Justice League Unlimited
Season 1, Episode 7
“The Greatest Story Never Told” (2004)
Written by Andrew Kreisberg
Directed by Dan Riva
Original release: September 11th 2004
Running time: 22 minutes
Air time: Saturday evening
While the Legion itself doesn’t appear in this episode, it does have a Legion connection.
And not just because Booster Gold is in it.
This is a fan-favorite episode for many reasons. I would argue that it’s heavily responsible for Booster Gold showing up in other shows, as this is most likely when a lot of people were introduced to the character.
But it’s also a well-written and very funny episode, helped by the voice cast: Tom Everett Scott gives him the perfect voice, and surprisingly Skeets is voiced by Billy West of Futurama fame.
I would watch the hell out of a series focusing exclusively on Martian Manhunter having to deal with Booster Gold.
The episode is titled “The greatest story never told” because Booster Gold’s adventure doesn’t really affect the rest of the team, who is dealing with a surprising choice for the big bad: none other than Mordru himself, somewhat slightly more dignified than his first TV role.
He’s being hyped as such a major threat that requires the mobilization of the ENTIRE Justice League, which in this season is like 30 superheroes.
Which is perfect for Booster Gold, as he’s dying to impress the rest of the team.
Unfortunately for us, since the story isn’t about him, we don’t learn why Mordru is attacking the 20th century. He doesn’t even SPEAK throughout the entire episode.
As great as this episode is, I would’ve loved to actually SEE the fight against Mordru.
He’s an absolute powerhouse, easily handling the JLA heavyweights and unleashing these weird demons all over the city.
However, while other minor heroes are recruited to join the fight, Batman sticks Booster Gold to crowd control.
So yeah, while there’s basically an apocalypse in the background, Booster Gold is just stuck with the least glamorous part of superheroing.
He’s paired up with Elongated Man (voiced by Jeremy Piven), who is also hilarious in this.
Made even funnier when Wonder Woman shows up to recruit Elongated Man, leading to Skeets making one of the best jokes of the episode.
Mordru sure is using some crazy magic, considering a Composite Superman with Wonder Woman’s voice crashes nearby!
This is part of what sells the episode: while we don’t get to see the Big Dumb Battle, we have everything we need to think it’s NOT BORING… and therefore we sympathize with Booster Gold wanting to participate.
But sadly Booster Gold is not the reason why I’m reviewing this, so just enjoy the rest of the most memorable jokes of this part…
…which connect to Booster’s own storyline. Mordru’s attack also damaged a science lab, creating a completely separate menace that he’ll have to solve thanks to a hot scientist.
Meanwhile the fight with Mordru is NOT going well, as Booster Gold discovers when he calls Martian Manhunter to update him.
The lab accident turned the scientist into a walking black hole, and Booster Gold follows him to stop him… nearly running into the Mordru fight.
But he ALSO has to delivery a baby, with Skeets providing the second best joke of the episode.
See Booster Gold? Crowd control can be fulfilling!
But after he fails to stop the black hole scientist a couple more times, he’s depressed because he feels like the fraud everyone assumes he is.
Once again, this is IN THE BACKGROUND of the greatest fight the Justice League has ever had.
Booster Gold makes one final attempt to deal with the out-of-control scientist, just as Mordru transmutes a building into a monster.
The scientist who currently has a black hole in his chest (because of the experiment) has to save him, using the black hole to devour the building… and Skeets.
Booster Gold is ready to give up, until the hot scientist gives him a pep talk.
Booster Gold puts an inhibitor collar on the scientist, destroying the black hole and saving Skeets.
But what about Mordru? He was defeated off-screen by ELONGATED MAN!!!
When I first saw this episode I thought this must have been Mordru’s most embarrassing defeat, but… knowing how the 70s and early 80s treated him… he’s had worse.
It’s even ALMOST accurate to the source material, exploiting Mordru’s weakness of losing consciousness. Granted, the only thing that is supposed to do this is burying him, but close enough.
Another reason why the episode is titled “The greatest story never told” is that the Justice League doesn’t find out that Booster Gold saved the day.
But it’s still a happy ending for Booster Gold, because SOMEONE knows.
And a date with the hot scientist is the closest thing Booster Gold gets to a happy ending.
As a last note, the episode was originally supposed to star Firestorm (who instead never shows up in the whole series). The idea of using Booster Gold came from series producer, and comic book writer, Dwayne McDuffie.
Animated significance: 4/10
Mordru never shows up again in the series, and while Booster Gold is in the background in other episodes this is his only speaking role.
Does any of this show up in regular continuity?
I can’t think of anything. Interesting to see they went with Mordru’s original design instead of anything more modern: this one is EASILY Mordru’s most widely seen appearance in anything!
Silver Age-ness: 9/10
Composite Superman-Wonder Woman!!! A lab explosion grafting a black hole in a guy’s chest!
Does it stand the test of time? 10/10
This is a microcosm of why I hold Justice League Unlimited in such high regard, giving a spotlight to a lesser known hero and telling you everything you must know to love the character in 20 minutes. I was already a Booster Gold fan before seeing this, but I’m sure it would have made me love this goofball anyway.
It’s also not a bad use of Mordru. He might be little more than a McGuffin, sure, but he brings with him an aura of sheer menace and dread. Even comics get this one wrong surprisingly often!!!