History Recap / JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E4TaskForceX

Wait...what?

-->''Colonel...Flagg? You're kidding, right?

* OralFixation: Lawton is showed chewing a toothpick.

* EvilPlan: The plan is fueled by PragmaticVillainy, because the squad is formed entirely by [[{{TheSociopath}} sociopaths]] and a TokenGoodTeammate. The plan must be followed RightOnTheTick and it does not permit unnecessary killing. It works because it was planned by ClockKing, who is TheSociopath himself. And the plan seems to be a classic [[MacGuffin Grand Theft Macguffin]]...but in reality is a DespairGambit Cadmus is pulling on the League.

* EvilPlan: One of the most beautifully constructed. The plan is fueled by PragmaticVillainy, because the squad is formed entirely by [[{{TheSociopath}} sociopaths]] and a TokenGoodTeammate. The plan must be followed RightOnTheTick and it does not permit unnecessary killing. It works because it was planned by ClockKing, who is TheSociopath himself. And the plan seems to be a classic [[MacGuffin Grand Theft Macguffin]]...but in reality is a DespairGambit Cadmus is pulling on the League.

* EveryoneMeetsEveryone: This episode shows not only how Clock King, Plastique, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot and Colonel Flagg met, but also shows them studying Green Lantern, Captain Atom, and The Martian Manhunter in their ChekhovsClassroom.

* TheDreaded: During the briefing, the squad are told of three Leaguers to watch out for: J'onn Jonnz, Green Lantern and Captain Atom.
** During the planning stage, Flagg asks Plastique about a hypothetical scenario where Superman has the drop on her. Plastique immediately gets flummoxed and yells that they told her Superman wouldn’t be there.

* TheBadGuyWins: Cadmus gets a victory over the League.
** The showrunners note in the season 3 featurette on Cadmus that the point of this episode was to give Cadmus a win against the League to keep their threat level legitimate. They score another one in “Clash.”
* BewareTheSuperman: One of the {{Central Theme}}s of this episode. Every one of the {{Badass Normal}}s is scared to death about going against superhumans. When Clock King is showing intel about Captain Atom, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter in the ChekhovsClassroom, you can hear [[ScareChord ominious music]].
** Martian Manhunter in particular comes across as incredibly scary during the Squad’s attack on the transport room. He also threatens to mindwipe TheMole that facilitated the break in, unnerving even Green Lantern.

* FamilyUnfriendlyViolence: Throughout the episode, we see some seriously violent confrontations, including an explosion that leaves Plastique severely injured.

* GoodIsNotNice: Colonel Flagg is fine with treating his team like crap.

** Captain Boomerang nearly blows the team's cover because he won't give up ''75 cents'' while passing a metal detector.

* VillainEpisode[=/=]VillainProtagonist: The entire episode revolves around the P.O.V. of the villains.

* [[{{YouAllMeetInACell}} You All Meet In An Abandoned Warehouse That Really Is A Cell]]: Lawton and Flagg meet the rest of the Suicide Squad at the AbandonedWarehouse. Lawton can believe he could do the job and leave. He is so wrong...

* WhamLine: In-universe, from [[HeroAntagonist the League's POV]] - Martian Manhunter asks Captain Atom on the progress he's made in containing the reactor leak from the Watchtower's hub. He confirms that he can easily contain it, but has distressing news:
-->'''Captain Atom:''' J'onn, this was no accident.

* FiveBadBand: Task Force X.
** BigBad: Colonel Flagg. Also a very rare example of both the main villain and the TokenGoodTeammate.
** TheDragon: Deadshot
** TheBrute: Captain Boomerang. Later the Annihilator.
** TheEvilGenius: Clock King
** TheDarkChick: Plastique

This is the tale of how a RagtagBunchOfMisfits manage to do TheInfiltration by DressingAsTheEnemy impersonating some Mooks at that EvilTowerOfOminousness KillSat, the Watchtower, headquarters of those Justice League wannabe {{Evil Overlord}}s…

Wait… what?

* BewareTheSuperman: One of the {{Central Theme}}s of this episode. Every one of the {{Badass Normal}}s is scared to death about going against superhumans. When Clock King is showing intel about Captain Atom, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter in the ChekhovsClassroom, you can hear [[ScareChord ominious music]]

** It turns out the item Task Force X is stealing is the confiscated [[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS1E4HawkAndDove Annihilator.]] When Flagg and Captain Boomerang are stumped at first how to activate it, Flagg remembers that it has to be powered by rage and [[ButtMonkey punches Boomer in the face without warning him]].

* DirtyCoward: Captain Boomerang and Plastique aren't excited about being on a [[IncrediblyLamePun suicide]] mission. Neither is [[TeamKiller Deadshot.]]

* EvilPlan: One of the most beautifully constructed. The plan is fueled by PragmaticVillainy, because the squad is formed entirely by [[{{TheSociopath}} sociopaths]] and a TokenGoodTeammate. The plan must be followed RightOnTheTick and it does not permit unnecessary killing. It works because it was planned by ClockKing, who is TheSociopath himself. And the plan seems to be a classic [[MacGuffin Grand Theft Macguffin]]... but in reality is a DespairGambit Cadmus is pulling on the League.

-->'''Flagg''': It was loaded with exploding nanites. Any escape attempt... [[FauxAffablyEvil Well, you'll gonna look kind of funny trying to run away with no head.]]

* FauxAffablyEvil: All the squad except [[TheStoic Clock King]] and Captain Boomerang. Including [[TokenGoodTeammate Colonel Flagg.]]

-->'''Flagg:''' This tower is so big and has so much staff in it no ones is going to notice us... [[TemptingFate unless one of you does something stupid]].

-->''Colonel... Flagg? You're kidding, right?
** Played straight with Temple Fugate, (a pun on Tempus Fugit, ''Times flies''), the Clock King.

* MookHorrorShow: The final battle scene turns into this as things go south during extraction, complete with looming music and the POV of the protagonists from their outmatched position.

** Task Force X is the official name for the [[ComicBook/SuicideSquad Suicide Squad]]. (You cannot use that name on children's TV.)

** Clock King, Plastique, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and Colonel Flagg all were members of DC Comics [[ComicBook/SuicideSquad Suicide Squad]], even if not all of them worked together at the same time.

* PhotoMontage: Clock King shows the Task Force X team some videos with the heroic exploits of Captain Atom, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter with [[ScareChord ominious music]]

* VillainousUnderdog: A team of normals infiltrate the Watchtower, a base filled to the brim with extremely powerful supers to steal a powerful artifact from right under their noses. It's {{lampshaded}} multiple times just how impossible it is. They succeed, only losing Plastique along the way.

** Turns out the item Task Force X is stealing is the confiscated [[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS1E4HawkAndDove Annihilator.]] When Flagg and Captain Boomerang are stumped at first how to activate it, Flagg remembers that it has to be powered by rage and [[ButtMonkey punches Boomer in the face without warning him]].

* ContinuityNod:

* EvilIsPetty: Captain Boomerang nearly blows the team's cover because he won't give up ''75 cents'' while passing a metal detector.

* VillainousUnderdog: A team of normals infiltrate the Watchtower, a base filled to the brim with extremely powerful supers to steal a powerful artifact from right under their noses. It's {{lampshaded}} multiple times just how impossible it is. [[spoiler:They succeed, only losing Plastique along the way]].

-->'''[[spoiler:J'onn:]]''' Ask yourselves: ''Is being in here with me what you truly desire?''

* ShipTease: Deadshot and Plastique [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar flirt throughout the whole episode]]. [[spoiler:Too bad he [[FauxAffablyEvil kills her]]]].

* WeAreEverywhere: The EvilPlan that Task Force X successfully pulled off wouldn't have even been possible if there wasn't TheMole that fed them information about the Watchtower. When he's caught, Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern discuss what his fate should be. While J'onn wants to mindwipe a year from him due to his treason, John points out that a wedge has been forced between the supers and the normal staffers meaning that any one of them could be working against them:

-->(''[[TheyLookJustLikeEveroneElse camera pans out to see multiple staffers walking around the Watchtower]]'')

-->'''Flagg''': It was loaded with exploding nanites. Any escape attempt... [[FauxAffablyEvil Well, you'll gonna look kind of funny trying to run ahead with no head.]]

-->'''[[spoiler:J'honn:]]''' Ask yourselves this: ''Is being in here with me what you truly desire?''