Episode 122: Vantavendi
Takes place 20-22 October 2012.
Short version
The Team investigates a string of vigilante killings by the new Crimson Avenger, ending her spree, but is unable to unearth the root cause of her attacks.
Longer version
Paul takes the time to catch up on the things he may have missed due to being busy or on holiday. He stops by Leonard Snart's place to see how he's doing now that he's been released from Belle Reve, gives a lesson to his acolytes, asks for advice on how to approach Cheryl Masters about her long lost son.
However, while talking with Diana and Ted Grant at the Themysciran Embassy, they are interrupted by the arrival of Crimson Avenger II, Jill Carlyle, who seems to be after Paul. After she is repulsed, the Team is tasked with looking into some recently murdered heroes who are now suspected of being Crimson Avenger II's victims. They are especially interested in three victims who don't seem to fit her usual target profile, and contact the Alliance of the Just for information, but are unable to come to any firm conclusions.
Crimson Avenger II attacks again, but upon Alan infusing her with hope, she turns her guns on herself and commits suicide. Paul visits Mammon to learn more, but not only has her soul not arrived in Hell, the souls of her victims have not either — and Hell has no record of their sins, to Mammon's great alarm. He summons the guns, which contain a demonic spirit, and the spirit informs him that it was unable to influence Ms Carlyle, who was instead being directed by a malevolent deity of some sort. Paul contacts the Frees, but from the symptoms, they doubt that it was an Anti-Life infection.
The title means a small amount of absolute blackness
and is partially taken from Starbucks.
- Alternate Universe: We get to see the Orange Lantern of Eternia again. He gets a chance to temporarily gain the power of the Sorceress while she leaves to have some alone time with her lover. This becomes a problem when Adora, who was kidnapped by Hordak's forces when she was a baby, arrives at Castle Grayskull.
- Call-Back: Paul is able to deduce that the bullet Crimson Avenger II shot at him is the same kind of bullet as the one that almost hit Dana.
- Continuity Nod:
- Paul mentions that he first met Captain Boomerang when the latter pointed him towards the man who could help him make a costume, or at least the man's brother.
- Paul tells Captain Cold and Captain Boomerang about the time an Amazon came onto him.
- Destructive Saviour: In her attempts to stop two low level supervillains, New Kara ends up causing more property damage than the criminals she tried to apprehend.
- Hypocritical Humor: Orange Lantern of Eternia notes that Evil-Lyn thinking Despara's name is too try hard to be ironic.
- Ignore the Fanservice: Orange Lantern of Eternia pays no attention to Evil-Lyn's attempts to seduce him. This is partly because he knows she's trying to manipulate him and partly because it wouldn't be morally right due to him temporarily controlling her geas at the time.
- Internal Reveal: Orange Lantern of Eternia tells Evil-Lyn that Prince Adam is He-Man after using her geas to make her incapable of revealing that she knows this to anyone other than himself, Sir Duncan, Teela Na or Prince Adam.
- Mirror Character: Mammon reveals that there are some in Hell who suspect Paul of either being a creation of Lucifer or Lucifer himself due to similarities that the demons have noticed.Paul: I've been fairly open about my origin.
Mammon: Yes, but we're not known for honesty or faithfulness down here, and we're biased to assuming that others share our habits. Your appearance in the wake of his final vanishing act, your attitudes, your ascent in the ranks of power… Your mystically-obscured name, even your totemic bond with a great serpent-.
Paul: You think I'm Lucifer?
Mammon: The possibility has been mooted. In certain circles.
Paul: You think I'm actually Lucifer, or just some creation of his?
Mammon: Lucifer would be perfectly capable of granting an aspect of his character their own agency. Though it would be uncharacteristic for him to create someone purely as a pawn.
Paul: To the best of my knowledge, I am neither Lucifer nor a creation of his.
Mammon: But it's not as if we can check, is it? - Mutual Masquerade: In the He-Man continuity, Princess Adora introduces herself as Despara, a force captain of Hordak, so Paul claims to work for Skeletor. It later turns out that since coming to Eternos, she's gradually regained her memories, and mentally switched sides, but she stays in character because she believed Paul's act.Adora: We have been lying to each other?
Paul: I'm afraid that it looks like that. - The Pardon: This episode reveals that the Terror Twins, Abra Kadabra, and Captain Cold were all released from prison.
- Shout-Out: Captain Cold and Captain Boomerang having bhang is a reference to Bruce Has a Problem.
