The Justice League is widely considered to be one of the best superhero teams in the history of comics. The DC Comics powerhouse team has a massive roster of superheroes from different planets, backgrounds, and even universes.
Due to the large number of heroes that are members of the Justice League, it becomes easy for fans to forget or pay less attention to some of them in favor of the big names like Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman. There are still a lot of promising Justice League members that are underrated and hopefully get more opportunities to shine in television and movies or the comics in general.
Dr. Kimiyo Hoshi is a member of the Justice League who operates under the name, Doctor Light, not to be confused with the villain of the same name in the DC universe. This version of Doctor Light is an extremely dedicated scientist who first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 in 1985. Doctor Light can create hard light constructs, create force fields, and fly, among other abilities.
Despite having unique abilities and an interesting backstory, she is often pushed to the side and not given much time in the spotlight. Doctor Light has never starred in her own comics series, as she is usually used as a supporting character in comics and television, too.
Vixen (Mari McCabe)
Despite being a well-known character, Mari McCabe's Vixen doesn't get nearly the amount of credit that she deserves as a Justice League member. Vixen has a totem that grants her the ability to channel the powers of different animals, both living and extinct. The totem makes her very strong and capable of holding her own against several Justice League threats.
Many will recognize the Amaya Jiwe incarnation of Vixen from Legends of Tomorrow, whereas Mari's version appeared once in Arrow and on self-titled own animated series, Vixen, which was short-lived. Whether it's in the comics or more live-action content, Vixen should be given more to do in the future rather than just be present in large Justice League battles.
Booster Gold
Often portrayed as a selfish superhero from the future, Booster Gold is also known as a member of the Justice League, specifically the international team. He's been a Justice League member for quite some time, getting more time to shine in the comic book series, Generation Lost, which is perceived as one of the best Justice League comics in the 2010s.
Booster Gold uses future technology to make himself into a popular superhero in the 21st century, but many other League members dislike his arrogance. However, Booster Gold is underrated because he isn't shown as much in DC content for the number of fans who would love to see more of him. The character was recently introduced into The CW's Arrowverse, so with luck, the character will receive a fair amount of screen time in his supporting role.
Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
Ted Kord's Blue Beetle is an underrated Justice League member for different reasons than many other characters. Ted Kord was the predecessor for the much more popular Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes. Ted Kord's connection to the physical scarab is something that only DC Comics fans know about Blue Beetle, and hopefully, it gets explored in the upcoming film surrounding Reyes.
Kord is underrated because, in most of the recent continuities in shows like Young Justice or comics, he's already dead so that Reyes can take over the mantle. Jaime Reyes is a great character who deserves all of his shine, but it would be exciting to see more of Ted Kord as well.
The Flash (Avery Ho)
Avery Ho is one of the newest speedsters in DC Comics, first being introduced in DC Rebirth's The Flash #3, where she gains powers following a Speed Force Storm. Avery is one of the most powerful characters from Justice League Incarnate, along with being a member of Justice League China.
She's a witty, intelligent, and confident addition to The Flash Family who is starting to gain more traction among non-comic book readers as a version of the character recently appeared on The Flash, played by actress Piper Curda, despite not having powers. Although she hasn't appeared in too much DC-related content just yet, there's faith that she'll soon move out of the underrated Justice League member category in due time.
The Question
One of the Justice League's best detectives is The Question, a conspiracy theorist whose brain is always running different possibilities. He was one of the most popular characters in 2004's Justice League Unlimited but has appeared very little elsewhere since then.
The Question is a great fighter who often resorts to using his intelligence first to solve his issues. Despite being looked at strangely by some other Justice League members due to his theories and distrust of others, The Question is still very underrated.
The Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is arguably the most mysterious character in all of DC Comics. He's a user of magic, illusions, and the mystical arts, thus making him a key member of Justice League Dark.
The Phantom Stranger is an immortal who can travel across space and time at will, something very few Justice League members can do. There is much unknown about his character on purpose, which is why a lot of casual comic book fans may not be aware of his existence, but he is a very powerful and under-the-radar superhero.
Green Lantern (Jessica Cruz)
Jessica Cruz is one of the newer Green Lanterns to be introduced to DC Comics, as she first appeared in The New 52 era of the DC universe. Like Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and other lanterns, Cruz is one of several Green Lanterns protecting sector 2814, which includes Earth.
Jessica Cruz's origin is darker than other lanterns, as she witnessed her friends get ruthlessly murdered before getting the ring. What makes her so unique compared to the rest of the corps is that she was forced to become Green Lantern and didn't willingly accept the responsibilities that came with it. There is a lot that DC can continue to do with Jessica Cruz in the future, and hopefully, they do because she offers the potential to tell a lot of new interesting Green Lantern stories that haven't been told yet. Thankfully, Jessica Cruz fans will get to see the character make her live-action debut as a main character in HBO Max's Green Lantern series that is currently in development.
Captain Atom
It's well-known that Captain Atom is one of the strongest members of the Justice League, but he is often forgotten in terms of the larger scope of DC Comics. Despite being one of the minor superheroes of the Justice League, Captain Atom is a great leader and voice of reason on the team. He has the power to harness nuclear energy, among other atomic superhuman abilities.
He often appears in DC animated content but has never appeared in live-action, even though he made his comics debut in 1987. It would be interesting to see how a character like Captain Atom would work in a starring role, but it is unlikely that happens any time soon.
Kong Kenan (Super-Man)
DC Comics made a great decision back in 2016 by bringing in Kong Kenan as the "Super-Man of China" in New Super-Man #1. After willingly undergoing an experiment that gave him all the abilities of Superman, Kong Kenan joined the Justice League of China and became a beloved figure. His relationships with his teammates, including Avery Ho, are a lot of fun to read in the comics because he makes mistakes and learns from them as he progresses towards being a great superhero.
Kong Kenan is underrated because he hasn't appeared outside of the comic books yet, and the writers gave him distinct differences that separate him from Superman. He isn't weak to magic like Superman, and if he doesn't focus on his qi, he can temporarily lose his powers. He's an enjoyable superhero with a lot of room to grow into something truly special in the future, as long as DC Comics continues to give him more of the spotlight.