Injustice League

Injustice League
The first Injustice League.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Silver Age: Showcase #1 (July 2000) Historical: Justice League International #23 (Jan. 1989)
Created by	Scott Beatty Historical: Keith Giffen J.M. DeMatteis
In-story information
Base(s)	Hall of Doom

The Injustice League is the name of two fictional teams of supervillains in the DC Comics Universe.

Fictional team history

Original League (retcon)

The original (retconned) Injustice League was the brainchild of the interplanetary conqueror Agamemno. Bored of his dominion, he set out to conquer Earth and their champions, the Justice League. Aided by the alien former dictator Kanjar Ro, Agamemno contacted Lex Luthor and they recruited other villains to their cause.

Agamemno then engineered a switch wherein the villains' minds switched with those of the JLA. In the true JLA's absence, other Silver Age heroes came to clash with the now seemingly evil heroes. Eventually, Green Lantern used the power of Oa's Central Power Battery and a Thanagarian weapon called "Absorbascon" to reverse the mind swap.

Having spent time in their enemies' bodies, the villains knew their heroic counterparts inside-out. To regain the edge, the JLA used the power of Robby Reed's alien H-Dial to transform themselves into totally different heroes. Then, using his power ring through the Absorbascon, Green Lantern removed all knowledge of the heroes' secret identities from the villains' minds.

Members

• Agamemno
• Lex Luthor - One of the most intelligent men in the world and greatest enemies of Superman.
• Black Manta - A foe of Aquaman who was later turned into a manta ray/human hybrid.
• Chronos (David Clinton) - A criminal who has an obsession with time
• Catwoman - A cat-themed burglar.
• Doctor Light (Arthur Light) - A criminal who uses light-based devices.
• Felix Faust - A powerful sorcerer.
• Mr. Element - A criminal with a split-personality and philosopher's stone that enables him to transform elements.
• Penguin - A criminal obsessed with birds and umbrellas.
• Sinestro - A rogue Green Lantern with a yellow power ring.

Injustice League International

The second Injustice League (the first in publishing history) was created by artist Keith Giffen during his run on the Justice League International comic book. It was composed of Cluemaster, Major Disaster, Clock King, Big Sir, Multi-Man, and the Mighty Bruce. The team would be used, in line with the humoristic tone of the series, as a highly unsuccessful villain team. All the actions of the team would end with humoristic failures. During an Annual of the comic book, Maxwell Lord sent them, along with the incompetent Green Lantern G'nort and his nemesis the Scarlet Skier, to Antarctica to become the Justice League Antarctica. It was done so in order to get rid of them, but the team would have their headquarters destroyed by mutant penguins.

After Giffen's run in the series, the team volunteered to join the Suicide Squad. On their first mission, Big Sir was killed; Multi-Man was shot through the head (but survived thanks to his powers); and the Clock King and Cluemaster were seriously injured.

Injustice League Unlimited

Promotional image of the Legion of Doom, from the cover to Justice League of America vol. 2, #13. Art by Ian Churchill.

Lex Luthor, Joker, and Cheetah (widely regarded as the archenemies of the JLA's three primary members Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) recently formed an "Injustice League Unlimited", as first seen in the Justice League of America Wedding Special. While it seems the membership is much greater in the promotional image of Justice League of America vol. 2, #13, the core members of the team shown by Wizard magazine are a select group of various arch-nemeses.

The team was created by Dwayne McDuffie, a writer from the animated series Justice League Unlimited, which featured a similar expanded Legion. Lex Luthor has the idea to bring the villains together, claiming it was a protection racket at first, but with the ultimate aim of dominating the world. During the storyline, the Injustice League splits up and manages to capture the Justice League members in small groups. However, the JLA is freed by Firestorm and battles the Injustice League at its swamp headquarters. In the ensuing melee, many of the villains flee (later to attack Black Canary and Green Arrow's wedding), but most are taken captive by the League. It is revealed at this time that Lex Luthor actually had a secret goal in forming the League. He refuses to reveal details, but mentions that he planned for his capture. The remaining villains are then taken away by Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad, who plan to ship them away to a distant planet, as seen in DC's Salvation Run storyline.

It is notable that the alternative covers of the second issue of the arc (Justice League of America vol. 2, #13) feature many more villains than were actually in the League, including Amazo, Bizarro, Black Adam, Sinestro, and the Rogues (Heat Wave, Captain Cold, Weather Wizard, Abra Kadabra, and Mirror Master).

Members

Though the covers featured a large number of villains, membership differed in the actual story. Membership included:

• Lex Luthor - Founder
• Joker - Founder Insane criminal who uses deadly tricks
• Cheetah (Barbara Minerva) - Founder
• Doctor Light (Arthur Light) - Core member
• Fatality - Core member
• Gorilla Grodd - Core member Super-intelligent Gorilla
• Killer Frost (Louise Lincoln) - Core member
• Parasite - Core member
• Poison Ivy - Core member
• Shadow Thief - Core member
• Amazo - Android with the powers of the JLA.
• Black Manta
• Black Spider (Derrick Coe)
• Body Doubles
• Brain
• Cheshire
• Clayface (Basil Karlo)
• Deathstroke Deadly assassin
• Doctor Sivana - One of the world's greatest scientific geniuses.
• Effigy
• Girder
• Giganta
• Hammer and Sickle
• Hyena
• Iron Cross (of the Aryan Brigade)
• Jewelee
• Jinx
• The Key
• Killer Croc - Former wrestler with scaley skin and great strength.
• Lady Vic
• Major Force
• Magenta
• Mammoth
• Manticore
• Metallo
• Mister Freeze - Genius with freeze-based devices.
• Mister Terrible
• Mirror Master
• Monsieur Mallah
• Nocturna
• Phobia
• Prankster - Criminal who uses deadly tricks.
• Psimon
• Queen Bee
• Rag Doll - A 'triple-jointed' thief
• Scarecrow - Criminal with an interest in fear.
• Shaggy Man III - A furry monster created by Lex Luthor.
• Shimmer
• Shrapnel
• Skorpio
• Sonar (Bito Wladon II)
• T. O. Morrow
• Tar Pit
• Toyman
• Tremor
• Two-Face - Criminal with one side of face scarred.
• Volcano Man
• Warp

Based on the covers

This section lists those that only appear on the covers.

• Bizarro - Evil clone of Superman.
• Black Adam - Rogue member of the Marvel Family with powers from the Egyptian Gods.
• Bolt
• Captain Cold - One of the Flash's Rogues Gallery with a gun that drastically lowers temperature.
• Chemo
• Circe - Evil sorceress.
• Despero - Three-eyed alien with mental powers.
• Doctor Psycho
• Felix Faust
• Granny Goodness
• Icicle (Cameron Mahkent)
• Lion-Mane
• Merlyn
• Mongul Alien conqueror
• Sinestro
• Solomon Grundy - Superstrong zombie.
• Validus
• Zoom - Superfast criminal.

In other media

Television

• A version of the Injustice League appear in the Justice League the Animated Series in the episodes "In-Justice For All" parts one and two. The original line-up was Lex Luthor, Cheetah, Ultra-Humanite, Copperhead, Solomon Grundy, Star Sapphire, and Shade. After they battle the Justice League, Copperhead is taken out. In the second part, the Joker joins the team. Later, Solomon Grundy, Star Sapphire, and Shade come to the Watchtower and plant a bomb. They capture Batman and Cheetah is accused to be a traitor (though it's later revealed it was Ultra-Humanite). They are defeated by the Justice League. In "Fury," the Injustice League is reformed with Aresia as it's leader and a new character named Tsukuri as it's latest member. Another version of the Injustice League appear later on in the show, called the Secret Society. Its line-up includes Gorilla Grodd, Giganta, Shade, Parasite, Clayface, Killer Frost, and Sinestro. They appear in the episode "The Secret Society" parts one and two.

• A version of the Injustice League appeared in the Smallville episode "Injustice", featuring Livewire, Neutron, Plastique, and Parasite. They search for Doomsday. When Tess Mercer assumed control of LuthorCorp, she began recruiting metahumans to form a team of heroes of Earth. Tess then kills Livewire using an explosive chip implanted in her skull. When Clark Kent discovers this and tells Parasite and Plastique, they manage to disable the chips and attempt to form their own group of criminals. They are defeated by Green Arrow and Clark.

• The Injustice League appear in the Young Justice episode "Revelation". Its members include Count Vertigo, Poison Ivy, Black Adam, Wotan, Atomic Skull, Ultra-Humanite and Joker. They unleash giant plant monsters (modified by Kobra Venom) upon the major cities of the world.

See also

• Injustice Society
• Injustice Gang
• Secret Society of Super Villains
• Villains United
• Legion of Doom
• Anti-Justice League