Injustice League | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
Created by | Scott Beatty Historical: Keith Giffen J. M. DeMatteis |
In-story information | |
Base(s) | Injustice League Satellite; Hall of Doom |
The Injustice Gang is an antagonist group that are antagonists of the Justice League.
Publication history
editThe Injustice League first appeared in Justice League International #23 and was created by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis.
Fictional team history
editOriginal Injustice League
editThe original Injustice League was the brainchild of the interplanetary conqueror Agamemno. Bored with 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 supervillains 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 superheroes 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 the "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.
This incarnation was retconned as the first version of the Injustice League.
Members
edit- Lex Luthor
- Black Manta
- Chronos (David Clinton)
- Catwoman
- Doctor Light (Arthur Light)
- Felix Faust
- Mister Element
- Penguin
- Sinestro
- Zoom
- Riddler
Injustice League International
editThe 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 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. Afterwards, the Justice League Antarctica were fired.
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
editLex Luthor and The Joker (widely regarded as the archenemies of the JLA's two primary members Superman and Batman) 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 of Doom. 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 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
editThough the covers featured a large number of villains, membership differed in the actual story. Membership included:
- Lex Luthor - Founder
- Joker - Founder
- Cheetah (Barbara Ann Minerva) - Founder
- Cheshire (Jade Nguyen) - Core member
- Deathstroke the Terminator (Slade Joseph Wilson) - Core member
- Doctor Light (Arthur Light) - Core member
- Fatality (Yrra Cynril) - Core member
- Giganta (Doris Zeul) - Core member
- Gorilla Grodd - Core member
- Killer Frost (Louise Lincoln) - Core member
- Parasite - Core member
- Poison Ivy (Pamela Lillian Isley) - Core member
- Shadow Thief (Carl Sands) - Core member
- Shaggy Man III - Core member
- Black Manta (David Hyde)
- Black Spider (Derrick Coe)
- Body Doubles (Bonnie Hoffman and Carmen Leno)
- Brain
- Clayface (Basil Karlo)
- Doctor Sivana (Thaddeus Bodog Sivana)
- Double Dare (Aliki and Margot Marceau)
- Effigy (Martyn Van Wyck)
- Felix Faust (Adrian Drache)
- Girder
- Hammer and Sickle
- Hyena
- Iron Cross (of the Aryan Brigade)
- Jewelee
- Jinx
- The Key
- Killer Croc (Waylon Jones)
- Lady Vic (Elaine Marsh-Morton)
- Major Force (Clifford Zmeck)
- Magenta (Frances Kane)
- Mammoth (Baran Flinders)
- Manticore (Saied)
- Metallo (John Corben)
- Mister Freeze (Victor Fries)
- Mister Terrible
- Mirror Master (Evan McCulloch)
- Monsieur Mallah
- Nocturna (Natalie Metternich)
- Phobia (Angela Hawkins III)
- Prankster (Oswald Hubert Loomis)
- Psimon (Simon Jones)
- Queen Bee (Zazzala)
- Rag Doll (Peter Merkel)
- Riddler (Edward Nygma)
- Rock
- Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)
- Shimmer
- Shrapnel
- Silver Monkey
- Skorpio
- Sonar (Bito Wladon Junior)
- T. O. Morrow
- Tar Pit
- Toyman
- Tremor
- Two-Face (Harvey Dent)
- Warp
Based on the covers
editThis section lists those that only appear on the covers.
The New 52
editDuring the Forever Evil storyline as part of The New 52 (a 2011 reboot of the DC Comics universe), Lex Luthor forms the Injustice League with villains who resisted the Crime Syndicate in order to take them down.
- Lex Luthor - Founder
- Bizarro
- Black Adam
- Black Manta
- Captain Cold
- Catwoman
- Deathstroke the Terminator
- Sinestro
Injustice League Dark
editThe Injustice League Dark was created as a counter to the Justice League Dark, a team of supernatural super-heroes who deal with supernatural threats. Its original members included Circe, Floronic Man, Klarion (and his familiar Teekl), Papa Midnite, and Solomon Grundy.
Other versions
editIn the comic book version "Batman and the Justice League", Lex Luthor establishes an Injustice League, composed of Sinestro, Cyborg Superman, Joker, Reverse-Flash and Ares. Ocean Master was meant to be a member, but left due to his own motivations.
In other media
editTelevision
edit- The Injustice Gang appears in the two-part Justice League episode "Injustice For All". Lex Luthor formed this group with Cheetah, Copperhead, Joker, Shade, Solomon Grundy, Star Sapphire, and Ultra-Humanite to combat the Justice League. In the two-part episode "Fury", Aresia reassembled the Injustice Gang with Copperhead, Shade, Solomon Grundy, Star Sapphire, and a new character named Tsukuri.
- A variation of the Injustice League appeared in the Smallville live-action series episode "Injustice", consisting of Livewire, Neutron, Plastique, Eva Greer, and Parasite. They initially searched for Doomsday until Tess Mercer assumed control of LuthorCorp and began recruiting metahumans to form a team of heroes to defend Earth. Mercer later kills Livewire using an explosive chip implanted in the latter's skull. When Clark Kent discovers this and tells Parasite and Plastique, they disable the chips and attempt to form their own group of criminals, only to be defeated by Kent and the Green Arrow.
- The Injustice League appears in the Young Justice animated series episode "Revelation", consisting of Count Vertigo, Poison Ivy, Black Adam, Wotan, Atomic Skull, Ultra-Humanite, and the Joker. This version of the League was created to serve as scapegoats for the Light and distract the Justice League and the Team from their plans.
- The Injustice League appears in the Harley Quinn animated web series, consisting of Bane, the Riddler, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, and Two-Face. This version of the group came together to take control of Gotham City after the Joker destroyed it and divide what was left between them. After Harley Quinn interferes with their plans, they attempt to negotiate peace with her, but she disagrees with them, so they have her frozen and put on display in Penguin's Iceberg Lounge. After she eventually gets free and murders the Penguin, Harley and her crew fight and defeat the Injustice League over the course of the following episodes. In the episode "Riddle U", they capture the Riddler after learning his territory had power and clean water, and use him to power their mall lair. In the episode "Thawing Hearts", Mr. Freeze sacrifices himself to cure his wife, Nora Fries. In the episode "There's No Place to Go But Down", Harley and Poison Ivy defeat Bane while Commissioner Gordon defeats and incarcerates Two-Face.
Video games
edit- The Injustice League appeared in Lego DC Super-Villains.
- The Injustice League appeared in DC Universe Online: Legends.
Miscellaneous
edit- An unrelated Injustice League appeared in the Dynomutt, Dog Wonder animated series episode "The Injustice League of America", in which the Blue Falcon's enemies the Worm, the Queen Hornet, Lowbrow, Superthug, Fishface, and the Gimmick form the eponymous group.
- A similar group appears briefly in the animated film Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon, albeit with Superthug and Fishface amalgamated into one character while the Worm is replaced by Ironface and the Swamp Rat.
Reception
editThe Slings & Arrows Comic Guide found the Injustice League "ludicrous".
See also
editReferences
editCite error: There are <ref>
tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).https://www.dccomics.com/
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tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).https://comicvine.gamespot.com/injustice-league/4060-22672/
Category:DC Comics supervillain teams Category:Villains in animated television series