Sidekicks Assemble! - Recap

Several years previously, Batman and the other adult heroes assemble at their orbital headquarters to deal with an oncoming meteor. Batman, Aquaman, and Green Arrow bring their respective sidekicks Robin, Aqualad, and Speedy along, but they are left to their own devices. Robin and Aqualad are soon arguing and their mentors break up the fight. Batman decides to teach them teamwork and discipline by training them in a combat simulator that projects lifelike hardlight villains. After they defeat the first wave of villains despite their differences, Speedy suggests they team up in the future. Robin and Aqualad both disagree but jokingly agree that whoever defeats the most villains will be their leader. They finally triumph and Robin wins, and he then says that they should become a team now that he'd be the leader.



In the present, masked figures break into STAR Labs and steal a piece of equipment. Robin, Aqualad, and Speedy are on their trail and a fight begins. However, when the sidekicks' mentors arrive, they argue and the thieves escape under cover of smoke. Both teams are aware that the thieves were working for R'as al Ghul, and they retire to the Hall of Justice to trade information. Ra's, accompanied by his daughter Talia and his massive bodyguard Ubu, is planning to make a major strike against humanity on behalf of nature. Batman has traced Ra's's energy emissions to one of two islands. Believing that Batman wants to put them out of harm's way and is bluffing, Robin chooses the island that his mentor claims has little or no energy emissions.

The two teams go to their respective islands and Aqualad is soon complaining that Robin picked the wrong island. On the other island, Batman explains that he knew Robin would think he was up to something, so he told the truth. However, the heroes realize that they are on the wrong island when Ra's projects a hologram of himself to greet them and sets a giant Venus Fly Trap upon them.



The villain's henchmen emerge from hiding and prepare to attack the three teen heroes. Their leader is Talia, who Robin flirts with briefly. Disgusted, Aqualad begins a fight and the superheroes easily overwhelm the opposition. Robin confronts Talia and manages to briefly restrain her.

Batman cuts himself free with a Batlaser and then releases the others from the Fly Trap's vines. However, they soon start arguing with each other.

The last henchman goes down, but Ra's arrives and gasses the teenager heroes unconscious. They wake up tied to metal poles in his secret mountain base. Ra's explains that he is using the stolen part to complete his chloro-cannon. He plans to target Coast City and bury it beneath plant life intent on eradicating humanity. The villain offers Robin the chance to rule at his side, admitting that Talia could never be a replacement for a male heir. Robin refuses. Disgusted, Talia walks away from her father. Ra's lowers the heroes on a platform into a chamber below. Giant saws activate but Talia blasts open the chamber from beneath. She gives Robin and Speedy their equipment back and explains that she's only helping them because her father betrayed them. She tells Robin that he needs to stop living in his mentor's shadow and warns him that if they meet again, Robin will be a dead man.



The three adult heroes defeat the Venus Fly Trap and approach the island. However, they can only watch as it lifts up on rockets and flies toward Coast City. Ra's fires his chloro-cannon and more Venus Fly Traps grow through the pavement and attack the denizens.

The teen heroes find a viewport and realize what's going on. They head for the control center and dispose of the staff. Speedy realizes that Ra's has a remote power source and they can't shut down the cannon from the control center. Working together, the three heroes try to redirect the island away from Coast City. However, Ubu arrives and Robin tells the others to keep working while he takes on the bodyguard.



Batman finds Ra's on the outside of the island, looking down upon his triumphant. They draw their swords and fight.

Robin is unable to gain the upper hand on the near-impervious Ubu. He refuses Aqualad's help and attacks Ubu with his battle staff. When the villain grabs it, Robin fires the rocket tip, knocking him out for good. Aqualad suggests they destroy all of the systems. Working together, they jam Speedy's cryogenic arrows into the controls.

Ra's disarms Batman but is distracted when the chloro-cannon shuts off. He boasts that he will simply destroy the island and let the tanks of chloroplast rain down upon Coast City. However, Green Arrow and Aquaman arrive in the Batplane. Working together, Green Arrow snags the island with cables and Aquaman has his whales grab the cables and pull the island away from Coast City. The teen heroes leap off the island onto the Batplane.

Batman manages to knock away the wireless power remote. Talia reluctantly returns to rescue her father and the duo escape by helicopter. Batman leaps off the island just in time as it harmlessly blows up.



Later, Batman is despondent that Ra's escaped. Aquaman assures him that they triumphed, and the chloroplast has helped the sea life near Coast City. Better still, their proteges have proven they have what it takes. Speedy and Aqualad arrive and condone their mentors for being jerks. When Batman wonders where Robin is, his sidekick comes in wearing a new costume. Robin explains that he has taken on a new identity. Before he can tell everyone his new name, Batman suggests Nightwing, and Robin has to admit it's a good idea.

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