Summary
The Justice League is the premier team of heroes in the DC Universe and one of the mostpopular superhero teamsin fiction. Despite the initial lineup almost always consisting of seven main members, since its debut in The Brave and the Bold issue 28 in 1960, there have been over 150 members in the Justice League.
Although the League is meant to be a group of heroes working as a team without a defined leader, there have been many leaders over the years, whether decided by consensus among the fans or by the characters in the universe. Here are the best leaders in the Justice League.
1Superman
The Last Son of Krypton
Superman is the best leader of the Justice League. Despite his immense powers, it’s his moral compass and kind heart that lead him to being a great leader. His compassion, experience, sense of justice and overall presence often cause him to assume the leadership role, even when there isn’t meant to be one.
Despite the Man of Steels boy-scout nature causing him to try and save everyone, including villains, he has been known to make tough choices and sacrifices when the situation is most dire. As a beacon of hope across the DC Universe, it makes Superman the natural choice.
2Batman
The World’s Greatest Detective
Many fans would argue that Batman is the best leader of the Justice League, and that’s a fair argument. Batman is perhaps thebest strategist and tacticianin all of DC, which is ideal for being the leader of the most important superhero team in the world.
The Dark Knight is a master planner and has plans to take out not only most villains but most heroes too. It’s these contingencies that both help and hinder Batman from being the best leader of the Justice League. From a fan point of view, it makes perfect sense, but in-universe, most characters distrust Batman because of these plans, and a leader must be trusted and trust his teammates.
3Martian Manhunter
The Martian Detective
Martian Manhunter is perhaps one of the most underrated heroesin the Justice Leagueand arguably one of the most powerful. What allows Martain Manhunter to be one of the best leaders of the Justice League is his lack of attachment to a specific location on Earth.
Unlike Superman and Batman having specific locations that they watch over with the likes of Metropolis and Gotham, Martian Manhunter has no specific place that he needs to be, allowing him to watch over the whole planet from the Watchtower. He is level-headed, extremely intelligent and has vast experience, all ideal qualities for a leader. Batman himself has stated that he believes Martian Manhunter is the best leader of the Justice League.
4Black Canary
The Chosen Leader
The Black Canary was the first member of the Justice League to be voted in as the chairperson/leader. Her experience, compassion and strategic mind gave her the edge and the support from her fellow heroes and as the leader, she did a fantastic job.
Although it was later revealed that Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman chose Dinah because they couldn’t commit to leading the League themselves, the fact that they chose her above all other members of the Justice League is an accolade in itself.
5Wonder Woman
The Princess of Themyscira
As a part of the DC trinity with Superman and Batman, Wonder Woman is a popular choice for the leader of the Justice League. With her upbringing, Diana Prince was raised to be the future leader of the Amazons and thus has vast experience, knowledge and training for a leadership role.
Over the years, Wonder Woman has assumed the leadership role on many occasions,most notablyduring the Darkseid War. Wonder Woman has also been the leader of Justice League Dark and was arguably their best leader.
6Aquaman
The King Of Atlantis
Although many fans see Aquaman as somewhat of a joke, he is one of the most important Justice League members, especially when there’s an ocean-related threat. As a founding member in the first Justice League lineup, Aquaman has led the League on many occasions.
Perhaps the most notableiteration of Aquamanas leader of the Justice League comes from the animated series Young Justice. Although this is the second Aquaman, Kaldur’ahm, his skills, experience and overall personality are virtually identical to the original. As leader Aquaman led the Justice League through some of the toughest times in that universe.
7Green Arrow
The Emerald Archer
Although Green Arrow hasn’t properly been the leader of the Justice League in the comics, he is perhaps the best leader of the League in live action. In the CW Verse, better knownas the Arrowverse, Oliver Queen leads the version of the Justice League in that universe.
As leader, Green Arrow led the team against one of the biggest threats in the DC Universe, the Anti-Monitor, even giving up his own life to defeat the Anit-Monitor. As leader, he also went up against an evil Super-Man, the Reverse Flash and even an evil version of himself.
8Cyborg
More Machine Then Man
Despite many fans arguing that Cyborg should be on the Teen Titans instead of the Justice League, Cyborg has proven time and time again that he is an essential member of the team and a great leader even during the most dire situations.
With his Cybernetic Enhancements, Cyborg can process data nearly as fast as a Speedster, and with a genius-level intellect, this makes him one of the best tacticians and strategists in all of DC. With a near-unlimited amount of knowledge and the ability to access most data on Earth, Cyborg can make split-second decisions that have helped him when leading the Justice League.
