Line #87 Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E13Epilogue


1	->''"The world needs a Franchise/{{Batman}}...and it always will."''
2	-->'''--Amanda Waller'''
3
4	'''Epilogue''' is the final episode of season four of the ''Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse'' animated series ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', and also serves as a {{Fully Absorbed\|Finale}} DistantFinale for fellow ''DCAU'' series ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', as well as the final chronological episode in the ''DCAU''.
5
6	Ten years after the last episode of ''Batman Beyond'' and fifty years after ''Justice League Unlimited'', Terry [=McGinnis=] learns a dark secret concerning his own history and the potential that Bruce had lied to him for years. To find answers, he tracks down an aged Amanda Waller to learn what the legacy of Batman is all about.
7	----
8	!!"Epilogue" contains examples of:
9
10	* AntiVillain: Amanda Waller, who did unethical and immoral things to ensure Bruce would have a successor. Yes, she very much was going to resort to murder to do so, but she truly did have good intentions.
11	* ArcWords: "The world needs a Batman."
12	* ArcWelding: The unnamed government program that Joker compromised to create his Royal Flush Gang back in [[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E21And22WildCards "Wild Cards"]] was subsequently revealed in [[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS1E6FearfulSymmetry "Fearful Symmetry"]] to have been connected to Cadmus (as one of the forerunners to the Program). "Epilogue" uses that to explicitly, if retroactively, tie ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'' into the Cadmus Arc by revealing (or at least heavily implying) this is when and where Joker acquired the technology to implant his consciousness and genetic code into Tim Drake.
13	* ArtEvolution:
14	** Justified via the TimeSkip. Terry is taller, more muscular, has shaggier hair, [[LanternJawOfJustice a stronger chin]] and longer sideburns. Bruce looks even older and frail, now completely bald, skinnier and with sunken eyes. Dana has shorter hair compared to her high school long hair length.
15	** The Phantasm's design is pretty much unchanged from ''Batman: Mask of the Phantasm'' with only a minor tweak to the gauntlet and the mask's lens color (from white to orange). Andrea Beaumont's unmasked design, for its brief appearance, is completely redesigned to account both for the post-BTAS evolution of the DCAU TimmStyle and the TimeSkip since Andrea's last appearance.
16	* AsTheGoodBookSays: Said word-for-word by Waller as she talks about how Terry's decision to become Batman was his own, instead of something he was pushed into by fate.
17	* TheAtoner: Waller catches Terry by surprise when she mentions her faith in Christianity. She laughs it off, but admits she has a lot to answer for when she dies and can only hope God sees [[WellIntentionedExtremist the good intentions behind most of her actions]].
18	* BadassLongcoat: An older Terry now sports one. Other than the length, [[LimitedWardrobe it's virtually identical to the brown jacket he always wore in the series]].
19	* BadassNormal: Waller cites this as part of her motive for Project Batman Beyond. While she met many extraordinary people in the League, none ended up being the equal of Batman -- a mere mortal who, with his wits, skills, and gadgets, managed to stand as an equal alongside veritable demigods and saved the day countless times.
20	* BadassPacifist: In the past, Batman managed to get Ace not to kill any more people by simply staying with her until the time of her death.
21	* BookEnds:
22	** The episode ends with Terry flying past a police car as one of the cops in it (voiced by Creator/KevinConroy) asks his partner whether he saw it, mirroring the opening scene of the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' (and the entire DCAU), [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE1OnLeatherWings "On Leather Wings"]].
23	** A ''Justice League'' episode serving as a finale to ''Beyond'' considering how the Justice League first appeared in ''that'' series.
24	* BrokenPedestal: It's mentioned in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'' that Terry saw his life as Batman as a way to atone for his delinquent past. Here, Terry now thinks that the whole Batman legacy is a curse and blames it all on Bruce. He even notes how this isn't the first time somebody became disillusioned with Bruce and gave up the cape and cowl.
25	-->'''Terry:''' Dick, Barbara, Tim, Selina...they all loved you, but eventually every single one of them left you. Ever wonder why?\
26	'''Bruce:''' Not for an instant.
27	* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: One of Terry's fantasies is about breaking up with Dana to spare her of his "curse".
28	* BrutalHonesty: Ace reads Batman's mind and learns she is dying. She asks if she is dying soon, and Batman admits that she is before apologizing.
29	* CallBack:
30	** Terry mentions how the genetics technology Joker used to make Tim Drake his CloneByConversion in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'' in his fantasy about chewing Bruce out, thinking it was what was used to make Terry the biological son of Bruce.
31	** Ace from the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "Wild Cards" serves as the antagonist during Waller's story about Bruce in his younger days. Reference is made to the [[LegacyCharacter legacy team]] of the Royal Flush Gang (which first appeared in ''Batman Beyond'') as Waller mentions she can't keep the order of events straight.
32	** The future JLU that were featured in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' episode "The Call" appear during one of Terry's {{Fantasy Sequence}}s.
33	** Batman volunteers himself to be the one to face Ace, because he's the only member of the League to have actually met her before during "Wild Cards".
34	** During Terry's childhood, the [=McGinnis=] family comes out of a theater after watching ''[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE18BewareTheGrayGhost The Gray Ghost]] Strikes''.
35	* CallingTheOldManOut: Terry fantasizes about chewing Bruce out when he still believes Bruce overwrote his DNA and manipulated his life to make him become Batman.
36	* TheCameo: The assassin Waller hired to kill Terry’s parents is none other than the Phantasm (Andrea Beaumont) from ''WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm''.
37	* CentralTheme: Does your SuperHeroOrigin define you and can a LegacyCharacter escape the shadow of the original?
38	* TheChessmaster: Waller, who manipulated Terry's early life to send him down the path to becoming Batman, though subverted in that she never went all the way with the plan due to Andrea making her realize that her actions were antithetical to Batman's core tenets. As she points out, everything that led to Terry actually taking up the mantle were the result of Terry's own actions rather than hers or Bruce's.
39	* ChocolateBaby: It turns out the reason that red-haired Mary and brown-haired Warren [=McGinnis=] have two black-haired sons is because Waller had Warren's reproductive DNA overwritten with Bruce Wayne's, making Terry and Matt both Bruce's children.
40	* ComfortTheDying: Terry confronts a now aged Amanda Waller about how he's Bruce's biological son. As she explains herself, she relates to him a story in which the Royal Flush Gang reformed (last seen in "Wild Cards") with new members save Ace, who had given the other members powers. However, she had developed an aneurysm from her psychic powers and her death could potentially cause her power to level Gotham from the feedback. Amanda had given Bruce a device that could kill Ace before this happened. But when Bruce got to her, he simply talked with her, knowing that she was simply a confused little girl terrified of her impending death. Thus, he stayed with and comforted her to the very end of her life, letting her pass on peacefully and nullifying the threat without violence.
41	* CommonalityConnection: As Ace reminisces about the experiments performed on her:
42	-->'''Ace:''' They got their weapon; I got cheated out of my childhood.\
43	'''Batman:''' [[DeathByOriginStory I know what that's like.]]\
44	'''Ace:''' You do, don't you?
45	* CursedWithAwesome: Terry initially feels the mantle of Batman has been a curse, even though being Bruce’s son has led him to become a superhero who’s saved countless lives, have a second father after Warren died, and made him the rightful heir to a multi-billion-dollar company.
46	* DeadpanSnarker: Dana, if the ImagineSpot is anything to go by.
47	-->'''Terry:''' You know how much I care about you.\
48	'''Dana:''' Sure. Why else keep dating for fifteen years?
49	* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Terry, when talking about his murdered father during his fantasized speech to Bruce.
50	* DecompositeCharacter: WordOfGod is that while he resembles how Ed [=McGuinness=] drew the Rudy Jones of the comics (basically putting the monstrous Parasite of the mid-to-late 1990s in the DCAU costume), the ''Beyond''-era Parasite is a LegacyCharacter.
51	* DenouementEpisode: For the Cadmus arc, serving as a final coda and reflection on the legacy of the Project and Waller decades into the future.
52	* DentedIron: Not even the best technology can slow down aging, apart from the Lazarus Pit. Bruce in his 90s looks like a skeleton, and Amanda Waller mentions having to take dozens of pills. This was why Amanda wanted to create a Batman successor: sooner or later Batman would have to retire, and someone would need to replace him.
53	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Waller's pursuit of Project Batman Beyond (which arguably also overlaps with EvilCannotComprehendGood). Waller is so intent on killing Terry's parents to produce another Batman that she fails to fully understand the core purpose of Batman: To ensure ''nobody'' ever went through that kind of senseless tragedy again. It takes Andrea Beaumont, who understands Bruce's values and motives better than anyone outside of the Bat Family, to get through to Waller and make her finally realize she was dishonoring Bruce's legacy and everything Batman stands for.
54	* DistantFinale: The main part of this episode takes place about 50 years after the end of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' and 15 years after ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond''. Since this is a FullyAbsorbedFinale to the ''Batman'' section of the ''DCAU'', it's also worth noting that this episode happens in the area of 65 years after ''Batman: The Animated Series'' (in fact, it happens no less than 68 years after Bruce began his career in ''Mask Of The Phantasm'').
55	* DragQueen: Invoked as a StealthPun. The Queen in Ace's new Royal Flush Gang is revealed to have a male appearance once she's depowered. Both her forms are made to resemble Creator/{{Divine}}.
56	* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: As the Phantasm pointed out to Waller when she refused to kill Terry's parents, ordering a murder to be committed in Batman's name conveys a fundamental misunderstanding of his legacy and why he did the things he did, especially given she claims that insight came after watching Batman comfort Ace in death because they were ''both'' deprived of proper childhoods by trauma.
57	* EveryoneHasStandards:
58	** As angry as he was with Bruce, Terry knew that reminding him of what happened to Tim Drake is still a sore spot for the older Batman and apologizes. (Fortunately, this was only an ImagineSpot.)
59	** Even a ProfessionalKiller like [[WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm the Phantasm]] isn’t willing to kill an innocent boy's parents who have done no wrong to anyone just to make him the next Batman; after all, she’s a vigilante who always did prefer to PayEvilUntoEvil. She also rightfully points out that the entire reason Bruce became Batman was to prevent ''this exact tragedy'' from happening to anyone else and it would go against ''everything'' he stood for. When this argument is presented to her, Amanda Waller recognizes the truth of it and backs down from her plan.
60	* ExactWords:
61	** In the flashback, Batman says that he has the best chance of getting close enough to use the weapon, and indicates that he understands what Waller wants him to do. He has no intention of actually ''doing'' it, however.
62	** In the end, Terry calls Dana to ask if their date for a later night is still on. He tells her that he plans to ask her something else during that date, but then adds that Dana has to wait until then for that actual question, i.e., he's going to propose to her.
63	* ExplainExplainOhCrap: As Ace is explaining to Batman what she saw when she read his mind, she noticeably pauses when she gets to the fact that she's very close to dying.
64	* FaceDeathWithDignity: Batman more or less arranges this for Ace. Instead of sneaking up on her and killing her with Waller's weapon, he instead talks to Ace calmly, comforts her, and sits with her until she passes away peacefully.
65	* FantasySequence: All the [[FlashbackEffects black and white sequences]] in the episode, where Terry fantasizes about chewing out Bruce for his apparent betrayal, quitting being Batman forever, and breaking up with his girlfriend Dana.
66	* AFatherToHisMen: Deconstructed in the final scene, since Bruce and his soldier Terry really are father and son.
67	* FinaleTitleDrop: In this episode, which is the final episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' in spirit, Amanda Waller explains that she called the project to clone Batman and produced Terry "[[OperationBlank Project Batman Beyond]]".
68	* FirstGirlWins: This is coupled with ''Batman Beyond'', Dana manages to be the woman that Terry wants to spend the rest of his life with.
69	* FriendToAllChildren: Batman, as the flashback demonstrates. He comforts Ace in her final minutes of life and sympathizes with her stolen childhood due to the cruelty of bad guys.
70	* FollowInMyFootsteps: Terry initially believes Bruce has manipulated his entire life to make him a carbon copy of himself. Subverted when it turns out Waller was behind the manipulations, not Bruce, and they weren't as extreme as Terry initially feared. WordOfGod also confirms that Bruce realized the truth years ago shortly after Terry took up Batman's mantle, but never told Terry so the boy could become his own man.
71	* FullyAbsorbedFinale: This episode serves as the GrandFinale for ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' even though it's an episode of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''.
72	* GenderBender: The Queen in the second Royal Flush Gang is revealed to be a man when Ace's spell was undone.
73	* GreatDetective: Played with. Even with the interim since ''Beyond'', Terry is still not quite in Bruce's league (as Waller laments, albeit kindly). That said, Terry ''is'' still Bruce's student and his detective skills and experience have at least developed to the point where Superman himself values Terry's insight on current cases.
74	* GreaterScopeParagon: This episode reveals Amanda Waller as the one responsible for a new Batman that protects Neo Gotham, even if her methods are questionable.
75	* HeroicBuild: Lampshaded.
76	-->'''Waller:''' Why are superheroes always... so good-looking?
77	* HeroicLineage: Terry is biologically Bruce Wayne's son, thanks to Waller using illegal DNA manipulation tech on Terry's father Warren.
78	* HeroicRROD: Ace mentions she was experimented on since she was a kid, including wires sticking onto her head. For this reason, the stress on her brain created a fatal aneurysm, and she isolated herself before any surgery could possibly save her.
79	* HeroicSacrifice: She didn't need to, and using her powers would likely hasten the fatal aneurysm, but Ace fixes the world for Batman after he agrees to stay with her, to prevent millions from dying.
80	* HeroicVow: At the end.
81	-->'''Bruce:''' I was worried about Gotham. If Batman's not around--\
82	'''Terry:''' I've got it covered. Always.
83	* [[SheIsAllGrownUp He's All Grown Up]]: As commented by Waller, Terry is no longer a skinny teenager; he has a six-pack and a cool haircut.
84	* HiddenHeartOfGold: Terry remarks he always looked up to Bruce and simply pretended otherwise to the old man's face.
85	* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Ace states she gave powers to the new Royal Flush Gang if they would play with her. Once again, her upbringing meant she was conned by criminals.
86	* IgnoredEpiphany: Self-admitted and PlayedForDrama. After seeing Bruce Wayne in action, comforting a dying child robbed of a normal life by cruel experiments meant to make her into a living weapon, Amanda Waller learns [[DramaticallyMissingThePoint exactly the wrong lesson]], deciding that the world needs another Batman and coming up with ''another'' plan that hinges on robbing a kid of their childhood to make them into a living weapon. Only the would-be assassin's [[WhatTheHellHero reaction]] gets her to step back from that last step before it's too late, so at least Waller didn't power through a second epiphany.
87	* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Ace hoped she could have friends by giving them superpowers. Once again she was just being used.
88	* InSpiteOfANail: As Terry points out, Waller's assassin may have backed out of killing Terry's parents, but Warren ended up getting murdered years later anyway and it sets Terry on the path of a crimefighter like Bruce did.
89	* InvincibleVillain: Ace's powers now include MindOverMatter, she's a RealityWarper, and can read minds. Batman had no intention of killing Ace, and in fact it's implied that is the only reason he got close to her in the first place.
90	* {{Irony}}: While Waller abandons Project Batman Beyond and doesn't have Terry's parents murdered, Terry ''still'' ends up going through a Wayne Murders-esque scenario several years later when Derek Powers had Warren [=McGinnis=] killed. Terry even bitterly lampshades it.
91	* ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies: Terry has refused to marry his lifelong love, Dana, out of fear his enemies will target her. After talking with Waller and learning the truth about his heritage, he decides to defy this trope instead and ask her to marry him.
92	* JustifiedTitle: Waller's project to create a successor to Bruce was code-named "Project WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond".
93	* LegacyCharacter:
94	** A DeconReconSwitch. Terry believes at first he's been cursed to be Batman against his will, only to realize everything in his life, including the choice to be Batman, is entirely under his control.
95	--->'''Terry:''' How can anyone be their own man living someone else's dream?
96	** WordOfGod is that the Parasite in the ''Beyond'' era isn't Jones.
97	* ManipulativeBastard: Bruce is accused a number of times of being a manipulative monster who knows what everyone is going to do before even they do. Terry initially believes Bruce was behind his DNA because of this, while Waller presents an anecdote showing Bruce is actually just a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
98	* NatureVersusNurture: A central question of the episode is whether Terry is defined by his bloodline or his upbringing.
99	* NeverHurtAnInnocent: Bruce refuses to harm Ace, even though she could kill millions before she dies.
100	* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Terry found out the truth and went through an existential crisis because he volunteered for a tissue donation so that doctors could clone Bruce a much-needed kidney.
101	* NotSoStoic: The usually stoic Bruce has a noticeable frown on his face as he carries the body of Ace following her death.
102	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Waller tries to act somewhat senile in an attempt to avoid admitting what she did to Terry. Terry shows little interest in playing along.
103	-->'''Waller:''' Look at all this. A pill for blood pressure, a pill for my diabetes, a pill to replace my pituitary function. I don't even know what this one's for...oh yeah, Alzheimer's.\
104	'''Terry:''' Don't pretend you're some dotty old lady who can't remember anything. I've got questions and you're the only one left with the answers.
105	* OfficialCouple: Terry and Dana, who we find out have been dating ever since high school. We even learn Terry plans to propose to Dana at the end of the episode.
106	* OneSceneTwoMonologues:
107	-->'''Waller:''' Oh, that's okay. I've only had that cup for seventy years. My mother passed it on to me.\
108	'''Terry:''' Guess that's what all this is about. {{Legac\|yCharacter}}ies.\
109	'''Amanda:''' Doubt you can find this pattern anymore. It's real china, not that synthetic stuff.\
110	'''Terry:''' How can anyone be their own man living someone else's dream?\
111	'''Amanda:''' It's been years since I've had enough friends to use the whole set anyway.\
112	'''Terry:''' How can I escape the curse of Batman?\
113	'''Amanda:''' Even so, one missing piece, and the set's ruined.
114	* ParentalSubstitute: Deconstructed; all this time Bruce wasn't the substitute, but the substituted.
115	* ProtagonistTitle: Batman Beyond in a retroactive, and roundabout, sense, since the project that was meant to turn him into Batman was called Project Batman Beyond.
116	* RealityWarper: Ace's MasterOfIllusion powers mutate to the point where she can telekinetically warp reality with her mind.
117	* RebuiltPedestal: After his meeting with Amanda Waller, it's clear that Terry no longer thinks so poorly of Bruce.
118	-->'''Bruce''': You're a stubborn piece of work, you know that?\
119	'''Terry''': ''(warmly)'' Just like my old man.
120	* RedHerring: Terry believes that Bruce was the one who created him as a successor. Amanda Waller then admits that she did it.
121	* TheReveal:
122	** Terry is the biological son of Bruce due to previously unknown genetic engineering by Amanda Waller (who was attempting to ensure the Batman legacy would endure past Bruce's retirement and eventual death).
123	** The cutting-edge genetics technology the Joker used to corrupt Tim Drake in ''Return of the Joker'' was from Project Cadmus. While it's not explicitly stated, Joker presumably acquired it when he freed the Royal Flush Gang (which were later revealed to be early Cadmus experiments) during "Wild Cards".
124	* SecretKeeper: Between the end of ''Batman Beyond'' and this episode, Dana had learned that Terry was the new Batman.
125	* SecretLegacy: Terry is actually Bruce Wayne's son.
126	* SecretSecretKeeper: According to WordOfGod, as "the world's greatest detective", Bruce had already figured out that Terry was his biological son long before Terry did, which might explain his lack of surprise when he was confronted.
127	* SeriesFauxnale: "Epilogue" was intended to be the last episode of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' until a third season got green-lit. Thematically, it ties in almost the entirety of the ''DCAU'' via CallBack and recurring themes of legacy. Chronologically, however, this really is the finale of the entire ''Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse''. Watching on video means you can just save it for last out of the episodes, allowing its famous final shot, which properly BookEnds the series.
128	* ShootTheDog: In the flashback, Waller presents the Justice League with a weapon with which to kill Ace and says it's the only safe option. Shayera (who gets several other ShootTheDog moments in this series) reaches for it, but Batman takes it instead so he can solve the problem [[TakeAThirdOption his]] [[ThouShaltNotKill way]].
129	* ShoutOut: To ''Literature/TheBoysFromBrazil'', based on a fictional version of Dr. Josef Mengele believing he can reproduce UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler by creating a clone from his DNA, then giving the boy a similar upbringing and life experience as the original.
130	** The Royal Flush Gang's Jack is [[WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack a samurai]]. The King, meanwhile, resembles ComicBook/{{MODOK}} (who is created by Creator/JackKirby). Ten is Creator/BoDerek (as seen in the movie ''Film/Ten1979'') with PrehensileHair, and Queen looks a lot like the Queen of Hearts from ''WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland''.
131	*** Queen's empowered and depowered forms are visually based off famous drag queen Creator/{{Divine}}.
132	** Adult Terry now resembles [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Peter Parker]]'s look from ''his'' [[WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries animated series]].
133	* SpannerInTheWorks:
134	** Project Batman Beyond would have gone as planned...if Waller hadn't hired Phantasm, an AntiVillain who had a history with Bruce, to pull the trigger. Phantasm realized that she couldn't do it and told off Waller for her willingness to orphan an innocent child.
135	** Terry points out that even though his parents were never killed as originally planned by Waller, Derek Powers still had his father assassinated. He became Batman anyway to avenge his father and atone for being a delinquent.
136	* StayWithMeUntilIDie:
137	-->'''Ace:''' You were going to try to talk me into fixing what I've changed...before I die.\
138	'''Batman:''' Yes.\
139	'''Ace:''' I'm dying very soon.\
140	'''Batman:''' Yes. [{{Beat}}] I'm sorry.\
141	'''Ace:''' Could you stay with me? I'm scared.\
142	''(Batman sits on the swing next to her and holds her hand)''
143	* SuperHeroOrigin: A rather massive DeconstructedTrope. Waller believed the world needed a new Batman when Bruce got too old, so she created the convoluted [[TitleDrop Project: Batman Beyond]] to create a genetic son through the [=McGinnis=] family in Terry and then recreate Bruce's inciting incident [[DeathByOriginStory with his parents murder]] by murdering Terry's parents. The immorality of this project is called out by the assassin who refused to go through with it, and Waller herself recognized the futility of controlling so many pieces of a complex puzzle. When Terry finds out he is genetically Bruce's child he believes he was manipulated by Bruce to become Batman and was "cursed" to the same reclusive lifestyle. Waller explains Bruce had no part in this plan and that he is not a clone, but his son. The CentralTheme of the episode is that Terry defines what it means to be Batman, his destiny is his own choice.
144	* SweetAndSourGrapes: A twisted variation. Waller's hitman chooses not to go through with killing Terry's parents to catalyze his becoming Batman, and Waller herself realizes it was a desecration of Bruce's legacy to consider it... but eventually, as Terry himself laments, death came for his father anyway, and she ended up getting her new Batman, freshly traumatized by the death of a beloved parent and motivated by that trauma to devote his life to CrimefightingWithCash.
145	* ThatCameOutWrong: When Waller describes how one of her agents got a blood sample from the original Batman after he was wounded in a fight.
146	-->'''Waller:''' Bruce's DNA was easy enough to obtain; [[ReallyGetsAround he left it all over town.]]\
147	'''Terry:''' ''([[FascinatingEyebrow raises an eyebrow]])''\
148	'''Waller:''' ...Not ''remotely'' what I meant!
149	* {{Telepathy}}: Ace's MasterOfIllusion powers also mutate to the point where she can read minds.
150	* ThisIsUnforgivable: If Amanda had gone through with killing Terry's parents to make him Batman, it's unlikely Terry would be willing to forget that. The fact that Phantasm refused to pull the trigger and told Amanda that doing so would be terrible is what makes Terry willing to listen to the rest of the story. He also acknowledges that Amanda didn't kill his father.
151	* TitleDrop: Waller called her future-Batman plan "Project: Batman Beyond". (It doesn't serve as this for some people, as in certain areas overseas the series was called ''[[MarketBasedTitle Batman of the Future]]'' instead.)
152	* TookALevelInBadass: Terry's had years to hone his skills as Batman. He's notably taller and more muscular than in he was back in ''Batman Beyond'', and was able to neutralize Waller's guards with ease all without using the high tech suit.
153	* TookALevelInKindness: Amanda Waller has mellowed out since her Cadmus days. She even mentions having become a liaison for the League (after being so antagonistic to them before), gaining much respect for Batman, reading the Bible and preparing to answer for her actions.
154	* UpbringingMakesTheHero: Waller reveals Terry's parents had psychological profiles almost identical to Bruce's own mother and father.
155	* VillainRespect: In the years following the Cadmus incident, and becoming the Government liaison to the Justice League, Waller went from distrusting and fearing the League to developing genuine respect for all of them -- and Batman in particular. The specific turning point with Bruce was Ace's death and the compassion he showed towards her.
156	* VisualPun: The Royal Flush Gang according to WordOfGod.
157	** Ten is based on Creator/BoDerek's character in the movie ''Film/Ten1979''.
158	** [[WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack Jack is a samurai]] (and when he's returned to normal, the animators make him look like Creator/PhilLaMarr).
159	** Queen, when de-powered, is actually a man, i.e., a drag ''queen''.
160	** King resembles ComicBook/{{MODOK}}, a Marvel character created by Jack "The King" Kirby.
161	* WasTooHardOnHim: When Terry accuses Bruce of using the same genetic technology Joker used on Tim Drake, he apologizes for such a "low blow" after seeing a horrified reaction on Bruce's face.
162	* WhamLine: The reason why Terry confronted Waller, and considered leaving behind the "cursed" Batman legacy, was because of a shocking truth that connects him and Bruce in a way he never expected. Earlier, he confronts Bruce, letting out how much he cared about his father Warren despite their tension before the man's murder, Bruce asks Terry "What's your point?", to which the boy angrily responds:
163	--> '''Terry:''' ''What's my point''? "My point" is I never once doubted that he loved me with all his heart. "My point" is all those warm feelings I had for my dad, turns out they were just another lie, another in the long list of things you've ''stolen'' from me! "My point" is I just found out that Warren [=McGinnis=] isn't my father! '''''You are.'''''
164	** Amanda Waller reveals that ''she'' created Terry, not Bruce.
165	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Superman, Barda and Micron are absent during the Justice League Unlimited's appearance, though it's possible they were just on another mission. Though it's a moot point, since that scene was just something playing out in Terry's head.
166	* WhatYouAreInTheDark:
167	** Terry, on learning he's Bruce's son, has one ImagineSpot after another about lashing out at Bruce, quitting the League, and breaking up with Dana. But what does he actually do? Go to Amanda Waller for answers. Terry subconsciously knew that Bruce would never do such a thing as steal away someone's future, and didn't want to hurt anyone. This indicates emotional maturity on Terry's part, signifying his [[CharacterDevelopment growth]] from the impulsive teenager he started out as.
168	** Batman offered to take out Ace before she would kill millions. Then he approaches Ace...and she reveals she read his mind, and he wouldn't kill an innocent girl. Instead, Bruce sits next to her on the swings, apologizing for the fact that she will die and he can't save her. Then he takes her hand as the aneurysm kills her. Ace is touched by his sincerity and empathy, fixing the world.
169	** The Phantasm was just about to kill Warren and Mary in front of a young Terry in order to fulfill the job of making a new Batman. But, she couldn't go through with such an act.
170	* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Ace, who's dying from a brain tumor and with her new RealityWarper powers can murder millions before she does.
171	* WouldntHurtAChild: Phantasm was ordered to gun down Terry's parents, but refused on realizing how much it would traumatize an innocent kid.
172	* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Waller admits her failings in trying to make a new Batman, but is amused that "[[Literature/TheBible the Lord moves in mysterious ways]]" and Terry became a new Batman anyway. But she asserts that Terry is left to his own devices, he is not a recreation of Batman but his own man.
173	--> '''Waller:''' "I've never met anyone who cared as deeply about his fellow man as Bruce Wayne, except maybe you. You want to have a little better life than the old man's? Take care of the people who love you. Or don't. It's your choice."
174	* YouCantFightFate: Waller ensured Terry's early childhood and DNA would be as similar to Bruce's as possible, only to back down when it came time to kill Terry's parents. Terry's father ends up being killed by chance years later anyway, and Terry goes on to become Batman's successor as Waller had originally planned.
175	* YoureInsane:
176	-->'''Terry:''' You know what, old man? All those years it turns out everyone was right: You are insane. Being Batman's no honor...it's a ''curse''.

Context Recap / JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E13Epilogue