Ares helps fuel a civil war in Kaznia by delivering an animated armor forged by Hephaestus that will probably cause untold devastation. Wonder Woman is sent on the mission, teaming up with the superhero Sibling Team Hawk and Dove.
This episode contains examples of:
- Adaptational Badass: Dove is more hands on than his comics counterpart, using martial arts to fight back. He even holds a live grenade in his hands.
- Analogy Backfire: Dove claims that aggression can be resolved with education. Hawk's retort? "Then how come some of the best-educated guys in the world work at the Pentagon?"
- Animated Armor: The Annihilator.
- Badass in Distress: Dove gets captured by Ares when he tries to speak to the North Kaznian leader and tied to the Annihilator until Hawk frees him.
- Bar Brawl: Hawk and Dove are introduced in a bar fight with other patrons who took issue with the latter's political views.
- Berserk Button: Nardoc's admittance to "Mr. Sera" that he just wants to defend his territory instead of conquer the South in retaliation causes Ares to have a massive tantrum that ends in a Kill and Replace.
- Call-Back: Audrey, who was previously crowned Queen of Kaznia, has requested the League to intervene in the ongoing civil war.
- Casting Gag: Fred Savage and Jason Hervey of The Wonder Years voiced the titular duo, though the opposite of the character they played in that show (Savage as the timid Kevin/hotheaded Hawk and Hervey as abrasive Wayne/pacifist Dove).
- Compressed Vice: Wonder Woman is presented as being short tempered and overly aggressive towards her enemies, and treats this aspect as if it has been an ongoing problem, despite only coming up and existing in this episode.
- Emotional Powers: The Annihilator is powered by the anger and rage of the people nearby. In a war zone, it's practically unstoppable, but if there's peace...
- Fighting for a Homeland: The North Kaznians just want to be left alone and aren't interested in destroying their Southern counterparts. Ares is very displeased to see they use it only to drive out the South Kaznians rather than annihilating them.
- Fiery Redhead: Hank/Hawk is shown to be a redhead in the beginning, as opposed to him being brunette in the comics.
- The Heart: Don/Dove is a Nice Guy and implied to be one of these for the League in general.
- Humans Are the Real Monsters: Ares thinks humans are good for nothing, but to wage war against each other...And he definitely approves. Diana also rants about how belligerent and hostile humans are, but she gets over it by the end of the episode.
- Jerkass Ball: Wonder Woman is very abrasive and quick to anger in this episode. She apparently had a series of very intense encounters with bad guys over several weeks and tried to get a day off, before foiling another bank robbery, so she's dealing with a lot of stress from constant superhero work, so it's a bit justified.
- If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!: When "Mr. Sera" demands to know why Nardoc refused to take the enemy's camp with The Annihilator instead of just defending his territory, Nardoc states that kind of brutal conquest would make them no different than the South Kaznians they're claiming independence from.
- Ignored Epiphany: After the day is won when Dove convinces everyone to sheathe their swords, he tells Hawk that this proves his beliefs on non-aggression have merit. Hawk replies that he purposely didn't listen.
- Kill and Replace: When Nardoc proves less violent than he likes, Ares kills him and takes his place. This only lasts up until Dove infiltrates the camp to try and convince "Nardoc" to agree to peace talks, after which Ares drops the disguise, ties Dove to The Annihilator, and walks into battle in his regular armor.
- Mugging the Monster: The thugs who accost Hank and Don Hall likely weren't expecting to be fighting superheroes.
- Mythology Gag: Diana's casual outfit during her (interrupted) day off is reminiscent of the "mod" style the comics tried on Wonder Woman at the end of the Silver Age and the early 70's.
- Nerves of Steel: In the climax, Dove stoically stares down the Annihilator and doesn't flinch even when it's a moment away from turning him into paste.
- Playing Both Sides: Ares gleefully plays both sides of the Kaznian civil war to intensify the conflict, serving as a prophet to the South side foretelling their victory and an arms dealer to the North side supplying them with weaponry.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Hawk and Dove, who are colored according to the philosophies they personify and they coincidentally embody many of the personality traits of this trope as well.
- Hawk has a warlike spirit: he believes that aggression is the only, as well as best, way to settle disputes and this attitude is also reflected in his fighting style, which is more offensive, aggressive and resorting to brute-force.
- Dove is a pacifist: he believes that education is the solution of the majority of conflicts, and its incorporated into his fighting style, which is more defensive, employing Aikido-esque and Judo-esque techniques.
- Say My Name: In the climax, Hawk, being held back by Wonder Woman, is sure that he's about to see his brother killed by the Annihilator, screaming his (real) name in fear.Hawk: Let go of me! He's weak, he'll get himself killed! DON!
- Sdrawkcab Alias: Mr. Sera is Ares' alias as a weapon dealer.
- Sheathe Your Sword: Wonder Woman, Hawk, and Dove face an unstoppable magical robot that feeds on aggression. Dove beats it by...not fighting, or rather by getting the North and South Kaznians to stop fighting.
- Stealth Pun: Combined with a Mythology Gag. Wonder Woman along with Hawk and Dove getting North and South Kasnia to stop fighting and try to come up with a peaceful solution. In other words Wonder Woman made a Hawk and Dove stop a war with love.
- Straw Misogynist: One of the soldiers refuses to agree to Wonder Woman's demand that he stand down by stating that he doesn't take orders from women. Wonder Woman replies by taking his gun and twisting it into a knot.
- Take That!: Another more subtle one towards the Bush administration seen in the Analogy Backfire entry.
- Technical Pacifist: Dove, in contrast to his comic book counterpart (who leans towards Actual Pacifist).
- Throwing Your Gun at the Enemy: A bank robber considers this after emptying his gun firing at Wonder Woman. He thinks better of it after Diana, who casually deflected all of his bullets, points out just how dumb this would be.Diana: Yeah, right. Like that's going to work.
- Truer to the Text: Unlike many incarnations of Hephaestus (even in DC Universe) where he usually appears as beautiful as his fellow gods, this Hephaestus looks like his original version in myths (in which he's THE ugliest God ever born). And it's not Hollywood Homely, he's really ugly here.
- Weaksauce Weakness: By design. Hephaestus apparently likes including certain flaws in his works just to keep people from getting too powerful. The Annihilator is fueled by aggression, but if there is no aggression anywhere in its vicinity it powers down.
- We Will Meet Again: Ares makes this vow after his plot is foiled. This turns out to be the last time he is seen in the show.
- What You Are in the Dark: Hawk constantly bickers with Dove. But when it looks like Dove will be killed by the Annihilator, he’s terrified and screaming at him to get out of the way.
