Despero comes to Earth. He is looking for a challenge. He lands at the Hall of Justice. He wants to fight the heavy hitters from the Justice League but they aren't home. Some members of the younger team (Superboy, Miss Martian, Bumblebee, Mal, Zatanna) plus Captain Marvel are there. Despero uses his third eye to knock Zatanna out. He wants a physical fight. Captain Marvel is more than happy to take him on but he isn't much of a match for the alien. He tries using his magic lightning on Despero but then he finds himself unable to change from Billy Batson back to Captain Marvel.
Black Canary interviews Impulse, Blue Beetle, Lagoon Boy, and the other teens who were abducted and experimented on by the Reach. Impulse urges Blue Beetle to keep quiet about what he told him about the future. The scarab also wants Jaime to tread lightly, except for the moment where it urges him to kill Impulse. Virgil, one of the other teens who was abducted, unknowingly demonstrates a superhuman ability while Black Canary is interviewing him.
Captain Atom, as the League's liaison to the United Nations has to deal with the Reach's ambassador. He bristles at the experience. The ambassador acts as if his people are completely harmless and does everything he can to "inadvertently" discredit the League.
Bumblebee encourages Miss Martian to brain blast Despero but she won't. She can't stop thinking about what she did to Aqualad. She never wants to do that again. Superboy tries taking on Despero but he doesn't have any more luck than Captain Marvel. Mal sees how bad things are going and gets an idea. He sees the Guardian's costume and puts it on. He pretends to be Earth's greatest hero. His act distracts Despero long enough until the others regroup. Miss Martian wakes up Zatanna and together they turn Despero's third eye back on himself.
The heroes are left with a conundrum even after the villain is defeated. L-Ron, Despero's robot companion, threw a pyramid shaped force field up around the Hall of Justice. The fight is over, the robot has been destroyed, the Hall of Justice has been reduced to rubble, but they can't figure out how to get rid of the force field. The Reach ambassador deactivates the force field very easily, almost too easily.
Blue Beetle decides he has to level with the Black Canary. He tells her what Impulse told him about the future: he will turn on the League at some indeterminate point in in the future. He then asks them to do what they have to get the scarab off his back.
Thoughts
Virgil is clearly Static. He even used the term static shock when he was talking to Black Canary.
I was very pleased to see Mal finally take on the identity of Guardian. The way it is portrayed here makes it look like it is the first time in this continuity.
Superboy and Miss Martian look like they might reconcile. It's good to see that and it's good to see her deal with the knowledge of what she did to Kaldur'ahm.
Despero is not my favorite villain but I also haven't read many stories that he has appeared in. I can't think of one off the top of my head.
This was a solidly good episode in my book. Not great, but very good.
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