You are certain the serum will work?
Of course.
In moments, he will be stronger than a 100 men.
Nothing less than an artillery shell
would be able to penetrate his skin.
A word of warning, Herr doctor.
The Fuhrer expects nothing less.
I assure you, this man will be the first of a million
super-powered soldiers, an Aryan army created
in the laboratory who will grind our enemies to dust.
I'll thank you to hand that syringe over now, Ratsy.
Spy Smasher.
Put your hands up.
Now, hand it over, Fritz.
You look well, general.
The past few months have been good to you.
Mrs. Waller, due respect, this reassignment is a joke.
Never thought I'd become a desk drone.
I can't help you there.
Langley all but scrapped project Cadmus and insisted
on your transfer.
We're lucky we're not all in jail.
Look, the only mistake we made was trusting Luthor.
Wade, you know better than to dwell on the past.
I'm talking about right now.
The Justice League is still the single greatest threat
to global security.
I used to believe that too
but remember, we used to say the same about the Soviets.
Our enemy's never as evil as we imagine.
And maybe we're never quite as good.
Nuts.
Don't tell me the bleeding
hearts in Congress got to you.
- I eat them alive. - You would too.
You've got some onions, Amanda.
Then listen to me.
I'm not the league's greatest fan
but their intentions are good.
I can work with them.
What if you're wrong, though?
Turns out the metahumans aren't on the side of the angels.
We won't have any way to defend ourselves.
Look what happened last year.
Superman walked into Cadmus
and tossed our best men like a salad.
Oh, for heaven's sake.
What's to stop him from doing it again?
They're all orbiting us with a space weapon
supposedly decommissioned.
That's a much bigger threat than the Russians ever were.
If we'd rolled over like this with the Soviet Union
given up our nukes...
We'd all be living under a red flag.
Yes, ma'am. You better believe it.
After all our work, what did Cadmus accomplish?
You get a reprimand, I'm pushing pencils.
And the league gets another base here on earth
that metro tower.
When one side loses ground and the other side gains
that isn't a truce, it's a surrender.
It's a different world, general.
Learn to live in it.
Green Lantern, what's your status?
This sun's going nova any day now.
It's worse than we thought.
We'll have to deploy twice as many fusion dampeners.
You're breaking up. Say again.
The main point is, this is gonna take a while.
Understood. We've got it covered on this end.
Check in whenever you can. Watchtower out.
Green Arrow, STRIPE, Stargirl
Vigilante, and Shining Knight, meet me on the bridge.
Ha!
The exact second the movie's over
we get a mission.
Dang if that ain't lucky.
I still say this Clint Eastwood dishonored himself
when he refused to...
What was it? Play by the rules?
Pardner, your medieval upbringing has done left you
unschooled in the ways of the moving picture.
No, his proper duty is to his police captain.
I see why they call him dirty, he besmirches his order.
Sir Justin, if you want to be watching stuff on my big TV
with the 5.1 surround sound, you had best watch what you say
about Mr. Clint Eastwood.
Half of our resources are in deep space.
- We're short-handed. - Great.
I'll take a real assignment over watchtower duty any day.
So who's left up here with you, The Ray?
He's with Vixen, checking out an explosion in the Aleutians.
Flash and Supergirl aren't finished in Madagascar.
You're spreading us a little thin.
We go where we're needed, Green Arrow.
Did you second guess the Martian like this?
Sorry. My bad.
You're the big picture guy.
I've got it all worked out.
There's just this one mission in Metropolis.
I need you people to fill in for Superman.
Cool.
Welcome back to the "Daily Planet"
and Hubble's department store's
87th Annual Metro Merchant's Parade.
I'm Rick Wilson.
And I'm Caitlyn O'Shaughnessy-Ruiz.
And who's passing the reviewing stand now but the veterans
Legion honor guard followed by
the Madison High School marching band.
Yes, and just look who's coming next.
An old dear friend.
It's a bird, it's a plane it's Superman.
That's right, Rick.
Superman is held by officers
from the police department's
19th precinct, and next up
more heroes.
Some of the brave policemen, firefighters
and emergency workers who serve Metropolis every day.
And riding with them, well, the actual Superman
can't be here today, but he sent along
some of his Justice League cohorts.
I'd slay the ogre Blunderbore all over again
rather than put myself on display in this manner.
Even though that ogre turned out to be...
Morgan Le Fey.
We've all heard it.
- It is a good story. - So what?
Since we don't have superpowers
it takes five of us to replace one Superman?
Excuse me, I just wanna thank you
Justice League guys for turning out in force.
It means a lot to us.
Hey, we can't thank you enough.
You're the real heroes.
It's you the people come to honor.
Great. Now I'm petty.
See where it says "Heroes one and all"?
That's what it's all about.
The crowd doesn't care who can bench press a mountain
or shoot lasers out of their ears.
Where's Superman?
How come none of the good ones are here?
I didn't come here to see some stupid cowboy.
I don't think Vigilante's a good role model
especially ones with a gun.
I came to see Superman.
General Eiling, sir. What brings you back to Cadmus?
Just came to collect something I left behind.
I want you men posted at the entrance to this wing.
Nobody in or out.
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
General, what are you doing?
Hello, Dr. Anderson.
I left my reading glasses in the bio vault
and can't seem to get back in.
That code was changed six months ago.
You're not authorized.
The new code. Now.
General, no. That serum's unstable.
I read the report.
So you know about the horrible disfigurations.
The test animals...
Too late now.
Shoot to kill! Now while you still can!
- Don't kill me. - I wouldn't kill you, soldier.
You're just doing your job.
And now I'm going to do mine.
Stargirl, ladies and gentlemen
the all-American sweetheart.
Wow, you really know how to work a crowd.
Shoot, if I'd brung my guitar
I'd have 'em eating out of my hand.
And what do you got to say to the Shining Knight?
Sir Justin's a real live knight
from back in the olden times of King Arthur and them.
Friend, I am no mare at auction.
How about Sir Justin's horse, Winged Victory?
And his magical sword
a gift from Merlin, the magician hisself.
Freeze!
I'd listen to the man.
Where's Superman?
Busy. Can I help you?
Yeah. Hold this for me.
Open fire!
Go ahead, boys, pour it on.
I can take it.
Get out of here!
Yeah, take off, you big wuss.
Where's your parents?
I don't know. Run off, I guess.
Listen, I need you fellows to do a very important job
so you're all my deputies.
Now, go ride herd on that crowd and get 'em somewhere safe.
- Right, come on! - Let's go!
- Come on, everybody! - Gotta get out of here!
There was a blue car in front of me.
Go. I shall find it.
I mean it.
Get Superman and tell him
General Wade Eiling wants a word with him.
Eiling? Cadmus?
What happened, that beat-down he handed you last year
leave you with Superman issues?
He's your poster boy.
I'm gonna show the Justice League
that you're not the only superpower on the block
that there's someone who can stop you.
I'm here to protect them from you.
blast
Mr. Terrific, we need backup.
Everybody's in play somewhere else.
Everybody.
I'll see if I can scrounge
a few reserve leaguers.
Come on, folks! Stay together!
That's right, no straggling.
I'll give you issues.
Eiling, don't do it!
Hang on, little feller!
Yeah!
Pretty fancy riding there, cowboy.
- What you got for an encore? - Never you mind.
Get this dang area clear of civilians!
Scoot!
Hey, you, buzz off!
Stand back, darling!
Yee-hoo!
You lousy bush-leaguers.
I'm running out of patience.
You too? We're taking this someplace else.
Haven't you ever heard of innocent bystanders?
Ever hear of acceptable losses?
You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.
This country's halfway down the toilet because of you
super-powered types.
For the record, I don't have powers, potty mouth.
It's the staff.
In that case, miss, you're just another egg.
Beast villain! Have you no shame?
You hit him high, I'll hit him low.
Whatever.
Vig!
Found your reinforcements, GA
I'm teleporting them in now.
Got that. Thanks, T.
Well, you wanted Superman?
Now you got...
the Crimson Avenger and my ex-sidekick.
Ex-partner.
Speedy, we got to do this now?
Ooh, now I'm scared.
Ollie, how may guys has this doofus taken out?
That would be all of 'em.
You spoiled, rich little twerp.
I think he means me.
Oh, for a second I was all mad.
Still got your quantum arrow?
- Yeah, but you said... - This is an emergency.
We are so dead.
Could be.
Yah!
Superman, you coward, all your men are down
and you won't even show your face!
He cannot hear even your bellowing, monster.
As we speak, Superman rescues and entire star system
a universe away.
Do your worst.
I'll not let you harm another.
I do what I do with service to my country.
Once, at the word of my Lord, King Arthur
I was ordered to lay waste to an entire village.
I knew my king's heart could not be so unjust
so I spared them all.
Then you're a lousy soldier.
There it is, the creeping moral decay of the past
thousand years.
Arthur thanked me, oaf.
Had I been wrong, I would have handed over my sword
and left the court in shame.
Save yourself a hospital stay and stand down.
That magic armor won't help you.
Have at thee!
You're a relic.
In this world, power is
the only thing that matters.
You and those other no-name heroes, you're just people.
In the great scheme of things, nothing you do
has the least bit of significance.
I'll waste you and a million like you
before I let any power rival America's.
It's my duty.
You don't know what the word means.
You can't win.
I'll die as befits a knight, defending the weak.
Why don't you give up?
Why don't you?
Superman and your Justice League
are a threat to a safe and stable world.
Drop the act.
You think killing Superman would make the world safe?
Or killing this boy? Or us?
Tell me, how many of us
do you have to kill to keep us safe?
They're the ones I'm after, not you.
I'm not the menace, metahumans are.
Super-powered beings.
You're the only one around here with super powers.
Alright, I've become what I hate, I'll give you that.
But in the long run, you'll see I was right.
You'll see you need the likes of me to protect you from them.
Don't you worry, Sir Justin.
Them 21 st-century docs are gonna have you back
on your feet by movie night.
Hold.
I have yet to thank you.
No need to thank me, son.
You just get better.
World still needs protecting, you know?
Come on, let's play Justice League!
- I'm Shiny Knight! - No, I am!
You're the stupid monster.
Ha! Have at thee!
Have at thee!
Fine, I don't care. I'm Vigilante.
He's way cooler.