Legends (Earth-2 with the serial numbers filed off)
[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros-Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue…]
I’ve visited the first two times the Justice Society of America (JSA) have been officially represented on the small screen (I’m still holding out hope someone in DC will green light a JSA theatrical movie) Perhaps, if there’s enough demand, I’ll do a review of the third (Stargirl)
However, their appearance in Smallville wasn’t the first time the JSA has been on television; that would be in Justice League (though they weren’t called by that name due to the events of the episode) If you would like to watch the episode, it’s available on Max or behind your favorite paywall.
We open in Metropolis with the League battling…
Is it just me, or does that look like a giant version of Ultron?
The League makes short work of the definitely-not-a-Marvel-clone giant robot, but the robot’s reactor goes critical!
Superman is thrown back by the blast and before he can recover, the robot is about to fall on Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, and John! Flash creates a vortex around the that keeps the robot aloft, but that, combined with the robot’s reactor going critical…
…causes the four to vanish!
I hope those buildings were evacuated!
Roll the opening credits!
We open with the four emerging from the wreckage of the robot. John calls out for the other members of the League, but there’s no answer, and J’onn can’t reach then via telepathy; instead, he’s hit by some sort of psychic feedback. The League spreads out to search for the others.
(Thanks to DC Multiverse)
Meet the Justice Guild of America, a super team that John read about in his uncle’s comics when he was a kid. Why does that sound familiar?
They are, in fact, a repackaged JSA. They are (left to right): Black Siren (Black Canary), Tom Turbine (the Atom Al Pratt, voiced by Ted McGinley, who played Roger Phillips on Happy Days), the Streak (the Flash Jay Garrick), Green Guardsman (Green Lantern Alan Scott, voiced by The Greatest American Hero, William Katt), and Cat Man (Wildcat)
[The episode was a tribute to Gardner Fox, longtime National Publications (which would become DC Comics) writer who worked on and helped create several DC heroes, as well as the formation of the JSA and wrote Flash of Two Worlds, which introduced the DC Multiverse. So why did the series rename the JSA to the JGA? The reason will be revealed later in this review]
Later at the Brownstone JGA Headquarters, where introductions are made, including the boy that Flash saved:
(voiced by Neil Patrick Harris)
Suddenly, J’onn gets another wave of psychic feedback. Black Siren offers to take Hawkgirl to bake cookies, to which Hawkgirl looks ready to tell Black Siren where she can stick those cookies (remember, the Justice Guild was set in the was the…40s? 50s? Anyway, gender roles were different then. I’m waiting for someone to bring up John’s skin color) John takes Hawkgirl aside to have a bit of a chat about trying to get to the bottom of what’s happening. Hawkgirl agrees to play nice...for now.
Then John has a bit of exposition with Flash.
Elsewhere, Music Master tells his fellow villains in the Injustice Guild (sure, why not) about the League, but they don’t believe him, so…
(Besides Music Master, we have Dr. Blizzard, Sir Swami, and the Sportsman)
Back at Justice Guild HQ, Tom Turbine theorizes how the League came to their universe. Tom theorizes that the energy from the robot (remember that?) caused the Flash to vibrate at the JGA’s Earth’s frequency, transporting them across the barrier.
J’onn theorizes that the creators of the Justice Guild comics might have had a psychic link to this universe, subconsciously transcribing the JGA’s actual adventures into comic book form.
Leave it to Hawkgirl to get to the meat of the matter.
Tom reveals a prototype he’s been developing.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t have anything that can generate enough power to make it work, but Tom promises to find a way to get the League home.
Before Hawkgirl can do something violent involving dessert and the JGA, the door rings. It’s the Seaboard City police with a letter from the Injustice Guild: They intend to pull off four crimes based on Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.
Realizing the JGA will need help, the Streak deputizes the League as honorary members (with decoder rings and everything!)
The Streak then organizes the group into teams to deal with the incoming crime spree. Ray wants to help as well. J'onn is hesitant about letting a boy go into such a dangerous situation. However, Cat Man overrules J’onn’s concerns. Tom stays behind to try to get the Gateway working.
The Streak deciphers the “Fire” part of the spree: the Flame of Rasputin, a precious ruby being displayed at the Seaboard City Museum.
John tells the Streak he’s proud to be working alongside the JGA.
(THERE’S the racism I’ve been waiting for!)
At the Seaboard City Museum, Sir Swami is in the middle of stealing the ruby when John and the Streak arrive.
As the battle commences, let’s check in with Green Guardian and Hawkgirl at the Museum of Flying where Music Master is stealing the Wright Brothers’ plane! Hawkgirl moves in to attack, but is stopped by Green Guardian.
While the chase is on, let’s go to the unveiling of a new fountain as Dr. Freeze attacks it! Fortunately, Flash and Black Siren are on hand to try to put a stop to Dr. Blizzard stealing the fountain.
And what of the Sportsman and the “Earth” part of the spree? Why, a trophy for a clay tennis championship. Sure, why not? Let’s hope Cat Man and J’onn (and Ray) can stop him, as Sir Swami has gotten away.
Music Master manages to distract Green Guardian by putting innocents in harm’s way…
…leaving Hawkgirl alone to face the music (sorry, I had to) as he gets away.
Meanwhile, Flash is distracted by a truck full of TNT barreling toward a bus full of nuns (what are the odds?!), which distracts the heroes long enough…
…for Dr. Freeze to put them on ice (sorry) and capture Black Siren and the Flash!
And as for the Sportsman, J’onn is once again his with what psychic feedback, stunning him.
This distracts Cat Man enough that Sportsman gets away.
Hawkgirl regains consciousness to discover…
There are tombstones of the rest of the JGA as well. What the hell is going on here?
Well, we’ll have to tune in next week to find out!
Or, you know, just hit “next episode” and continue the review now.
J’onn and Hawkgirl compare notes. J’onn’s psychic backlash showed his scenes of Seaboard City in ruins. John Flies off in disbelief, so Hawkgirl flies off after him.
Meanwhile at the Injustice Guild’s lair, the Fearsome Foursome compare the spoils of their capers.
I’d say Dr. Blizzard won, which means he’s the architect for the JGA’s demise. Cue evil laughter.
Meanwhile at the JGA’s Headquarters, the Guild gets a phone call: The Injustice Guild has struck again! This time, they've hit the city mint! The combined heroes spring into action!
Later, John has discovered the JGA’s graves. With that, John and Hawkgirl fly off to find answers, starting with the ice cream man who never seems to have any customers.
Elsewhere, the JGA has discovered the Injustice Guild’s getaway blimp. Green Guardsman’s about to puncture the blimp before Tim sees…
…Black Siren and Flash tied to the outside. The Injustice Guild manage to neutralize J'onn, the Guardsman, and Tom.
With that, Cat Man leaves Ray’s sidecar behind and rides his motorcycle into a high-rise, takes the elevator to the roof and…
Hope that bike is insured against falling damage.
Cat Man then bursts into the blimp’s cabin and attacks!
But what about John and Hawkgirl? Well, they head to Seaboard City Library for answers.
(Thanks to Justice League Clips)
Meanwhile, Cat Man is doing rather well against the Injustice Guild by his onesies as the Streak rushes in to untangle Tom and the Guardsman from a magicked TV antenna (remember those?) Outside, the Flash uses his head (namely, the earpieces on his mask) to puncture the blimp.
Inside, the cabin lurches as the blimp deflates, sending Sir Swami out the main door!
Fortunately for him, J’onn has recovered.
Outside, Tom flies up to rescue Flash and Black Siren as Cat Man dumps the trash out of the cabin into the Guardsman’s waiting beam.
(Thanks to Princess Darkseid)
As the Justice Guild deals with the monster, the League deals with Ray. Unfortunately, Ray’s mental powers are a match for the combined League.
And so, the Justice Guild once again die heroes (and you see why DC didn’t want the JSA’s name in this episode)
After scanning Ray’s mind, J’onn determined that Ray was mutated by the radiation from the war and gained psychic abilities and could mold the world as he saw fit.
But what about Seaboard City?
Was the illusion really that bad? Let’s ask the survivors of Seaboard City about the illusion being removed.
Sure, but what’s to stop Ray from doing it all over again when he wakes up?
The League decides not to dwell on that and focus on trying to get home. They find Tom’s Gateway, though it still needs a power source.
OK, that works. Guess Tom never asked the Guardsman to use his ring. With that, John somehow finds the right frequency to get home.
Later, on the Watchtower, Flash tells Batman and Superman what they missed, but John is staring out the window mourning the illusionary Justice Guild.
Hawkgirl puts things into perspective, saying they sacrificed themselves as real heroes as we fade out.
