History Recap / JusticeLeagueS2E1And2Twilight

* BaddieFlattery:
** Darkseid has this to say:

-->'''Darkseid:''' You really are a glutton for punishment. Time and again, I have beaten you, humbled you. What makes you today's outcome will be any different?\\

* FamedInStory: A villainous example (and overlapping with TheDreaded). Given the extent of Brainiac's cosmic killing spree in the decades since Krypton's destruction, it's unsurprising that even the New Gods are aware of the rogue Kryptonian AI's reputation. So when Brainiac's infamous ship appears in the skies of Apokolips, Darkseid instantly recognizes it -- and realizes just who's come a calling and how much trouble he's in.

** Brainiac's goal of BecomeARealBoy. He'll finally get his wish (after a fashion) [[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E12DividedWeFall over two Seasons later]].

* ResolvedNoodleIncident: Back in ''Batman Beyond'''s "The Call", Bruce had remarked that he had never liked Boom Tubes. The events of this episode reveal where and how he acquired that dislike.

** Brainiac feels he's reached the limits of his programmed functions. He wants to extract living DNA from the last Kryptonian so that he can evolve to the next level and become a true life form. He'll finally get his wish (after a fashion) [[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E12DividedWeFall over two Seasons later]].

* FamedInStory: A villainous example (and overlapping with TheDreaded). Given the extent of Brainiac's cosmic killing spree in the decades since Krypton's destruction, it's unsurprising that even the New Gods are aware of the rogue Kryptonian AI. So when Brainiac's infamous ship appears in the skies of Apokolips, even ''Darkseid'' realizes how much trouble he's in.

* ActuallyADoombot: The STAS Brainiac is revealed (or alternately retconned) to have been this all along. It was actually been one of countless drones the 'real' Brainiac had manufactured and dispatched throughout the cosmos to gather knowledge for its collection. Creator/GeoffJohns and Creator/GaryFrank would later take inspiration from this concept for their [[ComicBook/SupermanBrainiac own overhaul]] of Brainiac several years later.

* SinisterSurveillance: It's never explicitly stated, but it's subtly implied in Part 1 that Darkseid's been keeping tabs on Earth since the end of STAS. He knows of the Justice League and he knows the Watchtower's coordinates when he arrives by Boom Tube. It makes sense that Darkseid would be keeping an eye on Earth both for another chance to circumvent the peace treaty with New Genesis ''and'' to watch Superman's despair from afar at the uphill battle to restore his reputation after "Legacy". This is also in line with "Tools of the Trade", where it was clear Apokolips had been surveilling Earth long enough to evaluate and select Bruno Manheim and [=InterGang=] as their UnwittingPawn (or for Kanto to recognize who Turpin was).

** While Batman's lack of tact is left to be desired, he's right in pointing out there's a slight chance that Darkseid legitimately needs help in dealing with Brainiac, who's too big of a threat to the universe for the League to ignore.

** Superman is OK with having Apokolips be under attack by Brainiac, which shocks everyone, as most of the inhabitants are slaves under Darkseid's heel.

** Superman and Wonder Woman's Season One character models were slightly redesigned beginning with this episode. Both characters lost their cheekbones (and Superman also lost his eye lines).

* BerserkButton: Darkseid's ''very presence'' for Superman - he immediately heads towards him to beat him up after he appear in the Watchtower, and has to be restrained by Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter before he ends up ''knocking the Watchtower out of orbit'' in his rage. Quite understandable, because Darkseid [[Recap/SupermanTheAnimatedSeriesS3E12E13Legacy brainwashed him years prior]].

* CantTakeCriticism: Actually subverted with Darkseid. He seemed okay with Desaad telling him how he underestimated Highfather and it left Apokolips vulnerable as a result. Only when Desaad deemed it a "fool's errand", thereby implying Darkseid was a fool, did he decide to vaporize him.

** In the DVD commentary for the episode, Bruce Timm points out that Hawkgirl’s dismissiveness when J’onn suggests Brainiac’s archives might have information on Thanagar initially seems like overriding concern for Superman but “Starcrossed” also reveals she was trying to deflect should any of that information lead to her cover as a spy getting blown.

* PlayingBothSides: Darkseid turns what could've been the end of Apokolips by Brainiac into a massive opportunity to achieve his goals by bargaining Superman to the Kryptonian AI. Intrigued, Brainiac agrees and stages the assault on Apokolips so that Darkseid can enlist the Justice League's help. Brainiac being Superman's other ArchEnemy, the Justice League decide to put him down. When the League make it to Brainiac's base, Darkseid attacks them and Superman is captured. While Brainiac needed him to become a living machine, Darkseid figured that Brainiac himself is the best chance of discovering the Anti-Life Equation, and takes control of his systems immediately. Darkseid had to be put down himself to ensure that he didn't win.

* RevengeBeforeReason: At least justified for Superman considering everything that Darkseid did to him and the Earth. Unfortunately, he was willing to let Apokolips be destroyed because of it, but was convinced otherwise. After being back-stabbed by Darkseid and Brainiac, he had no problem staying on board an exploding ship for a chance to finish the former off, only for Batman to ''literally'' drag him out.

The Justice League have to come to the defense of Apokolips, Darkseid's homeworld, against the threat of Brainiac. The team solicits the aid of the denizens of New Genesis. In the end, the resulting destruction of Brainiac's base leads to the apparent end of Darkseid.

** Darkseid is the master of this. He casually sacrifices minions, executes Desaad for questioning him and when he asks for the Justice League's help, he's extremely condescending and an all around asshole to Superman. And that's before it turns out he was playing both sides for fools.

* LaserGuidedKarma: One of the rare positive examples. When New Genesis is under attack by Darkseid, Forager helps the New Gods to find shelter. This earns him eternal gratitude from Highfather and a place among the gods he worshipped.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Superman and Batman throughout the episode. Batman is correct that Superman's letting his personal history and grudge against Darkseid influence his judgement (especially given that Brainiac gaining access to Apokolitpic technology would be ''bad'' for everyone). Superman likewise is correct that Darkseid ''cannot'' be trusted and there's another agenda or scheme at play here.

* RoleReprise: Michael Ironside, Corey Burton, and Michael Dorn reprise their STAS roles as Darkseid, Brainiac, and Kalibak respectively.

* ArtEvolution: While the Fourth World characters had appeared previously on STAS, the character models for Orion, Highfather, and Lightray have all been tweaked (ex. Orion's color palette). Darkseid's character model likewise is now much more Kirby-esque than his STAS design (though as Bruce Timm acknowledges on the DVD commentary, the redesign ''can'' be justified in-universe due to the injuries Darkseid sustained from his fight with Superman in "Legacy").