The episode is all about Batman, his legacy and “curse”. This episode goes from flashback to present day and viceversa.
The episode starts with a flashback of a grown up Terry from Batman Beyond (he must be 10-15 years older than what he was in the series) going to the Batcave and confronting Bruce about how he pushed everyone near him away and thinking only about the “mission”. Then we see him, present day, going to see an older Amanda Waller to find out the truth. He recently discovered that he’s a 100% match to Bruce’s DNA. On a flashback we see him confronting Bruce with this “discovery” and asking him to come clean and reveal everything. We also see scenes of Terry quitting the Justice League and breaking up with his long time girlfriend in the flashbacks.
Waller then begins to tells him that it was her and not Bruce, that had a role as to the mystery of Terry having Bruce's DNA. She tells him a story about a Justice League mission against the Royal Flush Gang. The league is able to defeat all of the gang with the exception of Ace who has grown so powerful that she's able to alter reality. Waller tells the team that her new found power is killing her and she doesn't have long to live. However, if she dies, the altered reality that she created will become permanent. Someone needs to take her out quick. Batman volunteers since he has dealt with her before and only he is able to reach her. Once they meet, Ace open up to Batman and tells him how she was robbed of a childhood and how Cadmus turned her into a weapon. Batman tells her that he knows exactly how she feels and Ace, having read his mind, tells him that she knows that and that he really didn’t come to kill her and instead was planning to talk her into fixing everything. Ace knows she will die very soon and ask Batman to stay with her since she’s afraid. He does and next you see everything going back to normal and Batman carrying Ace’s dead body to the Justice League and Waller. It was then, Waller tells Terry, that she soon realized that the world needed Batman or a Batman. She also came to a realization that he was getting older and that eventually he will be killed and the world will be left without Batman. Then using her Cadmus connections, she was able to begin “Project Batman Beyond”. She was able to acquire Bruce’s DNA easily (I won’t spoil you the line, is worth hearing it). She found a Neo Gothan couple matching the profiles of Bruce’s parents and with the help of nanotechnology, he was able to alter the Terry’s dad DNA into Bruce’s. That’s how Terry was born. Waller also planned to kill Terry’s parents to match the tragedy that Bruce suffered but her assassin refused, saying that Batman will never resort to that type of action. Waller tells him that even though science played a part, it also come down to choices, whether to “protect the people we love or not”.

Let me just say that Terry does the right thing and it will be worth watching and hearing the last few scenes once this episode airs in the US. You won't be dissapointed.

Batman Beyond

Thanks for the summary LorenzoL. I just watched it on Bittorrent and man, it was a great episode. After I read your summary I thought the writers were going to pull a Lucas and try to tie everything unnecessarily together, but in this case, it really doesn't make the universe any smaller than it already is. That and they didn't act like Bruce's life was all a matter of destiny.

Why was the Phantasm specifically chosen to assassinate Terry's parents. What was so special about her (besides her fling with Bruce)?

well, she was a killer in mask, so a paid assassin is just that. I bet dini just wanted to user one more time

Damn! I thought there would be a little more explanation behind her appearance. Oh well... good to see her again.

Yeah, why NOT hire some crotchety old lady who might have a heart attack during the mission.

The Question with his mask off