Template:Team
- "This is what we know: The world has grown dark, and while we have reasons to fear we have the strength not to, there are heroes among us to remind us that only from fear, comes courage. That only from the darkness, can we truly feel the light."
- ―Lois Lane[src]
The Justice League is a strike force comprised of Earth's mightiest heroes. They serve as stalwart ptotectors of life, dedicated to protecting the world as the first line of defense against terrestrial, extra-terrestrial, inter-dimensional and supernatural threats.
The League was founded by Batman and Wonder Woman following the death of Superman at the hands of Doomsday, with the intention of protecting Earth from the possible threats that exist within and beyond the planet, since Earth was left vulnerable after its greatest hero's death.[1] After Batman, the Flash, and Cyborg revived Superman once more, the League went on to become a public organization of heroes.
History
The Death of Superman
- "Superman was a beacon to the world - he didn't just save people; he made them see the best parts of themselves."
- ―Batman[src]
After Superman's death at the hands of Doomsday, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince set out to find various metahumans from the LexCorp files in hopes to combat Steppenwolf and his army. When asked by Prince about his reasons, Wayne merely commented, "Just a feeling", (in reality, he was heeding the words of the time traveler in his vision, as well as Lex Luthor's cryptic warning).
Assistance from Waller
- "That's the difference between us, Mr. Wayne - you believe in friendship, I believe in leverage."
- ―Amanda Waller to Batman[src]
After the events in Midway City were succesfully foiled by her Task Force X, Amanda Waller met up with Bruce Wayne to request that he protect her from rumors regarding the Midway City attack, which Wayne complied to in exchange for the metahuman files Waller was reported to have collected, with the files of Arthur Curry, Victor Stone, and Barry Allen among them. He then told her to shut down the Task Force X program, stating that "my friends and I" would handle any future problems, before using the files to track down the metahumans he needed.
Assembling the League
- "People said the Age of Heroes would never come again."
"It has to. We don't have any more time!" - ―Diana Prince and Bruce Wayne[src]Batman, greatly inspired by Superman's death and sacrifice, heeded the warnings of the scarlet time traveler, and began a campaign to recruit members of a team powerful enough to protect the world in wake of Superman's demise. With the aid of Wonder Woman, he set forth on researching potential candidates, utilizing the files gained from Amanda Waller to narrow his search.
Steppenwolf's Invasion
A year after the death of Superman, Batman had been tracking recent sightings of Parademons tied to cases involving missing scientists. Realizing that they are attracted to fear pheromones, Batman captures a criminal as bait, using his fear to attract any nearby Parademons, whom he swiftly subdued. However, before he can begin to interrogate one, it explodes. With this Bruce and Alfred decide that it is time to assemble the team.
Diana meanwhile thanks to a message from her mother on Themscarya realizes the second Invasion of Earth has begun and that Steppenwolf has returned to claim three of his lost Mother Boxes.
Coming Together
Bruce and Diana meet up and Diana explains the history of the Motherboxes and the alliance thousands of years ago that repelled Steppenwolfs attempts to rule. Bruce tells Diana that he has decided to assemble the others to fight back. Diana points out that they are essentially asking people they don’t know to risk their lives for a cause they know nothing about. Bruce agrees but points out that this “is how this works” .
Locating Aquaman
Arthur meeting Bruce for the first time.
- "There is a... stranger. He comes to this village from the sea. He comes in the winter when people are hungry and brings fish. Comes out of the King tide. That was last night."
"Talk." - ―Bruce Wayne and Arthur Curry[src]Sometime after reviewing Waller's files, Bruce Wayne would travel to a remote fishing village in Newfoundland, Canada, where he's traced reports of a man who comes in during the winter to bring fish to the hungry, said to arrive during the King tide. He speaks to the village's counsel, where he deduces the stranger is among them, later revealed to be Arthur Curry.
However, when Wayne states of the impending threat and offers Curry a place on the team, Curry initially wants nothing to do with them. Advising Bruce to give up on his recruitment, Arthur reacts with hostility when Wayne makes a quip about Atlantis, lifting and slamming him against a wall before releasing him once Wayne further explains himselfl. Calmed down, the two engaged in a conversation about the impending danger, though Curry still ultimately refused to join.
Locating the Flash
- "Stop right there! I'm in!"
- ―Barry to Bruce Wayne[src]
Barry holding Bruce's batarang.
Bruce Wayne also tracks down Barry Allen to his home in Central City, were he breaks into and waits in Allen's "second favorite chair" until he gets home. He introduces himself to a dismayed and confused Allen (whom Wayne recognizes as the past version of the scarlet time-traveler that appeared in his "dream"), promptly handing him a printout of the security camera footage he found on the LexCorp files. Barry instantly recognizes himself in the photo and tries, unsuccessfully, to dismiss the person as someone who merely looks like him, is Jewish, and points out that the person drinks milk, claiming that he himself does not do so. Wayne ignores Barry's failed attempts at deflecting, surveying his apartment, where he noticed the speedster's scarlet suit, and informed Allen that he already knows the latter has abilities, but just needs to know what they are.
As Allen nervously rambles about his personal skills, including competitive ice dancing, Wayne suddenly hurls a batarang at him as hard as possible, but Allen uses his speed to effortlessly dodge and catch it. Recognizing it, an awed Barry deduces that Wayne is the Batman. Wayne, in turn, responds by stating that Barry is 'fast', to which Barry calls an oversimplification. Wayne then begins to tells Barry about the "team" he is putting together to face a possible threat he believes to be headed to Earth, but before he finishes, Barry accepts, stating his answer for "needing friends". Wayne, momentarily confused, accepts his decision. Allen, who up until this point had been admiring the batarang, then asks Wayne if he can keep it.
As the two are preparing to leave in Bruce's car, Barry asks what Bruce's superpowers were, to which Bruce jokingly states that his power was his wealth.
Locating Cyborg
- "We need you. And maybe you need us."
- ―Diana Prince to Victor Stone[src]
With Bruce Wayne having taken charge of recruiting Barry Allen and Arthur Curry, Diana Prince took the lead on recruiting Victor Stone, with her approach being less direct and blunt than Bruce with the others, as Stone's recruitment was a delicate matter, likely due to the seeming loss of his humanity upon his transformation. Meeting with Victor in an abandoned alleyway Diana attempted to convince Victor that the team needed him and that he in some way also needed them however Victor still not wanting to be a part of the group flew away.[2]
United
During their investigation into the kidnappings of S.T.A.R. Labs scientits, the Flash, Batman, and Wonder Woman meet with Commisoner James Gordon in Gotham, where they are soon joined by Victor who has decided to join the team in order to rescue his father Silas Stone who was one of the many scientist recently kidnapped by the Parademons. Tracking them down to Gotham Harbor the group arrives just in time to save the remaining scientist including Silas Stone. As the group battles Steppenwolf he causes a flood in the tunnel of Gotham Harbor. However before they can be drowned Arthur comes to their aid and manages to hold the flood long enough to allow the others to get to higher ground.
Stone retrieves the last Mother Box, which he had hidden, for the group to analyze. Stone reveals that his father used the Mother Box to rebuild Stone's body after an accident almost cost him his life. Wayne decides to use the Mother Box to resurrect Superman, not only to help them fight off Steppenwolf's army, but also to restore hope to mankind. Prince and Curry are hesitant about the idea, but Wayne forms a secret contingency plan in the case Superman returns as a threat instead of an ally.
Superman Returns
Clark’s body is exhumed and the League places it in the incubation waters of the Kryptonian ship alongside the Mother Box, which in turn activates and successfully resurrects Superman. However, Superman's memories have not returned, and he attacks the group after Stone accidentally launches a projectile at him. On the verge of being killed by Superman, Batman enacts his contingency plan: Lois Lane. Superman calms down and leaves with Lois to his family home in Smallville, where he reflects and tries to recover his memories. With the final Mother Box unguarded, Steppenwolf retrieves it with ease.
Battle for Earth
Back at the Batcave, the team works out their next move without the assistance of Superman following his retreat with Lois Lane. Discovering that Steppenwolf plans on comibining the Mother Boxes near a village located in Russia, the five heroes go to stop him.
Arriving, the Justice League fights their way through the Parademons to reach Steppenwolf, although they are unable to distract him enough for Cyborg to separate the boxes. Superman, fortunately, arrives and assists Flash in evacuating the city, followed by helping Wonder Woman and Aquaman beat Steppenwolf, and as well as assist Stone in separating the Mother Boxes. Defeated, Steppenwolf, overcome with fear, is attacked by his own Parademons before they all teleport away.
In the aftermath, the heroes watch in awe as life now returned to the decrepit landscape upon the retreat of alien threat. Villagers returned to witness their saved home as the sun shone on the world's new saviors.
Age of Heroes
With the Justice League fully formed, Bruce and Diana soon make plans to refurbish Wayne Manor as a base of operations for the new team, with additional space for more potential heroes to join. Diana steps back into the public spotlight as a hero. Allen acquires a job at a crime lab at Central City Police Department, exciting his father. Stone continues to explore and enhance his abilities with his father in S.T.A.R. Labs. Meanwhile, Arthur Curry decided to accept his title as crown prince and returns to Atlantis. Superman resumes his life as reporter Clark Kent.
Members
- Superman - inspirer, founder, and leader
- Batman - co-founder and second-in-command
- Wonder Woman - co-founder and third-in-command
- Aquaman
- Flash
- Cyborg
Allies
- Commissioner James Gordon
- Queen Hippolyta
- Lois Lane
- Mera
- Alfred Pennyworth
- Dr. Silas Stone
- Nuidis Vulko
Enemies
- Darkseid (ruler of Apokolips)
- Steppenwolf (second-in-command)
- Parademons
- Doomsday
- Lex Luthor
- Deathstroke
- Lex Luthor's hitmen
- Mercy Graves
Trivia
- This incarnation of the Justice League is suggested to take inspiration from the Justice League Unlimited version.
- Unlike most versions of the League in other media, this team's original roster is only made up of six members. Normally there would be a seventh member when the group was founded, usually a Green Lantern.
- Doubling the irony, Cyborg (as of the New-52 comics) is supposed to be the seventh member of the League.
- Almost every member of the League has lost both their parents. Batman lost both of his parents at the theater when he was a child. Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Cyborg are the exception, with at least 1 parent left. The Flash, however, lost only his mother, but his father has been imprisoned since his childhood. Superman is also an odd exception, as he's lost both his biological parents, though he was adopted by the Kents.
- This represents an ongoing trope with DC Comics, in that their character roster is largely comprised of orphaned heroes.
