WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Young Justice: Phantoms, streaming now on HBO Max.
In Young Justice: Phantoms, it's been a turbulent ride as the Child, blessed with the powers of the other Chaos Lords, razed the planet, weakened the Justice League and left Klarion and Zatanna's charges desperate to stop her. However, while the latest episode brought this apocalyptic magical crisis to an end, it wasn't a hero that halted proceedings -- it was the show's biggest villain.
This is none other than Vandal Savage, who used a Boom Tube to Australia to engage to Phantom Stranger in Episode 13. It proved Vandal's a master of destiny, connecting with his backstory this season that revealed he's been manipulating Earth to advance it as a cosmic power since the caveman days.
This time, however, he's humbled himself as the Stranger took him to a conference with the Lords of Chaos and Order. And in a shocking turn of events, Vandal proved to be transparent, accountable and honest regarding the galactic wars he's enacted in this series. He brokered for peace between the two sets of Lords, but they tried to discredit him after he allied with Darkseid and Apokolips in the past to stake dominion out in space. But Vandal quickly broke that argument down, confessing he was pitting Earth's heroes against Darkseid in what will inevitably be the final war for this universe.
Vandal lobbies that he's always served them, even if as an indirect agent, but the scales are being unevenly tipped by the Child wreaking havoc, breaking Earth before its time. Obviously, Savage is politicking with his forked tongue, but it did impress Stranger, who couldn't broker a truce. And listening to Savage's cautious words eventually paid dividends, as the factions agreed to some sort of peacetime.
The Chaos Lords took back their power, wishing to see how the Child would fare. Unfortunately, her reign was ended by the alliance, saving Earth once more with no one, apart from the Stranger, the wiser that Vandal was the ultimate savior. But this did come at a price because Vandal hinted that this "embryonic planet" in Earth should serve a greater purpose, admitting he'll continue to use it as a pawn to fight other cosmic forces. This confirmed him as the unheralded champion allowing both Lords to soak in the death and destruction of this infinite conflict, continuing to damage reality as part of a sadistic game.
See how Vandal Savage saved Earth in Young Justice: Phantoms, streaming now on HBO Max.