Teaser: While captured by Penguin, Batgirl remembers the first time she met Batman in an encounter with Killer Moth.
Main Plot: Years ago, the Doom Patrol disbanded under mysterious circumstances. Now they've been forced out of retirement when their old enemies set out to assassinate them.
Tropes
- Big "NO!": Batman after Zahl activates the explosives, killing the Doom Patrol.
- Bittersweet Ending: The Doom Patrol are killed, but their noble sacrifice ensures that they'll forever remembered as heroes.
- Continuity Cameo: At the carnival where Negative Man performs, the sideshow posters include depictions of the Doom Patrol members Beast Boy, Flex Mentallo, Lodestone and Dorothy Spinner. There is even a poster of Shasta the Living Mountain from the Doom Force one-shot.
- Crowd Chant: After the Doom Patrol die, one guy starts shouting, "We're all the Doom Patrol!" He is joined by all the people standing around him.
- Due to the Dead: In the aftermath of the Doom Patrol's sacrifices, the townspeople they saved rename their island home after them. Batman also reflects on his friends' deaths.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Zahl is genuinely outraged and surprised that the Doom Patrol would sacrifice themselves for a handful of ordinary people. He also can't believe that onlookers would praise the Doom Patrol for their sacrifice.
- Face Death with Dignity: In their time on camera, the various Doom Patrol members talk about how anyone no matter how ordinary can be a hero. When they're done, they tell Zahl to fire on them.
- Heroic Sacrifice: The Doom Patrol agree to die so that the civilians on the island will be spared.
- Hope Spot: Batman fights his way through Zahl's forces and manages to destroy the remote control.Batman: It's over, Zahl.
Zahl: Not quite. The real detonator is here! [taps his hat] - My Greatest Failure: Why the Doom Patrol disbanded: back in Europe, Zahl forced them to choose either themselves or a hostage to be killed. They chose themselves to save Europe and the guilt from letting an innocent person die tore them apart.
- Pyrrhic Victory: General Zahl manages to kill the Doom Patrol, but his ultimate goal of ruining their reputation failed and now they're more loved than ever.Zahl: Even in death, they've beaten me.
- Sadistic Choice: Zahl hopes to force this on the Doom Patrol, having them either agree to be killed or let a handful of innocent civilians die in their places. The heroes show no hesitation when offering to sacrifice themselves, though.
- This Cannot Be!: Zahl over people around the world celebrating the Doom Patrol for their sacrifice rather than mocking them.
- Won't Take "Yes" for an Answer: When recruiting Negative Man, Batman continuously gives him a long-winded "The Reason You Suck" Speech about how he needs to snap out of his funk and return to being a hero like he's meant to. He continuously interrupts Negative Man during this, even when Negative Man is trying to tell him he's willing to come back.
