History Notes: Legends of Tomorrow Episode 308, "Crisis on Earth X, Part 4"

With Martin Stein being shot at the end of THE FLASH, and the Red Tornado bearing down on our heroes' last chance to leave Earth X for Earth 1, our emotions are already stoked. Surely Martin's going to be okay, though, right? Because he's an integral part of this team, and one-half of Firestorm.

Under fire, Stein drags himself across the floor to the lever and opens the breach, just as The Flash and The Ray work together to bring down the Red Tornado. Stein, however, is in too critical a condition to be moved, except that he be merged with Jefferson as Firestorm. Once they get him to the Waverider, we know he'll be okay, and our heroes enter the breach and return to Earth 1.

One Earth 1, Reverse Flash is trying to cut through Kara, but can't push the knife through -- because there's a tiny little man pushing back. The Atom is on the scene, and he sucker-punches Reverse Flash and "Grüner Pfeil" (that's German for "Green Arrow" -- ye editor) before helping Kara, Iris and Felicity escape. They warn him about the "giant robot" that's wandering around, that being Metallo, and Ray reveals that his suit can also enlarge. So now he's able to be Giant Man when needed.

Oliver-X wakes up Kara-X, who was sedated and prepared to receive Supergirl's healthy heart, and orders Reverse-Flash to go back to the troop ship without him. Oliver-X then takes down The Atom, and is prepared to kill the red-sun-radiation weakened Supergirl, but Felicity stands in the gap, facing him down and declaring her grandparents didn't survive the Holocaust just to have the Earth taken over by Nazis. As Oliver-X prepares to fire, he's stopped by our Oliver, who holds Overgirl at blade-point. Overgirl orders Oliver-X to fire, but the Flash arrives to disarm him.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Legends team has freed the heroes from the pipeline, and it's a superhero melee too dynamic, too action-packed, and just too-damned-cool for words as everyone teams up against Metallo, until he's destroyed.

Given a momentary lull, Firestorm separates, and we learn that the connection between Jefferson and Martin is all that's keeping Martin alive -- and vice versa: when Stein dies, Jefferson will die with him.

And it gets worse. We learn that the power buildup in Overgirl's heart is accelerating. It will kill her, but it will do so by creating a small supernova, big enough to wipe out a city!

Alone with Jefferson, Stein says that Gideon has recreated the serum Cisco created them that would separate their Firestorm halves permanently. He wants to take it now, and he knows it means his death -- but it also means that Jefferson won't die with him. This is a very tear-inducing scene as Stein takes the vial, drinks its contents, and passes. As the heroes all process the news of Stein's death in their own way, Jackson goes off ship to break the news to Stein's family, Clarissa and Lily.

Oliver assembles all the heroes together and rallies them against the Naxi forces. Again, it's a slobberknocker of relentless action and superhero effects, including Flash vs. Reverse-Flash, Green Arrow vs. Grüner Pfeil, and Supergirl vs. Overgirl, who's attacking the city from within the Nazi version of the Waverider. When Overgirl crashes through her own cockpit to battle Supergirl, it creates an opening for Killer Frost, Zari, and Vixen to enter and shut down the shields, so that the other Waverider can blow it to smithereens, with Vibe getting the girls out just in time.

We see Flash get Reverse-Flash on the ropes,and prepared to deliver a vibrating-hand deathblow. But Barry Allen is above killing. So instead, Barry tells him to go, get out of here. "I wonder what face I'll be wearing next time we meet, Flash," Thawne says ominously. (He's been played in this four-part crossover by Tom Cavanagh again, as in Season 1, not by Matt Letscher who normally portrays him.)

As Reverse-Flash runs off, Overgirl goes critical. Supergirl flies her up into the atmosphere where she explodes, knocking out Supergirl who falls like a meteor to Earth. She lands safe in the arms of Steel, because hitting two solid-steel arms at terminal velocity is more comfortable than hitting dirt at that same speed four feet later.

With Overgirl dead, Grüner Pfeil turns to kill Green Arrow -- who plants a shaft in his chest.

The heroes have won.

The Ray prepares to go back to Earth X and continue fighting Nazis, but his boyfriend, Captain Cold, decides to remain behind for a while.

A funeral is held for Martin, which is another extremely emotional scene. I still can't believe he's gone for good.

Sara and Alex say their goodbyes, and then Supergirl and Alex go back to Earth 38, leaving just Barry and Iris and Oliver and Felicity. Barry and Iris say they're not having another ceremony, just a Justice of the Peace. Barry then realizes that a mayor of a city can marry people, but Oliver's not in the confines of Star City. But Felicity knows someone whose ordained -- John Diggle! So without warning Barry zooms him from Star City to Central City. After throwing up, Diggle performs the ceremony. And just as he's about to finalize it, it gets interrupted again!

But this time by Felicity. She proposes then and there to Oliver, who accepts, and it's a double wedding.

Presenting Mr. and Mrs. Barry Allen and Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Queen.

(TRIVIA NOTE: The minister who was killed in the SUPERGIRL part of this story was portrayed by THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO, William Katt.)

The Flash

Green Arrow

Iris West

Felicity Smoak

Killer Frost

Mr. Terrific

Vibe

Black Canary

Harrison Wells

...and Supergirl

Wild Dog

White Canary

Firestorm

Heat Wave

Atom

Steel

Vixen