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While returning to Earth from a mission in another galaxy, the Justice League sans Batman is being towed on the Javelin to the Watchtower by Green Lantern as their vessel has been low on fuel. Just before arriving, they are blinded by a large flash of light and the Watchtower is nowhere to be seen. The Savage Time, Part I is an episode of season 1 of Justice League. It premiered on November 9, 2002.

Synopsis for "The Savage Time"

While returning to Earth from a mission in another galaxy, the Justice League sans Batman is being towed on the Javelin to the Watchtower by Green Lantern as their vessel has been low on fuel. Just before arriving, they are blinded by a large flash of light and the Watchtower is nowhere to be seen. The League decide to land on Earth to discover what has happened. Upon landing in Metropolis, they are shocked to find the city dramatically changed and adorned with fascist-like imagery. They are then confronted by a squad of security officers and are demanded of their identifications. When the League do not follow them and couldn't comprehend what is happening, the officers opens fire on them and forcing the heroes on the run. Fortunately, they are safely guided to an underground hideout by Batman, who is dressed in a more militarized attire.

After initial misunderstandings with Batman, who doesn't know the League and has no qualms using firearms, the League realize that they are in an alternate timeline. Explained by Batman, in this reality World War II was won by the Axis Powers led by a man name Vandal Savage, who is the current ruler of Earth. Batman became a resistance fighter against Savage's regime after his parents were executed as dissidents. It is clear that Savage has somehow altered the outcome of the war in his favor; the League fortunately remain unaffected by the temporal changes is because, as theorized by J'onn J'onzz, they were shielded from the changes by Green Lantern's ring.

Determined to learn how Savage changed the past, the League with Batman's assistance track the source of the temporal changes to Savage's laboratory, where they discover a time machine which Savage used to alter the past. The League decide to travel back in time to undo Savage's alterations and are given forty-eight hours until they return to the present. Batman choses to stay, stating that someone must keep fighting Savage should the League fail. Furthermore, he doesn't care if his existence is erased once the timeline is restored as it would be preferable to living under Savage's tyranny (and the hope of possibly preventing the deaths of his parents, which Superman knows he cannot guarantee).

The League arrives in the city of Caen, France in 1944 where they witness a battle between Allied and German forces. The Germans are equipped with enormous "War Wheel" tanks and driving Allied forces to retreat, and are almost powerful enough to withstand the League's might. The League decide to split up with J'onn and Wonder Woman traveling to Berlin to investigate the source of Germany's advanced technology while the others help evacuate the Allies.

In Berlin, Vandal Savage, the acting Führer, receives news of the League assisting the Allies, but he dismissed them as Allied propaganda. He is more concerned with pressing his ultimate military operation against the Allies. Just then Savage is alerted that an American spy is trying to escape.

The spy, Steve Trevor, escapes on a German plane but is shot down. He is saved by Wonder Woman, whom a grateful Trevor refers to as an "angel." He introduces himself to Wonder Woman and J'onn, and explains that he was sent to discover the Germans' plans on what Allied intelligence believed to be a planned invasion of Britain. Trevor had stolen a German encrypted communicator and is due to meet a German code breaker to unlock it to learn the date for the invasion. J'onn and Wonder Woman also learn from Trevor about Vandal Savage, who is claimed to be a scientific genius from an undetermined background and provided the advanced weapons to the Germans which impressed them to allow him to become Führer. Wonder Woman accompanies Steve to meet the code breaker and J'onn continues to infiltrate the Germans' central command. J'onn enters a secret laboratory, where he finds a laptop computer and a cryogenically frozen Adolf Hitler. J'onn is then surprised and incapacitated by Vandal Savage.

Meanwhile, Green Lantern, Flash, Superman, and Hawkgirl continue to help the evacuation as Allied forces are being overwhelmed by German War Wheels. Green Lantern is caught in a blast by a War Wheel while helping a wounded soldier. Hawkgirl tries to help him, but Green Lantern gives the wounded soldier to her to carry and orders her to leave him behind. She reluctantly complies as Green Lantern, with his power ring out of power, has War Wheels bearing down on him.

Appearing in "The Savage Time"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Barbara Gordon (The Savage Time) (Single appearance) (Cameo)
  • Dick Grayson (The Savage Time) (Single appearance) (Cameo)
  • Tim Drake (The Savage Time) (Single appearance) (Cameo)

Locations:

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Notes

  • No notes.

Trivia

  • The alternate timeline Batman's resistance consists of alternate versions of Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, and Tim Drake. Dick and Barbara are briefly seen in an intimate relationship. Also in the resistance's base is an armored vehicle resembling to the Batmobile. A fourth member of the resistance team is a young black haired girl, later identified by the show’s creators as Cassandra Cain[citation needed].


See Also

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Links and References

Footnotes

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