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First 10 Justice League Members In History, Ranked by Power

The Justice League formed in The Brave and the Bold #28 and 1960 when they had to battle a force that was too much for any of the individual heroes to beat alone. The team took the most powerful heroes in DC Comics and put them onto the team, with Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Flash, and Batman all working together to fight a giant alien named Starro. Later, it turned out they teamed up before this for a different battle, and then over the next few years, more members joined the team, keeping it the most powerful in DC.

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With some of the best DC heroes as part of the initial lineup, here is a look at the most powerful of the first 10 Justice League members, ranked.

10) Green Arrow

Green Arrow from DC Comics
Image Courtesy of DC Comics

Green Arrow was the first official member to join the Justice League of America after its initial formation. While Adam Strange worked with them first, he was not an official member, and the early storylines had Green Arrow working toward membership as part of the plot. Green Arrow joined the team in Justice League of America #4, but it took him a little while to become a full-fledged member. However, when it comes to power levels, Green Arrow ranks under everyone on the team. He is a masterful archer, and he is tenacious, but he has no actual powers.

9) Atom

Atom in DC Comics
Image Courtesy of DC Comics

Atom was the second new member to join the Justice League after Green Arrow, and this was an invitation after some villains tried to trick him into helping them. This happened in Justice League of America #14 when the team was battling Amos Fortune, and a team of villains he had working for him. This is Ray Palmer, the original Atom, and his powers involve shrinking, which allows him to get to places no one else can go. He also has a Ph.D in physics, but his power levels are less than Marvel’s Ant-Man.

8) Batman

Batman
Image Courtesy of DC Comics

Batman and Superman were the first two members to join after the original Justice League formed, and the biggest claim in DC Comics is that Batman can beat any DC hero or villain with enough preparation time. Of course, in reality, Batman ranks lower when it comes to the first 10 Justice League members because he has no powers. He did, however, learn the skills of detecting, fighting, weaponry, and more, from the best of the best, and there might not be a more formidable superhero without powers in any comic book series than Batman.

7) Hawkman

Hawkman in DC Comics
Image Courtesy of DC Comics

Hawkman joined the team in Justice League of America #31, when the team recruited him to join them, and their first battle was against a villain named Joe Parry, who used a composite being known as Super-Duper. Hawkman is Carter Hall, who was the reincarnation of the Thanagarian policeman Katar Hol. He is a very powerful hero, with enhanced hearing, vision, and smell, as well as increased strength and flying abilities thanks to his wings. He also has weapons made with Thanagarian Weaponry.

6) Green Lantern

Green Lantern in DC Comics
Image Courtesy of DC Comics

Hal Jordan was the Green Lantern who helped form the Justice League. There was a difference between Hal then and what DC later retconned his role as. He was not yet the Lantern assigned to Earth, and was simply the new version of Green Lantern with the use of the power ring and battery lantern. However, this was later retconned with him as the official Lantern of Sector 2814. Regardless, he had his full power set, which included using his power ring to create any structure for battle and protection using his willpower. As one of the most powerful weapons in existence, this ring made Green Lantern a powerhouse from the start.

5) Aquaman

Aquaman in DC Comics
Image Courtesy of DC Comics

For many years, Aquaman was a joke for many comic book fans, although that wasn’t really fair to the DC Comics character. The joke mostly came from the Super Friends cartoon, and in reality, Aquaman was extremely powerful, on the same level as Wonder Woman and Superman, with one drawback. What keeps Aquaman ranked lower is that he loses power the longer he is away from water. When in the water, he can beat anyone and can match Superman in a fight, but out of the water, he is still strong but a step below his teammates.

4) Flash

Barry Allen as Flash in DC Comics
Image Courtesy of DC Comics

Some might argue that Flash is the most powerful original Justice League member. This is because he is the fastest man alive, and his use of the Speed Force puts him on a level above anyone else alive. Superman is also extremely fast, and despite their races that fans loved to see in comics, Flash is technically faster than the Man of Steel. He can travel through time, and when he is at his fastest, he can move while it seems everyone else is standing still. He has broken time before, as he was responsible for Flashpoint, and he is the one Justice League member powerful enough to break the universe.

3) Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman in DC Comics
Image Courtesy of DC Comics.

In some cases, Wonder Woman is stronger than Superman, and she has beaten Superman in a fight before. However, when it comes to their full power levels and taking into consideration what would happen if Superman weren’t holding back, she still falls slightly below the Man of Steel. Wonder Woman has the Gifts of Olympus, which include superhuman strength, durability, stamina, enhanced healing, speed, reflexes, and more. Sheis also a skilled military combatant, and her pure power levels put her on the same level as Superman and Aquaman, even when he is in the water. Also, her Gifts of Olympus include magic, which is one of Superman’s weaknesses

2) Martian Manhunter

Martian Manhunter in DC Comics
Image Courtesy of DC Comics

Martian Manhunter is often ignored when looking at the original Justice League members, but when it comes to power levels, there is almost no one who can touch him. Martian Manhunter is a perfect match for Superman when it comes to his power levels, and while Superman is stronger overall, Martian Manhunter has proven he is strong enough to hurt Superman in a fight. However, he has two powers that Suypernan doesn’t have, one which does little good in a fight (shapeshifting) and one that does (telepathy). However, for pure power levels, Superman is still stronger.

1) Superman

Superman
Image Courtesy of DC Comics

Of the first 10 members of the Justice League, Superman is the strongest, and there is really little competition. Martian Manhunter can hurt Superman, but will lose most fights. Wonder Woman has proven she can take down Superman when needed, but if Superman uses all his powers, he can still beat her in most fights. He can beat Aquaman in a fight, even in the water, and is almost as fast as Flash, keeping them on equal footing. Superman is DC Comics’ most powerful hero, and the best of the best in the Justice League.

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