A League of My Own

The Justice League of America

Since 1960, armchair comic editors like myself have had strong opinions on who should be in the Justice League and why.  It's the holy grail of fantasy comic-ing.  And while I wanted to lead off My52 with the key players like Superman and Green Lantern, I knew it wasn't going to be long before I had to lay out my own League.

From the start I decided to go for a fairly large line up.  The League is for proven characters; this isn't where you send wannabe characters and hope they become popular through association with Batman (that's what the anthology books are for).  These should be established characters with lives and careers outside the League, and it's assumed that not every member will be present for every adventure.

Free reign can lead to a little decision paralysis, though, so I gave myself a premise I needed to adhere to.  I call this the "family rep" requirement.  Each character assembled in my JLoA will be a representative of a particular family of characters in the DC Universe.  In other words, I don't necessarily need Batman as long as I have someone who can represent the Batman family.  I'm sure it'll make more sense as I reveal my roster.

Superman (Superman family)

Of course the League needs some big guns, and no guns are bigger than Superman.  While some say Superman's presence would overshadow the rest of the League, I think his strong moral core is his most valuable asset here.  Although my "man of action" is quick to leap into the fray, his real impact on the team is the way he encourages everyone around him to be a little bit better.  

Batwoman (Batman family)

Sure I think Dick Grayson would be a good fit into the League, but for my Bat-representative I went with Batwoman who had really impressed me during her introduction in 52. From day 1 she was confident and competent, and held her own against monster men and alongside Nightwing without any of the usual "is this what I'm supposed to be doing?" qualities that usually plague newcomers to the DCU.  This trait is especially welcome when seen alongside such legendary heroes as Superman and Green Lantern. 

The Flash (Flash family)

Unsurpassed superspeed aside, Wally has been heroing since he was 12 years old and brings a lifetime of experience to the team.  His time on the Teen Titans also gives him connections to a large percentage of hero-dom.

 

Green Lantern (Green Lantern family)

Hal is the cool uncle of the team, the one that takes his teammates on wild rides without consideration for what comes after.  He and Superman share the status of being the only founding members on the team, and that shared "elder statesman" status leads them to clash more often than not. He’s also the team’s main connection with extra-terrestrial beings and information.

Giganta (Wonder Woman family)

Maybe the biggest brow-raiser of the bunch?  Giganta has tested the line between hero and villain in titles such as Wonder Woman and the Atom followed by her “teaming” with Batwoman as a mind-controlled Female Fury during Final Crisis.  That could be her -in- to the team, and get her to cross the line.  Plus, I’m a big fan of the villain-turned-good story.  Her skills as a scientist are also welcome on the team.

Blue Beetle (Charlton family)

Beetle takes the role once held by Firestorm, that of over-powered yet young and inexperienced hero.  The League has taken him in more to keep their eye on him and train him than actual belief that he’s ready.  At the end of the day, though, he really is one of the big guns in the League.

Bulleteer (Captain Marvel family)

Good lord, do all female heroes in the DCU have red hair?  In any case, I liked the no-nonsense “outsider’s” look at super heroics which characterized her Seven Soldiers mini-series.  I’d like to see more of her “really?” attitude in the League. You know, someone tries explaining the history of the Shaggy Man and Bulleteer's all "nobody else thinks that's dumb?"  She also needs a slight power upgrade. A recent depiction of her incorrectly showed her flying, but since that's a power a Bulleteer needs to have, I'll be adding a reason for it.  I'm assuming magnetic helmet...

Mera (Aquaman family)

One of the breakout characters from Blackest Night, Mera brings all the traits of Aquaman (including the throne of Atlantis) with a more versatile set of powers.  She’s imperious and commanding, but is driven by a noblesse oblige which drives her to help people.  It's a shame I couldn't find a good picture of her with her high white collar, 'cause that's definitely coming back.

Mister Miracle (New Gods family) 

In many ways, Mister Miracle is the front man of the Justice League. Shiloh Norman's showbiz career steers him straight for the spotlight.  He doesn't necessarily tend to do things the easy way, instead preferring a bit of showmanship to his heroics.

The League’s most recent HQ was the Hall of Justice located in Washington D.C., but that just seems kind of derivative.  I do want to keep them down to Earth and within the borders of the U.S., but not *so* accessible that they become commonplace. I’m leaning toward something like a refurbished Challenger Mountain base in the Colorado Rockies.

Assembling this team in the wake of Blackest Night shouldn't be too challenging.  As of April, 2010, the League was just finishing up their not-well-received Cry for Justice mini-series by James Robinson which was supposed to lead into his ongoing JLA writing gig.  Not sure if it went as planned, though, because the League that formed afterward was only slightly related to the cast of that mini-.  Still, it's easy enough to launch from the collapse of the League right around that time and pull together the group you see above.  In fact, Batwoman, Bulleteer and Green Lantern all appeared in that series, and Mera was just wrapping up her star turn in Blackest Night.  

Recent JLA storylines hint at the villain Doctor Impossible being a Mr. Miracle counterpart from Earth-3, and I would turn those rumors into a storyline featuring the New Gods (thus drawing in Mr. Miracle) and the Crime Syndicate.  Presumably, when "evil won" on Earth-1 during Final Crisis, Earth-3 could have seen a similar "good wins" and they enact a plan to link up with the Apokoliptian gods on our Earth.  The Syndicate members are able to ambush old sparring partners like Superman, Flash and Green Lantern, but they're not prepared for new foes like Giganta, Mera or Batwoman.  Eventually, this new League is able to send the Syndicate packing.

Blue Beetle can be brought in later when the League encounters him and witnesses his untrained power.