True Colors

"True Colors" is the 12th episode of the second season of Young Justice, and the 38th of the overall series. It was originally scheduled to air on October 27, 2012, but was pushed to a later date in a last minute schedule change that preempted the entire schedule of October. It aired on January 19, 2013.

Logline
When the REACH forms a devil's alliance with Lexcorp, Robin leads a squad undercover to investigate.

Synopsis
The Atom and Bumblebee travel through Jaime Reyes's body and attempt to rid him of the Scarab. Atom warns Bumblebee not to touch any ganglia, and she apologizes, while expressing her excitement at accompanying him on this microscopic endeavor. They manage to reach the location of the incursion and Atom attempts to slice apart the Scarab. Noticing Jaime is in pain, Bumblebee alerts the Atom, who replies and says it is necessary in order to remove the Scarab. However, the Scarab calls upon its defenses to prevent them from succeeding and they are forced to hastily retreat. Once they exit Jaime's body, he asks about the status of the Scarab, to which the Atom explains that the Scarab's defenses are too powerful for them to remove, unless Jaime himself were to be killed along with it.

G. Gordon Godfrey opens the show with reminding his audience of the revelations about the Justice League the people of Earth learned a week prior—they're wanted criminals in some parts of the universe, they have a covert ops team, and have a Watchtower in space, and he asks his audience why they still support the League.

He continues his show with an item about a project by the Reach and Lex Luthor, LexCorp Farms. This state of the art center that greatly benefits the world's food production. He also notes public tours were being offered.

Nightwing pauses the Godfrey's show and tells the Team members that he wants a squad to investigate LexCorp Farms. He tells Robin that he will lead the squad, then assigns Blue Beetle to the team. Beetle tells Nightwing that he doesn't want to be out in the field for fear that the Scarab will take over and bring on the apocalypse Impulse has mentioned. Nightwing points out the Scarab could have done that during other missions but hasn't. The Scarab reassures Jaime that Nightwing is wise.

Impulse then offers to be part of the squad. Nightwing figured Impulse would want that, then tells Arsenal he will be the fourth member. Arsenal complains about the warehouse and asks why the Team can't use the Watchtower as its headquarters. Nightwing replies that only Justice League members and senior Team members are allowed at the Watchtower.

Robin, Jaime Reyes, Bart Allen, and Roy Harper visit a LexCorp farm located in Smallville. They join a tour conducted by Sharon Vance, who wastes no time in showing the tour group one of the farm's hydroponic domes, where LexCorp and the Reach is growing the food of the future. An old man expresses his reservations about Smallville's farmers being driven out of business, but Vance reassures him that the Reach will share their techniques with the entire agricultural community.

Vance directs the tour group to enjoy their choice of various vitamin-rich Reach-enhanced produce (tomatoes, broccoli, apples, corn, citrus, bananas, and rutabaga), reassuring the group that it isn't GM food. Robin and Jaime both pocket tomatoes. Bart nonchalantly munches on an apple, explaining to a disapproving Beetle that he's maintaining cover. Roy notices tubes conveying fuschia-colored fluid to the plants, prodding Robin to ask Vance what it is. She tells them that it is just water, nutrients, and "a little Reach/LexCorp love". She then takes the group to the pluot orchard, but Alpha Squad decides to take a "bathroom break". Bart attempts to get at the pluots, but Jaime forcibly brings him along.

The members of the Light meet with Sportsmaster, who wants reparations for the death of his daughter Artemis. Lex Luthor says the Light will compensate him financially, but Sportsmaster implies that it should be the life of Kaldur'ahm, which Black Manta and Vandal Savage declare unacceptable. Sportsmaster then tries to attack Manta but is stopped by Deathstroke, the new enforcer of the Light. But a hole is blown in the wall, revealing Cheshire in a helicopter, who enables Sportsmaster's escape. As the two depart, Sportsmaster tells Cheshire he is now free of the Light's influence and that he and Cheshire can both seek the vengeance they want.

Back at LexCorp Farms, after everyone else is gone and only security remains, Alpha Squad leave the bathroom to investigate further. Robin triggers a device to disrupt the security cameras, allowing Arsenal to open a door that leads to the basement of the hydroponic dome. They come upon an assembly line and Beetle, after the Scarab translates for him, learns that the Reach Scientist is advising the technicians to "go easy on the additive." Beetle scans the assembly line and locates the vat where the additive is stored, after which Robin sneaks over to obtain a sample.

Before Alpha Squad can leave the dome, an explosive device set by Arsenal goes off in the basement, triggering an alarm. Robin asks why Arsenal would do that on a covert operation and Arsenal he would not risk Luthor poisoning everyone and that he wanted to make Lex miserable. Back in Lex's office, he suspects the cameras have been hacked and asks Mercy to try a frequency override, which reveals Alpha Squad's presence. Mercy is about to call in more security but Lex tells her not to bother.

Impulse takes out the security guards as Robin tries to hack the security code to open the door, admonishing Arsenal for his actions, but then Black Beetle arrives. Alpha Squad's efforts to stop Black Beetle are mostly ineffective, although Arsenal is able to use his laser to do some damage to Black Beetle's armor. Robin ask Blue Beetle why he is unable to match up with Black Beetle as he did the last time they faced each other. Jaime tells Robin that he had allowed the Scarab to control the armor the last time and that he won't allow it again, as he doesn't want Impulse's prophecy to come true.

Vandal Savage and Black Manta, aboard the Manta-Flyer, visit Kaldur'ahm, who remains in a catatonic state. Manta says he will have vengeance against Miss Martian, which Savage says will come in due time, but they must first restore Kaldur's mind. Savage brings in Psimon, saying he will be able to piece together Kaldur's memories.

Title
The title derives from the idiom "showing somebody or something's true colors", in which "true colors" refer to someone or something's true nature or character. This can refer to the Team's investigation into the alliance forged between LexCorp and the Reach, in order to ascertain what really transpires there. Also, Sportsmaster's lust for revenge is shown not to be out of grief, but pride and egotism. It can also be referring to Psimon psychically sifting through a catatonic Aqualad's mind, and thus possibly stumbling upon his genuine motive for allying himself with the Light. Also, it may allude to the appearance of a new chromatic Beetle whose "true colors" subvert initial expectations of his allegiance. Finally, it can also refer to Black Beetle's true appearance behind his suit, which is seen briefly.

Cast and characters
! colspan="3" | Non-speaking roles
 * Cameron Bowen
 * colspan="2" | Robin
 * Nick Chinlund
 * colspan="2" | Sportsmaster
 * Tim Curry
 * colspan="2" | G. Gordon Godfrey
 * Miguel Ferrer
 * colspan="2" | Vandal Savage
 * Crispin Freeman
 * colspan="2" | Arsenal
 * Kevin Grevioux
 * colspan="2" | Black Beetle
 * Phil LaMarr
 * Green Beetle
 * rowspan="2" | Eric Lopez
 * colspan="2" | Blue Beetle
 * colspan="2" | Scarab
 * rowspan="2" | Jason Marsden
 * colspan="2" | Impulse
 * colspan="2" | Atom
 * Jesse McCartney
 * colspan="2" | Nightwing
 * rowspan="2" | Masasa Moyo
 * colspan="2" | Bumblebee
 * Sharon Vance
 * Khary Payton
 * colspan="2" | Black Manta
 * rowspan="2" | Mark Rolston
 * colspan="2" | Lex Luthor
 * Jonathan Kent
 * colspan="2" | Atom
 * Jesse McCartney
 * colspan="2" | Nightwing
 * rowspan="2" | Masasa Moyo
 * colspan="2" | Bumblebee
 * Sharon Vance
 * Khary Payton
 * colspan="2" | Black Manta
 * rowspan="2" | Mark Rolston
 * colspan="2" | Lex Luthor
 * Jonathan Kent
 * Khary Payton
 * colspan="2" | Black Manta
 * rowspan="2" | Mark Rolston
 * colspan="2" | Lex Luthor
 * Jonathan Kent
 * colspan="2" | Lex Luthor
 * Jonathan Kent
 * Jonathan Kent
 * colspan="3" | Ambassador (image)
 * colspan="3" | Aqualad
 * colspan="3" | Brain
 * colspan="3" | Cheshire
 * colspan="2" | Deathstroke
 * colspan="3" | Klarion
 * colspan="3" | Lagoon Boy
 * colspan="3" | Mal Duncan
 * colspan="3" | Mercy Graves
 * colspan="3" | Pieter Cross
 * colspan="3" | Psimon
 * colspan="3" | Queen Bee
 * colspan="3" | Ra's al Ghul
 * colspan="3" | Scientist
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Tye Longshadow (photograph)
 * colspan="3" | Virgil Hawkins (photograph)
 * colspan="3" | Mercy Graves
 * colspan="3" | Pieter Cross
 * colspan="3" | Psimon
 * colspan="3" | Queen Bee
 * colspan="3" | Ra's al Ghul
 * colspan="3" | Scientist
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Tye Longshadow (photograph)
 * colspan="3" | Virgil Hawkins (photograph)
 * colspan="3" | Ra's al Ghul
 * colspan="3" | Scientist
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Tye Longshadow (photograph)
 * colspan="3" | Virgil Hawkins (photograph)
 * colspan="3" | Tye Longshadow (photograph)
 * colspan="3" | Virgil Hawkins (photograph)
 * colspan="3" | Virgil Hawkins (photograph)
 * colspan="3" | Virgil Hawkins (photograph)

Continuity

 * The Atom and Bumblebee attempt to remove the Scarab from Jaime Reyes, which he requested in "Cornered".
 * Sportsmaster discusses the operation in Cape Canaveral in which Kaldur seemingly killed Artemis, which was shown in "Depths".
 * When fighting Black Beetle, Jaime Reyes refuses to allow the Scarab take full control of his armor and weapons when Robin and the Scarab suggest doing so, not wanting to risk causing the Reach apocalypse. Jaime had allowed the Scarab to take full control when confronting Black Beetle in "Before the Dawn".
 * Nightwing refers to not being able to risk losing any more bases, referring to the destruction of the Cave in "Darkest" and the Hall of Justice in "Cornered".

Trivia

 * Number 16: Alpha Squad takes a tour at LexCorp Farms at 16:38.

Goofs

 * Green Beetle instructs Blue Beetle to fire his sonic cannon at 27 angstroms precisely. An angstrom, equivalent to 0.1 nanometers, is a measure of electromagnetic radiation wavelength. A sonic cannon would presumably be based on mechanical oscillation, and is actually not electromagnetic in nature since electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light.

Cultural references

 * The Green Beetle's real name, B'arzz O'oomm, is a reference to Barsoom, the name of Mars in Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter novels.
 * Vandal Savage's quip "Fortune favors the prepared" to Sportsmaster is a reference to Louis Pasteur. The original quote by the French chemist was "Dans les champs de l'observation le hasard ne favorise que les esprits préparés", which translates to "In the fields of observation, fortune favors the prepared mind."

Unanswered questions

 * What is the alternative to removing the Scarab that Green Beetle referred to?
 * What is the additive that the Reach is using and what does it do?
 * What does Vandal Savage mean when he says that the Reach's drink contains everything that they need the body to need?
 * Why did Vandal Savage and Lex Luthor want the Team to procure the additive?