Where Static Shock officially becomes part of the DC Animated Universe.
The Joker comes to town to recruit Bang Babies. Static finds himself outclassed when the Joker curbstomps him. Batman and Robin quickly appear, and Batman seems to have even less respect for Static. Virgil must figure out how to stop the Joker and impress Batman.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Accidental Misnaming: Ferret calling Hotstreak "Hotshot" by mistake.Hotstreak: Hotstreak, jerk!
- Big "YES!": Static over the possibility of teaming up with Batman again sometime.
- Break Out the Museum Piece: A meta invocation. Due to the director’s preference for the Batwing design from Batman:TAS pre-retool, that sees use here.
- Call-Forward: This won't be the last time the Joker will recruit a gang of teenage metahumans under his command.
- The Cameo: Harley appears in one of the Joker's photographs.
- The Dreaded: The Joker is this to Ferret. He completely freaks out when he sees him and declines the offer to join the group he has assembled because of how much he creeps him out.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Static is mildly annoyed that the Joker doesn't find him enough of a threat. He gets his own back in the climax when Joker tries to use a joy-buzzer on him.
- Epic Fail: Using a joy-buzzer on Static proves to be a No-Sell.
- Even Evil Has Standards:
- Kangor might be working for Joker with the other Bang babies, but he doesn't trust him after he gassed Ferret just for declining the offer to join, even though Ferret thanked him for saving him and was relatively respectful in his decline.
- Shiv, Hotstreak, and Talon are also alarmed when Joker first gasses Ferret.
- Genre Savvy: Richie gives Static some advice on how to successfully control the Batwing with vocal commands. When Static asks how he knew to do that, Richie says he watches a lot of sci-fi.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: During a robbery, Hotstreak blasts an alarm because he says loud noises annoy him. Kangor points out that everything annoys him.
- Lampshade Hanging:
- Robin remarks he's getting a little too old for his "Boy Wonder" moniker.
- When Batman scoffs at Joker pulling off a death trap, Robin points out the villain has a lousy batting average.
- Lured into a Trap: Batman and Robin realize this too late when they traverse the tunnel where Static saw Talon enter.
- Never Heard That One Before: During the climax.Talon: Too bad it has to end this way, Robin. You and I are birds of a feather.
Robin: I cannot tell you how many times I heard that joke. - No-Sell: Joker's joy-buzzer has no effect on Static.
- Not Bad: Batman says this to Static when he is unaffected by Joker's joy-buzzer and zaps him instead.
- Oh, Crap!: Joker when he realizes his joy-buzzer trick isn't working.
- Only Sane Man: Kangor sees working for the Joker as an opportunity, but he knows not to trust him like the others do. He's also far more level-headed and focused on jobs than the others, particularly Hotstreak.
- Pet the Dog: Joker has a picture of Harley with him in Dakota.
- Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: "That looks like fun. Let me try." Static says this when Joker attempts to use a joy-buzzer on him.
- Resignations Not Accepted: The Joker scouts Ferret as one of the meta-humans for his gang. When Ferret is unwilling to join due to his fear of The Joker, he's hit with a dose of his Joker Venom for his trouble.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Joker explains that he bailed on Gotham after his old gang got arrested.
- Shooting Superman: Using a joy-buzzer on a metahuman whose specialty is electricity backfires splendidly on the Joker.
- Terms of Endangerment: Joker asks the gang to call him Uncle J.
- Thrown from the Zeppelin: Joker forms a gang of meta-humans and rescues Ferret from Static to offer him a spot. Ferret apologetically declines due to how creepy he finds Joker and ends up doused with Joker Venom in front of the other recruits and dumped on the street with a taunting message for Batman. He's given an antidote and survives, though.
- Time for Plan B: When Static loses the secret device that Batman gave him, he creates an impromptu Bat signal using electricity. Bruce isn't amused when Tim points it out to him.
- Title Drop: Courtesy of Shiv during the attempt to recruit Ferret.Shiv: This is the big leagues.
- Underestimating Badassery:
- After taking him out easily in their first two encounters, it's made clear Joker doesn't think much of Static, even forgetting about him entirely at one point. This comes back to bite him in the ending where he not only uses metallic weapons that Static is easily able to counter, but also an electric joy buzzer that Static turns back against him.
- Kangor and Hotstreak both try to call dibs on Batman in the climax of the episode and take him on alone, only to both get easily taken out by him with minimum effort.
- Wham Shot: While trying to nab Ferret, Static is taken off guard by a bunch of balloons that all bear a very distinctive grin.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: The Joker has just crashed his truck and sees Batman approaching in the mirror. Joker begs for help and extends a hand concealing a joy-buzzer. Unfortunately for him, Static is the one who grabs his hand instead.
- Written-In Absence: Shiv mentions at one point that Ebon's currently in jail, explaining why he and Talon are working for the Joker in this episode instead of him.
