Gargoyles Meets The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Young Justice: The Cosmos is a non-canonical Radio Play crossover between three Greg Weisman projects: Gargoyles, The Spectacular Spider-Man, and Young Justice. It was produced for CONvergence 2016 and performed on July 2, 2016.
It is the third of Weisman's crossover radio plays, and the second to include Young Justice, acting as a sequel to Religious Studies 101: A Handful of Thorns and Recruits. It is followed by Musicology 101: Songs of the Theme. They take place after the final issue of the canonical Gargoyles comics SLG Publishing run, "Phoenix", the final episode of The Spectacular Spider-Man, "Final Curtain", and Young Justice's second season finale, "Endgame".
Khary Payton reprised his roles as Aqualad, Black Manta and others, performing alongside Weisman, Christopher Jones, scientist James Kakalios, and a cast of fans.
Synopsis[]
The narrator gives a recap of events in the previous radio play, including Angela, Lexington and Broadway being offered membership on the Team. Spider-Man interjects that he was also invited, but had to turn them down. The narrator berates him for wasting time, forcing them to cut to...
A Manta Trooper acts as announcer and tenor sax for Black Manta's Celebrity Hot Tub. After the three singers, Cheshire, Maggie the Cat and Black Cat, introduce themselves, the Trooper introduces Black Manta, and his guest Black Beetle. Manta vaporizes Beetle without a word.
|
Angela prepares to Zeta from the Eyrie Building to the Watchtower. Brooklyn and Katana see her off, but are not worried about her on this particular mission, cryptically refering to the timestream.
|
Angela joins Alpha Squad alongside Aqualad, Blue Beetle, Wolf, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash. Aqualad breifs them on their mission. In Bloomington, Minnesota, a group of scientists met to discuss the possibility of creating practical time travel. Bart remembers it as the start of real time travel. The Squad must protect them against those who might target them.
As the title is announced, Carl Sagan interjects , thinking they are doing his show Cosmos. When he is corrected, he instead goes back to...
Black Manta's Celebrity Hot Tub, this time with special guest Black Lantern. John Stewart objects to the rename and, after some confusion about a different Jon Stewart, is vaporized by Manta.
|
Peter Parker is at the CONvergence convention for the time travel seminar, and mistakes Zatanna for Gwen Stacy due to their similar voice. Zatanna and Captain Marvel are also present, to perform and enter a cosplay contest, respectively, and are recruited by Aqualad. Recognising the heroes, Peter changes into his Spider-Man gear.
They meet with lead scientist James Kakalios. Kid Flash quickly finishes their prototype time machine. (Khary Payton is incensed at how easily they build it.) Doctor Octopus arrives and attempts to steal the time machine on the Light's behalf. When Kid Flash tries to race away with it, his kinetic energy activates the machine, sending the whole group back in time. Left behind, an amazed James Kakalios decides to check back in with...
Black Manta's Celebrity Hot Tub, this time with special guest Black Canary. After some awkwardness at the fact Canary is not actually black, Manta vaporizes her.
The heroes recover ouside a palace, but Doc Ock and the time machine are gone. Elsewhere in Egypt, Vandal Savage has gathered a group of "enlightened" individuals to join his mission to oppose Prince Khufu, Princess Chay-Ara, Thoth and Isis, allowing Earth to take its rightful place at the center of the cosmos. Neil deGrasse Tyson interjects, confused about which "Cosmos" is being referred to, like Sagan before him. Doc Ock appraoches them with the time machine, just as Savage (in the future) had planned. (Khary objects to everyone speaking English in ancient Egypt. Greg Weisman retcons in Zatanna casting a translation spell.)
Prince Khufu approaches the heroes and demands they declare their intentions. When Kaldur identifies himself as Atlantean, Khufu assumes he must be part of Savage's cabal and has the group arrested. Meanwhile, Savage welcomes Doc Ock to the Cosmos, his group consisting of Teth-Adam; Arion, Lord of Atlantis; Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons; Beetle Blue, host to the Scarab; and Nabu, who is stuck in a helmet, requiring a host. The show moves on to...
Black Manta's Celebrity Hot Tub, this time with special guest Black Lightning, who refuses to get in the tub unless Manta removes his helmet. Manta begrusgingly does so, revealing a helmet-shaped afro. Manta then blasts Lighning with his shoulder rocket launcher.
Back at the palace, Khufu argues with Princess Chay-Ara, who believes the newcomers deserve the benefit of the doubt. Zatanna summons Isis to vouch for them, who does so. Khufu and Chay-Ara don Nth Metal wings to lead the group against the Cosmos. Aqualad reminds Arion that he was a legend for bringing peace to Atlantis, and Wonder Girl tells Hippolyta she will be a second mother to her, teaching her to fight for peace not vengeance. Both are convinced they have chosen the wrong side, and leave. (Khary objects to how easily they are dealt with.)
Zatanna and Isis magically cleanse Beetle Blue, but the host-girl immediately dons the Helmet of Fate. Isis summons Thoth to free her. When Thoth declares himself an expert on avatars, a couple of other avatars mistakenly join in. Thoth succeeds, but the host-girl is soon distracted by a "precious" ring. Thoth is pleased with how well the spell worked and decides to write it down. Zatanna tearfully realizes she may have a way to free her father.
Teth-Adam and Captain Marvel face off, but Marvel tells him in his time he is known as Black Adam, meaning it is time for...
Black Manta's Celebrity Hot Tub, this time with special guest Black Adam. Manta calls Adam into the tub and vaporizes him.
Back at the fight, Marvel is satisfied. Savage and Doctor Octopus are outmatched, and seek to escape. Spider-Man captures Doc Ock, and Kid Flash takes back the time machine and dismantles it. Spider-Man bemoans the fact they haven't used it to go home yet. Prince Khufu banishes Savage from Egypt. Savage is unphased and leaves.
As everyone worries about how to get home, Angela remembers what Brooklyn and Katana said before she left and is relaxed. Sure enough, the Phoenix Gate opens and Brooklyn, Katana and Fu-Dog emerge. The Phoenix soon reappears and whisks the time travelers away.
|
Brick is about to pull the crime of the century. (Khary is angry at the introduction of a new villain so late in the story, but Greg reminds him that he damanded every one of his Young Justice characters appear, alongside someone else.) Just then Cyborg arrives, though Brick is convinced Cyborg is not able to stop him alone. Then the Phoenix appears and deposits the Team. Once Brick and Doc Ock are imprisoned, the heroes all go to...
Black Manta's Celebrity Hot Tub, this time with special guest Blackualad. Manta is not amused at the name for his son. He turns to find the hot tub filled with Kaldur and his friends in their swimwear.
Title[]
"The Cosmos" is the name of the the Light-esque group Vandal Savage assembles in ancient Egypt. Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson confuse the name of the play and Savage's team with their own shows named Cosmos; Cosmos: A Personal Voyage and Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, respectively.
Cast and characters[]
With the exception of Greg Weisman, Khary Payton, Christopher Jones and James Kakalios, the cast is composed of fans who auditoned for the play while at the convention.
Voice actor | Character | |
---|---|---|
Greg Weisman | Narrator | |
Khary Payton | Khary | |
Aqualad | ||
Black Manta | ||
Black Lightning | ||
Cyborg | ||
Brick | ||
Christopher Jones | Manta Trooper | |
Alana | Zatanna | |
Clarence | Kid Flash | |
Nick | Spider-Man/Peter Parker | |
Kirstie | Angela | |
Wendy | Black Cat | |
Melissa | Vandal Savage | |
Laura | Cheshire | |
Tanya | Maggie the Cat | |
Lucas | Blue Beetle | |
Dave | Doctor Octopus | |
James Kakalios | James Kakalios | |
Neil deGrasse Tyson | ||
Carl Sagan | ||
Steven | Captain Marvel | |
Liz | Isis | |
Anthony | Thoth | |
Steve | Teth-Adam/Black Adam | |
Kara | Wonder Girl | |
Rachael | Beetle Blue/Host-Girl | |
Dan | Brooklyn | |
Ty | Prince Khufu | |
David | Wolf | |
Ashley | Justice League Computer | |
Taylor | Nabu | |
Jess | Katana | |
Rachel | Princess Chay-Ara | |
Corrine | Fu-Dog | |
Brian | Green Lantern | |
Jason | Arion | |
Jill | Hippolyta | |
Tim | Black Beetle | |
Emily | Black Canary | |
Dante | Goliath | |
Korey | Aang | |
Dirk | Sully | |
Gabriella | Captain Planet |
0 | Character debut |
0 | Speaking debut |
0 | Episode debut |
Continuity[]
- Angela is now a member of the Team, and Doctor Octopus is a member of the Light. They joined their respective groups in "Recruits".
- Kid Flash shows his expertise in time travel. He built and used a time machine in "Bloodlines".
- Vandal Savage's speech about the Cosmos's purpose is almost word for word what he said about the Light in "Auld Acquaintance".
- Zatanna summons Isis, recalling having done so previously in "Intervention". They use the same cleansing spell from that episode to cleanse Beetle Blue.
- Zatanna hopes to use the spell Thoth used to free the host-girl from Doctor Fate to free her father. He became host to Fate in "Misplaced".
Trivia[]
- Number 16:
- In addition to the three shows in the title, the play interpolates from Black Manta's Celebrity Hot Tub, an unproduced Young Justice spin-off of comedy shorts pitched by Greg Weisman and Khary Payton to DC Nation.
- Like the previous radio play, Weisman wrote The Cosmos in three nights.
- Angela has the designation B-27. This would later be given to Arrowette in canon.
- The time travel conference in the play takes place in a hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota on July 2, 2016. The play was performed at CONvergence at a hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota on July 2, 2016.
Cultural references[]
- James Kakalios is a scientist, the author of The Physics of Superheroes, and a frequent guest at CONvergence.
- John Stewart is confused for Jon Stewart, who at the time the play was written had relatively recently left as host of The Daily Show. He was replaced by Trevor Noah, as noted in the play.
- In DC Comics, Prince Khufu and Princess Chay-Ara were an ancient Egyptian couple. After they were murdered, they were cursed to be reincarnated for eternity, finding each other and falling in love, only to be murdered once more. One of their reincarnations is as Hawkman and Hawkwoman. Whether this holds true for the Young Justice versions of the Hawks remains to be seen.
- When Thoth declares himself an expert on avatars, Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender and Sully from James Cameron's Avatar appear.
- After Thoth invokes Isis's power, she grants it, telling him "the power is yours." Captain Planet from Captain Planet and the Planeteers then appears, recognising his catchphrase.
- Host-Girl is infatuated with a "precious" ring. This is a reference to the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings books and films.
- When Teth-Adam is reluctant to speak a wizard's name, referring to Shazam, the source of his power, Captain Marvel briefly thinks he means Voldemort from the Harry Potter books and films, a wizard who many are reluctant to call by name.
- The play references Khary Payton's role as Cyborg in Teen Titans, which he reprises.
- Given that Black Manta's hot tub appears through out the time travel adventure, it may be a reference to the 2010 film Hot Tub Time Machine.