Cartoon Network’s DC Nation Block hit Young Justice: Invasion had its sixth season two episode hit airwaves this weekend. The episode titled “Bloodlines” advances the Roy Harper clone subplot in a huge way as well as the the main Invasion plot of the season with viewers learning the plans, or part of the plans anyway, of the stranded Krolotean alien threat.
They are experimenting on humans to isolate the metagene for some nefarious purpose. In the episode, they have imbued a poor kid with dangerous radioactive powers to unknowingly become the villain Neutron.
The Young Justice team wins with the help of all manners of Flash family members: Barry Allen (Flash), Jay Garrick (the original Flash), Wally West (Kid Flash) and…. Bart Allen (Impulse)?!?
Impluse has traveled from the future to stymie the threat of Neutron and save the life of Barry Allen / Flash. Unknown to the team is that that the Krolotean plans have huge reprucussions for the future. Bart came back from a bleak future hoping to change the past and save his grandfather (Barry Allen / Flash).
While they do save both Neutron and the Flash, viewers learn that the the future is still a wasteland. Impulse does not know that other steps need to be taken to prevent the Kroloteans from achieving this apocolyptic future on Earth.
We also learn that Bart Allen is trapped in the past which adds an interesting dynamic to a team that was missing its speedster Kid Flash until this episode. We learned earlier this season that Wally West and Artemis, another previously MIA original team member, have been in college together and are also dating.
With teasers for next week’s episode indicating that Artemis returns to the team, will Kid Flash join or will he stay in colleage letting Impulse take his team spot? Can Young Justice function well with two speedsters? Well, it has two Robins (Nightwing and Robin), so why not two Kid Flashes? ;)
Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together….
Interestingly, with the reveal that part of the Krolotean plans are to isolate and experiment on humans with the metagene, it would seem that the steps are in place from the previous episode to have Apache Chief, from Super Friends infamy, to make the leap into the Young Justice world. Ty Longshadow is after all captured and being delivered to the Kroloteans who are in the service of the mysterious Competitor. (UPDATE: See enhanced frame here with 4 kids not 3. Looks like all 4 Super Friends are accounted for now.)
This (re)introduction seems to be part of DC Entertainment’s overall plan to ensure its properties reflect the diversity of the world. This is clearly in play whether in DC Nation’s Young Justice TV animated series and in DC Comics proper (with the recent right and left tug-of-war over a gay Green Lantern).
Whether it’s a swerve or not, from the preceding episode titled “Beneath”, the writers seem to be hinting that the Competitor is a New God from Apokolips or an alien with access to New God tech like Boom Tubes.
We also still need to know about where a now seemingly villainous Aqualad will play into this season and the simmering alien invasion threat.
A fun season so far.
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