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The Justice League of America is supposed to be DC Comic’s flagship team. Over the last few years, they have been everything but. With none of DC’s Trinity (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman) on the team, they have been in much need of an overhaul.

DC Comics has recently displayed their make-over of the Justice League of America, a team in great need of a renovation. Following Justice League: Cry for Justice, James Robinson helms the new direction of the new-look team. Here is a look at the members and some potential reasons for joining the team, and what they could be bringing to the team.

Mon-El: Mon-El is the current star in Superman, guarding Metropolis in the absence of The Man of Steel. Mon-El is this team’s Superman. In the past, Superman would not only act as the strength, but as the conscience and sometimes strategist on the team. There were also plenty of stories where Superman was the “last man standing.” I see Mon-El as being just the strength on this team. He is not familiar with all of the members (he has worked with a few, namely Guardian), and I don’t see him stepping into any sort of leadership role. His powers will suit the team fine, because they have plenty of other strategists on the team. Mon-El will likely be following a lot of orders from the other members, but settling into that role just fine.

Batman: Dick Grayson is no Bruce Wayne, but he will play the role of Batman on the team just fine. Grayson is no stranger to team battles, having started in the Teen Titans, and then moving between the Outsiders and Titans. Bruce never really played well with his team, often rubbing other members the wrong way or simply doing things on his own. This is where the difference of Grayson will come in. Not only will Grayson be the detective of the team, but he will also be the team player that the others will need. As long as Grayson can keep a positive attitude, he will influence the other legacy members to be their best.

Donna Troy: To round off the Trinity, we have Donna Troy. Wonder Woman told Donna that in order to find some fulfillment and order in her life, she should start a new Justice League of America. Donna took this chance to have a fresh start, after having seen her dead husband and child in Blackest Night. Donna has had the same training as Wonder Woman, and carries the same passion and fire as Wonder Woman. Donna will likely serve as either team leader, or second-in-command. She has worked with other teams, like the Teen Titans, Titans, and Darkstars, and she knows many of the other members personally.

Dr. Light: Kimiyo Hoshi is one of the more surprising members of this team. At first, it was hard to get a hold of what Dr. Light’s intentions were. She joined Vixen’s JLA team and was completely negative the whole time. She didn’t take the other members seriously, believing they weren’t up to her caliber of heroics. Slowly she warmed up to them, as she saw what they were capable of and what they were fighting for. Hoshi then made a complete turnaround when she saw how hurt Donna Troy was at seeing her dead husband and child, and decided to stay with the team. Hoshi brings a variety of powers to the team. She can manipulate light in a variety of ways, being destructive or even defensive. It is likely that Dr. Light will be a bit more positive on this team, but also carry some of her former grudges with her.

Green Lantern: Hal Jordan is finally back in his role as resident Lantern, and it looks like he is here to stay. Having left the league with Green Arrow to pursue justice rather than wait for it, Hal and Ollie were the cause of the falling apart and now re-forming of the Justice League. Hal brings with him his powerful ring, and a knowledge of the universe granted through his own experiences and his ring. Likely, as always, Hal will not be taking a full leadership role, but a backseat one. He is not going to direct the League’s actions, but be a driving force behind the League’s motivations and intentions.

Cyborg: Vic Stone has finally made it to the big leagues! Having been a long-time member of the Teen Titans, Cyborg is finally making his appearance as a full-fledged member of the League. Having no predecessor to follow, Cyborg has forged his own heroic career. Cyborg is going to be the team’s “robot.” While not a robot himself, Cyborg is actually a, well, cyborg. He is going to have vast knowledge that he can access in his computer banks, and will likely be doing a lot of the team’s intel and communications. But Cyborg is no one-trick pony either. Not only will he be resourceful in the communications and intel department, but he packs a punch as well.

Starfire: Along with Cyborg, Starfire will be making the move from the Titans to the Justice League of America. With an invitation from Donna Troy, Starfire is finally making the move to the big leagues as well. That being said, Starfire is no rookie to combat. She has been an adventurer for a long time, and has plenty of experience to bring to the table. She has fought in intergalactic battles, as well as skirmishes on Earth. She has plenty of knowledge of various villains, and it will take her a short time to fit in with the team. Starfire is from the planet Tamaran, and can harness solar energy to give her various powers from flight to energy projection. Starfire will likely be acting as the team’s “blaster,” but in a big way.

Congorilla: Congo Bill is probably the team’s unlikeliest addition. Congorilla was one of the main characters in pursuit of Prometheus during Justice League: Cry for Justice, after a trail of murders led him on that path. Now that the team has dealt with Prometheus, Congorilla is left without a home or family, and will likely be joining the team based on that fact. Congorilla is the combination of a human mind within a 1000 lbs. gorilla body. The body is that of a mythological golden gorilla, and the mind is of Congo Bill, an adventurer from the jungle.  Congorilla will be bringing brute strength, agility, and a cunning mind to the team.

Guardian: Guardian joins the team in a bit of a package deal with Mon-El. Guardian works for the Science Police, and has been mentoring Mon-El. Although Guardian looks fairly young, this is because his mind resides in a clone body of his younger self. The original Jim Harper worked outside of the confines of the law, in order to make sure justice prevailed. This new version of Harper is a little less lawless, but still just as effective. Guardian will bring a strong sense of morality to the team, keeping those whose sense of justice is a little blurry at bay.

Atom: Ray Palmer has always been a fixture on the Justice League of America. This pint-sized hero has been through hell and back during Blackest Night, and after having worn an Indigo Tribe ring, is coming out with a bit more edge. Using his powers of size changing, Palmer has recently been using his ability at a much deadlier level. By becoming so small that he enters the brain of his foes, he knows just what points to hit to make his enemies suffer. Being a highly intelligent individual, Palmer will be one of the players on the team that can solve almost any puzzle.

Green Arrow: Oliver Queen is a bit of a surprise on this team. Whenever Ollie’s luck gets down, he tends to take it upon himself to right as much as he can. Although this sounds good, it may lead to him getting in over his head and having little direction. Ollie is really jaded by the Prometheus attack, and still intends to bring down his brand of justice to villains. Green Lantern convinced Ollie to join the team because he needed help finding his way, and Hal and the League will give him that. Oliver will bring his unwavering accuracy with his bow and arrow, and his deceivingly sharp mind to this team of super-powered individuals. Although Oliver has no meta powers, he has years of experience and the respect of friends and foes alike.

Mike Parente
mike@comicattack.net