Episode 23: Insincerity
Takes place 30 November-6 December 2010.
Short version
Paul and Miss Martian thwart an attempt to assassinate Psimon in prison (because he can give evidence against Queen Bee), but he doesn't participate in the later canon-ish attempt to intercept Bane, so the courier gets through.
Longer version
Paul accompanies a class of Atlanteans taking a tour of the surface world. The Atlantean ambassador tells him about meeting with Senator Knight, which looks likely to lead to trade deals with the USA.
Returning to the Mountain, Paul learns that Red Inferno/Danette Reilly has become listless and unmotivated. He and Miss Martian invite her along to the Logan Animal Sanctuary, and she accepts and enjoys the visit. While there, she informs Paul that she has lacked any core drive since being freed from Dr Morrow and rebuilt by Paulphidian, but that around him she is able to want things again. Together, they discover that the Ophidian's modifications are causing her to experience her recorded history as real memories, and she takes up the goal of exploring them.
In the meantime, Miss Martian is needed back in Qurac to give expert testimony about Psimon's abilities for his trial. The three of them visit Psimon in prison, and are able to thwart an assassination attempt on him, involving phased explosives, a phase-shifting robot, and Deadshot the mercenary. In the aftermath, Psimon asks not to be transferred to Belle Reve prison, which concerns Paul, because it may indicate that the prison has been compromised by Queen Bee.
A few days later, Red Arrow finally joins the Team, and goes with several other team members to intercept the gang leader Bane at an airport. Unfortunately, Bane has phase-shifting technology too, and is able to delay them long enough for a courier to get past.
In the Renegade timeline, Artemis has been Awakened, and Celestial Archer (Xu Tao) joins the Team.
Equivalent canon episode: "Insecurity". "Insincerity" may refer to Danette's lack of motivation, or to Psimon's concealment of his reasons for wanting a prison transfer.
- Absurdly Sharp Blade: Grayven makes "X-ionised" arrows for Artemis, which can cut through almost anything.
- Applied Phlebotinum: Hawkwoman advises Paul that he can bring objects back into phase by running an electric current through Nth metal. Because Nth metal does everything.
- Cyanide Pill: Bozo the Iron Man fuses all his/its electronics upon being disabled. Paul, who really wanted the phase-shifting tech, is quite disappointed.
- Class Trip: An Atlantean class spends a day on the surface.
- Intangibility: A bunch of villain tech uses this, and it makes things quite difficult.
- Memory Gambit: Paul has one set up with M'gann, wherein after Danni utters a code word, any memory that has been suppressed over the last couple of hours would be restored. This allowed Miss Martian to hide their suspicions about Psimon having knowledge of a Belle Reve compromise, until after they had finished talking with him and observed his actions.
- Shout-Out:
- Firebrand's password to activate M'gann and Paul's Memory Gambit is "Your father smells of elderberries."
- Paul references Bruce Has a Problem when thinking of Talia having to publicly interact with Bruce's playboy persona.
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Word of God: Darkseid wouldn't be blindsided by the Sword of Second and Third, nor the Spear of Destiny. Also, Mannheim is busy working on the Religion of Evil
. - Wrong Assumption: When Paul offers to heal Talia of any complications from Lazarus Pit usage, she assumes he's talking about her mother and threatens him with a knife while questioning him on how he knows about her. Paul really just meant he'd offer healing if she knew anyone who had any complications after using a Lazarus Pit and had no idea Talia's mother fit such a description.
