8 Times The Justice League Went Way Too Far

WhatCulture

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

Transcript

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 as drawn.

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

00:21as 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.

00:34Number 8, Heroes in Crisis.

00:372018'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. Due to the nature of the

00:48crime scene, Booster Gold and Harley Quinn are the primary suspects, and they each go about trying

00:54to solve the case despite opposition from various heroes. The case is ultimately solved, and in the

01:00process, highlights how demented the Sanctuary really is. The League creates instances where the

01:05heroes at the centre relive their trauma in the name of healing. This is a decision that is in poor

01:11taste, and only serves to further isolate the souls that needed a tender approach to their recoveries.

01:18Number 7, Justice League Gods and Monsters. This animated film tells the alternate universe story

01:25of a crueler, less accountable Justice League, and highlights its hero's desire to enforce order by

01:31any means necessary. It is a version of the League that reminds audiences of the innate goodness needed

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

01:43rediscovered 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, such as

01:59Batman drinking Harley Quinn's blood after stopping her killing spree, and Superman mercy killing a

02:05child brainiac, whose powers threaten to spiral out of control. The League here are presented as beings who

02:11want to save the day, but their path to accomplishing this has a lot of collateral damage along the way.

02:17Number 6, A Better World, Justice League. Speaking of animated Justice Leagues taking it too far,

02:24the DC animated universe's version of an out-of-control league is one of the most memorable arcs to come

02:30out of the beloved franchise. Suffering from the loss of the Flash at the hands of President Lex Luthor,

02:36a grieving Justice League storms the White House, and this leads to the death of Lex Luthor at the

02:41hands of Superman. This more brutal team rebrands itself as the Justice Lords and takes over the

02:48world, limiting free 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 number

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

03:05threat to the planet. It also sets the stage for the Cadmus storyline, that sees the main league in a

03:11few instances veering very close to the authoritarian sensibilities embodied by the Justice Lords.

03:18Number 5, The Throne of Atlantis. The first entry where one Justice League member puts their personal

03:24objectives above the team's. Throne of Atlantis explores Aquaman's character as he struggles to

03:30navigate the world as both a Liga and Atlantean royalty. Following a naval exercise gone wrong, Atlantis,

03:37under the rule of Ocean Master, declares a war on the surface world in retaliation. Arthur is forced

03:44to place his personal responsibilities over his obligations to the team, and the consequences here

03:49are dire, despite the short time frame in which this takes place in. It does not help Arthur's case

03:55when it is revealed that the plans used by the Atlantean army to invade the surface world were developed by

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

04:07brother's plans, but the league's victory comes at the expense of their public perception, especially

04:12that of Aquaman's. Number 4, The Crime Syndicate of America. The Crime Syndicate exists on Earth 3 in the

04:20greater DC multiverse, and is composed of villainous counterparts to the main leaguers. The syndicate conquered

04:26their world and eventually grew bored with the relative ease of global domination. As a result,

04:31they sought out other worlds in the multiverse, and eventually came into conflict with the Justice

04:36League of Earth 1, but never fully defeating their heroic counterparts and their allies. The syndicate

04:42is composed of sadistic and completely reprehensible beings who will stop at nothing to conquer and

04:48annihilate any 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. Number 3, Flashpoint. One of DC's

05:06most personal crisis crossovers, Flashpoint examines Barry Allen's desire to save and be reunited with his

05:13deceased mother, but his choice to go back in time to save her changes the world for the worse, and places it

05:19on a path to annihilation. In an attempt to stop Reverse Flash from killing his mother in the past,

05:24Flash unknowingly creates a reality where the Justice League does not exist. In this reality,

05:30Captain Cold is Central City's greatest hero, and Aquaman and Wonder Woman have waged a war against each

05:36other that has decimated parts of Europe and threatens the rest of the world. Barry's wish to save his mother

05:42is far more honourable than some of the other instances on this list, but the consequences are

05:47dire and threaten to tear the entire DC universe apart. Fortunately, Barry resets the timeline again,

05:53and this time it takes shape in the New 52 series of comics, but the Flashpoint comic is a reminder of

05:59how seemingly small changes can be devastating, especially in a universe as turbulent as DC's.

06:06Number 2, Injustice. One of my personal favourite comics, with its bold approach to worn out

06:12tropes winning over both new and old fans of the franchise. This exploration of Superman's grief

06:18rolling over the world is a seminal example of what happens when absolute power is both compromised

06:24and unchecked. 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 in global

06:36governance and policing. Naturally, this totalitarian leap in logic on the Man of Steel's part is met with

06:42opposition from the world he wishes to protect, and some of his old teammates as well, specifically

06:47Batman. Superman's regime betrays the morals and ethos that the league was founded on, and during its

06:53devastating run, commits atrocities that push the leaguers well beyond the moral event horizon in their

06:59severely unsound desire to uphold order across the globe. And Number 1, Kingdom Come. The visually stunning and

07:07weighty tale of judgement and change in the DC universe, Kingdom Come explores a future where

07:12the old god of the DC universe is pitted against a newer more violent breed of anti-hero, and as always

07:19the fate of the world hangs in the balance. It's a well-constructed commentary on the violent excess that

07:25defined the 90s era of comics, and in many ways is the definitive comic of the period as well. After the

07:31Joker is murdered by a new hero, Superman and some other league has resigned due to being disillusioned

07:37by the overwhelming public support that the violent newbie is receiving. This sparks a rise of brutal

07:43heroes who dangerously come close to villainy, and after a particularly devastating battle, Superman

07:49returns and reforms the league. Unfortunately, the new league's attempts to rehabilitate the newer heroes

07:56is unsuccessful, and the league itself is more militant than it had ever once been. The intervention of

08:02Lex Luthor's own super team and the United Nations only serves to worsen the situation, pushing the

08:08older generation to their limits and resulting in a massive loss of superhuman life. Fortunately, Superman

08:14and his counterparts see the error of their ways before more lives are lost, and the world returns to a

08:19more idealistic but grounded age. And that's our list! You can find more lists like this on screen

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

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