Ranking Super ‘Justice League’ Episodes That Defined the DC Animated Universe
Following a near-decade of acclaimed solo superhero work based on established DC Comics characters Batman and Superman, producers Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami, James Tucker, and Rich Fogel were allowed to finally dive into a project that they had long been working on going back to the days of Superman: The Animated Series: an animated Justice League cartoon.
As production wrapped on Batman Beyond, the production team jumped to Cartoon Network, lured by the channel’s promise of more creative leeway than they were previously afforded on either Kids’ WB or Fox Kids. What began as a classic Justice League series evolved into a rich tapestry celebrating the DC Comics universe, touching on multiple corners of the DC canon previously undepicted in animation and celebrating the animated legacy that the team had created.
Justice League, later retitled Justice League Unlimited to reflect its expansive ethos, marks the capstone of the DC Animated Universe and remains widely acclaimed for its balance of superhero action, serialized storytelling, and deft character work. Though there would be future one-off continuations, notably DTV fair Justice League vs. the Fatal Five and Batman and Harley Quinn, Justice League sees the DCAU come to a rousing end with some of the finest storytelling told in its interconnected world years before the emergence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
To celebrate the definitive take on DC Comics’ premiere superhero team, Wealth of Geeks ranks the best episodes of Justice League to see how its creative team finished off their universe.
1. “Wild Cards”
Due to the production of The Batman animated series at the same time as Justice League, many Batman antagonists were kept off-limits, making Batman: The Animated Series the last time much of the Dark Knight’s famous foes made their appearances in the DCAU.
However, before The Batman got off the ground, the Joker made his final appearance in “Wild Cards,” hijacking Las Vegas’s television stations and announcing he had placed numerous bombs on the Strip, drawing the Justice League into a pitched battle against his own Royal Flush Gang. Between advancing the lingering romance between Green Lantern and Hawkgirl and the mid-plot pivot turning the proceedings on their head, “Wild Cards” sends the Joker out of the DCAU with style.
2. “Comfort and Joy”
The penultimate episode of the initial Justice League series, “Comfort and Joy” sees a Christmas-focused approach to superhero storytelling, showing how the various members of the League spend their holiday season. Between the Flash spreading cheer to an orphanage and Hawkgirl and Green Lantern spending their time on intergalactic escapades, the episode offers a rare glimpse at the various League members outside their normal team dynamics.
Yet the heart of the episode sees Superman invite Martian Manhunter to spend Christmas with his family in Smallville, with the perpetual outsider finding cheer amongst the small-town festivities. As a palate cleanser before the epic “Starcrossed” and as a Christmas episode, “Comfort and Joy” showcases the season's spirit in fine form.
3. “Grudge Match”
A sequel of sorts to the episode “The Cat and the Canary,” “Grudge Match” sees the villainess Roulette return to relaunch her Metabrawl underground fighting tournament on behalf of the Secret Society, this time using the brainwashed female members of the Justice League. With only Huntress and Black Canary unaffected to rescue their teammates, the episode delivers fun, knock-out fight scenes pitting fan-favorite Leaguers against one another, culminating in a four v. one match against Wonder Woman.
Though more of a fan-servicey episode in respects compared to other Justice League stories, mainly being a more standalone affair, “Grudge Match” delivers that service in spades.
4. “Hereafter”
One of the more emotionally charged installments of Justice League, “Hereafter,” sees Superman appearing to die at the hands of the Toyman, leaving the League and the world emotionally devastated. Though the second half of the story reveals Superman was instead transported millennia into a post-apocalyptic future, with an adventure alongside immortal villain Vandal Savage to send him back in time, “Hereafter” is at its strongest with its first half showing off a world without a Superman in it.
Adapting sequences from The Death of Superman and delivering stirring emotional moments, with Batman’s solemn monologue in front of Superman’s “tomb” perhaps the most moving. Considering how Superman: The Animated Series left its hero at its closing half-hour, “Hereafter” celebrates what makes Superman one of the world’s finest.
5. “This Little Piggy”
A fan-favorite episode penned by longtime DCAU writer Paul Dini, “This Little Piggy” sees Batman and the magician Zatanna team up once more to track down Circe, who’s turned Wonder Woman into a pig.
While delving into the more mythological side of the DCU, the episode isn’t afraid to have a little fun, with the climax boiling down to a musical performance instead of traditional fisticuffs. “This Little Piggy” also explores the relationship between Diana Prince and Bruce Wayne further, with the chemistry between the two League members more evident after previous teases in episodes “Maid of Honor” and “Starcrossed.” Buoyed by a scene-stealing turn by actress Rachel York as Circe, “This Little Piggy” delights in a more lighthearted adventure.
6. “Only a Dream”
Owing just as much to the nightmarish escapes found in the Nightmare on Elm Street series as much as the comic book page, “Only a Dream” threads the line between superhero action and psychological terror with ease. After a massive prison break, the League finds themselves confronted by Doctor Destiny, an escaped convict who can manipulate people’s dreams.
Blurring the line between reality and fantasy, the episode sees members of the League trapped in their own personal nightmares, with only Martian Manhunter and a sleep-deprived Batman left to track down Destiny. Part of the installment’s staying power comes from its second half, with the dream landscapes and Destiny’s intimate manipulation of the various Leaguers putting the team in a position not felt before.
7. “The Once and Future Thing”
The only true two-part episode during the Unlimited phase of Justice League, “The Once and Future Thing” sees Batman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman confront Chronos, a time-traveling thief who gradually becomes more power-hungry and threatens the space-time continuum.
Split between past and future installments, “The Once and Future Thing” celebrates the wide-spanning history of the DC Universe, with the League trio teaming up with famed Western and science fiction heroes from Jonah Hex to Terry McGinnis’s Batman in a time-spanning epic. The highlight, no doubt, remains the modern-day and future incarnations of Batman teaming up for the first time and the surreal nature of seeing Bruce Wayne interact with his future self.
8. “Tabula Rasa”
Taking more than a few philosophical cues from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, “Tabula Rasa” reimagines the classic Justice League foe Amazo for the early 2000s.
Following another failed confrontation with the League and becoming desperate, Lex Luthor discovers an android capable of replicating the powers of metahumans and manipulates it into destroying the team. Eschewing the original comic book design for a streamlined, blank-slate look, the Android, as Amazo is referred to in-episode, gradually becomes self-aware and questions Luthor’s intentions and what he can truly offer the sentient being. Even as Amazo proves himself arguably the League’s most formidable adversary to date, the android’s desires supersede traditional comic book action to something far more profound that would be followed up in the fittingly titled “The Return.”
9. “The Doomsday Sanction”
Having previously appeared in “A Better World” as a minor antagonist, the Superman foe Doomsday finally delivers the epic clash audiences waited for in “The Doomsday Sanction.” As Batman’s investigation into the secretive Project Cadmus escalates into a confrontation with Amanda Waller, Doomsday escapes his imprisonment and attacks Superman as he attempts to evacuate an island on the verge of a volcanic explosion.
While the main bout between Superman and Doomsday remains the highlight, much of the episode’s intrigue comes from the blow-out between the League and Cadmus, with even Batman beginning to understand the rationale behind the organization’s existence. Ending suitably foreboding, “The Doomsday Sanction” combines bombastic action with escalating dramatic tension as frightening parallels begin to emerge for the team.
10. “The Enemy Below”
Though a longtime team member in the comics, Aquaman wouldn’t join the ranks of the DCAU Justice League until the Unlimited era. However, the aquatic king makes a starring appearance in “The Enemy Below,” focusing on the political intrigue of Atlantis and the character’s rivalry with his brother Ocean Master.
With the Justice League brought in to help ease tensions between Atlantis and the surface world, Aquaman balances his duties as king, husband, and warrior, threading lines of the character that would resurface years later in the character’s live-action appearances in the film. “The Enemy Below” would also eschew Aquaman’s previous animated appearance for one similar to his 90s heyday, telegraphing to the world a version of the hero seldom seen and one that would become a fan-favorite.
11. “Double Date”
Initially intended by guest writer Gail Simone as a Birds of Prey episode, “Double Date” sees the vengeful Huntress teaming up with the Question to hunt down mobster Steven Mandragora, the man who murdered her mother and father as a child, while Green Arrow and Black Canary attempt to stop them.
The chemistry and banter between the dueling “couples” marks the episode's highlight, focusing on the growing romance between Arrow and Canary and the dysfunction of the Question’s motivations. Yet Huntress’s arc remains compelling throughout, leaving audiences on edge about whether she’ll take her vengeance and if nothing can dissuade her.
12. “Injustice for All”
Superman: The Animated Series portrayed Lex Luthor as a Machiavellian business tycoon unafraid of getting involved in criminal affairs so long as it couldn’t be traced back to him. “Injustice for All” finally sees Luthor’s veneer of respectability crack when the Justice League exposes him publicly as a criminal and he forms the Injustice Gang to take his revenge.
Bringing the character back to his roots as a brilliant criminal mastermind, Clancy Brown embraces Luthor’s newly open villainy, with his scenes alongside fellow accomplice the Ultra Huminite a highlight of the episode. Mark Hamill also returns as the Joker in the character’s first Justice League appearance, bringing chaos to the proceedings as an imprisoned Batman plots his next moves. With an ensemble of supervillains gathered to match against the various Leaguers, “Injustice for All” provides thrilling hero/villain action in an early highlight of the series.
13. “Destroyer”
The final episode of not just Justice League but the end of the DC Animated Universe itself, “Destroyer” sees the resurrected Darkseid lay siege to Earth as the Justice League and the Secret Society reluctantly join forces to put an end to the New God once and for all.
Though retreading many previous stories from earlier series, especially the Superman: TAS episode “Legacy” and the premiere “Secret Origins,” “Destroyer” showcases the expanded Unlimited roster on a genuinely global scale while maintaining an up-close confrontation between Darkseid and Superman, Lex Luthor, and Batman in the ruins of the Daily Planet. With one of Luthor’s greatest moments in animation and a chance to see a Superman unleashed upon one of his mortal enemies, “Destroyer” bids the DCAU goodbye with a resounding send-off.
14. “Paradise Lost”
Though Wonder Woman made her debut within the DCAU as part of Justice League, episodes focused squarely on her corner of the world appear sporadically.
One of the best exceptions remains her first, “Paradise Lost,” in which she is forced to do the bidding of the sorcerer Felix Faust after he attacks Themyscira and holds her fellow Amazons hostage. Touching on DC Comics’ interpretation of Greek mythology and magic, the episode serves as Wonder Woman’s first starring role in the series, dealing with her inner turmoil for leaving to fight in Man’s World and concluding on a necessary bittersweet note when all the fighting has concluded. “Paradise Lost” sees Wonder Woman truly come into her own and kicks off a years-long personal arc for the heroine.
15. “Flash and Substance”
An installment dedicated entirely to the Flash and the character’s storied history, “Flash and Substance” sees the speedster team up with Batman and Orion to thwart the Rogues during the opening of the brand-new Flash Museum in Central City. After several seasons of serialized storytelling, the episode reduces the immense scale of Justice League to an intimate level, focusing on the Flash’s hometown heroism and his uniquely working class-style archvillains.
Special attention is paid to several nods to the Flash’s comics and media history, with references to Silver Age Flash Barry Allen and Mark Hamill reprising his role as the Trickster from the short-lived 1990 live-action series. “Flash and Substance” makes for a fun, light-hearted romp with a clear focus on one of the League’s original members and why the Flash remains such a beloved staple of the roster.
16. “A Better World”
What began as a thrilling dimensional-hopping story spirals into a years-long storyline, with “A Better World” launching much of what would come in Unlimited’s Project Cadmus arc.
In an alternate reality, where an evil Justice League has taken over the world after the Flash’s death at the hands of President Lex Luthor, the now-dubbed Lords discover the existence of the prime universe of the Justice League and become intent on molding their Earth into their image.
In the grand tradition of alternate universe stories, much of the appeal stems from the Justice League facing off against themselves, with a particular highlight being the clash between the League and Lord versions of Batman. Yet the League's choices in this installment would haunt the series in the future, a deal with Lex Luthor proving particularly poignant in the grand scheme of Justice League.
17. “Kid’s Stuff”
Following up on the episode “A Knight of Shadows,” “Kid’s Stuff” sees the eternally young Mordred turn on his mother, the sorceress Morgan le Fey, and banishes all adults to another dimension to rule over the Earth. Using her magic, le Fey can return Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern to Earth to face her rebellious son, but as children with the drawbacks that come with it.
Part of the appeal comes from seeing the core members of the Justice League shrunk down to children’s ages, with childish personalities and restrictions to match. The episode serves as one of the most fantasy-driven installments, with medieval magical foes and a toddler Etrigan brought forth to take on the pre-teen heroes.
18. “Secret Origins”
The series' inaugural story, “Secret Origins” sees the formation of the Justice League and introduces several mainstays, particularly Martian Manhunter and the long-awaited DCAU debut of Wonder Woman.
As Superman and Batman gradually uncover an alien invasion plot, the World’s Finest find themselves in need of additional help from fellow heroes, both new and old. Fast-paced but deft in its characterization, the first three episodes of Justice League establish the dynamics among the team members while balancing an action-filled spectacle with worldwide stakes. “Secret Origins” succeeds where it counts, especially as it helps widen the scope of this animated DC Universe and its vast potential.
19. “Task Force X”
The first appearance of the infamous Suicide Squad outside of the comics, “Task Force X,” sees the team called into action to pull off an audacious heist on the Justice League watchtower and escape with none other than the Annihilator armor. Made to position Project Cadmus as a credible threat to the League, the episode is a decidedly supervillain-centric installment with a mix of covert operations, superhero action, and Ocean’s 11-esque thievery.
In a rare failure for the Justice League, the Squad shows how committed Amanda Waller is to pulling one over the League and succeeding, genuinely demonstrating how formidable the Squad truly is when given the proper resources and cover. Though it would take another several years before the team exploded in popularity, “Task Force X” crafts a compelling debut for the Suicide Squad in the public consciousness.
20. “Legends”
While the members of the Justice League’s predecessor team, the Justice Society, only appeared sparingly throughout Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, their presence can be felt the most in the inspired “Legends.” When Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter find themselves teleported to a parallel world, they encounter the members of the Justice Guild, Green Lantern’s comic book heroes growing up.
Like many earlier episodes of Justice League, “Legends” possesses a mid-plot turn that belays the wholesome Golden Age setting, turning what could’ve been a fine homage episode into a parable of toxic nostalgia and genuine heroism. Packed with nods to that era of comics and the Red Scare that followed, “Legends” serves as a fitting tribute to the work of writer Gardner Fox and a bygone time in the medium’s history.
21. “Epilogue”
Originally conceived as the show’s final episode before its surprise renewal, “Epilogue” revisits the world of Batman Beyond a further twenty years after Terry McGinnis’s last appearance to find him tracking down an elderly Amanda Waller for answers about his heritage.
Bringing the series and the entire DCAU full circle to the character that started it all, “Epilogue” celebrates the Batman character while interrogating his legacy on McGinnis, uncovering startling revelations, and Waller’s meddling in Terry’s life from before he was even born. With the return of Will Friedle as an older Terry McGinnis, coupled with a moving flashback to the original Batman’s heyday, “Epilogue” makes for a fitting coda to the Batman Beyond story and the DCAU as a whole.
22. “Starcrossed”
The season two finale of Justice League and the end to the original iteration of the team, “Starcrossed” sees Hawkgirl’s fellow Thanagarians arrive on Earth to offer aid against the Jordanians, only for the League to discover the Thanagarians’ intentions are far less altruistic than they let on.
Setting the stage for the team’s Unlimited era, the finale echoes much of the intrigue behind “Secret Origins” but with Hawkgirl at the center of the drama as she reveals the truth about her own backstory. With a plot centered on conflicting loyalties and the tension boiling over between Hawkgirl and Green Lantern, “Starcrossed” more than lives up to its name as it swings from triumphant heroics to heartbreaking romance.
23. “Divided We Fall”
The culmination of the long-running Cadmus storyline, “Divided We Fall” sees the original seven members of the Justice League confront Lex Luthor for his years-long machinations, only to find him fused with fellow Superman foe Brainiac to create a far greater threat.
After two seasons focused on the vastly expanded Unlimited line-up, the episode provides a refreshing return to the team that started the series, with each member of the original League highlighted in their own action sequence. The Flash, in particular, takes center stage as the destiny alluded to in “A Better World” comes calling for the Fastest Man Alive.
24. “The Savage Time”
A fittingly epic three-part tribute to DC Comics’ wartime era, “The Savage Time” sees the Justice League, minus Batman, forced to travel back in time to World War II to stop the immortal Vandal Savage from altering history and ensuring Allied victory.
As the finale to the first season of Justice League, the installment sees the production team bring World War II-era comics characters to animation, from the high-flying Blackhawks to Wonder Woman’s love interest Steve Trevor. Combining classic sci-fi pulp action, espionage, and romance, “The Savage Time” closes out the first season of Justice League with cinematic style and leaves audiences eager for even more adventures.
25. “For the Man Who Has Everything”
Adapted by J. M. Dematteis from the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons story of the same name, “For the Man Who Has Everything” is one of the few Justice League episodes based on a comics issue and one of the finest takes on Moore’s work in any medium.
On Superman’s birthday, Wonder Woman and Batman find their colleague in the grip of Mongul and the Black Mercy, an alien plant that causes its victims to live in a fantasy world based on their heart’s desire. As Superman lives his life on a Krypton that was never destroyed, Batman and Wonder Woman contend with Mongul in the Fortress of Solitude in a brutal brawl unmatched even in “Destroyer” and “Divided We Fall.”
Dealing with heartbreak, fantasy, and heroism, the episode sees one of the rare credits for Alan Moore’s original writing, the author infamous for his noted disdain of the many media adaptations of his stories. With this seal of approval, “For the Man Who Has Everything” remains a highlight of both the Justice League series and DC Comics animation.
