Adam West passed away on June 9, and the world lost the man who played one of the most iconic versions of the Caped Crusader. While plenty of Batmen have come and gone over the years, Adam West's not-so-Dark Knight was one of a kind, and he became a legend in the landscape of superhero TV. West actually filmed an episode of NBC's Powerless prior to his death, but audiences never got to see it due to the show's cancellation back in May. Now, DC Entertainment has made the entire unaired episode available streaming as a tribute to West's years of wonderful work as Batman.
We've known for a while that Adam West was slated to appear in an episode as a character named Dean West, who is the chairman of Wayne Industries. After yet another catastrophe strikes Gotham City, West comes to Wayne Security to make some cuts for the good of the company as a whole. The prospect of Adam West appearing as a Gotham City citizen on Powerless was pretty exciting, so it was a shame that NBC gave Powerless the axe before the episode made it to the airwaves. Luckily, fans of Adam West and/or Powerless can watch the episode streaming on DC Entertainment's YouTube page.
I don't want to spoil everything that happens in the episode, but my biggest laugh-out-loud moment came courtesy of Adam West's character in the final moments, and it's definitely worth a watch. If you're interested in the episode -- called "Win, Luthor, Draw" -- you'll probably want to watch it as soon as possible. Although no specific date has been revealed, the episode will only be available in its entirety for a limited time. Be sure to check it out to see one of West's final performances before his death.
DC Entertainment isn't the only entity that has found a wonderful way to honor Adam West in the wake of his passing. The city of Los Angeles lit up a real-life Bat-signal and projected it against a building, and special guests (including the mayor of L.A., former Boy Wonder Burt Ward, former Catwoman Lee Meriwether, DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson, and comic book legend Jim Lee) were all on hand for the event. Batmen of the big screen Val Kilmer and Ben Affleck shared their fond memories of Adam West on social media, and Batman '66 actors Burt Ward and Julie Newmar both released touching statements about what West meant to them in their lives. The Powerless presentation will be one of many tributes.
Of course, this Powerless episode won't be the only project that will give fans a last experience with Adam West's contributions to the superhero community. We'll be able to hear his voice in the animated movie Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders 2, for which West completed his recording prior to his death from leukemia. Powerless will give us live action Adam West, and Return of the Caped Crusaders 2 will give us Adam West back as the campiest Batman ever to don the cape and the cowl.
