Ep 17. Secret Society (1)

The Justice League has kept its watchful eyes on the world's enemies since its inception, but they never thought their world could become even more dangerous than it already is. However, they were not prepared for the secret society's appearance, which aimed to overthrow the League. This didn't happen overnight, of course. The formation of the society was long-awaited, and it finally happened. This episode is the revelation of the Secret Society, its members, and their intentions.

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl are beginning to feel that they are invincible. They have defeated the mighty foes, but they don't expect the consequences. So, when new foes emerged, they were not prepared for it. They had no idea that the so-called Secret Society was uniting their worst enemies, forming an alliance with them, and setting out to destroy the Justice League. Luthor, Grodd, Clayface, Copperhead, Star Sapphire, Bizarro, and Shade are the members of the Secret Society. They have all faced the Justice League in previous episodes, and they are all of them at their maximum power.

The Justice League is shocked to confront this new force. The Secret Society puts the League on the defensive straightaway. Green Lantern's replacement, John Stewart, picks up a distress signal from a building downtown, which turns out to be a trap laid by Secret Society member, Shade. Once the Justice League responds to a massive fire, they find themselves captured, outnumbered and outgunned. The Secret Society then takes them for the "villain trial" at the tower of its leader's headquarters.

The League's escape plan almost works. Grodd, cunning as usual, hijacks J'onn J'onzz's mental powers and creates an illusion of strife among the secret five, distracting them from what's going on around them. At the end of the acid-injection heist, Flash runs around the perimeter, trying to find out what's going on, and ultimately freeing himself. This prompts Superman and Hawkgirl to join. They team up to take down Star Sapphire and Copperhead, while the Flash takes on Gorilla Grodd and Shade. Batman and Green Lantern, despite the odds, are detained together. They all escape, joining the rest of the League.

The Secret Society decides to disperse temporarily, claiming that "the score is tied." Naturally, it's not a defeat. But, in that moment, they have placed the Justice League in an uncomfortable position, making them realize that their enemies are not just other super-powered individuals, but an organization of their foes. The League's foes have known each other since before the League existed, and they can ruthlessly scheme and plot without losing their mettle.

The episode is the perfect encapsulation of what makes JLU so incredible. It brings a diverse group of enemies that the League had fought individually into one cohesive force. Moreover, it's the perfect setup for future episodes, as Secret Society comes into play in numerous episodes later in the series. The episode foreshadows a ton of character developments and has lots of action throughout, making it highly enjoyable for the fans of the DC universe.