The Enemy Below (1)

Episode Summary & Review

Summary

A nuclear submarine is attacked in the Atlantic, forcing the League to come face to face with Aquaman and his Atlantean army. Aquaman takes Superman up on his advice to go to Metropolis and take his problems up with the various governments of the world. When a mercenary Deadshot attacks Aquaman, the League steps in. Aquaman discovers that Lord Orm, his own brother, was behind the attack. Orm takes Aquaman and his infant son and places them on a cliff over a vein of molten lava, leaving them to die. In order to save his son, Aquaman must make the terrible sacrifice of severing his own hand.

Our Take

A solid setup episode that finally gives Aquaman some real presence after decades of being a punchline. The political angle with Atlantis works better than the action beats, and Deadshot’s assassination attempt is a nicely tense centerpiece. It drags a bit in the middle while the pieces get moved around, but the cliffhanger ending lands hard enough to justify coming back for part two.