There’s no greater team in the DC Universe than the Justice League. They have the biggest collection of superhuman individuals that have safeguarded the Earth from some truly terrifying threats. But as iconic as the Justice League is, they’re far from the only ones who have used the name.
While the Justice League itself has gone through several bold changes and shake-ups, other teams have been inspired by their work and formed crews using the originals as role models. From futuristic riffs on the team to magic-based analogues, discover the top ten incarnations of DC’s premier superhero team.
10 Justice League Europe
The Justice League has always been the home DC’s biggest heroes, but what happens when the team gets too big? Splinter teams like Justice League Europe form. The team was unconventional and made up of heroes not often given the spotlight such as Metamorpho, Captain Atom, and Animal Man. The team was a bit more offbeat than usual incarnations of the Justice League, but they proved that they had the spirit of heroes when they stood up to the psychopathic villain group known as the Extremists.
9 Justice League 3000
The 31st century may not have had the original League, but they had the next best thing: Clones made from the DNA of the DCU’s finest warriors. Volunteers fused their DNA with samples of the League to become powerful heroes, though they struggled to live up to their predecessors. The biggest hurdle they had was dealing with the original League’s powers, such as the Flash whose body didn’t have the natural friction protection the Flash did. While they never achieved the same heights as the original League, they did their best to live up to the legacy of the Justice League.
8 Justice League Detroit
After the original League disbanded, the team was reformed under the guiding hand of Aquaman. Along with his previous teammate, Martian Manhunter, the new team was composed of mostly fresh faces such as Commander Steel, Vixen, and Vibe. This era only introduced new heroes to the League, but also gave a chance at leadership to the team’s biggest underdog, Martian Manhunter. While this particular era of the Justice League never reached the heights of its previous incarnation, it achieved the same goals and kept the DC Universe safe from devastating threats.
7 Justice Legion Alpha
If there was any doubt that the Justice League is inspirational, one only need to look to the 853rd century. Several milennia after the original team is gone, they inspired heroes who not only modeled themselves after the original lineup, but expanded the team in ways the League could only dream. Justice Legion Alpha is merely one part of an interstellar operation that has bases all across the Solar System all the way to Pluto. They may venerate the original team, but the modern-day League could only dream of doing a fraction of what the Legion is capable of.
6 Justice League of America
In the New 52, the formation of the Justice League made certain shadowy figures nervous and the only solution was to create a rival League. Defensive organization A.R.G.U.S helped create the Justice League of America under the impression that they were forming a team to protect the United States, when the team was actually formed to take down the originals. Each member was recruited as a counter to one specific Leaguer. And while they never completed that mission, it’s still undoubtedly a well-balanced team that could pose a problem to the Justice League if they really wanted.
5 Justice League of China
Speaking of rivals to the Justice League, other countries have tried forming their own counters to the largely American-based team. China’s Ministry of Self-Reliance financed their very own Justice League to protect their country from rising supervillain threats. The team was mostly composed of young adults who quickly learned that the Ministry didn’t have their best interests at heart and struck out on their own as a private defense force. Led by the Super-Man of China, the Justice League of China has grown from a military-backed operation to a genuine force for good.
4 Justice Incarnate
The Justice League may be the best fighting force for Earth, but there’s an entire multiverse that needs protection. And keeping it safe is Justice Incarnate, a team assembled from heroes all across the various DC worlds. Led by President Calvin Ellis, the Superman of Earth-23, the team features an amazingly diverse array of heroes such as the Aquawoman of Earth-11, the Thor-like Thunderer of Earth-7, and the comical, yet resilient Captain Carrot of Earth-26. From fighting the enigmatic Gentry to the dark forces of Perpetua, there is no threat too great for Justice Incarnate.
3 Justice League Dark
While the Justice League handles the biggest villains threatening the DC Universe, another team is working in the shadows stopping magical apocalypses on a regular basis. The magic-oriented team known as Justice League Dark is composed of heroes who know the arcane like the back of their hands. Zatanna, Detective Chimp, Deadman, and of course, the incorrigible John Constantine might not seem like the greatest heroes at first glance. But together, they are the go-to authorities when it comes to magic and have regularly stepped in to assist the League when they find themselves out of their depth when it comes to sinister sorcery.
2 Justice League (Founding Members)
One can’t discuss Justice Leagues and not include the original team. Traditionally composed of Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter, the founding League is the standard to which any other incarnation tries to aspire to. Not only is the team made up of some of the most powerful heroes in the DCU, their abilities and backgrounds are balanced to be a well-rounded legion of crime-fighters. Though the line-up has been altered a few times over the years thanks to some Crises and reboots, the founding Justice League is too iconic for anyone to forget.
1 Justice League International
They may have a reputation as the ‘joke’ Justice League, but there is no denying that Justice League International is one of the most beloved iterations of the team. While the team eschews most of the more popular League members, there is a powerful bond between this crew that’s stronger than any other version of the League. They squabble, they may goof off, they may even punch one another. But this motley bunch managed to do the impossible and create a team that rivals the original League in terms of love from fans.
As the gold standard of super-teams for the DC Universe, there's always going to be teams inspired by the League. But these ten are almost certainly going to go down as some of the best iterations of the Justice League.