Alive!

**Alive!** is the twelveth episode of the third season of Thomas and Twilight Sparkle's Adventures of Justice League Unlimited.

## Episode Plot

At the Legion of Doom's base, Lex Luthor is attempting to reactivate the last piece of Brainiac, but it fails once again. Tala urges Luthor to simply give up, but he tells her that this is science, something she doesn't understand. Tala counters that transmutation (one of her specialties) is exactly what they need, so Luthor allows Tala to work her magic on the piece. It fails to revive Brainiac, but it does allow Luthor to see a vision of where Brainiac's asteroid was destroyed. Using this knowledge, he orders the Legion to begin modifying the base.

Once the modifications are complete, the Legion are assembled in the meeting room. Toyman asks to know what is going on, so Luthor explains that they will help him recover some pieces of Brainiac from outer space. Goldface is quite hostile at the prospect of Luthor becoming more powerful than the rest of them combined, but Luthor says that they will be rewarded by being his lieutenants in the new order. Luthor also causes Goldface pain with a device in his belt as a reminder that he is already more powerful than the rest of them combined. When Atomic Skull asks what their plan is, Luthor reveals that they have modified the Legion headquarters into a spaceship, with the cloaking field now working as a hyperspace field.

As the modified base lifts off, Grodd becomes aware of movement from his cage, as Tala enters. She wants Luthor killed, and thus, reforms her alliance with Grodd and releases him. Assembling other dissidents, Grodd demands that Luthor turn the base around and surrender. Soon, a massive fight breaks out among the members of the Legion. The Grodd loyalists are larger in number, but the Luthor loyalists are more powerful. Bizarro nearly chokes Grodd, but Rampage stops him. Grodd finds out that Giganta escaped from prison and is very mad that he tried to fry her brain. Ultimately, the Luthor loyalists triumph.

Luthor himself engages Grodd in combat. Even with enhanced metal gauntlets, Luthor is no match for Grodd's brute strength, and is nearly beaten to death. But Luthor taunts Grodd as a mindless animal, goading Grodd into unleashing his telepathic powers, which is exactly what Luthor has been waiting for. With a touch of his belt, Luthor turns Grodd's mind-control power back onto himself, making Grodd an unwilling puppet. With no choice but to obey Luthor's commands, Grodd kneels and calls Luthor his better, then loads himself into an airlock. Luthor locks him in, then releases the mind control and taunts him. He bids Grodd farewell, then releases him into space as Grodd yells vows of deadly revenge.

Luthor asks the defeated Grodd loyalists for a good reason why any of them should be allowed to live. Killer Frost buys a pardon for herself by callously freezing her comrades. The only other one left alive is Tala, who Sinestro restrains, who begs for her life, pleading temporary insanity. Luthor assures her that she still has an important part to play, then Volcana knocks her out.

Arriving at the coordinates, Luthor sets up collectors to bring in the debris which houses Brainiac's essence. Luthor plans to use Tala as a mystical conduit to bring Brainiac back to life, a process which will kill her, which he has been planning all along. Once they are ready, he orders Toyman to throw the switch. However, time is momentarily frozen and the entity Metron appears, urging Luthor not to go through with what he is attempting, saying that it will have consequences for the entire universe. Luthor dismisses him, saying that he's on the verge of godhood and nothing will stop him. As normal time is restored, Toyman throws the switch, and Tala crackles with energy, shrieking in agony.

As a figure appears within the smoke of the containment device, a triumphant Luthor exults to the Legion, "meet your new lord and master!" The smoke clears, and there stands not Brainiac, but Darkseid, himself fused with Brainiac and now much stronger than ever before. Darkseid thanks the horrified Luthor and Legion for resurrecting him, saying that while Earth will suffer, they in return for resurrecting him will be granted a small mercy: A quick death. With that, Darkseid destroys the Legion's base.

On Apokolips, the forces of Granny Goodness and Virman Vundabar are preparing for a last battle for control of Apokolips. As the Female Furies lead Granny's army, Vundabar's army charges under Kanto and Mantis. Before they reach each other, a massive explosion occurs in front of both armies. As the light fades and the smoke clears, they see Darkseid, who teleported to Apokolips without the use of a boom tube. Shocked at the sight of their dead master (and fearful of his wrath), both factions quickly regain enough of their wits to bow down and repledge their loyalty. When Bernadeth asks for Darkseid's commands, he tells them that he is temporarily halting his search for the Anti-Life Equation to take revenge on Superman by destroying Earth. Kanto respectfully reminds Darkseid that to attack Earth would break his pact with Highfather, and invite retaliation from New Genesis. Darkseid, however, is not concerned with reprisals; Once he is finished with Earth, New Genesis is next.

At the Metro Tower, a staffer runs into the control room, telling Superman he needs to get out to the front door now. As Superman and other members of the Justice League head outside, they discover Lex Luthor and the remaining members of the Legion of Doom on their doorstep. Luthor announces that they have "a little problem"...

## Scenes

* Opening/Ocellus learns of Lex's plot
* Lex begins his plan/Ocellus warns the others
* Preparing for the ultimate battle
* Darkseid's resurrection
* Lex's reminder