Episode 37: Stars, Crossed, Part 2
Takes place February 24-26, 2011 (universe 16), January 9-14, 2004 (universe 50)
This episode is a direct continuation of the previous one, and is again primarily Renegade.
Short version
The Renegade pretends to be a villain in order to prompt the creation of a new Justice-League-style organisation on Earth 50, lets them beat him, and returns to Earth 16.
Longer version
The Renegade wakes up on the Watchtower, and heals his wounds with a magic infusion from Zatanna. At Batman's suggestion, he investigates the source of the Apokoliptian technology in government, and finds a black-ops facility containing a fragment of the Anti-Life Equation (which he throws into the Source Wall) and a number of brainwashed prisoners (whom he hands over to the Frees for treatment).
To deal with the robotic impostor president, and encourage the formation of a Justice-League-style organisation of superheroes, the Renegade then invades the post-Thanagarian-invasion award ceremony, announces his intent to rule the Earth, and challenges any heroes to stop him. Supergirl, Lantern Rayner, Captain Marvel, Nightwing, the Frees, and a new Flash (whom the Renegade secretly empowered) all attempt to do so, with limited success but an increasing degree of coordination, until the robot attempts to kill them all with a nuclear strike. The Renegade, taken by surprise, is barely able to contain the explosion and kill the robot, being incapacitated and severely burned in the process. He congratulates the heroes on their victory and returns to the Watchtower by boom tube before they can capture him. Once he's mostly healed, Batman sends him back to Earth 16, pleased with his success; the heroes who fought him have gathered together and called themselves Stormwatch.
The Paragon timeline sees Paul still on Themyscira, where he finishes healing every long-term injury that the citizens are willing to bring to him and learns about Baroness von Gunther's purple healing ray. He then addresses the Senate, who are displeased that he has provided ring-based IVF pregnancies to a number of couples without consulting them first; however, Paul is unmoved, as he believes that they had all the time they needed to discuss artificial childbearing assistance in the eighty years since Diana was created.
Upon hearing of his recent rescue of Euanthe, the council also lets him know of the disappearance of Calliope the muse. Paul recognises her from his comic knowledge and immediately goes to her rescue.
He is also successful in gaining a measure of trust from the Circle who conspired to kill Diana. Their leader informs him that she saw Cottus the Hekatonkheir standing over the grove when Diana was formed, and that since the official story makes no mention of him, she believes Diana's creation to involve some nefarious motive. Paul promises to investigate fully, in exchange for her promise to apologise if nothing sinister is found.
- An Arm and a Leg: It is implied that the Renegade shot off Malice Vundabar's left arm.
- Brainwash Residue: Lynne Wayland is freed from the Anti-Life, but her soul has been shaped by it - so the Renegade donates a piece of his own.
- Brainwashed: The Super-Human Advanced Defense Executive has been using a fragment of the Anti-Life Equation to erase people's sense of self and turn them into near-mindless slaves.
- Children Are Innocent: Exploited by Malice Vundabar. Unfortunately for her, the Renegade knows it's a trick.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: The Renegade easily defeats Supergirl, Captain Marvel, Kyle Rayner, and Nightwing.
- Cursed with Awesome: Due to metahumans having different physiologies from baseline humans, hospitals sometimes have trouble knowing what they can do to help them when they need medical assistance.
- Deprogram: Thanks to his Freedom domain, Scott Free is able to make great progress in freeing victims from the effects of the Anti-Life.
- Dropping the Bombshell: The Renegade is rather blase when he tells Zatanna about Gonzo.Zatanna: (referring to the Purple Death Rays) What exactly are you planning on using this for?
Renegade: Miiiight be best if you had plausible deniability on that.
Zatanna: Oh no. If you want any help from me-.
Renegade: Your president's a shapeshifting alien robot being puppetted by SHADE. I want the fire support for when I unmask him. - Energy Donation: To fully purge the effects of Anti-Life from Lynne Wayland, the Renegade gives her a piece of his own soul, which reshapes her soul to be more like his (and as the New God of Conquest, his soul structure rebels against anything that would crush his will or identity).
- Failed a Spot Check: It takes the Renegade a while to realize that the youths he saved from SHADE were the kids who became the Royal Flush Gang in the DC Animated Universe.
- False Flag Operation: The Renegade sets himself up as an evil alien conqueror that the heroes of Earth can defeat to gain the public's trust and become a replacement for the Justice Lords.
- I Can't Believe I'm Saying This: Paul can't believe he is literally asking his ring what percentage of people in the world are Caucasian.
- Irony: Paul thinks that M'gann sharing blood with anyone probably wouldn't end well. In canon, all this does is give Garfield Logan powers.
- Living Shadow: Malice Vundabar has one as a pet named Chessure.
- My God, You Are Serious!: Menalippe didn't realize Paul was serious about saving minor divinities.
- Mythology Gag: The Renegade's internal remark about a neural impacter is taken almost word for word from an episode of Justice League.I hold my left arm out to my side and take a neural impacter out of subspace. They don't make these any more.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Lampshaded by the Renegade when the the youths he saved start attacking him because they have been Justified.
- Oh, Crap!: The Renegade has this reaction when he finds out that SHADE somehow got a fragment of the Anti-Life Equation and is using it to try and mind control people.
- Relative Error: One of M'gann and Conner's classmates asks Paul if the latter was cheating on the former because she saw him being affectionate with Diana. Paul has to explain that Diana is Conner's mother.
- Super Zeroes: Most metahumans can actually be taken down with a gun, and it's revealed that this is what happens to a lot of rookie superheroes.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Gonzo's attempt to kill the Renegade really goes above and beyond.Renegade: (internally) A normal killer robot will fire a nuclear weapon at you and call it a day. An Apokoliptian killer robot will wade through the resulting explosion in order to punch you.
- To Be Lawful or Good: This is part of the Renegade's argument about the Klarion situation
. - Too Dumb to Live: After Plastic Man's origin became public, several people tried to recreate it. It resulted in them either dying or ending up in the hospital. Plastic Man had to hold a press conference telling people not to copy what happened to him.
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Word of God: Paul wouldn't be able to use his ring to substitute magic tattoos.- Erasmus Fry is not in a better place.
- Paul is working to connect the Amazons to the outside world because it will help them better attain their desires.
- The Renegade doesn't correctly remember the name of Icon's species.
- If Paul was exposed to the Anti-Life Equation he wouldn't notice it, but the Ophidian would.
- The version of the Anti-Life Equation used by Mr Zoat won't be the Seven Soldiers version.
- SHADE is having trouble with the Renegade because they aren't equipped to deal with such a high end threat.
- The laws regarding metahumans in competitions is due to Hugo Danner.
- The Renegade shoving the Anti-Life Equation into the Source Wall has subtly changed his behavior.
- Some of the mechanics of magic and how Paul and the Renegade could use it is given.
- Awakening, and what the Renegade did to Lynne specifically, is explained.
- Mr Zoat explains what a Renegade version of the Crime Syndicate Paul would do.
- The Renegade's hero would be Deus from Grrl Power.
- Kid Flash might be able to share speed in the future.
- The suitcase nuke was teleported to Gonzo when no one was looking.
- The person who showed up after the Renegade returned to his cell was the Flash.
- The Renegade will only remain in jail for about a week.
- Erasmus Fry is not in a better place
- Would Hurt a Child: Justified in this case, as Malice Vundabar is only a child by New God standards, and is an unrepentant murderer from Apokolips.
- Zero-Approval Gambit: The Renegade announces that he's taking over the world. This is in order to inspire the formation of a Justice League to stop him. Although there are later indications that if they had miserably failed, he might actually have taken the job.
