Geekscape Recaps: ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ – Pilot

Legends of Tomorrow got off to a fantastic start. The pilot episode had tons of DC Universe references and character pairings we didn’t know we wanted until we got them. We also got some answers as to why Rip Hunter didn’t approach any of the Justice League members and why each Legend was selected. So let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoiler Ahead!

While the assembly of the team felt a little rushed at times, the pacing was kept even all the way through. We each got a refresher course on who these characters are and what their state of mind is right now. What’s even more impressive is how well each character transitioned over into this show. I feel that’s why the quick refresher course worked so well because we’ve seen these people before and we know what they’ve been all about up until this point.

What’s even more significant is that we finally get to dig deeper into the presonal problems these characters all have. For example, Ray Palmer feels insignificant despite creating the Atom suit and making other technological advancements. The same can probably be said about Martin Stein. Regardless, each of these characters has their reasoning for embarking on this trip and all seem to be in pursuit of finding themselves.

I belive the same can be said about Captain Cold and Heat Wave. While they intend to keep up their criminal lifestyle, I feel as though these two will be coming out the other side changed in one way or another. But will Rip Hunter wipe each of the team member’s memories once the mission is completed? Isn’t that the question of the day…

Rip Hunter

Hunter’s tragic story is told at the start of the series. His lover and his son were both murdered in cold blood by Vandal Savage. With revenge in mind, Hunter petitions the Time Master Council for permission to lead a sanctioned mission to destroy Vandal Savage before he ever comes into power. After denying him that, Hunter steals a time-traveling ship to embark on an unsanctioned mission to destroy Vandal Savage. That’s where our “Legends” come in.

As we’d come to find out, Hunter lied to the “Legends” in an effort to get them join him on his crusade. Turns out that none of the people he recruited for the team had any impact on the overall timeline. This news came as a bit of a blow to the team and was reminiscent of Reverse-Flash giving the same news to another Rogue, Captain Boomerang in the comics:

After stealing the ship, we can assume that Hunter was stripped of his “Captain” status and was probably declared a fugitive by the Time Masters Council. This lead to a sort of time-traveling bounty hunter to be hot on Hunter’s trail.

Chronos

Chronos has a few scenarios as to where he came from. Originally starting as an Atom villain, Chronos was often painted as a petty criminal early on. Over time, his ability to bend space and time began to be showcased in the comics. He has more than a few different appearances and a few people who have taken up the mantle of Chronos. With that being said, a time-traveling Chronos has been seen before. For those of you keeping track, Chronos has appeared in animated series too, most prominently in an episode of Justice League.

In the episode, Chronos time travels into the past to steal ancient artifacts. One of the artifacts Chronos happened to be after was a utility belt found in the Justice League’s watchtower. A couple of Leaguers jumped into a time vortex in pursuit of Chronos, which lead them to Gotham City in the future. With the help of Batman Beyond, Chronos was stopped. Now, will we see a live-action Batman Beyond in Legends of Tomorrow? One can dream.

Chronos in Legends of Tomorrow seems to be employed by the Time Council in an attempt to wrangle Rip Hunter back into the fold and prevent him from damaging the timeline. After all, the Council is only worried about protecting the timeline and not the world itself.

Gideon

Two Gideon sightings in two nights?! Amazing! In case you forgot, Gideon is an artificial intelligence that was created by Barry Allen, The Flash. Gideon was obviously created in the future, when the technology is accessible to Barry. However, it’s extremely important to note that Gideon once made reference to the Justice League in a Flash episode in the first season. Along with stating she was created by Barry, she addressed Barry as “one of the founding members of the -” before being cut off by Cisco.

We now know that Gideon has been used by Barry Allen in the future, Reverse-Flash Eobard Thawne, presumably the Justice League, and now, at the end of time, Rip Hunter. I think it’s safe to say Gideon is DC’s R2-D2; She’s seen it all.

Norway, 1975

The episode ends in 1975 Norway. It can be assumed that our Legends will be heading back into the 70s to try and take out Savage before he gets up to no good. Savage does remark that he plans on starting another war. He says this as he brushes up against what we can assume is a nuclear weapon. In the 1970’s, Norway, in partnership with Yugoslavia, had some involvement in the creation of nuclear weapons. The “war” Savage alludes to will probably be stopped by the Legends.

It’s been quite a ride these past three days, but it’s been fun! Thanks for reading and I’ll see you all next week!