Darkseid is back. The forces of Apokolips are invading Earth. The situation is dire, and the only hope for humanity’s survival is the combined might of the planet’s superheroes and supervillains. “Destroyer” is basically one giant fight showing different groups of heroes and villains fighting Darkseid’s warriors around the world while Batman, Superman, and Lex Luthor deal with the stone-faced big bad, and it is exhilarating. That’s to be expected when the direction is from Joaquim Dos Santos, who established himself as one of the finest action directors of American cartoons over the course of this series, and as I mentioned last week, he has an outstanding talent for using fight sequences to give less pivotal characters a moment to shine in the story.
Dos Santos’ skill is essential for dealing with one of the major challenges of this finale: How do you close this series in a way that does right by the huge cast of characters? The answer is you find a way to get them all in battle, where they can receive attention without taking up too much time in the script. Here are some of the action highlights from supporting characters:
- The Creeper hops on top of parademons, distracting them so that they don’t notice The Question’s car speeding toward them. (A team-up of Steve Ditko creations!)
- Toyman shoots parademons with Nerf ammo that bounces off armor, but explodes when it hits the ground.
- Sinestro creates a giant dragon to wreak havoc.
- After Shayera is stabbed, Commander Steel saves her by throwing a shield, just like another, more famous red-white-and-blue superhero over at Marvel Comics.
- Zatanna turns parademons into doves that she lures into her hat, then converts into energy that she uses to destroy some nearby space ships.
- And the coolest moment: J’onn returns to the series by helping the team in China, fighting in his new human form before transforming into a Chinese dragon that mows through attacking parademons.
This episode incorporates a massive number of characters into the action, but they don’t pull focus from the major action of the story, which is centralized on Superman, Batman, Lex, and Darkseid. That brings us to the next big challenge: How do you end this series and its Darkseid storyline while sufficiently saying goodbye to the DCAU? Because this isn’t just the end of a TV show. It’s the end of a universe that is arguably one of the most beloved in the history of cartoons, especially for fans of the superhero genre.
Writer Dwayne McDuffie overcomes this second challenge by bringing the focus back to the two characters that laid the foundation for the DCAU: Batman and Superman. They were the first, and their respective solo series established the world and built the audience that made it possible for the DCAU to expand over 15 years. It may sound like a waste to have DC’s two most popular characters hog the spotlight at the end of a show that was all about showing the scope of DC’s catalog of heroes, but it feels right considering their role in the greater DCAU.
It’s impossible to give every cast member on this show a meaningful farewell, so McDuffie spends time on the two characters that the audience knows best and makes sure that their stories have strong conclusions. Thanks to the Bat-embargo, many of the Dark Knight’s villains and supporting cast members can’t be used by McDuffie, but he’s able to wrap up Batman’s arc by showing that he can triumph over the most powerful evil in the universe. Batman is the only being to ever dodge Darkseid’s instantly fatal Omega Beam, and when he’s forced into combat, he doesn’t die! He even gets to make one of his signature grappling hook saves when he rescues Lex Luthor after he’s thrown off the top of a building by Darkseid.
Batman gets some strong moments to shine—and as a nice nod to his status as the first of the DCAU heroes, the episode’s very last shot is of the Bat-emblem—but “Destroyer” is ultimately a Superman story. And it stands as one of the great Superman stories thanks to one phenomenal speech paired with a brutal beatdown. After Darkseid comments on the hopelessness of Batman’s resistance, Superman stands up for his friend and the rest of his team as he wales on his opponent, taking advantage of this chance to tap into his full, catastrophic potential and unload a lot of pent-up frustration.
That man won’t quit as long as he can still draw breath. None of my teammates will. Me? I’ve got a different problem. I feel like I live in a world made out of cardboard. Always taking constant care not to break something. To break someone. Never allowing myself to lose control, even for a moment, or someone could die. But you can take it, can’t you, big man? What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut loose, and show you just how powerful I really am!