For Justice League Unlimited, the creative team expanded the League's roster, adding roughly sixty new recruits to the original seven (or six, as Shayera Hol briefly left the team following "Starcrossed"). This unlimited League saw its roster continually shift throughout the series, as new members joined mid-season (Captain Marvel, the terminally ill Longshadow) and other members either quit or were fired for insubordination (Captain Marvel, Huntress). This listing has been updated up until the episode "Epilogue," but it will surely change further when Season Five airs.
While reading these entries, keep in mind that, for all intents and purposes, I'm doing a cold read on these characters. In some cases these heroes have only had one or two appearances—mostly as cameos and non-speaking roles—so most of their back-stories have been pieced together from their comic book origins. Please take into account that many of these characters have been revamped, reimagined, and replaced over the years—some are based on educated guesses over which version of a character the creative team will use (Captain Atom), while others share ties to antecedents that may or may not exist in DCAU continuity (Atom Smasher, Black Canary, Mr. Terrific). Again, this page is merely to introduce these new Justice League members to non-comics fans, or to comics fans who haven't met these particular characters. So prepare for roll call.
Bruce Timm on re-imagining DC Comics' iconic characters: “I focus on the core element of the character—what makes it iconic and also what has given these characters such longevity (courtesy of the Birmingham News).”
Real
Name: Aquaman / Arthur, King of Atlantis
Voiced by Scott Rummel
For more information, see the Aquaman entry.
Real
Name: Atom Smasher / Albert Julian Rothstein
Voiced by ???
Grandson of the Golden Age Atom (a character unrelated to Ray Palmer), Albert Rothstein acquired his mutant powers of super-strength and control over his molecular structure (allowing him to alter the size and density of his body) from his grandfather, allowing him to fight crime as Atom Smasher.
Real
Name: The Atom / Ray Palmer
Voiced by John C. McGinley
Utilizing a piece of dwarf star matter as a power source, college professor and scientist Ray Palmer possesses the ability to reduce his size and mass, allowing him to shrink himself down to microscopic levels. While mainly using his powers for scientific research, he also finds time to moonlight as the superhero known as the Atom.
Grant Morrison on the Atom (circa 1998): "I love the Atom [...] My take on the Atom continues to be that he's the coolest college professor who just happens to have the coolest lectures in town because he can shrink. He uses that power mostly to do scientific research, but if the JLA call, he'll be there (courtesy of Wizard Magazine)."
Dwayne McDuffie on the Atom: “Atom's going to be great. Warren Ellis wrote the first Atom episode (courtesy of [website name removed]).”
Stan Berkowitz on the Atom: “[Ellis] gave him an interesting personality, and then J.M. DeMatteis did the second one, and built on that personality (courtesy of [website name removed]).”
While this is his first appearance in the DCAU, it should be noted that his name was mentioned "Hereafter," where the future Vandal Savage revealed that he powered his gravity machine with Ray Palmer's piece of dwarf star matter.
Real
Name: Aztek / Uno / Curt Falconer
Voiced by ???
Raised by an organization known as the Q Foundation, Uno was trained from birth to be a champion of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl and to fight his nemesis, the dark god Tezcatipoca, who is fated to return to menace Earth sometime in the future. In the meantime, Uno has established himself in the city of Vanity, assuming the identity of a deceased doctor named Curt Falconer, and fighting crime at night as Aztek, the Ultimate Man. However, what Uno does not know is that one of the main contributors to the Q Foundation—one who personally paid millions of dollars for his training—was Lex Luthor.
Grant Morrison on Aztek (circa 2000): "The idea was [that co-writer Mark Millar and I would] set up this guy who was the brightest, happiest, youngest guy and then just [screw] him up. By issue #10 you start to see that coming through—everything that he believes in starts to be undermined and everyone that he trusts he can't trust—we had this whole thing. It was going to be like a superhero version of The Prisoner (courtesy of Sequential Tart).”
Real
Name: Batman / Bruce Wayne
Voiced by Kevin Conroy
For more information, see the Batman entry.
Real
Name: Black Canary / Dinah Lance
Voiced by Morena Baccarin
For more information, see the Black Canary entry.
Real
Name: Blue Devil / Daniel Cassidy
Voiced by ???
A Hollywood stuntman and special effects artist, Daniel Cassidy became bonded to his greatest creation—a monster suit designed to give the wearer an array of super-powers—when he fought a demon who attacked the set of the movie Blue Devil. Initially horrified by his transformation, this self-described "weirdness magnet" has grown to love his new condition, and now uses his super-strength, enhanced hearing and sight, and rocket-powered trident to both fight crime and further his Hollywood career.
Real
Name: Booster Gold / Michael Jon Carter
Voiced by Tom Everett Scott
Originally from the 25th century, Carter was a night watchman at the Space Museum, an institution dedicated to the history of space exploration and the exploits of the costumed superheroes of the 20th and 21st centuries. Inspired by the displays, Carter decided that this was the era he was meant to live in, and he stole a variety of super-powered weapons from the exhibits and used a time machine to travel back to the present day, where he adopted the identity of Booster Gold.
Establishing Goldstar, Inc. as a way to cash in on his fame, Booster Gold, along with his robot sidekick Skeets, fights crime while making money on the side through commercial endorsements, much to the distain of his comrades in the Justice League. However, while considered a hero in 2004, he is now a wanted criminal in 2462 for his theft of the museum exhibits.
Andrea Romano on Tom Everett Scott voicing Booster Gold: "It was his first voiceover gig and he was charming; he absolutely made that character fly. He felt a little bit insecure when he first started and then, as we worked through it and he saw how much fun everybody was having at rehearsal, he just fell into it (courtesy of [website name removed])."
Stan Berkowitz on Booster Gold: “The concept was [Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, a 1967 play where the events of Hamlet unfold before the eyes of two minor characters]. With all this big stuff going on, here's a guy who's involved in a small part of it and not very happy about his lot in life (courtesy of [website name removed]).”
Real
Name: B'wana Beast / Michael Payson Maxwell
Voiced by Peter Onorati
When his plane went down onto Mount Kilimanjaro, game warden Mike Maxwell sought refuge from the elements in a nearby cave. After drinking the rainwater that had filtered through the cavern's mineral-laden walls, Maxwell's body grew to superhuman proportions, which aided him in subduing a giant red ape who made his home in the cave. Accepting the human as his master, the red ape, named Djuba, retrieved an ancient helmet that, when worn by Maxwell, allowed him to read and control the minds of animals, as well as combine beasts of two species into larger, mutant creatures with the best attributes of both.
Choosing to utilize his powers for the good of Africa, Mike Maxwell adopted the identity of the B'wana Beast to protect his adopted continent.
Real
Name: Captain Atom / Captain Nathaniel Adams
Voiced by George Eads ("Initiation") and by Chris Cox
In 1968, Air Force Captain Nathaniel Adam was wrongly convicted of treason and, when threatened with execution, chose instead to volunteer to be the guinea pig for the Captain Atom Project, a potentially dangerous venture headed by General Wade Eiling and designed study quantum physics using alien technology. During the test, Adam was bonded to an alien metal called the Silver Shield and appeared to be disintegrated, but was instead thrown decades into the future. Recovered by Eiling in the present day, the newly-christened Captain Atom was manipulated into becoming a covert government operative, ordered to infiltrate the superhero community and keep tabs on them for his government. Given a false history by his superiors, Captain Atom is torn between his colleagues and his obligation to his country.
Powered by the living metal alloy that coats his body, Captain Atom can processes unlimited quantities of atomic power, which he can channel into super-strength, energy blasts, flight, and even the manipulation of matter itself.
Cartoon Network on Captain Atom: “A former soldier, Captain Atom was given powers in a nuclear accident. Now he uses his military training, by-the-book attitude, and radioactive might to help the JLU battle evil on a global scale (courtesy of Cartoon Network).”
Bruce Timm on George Eads: "Basically, he felt it wasn't worth his time to come in and record three lines of dialogue [for 'The Greatest Story Never Told'...] Mr. Eads won't be back as Captain Atom (courtesy of Toon Zone)."
According to information from "Initiation," this version of Captain Atom is not a life form fused with alien metal, but a man who was transformed into an energy field and must wear a containment suit to house his energies, taking influences from Wildfire (a member of the Legion of Superheroes), Firestorm, the Nuclear Man; and even the energy-based Superman from the mid-1990s. Based on this knowledge, perhaps his containment suit is made of Diulustel, the light-weight metal that the Silver Age Captain Atom wore to contain his radioactivity.
Real Name: The Creeper / Jack Ryder
Voiced historically by Jeff Glen Bennett
For more information, see The Creeper entry.
Real
Name: The Crimson Avenger / Lee Travis
Voiced by ???
Owner of the New York City newspaper, The Daily Globe-Leader, Lee Travis adopted the identity of the Crimson Avenger first to avenge the life of a friend, but decided to fight on as a superhero.
Considered to be the first costumed hero published by DC Comics, the Crimson Avenger was probably included as a League member as a tribute to the one hero who started it all.
Real Name: Crimson Fox / Vivian D'Aramis and Constance D'Aramis
Voiced by ???
Very few people know that the French hero known as the Crimson Fox is, in actuality, an identity shared by twin sisters Vivian and Constance D'Aramis. Both possessing natural agility and tempered steel claws, the sisters take turns with their costumed identity, allowing each the luxury to pursue other interests while secure in the knowledge that the streets are protected by their sibling.
Real
Name: Dr. Fate / Kent Nelson
Voiced by Oded Fehr
For more information, see the Dr. Fate entry.
Real
Name: Dr. Light / Kimiyo Hoshi
Voiced by Lauren Tom
During an observation of Vega, a giant red dwarf star in our galaxy, Japanese scientist Kimiyo Hoshi was shocked to see a bolt of energy erupt from the star, and watched transfixed as it shot across space, through a wormhole, and struck her in her laboratory. Transformed by the accident, Hoshi now has the ability manipulate light in all of its wavelengths, and is capable of utilizing it in any form, from simple illumination to focused energy beams.
Dwayne McDuffie on Dr. Light: "I'd like to give Dr. Light some more screen time; I like her design (courtesy of Comic Buyers Guide Magazine)."
Real
Name: Dr. Mid-Nite / Dr. Charles McNider
Voiced by ???
His eyes damaged in an accident, physician Charles McNider soon discovered that, while blinded by light, he was now able to see in total darkness. Adopting the identity of Dr. Mid-Nite, McNider used his blackout bombs (smoke bombs that released a pitch-black smoke that only he could see through) and infrared goggles (which allowed him to see in daylight) to fight crime.
Real
Name: Dove / Donald Hall
Voiced by Jason Hervey
For more information, see the Hawk and Dove entry.
Real
Name: Elongated Man / Ralph Dibny
Voiced by Jeremy Piven
Fascinated by sideshow acts featuring rubber men, Ralph Dibny discovered through investigation that each one he met also happened to drink a soft drink called Gingold, which contained the juice of a rare tropical fruit from Yucatan. Distilling an unknown chemical from the fruit, Dibny drank a large portion of it and discovered, to his delight, that he gained superhuman stretching powers. Initially using his powers to become a celebrity, Ralph Dibny eventually decided to use his detective skills and elastic powers to fight crime and solve mysteries as the Elongated Man.
Brad Meltzer on Elongated Man: "So underestimated, it's not even funny. I'll go on record and say it: I do not think Plastic Man should have ever been in the Justice League [...] people think [that] they're interchangeable, but they're not. Ralph [Dibny] isn't this comedic character—he's a detective second only to Batman. And he and [wife] Sue make on of the best teams since Batman and Robin pulled out their magnifying glasses (courtesy of Wizard Magazine)."
Bruce Timm on Sue Dibny: "I don't know; we weren't really planning on using Sue Dibny anyways. She's a little extra crispy now [following the events of 2004's Identity Crisis miniseries] (courtesy of [website name removed])."
Real Name: Etrigan
Voiced by Michael T. Weiss
For more information, see the Jason Blood and Etrigan the Demon entry.
Real
Name: Fire / Beatriz Bonilla DaCosta
Voiced by Maria Canals
Caught in the explosion of an experimental organic energy source called pyroplasm, Brazilian government operative Beatriz DaCosta discovered that she was now able to generate and manipulate a strange green flame-like substance. Now a member of the Justice League on behalf of her country, the newly-christened Fire is easily adjusting to the superhero lifestyle, whether she's fighting aliens or partying with her friend Ice.
In the above image Fire is in her ignited form, where the pyroplasm has engulfed her body (much like the Human Torch from Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four). For an image of Beatriz DaCosta in her natural form, click here.
Real
Name: The Flash / Wally West
Voiced by Michael Rosenbaum
For more information, see The Flash entry.
Real Name: Green Arrow / Oliver Queen
Voiced by Kin Shriner
For more information, see the Green Arrow entry.
Real Name: Green Lantern / John Stewart
Voiced by Phil LaMarr
For more information, see John Stewart's Green Lantern entry.
Real
Name: Gypsy / Cindy Reynolds
Voiced by ???
Possessing intangibility and the ability to blend into any background like a chameleon, Gypsy initially used her abilities to fend for herself on the streets of Detroit. However, now she uses her power to serve the Justice League.
Real Name: Hawk / Hank Hall
Voiced by Fred Savage
For more information, see the Hawk and Dove entry.
Real Name: Hourman / Rex Tyler
Voiced by ???
Working as a chemist, Rex Tyler discovered a chemical compound that imbued humans with superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and resistance to injury for exactly one hour. Naming his discovery Miraclo and turning it into pill form, Tyler became the costumed adventurer known as Hourman.
Real Name: Ice / Tora Olafsdotter
Voiced by ???
A native of Scandinavia, Tora Olafsdotter chose to utilize her ability to manipulate ice and snow to become the superhero known as Ice.
Real Name: Jason Blood
Voiced by Michael T. Weiss
For more information, see the Jason Blood and Etrigan the Demon entry.
Real Name: Johnny Thunder
Voiced by ???
The seventh son of a seventh son born on the year, hour, and minute of seven; Johnny Thunder is one of the few people on Earth who is capable of commanding Thunderbolt, a fifth-dimensional imp imprisoned in an ink pen. Whenever Johnny Thunder utters the magical phrase "Cei-U" (pronounced "say you"), he is able to call forth his genie, who obeys his commands and whose powers are virtually limitless. Partners until the end, both Johnny and Thunderbolt operate as crimefighters and adventurers the world over.
Real
Name: J'onn J'onzz
Voiced by Carl Lumbly
For more information, see the J’onn J’onzz—The Martian Manhunter entry.
Real
Name: Metamorpho
/ Rex Mason
Voiced by Tom Sizemore
For more information, see the Metamorpho entry.
Real Name: Mr. Terrific / Michael Holt
Voiced by Michael Beach
Incredibly successful in all his ventures, Michael Holt was an Olympic decathlon winner and independently wealthy from selling his cybernetics company to Wayne Enterprises. However, his lucky streak met an end when his wife was killed in an automobile accident. Wracked with grief and near suicide, Holt was inspired by the Spectre to take on the identity of Mr. Terrific, a mystery man who operated in the 1940s. Adopting the costumed identity and the motto "Fair Play," Holt now tries to make the world better, both locally in inner city neighborhoods and globally with the Justice League.
Real Name: Nemesis / Tom Tresser
Voiced by ???
As children both Tom Tresser and his brother, Craig, idolized Ben Marshall, a friend of their father and a field agent for a military organization. Following their father's death they both asked Marshall if they could work for his bureau, which he agreed to, putting both of them through intensive training. In the end, Craig became a field agent like Marshall, while Tom was assigned to develop weaponry due to his technological talent.
Sent to infiltrate an international criminal organization known as the Council, Craig was discovered and brainwashed by the organization's doctors into assassinating Ben Marshall, after which Craig himself was killed by another agent. Seeking to avenge his mentor and his brother, Tom took on the identity of Nemesis and now fights the Council and its influence.
Real Name: Obsidian / Todd James Rice
Voiced by ???
Raised in an abusive foster home, Todd James Rice resolved to not let it affect him, especially when he discovered that he possessed the mutant ability to merge with his own shadow, enabling him to transform into a three-dimensional shadow capable of passing through walls or people. However, his connection to the shadow realm from which he derives his powers from has the potential to draw out his darker impulses, which he must continually strive to balance as a member of the Justice League.
It is unknown how much of Obsidian's comic book background will be used on Justice League Unlimited as, in the comics, his biological father was Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern, and he also had a twin sister who eventually became the superhero Jade, who possessed powers similar to a Green Lantern. While it is possible that Alan Scott was a Green Lantern before John Stewart, thus retroactively defining Scott as a member of the Corps as opposed to being a Lantern unrelated to the organization (his powers derived from a ring unrelated to the Corps), it is unknown how or even if these will be addressed.
Real Name: Orion
Voiced by Ron Perlman
The son of Darkseid and Tigra, Orion was traded to Highfather in exchange for his own son as part of the peace agreement that ended their war. Inheriting his father’s savagery, Highfather’s guidance provided a necessary balance to his nature, which helped him to calm his darker inclinations. Still, his anger exists.
Possessing superhuman strength and the Astro-Glider—a battle harness that provides weaponry and allows him to travel at great speed—Orion has vowed to destroy his father and end his evil forever.
Walter Simonson on Orion: "It's definitely a case where nature won out over nurture; the only upside is that Orion would be a damn sight worse if he'd grown up on Apokolips. He's far better adjusted than he would've been if he'd been raised as his father's son (courtesy of Wizard Magazine)."
Real Name: Plastic Man / Patrick "Eel" O'Brian
Voiced by ---
A small-time criminal with a troubled past, "Eel" O'Brian's life changed for the better following an accident during a robbery of the Crawford Chemical Works. Knocked into a vat of unknown chemicals after being shot by a guard, these chemicals seeped into his wound, transforming his body into an inorganic plastic polymer. Fleeing the scene, O'Brian was taken in by monks from a monastic retreat called Rest Haven, whose kindness and generosity motivated the criminal to give up his wicked ways. Utilizing his new powers to capture the thieves who abandoned him at the chemical plant, O'Brian decided to become the crimefighting hero now known as Plastic Man.
Not truly a stretching hero as Elongated Man is, Plastic Man is more of a shape-shifter in the tradition of Clayface or J'onn J'onzz, as his body has been transformed into something that is more than human. Now an entity made of malleable plastic, O'Brian has absolute control over his physical form, allowing him to do simple tricks, such as stretch his limbs, or complex ones, such as compress to paper thinness or alter his shape to mimic any object. However, as a side effect of his power, Plastic Man now sees the world through altered eyes as well, providing him a distorted, "cartoony" outlook that only serves to exacerbate his playful demeanor. Although best known for his practical jokes and his cartoon character-like personality, the Justice League still recognizes that Plastic Man is a consummate professional...even when he disguises himself as a whoopee cushion in Batman's seat or morphs into a chair in order to spy on Wonder Woman while she's changing.
Grant Morrison on Plastic Man (circa 1997): "I [wanted] to use Plastic Man because he's a guy who doesn't have his own book, but he's one of those superheroes where even people who don't read comics know the name and recognize him. [Since longtime Justice League readers] are definitely used to the Elongated Man, I thought, 'Well, let's get the real guy in.' He's going to be goofy, but hopefully we're going to try and make it work, so he doesn't just take over the whole thing as a joke [...] There's always this kind of figure in every pantheon of every nation, in every country in the world—someone who punctures the pomposity and makes the jokes and does the crazy things. [Plastic Man] comes in there as the trickster [character in the JLA pantheon].
"The way I [wrote] Plastic Man is just to do him as Jim Carrey doing Ace Ventura. So the guy is constantly hyper. He's on a sugar-high constantly and he's just a real pain in the neck, but he gets the job done (courtesy of Wizard Magazine)."
Grant Morrison on Plastic Man (circa 1998): "I knew Plastic Man could work in the JLA; he fits in and I love writing him. He allows me to add a few pointed comments every so often, because he can get away with saying what everyone else is thinking, but no one wants to say. Also, his powers are so outrageous. He can do all these ridiculous things [...] He's a comedian [and] he can kind of play up the stupid moments, say things that are outrageous. I can go to him in the middle of the real big cosmic stuff and just kind of puncture it with a butt joke (courtesy of Wizard Magazine)."
Dwayne McDuffie on Plastic Man:
“No Plastic
While his name was mentioned in passing in "The Greatest Story Never Told," it is currently unknown if Plastic Man will make a full appearance on Justice League Unlimited, as his rights are presumably tied up in a potential film by the Wachowski brothers (filmmakers responsible for the Matrix Trilogy) and a recently-announced potential animated series.
Real Name: The Question / Vic Sage
Voiced by Jeffery Combs
For more information, see The Question entry.
Real Name: The Ray / Ray Terrill
Voiced by ???
The son of the original Ray, Ray Terrill possesses the ability to transform himself into a being of pure energy when exposed to light. Possessing the ability to absorb and process light, heat, and electricity into powerful beams of energy, the Ray uses his abilities in service to the Justice League.
Real Name: Red Tornado
Voiced by ???
An android created by the villainous T.O. Morrow, Red Tornado was built to infiltrate the Justice League, but this artificial intelligence eventually rebelled against its master and chose to use its wind-based powers in the League's service instead.
Seemingly destroyed in "The Return" by AMAZO, Red Tornado has been apparently rebuilt by the League or by Morrow, as the android returned in "Dark Heart."
Real Name: Rocket Red / Dmitri Pushkin
Voiced by ???
A former Russian agent, Dmitri Pushkin volunteered to become the pilot of the Rocket Red battle armor. Originally intended to become part of a brigade of armored warriors, Rocket Red serves as a solo operative, using his cybernetically-enhanced strength, energy nets, plasma cannons, and the ability to control electric devices in the service of both his country and the world.
Real Name: Sand / Sanderson "Sandy" Hawkins
Voiced by ???
The ward of Wesley Dodds, a superhero known as the Sandman, Hawkins fought alongside his mentor as Sandy, the Golden Boy. Now heir to Dodd's fortune and arsenal, Hawkins continues to fight crime as the superhero Sand, but is now plagued by the same prophetic dreams that haunted his mentor; dreams that foretell horrific events, which Hawkins must then attempt to prevent from happening. In addition, Hawkins also possesses a body made of silicon following a scientific experiment gone awry.
Real
Name: Shayera Hol
Voiced by Maria Canals
For more information, see the Shayera Hol entry.
Real Name: The Shining Knight / Sir Justin / Justin Arthur
Voiced by ???
A knight from King Arthur's court, Sir Justin and his horse, Winged Victory, were buried in an avalanche during a battle with an ogre, which froze them into a state of suspended animation. Thawed out in the present day, Sir Justin decided to fight injustice in his new time period as the Shining Knight.
Real Name: Stargirl / Courtney Whitmore
Voiced by Giselle Loren
Upon discovering that her new step-father was Stripesy, sidekick of the original Star-Spangled Kid, Courtney Whitmore originally decided to become the new Star-Spangled Kid to annoy him, but soon discovered that she rather enjoyed being a superhero. Now partnered with the armored S.T.R.I.P.E. (who is actually her step-father), Stargirl utilizes her cosmic converter belt to fly and to imbue her with enhanced strength.
Dwayne McDuffie on Stargirl: “Stargirl isn’t a member [of the Justice League, but] her dad is (courtesy of DwayneMcDuffie.com).”
Real Name: Starman / Gavyn, Prince of Throneworld
Voiced by ???
A prince of the planet Kranaltine—the Throneworld of the Crown Imperial—Gavyn poised to take the throne following the death of Emperor Rilsom XVIII. However, his sister, Clryssa, betrayed him to get the throne herself, and left him in deep space to die. However, he was saved by an entity known as M'ntorr who, realizing that Gavyn possessed unusual latent abilities, offered to teach the prince how to use these powers to their full potential. Now, as Starman, Prince Gavyn seeks to free Throneworld from the influence of her sister.
The above is based upon the character history as written by James Robinson, who revised the character's history for his Starman series. In the original story Clryssa was the rightful heir to the throne of Throneworld, but Gavyn was thrown out into the vacuum of space, as it was customary to kill heirs not chosen as to prevent dissention and civil war. After becoming Starman, he protected his sister's reign, and eventually assumed power after her death. It is currently unknown which, if either, origin will be used, but one thing is certain: Prince Gavyn's presence on Earth and in the Justice League must place him some time before returning to Throneworld and becoming Emperor.
Real
Name: Steel / Hank Heywood III
Voiced by ???
Grandson of Commander Steel, a superhero from the 1940s, Hank Heywood III was subjected by his grandfather to a series of painful operations designed to artificially grant him the abilities of the former hero. His bones replaced by a titanium / steel alloy, his muscles replaced by servo-mechanisms, his skin replaced by a subdermal plastisteel mesh—Hank was now more metal than flesh. Taking the identity of Steel at the urging of his grandfather, Hank is now a member of the Justice League.
Real Name: Steel / John Henry Irons
Voiced by Phil LaMarr
Originally a scientist working for LexCorp, John Henry Irons resigned following a disagreement with Luthor regarding the use of his prototype Series Alpha Police Battle Suit. Working independently in his private lab, Irons created an updated version of the battle suit, free of the bugs that plagued the first model. Forced to don his new armor to save Superman from Metallo, he adopted the identity of Steel and made short work of the kryptonite-powered cyborg. While still pursuing his research, Irons finds time to fight injustice as Steel both solo and with the Justice League.
Bruce Timm on Michael Dorn’s absence: “The only reason we didn’t have Michael [Dorn back as Steel] was purely budgetary. We have a ceiling on how many actors we can use per episode, and [we] maxed-out on ‘The Return.’ With episodes that require extra-large casts, we’re often forced to have our actors play multiple parts (SAG rules allow us to have each actor voice up to three different characters per episode), [which is] just one of the many reasons why people like Phil LaMarr and Jennifer Hale are worth their weight in gold (courtesy of Toon Zone).”
Real Name: S.T.R.I.P.E. / Pat Dugan
Voiced by ???
Following the debut of her step-daughter as the new Stargirl, Pat Dugan reluctantly created an eight-foot tall robotic suit with which to keep tabs on her. Now her partner, S.T.R.I.P.E. tries to persuade his step-daughter to give up the superhero lifestyle, but even he has to admit to himself that her skills are improving.
Real Name: Supergirl / Kara Kent / Kara In-Ze
Voiced by Nicholle Tom
For more information, see the Supergirl entry.
Real Name: Superman / Clark Kent / Kal-El
Voiced by George Newburn
For more information, see the Superman entry.
Real Name: Thunderbolt / Yz
Voiced by ???
An imp from the fifth dimension—the same locality that Mr. Mxyzptlk calls home—the being whose description is Yz found himself trapped in an ink pen possessed by a Badhnisian High Priest. Eventually finding its way into Johnny Thunder's possession, Yz adopted the identity of Thunderbolt and put his near-limitless, interdimensional powers into the service of his new master.
Grant Morrison on Thunderbolt (circa 1998): "Johnny Thunder's Thunderbolt is actually a trapped fifth dimensional imp, which is why [his] powers are controlled by magic words [...] like Mr. Mxyzptlk. Mr. Mxyzptlk is an imp who's controlled by words—words send him back home. Thunderbolt [is] controlled by the little text 'Say you,' so the two were connected, and that's where I got the idea of making [Thunderbolt] from the fifth dimension (courtesy of Wizard Magazine)."
Real Name: Vibe / Paco Ramone
Voiced by ???
The leader of the Detroit street gang Los Lobos, Paco Ramone chose to keep his mutant power—the ability to generate sonic shock waves—a secret, both from his peers and from others. However, following an encounter with Justice League that revealed his powers to the world, he accepted their offer to join the team.
Real Name: Vigilante / Greg Sanders
Voiced by Michael Rosenbaum ("Task Force X") and by Nathan Fillion ("Hunter's Moon")
A country singer known as the "Prairie Troubadour," Greg Sanders moonlights as Vigilante, a crimefighter who patterns his activities after the vigilantes of the Old West.
Bruce Timm on casting Nathon Fillon: “We used ‘type-casting shorthand’ on Nathan [Fillon], casting him as Vigilante based on his performance as Mal Reynolds on Firefly (courtesy of Toon Zone).”
Real Name: Vixen / Mari Jiwe McCabe
Voiced by Gina Torres
A professional model and superhero, this African native possesses the Tantu Totem, which allows her mimic the abilities of any jungle animal that she chooses.
Real Name: Waverider / Matthew Ryder
Voiced by ???
A refugee from a future timeline ruled by the dictator known as Monarch, Ryder traveled back in time to the present day in order to eliminate the man who would become the future tyrant. However, Ryder was transformed by energies unleashed from his trip into a being comprised of energy tachyons and possessing a myriad of abilities, such as the power to move effortlessly through the time stream, to take any form, and to "see" a person's future just by touching him or her. Armed with the knowledge that Monarch was once one of Earth's heroes, Ryder assumed the identity of Waverider and infiltrated the Justice League, hoping to stop the ascension of the future dictator before it begins.
His mere presence in Justice League Unlimited a hints at grander plans to come, it appears that the creative team may be considering adapting the Armageddon 2001 story arc, in which Waverider traveled into the past and sought to uncover the identity of the future Monarch. While it is unknown if or when this story will play out, it does appear that Waverider is already sizing up his fellow teammates—trying to figure out if any of them may be Monarch—if the sideways glance he gave Atom Smasher in "Initiation" is any indication.
While in the comics it was Hawk who was eventually revealed to be Monarch—a revelation that is widely considered to be one of the most anti-climactic endings in comics—this may not be the case on Justice League. Another strong candidate is Captain Atom who, legend has it, was DC Comics' original choice to turn traitor, but was changed at the last minute when the news leaked out to comics fans...but given the creative team's knack for the unexpected, it could literally be anyone.
Dwayne McDuffie on Waverider and the potential for an Armageddon 2000 adaptation: "Big fat red herring; somebody liked his design and put him in the big group shot (in 'Initiation'). Later, I took advantage of his (and Hawk and Dove's) presence to misdirect hardcore fans into thinking we might be building up to the Armageddon 2000 storyline from the comics. Better they thought that than guess where we were really going (courtesy of Comic Buyers Guide Magazine)."
Real Name: Wildcat / Ted Grant
Voiced by Dennis Farina
A professional boxer, Ted Grant became the costumed adventurer Wildcat in order to clear his name when he was framed for murdering another boxer in the ring. Possessing formidable fighting skills—as well as nine lives, an power he received under as-yet-undetermined circumstances—Wildcat is also an excellent teacher, having trained Batman, Black Canary, and Catwoman in hand-to-hand combat.
Real Name: Wonder Woman / Diana, Princess of Themyscira
Voiced by Susan Eisenberg
For more information, see the Wonder Woman entry.
Real Name: Zatanna / Zatanna Zatara
Voiced by Jennifer Hale
For more information, see the Zatanna entry.
Images courtesy of Wizard Universe, Bird Boy, The World's Finest, Toon Zone, Toonami Digital Arsenal, the New Batman / Superman Adventures Homepage, Cartoon Network, DC Comics, Wizard Magazine, Mile High Comics, and Toy News International.
