Ever since they were introduced in the pages ofThe Brave and the Bold#28 in March 1960, theJustice Leaguehas been one of the most recognizable superhero teams in the world. This team includes the greatest heroes of the DC Universe, often united to stop a grand massive threat. While they have had various members over the years, the team is more recognizable for including the trinity of DC Comics: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The team has endured for years in multiple comics and has been adapted into a number of different formats, from the 1970’sSuperfriendsanimated series to the popularJustice Leagueanimated series, to the characters joining the DCEU, where they recently appeared in a cameo role in the final episode ofPeacemakerseason one.
The Justice League very much has its connection to the various pantheon of gods across multiple myths, along with the Arthurian legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Like the authors of those myths, throughout the adventures of the Justice League, the writers and artist who craft these stories impart important moral and philosophical lessons. They tell stories of individuals with extraordinary abilities who use their incredible gifts to protect the world in which they live, tackle what happens if this absolute power went unchecked, what constitutes justice, and what is the purpose of a superhero and how they can inspire and make the world better.
Superheroes: Gods Among Us
The heroes in DC are often characterized as being mythic in nature; part of this is due to many of their origin stories being drawn from the more fantastical Golden Age and early Silver Age of comic book storytelling. This is a concept thatcomics writer Grant Morrisonexplored in theirJLArun, drawing comparisons between the seven key members of the Justice League and the Greek pantheon of gods with Superman as Zeus, Batman as Hades, The Flash as Hermes, and more. The most famous headquarters for the team is the Watchtower, a satellite in space that orbits Earth as if to say these heroes look down upon the planet from the heavens. This god-like element draws the parallel of the Justice League being like angels, protecting humanity from the forces of evil that threaten to do harm.
Related:These Superheroes Deserve Movie Origin Stories
However, one important aspect to remember is that the members of the Justice League, even ones with god-like powers, still have a human component. Despite being an alien, Superman is raised as a human and that informs him as a person (something that’s led some to call the character andmovies a Christian allegory). Wonder Woman and Aquaman are both children of two worlds and draw their power from accepting both aspects of themselves. The Flash and Green Lantern are both people with great power thrust upon them. Batman is a mortal man who pushed himself to the absolute limit. While these heroes are sources of inspiration, they are heroes because of their connections to the world at large. They do not live apart from the people they save but live among them.
Who Watches The Watchmen
The Latin expression “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” translates to “who will guard the guards themselves?” The phrase is most commonly referred to as “who watches the watchmen?” which is popularly associated with thesubversive comic seriesWatchmenby Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. It is an expression used to question those in power, and who holds them accountable.
This concept of accountability and showcasing the dangers of unchecked superpowers has been a major theme across many DC superhero stories in recent years.The Dark Knightsees Batman use a device to wiretap every citizen of Gotham in order to accomplish his mission to find the Joker, which drew clear parallels to the Patriot Act, orBatman V Superman: Dawn of Justiceshowcasing Superman getting involved in an international incident as a clear parallel to the United States of America’s foreign intervention.
Thevideo game series and movie adaptationofInjusticeshows the dangers of absolute power going unchallenged. The story focuses on an alternate world where Superman finally snaps after the Joker caused the death of Lois Lane and Superman’s unborn child. Superman murders the Joker and instills a new world order. This makes Superman a tyrant, and while some members of the Justice League side with him, others oppose this and form a resistance (themes Marvel also addressed inCaptain America: Civil War). The quest to prevent crime at all costs may start out with a noble intention, but it leads to a dictatorship and a fascist rule. These stories are often framed as cautionary tales for the heroes, standing in opposition to what they can or should be, as these characters were created as the embodiment of childlike fantasies.
Proactive or Reactive Justice
A common critique among the concept of superheroes, and superhero teams, is that they are often reacting to threats instead of proactively stopping them. There are obvious reasons for this, the first being that they cannot react to a crime until after the crime has been committed because otherwise they would be arresting innocent people (something we also see inthe murky gray ethicsofMinority Report). While they can take measures to prevent catastrophes, they can only be so prepared until they start overstepping on personal freedoms.
Related:Legends of Tomorrow: Why the Superhero Series Will Be Remembered
While Batman killing the Joker may save innocent lives in the future, what would give Batman the moral or legal right to make that call? Batman killing the Joker would be a murder, and if Batman did not serve time for his crime, then the hero holds himself above the laws that govern society and in doing so is allowed to decide who lives and who dies. While the Justice League may want to make things better, they cannot force their individual will on the world, as that is not justice. Rachael Dawes (Katie Holmes) spells this out to Bruce Wayne inBatman Beginswhen she tells him “justice is about harmony, revenge is about you making yourself feel better.” The Justice League stand to save the world, rebuild it when it falls, but never assume to be the ones who take control.
Do Superheroes Hold Humanity Back
The key mark of a superhero is saving people. It is so linked to the concept the main theme for the seriesSmallvillefeatures the song ‘Save Me’ by Remy Zero. This is one reason why an often criticized aspect ofMan of Steelis the film is less focused on Superman saving people, a sharp contrast to the 1978Superman: The Moviethat sees the character’s main purpose of heroic strength as saving people. Yet is the idea of a superhero, a being of extreme power saving people, actually good for humanity as a whole? While humanity becomes dependent on them?
This is the main push and pull of the conflict in theDC animated TV showYoung Justice. The main antagonist of the series is a sinister organization of supervillains who dub themselves The Light (the series' version of The Secret Society of Super-Villains) led by the immortal Vandal Savage. The Light’s overall conflict with both the Justice League and the very concept of superheroes is that people have become too reliant on superheroes and humanity has stopped evolving, as superheroes defy the natural order by saving those that the villains deem weak and not worthy of surviving. The mere presence of superheroes means that humans stop trying because they will always have someone to rely on to fix the world.
This thought process, in both the world of the series and wider DC Comics stories, is countered by the very fact that the arrival of superpowered beings changes the very core of the universe and how it works. The presence of superheroes inspires people to do better and achieve more, be it by pushing the boundaries of technology and magic or even by influencing and inspiring individuals. For instance, thegroundbreaking showSupergirlfeatured the title character Kara-Zor El using her status as an alien to speak out for alien refugees on Earth in a form of social justice. One reason the DC Universe is filled with so many sidekicks is that the actions of the Justice League members inspire a younger generation to be better. The Legion of Superheroes, for example, establishes itself in the 31st Century, with Superman’s Superboy as an inspiration.
For audience members who read or watch these stories, the heroes of the Justice League inspire them to make the world a better place than where they found it. Even small little tasks, any bit of positivity to impact the world, is what a superhero would do and these stories of colorful costumes and powers become morality tales, ones without any religious or cultural signifiers, making them universal to anyone (and a popular substitute, as religious influence wanes in the West). Anybody can imagine themselves as Superman, and think about what would he do to make the world better.
