Various comic book series featuring the League have remained generally popular with fans since inception because, in most incarnations, its roster includes DC's most popular characters. The League concept has also been adapted into various other entertainment media, including the classic Saturday morning Super Friendsanimated series (1973-1986), a lesser known live action television movie, and most recently the successful animated series Justice League (2001-2004) and Justice League Unlimited (2004-2006).
Having successfully re-introduced a number of their Golden Age superhero characters (Flash, Green Lantern, etc.) during the late 1950s, DC Comics asked writer Gardner Fox to re-introduce the Justice Society of America. Fox, influenced by the popularity of the National Football League and Major League Baseball, decided to change the name of the team from Justice Society to Justice League.[1] The Justice League of America debuted in The Brave and the Bold #28 (1960), and quickly became one of the company's best-selling titles. Fox wrote virtually all of the League's adventures during the 1960s, and artist Mike Sekowsky pencilled the first five years.
As with the Justice Society, the concept of the Justice League was simple: to include all of DC's most popular characters in one book (hence the original lineup included Superman, Batman, Aquaman, the Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman). Three of DC's other surviving or revived characters, Green Arrow, Atom, and Hawkman were quickly added to the roster, the latter two having been re-introduced by Gardner Fox himself. JLA's early success was indirectly responsible for the creation of the Fantastic Four, and by extension the entire Marvel universe. In his autobiography Stan Lee relates how, during a round of golf, DC publisher Jack Liebowitz mentioned to Marvel-Timely owner Martin Goodman how well DC's new book (Justice League) was selling. Later that day Goodman told Lee to come up with a team of superheroes for Marvel; Lee and Jack Kirby produced the Fantastic Four.[2]
The Justice League operated from a secret cave outside of the small town of Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. Teenager Snapper Carr tagged along on missions, and was both the team's mascot and an official member. Snapper, noted for speaking in beatnik dialect and snapping his fingers, helped the League to defeat giant space starfish Starro the Conqueror in the team's first appearance. In Justice League of America #77 (December 1969), Snapper was tricked into betraying the cave headquarters' secret location to the Joker, resulting in his resignation from the team. His resignation followed the resignations of two of the league's original members, Wonder Woman (in Justice League of America #69) and J'onn J'onzz (in Justice League of America #71). Both resignations appear to have been retconned due to changes in DC continuity.
In need of a new secure headquarters, the Justice League moved into an orbiting "satellite" headquarters in Justice League of America #78 (February 1970). Through this period, the membership was limited to the remaining founders along with Green Arrow, Atom, and Hawkman, who were joined by Black Canary, Phantom Stranger, Elongated Man, Red Tornado and, eventually, the return of Wonder Woman. The League's twelve-member limit (sometimes explained as a "no duplication of powers" policy) was conceded (in Justice League of America #161) to have been simply a charter provision about numbers, once the League had formally removed the limitation and admitted Hawkwoman and hoped to admit more members. (Indeed, through this period, several League members challenged and joked about the notion that they shared skills and talents, for example, with speed races between Superman and Flash, and Hawkman's use of archery in combat.) The policy change allowed Zatanna and Firestorm to be admitted as well.
Those involved in producing the Justice League of America comic during the 1970s include writers Gerry Conway, Cary Bates, E. Nelson Bridwell, and Steve Englehart, while Dick Dillin primarily handled the art chores. Justice League of America had a brief spike in popularity in 1982 when artist George Pérez stepped in following Dillin's death, but the commercial success was short-lived.
Detroit
In 1984, in an attempt to emulate the success of DC's most successful comic at that time, The New Teen Titans, DC editorial had most of the regular members replaced by newer, younger characters. DC also moved the team from its satellite headquarters into a base in Detroit, Michigan. This move was highly unpopular with readers, who dubbed this period of time the "Justice League Detroit" era. The major criticism was that this Justice League was filled with second-rate heroes. Created by Conway and artist Chuck Patton, the team was initially led by Aquaman and featured Justice League veterans Zatanna, the Martian Manhunter and the Elongated Man, but the majority of the stories focused on newly recruited heroes Vixen, Gypsy, Steel and Vibe. Aquaman left the new team after only a few issues, and was replaced as leader by J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter. Even the return of Batman to the team in Justice League of America # 250 could not halt the decline of the series.[3] The final issue of the original Justice League of America series, issue #261 by Writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Luke McDonnell, culminated with long-time Justice League enemy Professor Ivo's murders of Vibe and Steel at the onset of DC's Legends miniseries.
The 1987 company-wide crossover Legends featured the formation of a new Justice League. The new team was dubbed "Justice League" then "Justice League International" (JLI) and was given a mandate with less of an American focus. The new series, written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis with art by Kevin Maguire (and later Adam Hughes), added quirky humor to the team's stories. In this incarnation the membership consisted partly of heroes from Earths that, prior to their merging in the Crisis on Infinite Earths, were separate. The initial team included Batman, Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Captain Marvel, Doctor Light (a new Japanese female character, emerging from the Crisis of Infinite Earths, not the super-villain who had appeared previously), Doctor Fate, Martian Manhunter, Mister Miracle, and Guy Gardner; and soon after inception, added Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Fire (formerly known as the Global Guardians' Green Flame), Ice (formerly known as the Global Guardians' Ice Maiden), and two Rocket Reds (one was a Manhunter spy, and one was Dimitri Pushkin). The series' humorous tone and high level of characterization proved very popular, but writers following Giffen and DeMatteis were unable to capture the same balance of humor and heroics, resulting in the decline of the series' popularity. New writers gave the storylines a more serious tone. By the mid- to late-1990s, with the series' commercial success fading, it was eventually cancelled, along with spin-offs Justice League Europe, Extreme Justice, and Justice League Task Force.
The low sales of the various Justice League spinoff books prompted DC to revamp the League as a single team (all the various branch teams were disbanded) on a single title. A Justice League of America formed in the September 1996 limited seriesJustice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Mark Waid and Fabian Nicieza. In 1997, DC Comics launched a new Justice League series titled JLA, written by Grant Morrison with art by Howard Porter and inker John Dell.
This series, in an attempt at a "back-to-basics" approach, used as its core the team's original and most famous seven members (or their successors): Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash (Wally West), Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), and the Martian Manhunter. Additionally, the team received a new headquarters, the "Watchtower", based on the Moon. Morrison introduced the idea of the JLA allegorically representing a pantheon of gods, with their different powers and personalities, incorporating such characters as Barbara Gordon (Oracle), John Henry Irons (Steel), and Plastic Man.
Since this new league included most of DC's most powerful heroes, the focus of the stories changed. The League now dealt only with Earth-shattering, highest-priority threats which could challenge their tremendous combined power. Enemies faced by this new JLA included an invading army of aliens, a malfunctioning war machine from the future, a horde of renegade angels, a newly reformed coalition of villains as a counter-league, mercenaries armed with individualized take-down strategies for each superhero, various cosmic threats, and the enraged spirit of the Earth itself. In addition, because almost all of the members had their own comics, the stories were almost always self-contained, with all chapters occurring within JLA itself and very rarely affecting events outside of that series. Developments from a hero's own title (such as the new costume temporarily adopted by Superman) were reflected in the League's comic book, however.
The new approach worked, and JLA quickly became DC's best-selling title[citation needed], a position it enjoyed for several years[citation needed]. Despite this, DC did not create continuing spinoff series as it had done before. Instead, a large number of miniseries and one-shots featuring the team were released. One spin-off team, the Justice League Elite was created following the events of JLA # 100, but their series was limited to 12 issues, and the team appeared only once after the title ended its allotted run. JLA's popularity was also able to launch the critically acclaimed JSA series, which was relaunched as Justice Society of America to coincide with the new Justice League of America book.
In 2005, a story arc by Geoff Johns and Alan Heinberg called "Crisis of Conscience" (JLA #115-119) depicts the dissolution of the Justice League of America as the breakdown of trust shown in the 2004 limited series Identity Crisis reaches its zenith. At the end of the arc, Superboy-Prime destroys the Justice League Watchtower. JLA, one of several titles to be cancelled at the conclusion of the Infinite Crisis storyline, ended with issue #125.
As depicted in the "Villains United Infinite Crisis Special" and the final issue of Infinite Crisis itself, preparations for the defense of Metropolis against an army of organized super-villains required a brief and temporary expansion of the Justice League to its largest roster to date. The main defensive teams of the JLA, JSA, Teen Titans and Outsiders already being occupied elsewhere by the Crisis, it fell on Oracle and the Martian Manhunter to contact and deputize seemingly every active or once active hero in the DC Universe as effective Justice League members to form a last line of defense for the city.
In 52 Week 24, Firestorm recruits a group to reform the Justice League. It consists of Firehawk, Super-Chief, Bulleteer and Ambush Bug. They fight a deranged Skeets who takes Super-Chief's powers and kills him as well as numerous persons given powers by Lex Luthor's Everyman Project. Afterwards Firestorm breaks up the team.
Also in the series, Luthor's new Infinity, Inc. was informally referred to as a "Justice League" in solicitations and on covers.
The Hall, functioning as the League's embassy on Earth, features an extensive collection of rare historical items of significance to the League and its fore bearers, including several pieces of deactivated weaponry and technology from former heroes and villains. The transporter leads both to the Batcave and to the League's new orbiting satellite headquarters in space: the new Watchtower. Black Canary is elected as the first official Chairwoman. In issue #10, the Flash (Wally West) is brought back from another dimension, and then inducted into the Justice League. Dwayne McDuffie took over the writing job with #13. At the end of issue #15, Firestorm is "invited" to join the League so that someone with his powers but lack of experience will not be "unsupervised". After the Injustice Gang story arc, Amanda Waller had taken those villains in custody and transported them to Hell Planet without any regard or without anyone's consent. Recently the Key, among other villains, broke into the headquarters of the Justice League.
They surrendered themselves to the League, as a method of seeking safe haven from Waller. They were transported to individual cells on the JLA satellite, where their powers were nullified. Batman has been secretly communicating with J'onn J'onzz, finding out that Waller has been sending villains to this distant planet. Upon notifying the League they quickly went to the planet to check on the villains. Telepathically communicating with the League in space, J'onn asked for help. Little did the League know, it was Kanjar Ro impersonating J'onn, who then tried to capture the League and extract their DNA. The Justice League quickly disposed of Kanjar Ro and have since stated that they will find out where the villains have been transported to and also to rescue J'onn.
Recently Flash has been ignoring his calls from the League for help, including a recent fight with the Injustice League. Wonder Woman makes an effort to see why Flash has been ignoring the calls. Wally has been to busy with his children and fending off Keystone City. As Wonder Woman and Flash talk they confront Queen Bee, who has invaded Earth. Once they prevent that invasion Flash vows that he will now take all emergency calls from the JLA and even go on Monitor Duty.
Most recently, Libra, an old villain making his return, assembles a brand new Secret Society, claiming that if villains join his society he will fulfill all their wishes. During a routine bank heist, the Human Flame gets confronted by Red Arrow and Hawkgirl. After suffering yet another defeat by vigilantes, Libra promises the Human Flame retribuation against the heroes. An old battle between the Martian Manhunter and Human Flame has forever angered him against the ailen from Mars. Fulfilling his wildest dream, Libra boom tubes J'onn to the their headquarters and not showing and compassion, only promised dreams, Libra stabs J'onn with a flaming staff thus killing him and gaining a new ally in the Human Flame and proving to the other villains that he is serious about his powers.
In 1962's Justice League of America #9 Earth was infiltrated by the Appelaxians, competing alien warriors sent to see who could conquer Earth first to determine who will become the new ruler of their home planet. The aliens' attacks drew the attentions of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash (Barry Allen), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter. While the superheroes individually defeated most of the invaders, the heroes fell prey to a single competitor's attack; only by working together were they able to defeat the competitor. For many years, the heroes heralded this adventure as the event that prompted them to agree to pool resources when confronted with similar menaces.
Years later, however (as revealed in Justice League of America #144), Green Arrow uncovered inconsistencies in League records and extracted admissions from his colleagues that the seven founders had actually formed the League after the Martian Manhunter was rescued from Martian forces by the other six founders, along with Robin, who did not join the League because of his young age. Green Lantern participated in this first adventure primarily as Hal Jordan, though he finally appeared as Green Lantern when the group formalized their agreement, news of which they mutually suppressed because of anti-Martian hysteria (mirroring the real-world backdrop of Martian scares and anti-communist hysteria of the 1950s). Because the League members had not revealed their identities to each other at the time, they did not realize that Jordan and Green Lantern were one and the same. While most subsequent accounts of the League have made little mention of this first adventure, the animated Justice League series adapted this tale as the origin of the League as well.
1989's, Secret Origins #32 updated the Justice League of America's origin for Post-Crisis continuity. Differences included the inclusion of Black Canary as a founding member and the absence of Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman (though Batman and Superman had cameo appearances they did not join the League yet, but Bruce Wayne was secretly funding them). Additionally, while the confident and good-looking Hal Jordan served as the public face of the Justice League, this iteration of the League's origin cast the Flash as the team's unofficial leader, since it was the methodical Allen who usually came up with the plans that best utilized everyone's powers. 1998's JLA: Year Onelimited series, by Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn and Barry Kitson, further expanded upon the Secret Origins depiction.
In 1994's Justice League Task Force #16, during Zero Hour, an unknown superhuman named Triumph appeared. It was revealed that, in a plotline never explored before, Triumph was revealed to have been a founding member of the Justice League, serving as their leader. On his first mission with the fledgling Justice League, Triumph seemingly "saved the world", but was teleported into a dimensional limbo that also affected the timestream, resulting in no one having any memory of him. This was to explain how all the heroes ended up in Washington for their first meeting.
In 2006's Infinite Crisis #7, the formation of "New Earth" (the new name for the Post-Crisis Earth) resulted in the retcon that Wonder Woman was a founding member of the Justice League in the early days. In Brad Meltzer's Justice League of America (vol. 2) #0 (2006), it was also revealed that both Superman and Batman were founding members as well. No official changes in continuity for Hawkman and Hawkgirl's involvement with the team have been confirmed. 52 Week 51 confirmed that the 1989 Secret Origins and JLA: Year One origins are still in canon, with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman joining the team (consisting of Aquaman, Black Canary, Flash, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter) with founding members' status shortly after the group's formation.[4]
In 2003, Giffen, DeMatteis, and Maguire returned with a separate limited series called Formerly Known as the Justice League with the same humor as their Justice League run, and featuring some of the same characters in a team called the "Super Buddies" (a parody of the Super Friends). A follow-up limited series, entitled I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League, soon was prepared, although it was delayed due to the events shown in the Identity Crisis limited series, but was eventually released as the second arc in JLA: Classified. The Super Buddies consisted of Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Fire, Mary Marvel, the Elongated Man with his wife, Sue Dibny, Maxwell Lord, and L-Ron. The second story arc of JLA: Classified focuses on the Super Buddies in a humorous story that features Power Girl, Guy Gardner, and Doctor Fate.
In 2004, George Pérez and Kurt Busiek came out with a JLA/Avengers crossover, an idea that had been delayed for 20 years for various reasons. In this limited series, the Justice League and the Avengers were forced to find key artifacts in one another's universe, as well as deal with the threats of villains Krona and the Grandmaster. A key moment in League history occurs in this series, when the Avenger Hawkeye becomes the first Marvel Comics character to be inducted into the Justice League.
In 2004, DC began an anthology series titled JLA: Classified, which would feature rotating writers and artists producing self-contained story-arcs starring the JLA. JLA Classified is in official continuity; the stories take place somewhere in the team's past.[citation needed] The series was canceled as of issue 54 (May 2008).
In October 2005, DC began publishing the 12-issue miniseries Justice by writer Jim Krueger, writer/illustrator Alex Ross, and artist Doug Braithwaite. In the story, which is not set in current DC continuity, the League faces off against the combined forces of their most infamous criminal archenemies, including Lex Luthor, Riddler, Joker, Brainiac, Black Manta, etc. These villains have all shared the same nightmare of the Earth's destruction, and the shared nature of this vision leads them to believe it is a premonition of an actual impending event, one which they believe the Justice League is responsible for. Instead of using their combined strength for destructive ends, the new criminal team provides humanitarian aid in the form of large floating cities in which the impoverished people of Earth can live. They also use the power of rhetoric to criticize the Justice League for not having done enough humanitarian work themselves prior to this. In truth, this is a prelude to a coordinated attack on the Leaguers, which involves learning their secret identities, physically attacking them on multiple fronts, and unleashing microscopic mechanical organisms on a number of them that cause those infected to become murderous psychotics. With help from Doc Magnus and the Metal Men, the Leaguers build special armor to protect them from the mechanical worms. During the climactic battle, John Stewart manages to erase knowledge of the League's secret identities from the villains' minds, and Brainiac, who had taken control of all of Earth's nuclear weapons, in a ploy to restore the glory of his planet Colu on Earth, is defeated.
Justice League
Announced at Wizard World LA 2008; James Robinson and Mauro Cascioli will be starting a new Justice League series known simply as Justice League. According to Robinson, this series will be about "justice and seeking justice, rather than responding to emergencies, letting the problems come to them, and being almost entirely reactive". The team will be brought together by a murder, and Robinson revealed that the series will be tied to Final Crisis.[5]
Robinson explained that "Hal Jordan decides that he wants a pro-active team. This team will go after the equivalent of the FBI's most wanted list, sometimes in different countries, sometimes through time. It's a nice eclectic team of established teams and some oddball characters I've thrown in." He also said that "The difference is, the Justice League of America is all about the League, it's a family. While this is about justice. It's all about bringing in the bad guys."[6]
The Justice League occasionally has worked with its predecessor, the Justice Society of America. Between 1963 and 1985, a popular annual series of team-ups between the two teams to tackle some sort of mutual threat was seen. They often encountered other worlds in the Multiverse, such as Earth-S, home to Captain Marvel and Shazam. Now that the teams inhabit the same Earth, the JLA and JSA have Thanksgiving dinner together each year, with the location varying year to year between their respective headquarters. A crossover between the two teams in 2007 involved the Legion of Super-Heroes.
A team originally formed by the teen sidekicks of a few Justice League members (and thus known as a "Junior Justice League" of sorts) is called the Teen Titans.
Another team of young heroes similar to the Teen Titans was Young Justice, originally composed of Superboy, Impulse and Robin. Later more members were added like like Secret (rescuing her was the first case of the original trio), Wonder Girl, Arrowette, The Ray, Empress, Lil'lobo (later Slo-bo). The team was formed by chance and it's name was coined by a reporter when Impulse tried to say that they weren't really a team but "just us" (thus making the reporter believing the team was named "Young Justice"). Red Tornado was first mentor and then liaison for the team to the Justice League when the group was officially adopted as the young branch. The team was disbanded after the events of Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day and some former members of both the Titans and Young Justice grouped together to form the new Teen Titans.
In light of the increased UN scrutiny of super-powered teams after the events of Infinite Crisis and 52, Batman has re-formed his own team of Outsiders, to work under his direction tackling politically sensitive problems that might prove problematic were the Justice League of America to become directly involved.
A team formed by some rejects from the Legion of Superheroes that are native to Earth as shown in Action Comics # 859. This "Justice League of Earth" has twisted the legacy of Superman to promote their xenophobic agenda. Members include:
Earth-Man: Kirt Niedrigh, formerely Absorbency Boy. Has the ability to absorb and duplicate superpowers, albeit temporarily. Leader.
Tusker: Horace Lafeaugh. Has an unbreakable skeleton.
Storm Boy: Myke Chypurz. Has weather-making machines implanted in his chest cavity, giving him the ability to generate wind and lightning.
Golden Boy: Klint Stewirt. Has a midas touch and a solid gold body. Finances the team.
Eyeful Ethel: Ethel Lynn Niwtyn. Has the ability to grow extra eyes anywhere on her body. Acts as a teacher at the "Earth Cultural Center", telling students about Superman's false hatred of aliens.
Radiation Roy: Roy Travich. A living radioactive isotope. Must wear a red containment suit as his powers have damaged his body. Former member of the Legion of Super-Villains.
In the final issue of 52 a new multiverse was created, containing 52 worlds, some of which have alternate versions of the Justice League. On Earth 11, a world where all the genders are reversed from the characters of New Earth, There is a Justice League led by Superwoman and Batwoman; its members include Kylie Rayner, Olivia Queen, a Blue Beetle who is similar in costume and power to Jaimie Reyes (however dialogue suggests it may be a female version of Ted Kord), a Flash (whose blonde hair suggests she may be a female Barry Allen), Aquawoman (a female Arthur Curry), Atom (whose costume resembles Ryan Choi's), and Plastic Woman. Female versions of Red Tornado and Martian Manhunter are also members as well as a male version of Black Canary. Wonderman was also a member but was kicked off the team for killing Maxine Lord.
Planetary contains numerous references to JLA members. The first issue prominently features an homage to the Justice League. Planetary/Authority: Ruling The World features a JLA as though created by H. P. Lovecraft.
The Justice Friends in Dexter's Laboratory (although the characters who made up the Justice Friends more closely resembled Captain America (Major Glory), The Hulk (Krunk), Thor (Valhallen) and other members of the Avengers).
In the Futurama episode Less Than Hero, after Fry and Leela receive powers from Dr. Flim Flam's Miracle Cream, along with Bender, they form the New Justice Team; whose enemy is the Zoo-Keeper (also the name of a DC villain). The first battle between the New Justice Team and the Zoo-Keeper is an obvious parody of the 1960s Batman television series.
The Justice Ducks (or "Just-Us-Ducks") team in the comedic Disney cartoon Darkwing Duck is a team of super heroes (not all of them ducks, which makes the "Just-Us-Ducks" name all the more amusing) that along with Darkwing Duck protect the city of St. Canard.
On Spongebob Squarepants they had the I.J.L.S.A. (the International Justice League of Super-Acquaintances),they were based on Flash(Quickster),Firestorm(Captain Magma),Elongated Man(Elastic Wasteband),Gypsy(Miss Appear),and Aquaman(Mermaid-Man).
The Underground episode 8 parodies the Justice League, with names like Supra-Man, Man Bat (and his Manmobile), Green Lighthouse, along with a Wonder Woman reference. Spider-Man is the only non-JLA member there, besides the main parody character, Super N-Word.
Bang Cartoons have had six episodes to date of "The Justice Guys"; a superhero team based on topical NFL players and coaches. Mainstays of the group include Bill Cowher as Spitball , Tom Brady as The Dynamic Dimple, Donovan McNabb as Chokemaster or Chokey McPukington, Peyton Manning as Commercial Man, Aaron Brooks as Captain Useless, Jeff Garcia has had several different characters, including the Cleveland Steamer, The Velvet Lion, and the Liberty Belle. In various adventures they have tackled the nefarious herpes spreading Ron Mexico, rescued Matt Leinart from Paris Hilton's cooch, and recently saved Matt Millen on Halloween.
Smallville At the end of the episode in which the young Aquaman visits Smallville, he invites Clark to join the Junior Lifeguard Association. Clark laughingly tells him that he is not ready to join the JLA quite yet. Also, at the end of the episode in which the young Flash appears (Bart Allen), he says that he's going to travel the world and search for others with superpowers, and "maybe start a league or something." In the season six episode, “Justice”, Oliver queen (Green arrow), Victor Stone (Cyborg), Arthur curry (Aquaman), Bart Allen (Impulse/the flash), and Clark Kent work together to take out a 33.1 facility set up by Lex Luther. When Clark is asked to permanently join the group he declines, saying that he must first deal with something else. It is later revealed throughout the season that the group (minus Clark) is still taking out 33.1 facilities throughout the world.
JLA #107-114 and a story from JLA Secret Files 2004
18
Crisis Of Conscience
JLA #115-119
19
World Without A Justice League
JLA #120-125
Justice League of America vol. 2 #1-onwards (August 2006-onwards)
This series has been collected in the following hardcover collections:
#
Title
Material collected
1
The Tornado's Path
Justice League of America #1-7
2
The Lightning Saga
Justice League of America #0, #8-12, Justice Society of America #5-6
In other media
Television
Justice League of America has been adapted for television numerous times.
Animation
Cartoon Network's Justice League
The first animated appearance of the Justice League was in the 1967 television series The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure. The team appeared in only three segments of the run of the show.
The longest-running version of the Justice League was the loosely adapted series called the Super Friends, which ran in various incarnations from 1973 to 1986.
The Justice League make their first appearance in the DC Animated Universe in "The Call," a two-parted episode of Batman Beyond. It portrayed a futuristic version of the team, referred to as "Justice League Unlimited," or "JLU" for short. The lineup consisted of an aging Superman, a brand new Green Lantern, Big Barda, plus new characters: Aquagirl (Aquaman's daughter), Micron (similar to Atom), and Warhawk (who is later revealed to be the son of John Stewart and Hawkgirl).
In the two-part fourth season finale of The Batman, titled "The Joining", Batman allied with Martian Manhunter against aliens known as "the Joining." At the end of the second episode, J'onn contacts Batman and asks him to join his group, prompting Batman to remark that J'onn has formed "quite a league". The members of the "League" featured in this sequence were Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Hawkman, and the Flash. Much of the fifth season revolves around teamups with League members and Batman. Other elements that were put forth included Batman recruiting Superman, and a headquarters combining elements of the Hall of Justice from Super Friends and the Watchtower from Justice League.
File:Smallville justice.jpgA "Justice League" as featured in the Smallville Season 6 episode Justice.Smallville featured a version of the Justice League in its sixth season episode "Justice". The members of the team were drawn from versions of DC Comics heroes that had previously appeared in the show: "Impulse" from the season four episode "Run"; "Aquaman" from the season five episode "Aqua"; "Cyborg" from the season five episode of the same name, and "Green Arrow" who had been appearing as a regular character through the sixth season. The episode had the team temporarily recruiting main characters Clark Kent, who Green Arrow dubs "Boy Scout", and Chloe Sullivan, who acts as the team's advisor through a computer network under the codename "Watchtower". Later, in the Season Seven episode "Siren," the Black Canary joined Oliver's team as well.
The online spin-off series Smallville Legends: Justice & Doom follows the exploits of Oliver Queen's proto-Justice League. Episode one suggests an unknown connection with Dr. Virgil Swann. In the picture from left to right: Impulse, Green Arrow, Clark Kent, Aquaman, and Cyborg.
From early 2007, it had been announced that a Justice League of America movie was in the works, set to be directed by Australian director George Miller. Hiring an entirely new cast, the film was not intended to be set in the same continuity as the Batman or Superman film series. Instead, it would have set up spin-offs for other Justice League members, similar to the X-Men film series.[7] From February 2007 until April 2008, the much maligned project was subject to rumours before eventually being put on an indefinite hiatus; in a recent interview, producer Joel Silver stated that Justice League "has been tabled."[8]
"A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Australian film industry is being frittered away because of very lazy thinking. They're throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars of investment that the rest of the world is competing for and, much more significantly, highly skilled creative jobs."
—George Miller on the Australian government's decision not to house filming[16]
The Writer's Strike put Justice League on indefinite hold, while Warner Bros. announced the film allowed options lapse for the cast.[17] After the Writer's Strike, filming was set for mid-April 2008,[7] in Canada, despite Miller's wishes to keep production at Fox Studios Australia.[13] The Mulroneys went back to rewrite the script for Warner Bros. and Miller's approval.[7]
The filmmakers are still adamant for a mid-2009 release date,[18] and hope to have filming start in mid-July 2008.[19] Warner Bros. still faces the possibility of a June 2008 Screen Actors Guild strike.[7]Marit Allen was the original costume designer before her death in November 2007.[20]Weta Workshop took over, a decision which opens the possibility of their sister company, Weta Digital, doing the visual effects.[21]
While a cast for the undeveloped film was never officially declared, various news brokers were able to confirm a number of Miller's casting choices, for which he chose predominantly younger actors who he had hoped would "grow into their roles" over the course of a film trilogy.[22] This decision had received negative feedback from comic book fans on the internet.[7] Brody, Common, Gale and Hammer will have to physically train for their roles.[23]
In October 2007, roughly 40 actors and actresses auditioned for the League, among them; Joseph Cross, Michael Angarano, Max Thieriot, Minka Kelly, Adrianne Palicki and Scott Porter.[22]
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