History Recap / JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS3E7PatriotAct

** Shining Knight starts out firmly believing that when your "police captain" tells you to do something, you should "play by the rules". But towards the end, he admits he's no stranger to "[[MeaningfulEcho besmirching orders]]", as he once disobeyed an order from King Arthur he felt was wrong.

* TheSocialExpert: Vigilante turns out to be quite the showman. At one point the scene cuts away from the parade after showing a group of civilians unimpressed with the present League members. When it cuts back, Vigilante has worked the crowd into cheering and applauding the show that he has the other Leaguers putting on. When Stargirl {{Lampshades}} this, he claims that he'd have everyone eating out of his hands if he had his guitar.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Following the climax of the previous Season, Project Cadmus has been completely disbanded and its personnel have all been reassigned or benched. After all, the program failed its primary objective (stop the Justice League if they go rogue), they were hijacked and manipulated by external forces (Luthor and Brainiac), and the senior leadership committed a long laundry list of crimes (from illegal genetic experimentation to launching a military assault on the Watchtower without Presidential authorization). As Waller observes, she, Eiling, and the rest were lucky they all didn't end up in prison -- an outcome which was probably avoided due to factors like PR optics, political leverage, and the potential consequences of exposing Cadmus' crimes to the American electorate.

** Discussed, as while General Eiling is frustrated that the Justice League still exists and is still an NGOSuperpower, Waller is willing to let it go, pointing out that with all the crap Cadmus has pulled, they're lucky they weren't arrested.

** Waller is shown to be regretful of Cadmus' anti-Justice League stance and has softened in the interim. This characterization is a subtle CallForward to "Epilogue" and her becoming the League's government liaison and developing genuine respect of the team.

** Discussed, as while General Eiling is frustrated that the Justice League still exists and is still a NGOSuperpower, Waller is willing to let it go, pointing out that with all the crap Cadmus has pulled, they're lucky they weren't arrested.

* StupidJetpackHitler: The source of the the SuperSerum Eiling uses to become a hulked-out monster in his bid to gain equal footing versus the Justice League. The original batch was confiscated during WWII in the episode opener and reading a report on it's effects is why Eiling steals it for his use during the episode.

* SequelEpisode: To the Camdmus arc, showing what's become of Eiling and Waller (and the Project itself) since "Divided We Fall".

* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Three of the Leaguers in the episode qualify as this: Shining Knight has magic armor, S.T.R.I.P.E. wears a[[PoweredArmor giant robotic exoskeleton]], and Stargirl wields the Cosmic Staff, which grants her abilities including flight and telekinesis.

* AMillionIsAStatistic: Eiling [[InvokedTrope invokes]] this trope when Stargirl calls him out for his reckless actions and their lethal potential to bystanders.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: When Eiling attempts to kill Shining Knight, a group of civilians come to the latter's defense, one old woman being particularly vocal about it. It results in Eiling finally seeing the inherent hypocrisy of his actions, and folds.

* ArmorPiercingResponse: "You're the only one around here with superpowers."

* MeaninglessVillainVictory: Eiling easily defeats the BadassNormal heroes who were at the parade, only to realize that in doing so, he's ''become'' the rogue Metahuman threat he feared. He leaves, [[PutOnABus never to be seen again in the series]]. On top of that, his attack also gives the heroes at the parade, who were mostly seen as C-list losers with no powers, a chance to show off their bravery and skill as they try to hold him off--something the crowd takes notice of.

* KarmaHoudini: Discussed, as while General Eiling is frustrated that the Justice League still exists and is still a NGOSuperpower, Waller is willing to let it go, pointing out that with all the crap Cadmus has pulled, they're lucky they weren't arrested.

* MeaninglessVillainVictory: Eiling easily defeats the BadassNormal heroes who were at the parade, only to realize that in doing so, he's ''become'' the rogue Metahuman threat he feared. He leaves, [[PutOnABus never to be seen again in the series]].

* WhatMeasureIsANonBadass: Invoked repeatedly, as the entire reason that Eiling's not fighting the JLA's A-team is that the parade was considered too unimportant for Superman's busy schedule.

* RecruitTheMuggles: In "Patriot Act", when a group of heroes are attacked during a parade, several kids try to help them by throwing rocks at the villain and then the whole crowd marches up to face him down before he can finish off the defeated heroes.

* BloodKnight: While General Eiling genuinely does believe in American superiority and wants to protect his country [[MyCountryRightOrWrong at any cost]], he's also clearly spoiling for a fight and wants to exact revenge on the Justice League for shaming his government. When the gathered citizens begin [[ShamedByAMob shaming him]], the old woman leading the charge snaps "''Drop the act''"--he's using his supposed patriotism as an excuse to bully and abuse those weaker than himself, and his attempts to justify it are paper-thin.

* SequelEpisode: To the Camdmus arc, showing what's become of Eiling and Waller (and the Project itself) since "Dived We Fall".

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: When Eiling attempts to kill Shining Knight, a group of civilians come to the latter’s defense, one old woman being particularly vocal about it.

** The parade crowd itself goes from having its prominent voices, including the old lady and the group of kids, complaining about how there's no Superman and wondering why they even bothered coming to see the parade if he's not there, to genuinely respecting them and willingly standing in Eiling's way to protect them.

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: We get three in this episode. Spy Smasher stops the Nazis [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica from creating a super soldier]] and steals the formula. General Eiling, who is [[ComicBook/TheHulk a general obsessed with stopping metahumans and protecting America]], injects himself with the Super Formula and becomes [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk a giant muscle-bound monster that gets around by leaping]]. Although Eiling's monster form is actually from when (in the comics) he transferred his mind into the body of the monster "Shaggy Man."

* WhatMeasureIsANonBadass: Invoked repeatedly, as the entire reason that Eiling's not fighting the JLA's A-team is that the parade was considered too unimportant for Superman's busy schedule.