Episode 4 of
Batman Beyond. As Terry continues to adjust to the burden on his availability thanks to his new double life, a classmate at high school finds a creative means of seeking vengeance against the bully that has been tormenting him. Meanwhile, a huge piece of remote-controlled construction equipment goes missing from a construction site in New Gotham.
Tropes
- Abusive Parents: Willie Watt consistently suffers ridicule from his father for being a "wimp" who can't physically stand up to the bullies at school. Then, Willie gets a hold of his father's construction golem, develops a psychic link to it, and uses it to trash a party after one more humiliation causes him to snap. When his father, tracking the golem's disappearance, finds Willy and berates him once again, Willy proceeds to turn the golem on him. Batman saves the day, but the end result shows that the father is still a major Jerkass.
Mr. Watt: Sure caused a lot of trouble. Guess that means he's ain't a wuss no more.
- Create Your Own Villain: Downplayed, since Willie stole the Golem before Terry got involved, but Batman's first confrontation with the Golem resulted in the accident that gave Willie his powers.
- Drunk on the Dark Side: Willie, during his rampage at the dance.
- The End... Or Is It?: The Golem is destroyed and Willie is imprisoned at juvenile hall for his rampage. Then he causes a television to explode, indicating that he still has his powers.
- Expy: Willie Watt is a loose Distaff Counterpart of Carrie White. A meek teenager constantly bullied by classmates, not helped at all by an abusive parent, who develops psychic powers which are let loose at a dance after an incredibly vicious humiliation.
- Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Sure, Terry and Dana both understand that what was done to Willie was horrible, but flattening a boardwalk and trying to set his father on fire can't be excused.
- Fun with Acronyms: Galvanic Lifting Machine, pronounced "Golem" for the sake of convenience.
- Gone Horribly Right: Willie has a father who pressures him into fighting the guys who are bullying him. He ends up snapping and sending a giant remote-controlled robot after his tormentors and, later, after his own father.
- Heel Realization: Mr. Watt, after Willie is arrested. Later episodes show that it didn't stick.
- Humongous Mecha: The Golem.
- Jerkass Has a Point: While the way he handles it is wrong, Willie's father is correct that Willie needs to stand up for himself.
- The Kid with the Remote Control: Villainous example: Willie had first the remote control for, and later mental command of, a massive humanoid construction machine known as a Golem. He did not use it wisely.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Nelson Nash is bullying Willie Watt. When Terry steps up to defend him (Nelson has witnessed Terry kicking the asses of the Jokerz and also got punched in the face by him once), Nelson considers it for a moment and backs down.
- Likes Clark Kent, Hates Superman: Nelson picks on Terry, but admires Batman, ala Flash Thompson.
- Mean Boss: Willie's dad is a tough-looking foreman who tends to yell at his employees a lot.
- Mugging the Monster: After having gained his powers, Willie is confronted by Jokerz.
Willie: What's two stories tall and eats Jokerz?
Jokerz Member: I don't know, what?
Willie: Him.
(the Golem starts stomping on their motorbikes)
Willie: You're not laughing...
- Mundane Utility: Terry first uses his Batsuit's cloaking tech to watch a basketball game in a literal ringside (as in next to the actual basket) seat.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: Originally, Willie only uses the Golem against the likes of Nelson Nash and the Jokerz.
- Pet the Dog: Bruce allowed Terry a night off to attend his school dance.
- Pre-emptive Declaration: What's two stories tall and eats Jokerz?
- Scary Shiny Glasses: Willie develops these. The closing, silhouetted scene of him in juvenile hall just makes them scarier, to such a degree that it seems to be affecting the other inmates. (Well, okay, maybe it was really because he made a TV explode, but the glasses played a role in it.)
- Self-Made Orphan: Willie attempts to kill his father in his rampage.
Terry: He's your father!
Willie: Not for long...
- Shoot the Television: In the end, Willie blows up a juvie TV, making everyone else unnerved.
- Shout-Out: While Nash and Blade are walking through the school after Willie's first attack, a girl who bares a striking resembling to Livewire can be seen.
- Slasher Smile: Willie sports a pretty unnerving one in the episode's closing shot.
- Super-Powered Robot Meter Maids: Downplayed with the Golem. Okay, it makes sense for a construction robot to be two stories tall and have super strength, but why is it armed with a flamethrower?
- Tacky Tuxedo: Willie wears an orange version to the spring dance. It makes him look like a nerdy Jack-O-Lantern. Made worse by the fact that other episodes show that future formal fashions are even more streamlined than those of today, meaning it was really, really out of date and it wasn't actually a formal occasion (the only guys are wearing pretty casual clothes).
- Who's Laughing Now?: Willie decided to take revenge on his tormentors at school by controlling a Humongous Mecha used in construction.
- Who Murdered the Asshole: Well, Who Murdered The Asshole's Car. When Bruce and Terry are investigating the Golem's initial rampage, Terry recognizes the car it destroyed as belonging to his school's resident Jerk Jock. When Bruce asks Terry who might have a grudge against him, Terry replies: "The line starts with me and goes around the block. Twice."
- Whole-Plot Reference: To Carrie. Kid is constantly bullied, parent doesn't help much, kid gains dangerous power, then attacks bullies and parent.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Things are finally looking good for Willie at the dance until Nelson confronts him, flinging him off the dock, that finally makes him snap.
