Episode 8: Downtime
Takes place on August 27 — September 3
After Batman points out that he is performing poorly as leader due to homesickness, Aqualad returns to Atlantis to decide if he should stay there. He hopes to declare his love to his childhood friend Tula, only to find out that she has fallen in love with his old friend, Garth. Meanwhile, the forces of Black Manta attempt to steal a frozen creature from Atlantis, only to be foiled by Aqualad and Garth.
In the end, Aqualad decides to return to the surface world, while Manta reports to his employers, The Light.
Notes:
- Artemis' name in this episode is revealed to be Artemis Crock. In the comics, Artemis Crock is an archer whose father is the Sportsmaster. Make of that what you will.
- Artemis just barely misses watching an episode of "Hello Megan",The show Miss Martian took much of her identity from.
- Black Manta's words and actions towards Aqualad (such as swimming right up to him and talking rather than just shooting him) foreshadows The fact that, as in the comics, he's Aqualad's father.
- In the comics, Garth was the first Aqualad, and Tula was his girlfriend; she was killed long before ever meeting the second. Later, Garth assumed the identity of the magic-using Tempest. In fact, when he uses magic, he literally says "I summon the power of the Tempest".
- In the comics, Topo is a normal octopus, rather than a humanoid one. There's a version of the humanoid Topo in the Aquaman series with his temp replacement Arthur Joseph Curry.
- Mera is revealed to be pregnant this episode; in the comics, Manta killed her and Aquaman's infant son.
- The frozen creature in this episode, with its resemblance to a giant starfish, is most likely Starro the Conqueror, though apparently unknown yet in this continuity.
- The team does not work together this episode; the others are shown spending time with their loved ones (or, in Miss Martian and Superboy's case, hanging around Mount Justice).
- The episode ends with Batman sending the Team on a mission to Bialiya, where the next episode will pick up from.
Tropes:
- Monster in the Ice: A glacier holding Starro the Conqueror is excavated by the Atlanteans. During a fight with Black Manta, who covets the contents, Starro's preserved arm is broken free, but the glacier and most of the creature are promptly blown to kingdom come.
- Punch a Wall: Robin punches a wall in anger and puts a huge dent in there when he thinks Batman is favoring Aqualad over him.
