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Justice
League Unlimited
Epilogue
Original Airdate - 07/23/05
65 years after
last week…
A mysterious
man sneaks into a well guarded mansion, taking out security
guards along the way. The man is an adult Terry McGinnis
(aka Batman in Batman Beyond) and the woman he has
come to confront is an elderly Amanda Waller.
Terry has come
to Amanda in search of answers, following an argument he
had with an extremely old Bruce Wayne. Amanda will answer
his questions, but only after tea.
A flashback
reveals that Terry recently broke up with his long-time
girlfriend over the fact that he felt their relationship
could never lead to anything more. Terry's work as Batman
would only put her life in danger if anyone ever found out
his identity and there's the whole "he's a bat, she's a
human" thing.
Another
flashback shows the Justice League (Aquagirl, Green Lantern
& Warhawk) fighting the Iniquity Collective (Inque, Stalker,
Parasite & Shrike). Batman arrives in time to lend a hand,
but then quits the League right after.
Terry explains
to Amanda that he figured "it" out when Bruce needed a tissue
donor to clone replacement kidneys from. Terry turned out
not only to be a tissue donor match, but also a DNA match.
Another flashback
shows Terry confronting Bruce in the Batcave. Terry explains
that the reason he's pissed off at Bruce is because he realizes
that his feelings for his biological Father were just a
lie.
Bruce is Terry's
biological Father.
I expected
"Epilogue" to somehow wrap up the conspiracy plot
of Justice League Unlimited or put a nice bow on
season 2 (4? I forget how their number system works). Instead,
what I got was the final episode of Batman Beyond.
Like the two season plot of JLU, it's tough to know
how many of the surprises revealed in this episode were
part of the plan all along.
If it was always
part of the plan to make Bruce and Terry related, then "bravo".
If it just turned out that way, then "double bravo" to the
writer who figured it out.
Fans
of Batman Beyond were no doubt pleased given the
cornucopia of subtle and not so subtle nods to Bruce Timm
Batman/Batman Beyond continuity.
The
events of Batman: Return of the Joker are referenced.
A ton of Batman and Batman Beyond villains are
featured, including the ever popular Royal
Flush Gang.
Terry
McGinnis' parents are seen leaving the movie "The Grey Ghost
Strikes." Grey Ghost was the childhood idol of Timm's Bruce
Wayne and they even teamed up in the Batman: Animated
Series episode "Beware the Grey Ghost," voiced
by 60s Batman Adam West.
Amanda
Waller hires Andrea Beaumont (aka Phantasm) to kill Terry
McGinnis' parents. Phantasm appear in the first direct to
video Batman feature, Mask
of the Phantasm .
"Epilogue" is not only Bruce Timm's final word
on Batman Beyond but also feels like his swan song for Batman
as a character.
What
a long, strange, joker gas filled trip it's been.
And
it's still going -- next season they'll all face -- The
Legion of Doom.
Derek's
Continuity Corner
Because Timm and company were really tying all
their own continuity up (and wow, was it fantastic), there's
not much to say as regards to the actual DC Comics. The
League's confrontation with the Royal Flush Gang borrows
a little bit from a Mark Waid-scripted plot in which the
League confronts the Queen of Stories, an evil being that
transforms New York City into a fairy-tale kingdom. There,
too, it takes a Bat to end it all. You can find it in JLA
Vol. 8: Divided We Fall.
The
little bit of continuity tying into Batman Beyond: Return
of the Joker refers to nanotechnology not quite explained
in that film. But now that JLU has covered that
in "Dark Heart"
and, by extension, "Divided
We Fall," Timm has left himself no plot holes.
If you haven't seen Return of the Joker, do so. Now. I've
linked to the uncut version, but even edited to make it
more palatable for children (HA!), it's still pretty damned
creepy.
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