Welcome back to our coverage of Young Justice as part of our 2017 Multiversity Summer Binge! We’re ramping up in intensity in this second half of the season as some previous plot threads come back into play and the overall history of this world continues to be fleshed out. Plus we get Zatanna and that’s worth the price of admission if you’re having to pay to watch since our beloved show is no longer on Netflix. Let’s dive in!
1. Avengers: Age of Ultron: Young Justice Edition
So in this episode, a wacko evil scientist creates a sentient A.I. that goes beyond the limits of being human, “kills” his creator, and then tries to unleash worldwide devastation so that humanity is completely wiped out. If that doesn’t sound like Age of Ultron redux, I’d encourage you to go back and watch both. Even Red Volcano, T.O. Morrow’s final creation after Red Torpedo, Red Inferno, and our friend Red Tornado, looks like a bulkier Iron Man, which is essentially how Ultron comes to be in the movie. There’s plenty of Pinocchio references and it’s almost like I can hear James Spader saying “There are no strings on me,” in the background. It also makes this the darkest episode yet, as you think Morrow is getting his arms pulled off in gory fashion until it’s revealed he’s also an android. Still doesn’t make it less freaky. What this has over it’s Marvel companion, besides the coming out prior to that movie, is the emotional core that we’ll cover later.
2. More Reds!
This episode also heavily leans into the communist/Reds game that the show has been dancing around. All of that jargon is made very overt in this episode as at one point Red Volcano tells Tornado, “Prove yourself a loyal Red.” It’s kind of funny, I’ve joked about it here in this column, but I didn’t expect it to be explicit. Red Army, Red Planet. Hey I mean that super-volcano in Yellowstone would’ve made the earth like nuclear wasteland Siberia…so maybe we’re on to something.
3. You gotta love Zatanna
“Oh she’s gonna fit in great.” – Artemis
Well she definitely does. Zatanna, one of my favorite DC characters, makes an appearance in this episode and pseudo joins the team as her father Zatara brings her to the cave. They of course “kidnap” her to go and find Red Tornado and she definitely proves her worth weaving spells to get the truth out of Ivo in Belle Reve and in fighting the Reds. Also that chemistry with Robin is something that is very “chalant,” and not at all creepy like how some of Wally’s dialogue toward Megan has come across. Hopefully she continues to be an addition to the team unless Zatara grounds her for life. This show could always use more magic.
4. Justice Society of America
The other fun cameo moment in this episode is Morrow recounting to his “son” the story of his creation. He was the third of his kind following Torpedo and Firebrand (Red Inferno), and was successful because he knew he was an android unlike the other two. Tornado then joins the Justice Society of America and rebels against Morrow as he embraces some of that humanity. The JSA have been mentioned some in the show before, but it’s cool to get an actual picture of them here where you see Sandman, Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Doctor Fate, Tornado, The Flash (Jay Garrick), and Wildcat. It’s always fun to see some of the history of this world fleshed out and expanded more.
5. “You were never human. You were heroes
Finally, that emotion I mentioned earlier, shows up at the end of the episode as the team takes on Red Volcano who is deadset on wiping out humanity. Tornado convinces Torpedo and Inferno to help him take on Volcano and the pair end up sacrificing themselves in the process. The words he says though when they object to saving humanity since they aren’t human are priceless though. Even afterward when Tornado confesses to wanting to be the den mother of the team to gain more humanity, saying he knows that to be true and has come to care for them, you feel that he means it. It’s great payoff to the thought that he might be the mole. But is there still a traitor?…
Sound off in the comments below, and check back next week as the team faces world annihilation for the second time in a row!
