Turns out the Justice League is still around in the future, but it doesn’t look anything like you imagined.
That’s the premise of Bryan Hitch’s next arc of Justice League, kicking off with issue #26. The storyline is titled Legacy and reveals the broken world of 20 years into the future. Fans will be introduced to the children of the Justice League, and while there will be pieces you recognize, other aspects of the team will certainly throw you for a loop.
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Spoilers for Justice League #26 incoming, so if you haven’t read it yet you’ve been warned.
The storyline reveals a downtrodden world, broken and ruled over by a mysterious force known as the Sovereign. At the center of it is Mount Olympus, which sits on the tattered remnants of New York City. Standing against it are a young group of heroes whose legacies stem from iconic Justice Leaguer’s of the past, but they can’t fix this world by themselves.
That’s why they are risking their lives and what’s left of the world to return to the current timeline and confront their parents and predecessors in hopes that they can prevent what caused all this. Granted, it’s a storyline that comic readers aren’t exactly unfamiliar with, but this latest go at it seems to be one of the more potential-filled versions of it. Most of that is due to the family issues they seem to have upon returning through the portal (via ScreenRant).
To get some proper context for that dysfunctional homecoming, it’s time to meet each of these heroes one on one, which includes some unique takes on the heroes you’ve come to know. In fact, you might be even more surprised by who doesn’t make an appearance, so hit the next slide to meet the future Justice League!
Hunter – Superman And Wonder Woman
This one is by far the most obvious, so if you guessed the son of Superman and Wonder Woman, you are correct.
Here’s the thing though. This is not the son of Superman fans have come to know outside of Bryan Hitch’s Justice League. That son of Superman has been over in Super Sons, but this son of Superman is clearly the offspring of the two heroes. It isn’t mentioned in the book, but odds are his name is actually Hunter Prince, which would make sense given his clear adoration of his mother.
Donning Superman’s iconic red cape and Wonder Woman’s gauntlets, tiara (as a cuff on his arm), and lasso, he’s confident without being cocky and seems to be the leader of the ragtag group of heroes.
As to what happened with his parents, Sovereign makes a point to taunt him saying “no wonder your mother abandoned you,” but knowing villains that probably isn’t the whole story. It also bears mentioning that he is staring directly at Superman when the heroes emerge from the portal, so perhaps it means that Superman has some explaining to do for something he hasn’t even done yet.
Also, where does Lois fit into all this, and is this the child of the New 52 Superman or the current Rebirth Superman? So many questions.
Cruise – Jessica Cruz And The Flash
If you’ve been following Hitch’s Justice League, this next one might not shock you. However, others will definitely be surprised.
That’s because the future League’s speedster is called Cruise, and there’s a reason. She’s actually the daughter of Flash Barry Allen and Green Lantern Jessica Cruz. The two have obvious chemistry in the series, and evidently, go on to parent a hero who seemingly inherited her father’s powers. Still, for fans of Iris West, someone Allen has pursued in his solo series, this might come as a big shock.
Early sketches refer to her as Nora Allen, and as they exit the portal on the last page she points to Jessica Cruz when the group announces they are the League’s children. It will be interesting to learn if she has any connection to the Green Lantern Corps, or if that is left to the other children.
Also of note is that in the future Cruise is seen flirting with Hunter, something referred to as old hat by the group. Seems Justice League romance never goes out of style.
Serenity – Aquaman And Mera
In another organic pairing, it looks like Aquaman and Mera had a daughter named Eldoris Curry, who goes by the name of Serenity. Unfortunately, not all is well on the family front.
Serenity certainly looks the part, with a costume reminiscent of both heroes and Arthur’s blond hair. She displays her father’s strength and Mera’s ability to manipulate water, with some added teleportation abilities to boot. She also mentioned that she is currently the Queen of Atlantis, so at some point it seems Arthur managed to retake the Throne.
Unfortunately, she finds herself battling her father, who evidently lost Mera at some point and in fact part of his own body. He attacked the League en route to their goal, and what’s left of him has been combined with Cyborg’s old body remnants. He also produces a Black Lantern ring, so perhaps that has something to do with it.
As Serenity is battling him she says, “After what happened to my mom, what he did? When have I ever cared about him,” so it would seem she will have some harsh words for the current Aquaman sometime in the near future.
The Twins – Jessica Cruz And The Flash?
Remember Cruise? Well, she might not be the only offspring of Jessica Cruz and Barry Allen, and certainly not the most unique.
That honor would fall to the Twins, Jenny and Jason Allen. The two heroes wear handmade Green Lantern symbols on their clothing (Jenny’s is stitched on while Jason’s is painted onto his jacket), and while they do command the emotional spectrum, it isn’t what you might expect.
That’s because Jenny commands the yellow light of fear while Jason commands the red light of rage. Neither seems to command the green light of will as their symbols indicate, so perhaps the symbol is an homage to their mother Cruz. Going off of pure theme, the color combination could also be a reference to their father the Flash.
Still, Cruz has never accessed the other spectrums, so how they are able to manipulate those particular ones is a mystery. Also unique is the fact that they don’t need a ring to do it, creating constructs simply with their hands.
Perhaps it has something to do with the event known as the Lightfall, something referenced in the issue when Curry unearths a Black Lantern ring. Hopefully, fans find out soon enough.
Cube – Cyborg And Unknown
Another easy parentage legacy to spot would be Cube, who is obviously the offspring of Cyborg. How he was created though presents more mystery.
In the issue, Cube is seen producing holographic images and maps for the group and mentions he can prevent Curry’s boom tubes for awhile, but not forever. His tech might be a natural progression of Cyborg’s, which would make sense given Curry is currently using the remnants of his Father’s old tech.
Still, was he created like his father, or naturally born? If so, then with who? Lots of questions here, and not many answers.
Batman
This one is perhaps a bigger mystery, as there is no version of Batman in this Justice League. That’s pretty much unheard of, so what happened to the Dark Knight?
It’s a question that Batman will probably have as well, as in many ways he is the hero that keeps the rest of the League in check. New York City is shown in rubble in the future, so could that also be the case in Gotham City? If so what happened to Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Duke, or any one of the other Gotham vigilantes.
This story only takes place 20 years in the future, so odds are there is at least one remnant of the Batman legacy still around. If not, could his influence already be in the league in a hidden way? Only time will tell.
Before You Go
Justice League #26 is written by Bryan Hitch with art by Oclair Albert and Fernando Pasarin. The official description for the issue is below.
“LEGACY” part one! A group of heroes from a post-apocalyptic future escape into the past to stop their world from coming to be. But to do it they’re going to need the help of the Justice League—who just happen to be these time travelers’ parents!
Justice League #26 is in stores now.
