Justice League(-TV Series) - The Enemy Below • An Part 00I

"The Enemy Below" is the sixth and seventh episodes of . It depicts the reappearance of Aquaman, as hostilities increase between Atlantis and the surface world, while at the same time, a plot by his brother threatens Aquaman's life.
==Plot==
The U.S. Navy submarine USS Defiant is on patrol beneath the ocean, when it happens too close to an armada from Atlantis. The Atlantean ships attack, and the submarine sinks to the ocean floor. Aquaman, captaining the lead ship, coldly orders it abandoned.
The Justice League leads a rescue and retrieval team to the submarine before the crew suffocates, where they confront Aquaman and his troops. Aquaman grudgingly allows them to rescue the crew, but says that the submarine is now his property. Green Lantern angrily objects, saying that the submarine's nuclear material is too dangerous, but Superman says that they have to rescue the crew before it is too late. He urges Aquaman to visit the surface world and air his grievances before an upcoming conference of world leaders. Aquaman is skeptical, but promises to consider the suggestion.
Back in Atlantis, he listens to the counsel of his brother, Orm, and the head of his military, General Brak, both of whom say that Atlantis has the technology and the manpower to wipe out the surface world. He refuses to listen to them. In private, he confers with his Queen, Mera, and looks fondly at his baby son. Above all, he wants to make a safe and prosperous kingdom for his son, but wonders whether there isn't a peaceful way to do it.
Aquaman goes to the surface and visits the world conference. Unfortunately, his approach is less than diplomatic: He arrogantly insists that the surface nations must cease their intrusion into and pollution of the oceans. Outraged, the world's leaders say he is being unreasonable, and he walks out in anger. Superman tries to convince him to stay and be more moderate. Aquaman continues to walk out. Just then, a sniper fires a bazooka rocket which hits the pavement in front of Aquaman, gravely injuring him.
Aquaman is rushed to the hospital in critical condition, where they are unsure how to treat him. Batman then appears and orders that he should be moved into a saline water tank, which allows his natural healing abilities to work.
Back in Atlantis, word comes that Aquaman has been injured, possibly killed. Orm reassures Mera, and assumes the crown and royal trident in his brother's absence.
The League decides to try a ruse to catch Aquaman's would-be assassin. Putting the word out that they are moving Aquaman to a specialist facility, they wait for the assassin to try again, and he reveals himself: Deadshot. He realizes he has been fooled — the "Aquaman" on the gurney is J'onn in disguise — but has a well-prepared escape plan in place.
The real Aquaman decides that he's recovered enough, and is returning to Atlantis immediately, over Lantern's objections.
After a long, hard chase through the sewers, and then the streets, Deadshot is finally caught by Superman. He admits casually that someone hired him to kill Aquaman, but refuses to say who. Batman takes over the interrogation, and a few seconds later, Deadshot cracks. He doesn't know the name of his employer, but he was paid in gold. Examining the gold, Batman deduces the antique coins and crosses are Spanish doubloons, obviously salvaged from a sunken ship — which means that the one who ordered Aquaman's assassination is from Atlantis.
Aquaman returns to Atlantis and is stunned to see Orm sitting on the throne. Orm says he is sick of Aquaman's tolerance for the surface dwellers, and has decided to take matters into his own hands. Brak's soldiers surround him, revealing that Orm and Brak are behind the plot.
==Continuity==
*Aquaman does not appear again until "The Terror Beyond".
==Background information==
===Home video releases===
*Justice League - Justice on Trial (VHS)
*Justice League - Justice on Trial (DVD)
*Justice League Collection (DVD 3-Pack)
*
*Justice League - The Complete Series (DVD)
*Justice League - Season One (Blu-ray)
===Production notes===
*Atomic Cartoons, who were also working on The Zeta Project's second season, did a test storyboard for this episode. "I had the opportunity to ink the board and design a new villain they were going to introduce on the show called Deadshot," said Ridd Sorensen. "He was a blast to design because I'm a huge fan of Bruce Timm, and it was a great exercise to reference the old comic books and design him in Timm's style. Ultimately we didn't get the gig for whatever reason, but I'm really happy with what we turned in.""RIDD SORENSEN INTERVIEW" - The Character Design Blogspot (Sept. 02, 2006)
*According to Rich Fogel, Bruce Timm was originally against the idea of using Aquaman's hook hand until he pitched the idea of cutting his hand off during the episode."Aquaman, Creeper, and...a LADY FIREFLY? Oh My! (Writer Rich Fogel)" by Watchtower Database (May 23, 2021)
*Bruce Timm insisted that the blanket in which Aquaman's son was wrapped had to be colored red so when Aquaman uses it to wrap his arm after severing his hand, the blanket disguises the obvious fact that he is bleeding into it.
===Production inconsistencies===
*When Superman is electrocuted by the pothole lid, a note on the wall lists instructions for the animators regarding color.
*During the battle in the Arctic Circle, after Aquaman dives into the water he's shown to have his left hand instead of the harpoon.
*In the DVD commentary for Part II, Bruce Timm admitted that the rogue Atlanteans happening to have a drowning chamber "doesn't make any sense" considering the fact that they already live underwater. For that matter, it's a mystery as to why J'onn appears to be drowning despite earlier not needing a rebreather under water.
*Orm leaves his knife embedded in the rock formation when he hangs Aquaman's son on it, yet has it later (and uses it) during his duel with Aquaman at the North Pole.
*Mera's belly button keeps disappearing and reappearing in between shots.
===Trivia===
*Flash and Hawkgirl do not appear.
*First appearances of Deadshot and Mera in the DCAU.
*Right after Batman foils Deadshot's attempt to kill "Aquaman" (who is really J'onn in disguise), there is a female reporter whose manner of dress resembles Summer Gleeson.
*Orm is better known in the comics as Ocean Master. In the producers' commentary for Part II, creators mentioned that the name "Ocean Master" works in the comics, but it was too hokey for the story they wanted to tell. Thus, they simply called him Orm.
*In the same commentary, the creators also noted that Orm's death was ambiguous enough that he easily could have been brought back in the series had they wanted him to return.
*In the comics, Aquaman's hand is lost to a swarm of piranha in a confrontation with a supervillain named Charybdis, who had stolen his ability to command sea life. Bruce Timm stated in an interview that, since Aquaman had the ability to command fish, it was felt the cause didn't make much sense. So, they decided to change the scenario to what is shown in the episode; him cutting off his own hand to save his son. It was felt that not only was this a more sensible scenario, but it also spoke a great deal about Aquaman's character. The prosthetic hook-hand he adopts here is modeled on the one used in the comics.
*Aquaman's appearance is revamped from the "classic" appearance used in his last appearance on , in "A Fish Story", the long-haired and bearded look stemming from his own revamp in the early-to-mid-1990s comics, during Peter David's run. Also, Scott Rummell replaces Miguel Ferrer as his voice actor.
*The episode shares its title with a classic 1957 film about submarine warfare during World War II.
*In Part II, Batman is shown alerting the rest of the League to the rising temperatures from the Batcave. On the commentary, the producers said that during the first season, the idea was for Batman to be spending most of his time in Gotham City and having little to do with the League hands-on. Batman is likewise shown "at home" in the Batcave in "Paradise Lost". Producers joked that Batman evolved into a more active role almost immediately, pointing out that "for a 'part-timer,' he was in almost every episode."
*Kristin Bauer originally auditioned for the role of Wonder Woman, but was beaten to it. When Mera had to be cast, producers remembered her Michelle Pfeiffer-like voice.
*In Part II, the death of Orm is a reference of The Lion King, the roles however, are reversed, with Orm asking his Brother for help as opposed to the The King begging his Brother for help.
*In an interview, Kevin Conroy (Voice Of Batman) said that the words he whispered during the recording session were "I know where you live, Floyd" In reference to Batman's private convo with Deadshot.
==Cast==
Actor 	Role
Kevin Conroy 	Batman
Susan Eisenberg 	Wonder Woman USS Defiant communications officer (uncredited)
Phil LaMarr 	Green Lantern Atlantean soldier (uncredited)Atlantean surgeon (uncredited)
Carl Lumbly 	J'onn J'onzz
George Newbern 	Superman Atlantean soldier (uncredited)
Michael Rosenbaum	DeadshotSurfer (uncredited)
Scott Rummell 	Aquaman
Kristin Bauer 	Mera
Richard Green 	Orm
Xander Berkeley 	General Brak Atlantean soldier (uncredited)
Jason Marsden 	Snapper Carr Atlantean soldier (uncredited)
Richard Doyle 	Assembly Leader
Chad Einbinder 	Captain
===Uncredited appearances===
*Aquaman's unnamed son
==Quotes==
==References==
Category:A To Z
Enemy Below, The