For about the last six months, we've been wondering what the deal was with the new Justice League of America. In the New 52 Universe, the Justice League has only consisted of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Flash and Cyborg. Apparently they attempted to recruit Martian Manhunter but that didn't work out. They refused to allow Green Arrow to join. For five years (in comic book time), they remained an exclusive club of heroes. They are no longer the only Justice League members around.
We may currently have the Justice League Dark team and saw the Justice League International but this is different. Amanda Waller and Steve Trevor have put together a new team. It's an odd mix since we have killers, thieves and extremely inexperienced individuals on the team. We tried to figure out why each member was on the team before but now it all becomes clear.
There will be spoilers for JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 below. You definitely will want to read the issue first before you discover the true reason for the team.
== TEASER ==Simply put, Amanda Waller wants a team that can take out the current Justice League. When presenting her candidates to Steve Trevor, she made it clear that the League is too powerful and they need to be prepared, have their own super-powered puppets, in case the League ever turns on the populace. Trevor goes along with this for two reasons - if he doesn't, Waller will get someone else and she also gives him a piece of intel that provides even more encouragement.
Looking at the team, you can see how they will be paired off.
He is their secret weapon. Aside from his incredible telepathic abilities, he has the power to stand up to Superman. He could easily to toe-to-toe with the Man of Steel. We've already seen the entire League face off against him in a two-page flashback scene. His telepathic ability will also give him an edge as well. Seeing what he's done during Storm Watch and how he departed shows he will have no problem fighting Superman if push came to shove.
Why is Catwoman on the team? She is the way to get to Batman. She may not be able to deal with him during a fist fight but she knows how to get through his veil and touch his emotions. She knows Batman on an intimate level. As a weapon against the Dark Knight, Catwoman might be a one-time-only shot but if it was determined that Batman needed to be taken down, Catwoman could make her way right up to Batman without any realization of ulterior motives. By the time he figured out what she was after, it could be too late.
Katana is meant to be paired up against Wonder Woman. They are both warriors. Katana's Soultaker sword may assist her against Wonder Woman. Other than that, we'd have to see what else she has to offer. Wonder Woman has shown glimpses of the fierce warrior she can be. It could be a quick fight unless Katana has something else up her sleeve. She is considered the world's deadliest assassin (alongside Deathstroke) so perhaps she would have a strategy to take on Wonder Woman, permanently.
Green Lantern vs Green Lantern makes sense. If you need to take one out, do it with another. Hal Jordan may have earned the title of being the greatest Green Lantern. He's done many things thought impossible (like actually killing Krona, a renegade Guardian of the Universe) but Simon Baz is showing some new abilities as well. He has already been shown able to do things other Green Lanterns can't. What this says about his will remains to be seen and would he fight Hal Jordan if instructed to?
Vibe appeared to be an odd choice from the beginning. Pairing him up against Flash might seem odd since he has vibrating powers. There's more to it than just vibrating. Vibe is a "living epicenter for vibrational frequencies." Waller tells Steve that, with training, he will be able to "sever ties that people might have to dimensional power." That means he could cut Flash off from the Speed Force.
Stargirl is set up to go up against Cyborg. This might seem like another odd pairing but it all comes down to what she can do with her cosmic staff. Waller believes it could be one of the most powerful weapons on Earth. That could give her an edge over Cyborg. In the past she's been able to fly, create energy constructs and force fields and make herself invulnerable. We'll have to wait to see what a blast from her staff would do to Cyborg. There's also the question about what happened to the previous owner of the staff and what that means for Stargirl.
Hawkman is a fierce warrior and could have the ability to take on Aquaman directly. His savage nature could be the edge when they clash as he would be less likely to hold back. Other than that, it's not fully clear why it's felt he's the perfect match against Aquaman. Hawkman would have the ability to take Aquaman far away from water. The question is, would he be able to carry him off without a fight?
What about Green Arrow?
He could be the wildcard. While he does appear in this issue and is on the cover, he doesn't appear to be paired off like the others. Adding an eighth member gives them one more person. Steve mentions to Amanda that there may not be a spot for Green Arrow on this team but we do know they've worked together since Steve made him an offer back in the pages of JUSTICE LEAGUE.
It appears that Waller has her team. She has a way to take down the Justice League. We'll have to wait and see if she plans to be proactive and take them down immediately or keep her team around performing heroic feats for positive PR, waiting for the League to step out of line.
Of course, there's also what role will Steve Trevor and Green Arrow play in all of this. Will Trevor go along with Waller's orders? We can likely expect a major clash in the immediate future.
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