Justice League Unlimited "Panic in the Sky" Talkback (Spoilers)

[Kieralinn]

I took it as Batman talking about the "now" and not when it happened.

Batman's exact words were "Two of them were already on the Watchtower."
So he was talking about when it was fired. Which means, to me, he is referring to J'onn and the Atom.

I found it weird that he didn't include himself in that scenerio also. Batman would know that Watchtower inside and out I would think, and be able to do it too. Why he wasn't part of that....who knows? He is certainly smart enough to do it if he wanted to.

 

[Dwayne McDuffie]

Broadcast Standards and Practices. There's a department like this at every network that makes sure that each episode's contents are appropriate to their internal standards, as well as to the rating that each series gets. It's slightly different for each network, for instance Kids WB is generally more strict about "fantasy violence" than Cartoon Network.

And the line did add something: the assurance to every viewer that no innocents were killed. IIRC, I tried to be cute about it first draft, by having Waller say no one was harmed (but she was only answering a specific question about Cadmus personnel). I thought we could skate on that but I didn't get away with it. They wanted to be crystal clear: no one was injured.

 

[Quintessence]

Batman's exact words were "Two of them were already on the Watchtower."
So he was talking about when it was fired. Which means, to me, he is referring to J'onn and the Atom.

I found it weird that he didn't include himself in that scenerio also. Batman would know that Watchtower inside and out I would think, and be able to do it too. Why he wasn't part of that....who knows? He is certainly smart enough to do it if he wanted to.

Bare with me, because this might be a stretch.

I feel he meant that even though he did piece the Tower together (I don't care how smart he is, I find it hard to believe he shelled out Millions for parts and all of a sudden a Orbital station was built... and no one put that together...), he doesn't have the link up capable to go into he programming of the Tower from the batcave. So he was effectively out of the loop. but with someone of Luthor's resources and intelligence....


Nah, you're right. He messed up and/or just left himself out to clear his name. He did say he wasn't going to give himself up, after all.

 

[Grimlock]

Broadcast Standards and Practices. There's a department like this at every network that makes sure that each episode's contents are appropriate to their internal standards, as well as to the rating that each series gets. It's slightly different for each network, for instance Kids WB is generally more strict about "fantasy violence" than Cartoon Network.

And the line did add something: the assurance to every viewer that no innocents were killed. IIRC, I tried to be cute about it first draft, by having Waller say no one was harmed (but she was only answering a specific question about Cadmus personnel). I thought we could skate on that but I didn't get away with it. They wanted to be crystal clear: no one was injured.

Alright, thanks for the info. And again, my original point was that i hoped you guys could have done something like you said you originally wrote (i.e. waller's line), i would have thought that could have pleased both fans and BS&P.

But a lot of us here were wondering if BS&P did want to be "crystal clear", so thanks for clearing that up.

 

[ndyjones]

I'm guessing J'onn and possibly Steel.

I was thinking Atom and J'onn but now that I reconsider, I dunno if J'onn would even be in that count. Hmmm will have to think on this more. Blue Beetle? *smirk?*

 

[poly4life]

Ya know, to put it warmly, it would be kind and appreciative (I shouldn't forget convenient) if any members of the JLU staff who are reading this right now could just tell us to which two people Batman was referring. I'm guessing they don't even know; they just put that line in there to get people talkin' about it - and it worked pretty well actually. Batman says there are two people, besides Luthor, who could access the Watch Tower and fire the projectile remotely, yet those two people were on the Watch Tower at the time. What, your pal Oracle not smart enough?

 

[Enemy Ace]

In regard to the non-casualties issue, I can understand why it was required to have a line like that, but I the same time, in my own personal perspective of the story, I choose to ignore it. I'll acknowledge the fact that it was said, so I won't argue about it like it wasn't said, but in my own private universe, Lex Luthor intentionally caused a big space cannon to go off that killed untold score of civillians and put the blame on the Justice League. I like to think of it as some sort of director's cut

 

[Yojimbo]

Ya know, to put it warmly, it would be kind and appreciative (I shouldn't forget convenient) if any members of the JLU staff who are reading this right now could just tell us to which two people Batman was referring. I'm guessing they don't even know; they just put that line in there to get people talkin' about it - and it worked pretty well actually. Batman says there are two people, besides Luthor, who could access the Watch Tower and fire the projectile remotely, yet those two people were on the Watch Tower at the time. What, your pal Oracle not smart enough?

Atom and Steel? Other possibilities are Mr. Terrific, J'onn (but he wasn't able to stop the cannon from being hacked so I doubt he is a one of the two) and Stripe. But I am positive it was Atom and Steel Batman was talking about.

 

[FALLEN ELDOR]

In regard to the non-casualties issue, I can understand why it was required to have a line like that, but I the same time, in my own personal perspective of the story, I choose to ignore it. I'll acknowledge the fact that it was said, so I won't argue about it like it wasn't said, but in my own private universe, Lex Luthor intentionally caused a big space cannon to go off that killed untold score of civillians and put the blame on the Justice League. I like to think of it as some sort of director's cut

look at it this way. How does flash know that people won't die later on arrival at the hospital? his statement is based on what exactly? I'm just gonna assume he was wrong and that there is in fact a civilian death toll.

 

[Steven C]

Luthor dead???

I dont know if this has been addressed or not, but is Luthor dead now?

Lets see, Brainiac and Luthor were coexisting in his body, at the end of the episode, machine parts came out of Luthor, he ripped of his stomach skin to reveal braniac, Luthor's legs are robotic now. So does this mean that Luthor will die from the massive shock to his system as well as the massive blood lost?

 

[Dens Maris]

Doubtful. Let's consider a few things here:

1) Luthor's kryptonite-induced cancer has not only retreated, but has been erased.
2) Luthor is suddenly in optimum physical condition ("you have the body of a twenty-year-old" in the words of Hamilton), and has been granted super-strength
3) Brainiac looks like he's had a lot of time to build himself up inside Luthor.

If Brainiac is responsible for the first two circumstances, then he clearly does not want Luthor dead, and I'm willing to bet he's played around with Luthor's physique enough so that breaking out didn't hit anything vital. Whether he left Luthor's consciousness intact...well, we'll have to wait for Saturday.

 

[Steven C]

Doubtful. Let's consider a few things here:

1) Luthor's kryptonite-induced cancer has not only retreated, but has been erased.
2) Luthor is suddenly in optimum physical condition ("you have the body of a twenty-year-old" in the words of Hamilton), and has been granted super-strength
3) Brainiac looks like he's had a lot of time to build himself up inside Luthor.

If Brainiac is responsible for the first two circumstances, then he clearly does not want Luthor dead, and I'm willing to bet he's played around with Luthor's physique enough so that breaking out didn't hit anything vital. Whether he left Luthor's consciousness intact...well, we'll have to wait for Saturday.

I see your point, but thats stretching it a bit there....

1 -Brainiac cured Luthor because he was inside him. If Luthor dies from cancer, so does Brainiac.
2 - Luthor gets super strength, okay so hes super powered now so he can fight off the JLU or anyone else. Brainiac knows what can happen to Luthor during the time and if he dies/gets hurt he wont be around to finish Amazo.
3- This is a good one. Luthor has big metal parts sticking out of his skin. He has no stomach skin now, no more flesh legs, no more hands. Basically parts of his body has been torn off. Luthor should die, or hes half robotic now (which is a big cop out)

Also did Luthor know that Brainiac was inside him? Lets just say that Luthor finished Amazo and Brainiac transfered his programming into the Amazo body. Whats happens to Luthor? Does he know hes half robot now?

Like people said in this thread the Brainiac/Luthor as the big bad guy is the easy way out. I hope next week when the JLU and the Govt stop Brainiac, Luthor isnt just back to normal in jail or something.

 

[maxnugget]

I don't care whether Flash said there were casualties or not. Did you SEE the way those cars went flying off the highway ramp? Whoever's in those cars is dead, people don't survive things like that.

Also, unless all those buildings that we saw getting ravaged by the explosion were abandoned, there's no doubt a death toll there too.

 

[maxnugget]

In the shot after the mother-with-child says "I'll take my chances" and walks away with 3-4 other people, did anyone notice that the one guy in that shot looked just like one of the three aliens-disguised-as-humans from the opening scene of "Secret Origins"?

He even did a kind of suspicious-looking glare at the camera for a moment just like he did in Secret Origins. And he's even wearing the same clothes! (minus the lab coat)

Alien from "Secret Origins"

Alien (?) from "Flashpoint"

 

[Knight]

Ya know, to put it warmly, it would be kind and appreciative (I shouldn't forget convenient) if any members of the JLU staff who are reading this right now could just tell us to which two people Batman was referring. I'm guessing they don't even know; they just put that line in there to get people talkin' about it - and it worked pretty well actually. Batman says there are two people, besides Luthor, who could access the Watch Tower and fire the projectile remotely, yet those two people were on the Watch Tower at the time. What, your pal Oracle not smart enough?

Somehow I doubt the writing staff will calrify this. For now people will have to think what they think and im going to stick with Steel and Atom since they are the two most technically inclined Leaguer's and were in charge of trying to get the Watchtowers power back up.

Also there isnt a Oracle in the animated universe.

 

[maczero]

In the shot after the mother-with-child says "I'll take my chances" and walks away with 3-4 other people, did anyone notice that the one guy in that shot looked just like one of the three aliens-disguised-as-humans from the opening scene of "Secret Origins"?

He even did a kind of suspicious-looking glare at the camera for a moment just like he did in Secret Origins. And he's even wearing the same clothes! (minus the lab coat)

Alien from "Secret Origins"

Alien (?) from "Flashpoint"

You're right but I don't think this is anything more than re-using a character design. That suspicous glare you mentioned is directed at Flash and the other heroes. In fact, several of the people in that shot all had similar looks on their faces after it was revealed the blast came from the watchtower. See how the girl next to him also looks like she's pretty pissed at the League. BTW, I wonder if it's his daughter or is it his significant other. If the latter is true, then not bad for a bald, fat, middle-aged guy.

 

[maxnugget]

You're right but I don't think this is anything more than re-using a character design. That suspicous glare you mentioned is directed at Flash and the other heroes.

Or maybe the remaining white martians are laying low after their defeat four seasons ago. It's tough being a white martian on Earth these days.

 

[Knight]

Or maybe the remaining white martians are laying low after their defeat four seasons ago. It's tough being a white martian on Earth these days.

The Invaders from Secret Origins were never said to be white martians if I recall. Although I guess they could be considered the animated equivalent. But I think I will go with reused character sheet and not that thats a alien from the first ep of the series.

Also not to rain on the greatness of this ep, but I got to thinking wouldn't it have made more sense for Cadmus to have launched nukes at the Watchtower and blow it up instead of missiles filled with Ultimen and Galatea who are essentially trying to do the same thing? The Watchtower was both powerless and defenseless against attack and a very easily target. I know such a scenario would take away from the overall melee ness of the ep but it seems far more logical since the thing is in space you don't have to worry about a lot of fallout of high civilian casualties.

 

[The Dark Knight]

Also not to rain on the greatness of this ep, but I got to thinking wouldn't it have made more sense for Cadmus to have launched nukes at the Watchtower and blow it up instead of missiles filled with Ultimen and Galatea who are essentially trying to do the same thing?

That might have resulted in the massive, fusion powered space station falling out of orbit and colliding with Earth. Besides, it's not exactly easy to get authorization to launch nuclear weapons. Cadmus probably didn't have to ask for permission to use their own superhero army.

 

[Quintessence]

I got to thinking wouldn't it have made more sense for Cadmus to have launched nukes at the Watchtower and blow it up instead of missiles filled with Ultimen and Galatea who are essentially trying to do the same thing

That might have resulted in the massive, fusion powered space station falling out of orbit and colliding with Earth. Besides, it's not exactly easy to get authorization to launch nuclear weapons. Cadmus probably didn't have to ask for permission to use their own superhero army.

Not only that, but a waste of millions and millions of dollars that they used to create the Ultimen and Galatea. That and if they are going to wipe out the JLU, they wouldn't be wiping out all the evil villians that forced the creation of the JLU. They needed to see if what they had could step up to the challenge of defending the world once they got rid of the JLU