Batman Debuts a Justice League Replacement Team: Members and Powers Behind His Bold Plan
A global threat emerges
In Batman/Superman: World's Finest #56, Ra’s al Ghul and Poison Ivy join forces around their shared ecoterrorist aims. Their plan would reduce humanity to 12% of its current population. With the Justice League away on a mission to Rann, Ra’s sends forces to South Korea, America and the Himalayas.
Batman must act without his broader Bat-Family. His only personal ally, Dick Grayson’s Robin, has been struck down by a lethal disease spreading across the planet. Batman instead gathers trusted, unconventional allies to confront the attacks.
Superman handles emergencies
Superman returned to Earth while the rest of the Justice League continued its humanitarian work on Rann. Following Batman’s direction, he races between crises, including the spreading disease, melting nuclear plants and an assault by the Atlantean armada.
The story also shows Superman containing a nuclear meltdown. His near-limitless strength does not remove every risk: Batman’s team seeks support against the Atlanteans because Superman is vulnerable to magic.
Sidekicks and Talia respond
Batman assigns Kid Flash to support longer-term efforts while Superman tackles urgent disasters. Wally West’s young speedster helps search for a cure to the disease and rescues civilians in places Superman cannot reach.
Talia al Ghul, opposed to her father’s campaign, is sent to Kansas to confront Poison Ivy. The two fight at length, but Talia has not yet defeated Ivy, whose powers let her use plants as weapons.
The Rogues bring unusual abilities
Batman also recruits the Rogues, a group of Flash villains known for limiting casualties and following a code. He first turns to Mirror Master, reasoning that the Mirror Gun might reverse the disease’s genetic profile and produce an antidote. The effort succeeds, after which Batman enlists the wider group against the Atlantean armada.
The listed powers include Mirror Master’s ability to enter the Mirror Verse, alter reality through mirror rules and travel through reflective surfaces. Other abilities described include telekinetically spinning one’s body to boost strength, durability and intelligence, and using a high-tech flute to hypnotize small animals and create weaponized sound blasts.
Key points
- Ra’s al Ghul and Poison Ivy plan to reduce humanity to 12% of its current population.
- The Justice League is away on Rann, leaving Batman to assemble a replacement team.
- Kid Flash, Talia al Ghul and the Rogues each take on threats beyond Superman’s immediate response.
- Batman’s alliance with Mirror Master helps produce an antidote to Ra’s disease.