Episode 4: Prod Zone
Takes place on July 19-23
Short version
The Team disrupts a factory producing a new Super Serum known as Venom Buster, which grants permanent Super-Strength and Super-Toughness but increased aggression, and captures both Kobra (Jeffrey Burr) and Sportsmaster (Lawrence Crock).
Longer version
Paul takes Miss Martian and Superboy to look for Swamp Thing, but they find only traces of his old avatars. During the trip, however, Paul learns that Superman has kept his distance from Superboy, contributing to Superboy's moodiness and surliness. Paul and Miss Martian cajole Superboy into accepting a civilian name, "Conner", and he gradually warms up to them.
The Team then receives their first official mission, to investigate a factory producing the combat steroid Venom. Their infiltration proceeds somewhat like canon, encountering Bane and then discovering that the factory is actually producing a new variant drug, "Venom Buster", with larger and permanent effects, giving Super-Strength and Super-Toughness at the price of reduced tactile sensation and increased aggression. However, with Paul's involvement and greater use of Miss Martian's telepathy than in canon, they make a much more impressive showing, capturing Kobra, Sportsmaster and Mammoth, and preventing any drug samples from escaping.
In the Renegade timeline, Paul goes further, turning Sportsmaster into an orange construct and injecting himself with the Venom Buster sample. As a result, he grows to 2.5m tall, with corresponding superhuman strength and toughness, though with greatly reduced skin sensation.
Equivalent canon episode: "Drop Zone". The title of "Prod Zone" either refers to Orange Lantern's use of 'shock crown' constructs to disable villains, or the Team's decision to turn an infiltration mission into a combat mission.
- The Assimilator: The Renegade does this to Sportsmaster, turning him into an enduring orange construct, retaining his knowledge and personality but completely subservient.
- Evil vs. Evil: Bane's mercenaries are fighting the Cult of the Kobra for control of the Venom factory, and it's hard to say who would have eventually won without the team's involvement - although Kobra's interest looks like it was probably temporary.
- Female Gaze: Paul inadvertently sends Miss Martian a mental image of Superboy pumping iron with his shirt off. It puts her off balance.
- Fictional Counterpart: Paul learns of WebFilm, Earth 16's version of Netflix. It has various films that are very different from the real life versions.Castlevania directed by Chris Nolan? Wasn't making Batman, I suppose. Star Wars exists here, but it seems that George Lucas was killed in a hit and run accident before he could make episodes I to III. Unfortunately, Disney then bought his company and had Michael Bay do it. So, pro, no Jar Jar Binks. Con, Queen Amidala in a boob tube and hot pants and a thirty foot tall General Grievous. Think I'll give it a miss.
- No-Sell: Sportsmaster attacks OL with exploding javelins, a plasma crossbow, a smoke grenade, and finally unarmed. They're so ineffective against a power ring that OL actually became uneasy, thinking that there must be some hidden threat he was missing.
- Super Serum: Venom Buster. Stated to be three times as strong as regular Venom, and with permanent effects. After using it, Renegade!OL was able to punch through a tree "like jelly, it just parts around my hand." Baran Flinders, another enhancile, proved to be resistant to OL's stunning constructs.
- Tactical Rock–Paper–Scissors: Paul points out to Superboy that it makes more sense for himself or Miss Martian to intercept a big strong metahuman, since they can bypass his strength, instead of sending Superboy to directly compete with him.Paul: Superboy, you beat rock with paper, not with more rock.
- Telepathy: Miss Martian connects the Team mentally, allowing them to talk freely and securely. This leads to a better coordinated mission than in canon.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: When Sportsmaster throws a javelin at him while wearing a hockey mask, Paul panics and thinks that he's Casey Jones. Since the Turtles show actually exists on Earth 16, the Team is puzzled by him thinking that a cartoon character was real.
