Justice League Icon Founds DC's New Most Powerful Team, All Members and Powers

Published Oct 14, 2026, 8:30 PM EDT Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows. Sign in to your ScreenRant account While DC constantly introduces powerful Justice League teams, its new superhero squad is truly among the strongest coalition of superpowered characters to date. DC's first Justice League line-up was perfectly balanced from the start, with Batman's strategic intellect, Flash's unparalleled speed, and Aquaman's vast and frankly underrated control over Earth's oceans. Of course, the Justice League wouldn't be complete without its Kryptonian and Amazonian powerhouses, Superman and Wonder Woman; as well as its wildcard member, Martian Manhunter, who combines Superman's strength with telepathy and shapeshifting. Right from the beginning, the Justice League assembled some of DC's most powerful heroes and made them role models for all metahumans and vigilantes. Throughout the years, several iterations of the Justice League have increased the team's power. The Justice League One Million roster from the 853rd century features futuristic successors that include a sun-dipped, gold-clad Superman Prime, while the Dark Nights: Death Metal climax sees the League absorb anti-crisis energy to gain cosmic-tier upgrades capable of reshaping the DC multiverse. One of their most famous offshoots, the Justice League Dark, gathers mystical authorities like Doctor Fate, Zatanna, and Swamp Thing to fight eldritch entities that physical forces can't harm. One hero from the original Justice League line-up and one member from the Justice League Dark now become founding members of DC's latest iteration of the Justice League, perhaps the strongest of all time. Aquaman Joins The DC Universe's Avatars Emperor Aquaman #22; Written By Jeremy Adams; Art By John Timms & Rex Lokus As Emperor Aquaman faces one of the biggest threats in Atlantis history, Arthur Curry takes a detour to meet two characters on a similar level of power, Maxine Baker and Swamp Thing, the Avatar of the Red and the Avatar of the Green, respectively. Maxine and Swamp Thing summon Aquaman, the new Avatar of the Blue, on Mogo, the living planet known for being the largest member of the Green Lantern Corps. There, the three Avatars fight a living cancer who tries to take over Mogo, joining their three forces of nature to dilute the entity and heal the planet. Once they defeat Mogo's assailant, Maxine teases future shared threats, and Aquaman invites his new colleagues to return to Earth. However, they end up agreeing on parting ways and staying in contact. Aquaman seals the deal by telling Maxine, "I'm in," officially joining DC's first official team of Avatars. Of the three, Swamp Thing is the most experienced, Aquaman is the most powerful in direct combat, and Maxine seems to be the most clever, having taken over the role by tricking her dad, the original Animal Man, into stepping away so she could inherit his role. Metropolis · Daily Planet Edition SupermanTrivia Challenge 🌏OriginsLast son ☠VillainsKneel! ⚡PowersInvincible 🎥FilmsBelieve 💫LegacyHope UP, UP AND AWAY! → 01 Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet? AThanagar BKrypton CApokolips DOa ✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story. NEXT → 02 Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she? ADiana Prince BLana Lang CLois Lane DCat Grant ✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner. NEXT → 03 Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called? AKryptonite BVibranium CNth Metal DRed Sun Ore ✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness. NEXT → 04 In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor? AHenry Cavill BBrandon Routh CTom Welling DChristopher Reeve ✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman. NEXT → 05 Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he? ABrainiac BLex Luthor CDarkseid DDoomsday ✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror. NEXT → 06 After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up? AGotham City BMetropolis CSmallville, Kansas DCoast City ✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm. NEXT → 07 As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper? ADaily Planet BDaily Bugle CMetropolis Star DGotham Gazette ✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home. NEXT → 08 This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain? ABizarro BParasite CMetallo DGeneral Zod ✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013). ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories. REVEAL MY SCORE → Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record / 8 Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth? ↻ FLY AGAIN Emperor Aquaman's mastery over the Blue grants him complete power over the oceans, with planet-level hydrokinesis and control over every marine creature in existence. He can create constructs the size of the Earth and teleport himself across bodies of water. Meanwhile, Swamp Thing controls the Green, a vast psychic biosphere network that allows instantaneous plant creation, molecular regeneration, and near-godlike manipulation of all botanical life across the universe. Since Maxine Baker inherits the Red from Animal Man, she can tap into the physical traits of any living creature and summon their form as Green-Lantern-like constructs. DC's Justice League Of Avatars Have Six Other Potential Members Emperor Aquaman, Maxine Baker, And Swamp Thing May Be Joined By Other Avatars Soon The new Justice League of Avatars is powerful enough as it is, but there are at least six other candidates. Besides the Avatars of the Blue, Green, and Red, the DC Universe includes the Avatar of Fire from the Parliament of Flames, the Avatar of Earth from the Parliament of Stones, and the Avatar of Air from the Parliament of Vapors. Modern technological evolution opens a slot for Metal, while the fungal network of the Grey requires its own champion, and the micro-biological domain of the Divide gives single-celled life an active voice. Each Avatar possesses control over natural phenomena. The Avatar of Earth can manipulate a planet's tectonic plates, the Avatar of Air can strip away its atmosphere, and the Avatar of Fire can engulf it in flames. The Grey can alter biology across entire civilizations, and the Divide can infiltrate them to destroy them from within. Since Swamp Thing alone is nearly impossible to kill, DC world-killers like Doomsday and Brainiac must be easy opponents for the Justice League of Avatars. But just like Avatars can upgrade their power so effectively, their enemies enhance their power to match them. Do you like the idea of a Justice League of Avatars? Emperor Aquaman #22 is now available from DC Comics Aquaman, DC Comics’ King of Atlantis, is Arthur Curry—a half-human, half-Atlantean hero. Wielding a magical trident, he commands the oceans, communicates with sea life, and is an iconic member of the Justice League.