History Recap / BatmanBeyondS1E8Heroes

* MurderByInaction: It turns out that Howard Hodges knew the "accident" was going to happen, but he deliberately withheld this information from his colleagues to get Mike killed so he would have a chance to go out with Mary, which is why he wasn't present during the experiment. Unfortunately for him, Mary took part in the experiment anyway, and the situation goes from BadToWorse when the trio find out the truth.

* ProperlyParanoid: Magma finds it convenient that Hodges went to the budget meeting around the time of the accident.

* AlliterativeName: Mike Morgan and Mary Michaels of the Terrific Trio, who operate from the Trio Tower (an obvious nod to the Baxter Building). Stuart Lowe/2-D Man is the OddNameOut.

** Hodges seems to be based on the old fan theory that Reed Richards knew exactly what would happen to the four on their spaceflight, making him one on top of the one 2D man already represents.

* BlessedWithSuck: You know how the Thing constantly bemoans how he was turned into an ugly rock-like monster, while the rest of the Comicbook/FantasticFour still look human? In this version of the story, ''none'' of the Terrific Trio can pass as normal humans any more.

* PullTheThread: At first, Hodges insists that he had no idea the Terrific Trio's particle accelerator experiment would go wrong, saying it was a one in a million accident. The Trio respond by switching the accelerator back on and continuing the experiment. Hodges immediately starts screaming to shut it off before it kills them all.

* AlliterativeName: Mike Morgan, Mary Michaels and Howard Hodges are the Terrific Trio, who operate from the Trio Tower (an obvious nod to the Baxter Building).

* PullTheThread: At first, Hodges insists that he had no idea the Terrific Trio's particle accelerator experiment would go wrong, saying it was a one in a million accident. The Trio respond by switching the accelerator back on and continuing the experiment, forcing Hodges to admit that the radiation can't be contained and would kill everyone.

* PetTheDog: After Matt sticks up for Batman when the public have fallen in love with the Terrific Trio, Terry decides to rest him.

* PullTheThread: At first, Hodges insists that he had no idea the Terrific Trio's experimental generator would go wrong, saying it was a one in a million accident. The Trio respond by switching the generator back on and continuing the experiment, forcing Hodges to admit that he knew the radiation couldn't be contained.

* StealthPun: 2D-man has the least amount of lines, has little in the way of personality and the reason for accident had nothing to do with him -- he's a FlatCharacter.

* AlliterativeName: Mike Morgan, Mary Michaels and Howard Hodges.

** To Marvel Superheroes in general by Magma's final words, that being mutated into a superbeing does not make you a "hero": it is your choices.

* StealthPun: 2D-man has the least amount of lines, has little in the way of personality and the reason for accident had nothing to do with him, he's a FlatCharacter.

One night during a botched attempt to stop a robbery, Batman receives some help from a new group of superheroes calling themselves the Terrific Trio: Magma, Freon, and 2-D Man, who were three former scientists that became mutated in a FreakLabAccident and gained superpowers. At first, Terry is optimistic about the new heroes' intentions and wonders if Gotham will even need Batman anymore. Bruce, however, remains skeptical that such events can work out so perfectly.

* FantasticFaux: The Terrfic Trio are this, although remixed a bit. Specifically, Magma's living lava form makes him an expy of both the Thing and the Human Torch, Freon's see-through mist form, flight and ice blasts have elements of both the Invisible Woman and an inverse Torch, and 2-D Man is a straight Mr. Fantastic clone. Personality wise, however, Magma has Reed Richards' role both as the leader and as the love interest to the female member.

** The Terrfic Trio to the ComicBook/FantasticFour, although remixed a bit. Specifically, Magma's living lava form makes him an expy of both the Thing and the Human Torch, Freon's see-through mist form, flight and ice blasts have elements of both the Invisible Woman and an inverse Torch, and 2-D Man is a straight Mr. Fantastic clone. Personality wise, however, Magma has Reed Richards' role both as the leader and as the love interest to the female member.
** Also General Norman, who appears to be an evil expy of ComicBook/NickFury, with elements of [[Comicbook/RedHulk "Thunderbolt" Ross]] and a Comicbook/SpiderMan J. Jonah Jameson mustache, to boot!

-->'''Magma:''' No, [[IAmAMonster I'm an accident]]. Real heroes, they make a choice. I never did.

* CaptainErsatz / CorruptedCharacterCopy:
** The Terrific Trio strongly resemble the ComicBook/FantasticFour. They start off as heroes, but after they learn their conditions are unstable and that their friend Dr. Hodges was the one who orchestrated the accident that gave them their powers specifically to kill Mike so he could swoop in on his fiancee Mary (who wasn't supposed to be there), and after the military turn on them, they become emotionally destroyed and try to duplicate the accident, not caring that the radiation would destroy the city. [[TakeThat They all die horribly.]]

* DrivenToSuicide[=/=]TakingYouWithMe: The Terrific Trio's final plans are to overload the lab's nuclear reactor, killing not only themselves but also Dr. Hodges, along with the rest of Gotham.

* FreakLabAccident[=/=]SuperHeroOrigin: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] when the recently superpowered heroes discover that their FreakLabAccident was not exactly an accident and was not supposed to give them superpowers. It is a chilling reminder that the line between hero and villain can be as slim as the choice one is offered. Magma even lampshades how he's ''not'' a hero because the accident robbed any choice of being one or not.

* GoneHorriblyRight: Hodges had hoped that by setting up the "accident", it would kill Mike, taking him out of the picture and leaving Mary all to himself. Well, the accident happens, with both Mike ''and'' Mary there. And instead of killing them, it mutates Mike into a magma golem while turning Mary into a mutant of air and ice. Now the two can never be together physically, so Hodges accomplishes that much. At the same time, this falls under...

* AnIcePerson: Freon.

'''Magma:''' No, [[IAmAMonster I'm an accident]]. Real heroes, they make a choice. I never did.

* RubberMan: 2-D Man. His powers are nearly identical to that of ''Fantastic Four'''s Mr. Fantastic, although in this version of the story he's just a member while the big rock guy is the real genius and leader. Unfortunately, the Trio is BlessedWithSuck, as their powers came at the cost of their decaying genetic structure. Eventually, they go psycho and do a FaceHeelTurn, forcing Batman to kill them. The 2-D Man is sucked into a high-powered fan and chopped into pieces.

** Hodges seems to be based on the old fan theory that Reed Richards knew exactly what would happen to the four on their spaceflight, making him a Take That! on top of the one 2D man already represents.

* CaptainErsatz / CorruptedCharacterCopy: The Terrific Trio strongly resemble the ComicBook/FantasticFour. They start off as heroes, but after they learn their conditions are unstable and that their friend Dr. Hodges was the one who orchestrated the accident that gave them their powers specifically to kill Mike so he could swoop in on his fiancee Mary (who wasn't supposed to be there), and after the military turn on them, they become emotionally destroyed and try to duplicate the accident, not caring that the radiation would destroy the city. [[TakeThat They all die horribly.]]

** Also General Norman, who appears to be an evil expy of ComicBook/NickFury.
*** With elements of Comicbook/RedHulk the 1960s and 1970s version of the Hulk's military nemesis "Thunderbolt" Ross and a Comicbook/SpiderMan J. Jonah Jameson mustache, to boot!

* GoneHorriblyRight: Hodges had hoped that by setting up the "accident", it would horribly mutate Mike, taking him out of the picture and leaving Mary all to himself. Well, the accident happens, with both Mike ''and'' Mary there. Now the two can never be together physically, so Hodges accomplishes that much. At the same time, this falls under...

* CaptainErsatz / CorruptedCharacterCopy: The Terrific Trio strongly resemble the ComicBook/FantasticFour. They start off as heroes, but after they learn their conditions are unstable and that their friend Dr. Hodges was the one who orchestrated the accident that gave them their powers specifically to kill Mike so he swoop in on his fiancee Mary (who wasn't supposed to be there), and after the public, the military, and law enforcement turn on them, they become emotionally destroyed and try to duplicate the accident, not caring that the radiation would destroy the city. [[TakeThat They all die horribly.]]