This is for Justice League Animated Series/Justice League Unlimted fans such as myself! Since you saw the title I will be focusing on the episode, “For the Man Who Has Everything” which centers around Superman also known as Clark Kent.
And it’s a right question to ask, “What do you get the man who has everything?” Clark does have everything from amazing superpowers, a wonderful family, great friends, and gets to work around the love of his life Lois Lane! What else can this man get?
So in result, the episode explores that exact idea! The episode starts with Batman and Wonder Woman coming to the Fortress of Solitude to celebrate Superman’s birthday. Bruce gets him money while Diana gets him a plate as they wonder and admit it’s hard to shop for "the man who has everything".
They come to discover that Clark is on the floor with an alien-looking organism planted to his chest. Black Mercy as it’s called, which is telepathic spiece that reads the heart's desire and feeds the individual a realistic dream-like state.
So for Clark he was subdue into a dream-like prison that shows a life of Krypton that never exploded. He lives on a small farm, married a woman who is like a mix of Lana Lang and Lois Lane along with a son named, Van-El. Oh and of course, Krypto!
Outside of Superman’s mind, Batman and Wonder Woman see that a villain named Mongul appears in front of the heroes claiming that he put Superman in that mind prison since he knows with Superman not around he can destroy the planet. Of course Wonder Woman and Batman don’t like that then decide to fight him while trying to break Clark out of that mind prison.
But in the main course of the story, Clark or Cal-El as they call him is seen with his father along with his son as his father warns him about his fears for Krypton’s future. Krypton’s destruction. Superman tries to keep his reality fated to happiness but also soon sees the sad falses of his reality.
And here comes the most saddest part of this story, Clark takes his son Van-El up to the roof slowly seeing his world crumble in tears knowing that his dream isn’t real anymore while Batman in the real world is trying to break him out of his trance…
Then it comes full circle and you realize the man who has it all..doesn’t have it all. Superman may have the powers, the earth to his will and people who love him. But he doesn’t have the one thing that makes him who he is. Krypton.
He’s blood and mind is of a different race, coming from a plant that he barely even knew and it hurts to know he doesn’t have a single connection to his roots. Yes, he has a connection to his family within his mother and father from earth but not to his biological family.
So it hurts seeing him let go of that dream-like state that felt so real..letting go of that wish that he always wanted and never seeing it become a reality. As his world crumbles around him, Superman has to say goodbye in tears to his son, Van-El as the confused boy cries and does not understand what’s happening. Clark or Kal-El promises that he will never forget his homeworld, his son and the life he could’ve had.
Once the alien plant also known as Black Mercy is off Superman he goes charging towards Mongul in anger and tears fighting him alongside Wonder Woman and Batman until Mongul was put into his own horrible mind prison. The heroes ask each other about what Superman saw as he explains it.
Before I get to wrapping this up, I would like to give an honorable mention to the moment where the Black Mercy attached itself to Batman.
While Batman was in the dream-like spell state of the plant, he saw his short lived moment of the night where his parents died in front of him in the alleyway but it was different. In the dream state Batman’s father fought the man who was about to kill him while his mother called for backup. He soon figured out it was fake and escaped but I found it nice to see that.
Overall “For The Man Who Has Everything” is one of those bittersweet memorable episodes on Justice League since you took the concept of Last Son Of Krypton aka Superman’s life story and brought it down to the level that you wouldn’t think of because he is the all powerful amazing hero that he is.
Honestly it's such an amazing storyline on the show, so amazing that they used the same concept on CW’s Supergirl for an episode!
Did you like it? Who's your favotive Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman?
Like and share!
Anyways, ciao for now!
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