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DC’s Justice Leagues miniseries of 2001 sees the end of the League and the introduction of several new and unusual takes on the JLA.
There have been numerous incarnations of the Justice League in the core-DC Universe, ranging from the majesty of the Seven from the JLA to the more down-to-Earth eras of Justice League International or the Justice League Detroit era.
But one storyline from 2001 found a way to introduce a whole slew of new Leagues, all in one arc. In the Justice Leagues storyline, a host of creators introduced new variants of the Justice League — each one centralized around a different theme and bonding element.
Justice Leagues was a series of six one-shots that focused on the schemes of the Advance Man. In an effort to remove one of Earth’s greatest lines of defense prior to an alien invasion, the Advance Man was able to manipulate the telepathic Green Lantern villain Hector Hammond into unleashing a global attack, specifically targeting the knowledge and memories of the Justice League of America. In Justice Leagues #1 (by Tom Peyer and Ethan Van Sciver), the attack is almost prevented when Hammond realizes what he’s doing. He’s able to share the psionic message “Justice League of A–” before he’s cut off, resulting in the various heroes becoming obsessed with the concept of a Justice League but unsure of what unites them.
Each hero then creates their own variant of the classic team, featuring unique rosters. Minor Justice League teams appeared throughout the event, such as the Justice League of Anarchy (consisting of Plastic Man, Ambush Bug, Creeper, Harley Quinn, ‘Mazing Man, and the Trickster), the Justice League of Apostles (Zauriel’s mystical team, consisting of Phantom Stranger, Doctor Fate, Deadman, and Zatanna), the Justice League of Adventure (Flash, Black Canary, Atom, Beast Boy, and Mister Miracle), and the Justice League of Air (a high-flying band led by Green Lantern and consisting of Black Condor, Captain Atom, Ray, Firestorm, Doctor Light, and Red Tornado). Notably, the Justice League of Apostles shares many baseline similarities with the eventual core-DC magic squad, Justice League Dark.
Unbeknownst to all the groups, they were being quietly manipulated by the Advance Man, helping arrange the proper circumstances for a more efficient and deadly invasion. The more prominent ones were targeted by the Advance Man directly in a series of one-shot issues. Justice Leagues: Justice League of Amazons #1 (by Len Kaminski and Aluir Amancio) introduced Wonder Woman’s guardians of Mother Earth: Supergirl, Huntress, Big Barda, Zatanna, Power Girl, and Black Orchid. Power Girl (believed at the time to be of Atlantis blood) was quickly poached by Aquaman’s team. Justice League of Atlantis’s roster (introduced in Justice Leagues: Justice League of Atlantis #1 by Len Kaminski and Javier Saltares) consisted of Aquaman, Mera, Tempest, Arion, Power Girl, Lori Lemaris, and Devilfish, with the latter secretly an agent of the Advance Man.
The only League to effectively counter the Advance Man’s plans were Batman’s group, assembled in Justice Leagues: Justice League of Arkham #1 (by Paul Grist and Coy Turnbull). In need of skilled allies with a deep knowledge of Gotham City (and figuring villains will give him a chaotic edge over the machinations of the Advance Man), Batman recruits Nightwing, Catwoman, Joker, Poison Ivy, Riddler, and the Ventriloquist to prevent a poison cloud from being unleashed into the atmosphere. The villains were tricked into allowing the Advance Man to escape before being rounded up by The Flash’s Justice League of Adventure. Finally, Martian Manhunter and Superman assembled their own team in Justice Leagues: Justice League of Aliens #1 (by Judd Winick and Mike S. Miller), consisting of Lobo, Orion, Starfire, Starman, and Warrior.
The Justice League of Aliens were the heroes who confronted the Advance Man’s plans, which involved mutating a number of humans into new hosts for his alien master, Plura. The assembled heroes of the various Leagues prove enough to prevent Plura from fully birthing her new species on Earth, giving Batman time to find Hector Hammond while Superman recruits the leaders of each group to form their the true Justice League. In Justice Leagues: JLA (by Peyer and Justiniano), the heroes are able to turn the tide and save the world. It’s a breezy and fun story, and a fun excuse for DC to effectively pitch new team-ups while still reinforcing the trust and bonds that help make the core-JLA such a foundational part of the DC Universe.
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