Justice League(-TV Series) - Hereafter (DCAU Episode) • An Part 001

"**Hereafter**" is the forty-fifth and forty-sixth episodes of Template:Jl. It first aired on November 29, 2003.

## Plot

A ***group of supervillains*** are gathered around and plotting to take their revenge on Superman. They arrange an ambush for the Man of Steel by attacking ***Metropolis***. They battle the rest of the Justice League, but when Superman arrives, ***Toyman*** reveals his secret weapon: a giant toy robot equipped with a disintegrator beam. Toyman fires several times and sections of the city disappear without trace. Superman evades the beams, but Toyman takes aim at ***Batman*** and ***Wonder Woman***. Superman throws himself in front of them and takes the blast, disappearing without trace. Shocked, the League and the Earth believe that the blast killed Superman. In anger, Wonder Woman destroys Toyman's robot and threatens to kill him, but Flash talks her out of it, telling her it goes against Superman's memory.

The only person who refuses to believe that Superman is dead is ***Batman***. He analyzes the evidence from the battle, insisting that objects can't disappear without a trace, citing the law of conservation of mass. He snubs the invitations of ***Alfred*** and the other Leaguers to attend Superman's funeral in Metropolis.

At Superman's funeral, the attendants include the League (minus Batman), the staff of the ***Daily Planet***, ***Jonathan*** and ***Martha Kent***, several Earth leaders, and superheroes. However, everyone gasps as Lex Luthor arrives. ***Lois Lane*** is furious that Lex has appeared, as she believes he came to gloat over Superman's death, but she soon breaks into tears until Lex comforts her and genuinely admits that he will also miss Superman greatly. ***J'onn J'onzz*** pronounces a eulogy and the League ceremonially inters a coffin in a monument. As they bring the coffin to his memorial, Wonder Woman spots Batman watching the procession from the shadows.

Holding a wake for Superman in the ***Watchtower***, the League swaps stories about him, then J'onn tentatively proposes adding a new member. Suddenly, ***Lobo*** crashes through the window, announcing that he's there to take Superman's place. When the League orders him out, he decides to "audition" by tearing the Watchtower apart and attacking them. They hold him off, then hear that dozens of supervillains are running amok in Metropolis, celebrating Superman's death in their own fashion. The League reluctantly bring Lobo along as they go to fight, mainly because they don't trust him alone in the Watchtower. However, given his unique fighting ability, they allow him to join the battle, only as long as he follows their direct orders.

Investigating another of his theories, Batman follows a trail to Superman's memorial. Finding nothing, he wonders if he's wrong and Superman really is dead. Alone, he takes this opportunity to tell Clark that, despite their differences, he has always respected him and what he taught him and that he will miss him... but his tribute is interrupted by a nearby explosion, and takes off to battle the attacking supervillains.

The League attacks, with difficulty subduing the rogue villains. Lobo makes himself useful in his own fashion, beating ***Kalibak*** into submission with a few cars, forcing him to say Uncle, and causing plenty of destruction in the process. To the already grieving League, Lobo boasts how with him on the team, Superman is no longer needed. The Leaguers bow their heads, contemplating life without the Man of Steel. Elsewhere, on a barren landscape, under a red sun and some rubble lies... Superman.

## Continuity

* ***Metallo*** claims that he and his ***teammates*** have been wronged by Superman. This refers to all the times that each villain felt aggravated by the Man of Steel:

* Lobo claims to have saved Superman's life once, alluding to the events of Template:Stas' "***The Main Man***". John promptly objects that this is not an entirely truthful account, although technically it is, as Superman and Lobo saved each other once in the episode.
* Superman made a deal with Lobo in Template:Stas' "***The Main Man***" to free Lobo from his cell if Lobo would "leave me and everyone else on Earth in peace", to which Lobo agreed. In this episode, Lobo only battles the League in the Watchtower, which is in orbit (believing it to be an audition and not intending permanent harm) and on Earth, he only fights ***Kalibak*** (who is not from Earth, but ***Apokolips***). Technically speaking, Lobo has kept his word.
* John suggests ***Metamorpho*** as a team member. Metamorpho first appeared in (and was established as John's friend in) "***Metamorphosis***". Metamorpho would later join the league in Template:Jlu.

## Background information

### Home video releases

* Template:Jldvd2
* ***Justice League - Season Two (Blu-ray)***
* ***Justice League - The Complete Series (DVD)***

### Production notes

* Prior to the premiere of Template:Jl Season 2, interviews stated that the team was to have a temporary addition. This episode, in which Superman was supposedly killed, would prompt the rest of the team to recruit a new member. Originally, the new member was to be ***Captain Marvel***. However, legal rights prevented that appearance and ***Lobo*** was chosen instead as the least likely suspect. [1]
* In part I, when Volcana absorbs her fire blast, there's an explosion that is reused footage from ***Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker***, when the console that the ***Jokerz*** tried to steal blows up.

### Production inconsistencies

* John Stewart wears a green overcoat throughout Superman's funeral, including when he is a pallbearer for the coffin. However, in the final scene of the funeral, it is missing.
* The ground at Superman's memorial is all green except for his S-Shield on the ground. When Batman gets close to it, however, there's a straight pathway behind him.
* When Flash redirects a blast of fire ***Volcana*** aimed at Wonder Woman, an ATM in the background reads "MTA", indicating the background has been mirrored.
* During the fight with Lobo aboard the Watchtower, all of the Leaguers' black armbands disappear and reappear in various shots.

### Trivia

* The attendants at Superman's funeral include:
	+ ***Hippolyta***
	+ ***Aquaman*** and ***Mera***
	+ ***Dr. Fate*** and ***Inza***
	+ ***Alfred Pennyworth***
	+ ***Tim Drake***
	+ ***Jonathan*** and ***Martha Kent***
	+ ***Lana Lang***
	+ Kara
	+ ***Bibbo Bibbowski***
	+ ***Maggie Sawyer***
	+ Lex Luthor
	+ ***Lois Lane***
	+ ***Jimmy Olsen***
	+ ***Perry White***
	+ ***Orion***
	+ ***Lightray***
	+ And a few ***Green Lanterns***:
		- ***Larvox***
		- ***Tomar Re***
		- ***Katma Tui***
		- ***Kilowog***
		- ***Kyle Rayner***
* This episode features many characters from Template:Stas, such as Livewire, Metallo, Volcana, as well as Lobo.
* Due to budgetary issues, ***Corey Burton*** served as a stand in for ***Bud Cort*** as Toyman and ***Malcolm McDowell*** as Metallo for this episode. Both Cort and McDowell would reprise their roles in the final season of Template:Jlu.
* Likewise, an uncredited ***Maria Canals*** voiced Livewire in this episode.
* Several elements of the story are similar to the comics storyline *Funeral for a Friend*, including Batman watching Superman's memorial procession from a rooftop.
* Part II is reminiscent of Richard Matheson's novel *I Am Legend* and its film adaptation *The Omega Man*, both depicting the life of a single man on Earth after the rest of humanity is wiped out by some disaster.
* ***Vandal Savage***'s fade in Part II is similar to the way the characters of the *Back to the Future* trilogy do so when time is altered.
* ***Virgil*** and ***Richie*** from Template:Ss do not attend the funeral, despite the Justice League's guest appearances on their show.
* Although ***Barbara Gordon*** was a close friend of Supergirl, she was not seen at the funeral, nor was ***Dick Grayson***.
* ***Snapper Carr*** appears to have been Superman's sixth pallbearer, though he can only be seen as such when the pallbearers are seen from behind.
* The plot of Superman being shunted into a barren, uninhabited Earth under a red sun in a distant future through the actions of a Superman Revenge Squad shows similarities to "Superman Under the Red Sun", the leading story in *Action Comics* #300 (1963).
* Wonder Woman's ceremonial dress incorporates the eagle-shaped chest plate she has worn in the comics and the *Super Friends* animated series.
* Despite his hatred of Superman, Lex Luthor states that he will miss him, too. This moment is somewhat similar to Template:Btas episode ***The Man Who Killed Batman*** where ***Joker*** mourns ***Batman***, lamenting the loss of his archenemy. In both cases, however, reports of the hero's death turned out to be greatly exaggerated.
* During Vandal Savage's lunch, Antonio Vivaldi's *The Four Seasons* plays in the background.
* Superman's car appears to be a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air.
* Deadshot likely killed Batman in the original timeline due to the fact he would have, had Superman not intervened in time.

## Cast

### Uncredited appearances

Template:Appearancetop

* Aquaman
* Dr. Fate
* Hippolyta
* Inza
* Lightray
* Mera
* Orion

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* Larvox
* Tomar Re
* Katma Tui
* Kilowog
* Kyle Rayner

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* Bibbo Bibbowski
* Tim Drake
* Jonathan Kent
* Kara Kent
* Martha Kent
* Lana Lang
* Jimmy Olsen
* Perry White

Template:Appearancecolumn

* Copperhead
* Star Sapphire
* Volcana

Template:Appearancebottom

## References

Template:Reflist
Template:DC Animated Universe