"The Lady, or the Tigress?" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of Young Justice, and the 80th of the overall series. It will debut on November 18, 2021 on HBO Max.
Ma'alefa'ak meets with a group of A'ashenn, and assures them that, though their gene bomb failed, they have succeeded in spreading terror among G'arrunns and B'lahdenns. They are interrupted by the arrival of a furious Miss Martian, who knocks out the A'ashenn before confronting her brother over Conner's death. Ma'alefa'ak claims not to have known about the Kryptonite in the bomb, or even what Kryptonite is. M'gann refuses to believe her brother until he opens his mind for her to read, confirming he is telling the truth. M'gann is shocked while Ma'alefa'ak takes the opportunity to escape via a boom tube using a Fatherbox as Martian Manhunter tries to stop him. M'gann is left devastated, realizing she has no one to blame for Conner's death and cries in J'onn's arms as he comforts her.
Tigress, Onyx and Cassandra Savage fly over the sea on the Super-Cycle, as Artemis recites from The Lady, or the Tiger? in voice over. Cassandra tries to explain that she never intended for the current situation and offered to turn herself over to Lady Shiva, prompting another argument with Onyx, who once again accused her of dishonesty. Tigress ended the argument, stating that they needed to focus on rescuing Orphan and that her team doesn't leave people behind. Over the comm, Oracle tells Tigress that while she admires the sentiment...
...they know that one of the two former Shadows is deceiving them; someone accessed the computer system at the Vault and stole Justice League data. While the Batfamily is currently busy dealing with a Two-Face-Penguin turf war in Gotham City, Oracle says they will gladly come to Tigress aid if needed: Orphan is one of their own. Tigress chooses to go it alone.
Lady Shiva visits Orphan, who is chained in a cell. She tells her daughter about her disappointment and confusion at her defection. She had sent her on a simple mission, but Cassandra not only failed, she turned against her own mother.
Lady Shiva presents Cassandra with a sword, telling her she is ready. Her first target was a former asset to the Light, but no longer. Shiva begins to play a recording the target sent to Vandal Savage; the Joker appears on the monitor, laughing.
Martian Manhunter is on Baby, communicating with Hawkwoman on the Watchtower. Hawkwoman explains that they have accounted for all known Kryptonite, but J'onn notes that doesn't mean there wasn't more elsewhere. Shayera agrees, but that still leaves them without any leads. As he signs off, Manhunter turns to M'gann, who was listening behind him, and she wordlessly slips away.
Artemis resumes The Lady, or the Tigress? in voice over, as Tigress, Onyx and Savage finish donning diving gear and jump from the Super-Cycle into the water. They swim through a minefield, and then through some caves. Then Onyx cuts her leg, attracting the attention of a tiger shark. Savage saves her, stabbing the shark before it can attack. The trio reach the shore, and walk onto the beach. As they discard their diving gear, Tigress discreetly launches a camouflaged mini-drone. Later, as they scale a cliff, Savage loses her footing and falls, but is saved by Onyx and her whip.
The trio then silently take down a number of Shadow lookouts. Tigress is almost shot by one of the Shadows, but is saved by Onyx and Savage. Oracle tells Tigress that she knows she saw the Shadow, and asks if she was testing the pair of defectors. Tigress ignores her, and tells her companions that once the guards fail to report in Shiva will know they are there in time for her deadline. They are on the wrong side of the island, however, and with daylight approaching, they will need a rabbithole to wait out in.
Santa Prisca April 21, 01:02ECT
At Orphan's cell, Black Spider and Rictus arrive to report that they have lost contact with section 16, meaning Tigress's group - and the League's data - has arrived. Shiva calls Shade, having him bring the vessel to receive the data. Though Tigress comes to trade one Cassandra for another, and expecting to keep both, Shiva makes it clear that she will leave with neither. Shiva also assures her daughter that, although the Light wants the League's data, she was only interested in getting her daughter back and giving her a second chance to fulfil her destiny.
The Joker's message to Savage continues. He had heard from Poison Ivy that the Injustice League had been set up to take a fall for the Light, and everyone knew the truth except the Joker. Even Riddler. Worse, the Joker had been caught up in the senseless violence - and senseless violence is the Joker's gag. He was furious Savage had stolen his punchline, but assured him he had a new routine, and in the style of the Riddler, hinted at his target in a riddle before impatiently revealing it anyway: the U.N.
At the United Nations, Joker cackles atop the main podium as the delegates look on in horror, Joker venom bombs suspended from the ceiling above them. As Joker explains his motivations to Secretary-General Lex Luthor, the Bat family quietly disarms the Joker's bombs. When his attempt to detonate them fails, and Batman lands behind him, Joker sets of a smoke bomb and flees. Batgirl activates her infra-red lenses and spots a small figure with a sword pursuing Joker.
Gotham City April 21, 19:03EDT
Barbara listens as Tigress tells the others that she wants no arguments; they must not attract the Shadows attention until they are ready. Barbara pleads with Tigress not to drag out Orphan's rescue. In a cave, Tigress, Onyx and Savage await nightfall. When night comes, the group moves through the jungle until they reach the Shadows's headquarters. They are suspicious at the lack of guards. Tigress notes that it always comes down to choosing the right door.
Back on Mars, M'gann hugs her parents goodbye. Her mother urges her to stay with her family, but M'gann has responsibilities on Earth. As M'gann walks out, J'ann realizes that she does not ever plan on returning. M'gann tells her that she isn't planning anything. Em'ree watches with concern.
Back at Santa Prisca, Tigress and crew look on as Oracle disables the League HQ's generators. Onyx and Savage are shocked, by Tigress notes that they aren't the only ones with secrets. They move in, sneaking past or taking down numerous Shadows, until Savage announces that they are close to where she suspects Orphan is held. Onyx takes the cue to put her sword to Savage's throat, saying that she will go no further.
Back on Mars, M'gann and J'onn finish loading Baby with supplies for the journey back to Earth. Em'ree arrives and tells them she wants to accompany them to Earth, to get to know her sister and her adopted planet better. J'onn welcomes her, but M'gann is utterly indifferent. J'onn tells Babay they are ready, and the Bio-Ship sets off, leaving M'gann and Em'ree's parents behind. J'ann and M'aatt clasp hands as J'ann says she fears they have lost both daughters.
Back at Shadow HQ, Onyx pleads her case to Tigress, saying that she knows Savage is a traitor and they must not let her go further. She is interrupted by an invisible force moving her sword - seemingly Savage's missing arm. Savage throws Onyx to the ground, then reveals a Glamour Charm before pulling it off. Her missing arm appears as the scarring on her face vanishes. Veins begin to bulge on her newly visible arm before bursting to emit a moving cloud. Oracle confirms the cloud are Infiltrators, but becomes distracted when her drone finds Orphan.
At the U.N., Cassandra strikes at Joker, but Batgirl pushes him out of the way, getting slashed across her back in the process. Cassandra falls to her knees beside Batgirl and pulls of her bloodied mask. Nightwing comes to Batgirl's side. Joker laughs and tries to escape, but is taken down by Batwoman, Spoiler and Robin. Nightwing calls A-33 for a medevac. Batgirl takes Orphan's hand and tells her that she was not trying to save Joker, she was trying to save her.
Oracle's drone approaches Orphan, and Oracle speaks to her through it, reassuring Orphan that she was going to get her out, but soon realizes she needs to get back to Tigress. The drone drops a lockpick into Orphan's hands before flying off, leaving Orphan to try and free herself. As the Infiltrators approach their vessel, Tigress shoots a bolt at them, but Savage catches it. Oracle's drone arrives just in time and disrupts the Infiltrators with a sonic pulse. Onyx gives Tigress "and I told you so", but Tigress notes that it still isn't proven that Onyx is trustworthy. Oracle calls for Tigress to focus on Orphan. Tigress and Onyx confront Savage, noting that it is two against one, but the odds change with the arrival of Black Spider, Rictus and Shade. Before the Shadows can take advantage, however, Savage is hit by a smoke-emitting dart before being taken down by Cheshire. Cheshire then triggers more smoke, allowing herself, Tigress and Onyx to escape and head for the cell block. Tigress tells her sister that she knew she would come, though Jade doubts she had no doubts, and Artemis refuses to admit to any.
They reach Orphan's cell, but before they can do more than say a few words to her, Shade transports himself, Black Spider, Rictus, a group of Shadows and, finally, Lady Shiva behind them. Shiva calls on them to surrender or die. Artemis once more recites from The Lady, or the Tiger? in voice over, as Tigress contemplates her choice.
End credits scene: Miss Martian, Martian Manhunter and Em'ree travel back to Earth on Baby in silence, over which Artemis recites the end of Frank R. Stockton's The Lady, or the Tiger?.
Title[]
The title is a play on the popular short story "The Lady, or the Tiger?" by Frank R. Stockton which Artemis reads as narration to the episode. This keeps in theme with the other literary episode titles in Artemis's arc of season four. The short story is about choices, and false choices, which is reflected in the episode as Tigress must decide who to trust between Onyx and Cassandra Savage. Tigress also references choosing the right door when entering the Shadows's HQ, referring to the choice of doors in the short story. Two "tigers" also appear in the episode; Tigress herself, and the tiger shark that attacks Onyx. A copy of a collection of Stockton's short stories is seen on Oracle's desk.
Oracle laconically alludes to Jason Todd's, the second Robin, off-screen death.
The Joker's grudge against Vandal Savage goes back to episode "Revelation", in which he partook in an overt attack as a member of the Injustice League, but as he later found out (off-screen) that was a smokescreen to hide the real Light. He even mentions the title of the episode in passing and some of its footage is briefly seen.