Injustice: Gods Among Us (Pilot)

Synopsis

Based on the critically acclaimed series of video games and graphic novels, Injustice: Gods Among Us shows how one bad day can determine whether or not the Man of Steel will live long enough to see himself become the villain of his own story. After he already died a hero at the hands of Doomsday only a year ago.

We open with a quote from Lex Luther: "I can say without a doubt that there are an infinite number of universes. Some are just like our own...but for one or two significant events, exactly the same."

In Earth-49, a sullen Batman reflects that crime in Gotham has been silenced but not by justice as much as by fear. Fear of Superman, who is the dictatorial ruler of the world, reigns. Five years ago, Clark Kent, also known as Kal-El, Superman, is awoken in the middle of the night to the first sound of two hearts beating inside his wife, Lois Lane - hers and their growing baby's. Lois and Clark embrace in the joy of this discovery when Lois receives an anonymous tip about a crooked councilman taking a pay-off and prepares to leave. Clark offers to join her but she refuses, insisting it isn't necessary. It’s revealed that Clark died at the hands of Doomsday a year ago and was resurrected by a Kryptonian birthing matrix sometime afterwards. The couple separately depart on their respective routine as hero and journalist.

As Superman, he finds Batman already in Metropolis while on his way to S.T.A.R. Labs and in the middle of a fight with some street toughs. Superman proposes a rooftop rendezvous and tells Batman about his recent news; in which Batman has figured it out already based on the fear (which he didn’t see even when Doomsday killed him) and joy all over his friend's face. Batman is asked by his friend as the baby's godfather before he departs to S.T.A.R. Labs. A building explodes, alerting Superman. While Superman’s busy saving the civilians inside, Lois and Jimmy Olsen are at the docks and are on the lookout for their councilman. Jimmy gets his camera ready, but he’s suddenly shot dead by the Joker while his lover, Harley Quinn smacks Lois unconscious with a mallet. Superman saves the last resident in the building, who is revealed to be one of the Joker’s henchmen. Horrified, Superman rushes to the docks and finds Jimmy’s corpse and a Joker playing card.

Over at S.T.A.R. Labs, Batman is investigating the theft of a supply of kryptonite on which the scientists were experimenting to determine its conceivably properties to benefit humanity. Superman arrives, panicked, begging Batman for help in finding Lois, who is kidnapped by the Joker. Batman alerts the Justice League over their communications system. Only Green Arrow, Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Cyborg, Wonder Woman and The Flash answer the alert. Meanwhile, Superman’s partial clone and adopted brother, Superboy (also known as Kon-El and Conner Kent), Beast Boy and Kid Flash arrive in Metropolis on a race to Gino’s to grab lunch for the Teen Titans. Superboy and Superman hear and communicate with each other via super hearing. Superman tells Superboy what’s going on and Superboy agrees to help in the search for Lois. Flash arrives in Metropolis, running past Kid Flash, who runs after him, leaving Beast Boy at Gino’s waiting, oblivious to what’s going on.

Searching areas of Metropolis that are leadlined, which Superman’s X-ray vision can't see through, Flash finds the corpse of The Scarecrow, murdered by the Joker. Flash triggers a booby trap, which nearly kills him.

Wonder Woman discovers at the docks that the Joker has hijacked a submarine. Superman rushes over to apprehend the submarine with the help of Aquaman, lifts it out of the water and onto the docks and promptly beaches it before storming in. Superboy arrives and waits outside with Aquaman. Superman finds The Joker and Harley Quinn in the infirmary with an unconscious Lois strapped to an operating table, a scalpel in the Joker's hand and gas masks on both his and Harley's faces. Superman is shocked that the villains are accompanied by Doomsday.

Confronted by Doomsday, Superman, reacting quickly to protect Lois and their unborn child, charges at his foe and flies off with him into space, leaving the Joker and Harley Quinn behind to make their escape. Meanwhile, Superboy and Aquaman are exposed to Scarecrow’s fear toxin and fight each other with Superboy getting the upper hand. Aquaman hallucinates that Superboy is Black Manta while Superboy hallucinates that Aquaman and Wonder Woman (when she attempts to intervene) are Steppenwolf and Maxima respectively. Batman arrives and injects Superboy and Aquaman with anti-toxin.

Green Lantern stops Harley and the Joker with a giant hand construct as he, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Superboy arrive on the scene. Batman investigates the submarine to find it empty except for Scarecrow's fear toxin. A quick interrogation of The Joker soon reveals that the warheads on the ship are gone and hidden somewhere in Metropolis. Superboy super-jumps into the city to find Beast Boy and Kid Flash and warn them. He finds Beast Boy but Kid Flash is nowhere to be found. At the docks, Aquaman questions how the fear toxin affected Superboy as Kryptonians are unaffected. Batman assumes it’s because he’s half human. When Wonder Woman points out he was wearing a red shield shaped patch, which suppressed his human genes, Batman comes to the realization that the fear toxin was tainted by Kryptonite Joker stole from S.T.A.R. Labs, making Superman and Superboy no longer immune to the toxin. Superman isn't fighting Doomsday at all. Doomsday is simply a hallucination. Batman gets through to Superman over their communications system to try and warn him, but he already left the ozone layer. Being in space helps Superman clear his head of the fear toxins. Superman comes to a tragic realization: he has taken Lois into space without any kind of environmental protection or breathing apparatus, killing her and their unborn child.

Matters are quickly worsened as The Joker reveals he knew Superman was Clark Kent and that the operation he was performing on Lois involved connecting her heart to the warheads in Metropolis. As Lois dies, the warheads are activated, thereby devastating Metropolis. Superboy grabs Beast Boy and super-jumps away before the explosion takes them, toward the ocean. A helicopter flies in front of their path and they crash into it, stopping them and allowing the explosion to consume them.

A grieving Superman cradles Lois Lane's lifeless body in his arms as he kneels in the wreckage of Metropolis. Superboy emerges from the ruble and finds Beast Boy’s corpse. The radiation killed him. Wonder Girl and Starfire arrive and grieve as Superboy holds Beast Boy’s lifeless body. At Arkham Asylum, Batman demands answers from the Joker for going as far to take everything from Superman. The Joker replies that he wanted to “prove a point” to Batman that there’s no difference between himself and anyone else on Earth, including Superman. That “one bad day” is all they need to turn out like him.

Meanwhile, Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Kyle Reyner make themselves useful by evacuating those citizens of Metropolis who were affected by the nuclear fallout. Flash reveals that Kid Flash (who was also Flash’s grandson from the future) saved him from Joker’s booby trap at the cost of his life. Cyborg arrives via boom tube with Martian Manhunter and his niece, Miss Martian. Cyborg finds out his father is dead. Miss Martian, who is revealed to be Superboy's girlfriend and Beast Boy’s adopted sister, finds Superboy and they grieve.

In Metropolis, Wonder Woman tries to comfort Superman, assuring him that the Joker is the only one responsible for Lois's death. But Superman cannot be consoled. He asks Wonder Woman to hold Lois's body and flies off, soon to be intercepted by Green Lantern Hal Jordan, who counsels him not to go see the Joker but is unsuccessful.

Batman's interrogation with the Joker continues. The Joker speculates on what effect having “one bad day” and taking "everything" from Superman will have on him just as Superman himself smashes through the wall. He shoves aside Batman and grabs the Joker. Batman tries to calm him. At first, he’s successful until Joker asks Superman if he’ll “ever love again” and hopes he doesn't kill “his next family”. Superman then shows Joker “what death is like” by impaling him in the chest with his entire arm. The Joker dies with a smile on his face while Batman looks on in horror.