First formed in 1960,theJustice Leaguehas been DC Comics' flagship superhero team for decades, uniting the company’s greatest heroes, like Batman and Superman, under one banner. While many readers love seeing the original founding seven as the mainstay members, the team has included a variety of heroes - and villains - from across the DCU. Although some didn’t make for great members and others are seen as perfect for the team, some heroes just never found the following that they deserve.
The Justice League’s membership has ballooned and shrunk many times,with some runs focusing on obscure heroes while others went all-in on A-listers. This range has allowed for dozens of creators to explore a variety of characters in their finest hours, showing that even done-in-one characters can be great. From Golden Age superheroes to recent members, some of the team’s best characters continue to go woefully underrated and unappreciated by the average fan, even being neglected by some writers.
10Zauriel
Created by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter
During Grant Morrison and Howard Porter’s run onJLA, the team was aided by afallen angel named Zauriel, who warned them of an impending attack on Earth by Asmodel.The hero is actually one of four angels who serve the Presence,and his tenure on the League was largely defined by assisting in battles against supernatural and cosmic threats.
His tenure in the League was largely defined by assisting in battles against supernatural and cosmic threats.
The fact that some DC readers forget that the JLA once boasted a literal angel for a member is partly due to his diminished role in the universe, an unfortunate trend that befalls many characters created by Morrison. His abilities include immortality, flight, a sonic scream, and super strength, all of whichmakes him a match for the team itself, much less its enemies.
9Blue Beetle Ted Kord
Created by Charles Wojtkoski and Steve Ditko
Blue Beetle is one of the oldest mantles in comics, dating back to 1939 when Dan Garrett was under the mask. The best of all the Beetles has remained Ted Kord. A brilliant inventor, master detective and proficient fighter, the hero spent much of his existence under Charlton Comics, joining the DCU in 1986. Since then, he has been explored as one of the sharpest minds in DC, though a combination of factors have kept him in the status of a B-lister - if that.
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As a fixture of theJustice League International roster, Ted Kord proved to be a key member of the team, especially when it came to sharing resources like his Bug airship.Through his friendship with Booster Gold, he also gave DC one of its best superhero partnerships,and his solo series have highlighted his skills as both a detective and a fighter. In effect, Blue Beetle is Batman for people who prefer a lighter touch to the character, but Kord stands on his own two feet without comparison.
8Big Barda
Created by Jack Kirby
Big Barda made her debut in the pages of Jack Kirby’sMister Miracleseries,where she bonds with the titular hero over their shared history on Apokolips. Once a member of Darkseid’s elite team of bodyguard warriors, the Female Furies, she is one of the most skilled fighters to have ever served on the League. With expertise in all things New Gods and her experiences in battle, the heroine has proved a key figure in the Justice League’s fight against evil, especially Darkseid.
In recent years, Big Barda has been sidelined from the Justice League, no doubt in part due to how Wonder Woman makes her seem redundant to some writers and readers. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for readers to think of her as a knock-off Diana Prince, despite her story being distinct from the Amazon princess. Having served much of her life after the despotic rule of Darkseid,Barda’s story is one of overcoming adversity to live a life of love and happiness,which she does in the suburbs with Scott Free.
7Orion
Orion is the son of Darkseid who, in order to secure a tenuous peace between Apokolips and New Genesis, was traded to Highfather who, in turn, gave his own son to the villain.As a result of his upbringing under the kindhearted leader, Orion is sworn to protect New Genesis, which he does with all the anger and ferocity of his father.
Orion is something of a tragic figure in DC history.While he does have the privilege of having been spared an upbringing on Apokolips, he has spent most of his life thrust into war against his own father. Unfortunately, the hero doesn’t spend much time on the League anymore, partially a result of recent stories casting him as a more nuanced, morally-ambiguous character, whose methods don’t align with the morals of Superman or Batman.
6Aztek
Created by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, and N. Steven Harris
Unlike other heroes, Aztek was raised into the life of superheroics from his childhood by the Q Society,a secret organization devoted to the Aztek god Quetzalcoatl, who fights Tezcatlipoca. This devotion came to fruition during theJLA"World War III" arc, where Aztek aided the League in their battle against the evil being Mageddon (Tezcatlipoca).
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The fact that the originalAztek gave his life to save the world should elevate him to the top of League members,and his genuinely unique design makes him all the more memorable. His story mirrors elements of pulp legend Doc Savage, being trained into peak physical condition by the Q Society and using his power suit to dispense justice.
5Steel
Created by Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove
Steel began life as John Henry Irons, a Metropolis-based engineer who, after being saved bySuperman before his death, took up the mantle of Man of Steel in his wake.In his later adventures, he’s a man of unflinching conscience, driven by a sense of duty to his fellow citizens. He’s also a genius inventor, creating high-tech super-suits that allow him to go toe-to-toe with some of the biggest bad guys in the world.
Of all the potential Superman successors, Steel stood out as the only one not claiming to be the real Kal-El, instead being an ordinary citizen motivated by duty. In fact, he was such a selfless, worthy hero that Lois questioned for a moment if perhaps he embodied the soul of her fallen love.Since his creation, Irons has proven himself a valuable ally to both the Man of Steeland the Justice League,representing the values of ingenuity, hard work, and civic duty.
4Red Tornado
Created by Gardner Fox and Dick Dillin
Red Tornado started out as a parody of superheroes and was the original persona of Ma Hunkel during the Golden Age. Later, however, he was retconned into an android possessed by the Tornado Champion, though that has changed over the years.Capable of generating tornadoes with his body,the hero is also gifted with super-intelligence due to his artificial brain.
Red Tornado has one of the most interesting stories in the DC Universe, withthe 2006Justice Leagueseries exploring his underlying love and humanity as he builds a family and finds a human host.As the character who helped inspire Marvel’s Vision, this underrated DC hero hasn’t found success the way his counterpart did, despite having a genuinely incredible origin story.
Red Tornado was voiced by Powers Boothe in Justice League Unlimited and by Jason J. Lewis in Justice League Action.
3Vixen
Created by Gerry Conway and Bob Oksner
In Justice League history, few characters have been as underrated relative to their power level as Vixen, who can adopt the abilities of any creature in the animal kingdom, whether native to Earth or not. Empowered by the Tantu Totem, Mari McCabe started out as a model who, by night, fought crime, particularly those that affected the animal kingdom, such as illegal poaching.McCabe is often portrayed as a more reluctant hero, but her abilities have proven key in several stories.
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Vixen is especially underrated when it comes to the full exploration of her powers and their potential. Where many creators have already explored clichéd abilities like the strength of a rhino or the speed of a cheetah,she can be so much more, especially if creators explore the weirder side of the animal kingdom.
2Tomorrow Woman
In a story that reads like a love letter to the work of Isaac Asimov,JLA#5’s “Woman of Tomorrow” by Morrison, Porter, John Dell, Pat Garrahy, and Ken Lopezfollows the creation of an android superhero by evil scientists Dr. T.O. Morrow and Professor Ivo.Designed to infiltrate and destroy the League from within, the character was programmed to think of herself as a hero, completely oblivious to her true purpose. Despite the villains' programming omitting the concept of freedom, the hero sacrifices herself at the last minute, ensuring that the destructive device within her cannot harm her new friends.
Tomorrow Woman may not have as many appearances as other League members, but her sacrifice for the team ensured her a place in the League cemetery.The character represents the deep yearning for freedomof all sentient beings, and that alone guarantees her a spot as one of the team’s most underrated heroes. Due to limited appearances, it’s understandable that she isn’t talked about more often.
1Martian Manhunter
Created by Joseph Samachson and Joe Certa
Martian Manhunter has been a member of the Justice League since its founding, andwas one of the heroes who helped defeat Starro the Conqueror.With an array of powers that include intangibility, super strength, shape-shifting, heat vision, and telepathy, he’s arguably as powerful - if not more so - than Superman. The fact that his civilian life is that of a detective shows that he’s more than just his powers, as his character combines aspects of Batman and the Man of Steel.
While theJustice Leaguecartoon did renewinterest in the Martian Manhunterfor a new generation, when it comes to comics, he’s never achieved the success of his peers. In fact, he hasn’t even starred in his own monthly ongoing title since the 1990s. While most fans love Batman and Superman, J’onn J’onnz has an equally tragic story. The last survivor of his world, the hero chooses to exist as a stranger among humanity, maintaining his green alien form while fighting evil.Despite how the hero helped usher in the Silver Age, he never caught on the way other Justice League characters did- but his story is every bit as compelling.
