CASE FILES - Justice League's "Fury"

NOTE:  This article obviously contains SPOILERS.  Proceed at your own risk!

Episode Details

• Story:  Stan Berkowitz

• Teleplay:  Dwayne McDuffie (Part One) and Stan Berkowitz (Part Two)

• Director:  Butch Lukic

• Animation Studio:  CNK International (formerly Koko Enterprises Ltd.)

• Original Airdate:  April 7, 2002 (Part One); April 14, 2002 (Part Two)

Official Summary

When a renegade Amazon named Aresia takes over Lex Luthor’s old gang, the Justice League comes together to stop her jewel-stealing rampage.  But Aresia is up to more than larceny, as she unleashes a plague that affects half the population—the male half.  With the men of the Justice League falling victim, it is up to Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl to stop her from destroying “Man’s World” (Allstetter, “Justice League Update”).

My Summary

When a mysterious woman named Aresia hires a faction of Luthor’s Injustice Gang and leads them on a series of daring heists, the Justice League investigates.  However, these are more than simple robberies, as Aresia unleashes a gender-sensitive plague that decimates the male half of the population.  With their teammates slowly dying, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl must continue their inquiry, which leads them to the shores of Themyscira, as well as to one of Hippolyta’s darkest secrets.

Voice Cast

• George Newburn as Superman

• Kevin Conroy as Batman

• Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman

• Phil LaMarr as Green Lantern

• Michael Rosenbaum as The Flash

• Maria Canals-Barrera as Hawkgirl

• Carl Lumbly as J’onn J’onzz

• Julie Bowen as Aresia

• Susan Sullivan as Hippolyta

• Olivia D’Abo as Star Sapphire

• Mark Hamill as Solomon Grundy

• Stephen McHattie as The Shade

• Karen Maruyama as Tsukuri

• Jose Yenque as Copperhead

• Maggie Wheeler as Antiope, Firefighter

• Vanessa Marshall as Lipstick Lady, Paramedic

• Julianne Grossman as General Phillipus

Background

Frequently overlooked compared to its contemporaries, I would hazard to say that “Fury” is the least-discussed episode of Season One. Described by Producer Bruce Timm as “kind of like a female ‘Brave and the Bold,’ or a deadly serious ‘Girl’s [Night] Out’” in a December 2001 interview (qtd. in Harvey, “Information”), this episode—featuring a Wonder Woman / Hawkgirl team-up against an original foe—is neither championed like “Legends” and “The Savage Time” or condemned like “War World.” In fact, it is really only brought up when discussing the notorious scheduling delays regarding both it and “Injustice for All,” as writer and Producer Rich Fogel recounted in an April 6, 2002 interview with Comics Continuum:

“Fury” features some villains who were first introduced in an episode called “Injustice for All.”  However, because of the vagaries of network programming, this episode is airing first.  Luckily, this shouldn’t be a big problem because all our viewers need to know is that Solomon Grundy, Copperhead, Shade, and Star Sapphire are the remnants of a gang that was once recruited by Lex Luthor to fight the Justice League.  Now, they are following a mysterious villainess called Aresia who has her own agenda. (qtd. in Allstetter, “Justice League’s ‘Fury’”)

At first glance, to borrow a quote from Timm—which he originally used to describe the Batman: The Animated Series (BTAS) episode “Moon of the Wolf”—one could consider “Fury” to be “a good Tuesday episode. It’s not what you want to open a week on or end a week on, but it passes the time agreeably” (qtd. in Garcia and Garcia 92), but I was convinced that there was more to this episode than that. To that end, I reached out to Producer Stan Berkowitz, creator of “Fury’s” original outline and writer of Part Two’s script, via email to inquire about the episodes’ origins.

Surprisingly, it was a little simpler than I expected, as Berkowitz revealed that “Girl’s Night Out,” The New Batman Adventures (TNBA) episode written by Hilary J. Bader, was the inspiration for the episode, adding how “we thought it might be fun to do something like that with Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman.” However, while the original episode had the luxury of teaming up established villains Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Livewire against Batgirl and Supergirl, “Fury’s” criminals were not immediately apparent. As Rich Fogel revealed in a November 2005 interview with ToyFare Magazine, “[w]e actually floated using a number of different female villain characters in this episode.  At one point, we were talking about Katana.  It ended up being easier to create a character rather than draw one from the comics” (qtd. in Rossen 50). Thus, they created the criminals Aresia and Tsukuri—two villains adapted from longtime DCU heroes Fury and Katana, respectively—and partnered them with the Injustice Gang and, later, Star Sapphire specifically.

With the cast established, the creative team began developing the script, though there is some question regarding its origins. As stated above, Stan Berkowitz is officially credited with developing the original outline, with the actual screenplays for Part One and Two written by then-freelance writer Dwayne McDuffie and Berkowitz himself, respectively. However, in our correspondence, Berkowitz recalled working with McDuffie on the outline as well, which is possible as, considering the response to his work on “The Brave and the Bold,” it certainly appears that the creative team was eager to put him to work on further projects, leading to his hiring as full-time writer and story editor in Season Two. That said, any collaboration on this script was most likely done remotely, as McDuffie did not relocate from Florida to California until acquiring this permanent position (Weitzman). Regardless, their work was praised by their colleagues, with Rich Fogel stating how “Stan Berkowitz and Dwayne McDuffie wrote a dark and disturbing script with lots of twists along the way” (qtd. in Allstetter, “Justice League’s ‘Fury’”).

A strong Wonder Woman episode, the story also attempts to build conflict between her and Hawkgirl, the only other woman in the Justice League at the time. Unfortunately, unlike the Green Lantern / Flash pairing in “The Brave and the Bold,” there was far less juice between the Amazon warrior and the Thanagarian warrior, at least at this point in the series, but that did not stop the creative team from stirring the pot, as Bruce Timm revealed in an interview with RetroVision CD-ROM Magazine:

When we first started to talk about the show, one of the things we talked about was how to contrast Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl, because they’re both fairly fierce warrior women.  So, what makes them different from each other?  […]  Stan Berkowitz said, “Well, Wonder Woman is a virgin.”  So, what does that mean? What it means is that Wonder Woman has lived her entire life on an island with no men; [she] literally has no idea how to deal with men, and Hawkgirl has been around [them] for a while.  At that point, we hadn’t delved into her background but, clearly, she came from a society where there were men, and she’s okay with it.  She doesn’t have any militant issues about men; she actually thinks of herself as one of the boys.  So, that was a good opportunity to explore that aspect of their dynamic. (qtd. in Gross 12-13)

Added Berkowitz, from that same interview:

In most stories, it wouldn’t make much of a difference, but in this particular story all of the men were going to die.  So, you have one of them, Hawkgirl, who is, in a way, about to have something major taken away from her life.  And Wonder Woman, it doesn’t matter to her.  She was raised in an all-women society, so it doesn’t seem like that much of a loss to her.  The only way it begins to seem like a loss is that her colleagues might die; her brothers-in-arms.  But for Hawkgirl, it’s a lot more personal; a lot more important. (qtd. in Gross 13)

Unfortunately, aside from a few polite, ideological exchanges, the conflict was not quite there in this episode. That said, “Fury” could be seen as a portent of things to come, as the friction between Diana and Shayera would become sharper and more pronounced in future episodes such as “The Terror Beyond,” “Secret Society,” “Starcrossed,” and “The Balance.”

Of course, in the end, “Fury” may best be remembered by the creative team for its recording session, as revealed by Rich Fogel during an April 2002 interview with Anime Superhero (formerly Toon Zone):

[T]he voice recording session was memorable because of the way it mirrored the arc of the episode.  By the halfway point of the session, most of the male members of our cast had completed their parts and were excused, leaving us with a room full of women to resolve the story.  Normally, our show is very testosterone driven, so this felt really weird.  But it worked out great, and all of our actresses did a wonderful job. (qtd. in Harvey, “Rich”)

Recalling the event himself in the aforementioned RetroVision CD-ROM Magazine interview, Stan Berkowitz mirrored Fogel’s words, adding that “[w]e were all struck by that” (qtd. in Gross 13).

Overall, “Fury” was a solid episode, as it provided Wonder Woman an opportunity to review the beliefs that had been taught to her by her mother, Hippolyta, through the lens of her counterpart, Aresia. In this capacity, it serves as a turning point for her character—opening herself to the possibility that, despite their many faults, men have value to contribute—and a shift away from this specific aspect of Diana’s character story-wise, as recounted by Bruce Timm in a January 2002 Starlog interview:

Hippolyta is a good character, and Susan Sullivan plays her with great acting chops, but I don’t want to overuse that aspect of Wonder Woman.  I want to explore different facets of Wonder Woman’s personality.  The two Wonder Woman story arcs we’ve done this season [“Paradise Lost” and “Fury”] probably had too much to do with her Amazon past.  They’re both good stories, but we’ve put a moratorium on Hippolyta and the Amazons for the time being. (qtd. in Jankiewicz 31)

Commentary

In developing adversaries for the Justice League series, Bruce Timm—co-creator of original DC Animated Universe (DCAU) characters such as Harley Quinn, Roxy Rocket, and the Phantasm—revealed how the creative team was reluctant to create new villains for this show. In the episode introduction for “In Blackest Night, Part 2,” featured on the Justice League: Justice on Trial DVD release, Timm discussed how “we hardly ever create brand new villains that never existed before.  Any time we come up with a villain for a show, we say, ‘Okay, well, it would be really great if we could find a DC Comics character—even if it’s just the name or the motif to use rather than create a brand-new character’” (qtd. in “Episode,” 00:02:28-00:02:42) and, with a few exceptions (the Imperium from “Secret Origins,” for example), the creative team stuck by this edict. Whether a faithful interpretation or a radical departure, the bad guys on Justice League and Justice League Unlimited (JLU) all originate from the same four-color stories that the League itself originated from.

Of course, this is not to say that the creative team did not have to get inventive from time to time, as they would periodically run into situations where a straight adaptation was impossible, forcing them to devise an analogue similar to the original character[s]. For example, during the development of “Starcrossed,” DC Comics prohibited them from making the Katar Hol Hawkman the villain of the story, but they did allow for the creation of the Thanagarian equivalent Hro Talak to take his place (“Commentary,” 00:09:29-00:10:17). A similar issue arose when they were working on “Legends,” as DC Publisher Paul Levitz feared that the story “disrespected” the Justice Society of America, but he allowed them to create the Justice Guild of America to replace them (Harvey, “Bruce”). And, in “To Another Shore” and “Dead Reckoning,” the analogue Devil Ray was created as a proxy for Black Manta, whose rights were unavailable due to Aquaman-related characters being tied to other projects (Caylo; Maestro). In a July 21, 2020 post on the Anime Superhero message boards, Bruce Timm touched upon the occasional need to make such substitutions:

Maybe you’re thinking of situations like the Katana / Tsukuri thing, or Katar Hol / Hro Talak or the Justice Society / Justice Guild or Black Manta / Devil Ray, where we had to resort to doppelgängers with similar, but clearly not identical, designs.  […]  Have to admit it’s not always fun jumping through those hoops, but as I’ve said many times before, in almost every instance where the Powers That Be have said “absolutely not,” we managed to find a workable compromise—and, in many cases, the workaround actually turned out to be a better creative choice. (b.t., “Lack”)

(Hmm … isn’t it interesting how Timm mentioned Katana / Tsukuri along with the others, considering how Rich Fogel mentioned above that Katana was, at one point, considered to be either the villain or one of the villains for “Fury” [Rossen 50]? While I currently have no documented evidence, it is entirely plausible that Katana—one of DC Comics’ more prominent Asian characters who has been adapted multiple times for television, film, and video games over the past twenty years—was prevented from appearing in this episode for similar reasons, necessitating both the creation of the analogue Tsukuri and the need for another character to serve as the show’s big bad.)

In the end, it was decided that, for “Fury,” the Justice League team would construct Aresia, a character built around the motif of The Fury, a concept that, in its earliest form, was the daughter of the Golden Age Wonder Woman. Through this creative decision, I would argue that they created one of the best, and most tragic, Wonder Woman villains of the modern, post-George Pérez era.

First appearing in Wonder Woman #300 (February 1983) as Hippolyta “Lyta” Trevor (above left), the daughter of Princess Diana and Steve Trevor, she would first appear in costume as the Fury in All-Star Squadron #25 (September 1983), though Lyta would not be confirmed as the Fury until Infinity Inc. #1 (March 1984). Rejected for membership in the Justice Society of America, she—along with a number of other second-generation heroes—formed Infinity, Inc., a sort of Earth-2 version of the Teen Titans. During her tenure, she would become romantically involved with Hector Hall, the son of the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl, who initially operated under the costumed identity of the Silver Scarab. However, following Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985-1986), the Golden Age Wonder Woman was removed from continuity and replaced with a second Fury: Helena Kosmatos (above right), a retroactive, Golden Age hero who was an avatar of Tisiphone, one of the Furies from Greek mythology. First appearing in Infinity Inc. #35 (February 1987), she was a Greek national who sought vengeance against her brother, who was working with fascist Italy during World War II; she would later join the All-Star Squadron.

Above, left to right: a page from Sandman #12 (January 1990) featuring Lyta trapped in a dream-like stupor in the Dream Dimension, and three pages from the same issue, where Morpheus releases her, returns Hector Hall to the realm of the dead, and threatens her unborn child.

In the new, Post-Crisis continuity, she continued in her role as a member of Infinity, Inc. until she became pregnant in Infinity Inc. #42 (September 1987), and she married the now-technically deceased Hector Hall, now known as the Sandman (replacing Garrett Sanford, the 1970s Sandman) in Infinity Inc. #51 (June 1988). From there, Lyta was incorporated into Neil Gaiman’s Sandman mythos as a pawn of the supernatural creatures Brute and Glob, who manipulated Hector Hall’s spirit into a Sandman they could control, but the plan fell apart when Dream of the Endless undid what they attempted to create, returning Hall’s spirit to the afterlife and threatening to take Lyta’s as-yet unborn child at a later date. Later, following the child’s abduction, she became an avatar of the Furies (much like her Post-Crisis mother was before her), and their conflict eventually led to Dream’s demise and Daniel, her son, becoming the new Lord of the Dreaming.

Above, left to right: two pages from Sandman #72 (November 1995), featuring Lyta Trevor’s first encounter with the reborn Daniel; and two pages from JSA #80 (February 2006), featuring the new Lord of Dreams accepting Lyta and Hector Hall into the Dreaming.

Eventually, her adventures would return her to the mainstream DC Comics when Hector Hall, who was resurrected as the new Doctor Fate (because comic books), reconnected with her in the pages of JSA (1999-2006), but their reunion was short-lived as the Spectre, who was attempting to destroy all magic during the Black Vengeance storyline, condemned both of them to Hell. Fortunately for them, Daniel accepted their spirits into the Dreaming, effectively ending their stories in JSA #80 (February 2006).

For Justice League, the creative team cherry-picked aspects of the previous Furies for Aresia, specifically the general design of Lyta Trevor’s original costume and the war background of Helena Kosmatos, but one character trait that Aresia took from both characters was their thirsts for vengeance against those that had wronged them in the past. According to her origin in “Fury,” Aresia began as an unnamed child who was forced to flee her homeland due to an unnamed, armed conflict (based on the timeline and her vaguely Eastern European garb, I would hazard to say that she was a victim of the Yugoslav Wars). Attempting escape on a refugee ship, she—along with the other survivors—fell victim to pirates, who sank the ship after robbing them. Clinging to debris, she eventually washed ashore on Themyscira, where she was adopted by the Amazons, who trained her in their way of life and “magically endowed her with Amazon strength.” However, presumably haunted by past trauma and indoctrinated into the Amazon’s militant, matriarchal society at an early age, this young woman—now known as Aresia—vowed to take her interpretation of Amazon ideology to its logical endgame by declaring war on the men of “Man’s World.”

With her new origin created, the creative team devised a character worthy of her developing stature. As stated above, for Aresia, the artists took Lyta Trevor’s costume, gave it a Jack Kirby-inspired makeover, and—along the way—switched her color palate from red and yellow to white and gold. This had the obvious effect of mirroring Hippolyta’s colors and design, symbolically emphasizing the similarity of their ideology and hostility against the male gender. Of course, this look also has the consequence of making Aresia resemble She-Ra, star of the animated series She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985-1987), and—considering Wonder Woman’s history with Mattel in the early ’90s—it makes for a delightful in-joke. And, as for her performer, Voice Director Andrea Romano cast actor Julie Bowen, best known for her appearances in television series such as ER (1994-2009), Ed (2000-2004), Boston Legal (2004-2008), Lost (2004-2010), and Modern Family (2009-2020).

As noted previously, Aresia serves as both a physical powerhouse for and an ideological counterpoint to Wonder Woman in “Fury,” matching her blow for blow even as she challenges both Hippolyta and Diana to take an objective look at their belief system (especially considering how, in George Pérez’s Wonder Woman run, he introduced a splinter group of Amazons who wanted revenge against men for the destruction of the original Themyscira). If I have any criticism of Aresia’s integration into the Wonder Woman mythos, it’s the idea that, even as a child adopted into the Amazons, she was still considered an outsider (as Diana said in the episode, “she was never really one of us”). To heighten the drama, it would have been nice to see Aresia as a closer friend to Diana; as I have previously speculated, Diana must have been lonely growing up without an age-appropriate companion (after all, there’s no Donna Troy in the DCAU). Forging closer ties between Wonder Woman and Aresia could have done wonders for this episode, as Diana would have been torn between salvaging her childhood friendship and her new, non-Amazon associates in the Justice League.

Above, left to right: Devastation, Genocide, Grail, and the Matriarch.

Unfortunately, despite her pedigree, design, and new DCAU backstory, Aresia was limited to only one major appearance before her apparent demise, which is surprisingly par for the course, as the past three decades of Wonder Woman stories are littered with formidable opponents who have largely been one-and-done. With conventional criticism labeling Wonder Woman’s Rogues’ Gallery as weak, various creative teams have attempted to develop “dark mirror” adversaries for the hero, only for subsequent teams to abandon them for something else. Some of Diana’s recent shadow foils include the following:

• Devastation; first appearance Wonder Woman #143 (April 1999). Created by the Titan Cronus using Themysciran clay (the same clay used to fashion Wonder Woman herself) she was blessed with abilities from the other Titans in a manner that was meant to approximate those of the Amazon princess.

• Genocide; first appearance DC Universe #0 (June 2008). Created by the Secret Society of Supervillains under direction of the Cheetah, they took the corpse of Wonder Woman from an undetermined point in the future, empowered it using soil taken from sites where acts of genocide had taken place, and reanimated it using super-science and sorcery.

• Grail; first appearance Justice League #40 (June 2015). Known by some as the “Goddess of Anti-Life,” she is the daughter of the New God Darkseid and the Amazon Myrina.

• The Matriarch; first appearance Wonder Woman #25 (November 2025). Daughter of the Sovereign and the rogue Amazon Emilie, she is the ruler of Earth in a future timeline; she is also responsible for killing the rest of the Justice League.

Regardless of Aresia’s place in the Wonder Woman pantheon of adversaries, the fact that the Justice League creative team took her reboot-displaced daughter and transformed her into a twisted, misandrist counterpart meant to force Diana to take an introspective look at the prejudices of Amazon culture was a stroke of genius, and while I feel she could have been made into a wonderful, recurring villain, her appearance here left an indelible mark on the Themysciran princess, changing the course of her character arc for the duration of the series.

Stray Observations

• The title of the episode, “Fury,” is obviously a reference to the superhero code name of the characters whom Aresia was based upon, as well as The Furies (aka the Erinyes or Eumenides), who were goddesses of vengeance in Greek mythology. As stated above, the Post-Crisis Fury characters served as avatars of the Erinyes in various stories.

• The episode begins with the debut of the second incarnation of the Injustice Gang, who are breaking into Gotham Biotech. As stated previously, due to “the vagaries of network programming” (Allstetter, “Justice League’s ‘Fury’”), this episode aired five months before “Injustice for All,” which was supposed to be the first appearance of the supervillain team.

• Returning Injustice Gang alumni include the Shade, Star Sapphire, Copperhead, and Solomon Grundy. Interestingly enough, Aresia only recruited half of the original team, though it is pretty easy to figure out why:

  • Lex Luthor, while brilliant, is too powerful and arrogant to play second fiddle to anyone, plus the returning Gang members would probably want nothing to do with him. Besides, he would return with his own plans in the next episode, “Legends.”

  • The Ultra-Humanite betrayed the whole team to the Justice League last time, so they probably want nothing to do with him as well.

  • Despite this heist taking place in Gotham City, the Joker is a wild card who has no interest in maintaining the team hierarchy. Besides, Aresia would most likely break his neck if he raised a gloved hand against Harley Quinn in her presence.

  • Finally, while the Cheetah would have been a good fit for Aresia’s team, please recall that the original plans were for her to die at the hands of Solomon Grundy in “Injustice for All” before she was saved by an animation error (b.t., “DCAU”).

• It is perhaps not surprising that the Injustice Gang would return for this episode, as Stan Berkowitz wrote both “Injustice for All” and the outline and second script for “Fury.” There is something to be said for convenience.

• New to the team is Tsukuri, who—as stated above—is a villainous analog created to supplant the superhero Katana. First appearing in The Brave and the Bold #200 (July 1983), she is a samurai warrior who wields the Soultaker, a sword capable of absorbing the souls of those it slays. Associated at various times with the Outsiders and the Suicide Squad, Katana is one of the more prominent female Asian characters in DC Comics.

• Much like “katana” refers to a specific type of Japanese sword, “tsukuri”—or, more specifically, “tsukuri-komi”—refers to the shape of a Japanese sword blade (as seen here). In addition, the term “tsukuri” can also refer to a step in performing a judo throw and a type of sashimi presentation.

• As stated above, Aresia and Tsukuri are both examples of creating villainous analogues of DC superheroes for the Justice League series. Later examples would also include Galatea, replacing Power Girl in “Fearful Symmetry,” and Hro Talak, replacing the Silver Age Hawkman, Katar Hol, in “Starcrossed.”

• It is worth noting here that Tsukuri is the first of two Katana analogues in the DCAU, as Crime Syndicate member Sai appeared as part of Owlman’s crew in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010).

• Finally, as stated above, Katana would eventually appear as herself in a number of DC-related properties, most notably in Batman: The Brave and the Bold (above top left; 2008-2011), Beware the Batman (below top left; 2013-2014), and the live-action Suicide Squad (above right; 2016), where she was portrayed by actor Karen Fukahara.

• Speaking of first appearances, “Fury” marks the debut of actor Jose Yenque as Copperhead. Originally voiced by Efrain Figueroa in “Injustice for All,” Yenque would go on to perform the serpentine villain in “Only a Dream” and “Kid Stuff.” In addition, this episode is where Copperhead would take a more comedic turn in terms of his characterization.

• I’m with Grundy on this one. We never get an explanation as to what this item is, but it is obviously necessary for Aresia to concoct her plague. Also, I suspect that Copperhead’s “who cares?” line was as much for the audience as it was for Grundy.

• First on the scene is Batman, who single-handedly takes out most of the Injustice Gang by himself. As much as DC fans buy into the Dark Knight’s legend, the idea of him taking on five supervillains (four of them metahuman) does stretch the limits of credibility, an opinion that is shared by writer Dwayne McDuffie, who had this to say in the aforementioned RetroVision CD-ROM Magazine interview:

The thing I remember most from this one is that Batman, all by himself, pretty much beats up the Injustice Gang.  It wasn’t easy, let me tell you.  He catches them breaking into some place, and he kind of beats up the whole team, but I’m a little skeptical.  I love Batman, but he should have taken a whupping there, I think. (qtd. in Gross 16)

• As for how Batman was able to arrive so quickly, it's possible that he either got a tip off that a robbery was about to be taken place, or he may—as Bruce Wayne—already be invested in Gotham Biotech, allowing him to be alerted as soon as the Injustice Gang broke in.

• In a moment of foreshadowing, note how Aresia checks on a knocked-out Star Sapphire instead of any of the other unconscious, male Injustice Gang members.

• Obviously, the scene with Aresia taking out Batman was meant to raise the states, showing how the hero who easily took out the other five is defeated by the villainous newcomer. While a standard plot device, it is worth noting that Batman is facing off against a magically-enhanced woman trained as Wonder Woman was trained. For all intents and purposes, Aresia is Wonder Woman’s equal, and let’s not forget that, according to Dwayne McDuffie, “Wonder Woman is the toughest Justice Leaguer” (“Commentary,” 00:11:02-00:11:04).

• In the final image above, please note the Amazon necklace in Batman’s hand. Apparently, Aresia did not notice it snap while throwing the Dark Knight around like a rag doll.

• The episode begins with Wonder Woman wandering around in a shopping center. This is the second time she has done this on Justice League, having visited the Metro Mall in “Paradise Lost.”

Above left, top to bottom: the Bergduff’s department store, as it appeared in TNBA episode “Holiday Knights,” the Superman: The Animated Series (STAS) episode “Father’s Day,” and the Justice League episode “Fury.” Above left right: the Bergduff’s department store, as it appeared in the Justice League episode “Starcrossed.”

• The store Wonder Woman visits is called Bergduff’s, which is a department store chain that has appeared in multiple DCAU episodes, as shown above.

• Wonder Woman’s early scenes are meant to show her confusion and frustration over the trappings of the patriarchy. Whether it’s women capitulating to impossible beauty standards or men treating women discourteously, these scenes set the stage for Aresia’s eventual gender war.

• In the March 5, 2024 installment of the Justice League Revisited podcast, Wonder Woman voice actor Susan Eisenberg singled out the scene with Diana lifting the double-parked van to allow the woman to leave, saying, “I can’t tell you how many times in life I wish I had the capacity to do that” (qtd. in Eisenberg and Enstall, 00:28:46-00:29:20).

• Later, Batman approaches Wonder Woman with evidence that an Amazon is committing crimes in “Man’s World.” Diana’s comment that Amazons “never leave the island” hits different after the events of “Paradise Lost.” Is she implying that, after her banishment from Themyscira, she no longer considers herself an Amazon?

• Meanwhile, at the Injustice Gang’s hideout, Aresia is laying out her plans for raiding a Metropolis gem depository, which “holds almost $25 million in precious stones.” Prior to the revelation, Star Sapphire casually asks if they will be stealing more chemicals, implying that previous heists have mainly involved chemicals (and whatever they stole from Gotham Biotech).

• Aresia’s plan is accepted by the majority of the team. Star Sapphire shows particular interest, which is not unexpected, considering her modus operandi (her supervillain code name is literally a precious gem).

• The Shade casually mentions to Copperhead that Aresia is “a definite improvement over Luthor,” reminding audiences that “Injustice for All” should be watched first, despite the current state of numerous physical media and streaming releases that have the episodes listed in chronological order of release and not production order.

• Of the Injustice Gang, the only initial holdout is Solomon Grundy. At first, his reluctance is confusing, but it’s actually clever foreshadowing, as we learn more about Grundy in Season Two, particularly in “The Terror Beyond”:

  • His desire to not fight the Justice League again is not cowardice; like the Incredible Hulk—whom the creative team is obviously harkening to—Grundy only wants to be left alone (as he shouted to the attacking military officers in “The Terror Beyond”).

  • Through Doctor Fate’s magic, we learn that Solomon Grundy is a super-powered zombie who was once Cyrus Gold, a 1920s gangster who was murdered and cursed by a Louisiana crime boss, removing his immortal soul in the process. Based on his origin and behavior, it is strongly implied that the child-like Grundy instinctively seeks out gold specifically because he’s subconsciously seeking his soul—the soul of Cyrus Gold. This could be why he was uninterested in robbing the gem depository, but perked up when Aresia offered an advance in Amazon gold.

• In fact, Solomon Grundy’s attraction to gold may have resulted in the zombie developing a kind of crush on Aresia. Both at Gotham Biotech (above top) and at their headquarters (above bottom), Grundy seems to welcome attention from the blond-haired, gold-attired supervillain (he also appears to be jealous of Copperhead when her attention is directed towards him). It’s as if she presents as a literal golden being to him.

• As for Aresia herself, she has no problem manipulating her male henchmen with gentle caresses and the illusion of affection.

• With Wonder Woman banished from Themyscira, Batman enlists Hawkgirl to fly to the island to continue his investigation into the rogue Amazon sighting.

• Okay, according to Wonder Woman lore, the isle of Themyscira is magically undetectable and, once you leave the island, you forget its location (I’m assuming that, as an Amazon, Diana herself is exempt from this mandate). As Wonder Woman did not travel with them, I wonder how Batman was able to navigate the Batwing to the island. And, no, the explanation cannot be “because he’s Batman.”

• Actually, this kinda works when you consider how Hawkgirl’s Nth Metal mace has magic-negating properties, which is established in the aforementioned “The Terror Beyond.” Perhaps Batman had the general area from the Javelin-7’s computer systems, and then dropped off Hawkgirl once they were close and, once there, she was able to find Themyscira using the presence of her mace to neutralize the island’s mysticism. Of course, at this point in the series, the Dark Knight probably was not aware of the mace’s actual properties, and Hawkgirl probably dodged it by saying something like, “I’ll be fine because I’m a woman. Themyscira only hides itself from dudes.”

• In addition, in “Secret Origins,” Hawkgirl admitted that she thought “the home of the Amazons” was “merely a legend.” Apparently, since confirming its existence by Wonder Woman’s presence, she would have had to update her records for the Thanagarian military.

• As Hawkgirl arrives, she sees a group of hoplites led by General Phillipus, who are investigating the theft of Amazon gold.

• Since the Amazons do not trade with other nations, I’m a little surprised that they even need gold. Either it’s used as building material for their temples and statues, or they have a self-contained economy where they trade amongst themselves.

• Listed as “Amazon Officer” in the end credits for “Paradise Lost,” in “Fury’s” credits, she is listed correctly as General Phillipus, though it is often spelled “Philippus” in the comics. First appearing in Wonder Woman #1 (February 1987), she is commander of the Themysciran army and the one trusted by Hippolyta to train Diana and teach her to use her god-gifted abilities.

• This scene, where Phillipus throws a boulder to knock Hawkgirl out of the sky, establishes that the other Amazons also have enhanced abilities, which sets up Aresia being another one later. While it was not very apparent in “Paradise Lost,” apparently all Amazons have super-strength in addition to immortality and their own Amazon military training. That said, Diana is still more powerful, as she was gifted with additional abilities from the Greek gods.

• I found the Amazon’s “shoot first, ask questions later” approach kind of clichéd, but I suppose it would be appropriate for a xenophobic city-state that just experienced its first robbery. Also, as this is an action / adventure show, I suppose they needed a fight scene. Still, even if I was a woman, Themyscira would be pretty low on my tourism list.

• On the night of the gem depository robbery, Aresia tells the Injustice Gang that she will disable the security cameras, but instead she walks right up to one and literally dares the Justice League and the Metropolis Police Department to try and stop them. The reason for this will be forthcoming.

• I’ve got nothing to say here, but I created this extended screen capture, and I intend to use it.

• Upon arrival, Aresia dismisses the Injustice Gang, telling them to take what they’ve stolen and return to their hideout. Note that Aresia has apparently palmed a large ruby (or red gem) in the above top image.

• In the initial scene with the police containment (above left), please note that the car doors of the police cruisers have the familiar “M” insignia, establishing that this is the Metropolis Police Department answering a call in Metropolis. However, in later scenes, such as the one above right, note how the “M” insignias are missing. If only this trick was used in “The Brave and the Bold” so we could avoid scenes with Metropolis police cruisers responding to calls in Central City.

Above: The Metropolis Special Crimes Unit, as seen in the STAS episode “Two’s a Crowd.”

• Again, I know that the Justice League creative team deliberately wanted to avoid relying too much on previous continuity (“Unlimited, ” 00:05:57-00:06:07), but this containment could have really benefitted from using Maggie Sawyer and the Special Crimes Unit, which was a division of the Metropolis police in STAS.

• Before she ducks out, she apparently grabs another giant ruby (or large, red gem). It looks like robbing the gem depository was a front so she could gain these specific stones (or ones very much like them). My guess is that her toxin is magical in nature, which requires these giant, red gems to be ground into powder and used.

• Since this is Metropolis, Aresia is confronted by the Man of Steel and, because this is Season One, the rogue Amazon lays out “New Supes” immediately, creating another example of how this depowered version of Superman was now a “super-wimp.”

• To add insult to injury, Aresia hits Superman with a smoke grenade that infects him with her biological toxin. As for why she chose to start using her plague here, it’s possible that she deliberately targeted the Man of Steel because, in the eyes of many, he is seen as the ultimate man, and—to someone like her—taking him down is a symbolic victory over the patriarchy.

• As I have stated previously, I do not particularly care for Superman’s Season One “age lines” and attempt to edit them out when possible to make his appearance match later seasons. This is a rare exception, as their presence here make him look even worse.

• Escaping on foot, Aresia runs into Wonder Woman, who is responding to the summons, but their reunion is short-lived, as Aresia points out how her friend now looks like he’s a death’s door.

• As Wonder Woman flies Superman to the Watchtower for medical treatment, Green Lantern and Flash arrive just in time to get infected by Aresia’s toxin. Please note what appears to be red particles from the gems on Green Lantern’s fingers.

• Meanwhile, on Themyscira, Hawkgirl is brought before Hippolyta, where she admits to the queen that she came there to investigate a crime and presents the necklace Batman acquired as evidence that an Amazon is involved. Note the face Hippolyta makes in the first image immediately above—I suspect that she’s saddened because she’s seeing a pattern developing, as this is the second Amazon in recent memory to steal valuables and flee the island (the first one being her daughter, Diana).

• It’s pretty impressive that Hippolyta can immediately recognize that the necklace belongs to Aresia. Is Amazon jewelry really that distinctive?

• Racing on horseback with Hawkgirl in tow, Hippolyta arrives at a lone tower on the coast. She reveals that Aresia is the owner of the necklace, and that she was there to perform “solitary meditation” as “the final step in her rebirth” as an Amazon.

• Check out the top of the tower in the above left image—doesn’t it look like there’s a giant, gaping hole blown into it? And it certainly isn’t visible in the interior shot in the above right image. Is it an animation error—such using a stock Themyscira background from “Paradise Lost” rather than “Secret Origins”—or was it intentional, implying that it was damaged in Felix Faust’s attack in the aforementioned “Paradise Lost?”

• As I’ve already summarized Aresia’s origin story (see “Commentary” above), I’ll take the moment to provide commentary on a few key points that should be mentioned. I should also mention here that the flashback sequence was storyboarded by Director Butch Lukic (Allstetter, “Justice League’s ‘Fury’”).

Top row: soldiers attack Aresia’s village in “Fury.” Bottom row: Kasnian soldiers attack an event in Paris in “Maid of Honor.”

• In Hippolyta’s retelling of Aresia’s past, the soldiers attacking the village wear fatigues similar to the Kasnian revolutionaries who attempted to abduct Princess Audrey in “Maid of Honor.” Also, in both above images on the right, note the presence of a similar symbol as part of their military insignia on the soldiers’ left breast: a circle over a triangle. Now, this is likely a matter of reusing stock characters in another episode but, in my headcanon, I say that this proves Aresia was originally from Kasnia.

• A frequent plot device in the DCAU, Kasnia (or Kaznia in some episodes), is a Balkan nation that is frequently in a state of conflict, with various leaders attempting to unify the northern and southern factions in some fashion. Characters that have become involved in its ongoing conflicts include Lex Luthor (the STAS episode “The Last Son of Krypton”), The Penguin (Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman), Vandal Savage (“Maid of Honor”), and Ares (“Hawk and Dove”).

Top image: Mister Terrific sends Doctor Light coordinates to engage the Legion of Doom in “The Great Brain Robbery.” Middle image: the coordinates entered into Google Earth (with some guess work as to whatever’s behind Terrific’s head). Bottom image: the historical boundaries of both Yugoslavia and Vojvodina; courtesy of Encyclopædia Britannica.

• In “The Great Brain Robbery,” the Legion of Doom attempts to steal $100 million Euros from Kasnia and, to prevent the robbery, Mister Terrific sends a team coordinates to engage them; coordinates that the DCAU Wiki postulates to be in Vojvodina, an autonomous province in northern Serbia and, based on plugging the coordinates into Google Earth, it certainly seems to be the case. Obviously, there is a margin of error here, as some of the digits are unfortunately obscured in the above image, and they were not reproduced in the original script for the episode.

• Assuming the substitution of Vojvodina for Kasnia—and assuming that Aresia’s native home is Kasnia—this would certainly place her in the thick of the aforementioned Yugoslav Wars. Considering the sheer number of conflicts, it is possible that she fled her homeland and made it to a refugee ship in either the Mediterranean or the Aegean Sea (both potentially being the location of Themyscira), only to be attacked by pirates and left for dead.

• Man, I really hope that the bundle under the mother / older woman’s arm in the above left image is just personal possessions and not a swaddled baby because she no longer carries that bundle by the time they board the refugee ship.

• Washing ashore on Themyscira, the young girl was adopted, magically enhanced, and prepared her for her new life as an Amazon. The episode was vague as to whether she was adopted by the community, or if she was adopted by anyone specifically. It is worth noting, however, that the above image implies that she brought up alongside Diana or, at least, underwent the Amazon trials at the same time as her.

• Using context clues, it is implied that Aresia underwent her training as a means of preparing her for entry into her new life and, as a final step, she was sent to the oceanside tower to complete her “solitary meditation,” after which she would be “reborn” as an Amazon.

• By the way, does this “rebirth” as an Amazon also mean acquiring a new name, similar to how Catholics choose a new name when receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation? I sincerely doubt that her real name is “Aresia.” It’s not a common name or even an uncommon one. I looked, and it appears that its only use is for a French defense contractor.

  • Based on her comic book identities, I speculate that she was originally Helena Kosmatos, which was the name of the second, World War II-era Fury. I’ll admit that it’s possible that she could be Hippolyta “Lyta” Trevor, but isn’t it a little on the nose for Queen Hippolyta to discover a girl also named Hippolyta washed up on the beach?

  • Also, assuming that she chose her new name, isn’t it a big, red flag that she chose the name “Aresia,” itself a feminized version of the name “Ares?” I mean, where have I head that name before?

• While we’re flashing back, we should also consider the potential impact of the events of “Paradise Lost,” whose story begins with the successful attack on Themyscira and the transformation of the Amazons to stone, actions performed by the male sorcerer, Felix Faust. Imagine this scenario: after a lifetime of being preyed upon by men, Aresia is set to begin a new life in a matriarchal society … only to be attacked on Themyscira, a magical island that is strictly-women only, by a man. Perhaps this was the final straw, with her coming to the conclusion that “if I’m not safe here from men, I’m not safe anywhere. I will have to take the fight to them!”

• At the very least, this scenario would explain the damage to Aresia's “solitary meditation” tower in the above image.

• In a move that I can only classify as an incredible plot contrivance, Hawkgirl zeroes in on a chest that, by all outward appearances, looks like a regular table.

• Inside the “chest” is a wealth of books, maps, and city guides that Hippolyta admits are “forbidden” on Themyscira, for fear that they could “corrupt” the Amazon people.

• Okay, stupid question time: how did Aresia—who literally washed ashore with nothing as a child—gain access to a cache of resources deemed to be contraband by the ruling monarch? Based on Hippolyta’s reaction, I don’t believe these come from some secret stash that she hides from other Amazons; in fact, the way she says how she fears their very presence would “corrupt” the Amazons, I suspect materials like these would be burned on sight.

• For that matter, how did Aresia leave the island with a hoard of Amazon gold? According to Hawkgirl, no one had been in that tower for weeks. Did they just notice that the treasure was missing? Was a boat missing from the harbor for weeks as well? After all, only Wonder Woman can fly.

• Back at the Watchtower, J’onn J’onzz is attempting to treat Superman, but he admits that “there isn’t much data on Kryptonian physiology” to properly treat him. Well, there’s actually a lot of information about Kryptonian physiology, J’onn, but it’s currently in the hands of LexCorp, S.T.A.R. Labs, Nuvo-Gen (“Fearful Symmetry”), and the Cadmus Project. Pity about that not relying too much on previous continuity, guys. Maybe next season.

• Meanwhile, Green Lantern and Flash return to the Watchtower, and they both look like hell. The Flash, in particular, is in really bad shape, most likely because his speed-induced physiology spread the toxin quicker through his system.

• At the Injustice Gang’s hideout, Aresia is preparing another batch of her witch’s brew of biomatter, crushed gem stones, and unnamed chemicals. That Amazon strength sure comes in handy.

• For the record, I have previously speculated that the gems Aresia is using are rubies, but technically there is a number of red gem stones the could be used, including topaz, garnet, sapphires, or sunstones.

• Finally confronted by her inquisitive mercenaries, Aresia hits them with one of her altered smoke grenades, dousing them with her toxin and taking out her male teammates.

• This scene in particular reinforces my belief that Aresia’s toxin must be magical in addition to chemical, as the contagion takes out two Gang members who are already deceased (James Robinson’s Starman stories establish that Shade is not alive in the traditional sense; Solomon Grundy is an undead zombie). To affect them in this manner, I suspect that there has to be more to it to actually kill a dead man.

• As the villains approach Aresia, I like the detail that Tsukuri maintains her distance. She doesn’t know exactly what about to happen (she learns that the toxin only affects men at the beginning of Part 2), but she knows to stay back.

• As Batman and Hawkgirl fly back from Themyscira, Hawkgirl casually mentions how Aresia is an orphan, adding how “it’s hard to imagine what kind of trauma could do to a child.” Considering what we know about Shayera Hol post-“Starcrossed,” I have to wonder if she’s playing dumb here or trying to provoke some kind of response from Batman as a test.

• Batman and Hawkgirl return to a Metropolis in chaos, as half of the population has succumbed to Aresia’s plague. Buildings are on fire, cars have crashed into multiple pile-ups, and everywhere female firefighters and EMTs are attempting to manage the situation. Of course, Batman immediately notices the gender disparity of the inflicted.

• Out of curiosity, I must ask: is the toxin only affecting Metropolis, or is it everywhere? Batman picks up radio transmissions reporting airports with thirty planes in the air unable to land, each with sick people on board. Obviously, cabin pressurization requires pulling in outside air and processing it for the cabin, so that could explain why incoming airplanes are affected.

• Now that I think about it, I should be thankful that the planes flying above Metropolis this day all appear to all have at least one female pilot, as all the planes are attempting to land and deal with their sick, rather than just fall out of the sky and crash like the cars in the streets below.

• Also watching the chaos are Aresia, Tsukuri, and Star Sapphire, the only remaining, original Injustice Gang member who was unaffected by Aresia’s toxin. As Aresia lays out her manifesto, Tsukuri appears to be on board, but Star Sapphire is presented here as on the fence, so as to help the plot move along as it must.

• Batman, Wonder Woman, and Hawkgirl do what they can to aid the emergency first responders, though the Dark Knight is beginning to recognize that he has been infected.

• The scene with Batman stopping an out-of-control bus (above row) is reminiscent of when he had to stop an out-of-control trolley in the BTAS episode “Appointment in Crime Alley” (bottom row).

• And he’s down!

• Back at the Watchtower, J’onn reveals to Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl that the toxin affecting the men is actually an allergen, not a virus. An allergen is defined as “an otherwise harmless substance that triggers an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals by stimulating an immune response” (“Allergen”). Apparently, an allergen can trick an immune system into producing antibodies to attack it, resulting in allergy symptoms that could result in anaphylaxis.

• Did Aresia create an allergen toxin that tricks the body’s immune system into falsely seeing the Y chromosome as a threat, thus requiring the production of antibodies to attack it? Interesting plan, but I have doubts that a Balkan refugee with no apparent science background could create such a thing while living in a pre-industrial culture without outside help. Perhaps if the allergen was magic-based (as I have speculated above), but if we’re talking strict chemistry this is more of a Poison Ivy plan.

• Speaking of Pamela Isley, as I stated in the “Background” section above, Rich Fogel mentioned in a November 2005 interview that “[w]e actually floated using a number of different female villain characters in this episode” (qtd. in Rossen 50). On a related note, it is worth mentioning here that, in a January 2002 interview with Starlog, Bruce Timm mentioned how “the writers […] pitched Poison Ivy stories” in Season One, so it’s possible that she could have also been considered for the position of criminal mastermind in this episode at one point (qtd. in Jankiewicz 31).

• As the creative team wanted to avoid the secret identity stuff in Season One, we get scenes like this, where Batman and Flash are bare-chested but still wearing their masks in a hospital bed. Fortunately for Batman, his cape detaches from his cowl, as previously seen in BTAS episodes like the two-part “The Demon’s Quest” (top row, right), but later episodes (such as “Flash and Substance”; bottom row, right) make the Flash’s costume look like an adult onesie with no detachable mask.

• Leaving J’onn back on the Watchtower to find a cure, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl return to Earth in the Javelin-7, where sparks of conflict begin to form between them.

  • As I stated above, I find Wonder Woman’s dismissal of Aresia as “bitter” and “never really one of us” as a missed opportunity to build her character. Of course, she could be dealing with uncomfortable truths by using deflection, but it’s unclear, and we never circle back to this. I, for one, would like to know a little bit more about their relationship when they were younger, as well as how Aresia’s actions make her really feel.

  • Hawkgirl is dead-on in regard to pegging the Amazons as hating the male gender. Granted, they arguably have justifiable reason to hate men considering their past dealings with them, but three millennia of isolation and coddling by the Greek gods have done little to nothing for their larger mission of showing mankind a better way by being an example for them. Instead, Hippolyta is offended by the very presence of the male Justice League members on Themyscira in “Paradise Lost,” despite the fact that they were needed to save the world and maintain the Greek pantheon’s status quo. That said, she did show incredible restraint afterwards, as male presence on the island is a crime punishable by death in the comic books. Anyway, as we have frequently seen in the real world, this type of culture is one that is prone to develop zealots, such as Aresia in “Fury.”

• Breaking into a U.S. Air Force base, Aresia and Tsukuri prepare to steal a military jet to implement the final part of Aresia’s plan: release the allergen into the upper atmosphere and allow the winds to distribute it across the globe.

• Before they can continue, Aresia is confronted by Hippolyta, who accuses her of breaking Amazon law by attempting to destroy the men of Man’s World. Aresia, however, doesn’t see it that way, and Tsukuri seizes the moment to take Hippolyta down.

Above, left to right: Felix Faust disarms Hippolyta in “Paradise Lost,” and Tsukuri drops Hippolyta in “Fury.”

• I’m just going to say it: Hippolyta sucks as a combatant. She is queen of Themyscira, the super-strong ruler of the Amazons, and she repeatedly gets knocked unconscious by scrawny academics like Felix Faust and non-super-strong combatants like Tsukuri. If she was really at the top of her game, Tsukuri would never have been able to land that blow to the back of her head.

• Uh … how did Hippolyta get to Metropolis? Based on what we’ve seen of Themyscira in “Secret Origins,” “Paradise Lost,” and “Fury” the island nation seems perpetually stuck in the Bronze Age and, again, only Wonder Woman seems to be capable of flight. Travel by ship would take several weeks, and she doesn’t appear to have access to airplanes. Did Hermes pick her up? Does she have a Pegasus that is conveniently just off-camera?

• For that matter, why is Hippolyta there alone? An Amazon has declared war on the men of the world and has metahuman henchpeople to back her up, and she decided to take care of this all by her lonesome? Shouldn’t she have brought General Phillipus and a phalanx of soldiers as back-up? Maybe, subconsciously, Hippolyta wants Aresia to win.

• Circling back to their earlier conversation, Wonder Woman questions how essential men could be to Hawkgirl’s life, to which she replies, “Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it, princess.” Technically speaking, Diana did try it a little bit in the previous episode, “The Brave and the Bold.”

• Look, I know that “WonderBat” was kind of a happy accident that paid off dividends later in the series, but speaking strictly in terms of their fictional world, did Hawkgirl pick up on any vibes between Batman and Wonder Woman? As I have previously discussed, it appears that sparks started flying as early as “Secret Origins.”

• While attempting to deal with a downed helicopter, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl gain assistance from Star Sapphire, who approaches them with information about Aresia’s location. However, while she presents as a friendly at first…

• …it turns out that Star Sapphire intentionally lured them to the Air Force base so Aresia could attempt to recruit them.

Above, left to right: a scene from Green Lantern #16 (October 1962), featuring the origin of Star Sapphire and her patrons, the immortal Zamarons.

• For those of you who would question why Star Sapphire would choose to join Aresia in her crusade, please remember that Carol Ferris was transformed into Star Sapphire by the Zamarons, a matriarchal offshoot of the Guardians of the Universe who are similar in temperament (and appearance) to the Amazon warriors of Themyscira in terms of their distrust and contempt for men. As her mind is manipulated by the star sapphire gem she wears, her personality as Star Sapphire is in control, and due to its influence, she probably sees men being as inferior as Aresia does.

• Obviously, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl reject Aresia’s offer, and a fight scene breaks out. Here, Hawkgirl brings a mace to a sword fight; please note that Shayera shatters what appears to be Tsukuri’s only blade in the final panel above.

Left side, top to bottom: Wonder Woman and Star Sapphire face off in “Fury.” Right side: the variant cover to Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #3 (April 2010), featuring Star Sapphire Wonder Woman.

• As Carol Ferris’ traditional adversary, the Hal Jordan Green Lantern, was unavailable for Justice League and JLU, I had hoped that the creative team would shift Star Sapphire over to be more of an adversary for Wonder Woman, considering how both are the products of immortal, matriarchal societies that have a strong dislike of men.

• To sweeten the prospect, according to the aforementioned Green Lantern #16 (October 1962), the Zamarons always choose a mortal woman to be their queen, and that woman is always identical to the previous ones. Notice the similarity of appearance between Diana and Carol? I would have really dug a Justice League episode where the Zamarons attempt to recruit Wonder Woman as their new queen, replacing Carol Ferris, who must then team up with the League to get her gem back.

• Finally, it is worth noting that Wonder Woman did temporarily serve as a Star Sapphire during the Blackest Night event (2009-2010). Just try and tell me that this would not have made a good episode.

• Finally, Aresia pulls out her ace: the fact that Queen Hippolyta is her hostage. After a quickly stunning the distracted Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl with a star sapphire blast, they take off in the jet for the upper atmosphere.

• Fortunately, Hawkgirl finds a sample of the allergen, and the duo split up, with Wonder Woman chasing down the plane, and Hawkgirl bringing the sample to J’onn at the Watchtower.

Top row, left to right: Hawkgirl discovers that J’onn J’onzz has been infected in “Fury.” Bottom: the debut of the Martian Manhunter as a female, from Justice League Task Force #7 (December 1993).

• Unfortunately, while en route to the Watchtower, Hawkgirl discovers that J’onn J’onzz has been infected by the allergen. With J’onn no longer able to work on a cure, Shayera rethinks her plan of attack.

• This plot point could have easily been solved had J’onn transformed himself into a female. In a 1996 Wizard interview, JLA writer Grant Morrison confirmed that Martians can switch between genders (Brady 65), rather than a male just taking a female shape. Also, as seen above, J’onn has done this in the past, taking a form that other Leaguers have dubbed “Joan J’onzz.”

• Ramming the ship at top speed, Wonder Woman successfully knocks out their hydraulics, preventing them from reaching the upper atmosphere. Forced to recalculate their path, Aresia sends Star Sapphire out to take care of the Amazing Amazon.

• In what is probably her finest showing on Justice League, Star Sapphire takes on both Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl in an aerial battle as she tries to buy Aresia some time. Unfortunately for her, Wonder Woman literally rips a cannon out of the plane and throws it at her, knocking her into the waters below. Au revoir, Star.

• Forcing their way into the airplane, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl are confronted by Tsukuri, who attempts to defend her boss. Hey, didn’t Hawkgirl smash her sword earlier?

• Enraged by their unwillingness to let her kill all men, Aresia is confronted by Hippolyta, who successfully freed herself from her restraints. Finally, after all of this, Hippolyta reveals to Aresia that the ship’s captain brought her to shore and kept her from drowning after the refugee ship sank.

• Hippolyta weirdly seems to know a lot about their situation at sea. “After your ship sank, you must have lost consciousness as you drifted on your makeshift raft. You would surely have drowned had the ship’s captain not found you and pulled you to safety. Valiantly, he struggled to keep you alive.” Really? You deduced this scenario how, exactly, with no embellishment on your part? All Hippolyta saw was the captain bringing a child to shore and dropping dead.

• Following the captain’s death, Hippolyta buried his body in an unmarked grave. I hate to be that guy, but isn’t placing his hat on top a marker?

• When pressed as to why she never mentioned him before, Hippolyta claims that she did not think he mattered. By dismissing the accomplishment of the other gender, she inadvertently brought human civilization to the brink of destruction. Message!

• Wonder Woman is strangely silent at this moment. I can’t help but think that Hawkgirl’s line, “Maybe it’s time to reconsider that,” would have sounded better coming from her lips.

• Also, I take issue with Hippolyta’s claim that the captain is “the only man ever buried on Themyscira.” Seems to me that the male corpses raised by Hades from the underground Necropolis in “Paradise Lost” had to come from somewhere.

• Enraged, yet unswayed, by Hippolyta’s story, she attempts to launch the missiles containing the allergen, knocking Hippolyta out of the plane in the process.

• Wonder Woman faces off against Aresia in a brutal match. I’ve got to admit, considering how Diana is the best fighter in the Justice League, Aresia held her own very well.

• Meanwhile, after Hawkgirl successfully rescues Hippolyta, she then attempts to stop the missiles from launching by preventing the bay doors from fully opening. Unfortunately, the missiles still fire inside the plane, which isn't good for anyone still inside of it.

• Seeing the writing on the wall, Tsukuri bails out, taking a portable jet pack to escape. When Aresia pleads with her to stay, she replies, “I like you, but not that much.”

• While it was never expressly stated in the episode, it turns out that Tsukuri may have been on board with Aresia’s plan for sapphic reasons. As Rich Fogel revealed in the aforementioned ToyFare Magazine interview, “[i]t wasn’t specified why [Star Sapphire] wanted to help (kill all the men).  [The Injustice Gang] were helping out to begin with because they thought Aresia was going to help them get rich.  But Tsukuri, who is more her sidekick, was in love with her and would follow her anywhere” (qtd. in Rossen 50).

• As the cabin filled with smoke, Aresia throws a control panel at Wonder Woman, knocking her through a window and clear of the explosion moments later. The plane crashes into the ocean, and the fire presumably destroys the allergen.

• With less than a minute left to the episode, we unfortunately got no follow-up regarding Amazon ideology and how potentially toxic it is. There’s no scene where Hippolyta and Diana give even a rudimentary thought beyond “poor Aresia.”

• That said, future episodes do hint at some changes to Themyscira, as Wonder Woman’s presence in “Man’s World” does kind of prevent them from staying hidden. For example, we do find out in “To Another Shore” that Themyscira joins the World Assembly (the United Nations in the DCAU), effectively ending their stance as being apart from the outside world.

• While we’re on the subject, can we talk about how Aresia’s plan to kill off all men was pretty stupid? I mean, her dream of a planetary, matriarchal society would hit a snag when there are no new women to replace the ones that begin dying off. According to Wonder Woman lore, only the inhabitants of Themyscira have access to immortality, either through the Fountain of Eternal Youth (Wonder Woman #159; January 1966) or through some other MacGuffin. Basically, the population of Earth would be reduced to a single island within a hundred years.

• Okay, now I can’t stop. As the sex of a baby is determined at conception, with male genitalia beginning to develop around week seven (de Bellefonds), did Aresia’s allergen attack male fetuses in the womb? That certainly couldn’t be healthy for the women carrying them. Also, as we saw the toxin infect Kryptonians, Martians, and the undead in “Fury,” what could have prevented it from mutating and infecting the animal kingdom? We could potentially be looking at an apocalyptic event, with genetic and species diversity collapsing worldwide. And don’t even get me started on the unfair hand this plague would have dealt to the trans community.

• Fortunately, through the recovered allergen sample and notes from Aresia’s hideout, an antidote was created and distributed to the citizens of Metropolis. As they watch television, Hawkgirl says that Superman and Green Lantern have “almost finished distributing it,” which begs the question of how it’s being distributed. The T.V. just shows them flying around the city. Since the original toxin was airborne, did the World Health Organization just hose them down with the cure and tell them to fly a few laps? “Okay, guys, just stand in the street and inhale deeply!”

• Because it’s Season One, the Flash has to end the proceedings with a burp and a crass statement about how he could have taught Aresia “a thing or two about guys.” Dude, she would have torn you apart.

• By the way, why is it that, in this scene, Wonder Woman’s black hair gets a slight rim-light to have it stand out against the darkness of space, but Batman’s costume and Hawkgirl’s mask doesn’t? Here the Dark Knight’s head looks like just a pair of floating eyes and a chin, like he’s the Cheshire Cat or something.

Above, left to right: Star Sapphire in “Destroyer,” and a poorly-colored Tsukuri in “Dead Reckoning.”

• While “Fury” marks the end of Aresia, more or less, Star Sapphire and Tsukuri would return as Legion of Doom extras in Justice League Unlimited’s final season.

• Okay, mystery gang, as we wrap up this episode analysis, let’s chase down a theory that I’ve been alluding to for much of these proceedings. First, the facts:

  • We have a young woman adopted by the Amazons of Themyscira. Presumably as part of her rebirth, she chooses the name “Aresia,” which is—again—a feminized version of the name “Ares.”

  • Through some miracle, she gains access to a stockpile of “forbidden” books, maps, and city guides from Man’s World—stuff she should have no access to on Themyscira—allowing her to use her “solitary meditation” time to plan gender-based biological warfare against the outer world.

  • Without drawing attention to herself, she steals an unspecified amount of treasure from Themyscira and leaves the island with no one noticing.

  • With no evidence of formal training in either science or magic, she creates a gender-specific plague that nearly brings society to its knees.

• Headcanon: Ares, the Greek god of war and foe of Wonder Woman, was Aresia’s patron. For naysayers who suggest that Aresia would not work for a man, remember that Ares is not a man, but a male-presenting deity. Even the Amazons still honor the male gods, and the gods can change forms. And as for Ares himself, he probably just saw Aresia’s campaign against all men as just another type of war.

Above: The Silver Scarab and Fury announce their engagement at a press conference in Infinity Inc. #12 (March 1985).

• After researching this episode, as well as the story of Wonder Woman’s continuity-displaced daughter, I cannot help but notice that her Justice League incarnation—a misandrist Amazon seeking to destroy all men—almost feels like a reaction to her comic book counterpart, as all of her story arcs seem to have involved her putting the needs of the men in her life (Hector Hall; her son, Daniel) before her own. She was not a character who would easily pass the Bechdel test, if you get my meaning. Actually, come to think of it, she still isn’t.

Above, left to right: the cover of Justice League Adventures #17 (May 2003), page 13 of Justice League Adventures #4 (April 2002), and the original art from that issue.

• On a final note, a personal story, if I may. Back in 2002 or 2003, I responded to a request by Justice League Adventures artist Min S. Ku, who needed reference art for Aresia, as he was about to illustrate Justice League Adventures #17 (May 2003), which is—to date—the only other appearance of the character. As “Fury” was not yet available on DVD or video, I actually mailed him a videocassette copy of the episode that I taped off of Cartoon Network and, as a thank you, he offered me one page of original art from Justice League Adventures #4 (April 2002), which he also illustrated. As you can see above, I went with page 13; it still hangs in my office to this day.

Works Cited

“Allergen.”  Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.  Wikimedia Foundation.  18 Jun. 2026.  <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergen>.  Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.

Allstetter, Rob.  “Justice League’s ‘Fury.’”  Comics Continuum.  6 Apr. 2002.  <http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0204/06/index.htm>.  Accessed 31 Dec. 2022.

---.  “Justice League Update.”  Comics Continuum.  26 Mar. 2002.  <http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0203/26/index.htm>.  Accessed 31 Dec. 2022.

Berkowitz, Stanley.  “Re: Questions About Justice League…”  Received by Joseph Davis, 1 Jun. 2026.

Brady, Matt.  “Just Us Leaguers.”  JLA Special:  A Special Wizard Publication.  1996:  65.  Print.

b.t.  Comment on “DCAU Dead / Presumed Dead List (Spoilers), The.”  Anime Superhero.  XenForo Ltd.  19 Jun. 2004.  <https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/the-dcau-dead-presumed-dead-list-spoilers.3650711/page-2#post-53873321>.  Accessed 10 Sept. 2023.

---.  Comment on “Lack of Supergirl in Superman:  The Animated Series.”  Anime Superhero.  XenForo Ltd.  21 Jul. 2020.  <https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/lack-of-supergirl-in-superman-the-animated-series.5787384/#post-87715116>.  Accessed 8 Oct. 2023.

Caylo, Mel.  “Burning Question.”  Wizard Magazine.  Jan. 2006:  83.  Print.

“Commentary on ‘Starcrossed—Part Three.’”  Justice League:  Season Two.  Warner Bros. Animation, 2006.

de Bellefonds, Colleen. “When and How Your Baby’s Sex is Determined in the Womb.” What to Expect. Everyday Health, Inc. 29 Jan. 2025. <https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/fetal-development/fetal-sex-organs-reproductive-system/>. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.

Eisenberg, Susan and James Enstall, hosts.  “Fury.”  Justice League Revisited, featuring Taimur Dar.  Apple Podcasts, 5 Mar. 2024.  <https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fury-with-dwayne-mcduffie-scholar-taimur-dar-justice/id1709910091?i=1000648072381>.  Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.

“Episode Introduction to ‘In Blackest Night, Part 2.’”  Justice League:  Justice on Trial.  Warner Bros. Animation, 2003.

Garcia, Bob and Nancy Garcia. “Episode Guide.” Cinefantastique. Feb. 1994: 70-111. Print.

Gross, Edward.  “Justice League:  The Making of the DC Tooniverse.”  RetroVision CD-ROM Magazine.  N.p.  Dec. 2004.

Harvey, Jim.  “Bruce Timm Talks Justice League:  ‘JGA.’”  Anime Superhero.  XenForo Ltd.  19 Dec. 2001.  <https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/bruce-timm-talks-justice-league-jga.2873701/>.  Accessed 25 Dec. 2022.

---.  “Information on Justice League’s ‘Fury’”  Anime Superhero.  XenForo Ltd.  24 Dec. 2001.  <https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/information-on-justice-leagues-fury.2877061/>.  Accessed 23 Dec. 2022.

---.  “Rich Fogel Discusses ‘Fury’ and the Justice League DVD.”  Anime Superhero.  XenForo Ltd.  12 Apr. 2002.  <https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/rich-fogel-discusses-fury-and-the-justice-league-dvd.2975681/>.  Accessed 31 Dec. 2022.

Jankiewicz, Pat.  “Justice League:  Superman, Batman & Their Super Friends Get Animated for the 21st Century.”  Starlog.  Jan. 2002:  28-33.  Print.

Maestro (DMcDuffie).  Comment on “Black Manta / Devil Ray:  The Final Word.”  Dwayne McDuffie.  Delphi Forums, LLC.  1 Oct. 2005.  <http://forums.delphiforums.com/Milestone/messages?msg=2734.1>.  Accessed 24 Feb. 2025.

Rossen, Jake.  “An Extraordinary League.”  ToyFare Magazine.  Nov. 2005:  46-64.  Print.

“Unlimited Reserve:  A League for the Ages.”  Justice League:  The Complete Series.  Warner Bros. Animation, 2010.

Weitzman, Alex.  “Toonzone Presents:  An Interview / Tribute to Dwayne McDuffie.”  Anime Superhero.  XenForo Ltd.  9 Mar. 2011.  <https://animesuperhero.com/toonzone-presents-interview-tribute-dwayne-mcduffie/>.  Accessed 8 Dec. 2022.

Images—unless otherwise indicated—courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Comics, Mattel, Filmation Associates, The Walt Disney Company, Marvel Studios, and Marvel Comics.