(→Trivia) |
(Yeah, and after he takes it off, he's still holding it, but in the next clear shot of him...) |
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* After defeating Hades, as the League walks down the stairs of the temple, there is a statue of J'onn J'onzz among the petrified Amazons. |
* After defeating Hades, as the League walks down the stairs of the temple, there is a statue of J'onn J'onzz among the petrified Amazons. |
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* In the end, the Flash puts on his golden leaf halfcrown backward, but in the next clear shot of him it is on the right way. |
* In the end, the Flash puts on his golden leaf halfcrown backward, but in the next clear shot of him it is on the right way. |
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| + | *When Hades first appears, he wears a horned helmet. However, in almost the very next scene, it vanishes. |
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Revision as of 18:30, 30 May 2010
"Paradise Lost" is the 10th and 11th episodes of Justice League. It first aired on January 21 and 28, 2002.
Plot
After helping Superman to rescue a family during a hurricane, Diana decides that she has been away from Themyscira for too long. She travels back to the island, only to find that all her Amazon sisters have been turned to stone, including her mother, Hippolyta. Diana also discovers sorcerer Felix Faust, who blackmails her into gathering certain artifacts for him. He claims that if she brings the artifacts to him, he will restore the Amazons. Believing she has no other choice, Diana agrees.
While Diana pursues the artifacts, Faust is seen speaking to an impatient someone through a floating flame. As Felix reports, he explains that Hippolyta's daughter is helping him.
During Diana's search for the first artifact, Diana is confronted by Superman. She reluctantly explains the situation to him, and he, along with Flash, J'onn, and Batman volunteer to help. Diana, Superman, Flash, and J'onn collect the artifacts, facing several protective spells and magical guardians along the way. Batman researches Faust's background, and finds that he was a respected professor of archaeology, until he lost his position for dabbling in black magic.
Diana realizes that Faust is working under the direction of Hades, the lord of the underworld, Tartarus. She explains that her mother had a brief affair with the god before he was banished. The gate to Tartarus is located beneath Themyscira, and the artifacts form a key that will open it.
Despite this information, Diana insists that she has no choice but to give Faust the key in order to free her mother and sisters. The other League members insist on accompanying her, and she reluctantly agrees. After she delivers the key, Faust attempts to betray Diana. The four other League members reveal themselves, but Faust restores Hippolyta to life, but then kidnaps her and chains her out in front of the gate as it is opened.
Hades appears, and Faust demands what Hades promised him in return for his help: ultimate knowledge. Smiling, Hades touches Faust, who begins to age rapidly and scream in terrible pain. As Hades explains, "ultimately, pain and suffering are all anyone will ever know."
Wonder Woman and the League appear, freeing Hippolyta and fighting against Hades, with only Superman able to physically match him. Hades uses his magic to summon an army of skeletons to battle the heroes. By a slim margin, Diana manages to destroy the key, causing the gate to close and suck Hades and his minions back to Tartarus, including Faust. Hades attempts to drag Hippolyta with him, but Diana is able to pull her mother free before the gates close. With Faust's entry into Tartarus, his spell on the Amazons is broken.
The victory turns out to be bittersweet. Hippolyta honors Superman, J'onn, Flash, and Batman for their help, naming them "heroes of Themyscira." However, because Diana broke a sacred law by bringing men to the island, Hippolyta has no choice but to exile Diana from Themyscira. Though shaken by her mother's decree, Diana accepts her ruling and departs from Themyscira with the other League members.
Continuity
- Diana prepares to explain her long absence from Themyscira, after leaving, approximately eight months earlier, to fight the Imperium invasion in "Secret Origins."
- Diana's exile from Themyscira does not end until the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Balance."
- The revelation of Hippolyta's affair with Hades is also expanded on later in "The Balance," revealing that before the affair ended, Hades sculpted Diana from clay along with Hippolyta, though life was not breathed into Diana until after his banishment.
Background Information
Production Notes
- When the Flash is dodging Faust's bolts, we can see reused footage of the Superman: The Animated Series episode "Speed Demons," more precisely the scene where the Flash jumps out of the underground tunnel and runs at the Weather Wizard.
Production Inconsistencies
- J'onn J'onzz easily phases through Faust's energy bolts but not through the plant-tentacles.
- In Part I, Wonder Woman enters the Athena Temple room from behind the throne, but in Part II she enters through a previously unseen glass doors in the entrance.
- When Hippolyta is exiling Diana, Diana's bracelets change from silver to gold.
- After defeating Hades, as the League walks down the stairs of the temple, there is a statue of J'onn J'onzz among the petrified Amazons.
- In the end, the Flash puts on his golden leaf halfcrown backward, but in the next clear shot of him it is on the right way.
- When Hades first appears, he wears a horned helmet. However, in almost the very next scene, it vanishes.
Trivia
- The title refers to "Paradise Lost," the famous poem by John Milton, chronicling Lucifer's banishment to Hell. It also references that Paradise Island, Themyscira, is "lost" to Wonder Woman.
- John Stewart and Hawkgirl do not appear.
- The name of the newsstand that gets destroyed by Hurricane Gardner in the teaser is called "Bernie's News." This is presumably a reference to the Watchmen maxi-series, which features a newsstand with the same name.
- "Hurricane Gardner" is presumably an nod to Gardner Fox, a long-time writer for Justice League comics.
- This is the third time John Rhys-Davies has played a god. He played Thor, God of Thunder for the Marvel shows The Incredible Hulk and The Fantastic Four, and he also played Zeus in Goddess of Love.
- The little blond girl (Cassie) who Wonder Woman saved in the teaser is presumably a nod to Cassie Sandsmark, a girl from the Wonder Woman comics who went on to become the second "Wonder Girl." The line about them not being sisters may be an in-joke to the fact that none of the "Wonder Girls" have ever been Wonder Woman's full sisters, but rather empathic ones.
- The battle between the League and Faust in the temple uses a remixed version of the music played during Superman's fight with the mysterious creature from the Phantom Zone in "Blasts From the Past".
Cast
Uncredited Appearances
Quotes
Wonder Woman: (practicing for her return to Themyscira) "You look more radiant than ever, Mother..." No. |
Flash: Picture it: the sun, the sea, hundreds of women like her running around, and me, the first man they've seen in...maybe forever. Oh, and look what I brought: iced mochas for everyone. Sweet. |
Felix Faust: Thank you for your assistance. But now that your usefulness is over...Petropa kis--WHAT?! |
Wonder Woman: What did you ever see in him? |
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