Justice League Unlimited continues this week with issue #6, an issue that serves as the second part of Mark Waid and Dan Mora’s We Are Yesterday crossover event and not only did the issue see the major reveal that the mysterious Inferno is none other than Gorilla Grodd, who has come to possess Martian Manhunter’s incredible powers.
but it did something else as well. It saw the reveal of exactly who was giving Inferno the detailed information about the heroes as well as revealed exactly how Grodd repaid his mole for their services. The first five issues of the comic showed that the then unknown villain Inferno seemed to know more about the Justice League Unlimited than he had any right, and now we know that it’s because Air Wave was secretly a mole for him, and to repay him for his services, the psychic gorilla killed the time displaced hero.
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Who is Air Wave?
Air Wave’s secret identity is Harold Levey, a young man who invented a suit that allows him to convert his body into radio waves and transmit data to nearly any device on earth. He was originally born in the past, but was abducted into the future by the villain Childminder during the Stargirl: The Lost Children comic series. Ever since, he has remained in the future and done his best to be a hero of the modern age.
Most recently, Air Wave was a crucial player in helping bring down Amanda Waller at the tail end of the premier DC event of last year, “Absolute Power.” After the rest of the heroes brought down her army of Amazo robots and stopped her plans to conquer the multiverse, Waller taunted the heroes that she had still destroyed their legacy. With Brainiac Queen’s abilities she had flooded the internet with deepfake videos of the superheroes brutally attacking innocent civilians, and said that even if she was arrested the heroes would still never be trusted again. But then Nightwing revealed his trump card: Air Wave.
The young hero used his abilities to broadcast Waller’s villainous monologue to the entire world, clearing the heroes’ names and proving her guilt. Waller was arrested, and Air Wave was lauded as a true hero. Shortly after, Superman recruited Air Wave into the newly formed Justice League Unlimited, saying that he more than proved himself during the catastrophe. He would assist the League with a few missions in the first five issues, but his allegiance to Inferno would be uncovered, and the reason why he betrayed the League after being the one to save them.
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What Happened to Air Wave?
After the end of “Absolute Power” numerous heroes had their superpowers switched around with random people. One hero that lost his powers was Martian Manhunter, and they ended up in the clutches of Gorilla Grodd, making the already dangerous ape all the more deadly. He plotted a way to destroy the Justice League Unlimited, but knew he could not do so alone, nor could he rely on many of his usual villain partners, as they are all either reformed, detained, or too dangerous in the modern day.
To combat this, Grodd recruited Air Wave to his side by manipulating him with visions and mind-control. He told Air Wave that his travel through time was killing him, and the League knew but did not care. Grodd showed him false images of the League killing innocent lives, and turned Air Wave into his own spy within the League. Air Wave studied the workings of the new Watchtower and found its weaknesses while Grodd traveled to the past and recruited his Legion of Doom allies at their villainous peaks.
At this point Air Wave discovered Grodd’s deception and tried to stop him, but Grodd had no more use of the boy and killed him just before the Justice League Unlimited could arrive. Grodd, Lex Luthor, and Joker all turned their blasters on Air Wave and reduced him to a bloody mist as he attempted to turn into radio waves, with smiles on their faces. Then, Grodd and his new time-travelling Legion of Doom prepped to face the new Justice League in an all out war, except this time Grodd has the abilities of Martian Manhunter and knows all of the Watchtower’s defensive capabilities, which the League still doesn’t know.
Ultimately, Air Wave faced a fate he definitely did not deserve. He was a real hero of the League, and was unfortunately unprepared for Grodd’s deceptions and mental abilities. There’s always the chance that he can come back, especially with time travel being a major part of this event, but as it stands, he died in a frankly brutal way. Now it’s up to the League to stop the villains that Air Wave accidentally unleashed.
Justice League Unlimited #6 is on sale now.
