Young Justice: Outsiders season 3, episode 3 recap: Eminent Threat

Nightwing and team battle it out with the villains of Bedlam in the third episode of Young Justice: Outsiders. Unfortunately, some missions just don’t end well.

Garfield Logan is living it up as Lieutenant Tork on Space Trek 3016. During an interview with Courtney Whitmore/ Stargirl in episode three of Young Justice: Outsiders, Gar appeals to his viewers to keep a watchful eye on their children following the disappearance of many meta-human children. These Gar PSAs add a realistic touch to the show, but I’m not sure if they’re adding anything substantial to the plot.

Artemis Crock/ Tigress (Stephanie Lemelin) and Jefferson Pierce/ Black Lightning head back into the children’s hospital to save Conner Kent/ Superboy (Nolan North). They leave the Quraci girl Artemis rescued in episode two with the super-cycle, but when they leave, she turns to the hospital and ominously says, ‘kill’. Who is she referring to here?

Dick Grayson/ Nightwing (Jesse McCartney) sneaks into the subject room to find Dr. Helga Jace and Dr. Ecks conferring with each other. Werner Vertigo/ Count Vertigo (Steve Blum) enters, demanding to know why Prince Brion had been held in the meta-gene pod and attacks Dr. Jace when she justifies her actions by saying that Markovia needs someone to stop ‘His Highness’.

Vertigo is incensed. ‘His Highness’ has a grand plan for Bedlam, the meta-human trafficking syndicate they are all a part of, and he will arrive shortly to deal with the two doctors. And that is when Baron Frederick DeLamb/ Baron Bedlam arrives – so he’s the one behind this ring! Dick realizes that DeLamb is an anagram of Bedlam, how could he not have figured this out before?

Artemis and Black Lightning are attacked by Plasmus, but the Quraci girl saves them. While Baron Bedlam and Vertigo pursue the insurgents, Dick incapacitates Dr. Ecks. Dr. Jace retrieves Brion, but the heroes aren’t able to stop the Baron from escaping with the meta-children we had seen in the previous episode.

The Baron announces to King Gregor that Prince Brion is a meta-human working with others like him to destabilize national security. This man will do anything to commandeer power in Markovia and poor Gregor is too young and trusting to realize.

Young Justice: Outsiders ep3 (Credit: DC Universe)

Black Lightning is distraught that the team lost the meta-children, but Nightwing counts this mission as a win. Just then, Brion’s powers activate and Superboy has to calm him down. It appears this black tar affects the metas in a similar fashion – they are all able to wield geological forces, essentially becoming lava monsters like Otto and his sister.

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Oracle messages Nightwing to switch on the news, where all of them see the Baron’s declaration about Brion being a meta and having a hand in the abduction of his sister and the assassination of his parents. Brion melts into the ground and disappears to battle his uncle, while Vertigo, Dr. Ecks and Plasmus show up to confront the remaining heroes. In episode two of Young Justice: Outsiders, Superboy had discovered a Motherbox in Vertigo’s lab, and it appears the villain tracked the team’s supercycle by using the same technology.

For all of his posturing, turns out Baron Bedlam is a meta as well, lying to Gregor that he became a meta to save Markovia from Brion. Outraged at this accusation, Brion attacks the Baron. Superboy tries to diffuse the situation but fails.

Ecks is also a meta (how many of them are there!) and multiplies himself to attack Nightwing’s team. Though Vertigo incapacitates everyone, Artemis is able to knock him out with a trick arrow. Just when the team thinks they’re winning, Plasmus grabs the Qurac girl and melts her to death. Seeing another dead child, Black Lightning runs into battle full tilt. Unknown to him, this little girl heals quickly.

Young Justice: Outsiders ep3 (Credit: DC Universe)

Back at the palace, Baron Bedlam continues attacking Brion, finally ordering his troops to kill the prince. Gregor steps in saying he wants the Baron arrested for attempting to stage a coup against the royal family. The boy isn’t as naïve as we had all assumed. Superboy takes Bedlam out and Brion is ecstatic that his brother is safe. But this night is not one for celebration. The Markovian Ambassador insists Brion be arrested as the country has suffered greatly at the hands of metas. Gregor instead banishes his brother from Markovia forever.

Black Lightning is able to deactivate the disk controlling Plasmus, allowing Otto to defeat Ecks and help the team. Vertigo makes a run for it, but a bystander shoots Otto, thinking he’s a monster. The little Qurac girl – whose name we still don’t know – tries to heal Otto but there is no life left in the creature to heal. Even when Young Justice think they have a win, they lose.