Paradise Lost | Episode 10
Aired: January 21, 2002
Heroes: Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Flash and J'onn Jonzz
Supporting: Snapper Carr, Hippolyta, the Amazons (General Phillipus, Antiope to name a few) and Professor Erlich
Villains: Felix Faust and Hades
Objects: Lasso of Truth, Javelin, and Utility Belt
Places: Metropolis, Themyscira, Batcave, and South America
Written By: Joseph Kuhr
Directed By: Dan Riba
Paradise Lost | Episode 11
Aired: January 28, 2002
Heroes: Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Flash and J'onn Jonzz
Supporting: Hippolyta and the Amazons (General Phillipus, Antiope to name a few)
Villains: Felix Faust and Hades
Objects: Lasso of Truth, Justice League Communication Link, Tartarus Key, Utility Belt (Grappling Gun and Exploding Batarang), and Javelin
Places: Metropolis, Themyscira, and Tartarus
Beasts: Zombie Warriors
Writer: Joseph Kuhr
Director: Dan Riba
Summary
Summary written by VortexInfiniteHurricane Gardner (a tribute to legendary comic writer, Gardner Fox) is tearing a certain city (Metropolis, as usual) to shreds. Luckily for the citizens, Superman and Wonder Woman are on the scene. Diana rescues a little girl from certain death and returns her to her mother. Seeing the mother hug her daughter and spill out words of love, she is reminded of her own mother, Queen Hippolyta, and starts to get homesick. Fortunately, Supes says it's okay with him if she goes back to Paradise Island to meet her mom.
Unfortunately, Diana wasn't exactly supposed to leave in the first place. To go back to Themysicara would be the equivalent of sneaking back in through the bedroom window...eight months after she sneaked out. Despite this little fact, Wonder Woman decides to return and practices shameless flattery on the way.
But she is received by fire and destruction. An evil sorcerer named Felix Faust has taken the Amazons hostage in his search for three hidden artifacts. When Diana confronts him, he gives her an ultimatum: find the artifacts and hand them over or lose her mother forever. She goes with choice A and uses a magic stone given to her by Faust to locate the first piece. She finds it in a museum, inadvertently waking up a bronze statue with an attitude. She defeats it, but not before causing major damage to the museum. At this point, the Justice League decides it's time to step in.
Wonder Woman explains her plight to them and they decide to be good friends and help her out. After going through more trials designed to kill archaeologists, they snag the remaining pieces. But the League discovers why the artifacts are so heavily guarded. The parts are pieces to the key to the Underworld where Hades dwells. He had a fling with Hippolyta who unknowingly helped him betray his fellow gods. When Zeus found out, he sent his brother to Tatarus and sentenced his girlfriend to guard the entrance under Paradise Island forever.
The League realizes they can't allow Hades to return. When Faust sets Hippolyta free, they arrive to beat the magic out of him. But Faust takes Hippolyta to the gate and frees Hades who plans to rekindle the flame between him and the Queen. Again, Diana and the League intervene and manage to send the god and his servant back into the flames of Tatarus. Hippolyta honors Diana's compatriots, but she isn't quite as nice to her daughter. She banishes Wonder Woman from Themyscara for bringing men to the island. I wonder if the gods can figure out the reasoning to that decision.
Review
Review written by VortexInfiniteOkay, so the ending makes me scratch my head, but the entire episode is so grand, so epic, so powerful that I can't help but love it. For starters, Robert Englund as Felix Faust does such a perfect job. For a sidekick sorcerer, he sure is commanding and creepy. Another voice of note is Susan Eisenberg's portrayal of Diana. She shines in her spotlights and really establishes the Wonder Woman character.
The battles are excellently done. The Superman/Wonder Woman fight really tears up the scenery as any battle of titans should. Hades' minions are disposed of in innovative ways. Batman's chain explosion of rotting bones is rewarding. And Hades himself brings a level of power previously unseen for a villain on the series.
This is how Justice League should be: grand battles against supernatural lords like the Greek gods. It's the perfect format to see our favorite myths and legends interact with our favorite mythical and legendary heroes. And although punishment at the end makes little sense it still provides for a dramatic moment which should play a part in future episodes. Paradise Lost is a story about devotion, love, and loss. There is nothing more to ask for.