Monday, February 15, 2016

All-Stars Among Stars

"Justice League: Spacebound"
 
Out in space, a ship is being chased by several droids. Piloting the ship is Adam Strange, the human hero of Planet Rann. In his co-pilot's chair is Red Tornado, the non-lethal Rannian android. Unable to decide a better course of action, Red Tornado exits the ship to fight off the droids while Adam uses the ship's guns to help out. They seem victorious, but the revving of an engine dashes their hopes. A metal chain wraps around Red Tornado and electrifies the robot, on the other end of the chain is Lobo The Bounty Hunter. He rides his space-traveling motorcycle and chomps on his cigar. Lobo fires a grenade at the ship, blowing it up. Adam uses his suit's tech to survive in space and prepares to fight Lobo, but Red Tornado sees Adam's injuries and distracts Lobo long enough for Adam to retreat.
Out in the remains of Planet Krypton, The Martian Manhunter and Supergirl collect pieces of destroyed Kryptonian structures to bring back to Planet Clark (Supergirl: Children of Krypton). Supergirl still worries about Krypton's Red Sun disabling her powers, but Martian Manhunter reassures her that the suit he and The Atom designed will keep her supplied with yellow sun light radiation. The two of them get in their ship and get a distress call from Adam's Rannian wife Alanna. She tells them that her husband has been hurt and that Red Tornado was captured. Meanwhile, Lobo walks into a lab lined with screens displaying different alien species. The scientist Byth asks if Lobo has any new samples, but Lobo says he can't get DNA from a robot. Byth reveals that the DNA of many Green Lanterns (Blue Beetle) makes up for Lobo's lack of samples. Lobo collects his weekly pay for bringing Byth alien DNA samples and he exits as soon as the alien tyrant Mongul walks in. Mongul asks how long until Byth is done splicing DNA, that he requires better opponents for his contestants. Byth claims he is getting closer and closer to creating "The Ultra", but Mongul grows tired of waiting. Byth offers the captured Red Tornado to Mongul.
On planet Rann, Adam has finished recovering and tells MM and Supergirl that he and Red Tornado were told by the Thanagarian council that Hawkman and Hawkgirl never came back from their trip to Warworld. MM asks why Adam hasn't asked for The Green Lantern Corps help, Adam claims the truce between Lantern Corps has ended so the GLC have most likely been busy keeping the Red and Yellow Lantern Corps from attacking other planets. Alanna's father Sardath runs upstairs and tells Adam to come see what's on TV. On the television Mongul announces to the audience three new competitors have joined Warworld: Katar of Thanagar, Sheyera of Thanagar, and The Red Tornado of Rann. Adam and MM don't understand what they are seeing, but Supergirl does. She recalls Warworld from when she was a kid and explains it to Adam and MM, what she doesn't understand is why those three heroes are competing.
After fighting an alien known as "The Evil Star", Red Tornado is brought underground to the stables fighters are kept in. He is helped off the ground by Hawkman. Hawkgirl and Tornado want to plan some way of escape, but Hawkman reminds them that if they try to run Mongul will have his people slaughter innocent people. Overhearing this from across the stable is an alien who questions why any of them should care if people are hurt. We learn this alien's name is Razar. Supergirl, Martian Manhunter and Adam Strange land on Warworld and Supergirl quickly notices changes. In the past, Warworld was a metropolis of entertainment, culture and friendly rivalry. But now it is littered with violence, thievery, gambling, and vulgarity. As they travel through the city they find a advertiser of Warworld's Battle Royal. The advertiser explains that everyday fighters do battle in a tournament fashion and Mongul decides if the losing opponent lives or dies. After the three of them walk away, the advertiser speaks over a phone.
Supergirl, MM and Adam are spotted out by Lobo, who uses the citizens of Warworld as shields against the heroes. Lobo uses a heat-generating net to capture MM and a Kryptonite bullet to defeat Supergirl. Lobo than tosses Adam down a sewer hole. Byth storms his way into Mongul's office and demands an answer as to why Mongul didn't inform Byth of Supergirl and MM being captured. Mongul reminds Byth that Kryptonians and Martians are endangered alien species and to have the chance to present them in his Battle Royal would get him more ratings. Byth reminds him of the deal they made years ago: Byth and Mongul would share the aliens they kidnap for the Battle Royal and, in exchange, Byth would create hybrid monsters to use as punching bags for the popular fighters. Additionally, Byth would work on an alien warrior made from DNA of hundreds of alien species and that "Ultra" would be Warworld's next star. To have such rare DNA could complete the project. Mongul holds Byth up by the neck and reminds him of who is in charge. That night, Adam Strange pulls himself up from the sewer.
The next day, Supergirl wakes up in a cell that projects red sun radiation. MM is locked in a fire-projecting cell. Mongul appears on a monitor and announces today's fights. The first fight is between Red Tornado and "The Changeling". The Changeling is a morphing gray slime that can shape-shift, change it's density and read minds. As our heroes watch on screen, Red Tornado is dismantled by The Changeling and Mongul votes for the robot's death. Red Tornado is thrown into an incinerator as our heroes bow in heartbreak. Supergirl and Hawkgirl are forced to fight and neither of them want to give it their all, but Mongul uses rage-inducing flowers in the arena to drive them both mad. After a heavy fight, Supergirl stands the victor. Hawkgirl is allowed to live. Martian Manhunter battles Razar who-after his constraints are removed-is revealed to be a Red Lantern. MM is unable to overpower Razar's rage-powered attacks, but uses telepathy to remind Razar of a happy memory. This distracts Razar long enough for MM to defeat him. Razar is allowed to live. Hawkman battles "Zook The Misplaced" and oddly has a difficult time fighting the creature. Hawkman wins the fight and Zook is executed by Mongul's order. Taking a halftime, Mongul promises round two in a few hours.
Adam Strange crawls through a gas exhaust of the Battle Royal arena and dodges toxic fumes to get inside. He falls into a chamber were a mound of bodies and trash is slowly sinking into lava. In the pile of executed fighters he finds the head of Red Tornado and grabs it. After using a grappling line to escape the incinerator, Adam manages to reactivate Red Tornado's head. Supergirl apologizes to Hawkgirl and is forgiven, Razar scoffs from across the room. Supergirl talks to Razar, saying MM told her how he won. Razar won't admit to having a happy memory and tells her that all his power comes from his anger. When The Guardians of The Universe used robots called The Manhunters to patrol the cosmos the robots lost control and slaughtered many planets, one being his home. Razar watched his wife die at the hands of the Manhunters and was saved by Atrocitus, leader of the Red Lanterns. As round two begins, Lobo sits impatiently in Byth's lab throwing popcorn at the TV screen. Byth can't focus on his work with Lobo's cigar stench in the room and orders Lobo to go pick up drinks or something. Lobo leaves, but takes the television with him so he can still watch the fights. Adam and Tornado watch all this from drains under the lab. While Byth is busy working, Adam sneaks around the lab and discovers Byth's true plan to blow up Warworld. Adam grabs one of the cleaning robots and attaches Red Tornado's head to it, he tells Tornado that he has spare parts on their ship and he sends Tornado out. Just then, Byth finds Adam and uses surprising elasticity powers to catch him. Byth is Rannian, but reveals he spliced his own DNA with that of Durians, shape-shifting aliens. Byth promises not to kill Adam, not yet.
Round two begins with Martian Manhunter fighting Hawkman and rage pollen being released into the arena again. Hawkman and MM talk about an escape plan while they fight and realize they might have one. MM loses the fight and Mongul votes for Martian Manhunter's death. Supergirl madly screams for MM and attracts the attention of Razar, who can sense her rage. MM's head is severed and his body is tossed into the incinerator. When Hawkman is escorted downstairs he is screamed at by Supergirl. Speaking of which, Supergirl is set to fight The Changeling. The fight is hard as Changeling keeps turning into people Supergirl cares about. Supergirl wins the fight and Changeling is sentenced to death. Changeling falls into the incinerator and sees the head of Martian Manhunter reattaching to his body slowly. Hawkman tries to explain his plan to Supergirl, but she's far to angry at him. Hawkgirl tries to calm her down, but Razar encourages her rage and reveals he sneaked his Red Lantern Ring into MM's pocket after their fight and that MM gave it Hawkman. As Adam is held hostage, he asks why Byth wants to destroy Warworld. Byth finds violence juvenile, but accepts that it is the only way to gain power. Byth is almost finished creating "The Ultra" and once he does, he will destroy Mongul and his precious planet and use "The Ultra" to enslave the universe. Lobo walks in with cases of beer and tells them to shut up because the final fight is next. Hawkman and Supergirl battle next and it seems Hawkman has the advantage, but Supergirl slips on the Red Lantern Ring and uses her rage-powered constructs to fight Hawkman. During the fight, Hawkman produces electricity from his mace and Supergirl creates an electrical blast from her ring and the colliding blast sends a shock-wave across the arena. With all electrical devices fried, the fighters of the Battle Royal break out of their cages and escape.
With the crowd in panic, Mongul reactivates the electricity and announces a "first time ever battle" between Supergirl, Hawkman, and Mongul himself. The crowd hears this and remain in their seats. Lobo watches on the TV, but Byth orders him to round up the escaped fighters. As Lobo turns, Byth sticks needle in his arm and takes a sample of Lobo's blood. Lobo is mad because Byth agreed not to put Lobo's Czarnian DNA in the "Ultra" when they began working together. Byth claims it was the last piece of the puzzle and puts Lobo's DNA into the mixture which pours into an artificial womb. Lobo is still pissed, but Byth tells him to go to his job. Lobo replies "F%&$ you, Bastitch" and blows several holes through Byth. As he falls over and dies, Byth triggers the activation of both "The Ultra" and the bomb inside Warworld. The Ultra walks out of it's womb, Ultra is a constantly changing being, but appears to be the size and build of a young boy. Lobo sees the chance to kill Ultra and Adam, but says "screw this" and leaves the lab. Hawkgirl and Razar show up in the arena and help Hawkman and Supergirl. Supergirl also gives the Red Lantern Ring back to Razar. Red Tornado-in a new body-breaks into Byth's lab and releases Adam. He almost fights Ultra, but Adam stops him. Adam tells Ultra that he isn't a weapon or a tool for Byth anymore, and when Ultra questions what he is Adam simply replies, "You are everything". Mongul is wiping the floor with our heroes as he explains that over the years he had to get more brutal, more sinister and more corrupt, that the people of the universe got bored with the same cookie-cutter battles. People want gore, they want disgust, they want to see those with power abuse that power. Before Mongul can kill Razar, The Martian Manhunter phases through the ground and knocks Mongul back. Lobo gets on his motorcycle, but finds it's engines are locked by a code only Mongul has. Adam Strange, Red Tornado and The Ultra appear on the arena to fight Mongul. When he sees Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, Red Tornado, Adam Strange, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, The Red Lantern and The Ultra standing before him, Mongul sneers "Well, I never imaged I'd get The Justice League on my show".
Mongul loses his fight, but reveals Warworld is going to self-destruct. MM orders the heroes to gather all the citizens they can into ships and to get off the planet, but Hawkman and Hawkgirl decide to go after Mongul who got away. Mongul limps towards an escape pod and reaches for it only to be shot by Lobo. Lobo demands the code to unlock his motorcycle, but the two of them are pushed into the pod by Hawkman and Hawkgirl. The Hawks then break the control panel so the pod can't be launched. As ships begin leaving Warworld, MM uses telepathy to contact The Hawks. The Hawks tell MM that if they don't keep Lobo and Mongul in the pod they could escape into another one. In order to stop them for good The Hawks must die in the explosion with them. Lobo and Mongul argue over who's fault it all is while Hawkgirl and Hawkman say their goodbyes. Hawkman takes Hawkgirl's hand tells her that despite everything between them and John Stewart, he will always love her. Hawkgirl claims that today she will not die his friend or his lover. Today she will die as his sister-in-arms. The four of them are destroyed in the planet's explosion.
On Planet Thanagar, our six heroes-joined by John Stewart of the GLC-are attending an Egyptian-style funeral for The Hawks. After, Martian Manhunter is prepping his ship and runs to the bathroom to puke a gray liquid into the sink, but does not notice as it crawls back up the drain. Supergirl watches as Razar gives his Red Lantern Power Ring to John Stewart and decided to move on with his life, as his wife would want. Adam Strange and his wife Alanna adopt Ultra and Supergirl and Martian Manhunter travel back to Earth. Supergirl swears to The Hawks that their death will not be forgotten. Her narration fades as we see space pirates taking whatever they can find in the ruins of Warworld. They are all killed by Lobo-who reverted to the form of a toddler. Lobo hops on his motorcycle and uses the severed hand of Mongul to activate the motorcycle, he then rides away laughing maniacally.
After the credits, Cyborg Superman reads The Daily Planet's coverage of "Supergirl's War Against Warworld". As the symbol of Brainiac shines on Cyborg Superman's head he recalls the history of Warworld, how it came to be by wiping an entire planet clean. He looks over a map of Metropolis and says "Not a bad idea".
Thank you for reading.
 The PBDC will be taking a one week break.

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