After the events of Flashpoint, DC Comics revamped and relaunched its entire line of ongoing monthly comic books and released 52 new series in September 2011. This entailed changes to both the publishing format and fictional universe to entice new readers while also incorporating characters from Wildstorm to be absorbed and also making changes to many of DCs heroes in order to make them more modern and accessible. One of the 52 releases was Justice League which reintroduced the team with a new origin of how they met.
Part 1:
“The world’s afraid of us. It’s necessary”. – Batman
While Batman is pursuing one of Darkseid’s Parademons across the rooftops of Gotham, Gotham police pursue and fire upon both of them from helicopters and the Dark Knight blinds them with smoke bombs and also stops the Parademon. He attempts to interrogate it, but it lets out a burst of flame which forces the Dark Knight to release it. As the two begin facing off again, Green Lantern interrupts by slamming a fire engine construct into the Parademon while the police continue firing upon Batman, Hal and the Parademon so Hal blocks the fire with a shield construct. As Bruce and Hal talk, the Parademon recovers and destroys the police helicopters, but Green Lantern creates bat constructs to hold them up, following the Parademon afterward. Batman suggests the Green Lantern should return to Coast City and Hal responds by stating the whole sector of space is his rather than just one city when he was alerted to an unauthorized presence in Gotham. The duo then move underground in pursuit where Hal asks Batman if he has any powers, which he replies no so the two bicker with Hal asking if Batman was willing to pick a fight with him and Bruce expresses his lack of worry.
Batman then points out that the Parademon is attaching a Father Box to a sewer wall, blowing himself up while also attempting to kill Batman and Green Lantern, but they are protected by a construct. When Hal attempts to scan the box, it’s unidentifiable so the duo agrees to head for Metropolis to ask Superman about it. Meanwhile, Vic Stone impresses several college scouts at a high school football game but afterword, Vic is on the phone with his father to let him know his team won the game. After hanging up, Vic and the majority of his team runs outside to see Batman and Green Lantern fly overhead who land in Metropolis to find Superman. Hal’s ring leads them to the Kryptonian and he immediately uses his super-speed to knock Hal unconscious and begins to square off against Batman.
Part 2:
“Batman’s real?” – Flash
At the Central City Police Department crime lab, Barry Allen is in an argument with Director Singh because he was asked to leave a case in order to work on the Flash case while Batman and Superman are in a conflict and Clark points out Bruce’s utility belt is empty before charging him against a wall. Clark then starts interrogating the Dark Knight about the mysterious boxes appearing over the last few days. Green Lantern then gets ready for a second round against Superman and attacks while Batman attempts to stop both of them and Hal captures Clark in chains made by his ring, but he easily frees himself. Superman then starts attacking Green Lantern and Batman and Hal decides to call the Flash who is surprised to see Hal with Batman and in a fight with the Man of Steel. Barry initially refuses to help, but eventually does and attacks Superman, but Clark lands a punch on Barry while he was trying to evade. Batman immediately intervenes to stop the fight and explains to Clark they were not involved with the invading Parademons while Flash begins cleaning up and repairing the site of the battle, but the government arrives shortly after and the group heads into the sewers.
Meanwhile at S.T.A.R. Labs in Detroit, Silas Stone and his team are in the middle of studying the mysterious box from Superman’s earlier battle and Silas is informed of the arrival of Vic. His son then explains about his chances for a good scholarship and the two argue. Elsewhere, the four heroes remain in hiding inside an abandonded printing press and Hal suggest to Barry on getting rid of Batman and Superman since he feels they’d only be a burden, but Barry refuses because he feels they need teamwork. While examining the box, both theirs and Silas’ start reacting strangely and a Boom Tube opens which teleports a swarm of Parademons in both places and Vic gets torn apart.
Part 3:
“I’m done with people telling me what to do.” – Wonder Woman
In Washington, D.C., military personnel are observing TV reports of crowds protesting Wonder Woman due to her being a Pagan and are also perceived as dangerous just as she spots a report about a winged monster terrorizing people downtown so she departs to fight it. One of Darkseid’s minions arrive out of nowhere as several aliens swoop down and attack Wonder Woman while at S.T.A.R. Labs, Parademons are terrorizing its employees and also abducts Professor Ivo. Silas is cradling his Vic who was severely injured in the explosion and is near death so Silas decides not to let him die. Back in Metropolis, Parademons are causing more terror with portals opening worldwide so Superman, Batman, Flash and Green Lantern begin their fight against the army of invaders. As the battle rages on, Batman and Green Lantern continue arguing while Flash is surprised to hear Batman is not super-powered when the Dark Knight requests the group steps back to regroup and devise a strategy. In Detroit, Silas and his co-workers enter a secure medical room at the lab with Vic while in Metropolis; Hal is amazed to see Superman swing an 18-wheeler like a baseball bat while Superman and Batman observe the Parademons abducting people so Bruce ponders their motives.
As the group continues battling, Wonder Woman joins the fight by barreling into a swarm of monsters and the other heroes are impressed with her display of strength and fighting prowess. In Detroit, Vic goes into cardiac arrest as Silas works to save him using experimental technology and activates nanites to help with the integration until he is fully online. Wonder Woman explains to the four heroes how she followed the Parademons to the current spot and the group witnesses Parademons circling above a body of water when a waterspout appears and a mysterious object emerges from the ocean. Aquaman emerges shortly after, stating the invaders are also underwater as he also asks which hero is in charge.
Part 4:
“You seem like someone who wants to do the right thing, but the same can’t always be said for everyone in positions of authority.” - Superman
When Vic finally recovers, he notices his new Cyborg body and becomes confused just as a group of Parademons burst in and attack so Vic uses his sonic cannon to destroy them and jumps through a hole in a roof after seeing himself in the mirror. Meanwhile, the rest of the heroes examine Aquaman’s intentions while also holding off the Parademons and fighting the military who have been told to engage all non-humans and superheroes. After a short debate, the group encounters Vic who tries to warn them of the already approaching Darkseid who suddenly appears.
Part 5:
“My name is Bruce Wayne. When I was ten, my parents were murdered in front of my eyes. I’ve spent my life training to fight the same kind of criminals that took their lives. But this is different. This isn’t about me. This is bigger than I am. And it’s bigger than you are.” – Batman
While the heroes are recovering from the explosion caused by Darkseid upon his arrival, Flash witnesses him destroy a military jet with an Omega Beam and Superman awakens to find himself and Barry targeted by another beam so Flash grabs the Man of Steel and carries him to safety. When the heroes split, the beams also split so Flash vibrates through a Parademon, but Superman takes the full force of the Omega Beam and is incapacitated. The Kryptonian is then carried away while the other heroes are still regaining consciousness and they then decided to try and interrogate Darkseid, but Green Lantern attacks instead to discover his constructs are not effective against the ruler of Apokolips. Hal receives several vicious blows and breaks his right arm before sending him flying with a punch, but he struggles to recover so Batman attempts to deter him in his condition. Batman gathers the rest of the team to form a strategy and continues to ask why he’s driven to press on with his attacks while also stating how he understands and believes the two to be similar. After Hal rejects this notion, Batman removes his mask to introduce himself as Bruce Wayne and tells the group his origin due to the death of his parents. Bruce then asks Hal to regroup with the others and help keep Darkseid busy until he returns from rescuing Superman and willingly lets a Parademon carry him away. The group then follows Darkseid and Hal acts as a distraction while Batman is carried to another Boom Tube where he finds himself in Apokolips.
Part 6:
“You can call us…THE SUPER SEVEN!” – Flash
On Apokolips, Bruce sneaks through the building to find a pair of super-beings discussing the invasion of the Multiverse in search of Darkseid’s daughter while also spotting Superman tied down as they plan on cloning him. On Earth, Vic taps into the Mother Box network and suddenly overloads the system and opens tubes everywhere, which shocks the beings torturing Superman and allowing Batman to free the Kryptonian and the duo escape back to Earth. The group then tries trapping Darkseid on the other side of a Boom Tube, but he grabs Clark and with seconds to spare, Vic manages to shut the network down, seemingly killing Darkseid. In the aftermath, a crowd gathers to cheer on the heroes and later at an awards ceremony, the President gives a speech on the team of heroes saving the world just before receiving a message from an aide regarding a disaster and needing the Justice League. In London, a man with the shadow of a devil meets a man with glowing blue eyes where they discuss the fact that other similar heroes have emerged since the Leagues activation.
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