8 Times The Justice League Went Way Too Far

WhatCulture

Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman's team haven't always gotten it right.

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00:00The Justice League, DC's premier team of heroes, has been forced to make tough decisions in their

00:05attempts to protect the world, and this is to be expected. Some of the best stories involving the

00:10League seek to analyse where that line separates drastic action and outright cruelty is drawn.

00:16The team is composed of heroes with vastly different worldviews and methodologies,

00:21and as a result, many members have committed reprehensible acts, all in the name of justice.

00:27So with this in mind, I'm Dan from WhatCulture, and here are 8 times the Justice League went

00:32way too far. 8. Heroes in Crisis

00:362018's Heroes in Crisis focuses on the events following the death of multiple heroes at the

00:42Sanctuary, a rehabilitation centre for heroes dealing with mental health issues.

00:47Due to the nature of the crime scene, Booster Gold and Harley Quinn are the primary suspects,

00:52and they each go about trying to solve the case despite opposition from various heroes.

00:57The case is ultimately solved, and in the process, highlights how demented the Sanctuary really is.

01:03The League creates instances where the heroes at the centre relive their trauma in the name

01:09of healing. This is a decision that is in poor taste and only serves to further isolate the souls

01:15that needed a tender approach to their recoveries. 7. Justice League Gods and Monsters

01:21This animated film tells the alternate universe story of a crueler, less accountable Justice

01:27League, and highlights its heroes' desire to enforce order by any means necessary.

01:33It is a version of the League that reminds audiences of the innate goodness needed to

01:37wield the overwhelming power in a responsible manner, but also how that same goodness can

01:43be rediscovered through adversity. The alternate versions of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman

01:48are a far cry from their mainstream counterparts, and this is highlighted in the tie-in miniseries

01:54that accompanies the movie. Viewers are treated to disturbing moments from the trinity,

01:58such as Batman drinking Harley Quinn's blood after stopping her killing spree,

02:03and Superman mercy-killing a child-brainiac whose powers threaten to spiral out of control.

02:09The League here are presented as beings who want to save the day, but their path to

02:14accomplishing this has a lot of collateral damage along the way. 6. A Better World Justice League

02:21Speaking of animated Justice Leagues taking it too far, the DC animated universe's version of

02:27an out-of-control League is one of the most memorable arcs to come out of the beloved franchise.

02:32Suffering from the loss of The Flash at the hands of President Lex Luthor, a grieving Justice League

02:37storms the White House, and this leads to the death of Lex Luthor at the hands of Superman.

02:42This more brutal team rebrands itself as the Justice Lords and takes over the world, limiting

02:49free speech and self-governance. Then they discover the main Justice League's reality,

02:54and seek to take over it the same way they did with their own. This story is impactful for a

02:59number of different reasons, as it highlights how fallible these heroes really are, and how that

03:05makes them a threat to the planet. It also sets the stage for the Cadmus storyline, that sees the

03:10main League in a few instances veering very close to the authoritarian sensibilities embodied by the

03:17Justice Lords. 5. The Throne of Atlantis

03:21The first entry where one Justice League member puts their personal objectives above the team's.

03:26Throne of Atlantis explores Aquaman's character as he struggles to navigate the world as both a

03:32Leaguer and Atlantean royalty. Following a naval exercise gone wrong, Atlantis, under the rule of

03:38Ocean Master, declares a war on the surface world in retaliation. Arthur is forced to place his

03:45personal responsibilities over his obligations to the team, and the consequences here are dire,

03:50despite the short time frame in which this takes place in. It does not help Arthur's case when it

03:56is revealed that the plans used by the Atlantean army to invade the surface world were developed

04:01by both him and his brother. Fortunately, Arthur ultimately stands by his team and stops his

04:06brother's plans, but the League's victory comes at the expense of their public perception,

04:11especially that of Aquaman's. 4. The Crime Syndicate of America

04:17The Crime Syndicate exists on Earth-3 in the greater DC multiverse, and is composed of

04:22villainous counterparts to the main Leaguers. The Syndicate conquered their world and eventually

04:27grew bored with the relative ease of global domination. As a result, they sought out other

04:32worlds in the multiverse and eventually came into conflict with the Justice League of Earth-1,

04:37but never fully defeating their heroic counterparts and their allies. The Syndicate is composed of

04:43sadistic and completely reprehensible beings who will stop at nothing to conquer and annihilate

04:48any world they come across. They also lack the relative coordination and mutual trust of the

04:54main Justice League, with their members constantly undermining each other and in some cases killing

04:59each other, which is a clear sign of their cruelty and selfishness. 3. Flashpoint

05:05One of DC's most personal crisis crossovers, Flashpoint examines Barry Allen's desire to save

05:11and be reunited with his deceased mother, but his choice to go back in time to save her changes the

05:17world for the worse and places it on a path to annihilation. In an attempt to stop Reverse

05:22Flash from killing his mother in the past, Flash unknowingly creates a reality where the Justice

05:27League does not exist. In this reality, Captain Cold is Central City's greatest hero and Aquaman

05:34and Wonder Woman have waged a war against each other that has decimated parts of Europe and

05:39threatens the rest of the world. Barry's wish to save his mother is far more honourable than some

05:44of the other instances on this list, but the consequences are dire and threaten to tear the

05:49entire DC universe apart. Fortunately, Barry resets the timeline again and this time it takes shape in

05:55the new 52 series of comics, but the Flashpoint comic is a reminder of how seemingly small changes

06:01can be devastating, especially in a universe as turbulent as DC's. 2. Injustice

06:08One of my personal favourite comics, with its bold approach to worn out tropes winning over

06:13both new and old fans of the franchise. This exploration of Superman's grief rolling over

06:19the world is a seminal example of what happens when absolute power is both compromised and

06:24unchecked. After murdering the Joker for having killed Lois Lane, their unborn child and most of

06:30Metropolis, Superman and a few other leaguers see it fit to take on a more proactive approach

06:35in global governance and policing. Naturally, this totalitarian leap in logic on the Man of Steel's

06:41part is met with opposition from the world he wishes to protect and some of his old teammates

06:46as well, specifically Batman. Superman's regime betrays the morals and ethos that the league was

06:52founded on and during its devastating run commits atrocities that push the leaguers well beyond the

06:58moral event horizon in their severely unsound desire to uphold order across the globe. 1. Kingdom Come

07:06The visually stunning and weighty tale of judgment and change in the DC universe, Kingdom Come

07:11explores a future where the old god of the DC universe is pitted against a newer more violent

07:17breed of anti-hero and as always the fate of the world hangs in the balance. It's a well-constructed

07:23commentary on the violent excess that defined the 90s era of comics and in many ways is the

07:29definitive comic of the period as well. After the Joker is murdered by a new hero, Superman and some

07:35other leaguers resign due to being disillusioned by the overwhelming public support that the violent

07:40newbie is receiving. This sparks a rise of brutal heroes who dangerously come close to villainy and

07:46after a particularly devastating battle, Superman returns and reforms the league. Unfortunately, the

07:53new league's attempts to rehabilitate the newer heroes is unsuccessful and the league itself is

07:58more militant than it had ever once been. The intervention of Lex Luthor's own super team and

08:04the United Nations only serves to worsen the situation, pushing the older generation to their

08:09limits and resulting in a massive loss of superhuman life. Fortunately, Superman and his counterparts

08:15see the error of their ways before more lives are lost and the world returns to a more idealistic

08:21but grounded age. And that's our list, you can find more lists like this on screen now.

08:26For now though, I've been Dan and I'll catch you in the next one.

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