"Flash and Substance" is the fifth episode of the second season of Justice League Unlimited. It originally aired on February 11, 2006.
Plot
In a bar where all of Central City's Rogues seem to hang out, four of Flash's enemies share grievances over drinks, lamenting how Flash has always foiled their various capers: Mirror Master, Captain Cold, The Trickster, and Captain Boomerang. As a final insult, Central City has declared the next day "Flash Appreciation Day" and dedicated a museum to him. The Rogues decide to work together and toast to killing the Flash.
The next day, Wally West spends the morning at his day job, as a forensic science technician for the Central City crime lab, where he successfully finds evidence from a suspect's shoe to close a homicide case. Reminding his supervisor that he's taking a half day, Wally ducks into a closet and teleports up to the Watchtower. Seeing that all of the original seven founding members are on assignment except for Batman, Flash drops hopeful hints about the museum opening, and Batman reluctantly agrees to show up, much to Orion's disgust. After Flash leaves the room, Orion begins to chastise Batman for allowing Flash to talk him into attending. Batman shoots Orion a stern look, which is all it takes to convince Orion to tag along for the ceremony.
While making the rounds in Central City, Flash hears a little girl crying for help inside an abandoned disco club. The girl proves to be an illusion, and the disco has been booby-trapped by Mirror Master, with lasers shooting from the disco ball. Flash escapes the trap by throwing a record at the disco ball, severing its cord and causing it to crash to the floor.
Flash receives the key to the city from the Mayor and gives a brief humble speech thanking everyone, but the ceremony is interrupted by a barrage of explosive boomerangs. Flash disposes of them safely, but then a giant rocket-propelled boomerang snatches him up and heads for a mountain. Flash manages to tear out its circuitry, causing it to crash prematurely on a street. Batman and Orion find him, telling him there's a plot to kill him. Flash says he still plans to attend the ceremony.
After Captain Boomerang's plot fails, Trickster proposes an elaborate but deadly prank involving four hundred cases of fake dog vomit and a wall of metal spikes. Ignoring him, the other three Rogues, at Cold's suggestion, decide to ambush Flash together at the museum opening. They leave the Building while Trickster remains behind, depressed that "nobody gets me".
The three heroes teleport into Flash's apartment. Flash changes his costume, but Batman tells him to take attempts on his life more seriously. Flash says he'll just pick up the villains tomorrow, because they all hang out at the same bar.
Flash leads his teammates to the bar, where Trickster is moping. Orion and Batman interrogate him in their usual tough style, but Flash takes a more humane approach. Flash convinces Trickster that he needs to continue his psychiatric care, and Trickster agrees to spill about the others' plan if Flash promises to come visit him in the hospital. Flash agrees, so Trickster warns him about the planned ambush at the museum. As they leave, Trickster cheerfully agrees to turn himself in as soon as he finishes his drink, much to Orion's bafflement.
At the museum opening, Batman and Orion stake out the outside of the building, Batman reporting that he's removed all the mirrors from the inside. Orion wonders aloud, not understanding at how a "buffoon" like Flash can be considered a hero, or deserve membership in the League. Batman agrees...that Orion doesn't understand.
Flash is signing autographs inside inside the museum. Linda Park, an infatuated TV reporter, slips him her phone number, but he is so distracted that he just signs it and hands it back. Before starting their on-air interview, Linda checks her makeup in a compact mirror – Out of which Boomerang, Captain Cold, and Mirror Master emerge. The crowd flees, while Batman and Orion rush inside.
Mirror Master fires dozens of mirrors from his arsenal, into one of which Linda falls. Flash follows her in, and they are both trapped in an alternate dimension with millions of mirrors – It might take years for them to find the exit mirror, even with Flash's super-speed.
During the fight in the museum, Captain Cold encases Orion in ice. Batman fires a flare into the mirror, marking the exit for Flash. As Flash and Linda return to the museum, the Leaguers regroup and defeat the Rogues. Mirror Master tries to escape through a mirror but Batman shatters it with a batarang, leaving the Mirror Master literally in pieces.
In a TV interview, Flash reports that everyone is safe. Linda laments that the museum has been destroyed, and pours out her adoration of Flash. Embarrassed, Wally covers with a joke: "Hey, at least I got to be on TV".
Orion realizes that the speedster is actually quite the worthy warrior, and that he only acts the part of a fool to deal with the emotional stress and trauma that goes along with superheroics. Though the museum has sustained heavy damage, Flash shrugs it off; museums can be rebuilt. What matters most to Wally West is that no one was hurt and the good guys won in the end.
Continuity
- It is revealed that Captain Boomerang left Task Force X, which featured heavily in "Task Force X", he merely claims to be out for good behaviour.
- In the Flash Museum, there is a statue of Grodd holding his mind-control helmet from Justice League episode, "The Brave and the Bold".
- Also, in the Flash Museum, there is a giant globe depicting "The Fastest Man Alive" race disputed between Superman and the Flash in the Superman: The Animated Series episode, "Speed Demons". According to the banner, the Flash won the race.
- Orion rips apart the last "Flash Standee" from the Lightspeed Energy Bars advertising spot that Flash did in Justice League episode, "Eclipsed, Part I".
- The mayor's speech refers to the Thanagarian invasion chronicled in Justice League, "Starcrossed".
Background information
Home video releases
Production inconsistencies
- Even though the Turtle-Man display gets destroyed, it can be seen in the background later when Orion lunges at Captain Cold. Either Turtle-Man had two displays, or this is an oversight.
Trivia
- In some form or another, almost every major villain in the Flash's history appears in this episode, making cameos either at the Rogue's hangout or in depictions at the Flash Museum. The rogues at the bar include Weather Wizard, Turtle-Man, Thinker, Fiddler, Doctor Alchemy, Abra Kadabra, and Pied Piper.
- Noticeably absent however, is Heatwave. This is likely due to his involvement with the Legion of Doom as seen in the previous episode "To Another Shore".
- One particular sighting places Mr. Element at a bar sitting next to Dr. Alchemy. It's a strange sight, considering that for most of the character's history, the two villains had actually been one man with a split personality. However, in DC Comics continuity, a false Mr. Element has appeared at least once, so the presence of both men isn't completely out of the question (as long as Dr. Alchemy's deadly hatred of the imposter is discounted!)
- The presence of both Jay Garrick's helmet and the Kid Flash costume raises the question of how many Flashes there were in the DCAU?
- Batman's interaction with the Trickster is somewhat similar to his encounters with the Joker, though the Trickster is much milder. Both villains are voiced by Mark Hamill who actually played the Trickster in the live-action Flash TV series in 1990. The role ultimately led to Hamill's audition for the animated Joker. The Trickster's appearance here is modeled heavily on Hamill's appearance from the older series.
- This is Mark Hamill's and Ron Perlman's last appearance in the DCAU (not chronologically).
- Linda Park is also a reporter in DC Comics continuity. However, her name in the comic books is Linda Park-West; the wife of the Flash and mother of his twin children. In this episode, she demonstrates a deep attraction for the Flash, perhaps planting a seed for a later relationship.
- Captain Cold mentions a wife. In comics continuity he's single; in fact Leonard Snart is a notorious womanizer. In an odd role switch, the Wally West of DC Comics is married with children, while in the DCAU, the unmarried Flash is a self-styled ladies' man.
- Apart from the Flash standee, Wally's apartment also has a treadmill. This is possibly a reference to the Cosmic Treadmill, a time travel device used by several Flashes.
- Flash mentions his uncle; in the comics, Wally's uncle was Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash.
- Wally's day job is in the forensic division of a police department. In the comics, Wally never held such a job (though he was a mechanic for the police at one point). It was Wally's uncle, Barry Allen (the previous Flash), who worked in police forensics.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Michael Rosenbaum | The Flash |
| Kevin Conroy | Batman |
| Ron Perlman | Orion Wally's Supervisor (uncredited) |
| Alexis Denisof | Mirror Master Tony (uncredited) |
| Lex Lang | Captain Cold Fisherman (uncredited) Rick (uncredited) |
| Mark Hamill | The Trickster |
| Donal Gibson | Captain Boomerang |
| Kim Mai Guest | Linda Park Earleen (uncredited) Little Girl (uncredited) |
| Lani Minella | Mayor Waitress (uncredited) Marla (uncredited) Margie (uncredited) |
Uncredited appearances
Quotes
Captain Cold: If I don't "visualize" a mortgage payment soon, the wife will have me bagging groceries for a living. |
Captain Boomerang: Well, at least he didn't make me eat my own laser kaleidoscope... |
Flash: Oh right, uh, cause it's Flash Appreciation Day. Yeah, it'll be great. I understand if everybody's too busy to come, no biggie. My mom's gonna be there. Let's see, my uncle's flying in. Be great if one of the original seven made it. I mean, okay, yeah, it's the Flash Museum, but to me, the whole League deserves the honor, all of us, like I said no biggie... (sighs sorrowfully) |
Flash: Mirror Master! |
Flash: While you're waiting for me to come arrest you, why not take the time and reflect on your mistakes? (walks away) Hey, that was pretty good. |
Captain Boomerang: Touch of dizziness. You might find it useful to fix on one point on the horizon. For instance, that mountain you're set to crash into. |
Flash: Listen, I need to go home and change before the opening tonight. |
Trickster: Nobody gets me. |
Trickster: I mean what's so special about a "disco of death?" Heck with 'em! I'm an artist! They're just robbing banks. Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang... Probably would have gone for it if I was a captain... |
Orion: Talk! While you still have a jaw. |
Linda Park: When we come back, I'll try to get with him... Get to him... For an interview... Are we off? Geez. He's a total babe. Like the entire track team at once. I can't believe you're not into him, Marla. |
Captain Cold: That's it? I was all set to crack some bones. |
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