Warning: contains spoilers for Wonder Woman Evolution #1!
The Justice League have seen plenty of memorable events in their time, but one of the more controversial episodes might be revisited by DC quite soon. The strongest team in the DC Universe are no strangers to universe-ending catastrophes such as the ones seen in the various Crisis series (Crisis on Infinite Earths, Final Crisis, Infinite Frontier, etc). But in a world where both Superman and Wonder Woman lose their powers (along with all other heroes), what can the Justice League hope to achieve against...an Act of God?
JLA: Act of God was a 2001 miniseries in which a mysterious light strips all metahumans of their superpowers and special abilities, essentially turning them into regular humans. Exactly what caused the heroes to lose their powers is never explained, though the series heavily hints that the event was indeed an act of God, and the story is mostly concerned with how the superheroes adjust to life without powers. Most do not take the loss well: Green Lantern sequesters in his apartment, Superman gives up heroics to live on a farm, and Wonder Woman resorts to praying in a church instead of being a superhero sans powers (something she did perfectly well during the 70s).
In Wonder Woman: Evolution #1, Wonder Woman and Superman meet high atop a mountain. The two realize they haven't talked in awhile, and Wonder Woman realizes just how casually they've ascended to the peak when she remembers the pair encountered mountain climbers some time ago. "They were risking their lives for a view like this. And we stand here like it's nothing" says Wonder Woman. After Superman agrees and understands that the two have a responsibility to use their powers, he leaves to take care of another matter, leaving Wonder Woman alone.
There are plenty of aspects that fans loathed in Act of God; the heroes acted wildly out-of-character, the lack of powers were inconsistent (Martian Manhunter's powers are inherent to his species, and while Booster Gold still has his tech-based abilities, Green Lantern does not), but Superman entering into a relationship with Wonder Woman was the proverbial last straw. Writers occasionally see the two as a more ideal match than Clark and Lois, but the pairings almost always fall flat. This quiet conversation on the mountain, along with the subject matter of powers, suggest DC is once again ready to strip said powers away from their heroes.
It's important to note that plenty of stories have already been told in the DC universe about superheroes losing their powers and acting heroic regardless. But a planet-wide permanent loss of abilities hasn't been seen since Act of God. If the Justice League faces a similar threat, will they finally find out the exact reason why their powers have been taken away - and if so, will Superman and Wonder Woman realize that even without powers, they're not right for each other? Only subsequent issues will tell.