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Strongest DC Heroes Who Have Never Joined The Justice League

Published

3 days ago

January 2, 2025

Christoph Rediske

Summary

Table of Contents

Jason Todd has never been invited to join the Justice League, possibly due to his aggressive nature as Red Hood.
Rip Hunter has too many responsibilities leading the Time Masters to join the Justice League.
Superboy, Conner Kent, possesses the powers of a Kryptonian and may join the Justice League when he’s older.

The Justice League is the premier superhero team in DC Comics. Many young heroes and vigilantes dream of becoming members one day, and most superheroes eventually become members. Despite its popularity and standing in the superhero world, some powerful heroes have yet to join the Justice League.

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Not only have some heroes not had the chance to join yet, but a select few heroes have turned down membership in the Justice League for personal reasons. This list will look at the strongest heroes who have never joined the Justice League and why they would be beneficial members.

10

Jason Todd

The Second Robin

First Appearance – Batman #401 (1986)
Creator – Gerry Conway
Real Name – Jason Peter Todd

From one of the most hated to most beloved characters in all of DC Comics, Jason Todd is one of the most important members of the Batfamily. Whether as Robin or Red Hood, Jason has been a key player in the fight against crime in Gotham and across the globe.

With his accolades, surprisingly, Jason has never been invited or requested to join the Justice League. Of course, his more aggressive and lethal actions during his early time as Red Hood could be a reason for his absence from the League. Jason now deserves to stand beside fellow former Robins and Batman as a member of the Justice League.

9

Rip Hunter

The Leader Of The Time Masters

First Appearance – Booster Gold #13 (1987)
Creator – Jack Miller
Real Name – Unknown

As Leader of the Time Masters and guardian of the Timestream, Rip Hunter is a key hero in the DC Universe, keeping the timeline stable and protecting it from any evil wrong-doing. Having a member like Rip Hunter in the Justice League could be very beneficial should any time-related incidents take place.

However, with such large responsibilities as taking care of the entire Timestream and leading the Time Masters, Rip Hunter ironically doesn’t have enough time to be a part of any other teams, let alone the massive commitment that is the Justice League.

Rip has been known to help out the League with any time-related issues.

8

Negative Man

Mummy Face

First Appearance – My Greatest Adventure #80 (1963)
Creator – Arnold Drake
Real Name – Lawrence Michael Trainor

Former Air Force pilot, Larry Trainor, was test-piloting a suborbital fighter jet when the guidance system broke down, sending Larry spiraling into deadly radiation. Upon crash landing on Earth, Larry discovered he was emitting deadly radiation — and was host to the Negative Spirit.

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The Negative Spirit (Mercurius) is as powerful as a Green Lantern ring and can process information nearly as fast as a speedster. Larry can also produce radiation, absorb energy, fly, density shift, and create projectiles from black electrical energy. Despite being a powerful Hero, Larry chooses to stay with his friends as a member of Doom Patrol, but he would surely make for a great League member.

7

Static

The Protector Of Dakota City

First Appearance – Static #1 (1993)
Creator – Dwayne McDuffe
Real Name – Virgil Ovid Hawkins

Although Static has yet to appear with any value in current mainline DC events and storylines, he has become a fan favorite in recent years for his outgoing personality and cool style. Static has very similar powers to Black Lightning, with him even becoming Black Lightning’s protégé in some media.

Static has yet to join the Justice League, mainly due to his age and inexperience. When he is ready, his powers, especially his control over the full Electro Magnetic powers, will make him a valuable member of the League.

6

Mary Marvel

Lady Shazam

First Appearance – Justice League Vol 2, #48 (2012)
Creator – Otto Binder
Real Name – Mary Bromfield

Mary Marvel became one of the Seven Champions of Magic after Billy Batson (Shazam/Captain Marvel) gave her superpowers. Mary has similar powers to Shazam but with a slight twist. After sacrificing her powers, Mary was regifted powers with the Agility of Selene, the Strength of Hippolyta, the Stamina of Artemis, the Flight of Zephyrus, the Invulnerability of Aurora, and the Wisdom of Minerve.

With Shazam playing a crucial role in the Justice League as a heavy hitter, it only seems right for the League to recruit Mary Marvel as well. Given that Mary was inducted into the Justice Incarnate, a sort of Justice League for Multiversal threats, it only seems fair that she gets to join the mainline Justice League.

5

Green Lantern (Sojourner Mullein)

The Green Lantern Of The Far Sector

First Appearance – Far Sector #1
Creator – N.K. Jemisin
Real Name – Sojourner “Jo” Mullein

Sojourner Mullein is a former soldier and police officer who was recruited into the Green Lantern Corp by a Guardian of the Universe. She is often regarded as one of the best detectives in the Lantern Corps and is often called upon to aid in investigations. Armed with all the powers of a Green Lantern, she is a formidable hero.

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Having at least one Green Lantern in the Justice League is almost a tradition at this point, with either Hal Jordan or John Stewart often being members of the original seven League members. With Sojourner Mullein being stationed so far into the galaxy in a zone known only as the Far Sector, it stands to reason she doesn’t travel to Earth regularly, and therefore hasn’t had much chance to join the Justice League.

4

Impulse (Bart Allen)

The Time-Travelling Grandson Of The Flash

First Appearance – Flash Vol 2, #91
Creator – Mark Waid
Real Name – Bartholomew Henry “Bart” Allen II

Bart Allen, known as the hero Impulse, is the grandson of the second Flash, Barry Allen, born in the 30th century. After getting trapped in the speed force, Bart traveled back in time after Barry and Wally West caused a rip in the Force Barrier. Bart is most commonly known as Impulse but has taken up the mantle of Kid Flash, and even the Flash.

With the abilities of a speedster and knowledge of future technologies and sciences, Bart is a key member of superhero groups like the Teen Titans, Young Justice, and the Flash Family. With speedsters being so important in the DC universe, when Impulse is older, there will surely be a spot for him in the Justice League.

3

Superboy, Conner Kent / Kon-El

The Clone Of Superman

First Appearance – The Adventures of Superman #500 (1993)
Creator – Karl Kesel
Real Name – Kon-El/Conner Kent

Conner Kent is a genetic clone of Superman and Lex Luthor and possesses all the abilities of your average Kryptonian under a yellow sun. With all the powers, speed, and strength that Superboy possesses, it’s almost guaranteed that he will be a member of the League at some point.

His young age and inexperience have held him back from joining the League. However, Connor seems to be satisfied with his roles with the Teen Titans and Young Justice teams for the time being. It will be interesting to see how an older Conner Kent could become a member of the Justice League.

2

Doctor Manhattan

The Physicist Turned God

First Appearance – Watchmen #1 (1986)
Creator – Alan Moore
Real Name – Jonathan “Jon” Osterman

Originally a nuclear physicist, Jon Osterman got caught in a radioactive particle chamber and was completely incinerated. This accident transformed Jon into an omnipotent being and one of the most powerful people in the DC Universe. After the accident, Jon used his powers to work for the American government, earning the title Doctor Manhattan.

Eventually, Doctor Manhattan grew tired of his god-like abilities and began to lose his connection with the human race and opted to stay out of human affairs. With his immense god-like powers, Doctor Manhattan would make a great member of the Justice League, but with his lack of empathy and disconnection to the human race, it seems like he would never join. Doctor Manhattan does help the heroes of Earth when the situation is most dire.

1

Lucifer Morningstar

The Devil

First Appearance – Sandman Vol 2, #4 (1989)
Creator – Neil Gaiman
Real Name – Samael

The status of Lucifer Morningstar often causes disagreements between fans of the character, with some arguing he is a villain and some arguing he leans more toward the hero’s side. Following the DC Rebirth event, Lucifer is somewhat of a neutral presence in the DC Universe, occasionally choosing to help the heroes when he pleases.

With his immense power, Lucifer could essentially solve all the Justice League’s problems without much or any effort at all. His incalculable power means he can manipulate the universe itself into anything that he pleases. Despite leaning toward the side of good on occasion, it’s highly unlikely that Lucifer Morningstar would ever join the Justice League.