Part 1
The Justice League, minus Wonder Woman, battle a giant robot sent by Lex Luthor. The fight ends with an explosion. The robot and four of the heroes have vanished, leaving Superman and Batman behind. Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl realize that something has changed. They are no longer in Metropolis but in Seaboard City. They meet a group of heroes (Green Guardsman, Tom Turbine, Cat Man, Black Siren, The Streak) known as the Justice Guild who bearing a passing resemblance to the Justice Society from the comic books. They have a young fan named Ray Thompson who hopes to one day grow up and be a superhero.
The Justice Guild assumes when they first meet the Justice League that they are villains. They fight until Flash saves Ray's life. They return to the Justice Guild's headquarters. Green Lantern remembers the Justice Guild from old comic books but he isn't sure what to make of what they are experiencing. Tom Turbine comes up with a theory to explain why and how the Justice League wound up in Seaboard City.
Before they can think about it for very long the Justice Guild receives a message from The Injustice Guild (The Music Master, Dr. Blizzard, The Sportsman, Sir Swami). They are planning a series of crimes based on the four elements (Earth, Fire, Water, Air). The Guild and the League team up to take on the baddies and break up into small teams. Each team tangles with one of the villains.
- Flash and Black Siren vs Dr. Blizzard
- Green Lantern and the Streak vs Sir Swami
- Martian Manhunter and Cat Man vs the Sportsman
- Hawkgirl and Green Guardian vs the Music Master
Part 2
Hawkgirl takes Green Lantern to see the graves she found. He doesn't know what to make of it. They interrogate the Ice Cream Man. He claims to know nothing even though he admits to not knowing when he last sold any ice cream. They visit the library in an attempt to learn something but all the books are filled with blank pages. The library's basement leads to an old subway tunnel where they find a newspaper that is 40 years old, coincidentally that's how long it has been since the last Justice Guild comic book was published.
The Justice Guild don't seem to notice the missing heroes. They are too busy fighting the Injustice Guild who have taken to the skies in a blimp. Flash and Black Siren are tied to the outside of the villains' transport. The Justice Guild comes through and defeats the Injustice Gang, thanks in part to Flash who punctures the blimp with one of the lightning bolts on his headpiece.
Hawkgirl and Green Lantern are waiting for the heroes when they return. Green Lantern explains their findings and demands answers. The phone rings before he gets any answers. There is a giant robot attacking Seaboard City. Green Lantern tells his teammates not to respond as the Guild takes off to fight the monstrosity. It is all an illusion. Martian Manhunter steps forward and asks Ray to explain. Ray claims to know nothing but when pressed he changes form and becomes what looks a mutated human. He blames them for messing things up and they fight.
Ray proves to be too tough for the League. It isn't until the Guild sees what is going on and returns to fight Ray that the tide turns. They beat him but afterward they vanish and Seaboard City changes. The implication seems to be that they killed Ray. It looks like there is no one left but then the city's inhabitants return. They look normal, unlike Ray.
It looks like the Justice League is stuck on this alternate world until Green Lantern remembers the device that Tom Turbine showed them. He uses his ring to power it and it takes them back to their world. The episode ends with Green Lantern feeling low about what happened to the Justice Guild as Hawkgirl tries to comfort them.
Notes
I want to like this one more than I do. There are some things that don't make sense about this one. If it was that easy to get back then why didn't they return before? If the Justice Guild that the Justice League met were creations of Ray then how was it that they were able to not only fight but kill their creator? I think I might have bought in to this part of the episode if they hadn't just faded out of existence. If they had been robots or something like that then I think I could have accepted the way they turned on him in the end. Why did it take Martian Manhunter so long to figure it out or to say anything at all? He was definitely having headaches and seeing things. Shouldn't he have said something to the others sooner than he did?
There are two names visible on graves:
- Donna Nance (sounds a little like Dinah Lance) aka Black Siren
- Scott Mason (sounds a little like Alan Scott) aka Green Guardian
- Tom Turbine's name is on another grave but without an alias
- Catman's name is on a grave with an alias on it but the name is party obscured; it looks like it starts with T and ends with ake, maybe Tim Drake?
There is a commentary track but for the most part it didn't add much in the way of insight. It was basically an opportunity for Bruce Timm, James Tucker, Glen Murakami, and friends to reminisce about how much fun they had making this episode. I think they love it. I wish I felt the same as them.
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