"Unity"

You may also be looking for the supervillain alien Unity.

"Unity" is the tenth and final episode of the third season of Superman: The Animated Series, and the 51st of the overall series. It depicts an alien plot to take over the world by infecting everyone with a hive mind. After the aliens have taken over Smallville, Supergirl finds herself in the middle of this conspiracy. Now she and Superman must find a way to stop these aliens before they manage to take over the world.

Plot[]

It's a peaceful day in Smallville, and today is extra special for Kara. It's the start of Spring Break and she's going to spend it in Metropolis. After literally speeding through her chores, she is taken to the bus stop where she's given comic books by a young boy who's interested in her. Just before she gets on the bus, she bumps into a tall, dark man dressed as a reverend, who creeps her out.

As the week ends, Supergirl sends a letter to Jonathan and Martha Kent, telling them about how she's met celebrities and been around the city. She also explains that she's been Supergirl in Metropolis and beat Volcana. However, now that the week has ended, she has to go back to Smallville, much to her dismay.

While on the bus, she is bored into action and runs home. When she returns to her house, Streaky greets her, but is afraid of the Kents. They tell Kara that they wish to take her somewhere special, and take her to a circus tent. The reverend emerges and explains that he's preaching unity, "the one true source of universal bliss," and Kara is to join them. Upon entering into the tent, Kara sees that the people are connected to an alien creature by tentacles emerging from their mouths and foreheads. Kara runs out and Supergirl arrives. However, when Kara hits the reverend, everyone in the room is hurt. Supergirl grabs Martha and flies off.

In the hospital, Superman arrives, and the two heroes learn that an alien parasite has wrapped around Martha's brain stem and cannot be removed without killing her. Just then, Martha starts to stir and recognizes Kara. However, she slips back into a coma and Superman takes Kara out of the room. In the meantime, the doctors learn that the parasite feeds off of the electrical impulses in a person's brain. Just as they realize this, Martha awakens glassy-eyed and pale. She then approaches the doctors.

Wishing to learn more about what he's fighting, Superman examines a fragment of the parasite taken from Martha and uses his x-ray vision through a microscope. The parasite dissolves under the radiation. While Superman examines the parasite, Supergirl decides to check up on Martha. However, when she returns, the doctors claim she's better and that "there's no greater healer than unity." They too have been infected, and attack her without warning. Supergirl tries to fight back, but is afraid to because of the fact her actions will hurt everyone. She is captured and bound by the trio's tentacles and almost forced to join. Fortunately, Superman arrives and kills off the parasites with his x-ray vision, subduing them and saving Martha.

Together, Superman and Kara head off to stop the rest of the Smallville citizens who are preparing to spread out and infect more of the world. A silo is pushed over and the road is blocked preventing their exit. The group attacks Supergirl, but she manages to defeat them with her x-ray vision. Superman decides that he'll deal with the reverend himself. Angered, the reverend reveals his true form, a huge tentacled monster much like the one Kara saw earlier. Superman tries to use his x-ray vision, but it's not strong enough. The reverend and the other alien try to force Superman to join them, but Supergirl blows up the subjugating alien and Superman rips the reverend in half. He then destroys it with his x-ray vision.

Later, Kara is back at home and now appreciates the peace of Smallville and her normal life.

Continuity[]

• This episode takes place after the crossover episode of The New Batman Adventures, "Girl's Night Out", since Kara knows Barbara's secret identity.
• Kara mentions that Barbara will be jealous that the Metropolis Meteors made Kara their official "Bat-girl", showcasing their continued friendship established in The New Batman Adventures episode "Girl's Night Out".

Background information[]

Home video releases[]

• Superman: The Animated Series, Volume Three (DVD)
• Superman: The Complete Animated Series (DVD)
• Superman: The Complete Animated Series (Blu-ray)

Production notes[]

• When Volcana is fighting Supergirl, there are two full screen frames of a fire explosion that are reused footage from "Where There's Smoke" when Volcana blasted Superman with a fire ball in the parking lot.

Production inconsistencies[]

• The last time Volcana was seen in "Where There's Smoke", she was stranded in a deserted island, where she was seemingly conformed and redeemed. Her return to a life of crime, as well as her escape from the island, is never explained in detail.

Trivia[]

• Last appearance of Volcana in this series. She returns in Justice League.
• In a featurette discussing the series, Bruce Timm mentioned that this episode is unpopular with fans for being weird and grotesque, but that he's a fan of it, a sentiment echoed by Paul Dini as well.
• Since the Reverend Howell doesn't seem to know Kara and Supergirl are one in the same, it can be assumed the parasites don't extract information from their victims' minds.
• First time Superman has been shown to be willing to kill.
• When Kara reads the comic book Owen gives her, she makes the remark "Spider Powers? Eww," a reference to Spider-Man from Marvel Comics.

Cast[]

Uncredited appearances[]

• Jimmy Olsen
• Lois Lane
• Streaky
• Metropolis Meteors

Quotes[]