The Big League part 6

We're rushing towards the end game! Well, we might be. I dunno. How many more members are there? *checks* Oh, well... This could take an extra chapter. Oh, well. Let's see who's gonna show up in the Justice League next!

Blue Devil (Daniel Cassidy)
Joined: Justice League America #98



Blue Devil was a special effects and stunt guy in the movies. The Blue Devil costume was designed as part of a film, but an encounter with a demon left Daniel Cassidy bonded to the costume permanently. Later dying and coming back to life as an actual Blue Devil, Cassidy served with the League for a short while, though these days you're more likely to find him as a member of one of DC's supernatural teams, such as the Sentinels of Magic or Shadowpact. We're unlikely to see him in a League movie, but a possible appearance somewhere in the DC film universe isn't off the cards.

Icemaiden (Sigrid Nansen)
Joined: Justice League America #98



Sorry Icemaiden, but if there's gonna be an icy lady in the JLA film, it'll be Ice.

L-Ron
Joined: Justice League Task Force #12





L-Ron was a robot who assisted the Justice League in a very much supporting role for a while. Then, in order to stop a rampage by the villain Despero, the Green Lantern Kilowog transferred L-Ron's consciousness into Despero's body. L-Ron served with the League in this form for a while, though Despero was able to regain control on occasion. L-Ron and Despero were eventually separated and returned to their own bodies. L-Ron may appear in his robot form as a supporting role in the Justice League movie. A robot helper isn't out of the question, and when there's one already waiting, why not use it? There's also a chance that Despero could show up down the line as a League bad guy. Will we eventually see this weird body swap on the silver screen? Not impossible.

Mystek (Jennifer Barclay)
Joined: Justice League Task Force #26



Originally starting out as an enemy of the Ray, Mystek was offered a second chance and membership in the League by the Martian Manhunter. Unfortunately, her tenure was short, as she died soon after. Not much chance of seeing her in a JLA film.

The Wonder Twins (Zan and Jayna of Exor)
Joined: Extreme Justice #16



Yep. The Wonder Twins, of Superfriends fame. I hope to God they're in a JLA film. "Wonder Twins powers activate!"

Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
Joined: Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare #3



In the nineties, DC Comics did the unthinkable (again), and turned Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, into a supervillain known as Parallax. Unlike when they killed off the Flash, there was no Kid Green Lantern to take his place. Instead, DC took the radical move of creating an entirely new character to take up the mantle of Green Lantern in Kyle Rayner. Kyle more than acquitted himself as GL, proving that he was different to Hal Jordan, but just as great. Like Wally West as the Flash, Kyle was Green Lantern when I first started reading comics. If you asked me who my favourite Flash is, I'd say Wally West. Ask me my favourite GL? Actually, I can't decide. I love Hal and Kyle equally, and I'm glad that since Hal's return in the pages of Green Lantern, Kyle hasn't been overlooked, taking center stage in Green Lantern Corps. Chances of seeing him on film though? If Green Lantern does well (not long to wait now), then we may well see him in a sequel. In the League? Hmmm...

Tomorrow Woman (Clara Kendall)
Joined: JLA #5



An android created by Professor Ivo and T.O. Morrow to infiltrate the League and take them down from within, Tomorrow Woman ended up turning on her creators (as these androids designed to infiltrate super teams on behalf of the bad guy always do) and sacrificed her own life to save the League. Don't be surprised if this forms the storyline of a future JLA sequel.

Aztek (Curt Falconer)
Joined: Aztek #10



A warrior trained to fight the ultimate threat to Earth, and granted the technology to do so, Aztek joined the League, but left shortly after when he found out that one of the main financial backers of the Aztek project was one Lex Luthor. Feeling that he couldn't serve with the League knowing that he owed his abilities to one of their greatest enemies, Aztek left the team. However, when the world destroying engine Maggedon arrived at Earth, the very threat Aztek was created to oppose, he sacrificed his life to aid the League in destroying Mageddon. Aztek's storyline was a key part of Grant Morrison's tenure on the JLA book, which all culminated with the Mageddon storyline. It would make an excellent DC Universe film, not just a JLA one, and if that happened, Aztek would be front and center. Shame it's not gonna happen.

Green Arrow (Connor Hawke)
Joined: JLA #9



The son of the original Green Arrow, Oliver Queen, Connor Hawke took up his father's superhero identity when Ollie was killed. Connor's time with the League was brief, but he more than held his own against the Key and the Injustice Gang, proving himself to his team mates. It's not likely we'll see him in a film, except maybe as a child if Green Arrow ever gets a solo venture.

Oracle (Barbara Gordon)
Joined: JLA #16



The one time Batgirl, Barbara Gordon was paralysed by the Joker and later became Oracle, Batman's information central. Oracle soon started helping other heroes as well, including Black Canary and Huntress, eventually being brought into the Justice League by Batman. However, with DC's upcoming reboot, it appears that Barbara Gordon is walking again, and once more filling the costume of Batgirl. Quite how this is happening is unclear at the moment, though the writer on Batgirl, Gail Simone, is one of DC's best, and has been writing Barbara for years in Birds of Prey, so she's in good hands. Still, DC's decision to suddenly have Barbara walking again has been a controversial one, so I would expect them to steer clear of Barbara, in either of her incarnations, in the cinema for the forseeable future.

Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brien)
Joined: JLA #16



Under the correct writer, Plastic Man is hilarious. During Grant Morrison's run on JLA, and subsequently under Mark Waid, as well as in the hands of Kurt Busiek in JLA / Avengers, Plas was very much the comic relief. It'd be nice to see him in a JLA movie, but to be honest, he's just too whacky. Honestly, the best thing to hope for is a new cartoon series. That'd be cool.

Steel (John Henry Irons)
Joined: JLA #16



When Superman was killed by Doomsday, steelworker John Henry Irons, who had previously been rescued by Superman, took it upon himself to fill the Man of Steel's shoes. Building a high tech suit of armour, Irons turned himself into a literal man of steel. Continuing to operate as Steel upon Superman's return, Irons was eventually invited to join the JLA. Steel may show up in a future Superman film, and if that happens, could conceivably graduate to a JLA film after that. Let's just ignore the previous attempt at a Steel film in which Shaquille O'Neal played the part. Please.

Zauriel
Joined: JLA #16



An angel. An honest to God angel on the Justice League. I'd be surprised if he showed up in a JLA film, though rumour has it that Grant Morrison created him simply to have a winged character on the team while Hawkman was unavailable. Could the film makers pull a similar trick?

Wonder Woman (Hippolyta of Themyscira)
Joined: JLA #16



Continuity strikes again! Like Superman and Batman, Wonder Woman was created in the Golden Age of comics, and fought alongside the Justice Society of America during World War II. But then, when continuity had to change, and Supes and Bats were written out of these adventures in order for them to still exist in the present day, Wonder Woman went a slightly different route. Rather than pretend she just hadn't been there, DC instead said that there was, indeed, a Wonder Woman fighting with the JSA during WWII, but it wasn't Princess Diana. Instead, it was her mother, Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons. Later on, when Diana wasn't apparently killed, Hippolyta again took up the mantle of Wonder Woman, and served in the Justice League until her daughters return. Hippolyta will be in a Wonder Woman film. She will never join the League in a film.

To be continued...

The Big League part 5

I thought about rebooting my blog, going back to part 1 and pretending the previous entries didn't happen as a tribute to DC Comics, but then I realised, that would be stupid. Onwards!

Metamorpho (Rex Mason)
Joined: Justice League International #24



Metamorpho, the element man, could transform parts of his body (or the whole thing, if necessary) into any of the elements on the periodic table, though he was also stuck in the bizarre form you see above. Metamorpho has been killed twice in the comics, and returned both times, having what would probably be best described as a cult following. Don't be surprised if Rex has some kind of cameo in a Justice League movie.

Power Girl (Kara Zor-L / Karen Starr)
Joined: Justice League International #24



Okay, Power Girl's another of those characters who gets confusing thanks to DC's love of a crisis. Originally, she was the cousin of Superman from Earth-2 (the world populated by the Justice Society, in which Superman fought during World War 2), basically being that universe's version of Supergirl. Then Crisis on Infinite Earths happened, the two worlds merged, and Power Girl wasn't a Kryptonian any more. Instead, she was the daughter of an Atlantean sorcerer. But then Infinite Crisis happened, and she was Kryptonian again, but her universe didn't exist any more and... Anyone else want another entry on Hawkman? It's unlikely we'll see Power Girl in a JLA film, as it's just difficult to know how they'd handle her. Notice I went the entire entry without mentioning her costume...

Crimson Fox (Vivian and Constance d'Aramis)
Joined: Justice League Europe #13



An interesting one this. Crimson Fox is a superhero identity shared by identical twins. The sisters would take it in turns to wear the costume, allowing each of them to have some semblance of a normal life when they weren't superheroing. Of course, that isn't much help when both of them get killed, but oh well. While the character is too obscure to feature in a League film, the idea of twins sharing an identity like this is an interesting one. Don't be surprised if it shows up in a superhero film at some point. Shut up, the Prestige doesn't count. There's not a superhero in sight.

Blue Jay (Jay Abrams)
Joined: Justice League Europe #20



Dear DC Comics, just because you name one superhero after a tiny bird, and find success with him as Batman's sidekick, it doesn't mean it will work twice. What's that? He can shrink? Yeah, 'cos blue jays do that all the time. No.

Silver Sorceress (Laura Neilsen)
Joined: Justice League Europe #20



Silver Sorceress (who didn't wear silver) used magic. She's dead now. Will she be in a JLA film? No chance.

Maya (Chandi Gupta)
Joined: Justice League Europe #50



I have no idea who this is. *checks wikipedia* Oh, right. Well, she's Indian, she has elemental powers, and she's never going to be in a JLA film ever.

Justice League Antarctica
Joined: Justice League Annual #4



A group who appeared only once, and who were very much brought together to take the piss a bit. Though one member, Major Disaster, would go on to join the League proper in JLA #69, it's highly unlikely any of them will make the JLA film.

Triumph (William MacIntyre)
Joined: Justice League International #67



Triumph was supposed to be one of the Earth's great heroes, but, as sometimes happens, he got lost in a dimensional limbo and everyone forgot he existed. When he finally returned, he was a bit of an angry fellow, and managed to get himself fired from the Justice League. Later on, a Bitter and resentful Triumph launched an attack on the JLA with the aid of an imp from the fifth dimension. He almost took them down too, but unfortunately for him, the League were being aided at this point by Hourman, Captain Marvel and the JSA, who also had an imp from the fifth dimension on the team. Triumph was turned into an ice statue by the Spectre, and was presumably killed when the JLA headquarters was destroyed. Triumph's story in the pages of JLA, as told by Grant Morrison, was a high point in a run of stories which were all rather excellent. It would make for a good film in and of itself, though you'd need to get the back story out the way somehow and involve the JSA too. It's unlikely, but it would be damn cool!

Hawkman (Katar Hol)
Joined: Justice League America #0



AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! I TAKE IT BACK, I TAKE IT BACK!!!!! MAKE HIM GO AWAY!!!!!!

Nuklon (Albert Rothstein)
Joined: Justice League America #0



With that mohawk, you better hope Nuklon appears in a JLA movie! Though, if he does, it's more likely to be sans mohawk under his current identity of Atom Smasher. Which I haven't listed here 'cos he was never in the League under that name in the comics. Just in the awesome Justice League Unlimited cartoon. As far as I know.

Obsidian (Todd Rice)
Joined: Justice League America #0



Obsidian is the son of Golden Age Green Lantern and Justice Society of America founding member, Alan Scott. While Obsidian is pretty cool, don't expect him to show up in a JLA movie. Obsidian's more associated with his dad's team, the JSA. What would be cool is if DC and Warner Bros gave us the war time JSA movie we discussed in the entry for the Golden Age Flash, then hit us with a sequel to that set in modern times and featuring Obsidian and his sister, Jade.

Amazing Man (Will Everett, III)
Joined: Extreme Justice #0



Dude's called Amazing Man. Far as I'm concerned, that's reason enough to have him in a film.

To be continued...

The Big League part 4

You know how it is, you start out hoping to update your blog about who we will and won't see in a Justice League movie on a weekly basis, then you get ill and have a birthday. And then, in the two weeks when you're not blogging, DC Comics go and announce that they're rebooting their whole bloody universe. Again. Soon as they do, everything in this blog could be rendered obsolete! Still, that isn't happening until September, so as long as I'm done by then, I still win. Shall we get on with it?

General Glory (Joseph Jones)
Joined: Justice League America #50



Oh, no, DC weren't having a friendly pop at Captain America at all with this uber patriotic hero, and his sidekick, Ernie the Battling Boy, was definitely not Bucky. With Captain America taking centre stage in his own movie and the Avengers, it's unlikely DC and Warner Bros will want to risk sticking General Glory into any Justice League film. Also, no one's heard of him.

Tasmanian Devil (Hugh Dawkins)
Joined: Justice League America #56



No, not the cartoon character. He's a superhero who won't be in the Justice League film. Next!

Maxima (Maxima of Almerac)
Joined: Justice League America #56



Originally a Superman villain, Maxima later reformed and joined the Justice League, staying with the team during Doomsday's rampage across America which led to the death of Superman. Maxima was a mainstay of several versions of the League for a little while, but eventually returned to her old ways and joined the Superman Revenge Squad with other enemies of the Man of Steel. Since then, Maxima has been one of those characters who walks the line between hero and villain, occasionally falling either side of it. There's a chance we'll see her on the silver screen one day, but it's more likely to be as a bit-part in a future Superman film than as a member of the League.

The Ray (Ray Terrill)
Joined: Justice League America #71



The Ray is one of those characters who never catches a break. He was a member of the League, the Titans and Young Justice, but just never seems to be able to break into the A-list. I'm fond of the character, so there's some bias, but I think there's a chance he'll show up in a Justice League sequel.

Black Condor (Ryan Kendall)
Joined: Justice League America #71



Black Condor is... Um... Well, he was in the Justice League. For a bit. He... Um... Can fly and stuff... Okay, I'm pretty clueless... about a lot of the League members during this period, if I'm honest. Let's hedge some bets. Black Condor will definitely be a main character in the League movie.

Agent Liberty (Benjamin Lockwood)
Joined: Justice League America #71



Hey, look, it's that guy! He'll be in the movie for sure. What? Yeah, I know exactly who he is. He's Agent Liberty. He... um... Okay, fine, I know nothing about him. I said right from the off I don't know the League as well as I know the Avengers. This is your proof.

Bloodwynd
Joined: Justice League America #78



Ah, now this guy I do know. He's all mysterious and stuff. No one even knows his real name! What we do know is that he gains his powers from the mystical bloodgem he wears, which also has ties to the demon Rott. He's quite a cool character, with a good look, but it's unlikely he'll show up in a League movie.

The Flash (Jay Garrick)
Joined: Justice League America #78



The original Flash from the forties, Jay Garrick is better known as a member of the Justice Society of America, the precursors to the League. It's unlikely we'll see him in a League movie, though he may well have some kind of cameo in a Flash movie. Let's also hope that the JSA themselves eventually get their own film, and we see all the Golden Age characters up on screen together, if for no other reason than Flash has the best helmet in all of comics. Um... On his head, there.

Animal Man (Buddy Baker)
Joined: Justice League International #24



Animal Man has the ability to tap into the powers of any of Earth's many animals. This isn't what makes him fun though. The most interesting thing about Animal Man is that he knows he's a comic book character living in a fictional universe. The best thing DC can do with Animal Man is to introduce him in a League movie, then spin him off into his own solo venture. One which gets very weird and trippy, as the comic did when, who else, Grant Morrison was writing it.

The Flash (Wally West)
Joined: Justice League International #24



The third man to carry the name and legacy of the Flash, Wally West started his superhero career as Barry Allen's sidekick, Kid Flash. When Barry died during Crisis on Infinite Earths, Wally became the first teen sidekick to take up his mentor's identity. Quite naturally, Wally ended up joining the League, and served as the Flash for many years. For me, personally, Wally is my favourite Flash as he was the one who was in the role when I was reading DC comics. While Barry has returned to life, and his role as the Flash, recently, Wally remains the Flash for many fans. It's not likely he'll appear in a Justice League movie as the Flash, but may well turn up as Kid Flash in a Flash or Teen Titans movie.

To be continued...

The Big League part 3

I couldn't come up with a good intro for this latest part of my series of blogs on who we may see in a JLA movie, so I won't bother. I'll just dive right in with...

Mister Miracle (Scott Free)
Joined: Justice League #1



Mister Miracle is the universe's greatest escape artist, created by Jack Kirby as part of his ambitious Fourth World project. The son of the Highfather of New Genesis, Scott Free was raised on the world of Apokolips when the Highfather and Darkseid swapped sons in an effort to strengthen diplomatic relations between the two worlds. Mister Miracle won't appear in the Justice League film, but if DC and Warner Bros are smart, they'll do a stand alone New Gods film (which could be amazing if done properly), before merging some characters into the JLA franchise. It would be tricky, but done properly, it would also be awesome.

Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)
Joined: Justice League #1



Doctor Light took not only the name, but the costume of a supervillain who raped the wife of long term Justice League member, Elongated Man. Bit insensitive, really. I mean, sure, that was a retcon which came well after Doctor Light first appeared, and due to a whole thing with a memory wipe, it was hardly common knowledge, but still... Whadda bitch, huh? No place for her in the movie! Probably. But not 'cos of that. More likely, they'll end up using the villainous, male Doctor Light instead at some point.

Booster Gold (Michael Carter)
Joined: Justice League #4



A time traveller from the future, Booster Gold uses the advanced technology in his suit to fight crime. He also has major sponsorship deals with some big companies. Remember Captain Amazing in Mystery Men? Tone him down a bit, and you've basically got Booster. Booster also has something of a double act going with Blue Beetle, so if either one appears, the other can't be far behind.

Captain Atom (Nathaniel Adam)
Joined: Justice League International #7



Captain Atom is one of the more powerful members of the JLA over the years, with super strength, flight and the ability to generate powerful energy blasts. He does also come with the unfortunate side effect of exploding if his containment suit gets torn, but c'est la vie. Captain Atom would be an interesting character to explore in a JLA film, though it's unlikely to happen in the first one. However, an appearance in his civilian identity, as an air force pilot, isn't entirely out of the question, setting him up for an appearance in a future film. Let's hope they ignore all the Monarch stuff though. Don't ask.

Rocket Red 7 (Vladimir Mikoyan)
Joined: Justice League International #7



The Rocket Reds are a group of humans wearing armoured battlesuits who originally protected Russia. The first of them to join the league was Rocket Red 7. Who promptly turned out to not be human at all, but was in fact a Manhunter, one of the androids created by the Guardians of the Universe before they started using Green Lanterns, who were now a bit psychotic. Rocket Red 7 was soon destroyed by Booster Gold, and won't be in the Justice League film. But he does lead us nicely onto...

Rocket Red 4 (Dmitri Pushkin)
Joined: Justice League International #11



Um... See above, but ignore the Manhunter bit. Rocket Red 4 was nice. We probably won't see him as a main character in any League film, but an appearance from the entire Rocket Red Brigade somewhere down the line isn't out of the question.

Fire (Beatriz da Costa)
Joined: Justice League International #14



Fire has fire powers. But they're green. She's a pretty cool visual, but to be honest, we've got a pretty cool green visual already in Green Lantern (hopefully), and having her on a team with the Martian Manhunter (whose main weakness is fire) is just asking for trouble. Unlikely. However, we get that Formerly Known as the Justice League sitcom, there's a home for Fire right there.

Ice (Tora Olafsdotter)
Joined: Justice League International #14



Fire and Ice often come as a team, so basically, go read Fire's entry again, but exchange fire for... well, ice. Oh, and she's less green. And Martian Manhunter doesn't really have a problem with Ice. Other than that, it's the exact same entry. Coulda just cut and pasted, but I wrote a whole 'nother entry instead. I'm generous like that.

Hawkman (Fel Andar)
Joined: Justice League International #19



No chance. The second Hawkman to join the League, but if we're going to see a Hawkman, it'll be the first one, and we won't be seeing him any time soon due to the previously mentioned continuity issues.

Hawkwoman (Sharon Parker)
Joined: Justice League International #19



So, remember what I said about Fire and Ice's entries, and my generosity? Yeah, not happening this time. Second Hawkwoman. Read second Hawkman's entry. Done.

Huntress (Helena Bertinelli)
Joined: Justice League America #30



Turns out, Gotham City is crawling with vigilantes. The daughter of a mob boss who was killed by his rivals, Huntress began patrolling the streets of Gotham, but her more violent tendencies often put her into conflict with Batman. Batman has tried to reign Huntress in, inviting her to join the League twice, but it just never seems to work out. Helena has a vicious streak, and she doesn't care. Huntress is a pretty cool character, and it would be nice to see her on the screen, but it's more likely to happen in a Batman film than a JLA one.

Doctor Fate (Linda Strauss)
Joined: Justice League America #31



Hang on, there was a lady Doctor Fate? Since when? Huh. The things you learn... Um... Yeah, totally a main character in the Justice League movie. Next!

Lightray (Sollis)
Joined: Justice League America #42



Another of Jack Kirby's New Gods, Lightray, like Mister Miracle, is unlikely to appear. But lets hold out hope for that Fourth World movie, eh? Then we'll eventually have to see the League take on Darkseid, and Lightray will be there. Fingers crossed, eh?

Orion (Orion of Apokolips)
Joined: Justice League America #42



The son of Darkseid (who was traded to the Highfather of New Genesis by his father in exchange for Mister Miracle, remember? Diplomacy, eh?), Orion was raised on New Genesis, but found his lust for battle and more violent tendencies, inherited from his father, hard to curb. However, Orion points his anger in the right direction, and has joined the Justice League a number of times. He's a very interesting character, and one who would be fun to explore in detail. Not in a JLA movie though. I keep coming back to that Fourth World movie. It's a good idea. C'mon DC and WB! Do it! Small side note. In Justice League Unlimited, Orion was voiced by Ron Perlman. Who else thinks that wouldn't be bad casting in the flesh too?

To be continued...