“Spellbound” is generally regarded as one of the more important Batman Beyond episodes. The story introduced a major villain, Spellbinder, who would become a recurring presence on the series. Secretly school psychologist Ira Billings, Spellbinder used powerful illusions to hypnotize Hamilton High students and other individuals into procuring expensive items for him.

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Not unlike Spellbinder’s illusions, there’s more to “Spellbound” than meets the eye. The episode included a number of elements that would pay off down the line, as well as some fun Easter Eggs. It also featured a major development for Terry McGinnis that further entrenched him in the Batman mythos.

10 Chelsea’s Father's Debut

Chelsea Cunningham's father in Batman Beyond's "Spellbound"

Chelsea Cunningham was fairly established on the show as a friend to Terry and Dana, as well as a cheerleader at Hamilton High. Viewers had yet to see much of Chelsea’s personal background, other than her romantic life. “Spellbound” did debut a new beau for Chelsea, Rick (who follows Nelson and Mason), but it also went a step further and introduced her home and her father, who was none too pleased when a hypnotized Chelsea seemingly dropped a priceless statue of his into the river. Chelsea’s contentious relationship with her father would be further explored in the episode “The Last Resort.”

9 The Episode Mimicked Raiders Of The Lost Ark’s Opening Scene

Chelsea Cunningham in Batman Beyond's "Spellbound"

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, making Spellbinder a master flatterer. To trick Chelsea into giving him her father’s statue, Spellbinder transmitted an illusion into her mind that made her believe she was an adventurer tracking down an artifact in a remote temple. Several elements from the scene, such as Chelsea slicing through the jungle with a sword and picking up her father’s statue, were highly reminiscent of the first few minutes of the original Indiana Jones movie. Unlike Indy, however, Chelsea didn’t have to worry about any traps, as the “temple” was actually her own house.

8 Celebrity Cameo: Omar Gooding

Jared Tate and Terry McGinnis in Batman Beyond

The DC Animated Universe has always had a reputation for acquiring some pretty high profile talent. Omar Gooding was already a well-known celebrity, having been a series regular on shows like Wild & Crazy Kids and Smart Guy. “Spellbound” was Gooding’s DCAU debut as Jared Tate, a friend of Terry’s who was displeased that his mother, Lorraine, was getting remarried. Jared’s opinion changed, however, when his new stepfather, Jim, gave him a new car as a wedding gift.

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Gooding also voiced Jokerz member Trey later in the series, and returned to the DCAU as gang leader Wade in the Static Shock pilot.

7 Reused Music From Superman: The Animated Series

Lorraine and Jim Tate's wedding orchestra in Batman Beyond's "Spellbound"

While it was fairly typical for DCAU shows to play a character’s theme whenever they appeared on screen, reusing music not tied to a specific person was less common. Sharp-eared visitors, however, may recognize the music playing during “Spellbound’s” wedding reception scene, when Lorraine and Jim Tate are walking down the stairs. The song, “First Dance,” was played during Lois Lane’s and Bruce Wayne’s dance scene in the Superman three-parter “World’s Finest.” It’s only natural that the song would appear in another romantic setting, one where Batman also is present—even if it’s not quite the same Batman.

6 Armory’s “Low Key” Debut

Armory in Batman Beyond

It wasn’t too uncommon for Terry’s enemies to start out as friends and acquaintances from his school. The villain of “Golem,” Willie Watt, was a schoolmate of Terry’s, while Spellbinder was Terry’s school psychologist.

While the only character who appeared as a villain in “Spellbound” is Spellbinder himself, Jared Tate’s stepdad, Jim, would briefly become the criminal Armory several episodes down the line. Unlike Spellbinder, however, Jim did not start out as an enemy, being a kindhearted man driven to crime by circumstances beyond his control… not unlike Harvey Dent in Batman: The Animated Series.

Terry McGinnis in an illusory shopping spree in "Spellbound"

After trying to stop several of Spellbinder’s victims from helping the criminal obtain priceless items, Terry himself was hypnotized by Spellbinder’s alter ego, Ira Billings. Bruce learned of Terry’s hypnosis when seeing his young protégé stealing several items in Wayne Manor. It was then revealed that Spellbinder hypnotized Terry into believing he was in a shopping spree contest. Shopping sprees had gained significant popularity in the 1990s, advertised as contests on networks (including Nickelodeon) and even inspiring television shows like Supermarket Sweep. Terry’s imagined televised shopping spree is closely reminiscent of Supermarket Sweep and even had a similar name: Supermarket Spree.

4 Spellbinder Resembles Two Classic Batman Villains—And One Spider-Man Villain

Spellbinder and Mysterio

Rather than routinely go back to the well of familiar Batman villains, Batman Beyond introduced several new and fascinating enemies, with Spellbinder being no exception. While a fairly unique character, Spellbinder does bear similarities to the Mad Hatter and the Scarecrow, who’d use mind control and illusions respectively to manipulate their victims. Similarly, Spellbinder’s civilian identity, Ira Billings, was a psychologist at an educational institution, like Jonathan Crane was.

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A character with even closer similarities to Spellbinder is the Spider-Man villain Mysterio, who also commits crimes by creating convincing illusions. Spellbinder’s mind-controlling eye also looks somewhat like Mysterio’s round glass helmet.

3 Dick Grayson's Jacket

Dick Grayson's initials on a jacket in Batman Beyond

The New Batman Adventures episode “Old Wounds” showed that the first Robin, Dick Grayson, had fallen out with Batman after Batman: The Animated Series. Regardless, Dick became Bruce’s ally again under his new superhero identity, Nightwing.

While Return of the Joker explained that Nightwing had eventually left for another city, his status in the Batman Beyond era was never revealed. In “Spellbound,” however, when Terry asked about an old jacket in Wayne Manor with the initials “D G” on it, Bruce merely gave him an unamused glance and walked off—possibly suggesting that tension still remained between the original Batman and Robin.

2 Return Of The Joker Foreshadowing

The Joker grinning in the shadows while holding out a Joker card.

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker had not been planned until Season 2 was greenlit, but an unintentional allusion to the DTV movie appeared in a scene between Terry and Bruce at Wayne Manor. When Bruce dismissed Terry’s concerns over Chelsea’s erratic behavior as the result of “a troubled kid lashing out at Daddy,” Terry quipped, “Guess you’re the expert on troubled kids. You collect them, right?” Bruce merely responded with a hard stare. A fairly Batman standard response, but when one takes into account Tim Drake’s fate in Return of the Joker, Bruce’s cold reaction reads more as a man remembering old wounds.

1 Terry McGinnis’s First Meeting With Barbara Gordon

Terry, Bruce and Commissioner Barbara Gordon in Batman Beyond

Commissioner Barbara Gordon had previously appeared in Batman Beyond, talking briefly with Bruce about the new Batman who had appeared in Gotham. Yet “Spellbound” was actually the first time she and Terry actually interacted with one another. After Spellbinder was delivered to the authorities, Barbara could be seen taking a statement from Terry, who clearly was not yet aware of her connection to the original Batman. Barbara, already knowing that Bruce was mentoring the new Batman, easily saw through Terry’s attempts to hide his secret identity, offering a simple, “Stay out of trouble, kid" but not yet telling him that she had once been Batgirl.

NEXT: Batman The Adventures Continue: 5 Ways It's Just Like TAS (& 5 It's Completely Different)