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As Justice League: Last Ride comes to a close, the DC Universe’s core heroes have decided to add a major figure to stand equal among their ranks.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Justice League: Last Ride #7, on sale now from DC Comics.
Superman. Batman. Wonder Woman. For decades, these iconic figures have been the most prominent and important heroes in the DC Universe, even beyond being teammates in the DCU’s premier superhero team, the Justice League. While the League and its core trinity stood a very real chance of permanently fracturing in the miniseries Justice League: Last Ride, a seven-issue story outside of the main DCU’s continuity, the series has ended with the trinity not only back together but inviting another major DC superhero to join them as they share their plans for protecting the world: J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter.
Justice League: Last Ride revolved around the team splitting in the face of the Martian Manhunter’s death during a conflict against Darkseid and the forces of Apokolips. As the trinity reluctantly reformed when Darkseid resurfaced to menace this version of the DCU, it was the Green Lantern Corps and a new twist on Martian Manhunter that ultimately helped turn the tide and defeat Darkseid for good in a heated rematch. In the aftermath of this epic showdown, with the DCU seemingly rid of the tyrannical leader of Apokolips, the trinity reconvenes in the Justice League’s headquarters where they are joined by this new variation of J’onn J’onzz in Justice League: Last Ride #7 (by Chip Zdarsky, Miguel Mendoca, Enrica Angiolini and AndWorld Design).
While Martian Manhunter’s physical body remains destroyed, his consciousness is reborn as an advanced energy construct formed from raw Green Lantern energy. While this leaves J’onn largely bound to New Oa, he still is able to project himself to the Justice League headquarters on the Moon, now welcomed into the fold by the trinity as they meet privately on how best to construct a new league, stronger than ever, with their old grudges and distrust dispelled as they resume working together again.
While the idea of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman had been informal for years, it became especially apparent during the 2005 crossover event Infinite Crisis, which similarly began with the three heroes at odds after recent events. By the end of the story, as the heroes banded together to stop Alexander Luthor, Superboy Prime and the Secret Society of Super-Villains, the three heroes of the trinity reconciled and saved the day. After a year apart to rediscover themselves following this cataclysmic event, it was the trinity that came together and spearheaded the reformation of the Justice League, although Martian Manhunter was curiously left out of this resurgent lineup in its original incarnation.
While Martian Manhunter has largely served as the heart of the Justice League, a prominent constant that has provided unwavering support to his teammates over the years, it’s unclear if J’onn will ever quite make the leap to join the trinity and turn it into an official quartet in the main DCU.
Several other heroes are more well-known and influential beyond the comics that would make more logical heroes to expand the trinity into a quartet, with The Flash and Aquaman perhaps being the most natural candidates. And though J’onn is certainly appreciated and an important part of the Justice League, his addition to the trinity makes more sense in the context of Last Ride, which explored how his loss affected the heroes he left behind.
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