History Recap / SupermanTheAnimatedSeriesS2E25E26ApokolipsNow

* HideYourLesbians: Captain Maggie Sawyer, an open lesbian in the comics since 1988, is hospitalized after an attack by Intergang, and is visited in the hospital by a woman who comforts her and holds her hand. However, this woman is never identified, nor is their relationship explained. The credits and DVDCommentary reveal her as Toby Raines, Maggie's long-time partner in the comics, and the producers explain that her inclusion in the hospital scene was their way of acknowledging the relationship in the comics, which could never be spoken aloud in the series.

** The title is an obvious play on ''Film/ApocalypseNow''. On the DVD commentary, Bruce Timmm confirmed that in addition to Coppola's film, the episode title was also an homage to ''The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans'' crossover from the Eighties (which was titled ''Apokolips... Now'').

* OutrunTheFireball: Manheim ''tries'' at the end of Part 1 after Darkseid betrays him stranded on Ayers Island at ground zero of their planned meltdown. But his boat doesn't even make it out of the blast radius before the power plant blows.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: During Darkseid's NewEraSpeech, we see Luthor's reaction as part of the montage. Rather than celebrating Superman's humiliation, Lex is silent and grim. Even ''he'' realizes how much trouble they're all in.

* KilledOffForReal: Turpin at the end of Part 2.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Considering that Mannheim willingly sold out the Earth for power, it's hard to see Darkseid abandoning him as anything but this.

* RecruitTheMuggles: In many episodes Detective Turpin and his [=SCU=] troopers are just a source of {{Exposition}} and a g-rated RedShirtArmy who get battered around by the villains, respectively, and are rarely included in anything big by Superman. In "Apokolips Now Part 2", the situation is desperate enough for a Superman to need them (and later on a large crowd of civilians) to help fight Darkseid's {{Mook}}s, and they handle the job admirably.

'''Superman:''' [[YouMonster MURDERER!!]]

** The title is an obvious play on ''Film/ApocalypseNow''.
*** On the DVD commentary, Bruce Timmm confirmed that in addition to Coppola's film, the episode title was also an homage to ''The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans'' crossover from the Eighties (which was titled ''Apokolips...Now''.)

* VocalEvolution: Darkseid’s voice has become less deep since his previous appearances. He sticks with it for the rest of the DCAU.

** There's also Mister Miracle as the traded baby, though this isn't confirmed onscreen in the DCAU until years later on ''JLU''. Mister Miracle also makes a cameo as his adult self in Part 2, Along with his wife Big Barda.

** There's also Mister Miracle as the traded baby, though this isn't confirmed onscreen in the DCAU until years later on ''JLU''. Mister Miracle also makes a cameo as his adult self in Part 2.

* BadassNormal: Dan Turpin, fullstop.

* KilledOffForReal: Manheim at the end of Part 1 and Turpin at the end of Part 2.

* ShutUpHannibal[=/=]DefiantStoneThrow: Dan Turpin's reaction to Darkseid's speech.

* UncertainDoom: The boat Mannheim is fleeing in gets swamped, but not destroyed, by the explosion, leaving his fate unclear (although it's generally believed that he died).

* BigDamnHeroes: The forces of New Genesis swoop in during the climax.

* ChekhovsGun: At the end of Part 1, Orion hands Superman a beacon to contact him for help should Darkseid return to Earth. He emphasizes that he ''will'' need need the help.

* DefiantToTheEnd: Darkseid is stunned that humanity continues to resist in the face of certain death.

** Darkseid told Bruno Mannheim that he would become "a king" as payment for helping his scheme. When he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness abandoned Mannheim at the site of an overloading reactor]], he proclaimed him "a king of fools".
** In Part 2, Darkseid tells Superman that he will either be his knight or his pawn. [[Recap/SupermanTheAnimatedSeriesS3E12E13Legacy This will come up later.]]

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Manheim's death at the end of Part 1. We don't ''technically'' see him die...but even still, when your getaway boat is still at ground zero of a nuclear meltdown when it blows, you ''will'' bite it. Timm even admits on the DVD Commentary he was surprised the Censors didn't object and let them get away with it.

** Darkseid's WeCanRuleTogether speech to Superman is a reference to {{Satan}} tempting Jesus Christ on the mountaintop from ''Literature/TheBible''. Appropriate for the SatanicArchetype and MessianicArchetype of the DC universe.

* BittersweetEnding: Earth is saved, but Turpin dies.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Manheim's death at the end of Part 1. We don't ''technically'' see him die, but it's pretty blatant he dies considering a getaway boat can't around a nuclear meltdown if you're still at or near ground zero.

* KilledOfForReal: Manheim at the end of Part 1the end of Part 2.