5 Justice League Villains Who Became Heroes (And Why It Worked)

The Justice League is DC’s pinnacle of heroism. It was founded by seven of DC’s greatest heroes, including legendary inspirations like Superman. The Justice League has always been the team that everyone knew they could rely on. No matter the threat, be it a monster that seeks to unmake the multiverse or common criminals with guns, the Justice League will always stand up to anyone who threatens innocents. For the majority of their career, they let only the best of the best into their ranks, but over time, they’ve opened their doors to heroes of all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, they’ve even allowed villains to join their ranks.

Villains joining the Justice League isn’t common, but it’s not unheard of, either. They’ve left a seat at the table for plenty of villains over the years, be it through amnesty programs or manipulation by the villains themselves. Today, we’re taking a look at five Justice League villains who decided they had enough of being a menace, and wanted to save lives instead of endanger them. These villains have all threatened the Justice League at one point or another, but they’ve also decided to become heroes and protect the world they once swore to control.

5) Lobo

The Main Man himself is one of the universe’s premier bounty hunters. The only things he puts any value on are himself, entertainment, and Space Dolphins. He’s a crude, sadistic, masochistic, vile beast who relishes death and destruction. Heck, he blew up his entire home planet because they annoyed him and he was bored, which says all you need to know. He’s one of the hardest bastiches around, and has battled the League plenty over the years, but he’s also been a top-tier ally. He first joined the team while undercover, but proved himself a proper friend during the battle against the Triple Fish-God in 52.

Lobo had taken an oath of non-violence, even helping the heroes battle against their enemies. Ever since then, he’s gone back and forth as both enemy and teammate to the heroes. Heck, he even joined the Justice League of America when Batman refounded them during Rebirth. Lobo is whatever the story needs him to be, and that’s what works best for someone like him. He’s powerful and cruel enough to be a threat, but also charismatic and fun enough to be an entertaining ally. Lobo can fit any role, and his time as a hero, even when self-serving, works well because of it.

4) Black Adam

Teth-Adam was born a slave and uplifted by the power of the gods, gifted to him by the Wizard Shazam. Unfortunately, Black Adam was a poor champion, trying to conquer the world and needing to be banished across the universe. When he returned, he posed a constant, deadly threat to all of reality. However, he proved that he was more than just a mindless brute, as well. Black Adam eventually turned to more heroic paths, even joining both the Justice Society of America and Justice League at different points. Even though he eventually returned to villainy, these stints as a hero showed what he was capable of.

Black Adam has always been a dark reflection of what Billy could be, but Billy is also the purest soul in all of DC. Just as much as he’s battled Black Adam, he’s also shown him infinite kindness, which has had an impact. Black Adam was born into a harsh world, and he lost himself to his powers, but he doesn’t need to stay lost. Following Billy’s example and embracing his nobler instincts, his desire to see his people prosper, are natural ways for his character to grow. Seeing this in action, even knowing it’s temporary, is always a treat that makes sense.

3) Major Disaster

Major Disaster started as a two-bit crook who lucked into finding out Green Lantern and Flash’s secret identities, and had weapons created that allowed him to cause natural disasters and manipulate chaos. He was never much of a threat to anyone, and over time, decided that he wanted to go legit. He was given that chance when the JLA vanished, and Major Disaster was recruited as a member of the replacement team, led by Nightwing. He immediately adapted to being a hero, thriving in a role that rewarded him and praised him for using his powers for good.

What made Major Disaster interesting is that he was far from the traditional hero. We all love a good redemption story, and seeing a villain genuinely change for the better is a wonderful experience. Superheroes always try to save everyone, even their villains, and watching them actually convince a villain to turn for the better is pure satisfaction. He was never a perfect hero, of course, struggling with alcoholism and self-doubt, but he gave it his all. His jump turned him from a forgotten villain to a burgeoning hero who we will always remember as one who gave up his life to save everything in the Battle of Metropolis.

2) Tomorrow Woman

Tomorrow Woman was created by the diabolical team-up between Professor Ivo and T. O. Morrow, two of DC’s evilest geniuses and robotics experts. They created her to pose as a hero and enter the Justice League like the ultimate Trojan Horse. However, as she spent time with the JLA, she saw that they were good people who used their powers for good, and they made her want to be more than the monster she was programmed to be. In the end, she chose to sacrifice herself to save the JLA, proving she had freedom and was a true hero. Morrow actually hoped for that outcome, showing that the brain he designed was far more human than the body Ivo made.

Tomorrow Woman was made to be nothing more than a weapon to destroy the League, but she became so much more thanks to their influence. She learned about love, freedom, and compassion, growing into what was effectively a person as human as any other. The Justice League are the world’s greatest heroes, and Tomorrow Woman’s arc shows just how inspirational they truly are. They made a robot feel that she deserved to be more than she was ever supposed to be, and turned a walking bomb into a genuine superhero.

1) Legion of Doom

This is kind of a cheat, given that this is an entire team instead of a single villain, but while each villain is only dedicated to one hero, the Legion is all about the Justice League as a whole. They have stood against the League in every regard, nearly ending all of reality on multiple occasions, but even this team founded on pure hate has turned to heroism at least once. When the Crime Syndicate took over the world and imprisoned the Justice League during the Forever Evil event, even the Legion of Doom saw that they needed to become something more to survive. By the end of it, some of them even decided to stay with the League, choosing to be heroes.

The Legion of Doom has been manned by some of the League’s strongest villains, but their decision to be heroes showed something important about the DC Universe. Everyone and everything is capable of change, even down to the most vile of opponents bound by hate. Heroism is something intrinsic to every living thing, even those who normally fight for only selfish reasons. If given the right reason, anyone can become a hero, which is a major theme for countless heroes. They believe that everyone is capable of being better, and this shift in perspective proved exactly that.

Plenty of villains have been heroes at some point, just like plenty of heroes have fallen to villainy. Which morality-inversion moment was your favorite?

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