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Episode guide

"Denial" is the seventh episode of the first season of Young Justice, and the seventh of the overall series. It premiered on February 18, 2011.

Logline[]

When the Team investigates the disappearance of Kent Nelson (formerly Doctor Fate), the scientific-minded Wally West is forced to confront his disbelief in magic while battling Abra Kadabra and Klarion, for the ultra-powerful Helmet of Fate.[1]

Synopsis[]

The Helmet of Fate spins in space, its empty eyes are glowing.

 
New Orleans
July 27, 21:57 CDT
Abra absconds with Kent

Abra Kadabra abducts Kent Nelson.

Kent Nelson visits the fortune-telling shop of Madame Xanadu, who correctly perceives that he wishes to make contact to his dead wife, Inza. She promises to make contact, for a hefty fee, but when she starts to "channel" Inza's spirit, Kent merely laughs. He exposes Xanadu as a fraud, pointing out her wind machine and tire jacks to simulate spiritual presence, and admits disappointment since Xanadu has the "perfect aura for the work". Suddenly, Kent is grabbed by Abra Kadabra, who vanishes with him into thin air. Xanadu screams and flees into the back room, while Kent's staff rises from the ground and disappears itself.

 
Mount Justice
August 19, 19:39 EDT
Aqualad schooled by Superboy

Superboy defeats Kaldur in a training session.

In the Cave, Superboy and Kaldur engage in sparring practice. Megan and Artemis watch and talk about which of their teammates the other should date (Artemis suggesting that Megan ask out Kaldur, Megan saying that Artemis would look cute with Wally). Superboy finally beats Kaldur with a move he learned from Black Canary.

Red Tornado briefing the Team

Red Tornado informs the Team on the disappearance of Kent Nelson, the former Doctor Fate.

As Red Tornado passes through, Wally and the other young heroes ask if he has a mission for them (Batman being back in Gotham City fighting crime with Robin). Although not an official mission, Red Tornado tells them about Kent Nelson's disappearance, and that he used to be a hero named Doctor Fate in the Justice Society of America. Red Tornado further tells them that Kent is the guardian of the Helmet of Fate, a powerful artifact. Wally reveals to Artemis that he is immediately skeptical about Nelson's magical powers, guessing it's all science and misdirection, but volunteers to help when he thinks it will impress Megan, herself a believer. Red Tornado gives them a key to Kent Nelson's Tower of Fate in Salem and they leave in the Bio-Ship. En route, Artemis asks Wally about his "honest affinity for sorcery", but he refuses to admit his disbelief in front of Megan.

 
Salem
August 19, 20:22 EDT
Abra tortures Kent

Abra Kadabra torturing Kent Nelson to gain access to the Tower of Fate.

The Team arrives at Red Tornado's coordinates, but there's nothing there. Nearby, the cat Teekl sees them arrive and hurries to tell its master, Klarion, who is enjoying himself watching Abra Kadabra torture Kent Nelson so that he'll give them access to the Tower of Fate.

Meanwhile, the Team continues to search for the Tower but can find nothing. Wally is initially impressed with Artemis's suggestion of a scientific explanation for the Tower's disappearance, but pretends to believe in a mystical explanation for Megan. (Across the road, Klarion teases an invisible Abra Kadabra about using the very same science that Artemis suggested.) Kaldur deduces that access to the Tower requires an act of faith, and inserts the key into the invisible keyhole. The Tower of Fate itself appears around the key, and the Team enters. The door slams shut and immediately vanishes behind them.

Test failed

The Team fails the test of faith and plunges to a lava pit.

They are greeted by a spectral image of Kent Nelson, which asks them why they have come. Wally, still trying to impress Megan, claims that they are "true believers", and the ground beneath them immediately gives way, plunging them towards a lava pit far below. They manage to cling to the side of the pit, although Superboy's boots are melted.

Elsewhere, Klarion and Abra Kadabra gain access to the Tower using Kent as a hostage.

Artemis and Wally bicker

Artemis and Wally's bickering gets them in trouble.

The Team manages to avoid a fiery death when Megan tells the truth about their mission: that Red Tornado sent them to make sure Kent Nelson is okay. The lava instantly disappears. Artemis calls Wally out about his lying and claiming to be a "true believer", which nearly got them all killed. Wally admits that he can't believe in magic, and claims that everything can be explained by science. Even when Kaldur opens a trapdoor underneath their feet, revealing a snowy landscape instead of lava, Wally insists that it has transported them to a pocket dimension. When Megan asks why Wally is so mulishly opposed to the existence of magic, Aqualad, a former brief student from Atlantis's Conservatory of Sorcery, explains that Wally used his understanding of science to control what he could not comprehend and that to admit the existence of magic would be to relinquish the last vestiges of that control. In the snow, they find Kent's walking stick floating in the air. Wally and Artemis grab it at the same time, and it flies off and vanishes with them.

In the twisty, space-bending stairways of the Tower, Kent refuses to show Abra and Klarion how to find the helmet, so Abra proceeds to torture him again, much to Klarion's glee.

In the snow, Megan and Kaldur discuss Wally's refusal to believe in magic. Along with Superboy, they find a door in the air leading back into the main Tower.

Kent's last moments

Kent Nelson succumbs in Wally's arms.

Wally and Artemis appear, with the stick, on a platform across from Abra, Klarion and Kent. The staff re-energizes Kent, who flies over to it and uses it to get himself, Wally and Artemis away from the intruders. They enter an elevator and Kent introduces himself. He explains that, although Abra Kadabra is a charlatan that uses science to simulate magic, Klarion the Witch Boy is a Lord of Chaos, a being of tremendous magical power. They exit the elevator next to a giant bell, and Kaldur, Superboy and Megan soon fall from thin air next to them. Unfortunately, Abra and Klarion arrive soon as well, and Abra starts blasting them with electricity. Kent rings the bell with his walking stick, and as it glows he and Wally and Klarion walk into it and are transported to the very top of the Tower, exposed to the sky, where the Helmet of Fate is waiting. Klarion shoots Kent, but the old man has just enough time to encase himself, Wally and the Helmet in a magical bubble before succumbing to his injuries and dying. With his last breath, he tells Wally to believe in magic.

Wally puts on the Helmet

Wally puts on the Helmet of Fate.

As Klarion beats at the bubble, Wally tries to resuscitate Kent to no avail. He receives a telepathic message from Megan—they are losing the fight against Abra and need Doctor Fate. Wally realizes that this is a "test of faith", just like the key. As Wally is about to put on the helmet, Klarion warns him that if he puts the helmet on, then he will risk being unable to ever get it off. As Klarion manages to break through the bubble, Wally puts on the Helmet and finds himself in a calm, dark and echoey place—the inside of the Helmet of Fate. To Wally's surprise, Kent appears there with him. Kent is indeed dead, but his soul was brought into the Helmet along with Wally's.

Klarion flees

Overpowered, Klarion flees.

Wally is alive, but his body is now being controlled by Nabu, the real Doctor Fate, master of the Helmet, and a Lord of Order. Wally and Kent watch as Doctor Fate (in Wally's body) battles Klarion. Fate eventually emerges victorious when he realizes that Teekl, Klarion's familiar, is also Klarion's anchor on the Earthly plane (just as the Helmet is Nabu's anchor), forcing Klarion to flee. Inside the Tower, Doctor Fate makes Abra's clothes and technology disappear, allowing Superboy to punch him unconscious.

Wally released by Nabu

Wally is allowed to remove the Helmet.

Nabu does not want to relinquish control of Wally's body, not wishing to be cooped up in the Helmet for the rest of his existence. The soul of Kent Nelson convinces him that it wouldn't happen, since Wally will make sure the Helmet is put to good use, and further offers to remain inside the Helmet to keep Nabu company. He's willing to hold off his reunion with Inza for a few millennia; after all, when he meets her again, they'll have all eternity together. Before Wally goes, Kent gives him one last piece of advice: "Find your own little spitfire, one who won't let you get away with nothin'. For example, that--" but is cut off when Wally removes the Helmet.

 
Mount Justice
August 20, 03:48 EDT
Artemis flirts

Artemis teases Wally.

Wally places the Helmet of Fate on his shelf of souvenirs. He tells Artemis he still doesn't believe in magic, despite all he has seen, and she calls him a geek. Wally is reminded of Kent's last advice and appears uneasy, but immediately brushes the thought aside and tries to take Miss Martian on a date to a magic show.

Title[]

The title may refer to Kid Flash's denial, either of magic or of his attraction to Artemis, or both.

Cast and characters[]

Voice actor Character
Stephanie Lemelin Artemis
Danica McKellar M'gann M'orzz
Nolan North Superboy
Khary Payton Kaldur'ahm
Jason Spisak Wally West
Thom Adcox Klarion  
Edward Asner Kent Nelson  
Jeff Glenn Bennett Red Tornado
Abra Kadabra  
Kevin Michael Richardson Nabu  
Cree Summer Madame Xanadu  
Non-speaking roles
Bio-Ship
Inza Nelson (picture)  
Teekl  
Full credits
7 Character debut
0 Speaking debut
0 Episode debut


Ratings[]

"Denial" garnered an average of 1.1 million viewers among kids and boys between 9 and 14.[2]

Continuity[]

Trivia[]

Language translations[]

Language Speaker Spell Meaning
Latin Kent Nelson Certe toto sentio nos in kansate non iam adesse![3] Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more!

Goofs[]

  • Madame Xanadu's name is spelled "Madam" on the door of her shop, and "Madame" in the credits. It should be the latter.[4]
  • When Red Tornado discussed Kent Nelson's disappearance, a biography was briefly visible. It stated that Kent Nelson was 106 years old, and was born in 1928. This information was taken from Wikipedia (as had occurred with Red Tornado in "Welcome to Happy Harbor") and is not part of the continuity of the show.[5]
  • The distortion effect usually applied to Red Tornado's voice was absent during this episode.
  • A brief moment after Artemis and Wally are transported to the Tower of Fate, Miss Martian's eyes disappear.
  • On Wally's souvenir shelf, the arrow that Artemis used to save him from Amazo in "Schooled" is the wrong shape—the arrowhead resembles those used by Green Arrow, not those used by Artemis.

Cultural references[]

Questions[]

Questions
For complete answers to the questions in this section, click here.

Answered questions[]

Quotes[]

  • Superboy: Those were my favorite boots. This Nelson guy better be worth it.
  • Kid Flash: Fine! Fine! I lied about believing in magic. But magic is the real lie, a major load.
  • Kid Flash: Yes! That's how we kick it on the earthly plane! Uhh, it's over, right? Why isn't Nabu taking off the Helmet?
  • Kent Nelson: Find your own little spitfire, one who won't let you get away with nothin'.
  • Artemis: Wait, you're still claiming there's no such thing as magic? (Scoffs) If that's how you feel, why keep it at all?
  • Kid Flash: ...Souvenir.
  • Artemis: Geek!

Home video releases[]

References[]

  1. Allstetter, Rob (2011-01-29). "YOUNG JUSTICE EPISODES FOR FEBRUARY". Comics Continuum. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  2. Seidman, Robert (2011-02-23). Ratings Notes for TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, truTV; Including NBA All-Star Game, 'Conan,' 'Southland,' 'Clone Wars' & More. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Weisman, Greg (2012-05-04). Question #14803. Ask Greg. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
  4. Weisman, Greg (2011-11-18). Question #13699. Ask Greg. Retrieved 2011-11-18.
  5. Weisman, Greg (2012-02-07). Question #14186. Ask Greg. Retrieved 2012-03-25.

External links[]

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