Justice League May Have Found a Way to Tackle the DC Universe's Top Weakness

Warning: Spoilers for Justice League Unlimited #3Superman's powers make him an invaluable asset to the Justice League, but he can also be their biggest problem due to his own weaknesses. For all his strengths, Superman is not invincible, as evidenced by his vulnerability to Kryptonite and magic. Thankfully, the Justice League has finally found a way to solve this problem and make it so that Superman no longer holds the team back.

In Justice League Unlimited #3 by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, and Ariana Maher, a strike team of Justice League powerhouses is deployed by Red Tornado to put out a fire that's ravaging the Amazon rainforest. However, as Superman attempts to interact with the pillars that are creating the flames, he gets burnt and realizes he won't be of use to the mission.

As it turns out, the fire is magical, and magic is one of Superman's key weaknesses. In past eras, losing Superman in the middle of an operation would derail the Justice League's efforts, but the team's revamped format allows for reinforcements.

The Justice League's New Structure Gives Superman the Support He Needs

If Superman Gets Weakened, His Allies Can Send Reinforcements

As a Kryptonian, Superman boasts impressive powers and enhanced durability that grants him immunity to many standard attacks. Unfortunately, his alien biology also has a critical drawback in the form of his innate vulnerability to magic. He is incapable of harnessing magic himself and is susceptible to extra damage from it, so Inferno's mystical flames have a similar effect on him to Kryptonite. A problem then arises: since Superman is one of the Justice League's most powerful heroes, his powerlessness to help leaves the team without a crucial member. Luckily, the Justice League is now prepared for situations like this.

As soon as Superman announces that he can't do anything to contain the fires, rather than calling off the mission to regroup, Wonder Woman asks Red Tornado if he can call in sorcerers to come to their aid. Within seconds, magic users Zatanna, Xanthe Zhou, and Doctor Occult arrive on the scene via Boom Tube teleportation. Red Tornado then provides other options, including the Metal Men. Superman suddenly shifting his focus to helping survivors doesn't interfere with the team's operation at all, because the Justice League can simply call in more allies to replace him at a moment's notice.

The Justice League's Former Selectivity Was Its Greatest Downside

By Limiting Its Roster, DC's Heroes Were Backed Into Corners

As one of DC's most powerful characters, Superman has been known to stand strong against many threats that come his way. Therefore, when Superman does manage to be defeated, that means the Justice League is in real danger. The Justice League's teams historically haven't been huge, consisting of a few key players with a few deviations from the norm here and there. For the most part, though, the team has had a limited supply of heroes. Red Tornado's strategy of replacing those who are knocked down becomes impossible with a smaller roster, so Superman being inhibited spells trouble for most Justice League line-ups.

An iconic story that brings down Superman along with the Justice League is JLA: Tower of Babel by Mark Waid and artist Howard Porter, in which Ra's al Ghul steals Batman's contingency plans for his allies and uses them to his advantage. Superman gets exposed to Red Kryptonite, and it causes his skin to become translucent due to its transformative properties. With Superman down, the rest of the Justice League falls as well, with no reinforcements to back them up. If this situation had occurred now, however, the Justice League would have no shortage of heroes to send in his place.

Thanks to the Justice League's Unlimited Roster, DC's Heroes Always Have Back-Up

The Justice League Can Now Call In More Superheroes At Any Time

Superman's weakness against magic doesn't pose a huge problem to the Justice League now that DC's sorcerers can swoop in to take over when he proves insufficient for the task at hand, and the same can be said for all Justice League members. If one hero encounters an obstacle that they cannot conquer on their own, more can be deployed in the blink of an eye to come to their aid. The Justice League's new era unites the hero community for the purpose of supporting each other, especially when a teammate like Superman hits a roadblock.

Justice League Unlimited #3 is available now from DC Comics.

Superman

Alias

Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent

Created By

Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel

Franchise

D.C.

Race

Kryptonian

First Appearance

Action Comics

Alliance

Justice League, Superman Family

The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.

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