The Justice League’s 7 Most Iconic Items, Ranked by Usefulness

Superheroes have a whole lot of useful gadgets. They’ve been at the forefront of sci-fi technology and weaponry since before it boomed as a genre, and have always been pushing the envelope for that, alongside more than their fair share of mystical and magical artifacts to match. While most heroes are better known for their powers or skills, a whole subsection of these heroes has made their mark with an arsenal of gear to combat any situation. Even overpowered heroes like Superman rely on equipment far more than most people think, and today, we’re going to celebrate all the most iconic gear and items that have helped our heroes out over the years.

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The Justice League, in particular, is stacked with heroes who employ all kinds of weapons and items that have cemented themselves in the minds of every comic book fan. We’re going to take a look at some of the most memorable items that the League has used over the years and rank them by how useful they are. This isn’t just including superhero work, but how these items could be used in broader senses as well. These objects range from all-powerful to incredibly specific, but all have left their mark on DC.

7) Phantom Zone Projector

Superman’s best-known item is most definitely his Phantom Zone Projector. It’s a handheld device that opens a portal between their world and the Phantom Zone. The Phantom Zone was Krypton’s prison realm, a pocket dimension where people become incorporeal and they do not age. This is one of the best items for instantly ending fights, given that it can trap nearly anyone in an inescapable other dimension where they can’t cause harm. It can hold divine beings like the Monkey King, who once beat Darkseid, and even fifth-dimensional imps like Mister Mxyptlk are afraid of it. Still, while definitely super useful, this is still a very specific item. It’s really good at what it does, but it can’t do much else, which everything else on our list can.

6) Batman’s Utility Belt

The Dark Knight’s utility belt has everything he could need inside it. The exact contents of it vary from writer to writer, but at the very least, it always contains: batarangs, antitoxins, explosives, rebreathers, flashlights, smoke bombs, first aid supplies, a grappling hook, and so, so much more. All of that and candy for kids! Frankly, the biggest mystery is how Bats squeezes so much into a normal-sized belt. This belt truly has something for every situation, from scraping your knee to repelling sharks. It’s incredibly versatile by design, but only ranks sixth because, while this would definitely be the most universally useful for a normal person, the other options provide such massive bonuses that it’s hard not to pick them.

5) Lasso of Truth

Wonder Woman’s Golden Perfect is an unbreakable golden rope that can force the objective truth out of anyone it is wrapped around. This might seem fairly situational, but in turn, I ask, do you understand how absurd either part of its abilities is? Forcing someone to face the truth, regardless of their feelings or delusions, could legitimately revolutionize every aspect of so many essential processes. This could improve everything from therapy to court cases by a million times. That’s not even touching how much value you get out of a length of rope actually being unbreakable. You can tie anything with it and never have to worry, and it isn’t even absurdly heavy. The Lasso of Truth could be used to legitimately change the world.

4) Trident of Poseidon

While Aquaman’s trident might not seem like it’d be very useful on the surface, its magic more than makes up for its awkward design. This mystical artifact of the sea god allows its wielder to control all water on the Earth. I don’t think I need to explain why being able to control the shape, size, and formation of two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is one of the most insanely useful and powerful things imaginable. Granted, given how Aquaman doesn’t regularly throw the entire ocean at threats, there is an assumed range limitation. Still, being able to bend the seas to your will is very, very powerful in every social, political, and commercial way imaginable.

3) The Watchtower

There can be some debate over whether a place should count as an item, but given how the Watchtower is used, it most definitely should count. This isn’t just a location, but a bastion for the Justice League where they can store everything and teleport to when they need transport. Given how the Watchtower is often used for transporting from place to place, it’s really just a super fancy RV, if you think about it. Of course, most RVs don’t come equipped with orbital lasers and teleporters that can take you all around the world. Even discounting all the advanced medical and super-powered tech that lines it, the Watchtower’s teleporters alone are worth their weight in diamonds. It connects the entire world and is a central hub for everything.

2) Cosmic Treadmill

While those connected to the Speed Force can freely race through time, it’s extremely painful and dangerous, so the Flash constructed the Cosmic Treadmill to focus this power. When used by someone who can run fast enough, this treadmill lets the user go to any time period they desire, and even cross into other timelines. Being able to time-travel broadens one’s options from infinite to stacking infinities, as literally everything is at your fingertips. The Flash has used this to battle villains and save the world from threats new, old, and yet to come. This item is one of the most insane usecases you can imagine, because it can let you see exactly what you need to do to get what you want.

1) Green Lantern Ring

Obviously, the only item that could ever top this list was the Green Lantern Corps’ Power Ring. Assuming you have the will, this ring can make anything you can imagine. Just having one of these rings lets a normal human go toe-to-toe with near-gods like Superman. You can travel the entire universe with one of these, and even if you don’t want to, you can build anything you put your mind to in a matter of seconds. The rings are one of the most powerful weapons in the universe, and it’s easy to see why. You can reshape the world with a Lantern ring, and that’s only scratching the surface of what they’re capable of.

So there we have the seven most iconic items from the Justice League. Which item would you want to own in real life, assuming you had everything you needed to make it work? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!