The Justice League was formed to confront global and cosmic threats far beyond the capabilities of any single hero. Recognizing that the world was changing, with greater dangers emerging from both Earth and beyond, a small group of heroes united to protect it. From the beginning, the League maintained a working relationship with A.R.G.U.S., a government agency designed to monitor superhuman activity. Through this partnership, the League operated independently but maintained diplomatic ties to the U.S. Government, ensuring their actions aligned with broader efforts to protect the planet.
The founding roster consisted of seven heroes, each bringing their unique skills, powers, and philosophies to the table. Though their personalities and approaches often clashed, their shared commitment to justice created a strong foundation. Over the years, the League expanded, evolving to meet new challenges. From its original seven members, the League has grown to include over fifty heroes, each one called to serve when the world needs them most.
The Beginning
It all began when Starro the Conqueror launched a covert invasion of Earth. Rather than attack directly, Starro deployed scouts to disable parts of Earth’s defense network. Batman, while investigating a string of explosions at deep space monitoring stations, uncovered something strange. At one site, he was ambushed by three workers who displayed unnatural strength. As they attacked, they opened their mouths, revealing starfish-like organisms that latched onto their faces. One attempted to attach itself to Batman, but a flashbang drove them back. What Batman didn’t realize was that they had also retreated due to a hidden explosive. He was thrown by the blast and caught mid-air by Superman, who had heard the conflict from Metropolis.
Batman outlined what he had discovered, worried it could escalate into something larger. Superman agreed to stay in contact, and the two parted ways. But back in Metropolis, Superman noticed unsettling changes in his coworkers. Steve Lombard wasn’t flirting. Cat Grant skipped her usual makeup routine. Jimmy Olsen was far too quiet. Only Lois seemed normal, but while the two spoke privately, they were ambushed by their Starro controlled co-workers. Clark’s Kryptonian biology rejected the Starro spore that tried to latch onto him but that him fully aware as he watched a spore take root in Lois’s body.
“The League leads. When there is a crisis, the other heroes—and the world—look to us first to deal with it, to rally others. We set the example.”
-Martian Manhunter
Membership
01 Superman, 02 Batman, 03 Wonder Woman, 04 Flash (Barry Allen), 05 Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), 06 Aquaman, 07 Martian Manhunter, 08 Green Arrow, 09 Hawkman, 10 Hawkgirl, 11 Atom, 12 Black Canary, 13 Captain Marvel, 14 Captain Atom, 15 Elongated Man, 16 Red Tornado, 17 Green Lantern (John Stewart), 18 Metamorpho, 19 Firestorm (Ronnie/Stein), 20 Vixen, 21 Vibe, 22 Gypsy, 23 The Question, 24 Blue Beetle (Ted Kord), 25 Black Lightning, 26 Hawk (Hank Hall), 27 Dove (Don Hall), 28 Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), 29 Mister Miracle, 30 Big Barda, 31 Orion, 32 Booster Gold, 33 Dove (Dawn Granger), 34 Fire, 35 Ice, 36 The Ray, 37 Animal Man, 38 Flash (Wally West), 39 Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), 40 Oracle, 41 Plastic Man, 42 Steel, 43 Adam Strange, 44 B’wana Beast, 45 Shining Knight, 46 Vigilante (Greg Saunders), 47 Aztek, 48 Blue Devil, 49 Creeper,
Racing to the Batcave, Clark interrupted young Dick Grayson’s training session. Bruce soon descended into the cave, dismissed Dick, and listened intently to what Clark had witnessed. With everything now pointing to a larger operation, they traced the source of the spores to a small, uninhabited island in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of Metropolis. Superman arrived first, with Batman following in the Bat-plane. Upon landing, they were quickly overwhelmed by spores, their bodies restrained as the true Starro descended from orbit.
A.R.G.U.S., monitoring from afar, picked up the threat on their long-range scanners. In response, they deployed Wonder Woman to investigate. Meanwhile, police scientist Barry Allen, had been following a similar trail as Batman had, coming to the same conclusions he raced to the small island outcropping where Starro had barely landed. Drawn to the same island, he arrived just before Green Lantern Hal Jordan, whose ring had detected Starro’s presence and provided him with intel on the creature. As they exchanged information, Wonder Woman introduced herself having been on the island mere minutes before the other two.
Suddenly, from the ocean, Aquaman emerged. Furious about Starro’s proximity to Atlantis, he warned of the threat it posed to his kingdom. The group now five strong, ventured inland and quickly located the unconscious forms of Batman and Superman. Moments later, they were ambushed by Starro’s spores. Each hero fought bravely, but without teamwork, their efforts faltered. Just as the battle seemed lost, a new arrival turned the tide, J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter.
Using his telepathy, J’onn disrupted the spores long enough to free Batman and Superman. The group retreated and regrouped. Sharing their knowledge, J’onn also revealed his alien origin, worried his green skin would make him a threat in their eyes. But Superman, relating to J’onn as a fellow alien, reassured him. What mattered was their actions, not appearances.
While Superman and J’onn shared understanding, Batman cut to strategy. He laid out a plan of attack, and the newly formed team launched a coordinated strike on Starro, who had made its way to the small town of Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. Working together, the seven heroes combined their strengths, each contributing to the final push. J’onn delivered the finishing blow, using a devastating psychic blast once Starro was weakened.
As the battle ended, A.R.G.U.S. agents swarmed the site, capturing and securing Starro with newly developed containment tech. Among them was Steve Trevor, an agent assigned to make contact with the heroes. He informed the group that the President had seen their efforts and wanted to formalize their alliance. Barry jokingly called them “Super Friends” and asked what they’d be called.
Batman stepped forward and rewrote the deal. They would not be government operatives. Instead, they would be a separate, autonomous entity. Independent, but willing to liaise with A.R.G.U.S. through Steve. The team would be called the Justice League.
As a sign of good faith, A.R.G.U.S. offered them a top-secret mountain base near Happy Harbor, codenamed Mount Justice. The League agreed to reconvene in a week to formally occupy it. The day before, Batman, with the help of Alfred and Dick Grayson, quietly rewired the entire base. It would now respond only to League-authorized members. When A.R.G.U.S. returned with access codes and keycards, Batman issued his own, the real ones, and presented Steve Trevor with a limited-access liaison pass.
Though A.R.G.U.S. expressed concern, the terms had already been agreed upon. By charter, the Justice League had full autonomy. They would act in the world’s best interest but on their own terms.
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