DC’s Worst Villains are Now on the Justice League

You read that right, some of the worst villains are now members of the Justice League. It wasn’t that long ago that there was no Justice League in the DC Universe, the team having disbanded in the wake of the Dark Crisis. However, Amanda Waller’s attempt to imprison the superhuman community in Absolute Power reminded everyone how important the League really was. And unlike previous iterations, which were much more choosy about its members, this new version of the team opened its doors to any hero that wanted to join. And for the most part, that approach has worked.

The first real test of this new Justice League was Darkseid’s return in DC K.O.. Some of the Justice League’s best heroes, and a handful of their worst enemies, fought in a cosmic tournament for the chance to win incredible cosmic power, enough to defeat Darkseid permanently. In the end, Superman emerged as the tournament’s King Omega. But instead of keeping that power for himself, Clark shared it with every hero and villain that fought in the Omega Tournament. Now Superman is missing, and every superhuman, bad and good, is wondering what to do next.

The Justice League Invites Villains to Prepare for Darkseid’s Next Attack

Justice League Unlimited #17 by Mark Waid, Clayton Henry, Tamra Bonvillain, and Ariana Maher kicks off with one hell of a flashforward. A group of terrorists is holding a team of scientists hostage in Bialya. But before they can bring the scientists harm, the terrorists’ interrogation is interrupted by the arrival of the Justice League. Not its standard members, but Lex Luthor, Starro, and Giganta. Thankfully, the majority of this issue covers the 72 hours before this moment and takes place right at the conclusion of DC K.O.. Every hero that fought has returned, except for, sadly, Superman.

The fighters debrief the heroes that stayed behind and inform them that Superman won and used his power as King Omega to undo the damage Darkseid wrought and push him further down the timeline. The fighters also reveal that Superman shared his power, granting each competitor a specific vision of the future, visions of things they need to do if they want to beat Darkseid when he comes back. And it seems like those visions have given many heroes an epiphany that Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Captain debate in private.

The three heroes head into the Phantom Zone, where the League has been keeping prisoners with the intention of reforming them. Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Captain discuss the shared epiphany and how surviving whatever comes next requires a new way of thinking about their enemies. Batman admits he’s too biased and turns to Diana and Billy’s mystical wisdom when asking if they should give the villains who fought in DC K.O. full and unconditional amnesty. In the coming days, Giganta, Harley Quinn, Lobo, King Shark, and Lex Luthor are offered membership, making them a part of Justice League Unlimited.

Is This the Start of a New Era of the Justice League?

I thought the League was ‘unlimited’ enough when they opened up to every possible hero, but they’re going above and beyond by bringing in villains! To be fair, it’s not every villain and for very good reason. Aside from the obvious trust issues, people like Lex and Harley saw how serious the stakes were in DC K.O., and they all experienced the same visions of the future that the heroes did. The League isn’t offering these foes a spot out of blind faith, but rather, a shared understanding of how serious things are for the DC Universe.

Now the question is, is this the right call? I mean, I can certainly understand the Justice League wanting to maximize their chances against Darkseid when he rears his head again. And I do like the approach of giving villains a chance to prove they can be heroes and make the world better. That said, due to the status quo nature of comics, it’s kind of hard to think this will lead to any meaningful change. I mean, Lex just had a redemption journey end less than a year ago. Can we really trust that this one will stick?

Of course, it’s a delicate time in the DCU right now. Superman is missing, and the League is afraid. Darkseid coming back is just a matter of time, and they need all the help they can get. I do think that there are some villains that may genuinely want to help the world after what they experienced in DC K.O.. But who’s going to take this amnesty seriously, and who’s going to use it as an opportunity to hurt the League? This is a big step for the team, and I really hope it pays off for them.

What do you think about the Justice League adding villains to the team? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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