Pilot/Episodes 1 and 2: Independence Day and Fireworks
Takes place on July 4 - 8
Teenage superheroes Robin, Speedy, Kid Flash and Aqualad - Sidekicks, respectively, to Batman, Green Arrow, The Flash and Aquaman - are taken to the Hall of Justice, Justice League's headquarters, for the first time. Speedy is disappointed that they will only have limited access (read: only slightly better access than the public), and storms off after a rant about how disrespectfully the elder heroes have treated the younger. The League then receives a report about a fire at Project Cadmus, a suspicious research project, but get called away to deal with another crisis. The kids decide to investigate Cadmus on their own. They find out that Cadmus has been secretly creating living weapons called "genomorphs", including a clone of Superman named Superboy. They try to rescue him, but he turns on them and captures them.
The project's director, Dr. Desmond, is told by Cadmus' board of directors to dispose of the young heroes and replace them with clones. However, Aqualad manages to help Superboy break his Mind Control and he helps them escape. It is then revealed that the genomorphs' leader, Dubbilex, had secretly helped the heroes as he wanted them to help his brethren. Desmond tries to stop them by drinking a genomorphic chemical that turns him into a superstrong monster form. Still, the young heroes defeat him by working together. The League then shows up, and lectures the kids for acting on their own, but they stand up to them and convince them to allow them to be a team. The League accepts, although their roles will be mostly undercover, and set them up in Mount Justice, a former base used by the League. The Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian, joins the team in the end.
Tropes:
- Arc Words: "Today is the day."
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Speedy blows up at the League for their treatment of their partners.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Dr. Desmond is merely working for the "board of directors", a mysterious group of supervillains whose identities are hidden.
- It Is Dehumanising: Wally calls people to task for identifying Superboy as an "it" rather than a "he".
- Kill and Replace: Dr. Desmond's initial idea with Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad is just kill them and replace them with clones.
- Mythology Gag:
- The Cadmus Project is based on the DNA Project, a concept created by Jack Kirby for DC Comics in the 1970's, including the characters of The Guardian and Dubbilex. The DNA Project became Project Cadmus after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and was later responsible for Superboy's creation.
- The name of the project that the serum used by Dr. Desmond to transform is codenamed Blockbuster, an homage to the codename his comic book counterpart used (a DC Comics Captain Ersatz of The Incredible Hulk).
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Guardian tries to be one, but the genomorphs have a habit of putting the telepathic lockdown on him so he'll do what they want.
- There Are No Coincidences: The episode begins with four ice-themed villains (Captain Cold, Killer Frost, Mr. Freeze and Icicle Junior) all committing crimes on the same day.
