Welcome to Adventure(s) Time's sixty-ninth installment, a look at animated heroes of the past. This week, we return to the animated Justice League. Specifically, we're looking at the show's determination to have Aquaman stand in for a hero who just happens to be owned by a rival company.

A few weeks back, I talked about Aquaman's reinvention in the first season. No longer the traditional Aquaman from the Superman days, this interpretation has far more grit. Comics fans will instantly recognize the creators are acknowledging the revamp conceived by Peter David during the 1990s. Some fans loved the harder-edged take on King Arthur of Atlantis. Others snorted and instantly dismissed him as a Namor rip-off.

Second season two-parter "The Terror Beyond" comes from writer Dwayne McDuffie and director Butch Lukic. And, boy, if you were quick to throw the term "rip-off" around before, you've got some ammunition here. But, truthfully, the creators are so blatant, you just have to give them a pass.  This isn't a real knock-off, it's a loving homage to Marvel's Bronze Age.

"The Terror Beyond" is famous now for adapting Marvel's classic Defenders team into the DC Animated Universe. Initially, the Defenders team of Namor, Hulk, and Doctor Strange were forced to unite and face the Lovecraftian menaces the Undying Ones. The animated Justice League has Aquaman, Solomon Grundy, and Doctor Fate fill those slots, teaming up to conquer the evil Lovecraftian god Icthultu.

Just to make this more explicit, the episode even opens with a clear analogue of the Hulk's enemy General "Thunderbolt" Ross hounding Grundy. And when the full cast is introduced, more connections become apparent. Hawkgirl parallels Marvel's Nighthawk (and Grundy even mimics Hulk's nickname of "Birdnose"). Fate's wife Inza could be viewed as an analogue for Doctor Strange's love Clea. Wonder Woman is a warrior woman inspired by ancient mythology--just like Valkyrie. Rounding out the Defenders connections would be Superman taking the place of Silver Surfer. Not a perfect fit, but both possess godlike powers, and have been utilized as Christ metaphors in the past.

The opening chapter is action-heavy, presenting a fairly straightforward conflict for the heroes. After Aquaman's attack on the military to rescue Grundy, followed by the appearance of a nasty unknown creature, they have to ask if he's truly turned against humanity. Hawkgirl assumes the worst, Wonder Woman advises caution, Superman straddles the fence. (Eliciting some caustic comments from Hawkgirl.) Not particularly deep, but there's already more character here than the average Season One episode.

At the episode's end, the heroes discover Aquaman and Fate are using Grundy as a sacrifice in an arcane ceremony. Now determined to save Grundy's life, they realize too late the ceremony's purpose. The mystic energy of both Grundy and Aquaman's trident were meant to prevent Icthultu from entering this world.

NEXT PAGE: Aquaman's a Messiah Figure, and Hawkgirl Is An Atheist

The second chapter has no shortage of action, either. Aquaman breaks away from the heroes, determined to stop Icthultu's minions from destroying Atlantis. The rest of the heroes travel to Icthultu's dimension, desperate to end the threat at its source. Marvel fans receive even more winking nods, as the League faces several monsters inspired by the works of Kirby and Ditko.

What's impressive is how McDuffie takes this rather stock plot and expands it into something unique. Hawkgirl reveals her race once worshipped Icthultu, that he gave them science, philosophy, higher thought in exchange for worship. Generations passed, and her people rejected the concept of worshiping any diety. Eventually, he became viewed as a fable. The show doesn't outright state this, but it's obvious Hawkgirl is an atheist, believing in nothing outside of herself.

The opposing point of view comes from Wonder Woman, who questions how anyone can live without faith. Staying true to the mythology of the Amazons brings her great strength, she tells Hawkgirl. Interestingly, Superman is never given an opportunity to comment. His point of view, being raised (in most interpretations) in a Christian church while existing as an orphaned alien might be too nuanced for the story.  It'd likely be intriguing, however.

The story's finale has Grundy sacrificing his life in battle against Icthultu. Hawkgirl, enraged, is able to defy her ancient god and gain revenge. The invasion is averted, and Grundy receives a hero's burial. Earlier, Hawkgirl assured Grundy he'd be reunited with his lost soul upon death. Whether or not she believed this is debatable. At his funeral, she asks how he had such peace at the end. Aquaman again evokes faith. "You're not supposed to understand it. You just have it."

It's a pretty remarkable feat. Taking such an in-jokey premise and evoking much deeper issues, all while packing the story with crazy visuals and impressive action sequences. When Aquaman and Doctor Fate are united again in the tie-in comics, are the creators able to even approach this story?

Justice League Unlimited #26 (December 2006) again evokes magic. And Superman tags along this time, as well. Writer Bill Williams and penciler Carlo Barberi do have a premise with some potential.

An injured Aquaman calls for help from a remote island. Doctor Fate, going stir crazy alone while Inza is away, answers a call for help. For comedic relief, Booster Gold joins him and Superman on the rescue mission. And, along the way, we discover Black Manta and Felix Faust have teamed up to conquer Atlantis.

Hypothetically, there should be something here. It wouldn't be fair to assume the story could evoke the larger themes of "Terror Beyond," but it could be an enjoyable comic in its own right. At the very least, Carlo Barberi's art is attractive. And, unlike some of the later Adventures artists, still broadly on-model.

And yet, it's pretty by the numbers stuff. They locate Aquaman, who provides some exposition.

The team heads to Atlantis to investigate, and Booster makes some lame jokes.

The heroes face the Temple Guardians, stone statues come to life. (Admittedly, Aquaman and Fate teaming up to face them is rather cool, brief as it is.)

The mystery villains? Black Manta and Felix Faust. They don't get along, which makes the heroes' job that much easier. It's actually Booster Gold who ends the threat, with a simple punch to Black Manta.

And, really, that's it. I've yet to mention the "deeper theme" of the story, the loner Doctor Fate adjusting to working with a team. That's because it plays no real role in the plot, and feels dutifully tacked on. Add that to the tired jokes and utterly generic plot, and you're left with...a disposable tie-in comic. Which is exactly what the Adventures titles were never supposed to be.

NEXT PAGE: Justice League: Animated Easter Eggs, BTS stories and More

THE WRAP -UP

DESIGN-Y

There are so many cool monster designs in "Terror Beyond." The homage to Ditko's Mindless Ones, with the mouth-hands, is unforgettable. The 2006 videogame Justice League Heroes, written by McDuffie, also features the villains.

The flashback to Solomon Grundy's origin, an homage to old gangster films, also looks great. It brings back more than welcome memories of Batman: The Animated Series.

CONTINUITY NOTES

Black Manta's only DCAU appearances are in the tie-in comics. The producers created a replacement villain, Devil Ray, thanks to an embargo on Aquaman's established cast. (Surely this fooled no one.) Warner Brothers deemed these characters off-limits due to a Smallville-inspired Aquaman series in development.

HEY, I KNOW THAT VOICE

Oded Fehr, Carlos Olivera from the Resident Evil movies, voices Doctor Fate. Mark Hamill is unrecognizable as Solomon Grundy. (When only a few grunts were required, Kevin Conroy, of all people, filled in.) Finally, there's Rob Zombie stepping in to voice Icthultu. Darn near perfect casting, there.

IT'S AN HOMAGE, NOT A RIP-OFF!

Okay, it's obvious "The Terror Beyond" is more than just a nod towards hardcore comics fans. But it is the second time in two years the producers treat Aquaman as a thinly-veiled replacement for Namor. All these years later, it's arguable Aquaman has the last laugh. He's starring in his own movie, one receiving critical buzz DC films often lack. You barely hear anyone even question when Namor's going to be appearing in the Marvel films. (Personally, I'd much rather have Namor, Hulk, and Strange headlining their own franchise. Better than shoehorning those last two into the Avengers films.)

Did the producers go too far, looking for an angle for Aquaman? Were they too sensitive to Aquaman's status as a cheap joke, even in those days? Maybe. But he's pretty entertaining in these episodes. His personality bounces off the other characters well, and treating Atlantis as a mystic source of demons and gods fits the show perfectly.

What doesn't work is evoking memories of a great episode, only to produce something as bland as that Unlimited issue. Cringe-worthy jokes, bland personalities, and a tacked on theme that no one could possibly care about. The defense "it's a quicky kids comic!" doesn't apply. Go back to the history of DC's tie-in books, and there's an abundance of great stories that work within the limitations of the format. Sadly, this is an example of how far off-track the line had gone towards the end.

So that’s all for now. If you have any suggestions for the future, just leave a comment or contact me on Twitter. You can also check out some of my fiction writing for free over at Smashwords.