Patriot - Recap

General Slade Wilson addresses the Joint Chiefs of Staff and informs them that principles that make the U.S. great are being threatened. When one of the Staff members objects, Slade warns that the threat comes from within. The general explains that tyrants rise up as heroes within their countries, and now the American people's trust is shifting to vigilantes. Two weeks ago vigilantes apparently bombed an anti-vigilante office in an act of terrorism, and the President has appointed Slade to oversee the Vigilante Registration Act.

Four miles off the coast of Florida, Arthur Curry and a woman board an oil platform. The woman evacuates everyone from the platform while Aquaman goes to work.

Slade's aide, Trotter, passes on a message that they have a breach at a facility. Slade warns the other Staff members that vigilantes are assaulting an American installation, and it's time to take them under government control.

A.C. and the woman go ashore and kiss, while the oil platform explodes behind them.



Dr. Emil Hamilton comes to Watchtower to analyze the subdermal tattoo implanted on Clark by the Suicide Squad. He comments that Clark has been meeting secretly with Kara, and notices that it isn't like Clark. Clark ducks the question, and Oliver arrives in response to Clark's summons. Clark explains that Emil has figured out how to remove the tattoos, and Oliver admits that Flag's guerilla tactics don't seem quite so bad. However, Clark warns that they're taking the heat for Flag's covert operations, and now A.C. has apparently gone rogue. Oliver shows them a VRA propaganda poster, and Clark admits that they may have a point, and that he's always respected the law. He suggests it's time for them to go public, and the Blur registering would prove they have nothing to hide. Oliver responds by saying that since his identity is already publicly known, he'll register while Clark tracks down A.C.

At the Daily Planet, Lois finds the rose that Clark has left he. She listens to a radio broadcast about the news that a vigilante is coming public to register. Oliver comes in, wearing a disguise, and asks if she's covering the signing. He admits that he's the mystery hero, and points out that he's doing it so that Clark won't sacrifice himself. Lois is surprised to learn what Clark planned, since he didn't discuss it with her, and wonders if they're having an honest relationship. Oliver tries to make excuses for Clark, saying it slipped his mind, but Lois isn't impressed. He insists that the world needs Lois, for Clark's sake.



At the Aquarium of the Atlantic in Miami, A.C. is talking with the dolphins when Clark arrives and says they need to talk. A.C. says he has greater responsibilities, and insists that he didn't harm anyone. When he realizes Clark doesn't trust him, he tries to walk away and Clark says he isn't going anywhere. A wave of water sweeps Clark into the water, and the woman emerges from the shadows. A.C. introduces her as his wife, Mera.

At Fort Ryan, Lois gets an interview with Slade, who knows her father. He appreciates her attitude, and her gift of bourbon and Cuban cigars, and Lois talks about the Red, White, and Blue. She then asks him about the VRA, but Slade claims that General Lane is the expert and he has nothing to add. He explains that the mystery vigilante will sign a statement to only act for the government. Lois says that she figured she'd give the military a fair shake, but Slade notes that she's written the majority of pro-Blur articles. He says that the vigilantes will step forward and join the good guys if they're patriots. When he goes to get a cigarette cutter, Lois uses her PDA to scan the blueprints in Slade's desk. He turns and grabs her hand, only to find a cigarette lighter since she made the switch. Slade apologizes for his paranoia, and Lois admits it's hard to know who to trust.

At the aquarium, Clark is surprised that A.C. has settled down. Mera explains that her husband's passion drew her to him, and that she doesn't want the public to see them as scared victims. A.C. insists that they won't take it, and Mera explains that her hero was Lucy Burns, a suffragette who suffered for her cause. They wonder what Clark is doing for them, insisting they need protection the most, and explain that the oil rig and other new government facilities are high-tech prisons designed to confine them.



At the Planet, Tess demands to know why Lois is writing an article on the VRA, when she told her not to because Lois has a conflict of interest. She wonders if Lois has a personal concern, and Lois tells her that Oliver is the one registering. As they go the signing ceremony, Tess wonders why Clark isn't working on the story with her. Lois claims that Clark has jury duty. She then explains that her scoop is that Slade was put in charge of the VRA because he has a reputation for using torture. They arrive at the ceremony and watch as Oliver registers with the government. The military takes Oliver away to a waiting hospital, and Tess warns Oliver that there's nothing they can do.



Emil is working at the hospital when Lois arrives and demands to know where Clark is. He tries to deny any involvement with Oliver's team, but Lois grabs a medical tool and threatens him until he reveals that Clark was heading to Miami. She assures him that he was bluffing and plans a flight to Miami.

A.C. and Clark board an oil rig, and A.C. explains that Mera detected the distinctive seismic activity, and figured out his true origins. Clark wonders if he feels guilty putting Mera in danger, and A.C. assures him that she can hold her own, and showed him that he needed to get involved. They discover that the oil rig contains holding cells, and that they are built using stolen LuthorCorp patents. Mera radios them and says that Watchtower has detected eight other facilities with similar readings. She also tells them that Oliver has disappeared. They split up to search.

Slade puts Oliver through a series of tests, and admits that he is in peak physical condition. He then asks Oliver to help bring in his fellow vigilantes. When Oliver refuses, Slade takes him to see Aquaman, who is being held chained beneath heat lamps. Slade clubs Oliver unconscious before he can act.



Lois goes to the Aquarium and finds Mera, who introduces herself as the wife of Orin, future King of the Seven Seas. She tells Lois that Orin has embraced his destiny to lead his "people." Mera is amused that Lois with Clark, and notes that she always seeks out superior companions, but wonders what they see in her. She points out that Lois is protected, and wonders if she wants the truth. They go to Mera's lab and Clark arrives. He's surprised to see Lois there, and already knows that Oliver has been taken. Tess comes online as Watchtower, and Lois is less than thrilled to see that she's working with the group while she's been excluded. She complains that Clark is keeping her in the dark, but Tess interrupts to explain that the metal she tested can change properties, and serves as multi-functional weaponry. They realize that A.C. is missing, and Lois checks the blueprints that she duplicated in Slade's office. Only one of them is active, the one in Alaska.

At the facility at Columbia Glacier, Alaska, Slade tortures Oliver by ducking him repeatedly into a water tank. Slade explains that it was easy to figure out A.C.'s weakness, and that they will soon capture the other vigilantes. He wonders if Oliver resents his superpowered heroes, and prepares to dump him in the ocean. The intruder alert goes off and Slade dumps Oliver into the tank. Mera arrives and shatters Oliver's tank, redirecting the water to A.C. Reinvigorated, he breaks free of his chains while the self-destruct activates. Slade triggers a trap, capturing Mera within a cage with heat lamps. Oliver throws a piece of glass to release the switch and shut off the heat lamps, and A.C. breaks the cage open. They prepare to get Oliver to safety.



Clark confronts Slade, who draws a gun and fires at him. The bullets bounce off, and Slade realizes that he's confronting the Blur. He triggers a trap, sealing Clark in a kryptonite cage. When Clark insists that he needs to get Slade out before the facility self-destructs, Slade says that he would rather die for his country if he can destroy Clark in the process. Clark scans him with his x-ray vision and spots a Greek omega symbol branded into Slade's forehead. The self-destruct goes off, destroying the base.



After A.C. rescues Clark, they go back to Smallville. Clark thanks A.C. for showing him the facilities, and regrets losing his faith in justice. A.C. tells him not to let Slade shake his faith in people, and admits that Clark was right about how they shouldn't go to extremes to fight their opponents. Clark notes that they got scared and stopped trusting people, and A.C. assures him that he trusts Clark and they'll lead by example, not by resistance. He warns Clark that he has a more personal conflict to resolve, and Clark admits that he's kept Lois on the outside for too long. A.C. tells him that if anyone can handle what Clark does, it's Lois. But Clark needs to be able to handle her.

In the Kent kitchen, Lois unpacks her travel bag while Mera admits that she may have been hasty about dismissing Lois. She suggests that Lois is what Clark needs, and that she treats him as an equal. A.C. and Clark come in, and Mera admits that she's impressed by Clark and his efforts to serve the cause of justice. They exchange their goodbyes and the couple leaves.



Once they're alone, Clark apologizes for shutting Lois out, and he relies on her to trust parts of him that he doesn't know. She's the only one he's told about the darkness that he failed to triumph against. Lois wonders if she can be Clark's partner, but Clark insists that she's everything he's not, and just what he needs. She explains that she saw her mother Ella every time that her father left for war, but put up a brave front for Sam. However, Lois says that Clark kept the secret of the darkness because he couldn't admit he was less than invincible. But now the team needs to know what they're fighting.

Clark brings Lois to Watchtower for the first time, and Tess congratulates Lois on becoming one of the team. Oliver arrives and Clark tells the team that a Great Darkness is sweeping across the world, spreading hate and fear. He tells them how something came through the Kandorian portal, a galactic menace more powerful than anything they've ever faced. Clark believes that it has got to Slade, who had the omega symbol branded into his forehead. He believes that the symbol indicates someone has been totally consumed by the darkness, and that they all have a hidden weakness or vulnerability to prey upon and take control. If they don't stop it, the darkness will take over every person on the planet.

In a secret medical lab, Slade undergoes surgery to save his life, and an iron plate is sealed over his missing right eye, lost in the blast.



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