After saving an alien world from destruction, the League decides to take some time off for the holidays. GL and Hawkgirl stay on the alien planet to play in the snow, Flash goes on a quest to get a toy for some orphans in Central City, Superman and Martian Manhunter go to the Kents' farm for some R&R, and Batman stays at the Watchtower for monitor duty.
Tropes:
- Actually Pretty Funny:
- After a fashion. Having expected a dancing, rapping, farting personality from a DJ Rubber Ducky, the children are understandably nonplussed when he starts speaking in the Humanite's voice and tells them the story of The Nutcracker instead. Once he gets going, though, they seem to appreciate it more.
- Played more straight at the beginning, when the kids show Flash the ad for the toy. It plays out like a joke about children wanting a cheap, crude toy that talks down to them...but Flash, being Flash, chortles and remarks that it IS pretty cool.
- Alien Arts Are Appreciated: Played straight with J'onn and his first Christmas, as he's clearly a little put-off by the traditions, gifts, and the idea of Santa Claus. However, after he takes a walk through Smallville and sees the holiday spirit first-hand, he seems to realize the meaning of the holiday and can truly enjoy it.
- An Ass-Kicking Christmas: Green Lantern and Hawkgirl spend their holiday in an alien bar and starting a Bar Brawl. Flash gets into a fight with the Ultra-Humanite before they reach a truce.
- Bar Brawl: Hawkgirl's idea of a "celebration."
- Blatant Lies: A non-verbal example; Hawkgirl sets off the Bar Brawl by smashing a large blue alien's hand with her mace, handing the mace off to Green Lantern, then pointing at GL when said alien turns around in anger.
- Blood Knight: Hawkgirl's idea of a good time is to go to an alien bar and start a Bar Brawl.
- Breather Episode: This episode is the only oneshot in a series of two- and three-parters, and would be immediately followed by the Season Finale.
- Brick Joke: Pa Kent mentions early in the episode that they used to wrap Clark's Christmas presents in lead to keep him from peeking with his x-ray vision. Later, as J'onn leaves the house, he catches a glimpse of the grown-up Clark picking up a present and noting that his parents still wrap their gifts in lead (and he still tries to peek).
- Cats Are Mean: Streaky hisses at J'onn on sight. Averted in the end, though.
- Children Are Innocent: The Ultra-Humanite is contemptuous of humanity in general, but thinks that children have not yet been corrupted into their elders' shallowness. This motivates him to fix the orphans' toy (and modify it to tell the story of The Nutcracker in place of its usual litany of hip-hop music and rude noises).
- Christmas Episode: The episode follows three separate plots showing how most of the Justice League spend their Christmas.
- Colony Drop: The episode begins with the League on a mission to stop the collision between two planets (at least one of which is inhabited).
- Crazy-Prepared: Due to Clark constantly using his x-ray vision for Present Peeking, Ma and Pa Kent have taken to wraping their presents in lead.
- Defeat Equals Friendship: The Bar Brawl is started by Hawkgirl bringing her mace down on the hand of a big, mean-looking blue alien. In the aftermath of the brawl, she and GL are seen curled up with said alien and having a doze.
- Endearingly Dorky: Superman is eager to light the Christmas tree, tries to use his X-ray vision to sneak peeks at his presents, and still believes in Santa Claus. Given that Santa's real in the comics, Superman's belief here may not be as farfetched as it might seem. Particularly since in the comics, Superman has had at least one team-up with Old Saint Nick. His belief in Santa in the show may be a nod to that story.
- "Eureka!" Moment: After failing to find a single DJ Rubber Ducky toy in every store he's visited, Flash looks in one store window to see a Santa's Worshop display. This inspires him to "go to the source" and get a toy from the company that manufactures them.
- Even Evil Has Standards: The Ultra-Humanite is annoyed at Flash's concern that he might be booby-trapping the toy, an act he clearly considers to be beneath him. He also chose to attack the modern art museum on Christmas when all the guards and employees are home for the holidays.
- Evil Is Petty: The Ultra-Humanite is destroying a wing in Central City's art museum because he considers the modern art ugly and unworthy of tax funds.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: Flash and Ultra-Humanite end up working together to bring some toys to an orphanage. This generally reflects the Friendly Enemy Flash has with a number of his foes.
- Heroic BSoD: Flash feels so bad about the orphans' toy being broken that he says he wouldn't care if Ultra-Humanite shot him.
- Hidden Depths:
- Flash spends his Christmas visiting Central City orphans and getting them a desired present. He has been doing this for some time.
- The Ultra-Humanite turns out to have a soft spot for kids, fixing and even "improving" the toy Flash had gotten for the orphans after it breaks during their fight.
- J'onn turns out to have a beautiful singing voice, gracing the Kent house with a Martian song on Christmas morning.Clark: And he said he didn't bring a gift.
- Holiday Ceasefire: In the episode, the Ultra-Humanite helps the Flash by fixing a toy Flash got for orphans...after zapping Flash unconscious, though Ultra-Humanite attempts to justify by pointing out Flash punched him first.
- Holiday Pardon: Downplayed. Flash didn't immediately send the Ultra-Humanite to jail after he rampaged through a modern art museum because he volunteered to fix a toy he broke (or more accurately, he knocked Flash unconscious first and he was already fixing the toy when the speedster woke up). Together, they delivered the toy that Ultra-Humanite customized (from making fart noises to reciting The Nutcracker) to the orphanage and the kids loved this unique version. When Ultra-Humanite went to jail, The Flash left him a literal aluminum Christmas tree as a present.
- Homemade Sweater from Hell: Averted. Martha gives J'onn a sweater, but since she didn't know his size it ends up being far too large. But J'onn appreciates the sentiment and uses his shapeshifter powers to "grow into it". He tells Ma Kent that it's very nice.
- Hope Spot: Flash has trouble finding a popular present, but gets the last one at the company. Then it gets broken during a fight with the Ultra-Humanite. Averted in the end since Flash's speech about giving children hope actually gets through to the villain, who fixes the toy and then gives himself up.
- It Works Better with Bullets: During the battle in the museum, Flash uses his Super-Speed to disarm Ultra-Humanite's ray gun, and taunts him the next time he tries to fire it.Flash: (holds up power cell) Should have asked Santa for extra batteries.
- Loved by All: Judging by the way everybody in the alien bar cheered Shayera when she merely opened the doors and said "Hi, guys!", it's quite apparent Hawkgirl is super popular at the place.
- Mistaken for Exhibit: Inverted; when Flash arrives at the museum, he thinks the Ultra-Humanite has already lain waste to the place. Turns out, in a Take That! at modern art, the Humanite hadn't even started.
- Mundane Made Awesome: GL and Hawkgirl's snowball fight is made a bit more epic thanks to their superpowers.
- Mundane Utility:
- John uses his ring to have fun in the snow, like making a snowboard, decorating a snowman, and getting the advantage against Shayera in a snowball fight.
- Clark trying to use his X-Ray Vision to peek on his presents.
- J'ohn uses his shapeshifting power to properly fit into the sweater Ma Kent gave him.
- Mythology Gag:
- For the first time in the series, J'onn takes on his John Jones alias from the comics.
- He also eats what looks like an Oreo that had been left for Santa.
- Swamp Thing can be seen among the crowd of aliens outside the bar Hawkgirl brings GL to.
- We see dolls of Zook, an alien imp who was J'onn's Silver Age sidekick, and what appears to be Wile E. Coyote.
- No Sympathy: After being pushed back onto the DJ Rubber Ducky toy by Flash, Humanite is contemptuous of giving children such a crude toy and suggests they'd be better off with literature by Voltaire. Despite this, Flash's impassioned speech about giving orphans goodwill at Christmas get through to him and he agrees to fix it — albeit replacing the Toilet Humor with a recording of him narrating The Nutcracker.
- Not So Above It All:
- Superman's really looking forward to Christmas.
- Same with Green Lantern. He's only too happy to play in the snow and start a snowball fight with Hawkgirl.
- Ultra-Humanite justifies taking a cheap shot at Flash by pointing out "you hit me first", and, despite his earlier cynicism about Christmas, is touched when Flash gives him a small aluminum Christmas tree.Ultra-Humanite: An aluminum Christmas tree?
Flash: I know, it's kind of cheesy, but...
Ultra-Humanite: No, no, we had one just like it when I was...It's very nice.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
- Of a sort. J'onn has never seen Superman just be Clark and finds the difference striking.
- The same could be said of John. He happily makes a snowman and a snow angel, asking Shayera with child-like glee if she noticed his wings.
- Pet the Dog: Flash's words move the Ultra-Humanite to fix the toy and give it some welcomed improvements.
- Present Peeking: Superman/Clark Kent's parents mention how young Clark used to peek at his presents with his X-ray vision. Later that night, (adult) Clark sneaks into the room with the tree—and finds his presents are all wrapped in X-ray-blocking lead foil. Again.
- Seen It All: The Kents come across as a bit jaded when they say that they're not strangers to aliens in the house.
- Snowball Fight: John and Shayera get into a superpowered version.
- Title Drop: "Tidings of comfort and joy, indeed", from a sarcastic Ultra-Humanite. Humanite's low regard for Christmas provokes a speech from Flash that convinces him to value the sentiment of Christmas.
- Unwitting Pawn: Hawkgirl starts the Bar Brawl by smashing a rather large patron's hand with her mace. She then hands her mace to a clueless Green Lantern and points to him.
- Wicked Cultured: Ultra-Humanite wrecks an exhibit of "modern art" for being an eyesore and a general waste of public funds.
- Written-In Absence:
- Batman is on monitor duty, which Superman says he practically begged for.
- Kara's absence is explained by her being off skiing with Barbara Gordon.
