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The greatest heroes of the DC Universe are fated to meet a brutal end in the upcoming Justice League #75, an issue that coincides with the 30th anniversary of the seminal “Death of Superman” story of the nineties. According to a recent announcement, only one of the ten member team will survive, which means that iconic characters such as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman will likely be taken off the board, at least for a time.
The creators behind the issue (scheduled to release on April 19th) have confirmed that the Justice League members will meet their end facing a very powerful foe. In preparation for the inevitable, here is a look at the heroes who currently comprise DC’s premier team, as well as the weaknesses that could potentially lead to their downfall.
Batman
Batman is one of the most well-trained and physically capable heroes in the DC Universe. However, he is still only human at the end of the day, and his mortality is essentially his greatest weakness. Villains such as Bane and Joker have famously exploited the Dark Knight’s humanity, and it can be assumed that a threat powerful enough to eliminate the entire Justice League could do the same.
Batman has met his end previously, once at the hands of Darkseid in Final Crisis #6 (by Grant Morrison and others) and after a gruesome fight with the Joker during the finale of “Endgame” in Batman #40 (by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo). The Dark Knight was also felled in DC’s Black Label series Batman/Catwoman (by Tom King and Clay Mann) that takes place in a possible future and reveals that the Dark Knight was ultimately felled by cancer that he acquired fighting Doctor Phosphorus.
Superman
Superman is arguably the greatest hero in the DC Universe. With a plethora of powers that include flight, invulnerability, and super strength, it is nearly impossible to make a dent in the aptly named Man of Steel, at least through conventional means. However, the Last Son of Krypton does have a few weaknesses.
Superman’s primary weakness is Kryptonite, but he can also be stopped by red solar energy and magic. Green Kryptonite strips Superman of his strength and is potentially fatal to the Man of Tomorrow, while red solar energy is being used by Mongul to keep him imprisoned in recent issues of Action Comics (by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and Miguel Mendoça). Also, the Last Son of Krypton was famously killed while fighting the monstrous Doomsday in Superman #75 (by Dan Jurgens), indicating that he can also be overwhelmed by strength that equals or surpasses his own.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman’s strength is on par with that of Superman. She completes DC’s Trinity alongside Batman and Superman and is one of the company’s most iconic characters. As the champion of the Amazons, she’s the best among them in both skill and heart. She is also a demigod, having descended from the gods of Olympus.
Even with her impressive lineage, Wonder Woman is still mortal. Just recently, she “died” and ascended to the afterlife in Death Metal (by Snyder and Capullo). Despite her godly abilities and her long lifespan, she will still die someday, whether it be of old age or in battle. In the New 52, a version of Wonder Woman was overwhelmed by Parademons and subsequently killed by Steppenwolf in Earth-2 #1 (by James Robinson and Nicola Scott). Also, a Dark Multiverse variant of Wonder Woman was killed by a Dark Knight corrupted by Ares in Batman: The Merciless (by Peter Tomasi and Frances Manapul). In both cases she underestimated her opponent and overestimated her own abilities, meaning that it is possible that she will do the same in the upcoming Justice League story.
Green Lantern
John Stewart is one of the Green Lantern Corps’ greatest recruits. He’s the only Lantern to become a Guardian of the Universe and was once recruited to be part of the Alpha Lanterns, the Corps’ most elite squad. His history as both a marine and an architect makes him a focused and methodical hero, but there are still limitations inherent in his ring.
Fear is a Green Lantern’s greatest weakness, and the Entity of Fear, Parallax, wiped out the entire Corps in 1994’s Green Lantern #50 (by Ron Marz and Bill Willingham). The source of a Lantern’s strength lies in their individual willpower, and it stands to reason that Stewart could be overwhelmed by a being with greater willpower, such as when the intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo overwhelmed the ring-wielding G’Nort in the classic Justice League International #18 (by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMattteis, and Kevin Maguire). Another potential weakness that could be exploited is the fact that Stewart’s ring must be recharged every twenty-four hours. In an extended battle, John would essentially be a sitting duck if his ring were to run out of power during a heated confrontation.
Aquaman
Aquaman is the former King of Atlantis and a fearsome warrior as well as a born leader. He is supernaturally strong and can command sea life in all its forms. The trident he wields allows him to manipulate water and can even summon bolts of lightning when needed.
Despite all his natural strength and abilities, taking him away from water could be a serious boon for anyone looking to defeat him. Unlike full-blooded Atlanteans, he can survive outside of the ocean indefinitely, but his powers are still derived from the seas. The longer he is away from a source of water, the more power he loses. Although he is still highly formidable even outside the presence of water, total dehydration, though not a death sentence in itself, would leave him severely depleted and much less likely to survive a grueling battle.
Martian Manhunter
J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter, is arguably one of the Justice League’s most powerful members, boasting not only superhuman strength, speed, and flight, but also shapeshifting and telepathy. He himself has declared that he is at least as powerful as Superman, and Amanda Waller recruited him to her Justice League of America team in the New 52 era to eliminate the Man of Steel if necessary. Unfortunately, J’onzz also has a weakness that has proven to be ridiculously easy to exploit in the past.
Martians are extremely vulnerable to fire, and this was the cause of J’onn’s first death in Final Crisis (by Grant Morrison and others). Libra offered him up to the Human Flame, who used his fire powers to incinerate the Martian. In the recent Elseworlds story, Justice League: Last Ride (by Chip Zdarsky and Miguel Mendonça), the fires that live at the core of Apokolips destroyed him completely, leaving only an imprint of his consciousness that lived on as a construct created by the power of a Green Lantern ring. If fire is a deciding factor in the upcoming Justice League issue, J’onzz could face yet another bitter and painful end.
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is destined to die. Having been cursed by her nemesis Hath-Set long ago, she and her lover, Hawkman, are destined to meet, fall in love and die soon before being reincarnated just to repeat the cycle for all eternity. So, for Hawkgirl, it’s less a matter of how can she be killed and more when will she be killed.
This inevitable fate means that it’s only a matter of time before she dies, and the upcoming Justice League mission could mean the end for her current incarnation. She may have her iconic wings and her Nth metal mace, but she doesn’t have the invulnerability of Superman, Martian Manhunter, or Wonder Woman. In her first death in ancient Egypt, as seen in the classic Flash Comics #1 (by Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert), she was stabbed by Hath-Set. In Legend of Hawkman (by Ben Raab and Michael Lark), she nearly died after being slashed in the abdomen. Out of all the members of the League facing impending doom, Hawkgirl stands as one of the easiest to kill.
Green Arrow
Oliver Queen is an expert archer. His skills are so refined that many of his teammates in the Justice League suspect that he’s secretly a metahuman. With an arsenal of trick arrows, he is well-prepared for every occasion. However, his quiver can always run empty in the middle of a long battle. Fortunately, he is also a skilled and formidable combatant even without his arrows, but his pride, arrogance, and overwhelming desire to protect his love interest, fellow Leaguer Black Canary, could ultimately prove detrimental.
Like Batman, Green Arrow’s primary weakness is that despite all his vaunted skills, he is still human. However, he doesn’t have the same tactical mind as the Dark Knight and he is prone to making mistakes. Besides his human limitations, he can get cocky and fall victim to his own pride. Therefore, underestimating his opponent, or overestimating his own ability, could have deadly consequences. Not allowing Superman to sever his arm led to his death in Green Arrow #101 (by Chuck Dixon, Rodolfo Damaggio and Robert Campanella), and in Injustice: Year One #33 (by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo), he was beaten to death by the Man of Steel. Although his skill cannot be denied, Green Arrow can still be effectively terminated without much difficulty by a superpowered opponent who wishes to do so.
Black Canary
Black Canary is one of the best fighters in the DC Universe. As well as being an expert in hand-to-hand combat, she is also able to emit a powerful sonic wave that she refers to as her Canary Cry. The blast of pure sound is powerful enough to incapacitate Superman, and recently almost killed the vaunted mercenary Deathstroke.
However, Canary’s powers aren’t on the same level as Superman or Wonder Woman. Anyone strong enough to get past her sonic cry could take her down, provided they are able to best her in combat. In Injustice: Year Two #12 (by Tom Taylor, Xermanico and Bruno Redondo), Superman would have killed her if not for the intervention of Doctor Fate, even after she bested him in a one-on-one fight. Additionally, her mother, the original Black Canary, died from radiation poisoning, indicating that she is also susceptible to normal human weaknesses.
Zatanna
Zatanna is the mistress of magic. She may entertain audiences with her abilities on stage but she has also used them to help take down some of the most powerful threats to the DC Universe. However, despite her skill, she’s made her fair share of mistakes and, although she is skilled in magic, she doesn’t possess any mystical invulnerabilities.
The Flashpoint version of the character was killed in a fight with the Enchantress in Flashpoint: Secret Seven #3 (by Peter Milligan and Fernando Blanco). A spell Zatanna cast backfired, and the magician was disintegrated. With DC highlighting Zatanna’s magical mistakes recently in Batman: Urban Legends and Justice League Dark, it is quite possible that she could be the cause of her own demise, as well as that of others. Furthermore, using her magic requires her to be able to speak, and Detective Comics #833 (by Paul Dini and Don Kramer), saw her powers negated when Joker shot her in the neck. Without the use of her voice, the magician Zatanna wouldn’t stand a chance against a powerful foe.
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