The saddest JLU episode 

There's something poetic about the only time Alan Moore allowed himself to be credited in a DC adaptation of his work being in a "children's cartoon."

It’s easy to see why Alan Moore is happy with this adaptation, the story is tight and not a minute is wasted, the music is a stand-out and Monguls voice-actor is deliciously despicable. He draws out all the satisfaction he can from every insult thrown against the heroes.

“Batman being socially awkward just gives cash,” I have to say this is the most in my life I’ve ever empathized with a billionaire.

Not only did Alan Moore allow his name to be credited for this episode, he approved all the changes the writers made from the comics.

The part where Superman tells his son he will never forget, always breaks me. And don’t get me started on Batman’s dream

The line from Batman at the end of the episode “Whatever it is, it’s too good for him” is literally bone chilling especially when it’s cuts to Mongul and the sounds of people screaming during his time with the black mercy

Mongol has some of the coldest lines of the show. "I fashioned for you a prison you couldn't escape without sacrificing your hearts desire." Cracks neck "It must have been like tearing off your own arm..."

i always loved that lana/lois' hair was red and her face was lana, but she had lois' lavender eyes and voice. a really cool way of showing how he fused the two

One thing I like about this episode is Superman line to his son when he tells his father about the city and Superman answer is just "It's nice place to visit". Clark doesn't even living in city. He choose to come to Metropolis so he could be close to people who need his help. It really highlights how much hard decisions Clark made to his personal life in order to become a super hero, a aspect that many writer and even comic readers nowadays, who just accuse Superman of being "too perfect and never dealing with hardships in his life"ç

The way Supes yelled “HAPPY??” Still sends chills

One other thing that stands out about this episode. If you re-watch all the rest of Batman: The Animated series, The Adventures of Batman and Robin, the animated Batman movies, and Justice League/JLU up to this point... there's always been something... missing. It took them years, but this was the FIRST time that this creative team/shared universe showed the murder of Bruce Wayne' parents. They had actually said they would NEVER show it, but, the plot of this episode kind of demanded it.

God that ending where Superman talks about all he’s lost really hits.

The sad thing about this episode of how it foils both Batman superman: Superman had to watch his home being destroyed for the first time while Batman had to see his parents die a second time. If you ask me two of those foils after this should really strengthen both of those two even more than ever before

What really gets me the most is when Clark has figured out that this kid isn't real but then the boy says "Don't say that daddy. You're scaring me." He HAS to get on his knees and comfort him. Because that's HIS SON who's scared and in need of a hug and he loves him too much to just walk away from him real or not. I'm so happy that Superman in canon finally has a kid because he deserves a chance at fatherhood. He's good at it and it makes him happy.

“In one story the dream is for the fool, in the other the dream is for the living”. That hurt so much to hear that… but there couldn’t have been any better words to describe it. Thank you for this video.

One little tidbit I do like about the comic is that we actually get a paragraph by Moore about Mongul's dream and is genuinly chilling how grotesque it is, it's also a sad reminder that Mongul used to be more than just diet Darkseid which saddly many writers forgot.

I always found the amalgamation of Lois and Lana to be one of the most interesting aspects of the episode. In fact, I think I even saw it a time or two before I noticed that the animation for Lois was (intentionally) wrong. It tells us something about Superman that he would never admit out loud or probably even to himself. He _does_ prefer Lois... but he would actually prefer a version of Lois who looked and acted a hell of a lot more like Lana. That's a very realistic and honest touch that was completely nonexistent in the comic. That fantasy wife is just random Mrs. Perfect. I don't find that interesting at all. You can't help having preferences, even when it comes to the finite details. You can be completely in love with someone and still secretly wish they were 2 inches taller... or 2 cup sizes larger. Or maybe just wish their nose was a little different or their chin or their freakin' elbows or whatever. And it doesn't stop at the physical. This perfect version of Lois/Lana doesn't seem the slightest bit career oriented, at least as far as we see. She seems to be all about being a wife and mother. That doesn't really match up with either Lois or Lana. Not that we delve that deeply into Lana in the DCAU, but she was trying to be like a fashion designer at one point, right? She wasn't all about settling down and having a family. Sure, it would be douchey to come right out and say it, but he doesn't do that, just like anybody with half a brain who wants to hold onto their significant other despite their imperfections. That doesn't stop him from wanting what he wants, regardless of whether or not a casual observer might find it "kinda creepy".

I love this episode for the one scene only. The scene where Superman exclaims to Mongul what he has lost and the memories he had with his son is the thing that will haunt Superman forever. To Superman; the dream son he had was as real to the people who found him as a baby in a space ship in the middle of no where Kansas all those years ago. If this was a true serialized show where there is a hero journey; this was the point where Superman lost something to learn a lesson to achieve his goal. The pain and sorrow; the lost and regret of losing a son is what gets me in my feels. Superman would have killed Mongul if it was for the statues of his parents reminding him of the responsibility he himself told his son.

The fact that Superman uses what he believes might be his last moments to tell the truth to and then comfort a son that he's no longer sure is even real is such an immensely powerful character moment. Superman chooses truth and responsibility, but he doesn't stop loving Van-El or deny the possibility that he might be losing his mind the same way his father did. When I think about all the people in the world who suffer from conditions like dementia and psychotic episodes, that scene just hits *so hard*

One thing I think should be talked about a bit more is Superman’s fight with Mongul shortly after. He is so angry after “losing” everything that he’s finally ready to kill Mongul- and just when it looks like he’s about to, he glanced up at the statues of his parents In that moment, he realized he was about to become the very thing Zod was… so he decided not to

Such a powerful piece of art by DC. Made me tear up when I was 5, and still makes me swell up with emotion.

I prefer this version than the comics. It's so rare to see Superman pissed, that line to Mongul "Do you have any idea of what you have done?" after he wakes up. I felt this episode.

I think the episode where Batman sat with Ace until she died because she was scared was right up there in the feels department. Mostly because you don't expect that level of empathy from the Dark Knight.

Also that one moment where batman smiles while he's seeing the dream is heartbreaking

I love at the end of the episode when they defeat Mongul with The Black Mercy, how Batman seems to be the most bitter about the whole affair. The nature of this entire attack stuck in his craw. Diana: "I wonder what he's dreaming about." Bruce: "Whatever it is... it's too good for him."😡

To be completely fair to Clark, him imagining Lois and Lana as a single person is creepy from an outside perspective, but the Black Mercy is literally preying on his deepest desires, subconsciously or otherwise. If he still had strong enough feelings for both, then the dream wouldn’t make him choose and simply combine the two into the “perfect” partner

Easily one of the best Superman episodes from the show.

You've really gone deep into the DCAU haven't you?

Such a sad, beautiful story. It's an interesting way of showing us more of what it really means to be Superman. He has the same struggles and has the same wants that any human does, and really, that's one of the things that makes this my favorite rendition of the man of steel.

Seeing my dude Superman sad makes me sad 😭

I love this episode it was really great adaptation of alan Moore Superman story.

To me this is the best adaptation of any comic book. Not only it delivers on being an adaptation of such a great story, but it improves on it. I have to say that in OG comic I feel like Moore forgot it was supposed to be ideal version of Krypton instead of his own version. And I think the idealized form of Krypton in this episode truly makes this so much more powerful when he does lose it and also has to see it blow up and having to say goodbye to his son. And the fact that Bruce never moves on in his ideal world from that night in this episode also makes this so much more powerful. This episode is a masterpiece.

I vaguely remembered this show from my childhood and when I rewatched it recently I was blown away it was so much better than I remembered

This is a great adaptation. The only other one that comes closer is the adaptation that Superman and Lois did in the season one episode “A Brief Reminiscence In-Between Cataclysmic Events". The major difference there is that Clark’s sons are actually real, so he has more to lose emotionally.

This JL episode just schooled DCEU how to adapt comic books.

I remember liking this episode a lot. It is not mentioned in this video, but I really liked a line they gave Mongul. Superman angrily asks something like "do you have any idea what i had to sacrifice / go through" to which Mongul grins and says something like "Actually I do, that flower gives you your deepest desires, it must have been like tearing out your own heart" - so delectably evil, and he was so proud of it.

At the end of the day, what makes the DCAU heroes so great is not that they are great and powerful heroes, but that they are good people.

I think the most terrifying thing about the Black Mercy is that you can never *really* trust good things ever again. Once everything starts working out for you you're inevitably going to think that it's the Black Mercy. Then you're going to think that's ridiculous. Then you're going to wonder if that second thought is your own. And to truly know if you're free, the only thing you can really do is to ruin the happiness you've built up.

Eric Roberts did a near flawless job playing mongul he always was great in the original justice league show he makes mongul sound so charming but intimidating the fact he runied superman life in the episode and had no remorse and he is not even afraid of him when he is angry is so badass

This was also the moment in the DCEU that they stopped making Superman a glorified punching bag. The two seasons of JL didnt do much for Superman being "the big gun". They corrected that immediately, using some of the callbacks to the Superman Animated Series, etc. This was the second episode of the actual JLU and Mongul's early line puts things in perspective with respect to what Superman is: "You don't understand. He was the only obstacle in my way. The rest of you are already dead." and then he proceeds to absolutely beat the tar out of Diana.

I'll always give the DCAU writers credit, they knew how to write Superman. People like Snyder and those who dismiss him as "boring" don't understand him at all, resulting in actually boring Superman stories. Same reason I utterly despise the whole Superman vs. Batman bit where Batman _must_ be the good guy, despite Tower of Babel and it's adaptation, Justice League Doom, showing us what would happen should Batman's plans to incapacitate the League, or the superheroes of the world, fell into the wrong hands. When I saw this episode when it premiered, I had missed the point of the theme. As an adult, I understood it perfectly, and it hurts to know what Superman's greatest desire could never happen. Sure, he could begin a family with Lois, but a vast majority of comics have shown that they can't have children of their own due to differing genetics (further bringing Superman's greatest desire to a higher level).

I'm not surprised Moore gave his blessing to this. It's an adaptation at its best. He's always been clear that what he writes is to the medium it's portrayed in. He didn't write comics as just any story that happened to be told through comics, he always wrote to its strengths. You can look into the process of making Watchmen for instance and how pedantic and nuanced he guided the Dave and John to portray the scenes. So of course he hates all the one to one adaptations that end of missing the point or missing a lot of details that made his work great to begin with; often feeling like a cash grab due to name recognition. But JLU made the perfect adaptation. They reinterpreted it to their universe and style, to tell a story for their Superman. It still understands the core of the original work but arguably even improved on it with hindsight. And that seems right up Moore's ally. Not to undermine inspiration but he wants others to try as hard as he does.

I love how this and only this episode was inexplicably pre-installed on my original Xbox 360 as some sort of example of its media capabilities. xD

Ive seen this episode thousands of times how have I not realized that Jonathon's voice comes out of Jor El

Damn, you are knocking it out the park dude

There's a little two part sequel in the comics of JLA from 2015 or 2018, can't remember, that follows more in the spirit of the show than the old comic. In it, the entire JLA crash-land in the original planet of the Black Mercy and we are given glimpses of Batman's new dream as he hangs the cape for good, and helps rehabilitate all his enemies, as Bruce Wayne, one by one and has a real relationship with all his sons. Can't remember how the dream ends because it is not that good but it actually ties a little to Superman in the comics at the time rather well. Superman realizes Batman had it more rough than any other league member, as they escaped on their own and where fine afterwards (we don't see any of their dreams, but Diana grabs her lazo mid sleep by shear force of will and wakes up, later freeing Flash who goes on to free the rest, with Superman Incinerating the whole plants nearby) while Batman had to be cut loose and dragged into a ship. Batman tells him about how he thinks that the he is loosing the battle. His enemies are becoming more violent and cunning and the Batman can't keep up for ever. That the league, what he helped build, is stronger than he was to begin with and he is aging, maybe it is his time to retire and try another way. Clark tells him about his old dream. How he dreamed of living in a farm, with his wife and son, in Krypton. How he wished it was reality. And how he made it real. How he had Johnathan, and moved with Lois to a farm and was raising him and everything was great. (This is all Rebirth stuff, so I think is 2018 or something then) So he tells Batman to make his dream come to reality, not just weep about it, fight to make it come true, but In His Own Terms, he doesn't need to give up anything to achieve it, he just needs to adapt his current life to his dream. Now, this comic is not that well known and not that good, but this Batman dream was redrawn once again in Clown War (or whatever that event was called a couple of years back) were he dreams again, I think thanks to some drugs concoction by Joker or something, that he could be a perfect daytime Batman AND fix every problem at the same time with a shiny new blue techno suit and having time to talk to his sons, be Bruce Wayne and Alfred is back alive and everything... But in the end Joker pops that bubble and says he never will be that perfect, that he is asking for too much, and given Batman recent BS stories, he may be right. His gotten worse relationships wise and he will never achieve this "dream" because curing the villains means no more comics... But regardless, the dream appears to be in the back of Bruce's mind still, even if the writers forget about it from time to time and make Batman fight his sons an shit.

I feel like we all relate to what Superman went through just a little bit when we wake up from a really good dream before getting ready for work lol

While most people see it as torture giving up what Clark wanted most in life, and while I certainly think that's part of it, I think the real torture was that he made Clark forget. Forget the death of his parents, his culture, and all that they sacrificed for him. Once he's out of the fantasy, and remembers everything, he never once refers to it as a good thing, even saying "Happy?!", as if how could it even be possible that the fantasy was a good thing. How could Mongul possibly think that? He made him forget his parents and their sacrifice. In the fantasy, sure, happy, but once out and remembers, the realization of what he actually took from him hits. He then goes on to talk about what he's lost, and I doubt he's talking about the fantasy, because Mongul clearly knows exactly the type of fantasy it gave him, before looking up at the monuments of his real, non-fantasy, parents. Mongul never thought about what he was taking away by giving him the fantasy, only what he gave, and what it would be like to lose it. Imagine your parents sacrificed themselves for you, then someone made you forget they even died. It'd be like spitting in the face of their memory. Maybe this is a popular opinion, I dunno, but all I ever see is people talking about the fact he gave up his ideal life.

It STILL breaks my heart every time I think about this episode-not only when Superman says goodbye to his son, but also when Batman has to watch his parents die again. All he wants is for his parents to be alive. It's impossibly tragic.

When Superman beats up Mongul his rage is so human, which is great. I really like this rage in characters, don’t get me wrong i’m not talking about moments like Injustice, but rageful moments like Batman: the brave and fhe bold when he finds Joe Chill.

The mercifull death episode is one of my favorites. It truly grounded Batman and superman characters to the audience. For superman it showed his greatest desire is a life as a civil servant helping the people, and having a family who he could share his values with on his planet of origin. For Batman he wanted to return back to the moment his life ended. He wanted his parents to survive, and go back home to the life he could have had. JLU had uplifted our heroes as gods among heroes but here we got to see just far from that they were.

“Adaptations should never change the source material”

Actually in the middle of re-watching the entire series. So these video essays are perfect timing for me. Keep making more JL videos.

loved this as soon as i saw the picture❤ i took a significant break between Justice League and JLU b/c honestly i wasn't sure how they were going to incorporate all of these new characters l, and when i saw this episode, i knew i was going to love the show. such great storytelling on a (relatively) small scale, dealing with the big three original heroes. encapsulates everything that made the DCAU great.

Watching as a child sent me through emotions I never thought I had

Thank you for this. Having worked on this episode specifically, this essay was a nostalgic look back at that time when we were tasked to take on an Moore more adaptation. A wonderful memory of the WB crew and my director.

First JLU episode I can remember watching.

Man, the animated JL series is so much better than we even think. I love that you're making videos about it!

After seeing this comparison I'm gonna say the cartoon adaptation it's better or at least more appealing to me, because the comics brings a story that Krypton(or society) was always doomed no matter what happened and ends in such sad tone, while the cartoon brings a side of superman and shows that superman is an alien and feels like that because he dreams about Krypton his original home but he is also human because in his dream he is a farmer like his family in earth, but ultimately he is SUPERMAN so give up on all of his dream because there is people that needs him and the cartoon also ends in a hopeful tone that while Krypton is destroyed he still has people that love and care for him.

Now I wanna rewatch this episode. It's FANTASTIC!

A video on the Black Mercy episode? HELL YES. Love your videos, Impy!

I said it once and I will keep saying it. Thank you so much for including a track list at the end of every single one of your videos. I thoroughly appreciate it as a viewer, I especially like the soft piano music that you occasionally would include in your videos and I always wonder how in the world you manage to find them.

sUpERmAN iS a bOriNG ChaRActEr

I'm loving your DCAU videos! Thank you for making these

Ok, for those who had the same thought like me: Perchance to dream, the Batman TAS episode was originally aired in 1992. The man who has everything comic book from Alan Moore was first published in 1985.

Man I fucking love superman

Very recently I've been watching analysis videos covering this particular adaptation of 'For The Man Who Has Everything' it's that's stupendous of a tale and some of the best Superman writing in general. Alan Moore shattered the Man of Steel. Great action, writing, dynamics, heart, spirit, and Mongul is an absolute menace, so smug and pompously delightfully detestable, not to mention one of the very few that can completely put the moves on Superman, it's practically scary. Love this episode of JLU.

I have been waiting for someone to make a video on this episode. Arguably one of my favourites from the series. So much emotion in just a twenty-minute episode. Especially when Superman tells Van he has to leave. Whenever I think of a strong emotional scene for DC movies/TV shows I always come back to this as a reference.

I love this video. One note, your final note before the credits is kind of beautiful. As a result when the credits hit I feel like I'm being shaken out of a feeling.

Fantastic contrast. I've seen videos speaking on each, but this is a gorgeously succinct way to stress what each is saying by showing what the other presents us.

I love watching these, such a heart tug

I've always found it odd that in Clark's fantasy you have this amalgamation of Lois Lane and Lana Lang and in the credits she is called Lori Lane. I feel like they should have just went with one or the other lol.

OMG! I missed that voice switch! Really enjoying your videos! Excellent work! ✨😎👍✨

Clark prefers Lana's body, but Lois's voice and attitude

Now that was a great adaptation

This shit made weep on a rod trip. I had seen this episode many times throughout my childhood, but watching it years later was crazy. It’s the greatest version of superman. Whenever I picture superman, I picture the JLU version

So good... your work is so good.

"In one story the dream is for the fool; the other the dream is for the living" or might even be the future. That's a beautiful thing to hear as a young man. Cuz it's always your choice in the end.

I wasnt sure at first, but after watching a few of your videos, I think I am a fan. Subscribed

Holy shit. That was honestly amazing. I have seen that episode and I have heard other's thoughts but this has a different, yet emotional feel

Hey Thank you for makings this video. I was holding on to something for quite a long time. This video came at the right Time the Right Moment. and i was finally able to let go of something I didn't know I Have been holding onto. It was like i could finally breathe again after years of depression. So Thank you for helping me Surface for some Air. I will Never Forget.

I remember legit getting sad af watching this as a kid

I'm not crying, you are 😭😭

Please do a Young Justice video on the complexities of the relationship between sisters Tigress and Cheshire…along with their parents Sportsmaster and Huntress. 🙏🏽

Love the video and the format, keep the good job

I love this episode so much.

Great video. Outstanding episode. JLU is awesome.

You are one of my favorite youtubers! keep doing great work

I just mentioned this episode to you in the comments of another video, only to just find out you made this video half a GD year ago Ofc you knew about this 👏🏿 👏🏿 hats off to you

I always get chills when Superman yells “happy?”

Bro you go so deep into these vids it blows my mind that your channel hasn't hit the million subscribers as yet... Keep up the good work!

This was one of my favorite episodes it says so much about everyone involved

I never read the comic and I can already say I like the JLU version way more.

I love you covering the different episodes of dcau media. My favorite Dc stories are from these shows.

I really enjoyed both takes on the story. It was the first JL/JLU episode that focused on the Big Three whereas up to that point there were a couple episodes that purposefully focused on the other four. Great video. Thanks for presenting the nuance of the original story and pointing out the thematic differences with the animated episode.

literally my favorite episode

I have a new reason on why I find Mongul.....refreshing.

After I watched this episode, I sat on the couch and cried for what seemed forever. Because in the story, it became less of watching Superman's dream and watching my own. I had the same dreams, having a wife, a child, a stable normal career and all the perks of the "typical" American lifestyle. Except I ended up with none of that: no wife, no children and my work (although successful in financial terms) was anything but normal and stable. And like Superman, now that I'm in my mid 50s, I've had to come to the realization that my life is going to be without family. I have a couple of good friends (like Superman has Batman and Wonder Woman), but they are at the age where they have their own lives, their own children, and now their children are having children. The time for friendships has lessened. Of course they will always be friends and would drop nearly anything to come to my aid. However, like Bruce and Diana, they have their own responsibilities in day to day life. The time of causal visitations and activities has passed. No, I am definitely not a superhero. But I came to relate to this story more than most others in the DC Universe. I think there are many like me as well who understand where I am coming from.

This was very good. My first ever of your videos and I liked it a lot.

This is easily my favorite episode of JLU and maybe one of my favorite episodes ever