The Best Superhero Team Debuted On This Day 66 Years Ago (And We Could Use More of Their Adventures)

December 29, 2025, 11:00am

While individual superheroes are a major part of comics, it’s hard to imagine a world without the teams. Superhero teams are where we get some of our best stories and biggest adventures, those epic moments where diverse heroes come together to save the day by using their combined powers and strengths against whatever foe or threat is thrown at them. It’s truly hard to imagine comics without the Avengers, the X-Men, and more and when it comes to the best team, the Justice League is right up there — and today marks the 66th anniversary of their debut.

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The Justice League made their first appearance on the pages of The Brave and the Bold #28 and while the issue has a cover date of March 1960, it was actually released around December 29, 1959, as, back, then, comics came out ahead of their cover dates. The story gives DC fans the first lineup for what would go on to be the publisher’s premier superhero team: Aquaman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Superman, and Wonder Woman. It also sees t hem take on a truly iconic foe in Starro the Conqueror, a giant alien starfish that is bent on world domination, giving fans a truly iconic comic book cover.

The Justice League’s First Adventure Remains a Classic

In the story, Aquaman encounters Peter the Puffer Fish (yes, that’s a real character and this is one and only appearance) who alerts him to the threat of Starro. He’s seen the alien threat transform three starfish into giant monsters that themselves resemble Starro. Concerned, Aquaman calls an emergency meeting of the Justice League of America, sending out the call with his A-Belt. Wonder Woman gets the call, and cuts short a date to respond. Superman gets the call but is in outer space and is busy. Batman can’t leave Gotham. Green Lantern and Flash both handle issues before heading off and Martian Manhunter makes his way there as well. The heroes are briefed by Aquaman, and a plan comes together to deal with Starro — don’t worry, Batman and Superman eventually get involved. However, Starro turns out to be a bigger threat than anyone could have guessed and, at one point, even detonates an atomic missile.

The fight with Starro spans multiple locations and reveals that Starro is able to mind control his victims as well. Eventually, the heroes find one civilian who isn’t impacted by Starro’s hypnotic attack, a man named Snapper Carr. It turns out that Snapper is the key to combating Starro due to the lime he was sprinkling on his lawn. In the end, the heroes manage to defeat Starro, and they even make Snapper an honorary member of the team. It’s a really cool story that is just a little campy — the idea that Starro can be so easily defeated is a little silly in the best way — but it really highlights the team dynamic in the best way and sets the stage for future adventures. Even though DC has tried to retcon the origin a few times — specifically during the New 52 and. Most recently in The New History of the DC Universe #2 that doubles down on that New 52 origin — this original remains classic.

We Need More Justice League Stories

The Justice League has come a long way since its first appearance. The team has changed up its roster numerous times over the years, expanding early on to add heroes like Green Arrow, the Atom, and Hawkman. The team has had numerous headquarters over the years as well, including its Detroit era and its famous satellite era. There have also been spinoff teams, including Justice League Europe, Justice League International, and more. The team is rarely out of commission and there is almost always some form of Justice League story or title available for DC fans to take in, but we can always use more — especially with the DC All In initiative. After all, as the DC Universe has grown over the decades, so have the threats and the opportunities for some really great stories and adventures. We may never be able to top how great that very first battle with Starro the Conqueror was, but there’s nothing quite like seeing the best of the heroes come together.

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