Episode 9: Clueless
Takes place September 3-4
Short version
The Team wakes up in the Bialyan desert with no memory of the past six months, but Miss Martian helps them piece their minds back together, capture the psychic responsible, and rescue the New Genesphere from imprisonment.
Longer version
Paul wakes up in the Bialyan desert, wearing the ring, with no recollection of Earth 16. Miss Martian is nearby, similarly amnesiac, but recognising her from comic books, he initially thinks it's a lucid dream. However, upon finding Kid Flash and Artemis (also without memories) and then being attacked by battle tanks, he begins to take it seriously.
Miss Martian is able to partially repair the team's memories; they are on a mission in Bialya to investigate an extraterrestrial power surge. They regroup, and assault a military camp, rescuing Aqualad and the New Genesphere from medical experimentation by Psimon. Due to his comic meta-knowledge, Paul recognizes the Sphere as New Genesis technology, and briefly explains the New Gods to the team.
Renegade!OL, by contrast, resists the initial telepathic assault that scrambles the rest of the Team's memory. He promptly ambushes Psimon and surgically removes the brain enhancements that give him his telepathic and telekinetic powers. The Sphere thinks that his Venom Buster form looks Apokoliptian, specifically similar to Darkseid, though he denies any connection; it still agrees to go with him.
Equivalent canon episode: "Bereft". The change in title possibly reflects the fact that Paul and M'gann were together almost from the beginning of their amnesia, rather than her being alone.
- Attack Its Weak Point: With the ring on low power, Paul disables a tank by slicing off its treads; it can't travel through sand without them.
- Call-Back: Robin's tendency to leave his teammates behind is brought up again.
- Child Abuse Is a Special Kind of Evil: Paul is able to explain how evil Apokolips is by giving examples of what their New Gods represent, one of which is child abuse itself."New Gods is the best translation of their name for themselves. Apokolips and New Genesis are planets, inhabited by beings who are part organic humanoid, and part Platonic ideal form. The ruler of Apokolips, for example, is both a physically powerful man and the manifestation of the concept of tyranny. His courtiers include embodiments of the concepts of torture and of child abuse."
Uneasy and slightly disgusted looks from the team. - Continuity Nod: Paul still has Sportsmaster's plasma crossbow and the laser blaster derived from the MONQIs in his subspace.
- De-power: The Renegade removes Psimon's telepathic and telekinetic abilities by destroying his brain enhancements with sonic scalpels.Renegade: But leaving legal niceties aside. Doctor Jones, I will show you that there is nothing you can possess which I cannot take away.
- Duck!: Artemis tries to warn Paul of "Tanks!" and his reaction is, "You're welcome?"
- Fingore: Teekl takes one of Psimon's fingers as a souvenir.
- Girl of My Dreams: Paul thinks M'gann is this at first.
- It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: When Paul tries to justify his creation of a giant indestructible naked statue of himself in the desert.
- Jaw Drop: The Team (minus Paul and M'gann) do this at the revelation of the giant indestructible naked statue.
- Mook Horror Show: Grayven decides to do this by demonstrating his invulnerability to their weaponry and causing their hearts to slow down as he approaches.
- No-Sell: Grayven resists being mindwiped.
- Stunned Silence: The Team is unable to respond for about a minute after Paul reveals that he left a giant indestructible naked statue of himself in the desert.
- Teleportation Sickness: What happens when Paul tries transitioning with M'gann.
- What Did I Do Last Night?: The Team wakes up in Bialya with the last few months of their memory erased.
- Word of God: Mr Zoat explains a bit on yellow and orange rings
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