Abate and Switch

"**Abate and Switch**" is the fourth episode of Justice League Action. It is also the last part of the Shazam Slam series premiere.

## Summary

Three djinn intend to carry out a plan to devastate the Earth, and the Justice League need to call up reinforcements to stop them, particularly when Black Adam returns as well.

## Story

Three demons, the Brothers Djinn, fly towards Calythos's volcano (seen near Metropolis in a previous episode) pursued by Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Batman says that they need to be stopped before they enter it and that there is no time to call for assistance. Landing on the island, the petite Abnegazar points out the superheroes causing leader Nyorlath to cast a spell using the names of Superman and Wonder Woman so that they fall from the sky having lost their powers. Batman glides in to catch them and lands on the island only to be assaulted by the burly Rath. As the demon gathers up the other two helpless heroes, Batman presses the signalling device on his belt and then frees his companions with a flying kick. A portal opens and John Constantine beckons to the superheroes and they enter travelling to his residence: the House of Mystery.

There, they recover their powers and are joined by Green Arrow, Plastic Man and Swamp Thing, also summoned by Constantine (who speaks in Cockney rhyming slang due to a hostile spell). Batman explains that the Djinn intend to open the volcano's fissure to implement an unknown plan, and Green Arrow proposes to neutralise the Djinn's power-removing spell by getting Constantine to swap their appearances. This is done to all of them except Batman who instead leaves to get even more backup.

In the volcano, the three demons chant a spell that causes the fissure to glow but then hear Justice One approaching from which the five altered superheroes jump down to confront them. The Djinn chant another spell using their opponents' names but the heroes are unaffected and proceed to batter the hapless demons into submission. When Constantine arrives, the superheroes' appearances are returned to normal but they then notice that the fissure has been opened and is spewing lava. Another serious complication occurs when Black Adam suddenly bursts from the fissure claiming that he is more powerful than ever after having been trapped in the Earth's core for a considerable time. As the Justice League attempt to escape upwards through the volcano's cone they are blocked by an energy field made by Black Adam and they all fall down, bound by magical bonds.

But Batman now returns in the Batplane bringing the young Billy Batson who jumps out and transforms into Shazam. Black Adam flies up to meet him and a fight ensues which ends with Shazam being beaten down into the volcano. There he is joined by the League members who are now at liberty, but before they can act together, Black Adam releases the bound Djinn and transforms them into large monsters that attack the superheroes. Superman teams up with Shazam to tackle Black Adam but they are still beaten back, while the rest of the League, in an extended battle, repel the djinn creatures and make them one-after-the-other fall through portals created by Constantine's magic. Only now are the superheroes able to assemble together to oppose Black Adam and they each bind him in different ways before hurling him towards another of Constantine's gateways to who-knows-where and into which he finally disappears. Constantine himself then leaves through one of his portals leaving everyone wondering where Black Adam has gone.

The Justice League thank Shazam and make him a member. They then turn their thoughts to building a replacement for the ruined Hall of Justice and later, assisted by Cyborg and Green Lantern, place a globe-like structure on top of the volcano and call it the Watchtower.

## Notes

### Trivia

* The title is likely a play on the term "bait and switch" which is used with different meanings in fishing and business.

### Continuity

* The Justice League take refuge in Constantine's House of Mystery. In "Trick or Threat", the team discovers a House of Mystery run by Cain, which John is shown finding the key to at the end of the episode. It is unknown if this is the same House of Mystery, it could be supposing Trick or Threat takes place long before this episode.

### Cultural References

* Constantine sucking on a lollipop is likely a reference to a cigarette which he is known for smoking. He couldn't use a real cigarette due to restrictions on children's television.
* In the comics, the House of Mystery was the hideout of Justice League Dark (a team of magic based heroes lead by Constantine).