JLUCast Flashpoint

Coverage of the 4-part finale to the Cadmus arc continues! Following Superman’s battle with Captain Atom, the Leaguers debate on what to do about Cadmus, while someone fires their devastating fusion cannon at Earth!

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Clip credits:

Clips from Justice League Unlimited “Flashpoint”, music by Lolita Ritmanis,  theme by Michael McCuistion.

19 responses to “JLUCast Flashpoint

  1. Hello Chris and Cindy,

    I been a fan of your show for a while and I love the podcast about one of my favorite shows ever. I have a IG account based on the Justice league, like trust me when I say you guys are my podcast because it’s good to hear other people talking about the Justice League Animated series. I wanted to make some notes on the identification numbers for the main Justice League members.

    Batman 001 – very likely due to being the first in the DCAU, and also being the one who financially founded the Justice League.
    Superman 002 – he is the second major (from JL) character to have its own show in the DCAU. It is also confirmed in Flashpoint that he is 002.
    Wonder Woman 003 – As confirmed the Balance, she is 003
    Martian Manhunter 004 – In Dark Heart is confirmed that he is 004
    Green Lantern 005 – He isn’t confirmed, but he certainly isn’t any other number. I also find it ironic that he is the 5th person to speak when the team goes to the watchtowerfor the first time.
    Flash 006 – He is confirmed in the Great brain robbery to have this identification number
    Shayera/Hawkgirl 007 – She isn’t confirmed, but it is very fitting that she would be 007 due to her being a double agent for the Thanagarian empire and the Justice League.

    This episode is so good. I hope you guys can cover the Justice League infinity comics. It is a good story after the finally of the JLU.
    I am a big fan of the show and please continue to do.

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    1. Wow, thanks for this breakdown Brianna, this is great! I guess if Bruce Wayne is paying the bills, he would make himself 001, right?

      Covering JL Infinity is something we’ve discussed. We’ll see once we get toward the end of Season 3, but it’s definitely not a bad idea!

      Thanks again for commenting, and your support! We’d love to hear more from you!

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      1. I am glad to support you guys. It’s my pleasure to hear the podcast. It is really fun.
        I want to make a retraction or modification on superman. His identification number is not confirmed in flashpoint, but instead it is confirmed in Hereafter part 2. So that makes him the first league member to have a confirmation among the original 7, about the identification numbers.

        I hope that helps.

        Thank you for what you guys do!

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    1. When a new IP address communicates with the site, the comment needs to be approved by a Fire and Water host. If it ever happens again, rest assured the comment will appear within a few hours.

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  2. This storyline was so good, and every episode you can feel the intensity ramping up. It’s so fun to rewatch along with y’all. (Yes, I say “y’all” unironically.)

    “Superman has trouble fighting Captains.” He should watch out for Captain Kangaroo. And Captain Caveman. And … Captain America!! (JLA/Avengers #3! A heartstopping moment every time I reread it!)

    Here’s a crazy thought I had while listening to you discuss the League’s argument about Cadmus and the government. What if the authorities hadn’t kept Cadmus secret? I get the narrative reason, but it also could have been a project that was somewhat public. Such as introducing it as a program to combat supervillains, like “we appreciate the League, but we need to be prepared in case they’re not able to respond in time.” And then start spinning the League’s questionable moves as “we trust you, but we can’t afford to blindly trust you.” Then the story could be even more of a quandary about which side is in the right, because the public would easily be split between those with hero worship and those who think they’re too powerful. And by being public, the League wouldn’t just attack and shut it down. Visibility would shield Cadmus from open battle with the League.

    But switching to in-story perspective, it says something about Cadmus that it *wasn’t* public in any way. They know the public wouldn’t support it unanimously, and they fear the League could sway public opinion in their favor. And Cadmus rationalizes being a secret operation to avoid League reprisals, thus showing they do not trust the League at all. So their own fear and paranoia absolutely pushes both sides to the oncoming conflict.

    Now don’t take this to mean I think a public Cadmus story would be better. I have no idea. It was just a thought exercise to explore the people behind Cadmus, but it is interesting to consider how today we see some bad people doing bad things totally in public, and maybe today the story would have gone that way.

    Thank you for bearing with me. Take care, Franklins!

    1. That would be an interesting way to take the Cadmus angle, Tim. I can definitely seeing it as a thing now, in today’s divisive and more politically-charged times. Heck, the “Cadmus Squad” would probably have social media channels devoted entirely to promoting and suporting them. I think the story as it is plays out spectacularly, but that’s a great “What If ?”.

  3. Hey, Franklins! In light of your point that Superman may have a problem with people code-named “Captain,” I’m taking suggestions on a name change. My chaos powers are no match for the kid who shoots laser beams out of his eyes.

    Great episode as always, and you are working with great material. You made me think about how I would’ve wanted J’onn to answer Superman’s request for a reason not to hit back to Cadmus. It isn’t a “turn the other cheek” situation, where Jesus describes responses to imposition and insult — showing mercy as we have been shown mercy. It isn’t a self-defense situation anymore, although it was when Superman and Huntress burst in to save The Question and fought Captain Atom. What I mean is that Cadmus is between attacks on the League. They’re an ongoing threat, but no longer an acute one, so the League can afford the time to take a measured response.

    J’onn might have responded, “Let’s look at the pros and cons. If we go down there, we’ll get some emotional satisfaction. We might also delay the next threat and expose some developing scheme, but that isn’t certain. We’ll also be playing right into Cadmus’s narrative, destroying the trust and support we depend on to operate. If we exercise tactical patience by building on our case and taking it to the authorities — and even the public — we can force decisive action against Cadmus while proving them wrong about us.”

    But I’ve had literal years to think about this, and that’s a lot of words for a cartoon. I thought Wally and GA did a great job, and as we’ve said, this is peak Ollie.

    1. So you’re a Captain and a Doctor. Who are you, Hawkeye Pierce? 😉

      I think J’onn may have went where you suggested, had he not been pretty stressed by all of this himself. As the League’s coordinator, he’s probably more integrated into the League’s business than anyone. And we’ll see that stress eventually works on him enough that he makes a change.

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      1. Agreed on J’onn, and good point. I like the Hawkeye comparison. “Captain Entropy” is also not the only nickname I’ve earned on the job. When another one comes up, I think of that other Hawkeye and Hank Pym, who both kept switching code names.

  4. Sometimes when I listen to this podcast, I get confused because some characters don’t speak or behave the way they did when I was reading comics. Sometimes I get frustrated at characterizations. Sometimes I don’t get it at all! 1. The Question. He attempts murder based on a pattern of…one incident on a parallel world. Murder. Sure, it’s dramatic, but it’s a criminal act. 2. The JL is based on the moon, right? With a full-time staff, preparing meals, cleaning up, etc? Are the heroes hanging around on the moon for free food all day? They’re in their dorm rooms, waiting for the dining hall to open? How does the staff get to work? How…how… how, oh never mind. 3. The costumed person called the Huntress. Perhaps I didn’t catch it, but did Chris and Cindy condone her actions? So, if I kidnapped Dani, and used her secret Lego code to let you know that I had her, because I had an emergency literacy situation that only Cindy could administer, you’d be cool with that? Right. Superman, hearing Jimmy’s signal (why would Huntress even know about this?), sees, with his X-Ray vision, Jimmy tied up and gagged. At super-speed, he disarms Huntress, including all her hidden weapons, ties her up, frees Jimmy, makes sure he’s all right, and asks Jim if he wants to press charges. Then he tells Huntress, “I don’t cooperate with terrorists or kidnappers.”
    I’ve got another rant for the next episode!

    1. 1. Well, considering Ditko had the Question let some criminals drown because they were…well, criminals, in his mind, I don’t think it’s THAT far out of character.
      2. This Watchtower is in orbit, not on the moon. LIke a combo of the classic JLA satellite, and Morrison-era Watchtower on the moon. Booster Gold is probably waiting for the menu to switch from breakfast to lunch, then lunch to dinner. The staff and heroes transport up from cornfields! (see the episode “Task Force X”).
      3. We didn’t condone Huntress kidnapping Jimmy (which was wrong, of course), but Cindy did condone her using the earpiece Superman gave her to call J’onn for a beam-out, which Superman asked her to do.

      I agree, Superman could have done what you said, but then he would have never known what Huntress was up to, therefore not found out Cadmus had the Question, until it was too late.

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