Episode 26: Gude-Willie Waught
Takes place 31 December 2010.
Short version
The Light uses Starro-tech to Mind Control the Justice League and take over the Watchtower, but the Team gathers allies, rescues the League, and drives the Light forces out.
Longer version
Batman calls the Team together to inform them that Red Arrow is actually a mentally programmed clone who has been passing information to the League's enemies, and has now gone on the run. However, Batman's emotions look slightly different to usual, and his behavior is off. After he leaves, Red Tornado attempts to prevent the Team from pursuing Red Arrow without authorisation, but Teekl attacks him and reveals a piece of mind-controlling Starro-tech that was attached to his back by Batman. The Team realises that the entire League must be compromised, and they evacuate the Mountain under fire from Accomplished Perfect Physician.
Once at a safe distance, the Team starts collecting allies. The Frees, Firebrand, Alan, and Teth Adom prepare to fight the League, while Dr Roquette and the Atlanteans use a G-Gnome telepathic network to prepare a cure for the Starro-tech, and John Constantine searches for the precise location of the Watchtower. Paul also enhances Adom's mortal form with the Danner formula.
Hours later, once they have a location and a countermeasure, the Team assaults the Watchtower and finds Klarion in control, along with a number of Nazi allies and the mind-controlled League. However, Lantern Gardner is somehow resisting the effects of Klarion's control. Together, they are able to defeat the remaining League members — including taking Lantern Stewart's ring and converting it to orange, thus gaining access to the Green Lantern Corps' database — and bind Klarion and Nabu in magic suppression chains. John begins a ritual intended to banish both Lords to their respective planes, but Captain Nazi evacuates Klarion before it can finish.
In the aftermath, Lantern Gardner reveals that he resisted the mind control by bonding with Ion. Having seen Paulphidian, he's concerned about the long term effects, but Paul reassures him that Ion isn't as possessive.
Zatanna kisses Paul for New Year's, but he tells her afterward that he feels a relationship would be inappropriate when she's emotionally depending on him.
The Renegade timeline sees a much faster response by the Team (preventing the League's canonical assault on Rimbor). The Renegade is able to sense the Starro-tech during Batman's initial briefing, and Celestial Archer's trick shots are able to remove it. Furthermore, Construct-Lantern Nabu has given Zatanna additional training in fighting against Klarion's chaos magic, allowing her to purge the Starro-tech with a sentence, and he is able to provide the Watchtower's location. The Team collects Lantern Gardner and the Frees, then attacks immediately, liberating the League and forcing Klarion to flee. The Renegade is also able to copy a database from Lantern Jordan's ring, although he is unable to assimilate the ring itself before the fight is over. In the aftermath, he arms the Watchtower to prevent future attacks.
Equivalent canon episode: "Auld Acquaintance". Both titles are phrases from "Auld Lang Syne", with a "gude willie-waught" being a good drink together.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Downplayed. The Light got the minimum of their objectives. However, they did not expect to lose so many assets
. - Cast from Lifespan: Alan insists on joining in the fight, but his remaining ring charge is the only thing keeping his body healthy, so the more he uses, the sooner he'll catch up with his calendar age.
- Fighting from the Inside: Guy is able to use his anti-mind control training to partially resist the effects of Starro-tech.
- I Didn't Mean to Turn You On: Paul's offer to give a massage gives Zatanna mixed signals.
- Ludicrous Gibs: Adom reduced Savage to meat chunks.
- Mind-Control Device: The Starro-tech used by the Light to control the League.
- No-Sell: Paul is no longer susceptible to the powder Klarion used to disable his ring.
- Permanently Missable Content: The Renegade missed a plotline involving Nabu.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Teth Adom was incensed when Captain Nazi mentioned his intention to have Wonder Woman bear him superior children - so angry that he called on his gods to give him a berserk rage, beating Nazi like a drum and punching him right through the wall of the Watchtower. Unfortunately, this gave Nazi an opening to evacuate Klarion.
- Shout-Out: At one point, Paul notes that the controlled Martian Manhunter is trying to use a mind crush.
- Sympathetic Magic: John uses Red Tornado, Teekl, and a strand of hair from the Changing Man as foci in his efforts to track Klarion. The Changing Man is another Lord of Chaos, Teekl used to belong to Klarion, and Red Tornado was controlled by Klarion's magic.
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Word of God: Mr Zoat reveals that the professor teaching Adom Arabic is actually a shapeshifted Martian Manhunter.- He also revealed that Adom declined becoming the League's mole into the Light.
- Mr Zoat answers the question of what is the difference between the Paragon's and the Renegade's armors.
- Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain exist, but are rather young.
- Mr Zoat gave a list of everyone on Paul's side here.
- He also revealed that Adom declined becoming the League's mole into the Light
- Xanatos Gambit: Mr Zoat gives this as the reason the Light decided to go ahead with the Starro-tech plan after approaching the Renegade.
