The Wallace family seems to be targeted by some earthquakes.
Tropes:
- And I Must Scream: The Earthmover. Being self-aware while trapped underground and horrifically mutated. An unsettling combination to say the least.
- Arbitrary Skepticism: Bruce of all people doubts Terry's claims of fighting a mud monster. This is rather jarring since one of Bruce's recurring rogues was Clayface, a being of living clay. Bruce at least hedges his bets by reasoning that, if it is indeed real, it will likely return to the same spot.
- The Atoner: Bill took Jackie in to make up for seemingly getting her father killed.
- Bittersweet Ending: Earthmover is dead, as is the man and father he was in life. But the experience has given Jackie a greater appreciation for her adoptive father. Nonetheless, the tone of the ending is pretty somber.
- Body Horror: Toxic waste covers Earthmover, turning him into a living corpse embedded in the earth, with flourescent green toxic waste "blood vessels" extending from his body into the earth around him, controlling it.
- Brick Joke: When Bruce observes the samples Terry give to him of the rock monster that infiltrated the Wallace home, he simply mentions that "It's interesting", as it reveals nothing more than dirt. Terry relays to Bruce that waste canisters shot up in the latest attack, and Bruce mentions that Bill Wallace and his company was the subject of an investigation when he was accused of illegal waste disposal, but nothing was proven. Terry mentions that Bill isn't Jackie's real father. Bruce replies, "Now that's interes..., um, promising".
- Caper Rationalization: Bill tells Tony that even if they aren't disposing of the toxic waste by ordinary standards, the mine shaft is secure enough that there won't be any leakage unless there's an earthquake.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Played with in the case of Bill Wallace: His company was only starting up, and he couldn't afford to dispose of the waste in accordance with city procedures. Instead, he had his best friend and employee Tony help dispose of the waste products in an abandoned mineshaft. An accident happened, and Tony was caught in it, presumed killed. While Bill managed to walk from the ensuing investigation, the guilt from the accident haunted him for years, and he adopted Tony's daughter Jackie to honor him.
- Every Man Has His Price: Single parent Tony is reluctant to help dump the toxic waste until Bill offers to make him a partner in his company.
- Family of Choice: Jackie and Bill have something very close to a father-daughter bond, even though she normally addresses him on a first name basis. Towards the end, after Earth Mover's death, she calls Bill "Dad" to acknowledge him as the father figure he always was.
- Grey-and-Gray Morality: In the DVD commentary, Bruce Timm says he likes this episode because of its moral ambiguity. The "villain", Bill, is not a thoroughly evil man, and has tried to make up for his past misdeeds, while the main antagonist, Tony, has understandable motives for his acts, but is irredeemably destructive.
- Happily Adopted: Jackie Wallace eventually calls her foster father Bill "Dad".
- Hey, You!: At first, Jackie calls her foster father by his given name.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: When Earth Mover realizes that Batman has thwarted all its considerable efforts to entomb Jackie, it sends roots underwater to split the boulder that was blocking the Batsub's escape from the collapsing cavern. Given its reason for all of them being there in the first place...
- My Greatest Failure: Bill feels guilty and regretful that he let his best friend Tony die in the construction accident and adopts Tony's daughter Jackie as a means to make up for his mistake.
- Pom-Pom Girl: Jackie is a cheerleader who also plays sports (soccer) in addition to cheering for them and is a good friend, fairly humble and with some insecurities as a result of being watched all the time.
- Rage Breaking Point: When Jackie sees the Earth Mover and recognizes him as her father, she mentions Bill and this makes the Earth Mover angry.
Jackie: And this is what the accident did to you?
Earthmover: Not Accident!? NOT Accident!!
Jackie: But Bill said that...
Earthmover: (growls, attempts to kill Bill and capture Jackie)
- Spear Carrier: A silent, unnamed equipment operator helps Bill and Tony dispose of the waste. He is horrified by Tony's apparent death but never reveals the truth afterward.
- That Man Is Dead: When Jackie is trying to process that Earth Mover is her father, Batman somberly tells her that he's no longer her father. Fittingly, he describes that he's just a ghost of his former self.
- Unpleasant Parent Reveal: Tony / The Earthmover for Jackie. The idea of meeting a long-lost family member who is completely unhinged. And the pre-conceived notion that they'll be whoever you created in your head, being completely shattered. Must be a truly terrifying situation to be in.
- Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: The Earth Mover.
