stargirl, STRIPE, Crimson Avenger, Vigilante, Shining Knight: 7 Soldiers of Victory.
3). Gypsy, Vibe, Commander Steel, Vixen: from the 80's "JLA Detriot" era.
4). Red Tornado, Zatanna, Green Arrow, Black Canary: the "Satellite" JLA from the 70's.
5). Hourman, Dr. Fate, Dr. Midnight, Wildcat: JSA.
6). Booster Gold, Fire & Ice, Elongated Man: the "JLI" era from about 1987-1992.
7). Finally, the 7 founders, with the "Big Three" running together, focusing on Batman's symbol, as it was B:TAS that began it all 14 years ago.
Despite all that, though, this finale cannot match the "bringing in all seasons of JL plus years of backstory" into effect from the Camdus arc and the classy finish of "Epilogue" that also wrapped up BEYOND and set the tone for the evolution of Batman II. Yes, Darkseid and Luthor bring in all of their past baggage. Considering Darkseid invaded Metropolis, killed Superman's pal Dan Turpin, then brainwashed Kal himself and ruined his rep and had him conquor for him, Darkseid may be the one foe Superman hates MORE than Brainiac or Luthor. But it wasn't the same. It was easily better than JLU's freshman season, though. But thankfully it all flows together. Still, as good as it is, this season seemed to show that the source material was at an end, that nearly everything meaningful that could be said about these characters is already said so they just only had to do wrap-up (like with Supergirl or the GL/HG/Vixen triangle). Plus, well, we know how the future ends up with BEYOND. Not every single little plot point is filled, but it doesn't have to be. No series could do that. And nothing would be as tedious as tying every loose end.
Still, this finale will stay fresh in my mind long after TITAN's has already faded into the abyss of memory. JLU ends with heroes united, charging foward to face their brave new world. The struggle for good and evil continues. Is there any other way to have it?
A 5th season of JL may not have been as artsey, or as good as the 4th, but it had its moments, though, and I don't think I'd have wanted to not see them. The Timmverse gets judged harshly because Timm has raised the bar so high after 14 years, and I for one am grateful for this achievement in American animation. Many series, seasons, networks, literally hundreds of episodes, and a climax that, although like most climaxes, a little anti-climatic (like Joker learning Batman's identity in ROTJ), still leaves you reminded of the best of the series. Lexiac will always be more satisfying, but ending out on a B+ instead of an A+ is no reason to feel like a failure. The crew have earned their collective right to take a bow while the stage isn't strewn with tomatoes after all their dedicated work. You do us fans proud, Timm & Co. Setting the standard on how superhero cartoons should be done in a way that pleases the young, hooks the old and assumes neither are idiots. Still, with JLU and now TMNT ending their "traditional" runs and the future lined with more "kiddie fare", one only can cringe and wonder about what the next generation will have.
But they'll have the DVD's. And we'll have the memories. Spent over half my life with the Timmverse, which has pretty much invented, from the ground up, any appeal I have in DC comics, and despite the niggles, never regretted a second.
Good journey, JLU. 'Till all are one.
I would have liked to see it as a spin off to see how supergirl is doing but no.
