The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid
Season 2, Episode 5
Air date	October 27, 2007
Written by	Brandon Vietti; Scott Jeralds
Directed by	Eddie Guzelian
Episode guide
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Summary

When the dreaded Legion Auditions produce just one potential new member (Nemesis Kid), Superman and Chameleon Boy go out recruiting and find an unlikely candidate to join the Legion. A perpetual underdog, Karate Kid has no super powers, which goes against Legion membership rules, but Superman believes he has the heart to be a Legionnaire. As the Legion hunts down Grimbor the Chainsman, both Karate Kid and Chameleon Boy believe that they can be essential to the team, while the others worry that they're only putting themselves in harm's way.

Characters

Featured Characters:

• Legion of Superheroes
  • Superman
  • Chameleon Boy
  • Cosmic Boy
  • Lightning Lad
  • Nemesis Kid (Joins the Team)
  • Timber Wolf
  • Element Lad
  • Tyroc
  • Dream Girl
  • Shrinking Violet
  • Blok
  • Brainiac 5

Supporting Characters:

• Karate Kid (Joins the Team)

Villains:

• Grimbor the Chainsman
• Imperiex (Mentioned)
• Destructo Bots

Other Characters:

• K-19 Referee
• Science Police

Locations:

• Space Station
• Asteroid K-19
• Outer Venus Moon

Items:

• Legion Flight Ring
• Xanithium

Vehicles:

• Battle Cruiser

Synopsis

Aboard a space station, Grimbor the Chainsman steals a scientific prototype. Cosmic Boy, Superman, and Chameleon Boy are on hand to try and capture him, but their powers prove useless after Grimbor distracts Superman and ensnares Cosmic Boy. He uses a holographic projector to distract Chameleon Boy long enough to make his escape.

With the rest of the team busy fighting Imperiex, Superman suggests they have a new round of Legion try outs. Only one applicant makes the grade: Nemesis Kid, a member of the Science Police with the ability to negate superpowers and familiarity with Grimbor’s career. Cosmic Boy puts Nemesis Kid in charge of the case, replacing an irritated Chameleon Boy.

Superman feels they need more members and takes Chameleon Boy along to an asteroid where gladiators fight in the arena. A disguised Superman tests himself against the other fighters, defeating them all. Finally, only one non-super powered human is left: Karate Kid. Karate Kid manages to defeat Superman by judo-throwing him out of the ring. Duly impressed, Superman proposes Karate Kid for Legion membership, only to be told that the Legion doesn’t allow members with no super powers due to the risk they present to themselves and the rest of the team.

Karate Kid is assigned to a support role collecting laundry and Chameleon Boy commiserates with him. However, Karate Kid refuses to give up, believing every obstacle can be overcome. Nemesis Kid has had no luck tracking down Grimbor and Chameleon Boy is happy to hear it… until Superman notes that Karate Kid is spending all of is free time sparring with a holographic Grimbor.

Later, Chameleon Boy is on the bridge of the Legion Cruiser with Karate Kid when they get word that Grimbor is performing another robbery. They go off on their own to stop him, Karate Kid without a Legion flight ring, but are quickly knocked down. Cosmic Boy and Nemesis Kid arrive but have no better luck, and Grimbor escapes while leaving an explosive device behind. Chameleon Boy is forced to protect Karate Kid from the explosion, and Cosmic Boy decides that Karate Kid can’t be trusted to protect himself and fires him.

A depressed Karate Kid is preparing to leave, while Nemesis Kid determines from a trace of radioactive dust that Grimbor is hiding on a mining moon in the solar system. The rest of the team goes to the moon but Chameleon Boy and Karate Kid realize it’s a trap and go after their teammates. Grimbor traps the rest of the Legionnaires, using a weapon to strip them of their powers. He defeats Nemesis Kid as well, revealing his gun is based on Nemesis Kid’s power. Finally Chameleon Boy arrives but is also stripped of his power and subdued. Only Karate Kid is left, and his sheer determination and willpower are immune to Grimbor’s weapon. Grimbor reveals that he is working for Imperiex and unleashes a wave of destructo-bots.

Chameleon Boy realizes that even without his powers, he is still double-jointed and escapes from his bonds then frees the others. They make short work of the destructo-bots while Karate Kid takes on Grimbor who in the subsequent fight is trapped when an explosive trap on his costume goes off, seemingly destroying him.

Later, Nemesis Kid takes on support duties while Karate Kid is sworn in as a Legionnaire.