Justice League Doom



""You each have a personal vendetta against the Justice League. Their deaths would serve my goals. You've all tried and failed to kill members of the League on multiple occasions. Welcome to the Legion of Doom.""

- Vandal Savage

""My actions don't require any defense. In the same situation, I'd do it again. [...] As individuals, and even more so as a group, the Justice League is far too dangerous to lack a failsafe against any misuse of our power. [...] What if we ever use it for some other purpose? If you people can't see the potential danger of an out-of-control Justice League, I don't need to hear a vote. I don't belong here.""

- Batman

A film in the DC Universe Original Animated Movies line, Justice League: Doom is a loose adaptation of the classic JLA arc, "Towel of Babel''. In another one of his schemes, Vandal Savage has gathered together Metallo, Bane, Cheetah, Mirror Master, Star Sapphire, and Ma'alefa'ak, along with members of the Royal Flush Gang, to form the Legion of Doom. Armed with plans designed to take out the Justice League, they set out defeat their enemies and Take Over the World...

The last movie written by Dwayne McDuffie before his death, the film was released in February 2012.

Just like the Superman/Batman movies (and Superman Brainiac Attacks in regards to Superman and Batman: Gotham Knight, the Arkham games and DC Universe Online in regards to Batman), Tim Daly, Kevin Conroy, and Susan Eisenberg reprise their respective roles from the DCAU as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. In the same vein, fellow DCAU voice actors Carl Lumbly, Phil Morris, Olivia d'Abo, Alexis Denisof, and David Kaufman reprise their respective roles as Martian Manhunter, Vandal Savage, Star Sapphire (though d'Abo also voiced a pre-Star Sapphire Carol Ferris in Green Lantern: First Flight), Mirror Master, and Jimmy Olsen, and Nathan Fillion reprises the role of Hal Jordan/Green Lantern from Green Lantern Emerald Knights. Michael Rosenbaum also voices the Flash, but the Flash is Barry Allen and not Wally West like the Flash he voiced in Justice League. Other voice actors include Bumper Robinson (Transformers Animated) as Cyborg, Paul Blackthorne (The Dresden Files) as Metallo, Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911) as Bane, Grey Delisle (The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy) as Lois Lane, and Claudia Black (Stargate SG 1) as Cheetah.

This movie provides examples of:
"Bane: When we fought before, I broke the Bat. Today, I break the man."
 * Affably Evil: Vandal Savage, once more.
 * All There in the Manual: Green Lantern's interactions with Star Sapphire make a lot more sense if you've read the comics.
 * Animesque: Especially Star Sapphire.
 * Apocalypse How: Vandal Savage plans to control this by using a device to incinerate the sun facing side of the planet, while ruling over the other.
 * Badass Boast:

""Give up? Please say 'no.'""
 * Batman Cold Open: Literal version.
 * Beehive Barrier: Hal makes one.
 * Big Bad: Vandal Savage.
 * Bittersweet Ending: Savage is defeated, the world is saved, all the Leaguers come out alright and Cyborg becomes a member of the league... but the League's faith in Batman is shattered and he himself quits when called out on his actions. That said, it ends a lot better than the comic it's based off of. Here, it's played like a semi-amiable conflict of interest (especially when Superman is involved), in the comic it's a total schism which near shatters the trust of the entire League and has ripple effects to other teams around the DC Universe.
 * Blondes Are Evil:
 * Bond One Liner: A villainous example. When  a human woman asks John Jones for a light, he replies "I don't smoke."
 * Bond Villain Stupidity: Bane's first fight against Batman is a Curb Stomp Battle that ends
 * For that matter, if Star Sapphire
 * Buried Alive: Happens to.
 * Combat Tentacles: Star Sapphire seems fond of these.
 * Composite Character: In design rather than characterization. Cyborg's personailty is closer to his comics counterpart, but his design melds elements from his look from the Teen Titans animated series.
 * The Flash is Barry Allen, but acts (and sounds) like Wally West.
 * Crazy Prepared: Batman. This proves to be the impetus for the plot, as Batman had made plans to take down the League just in case. The others see it as paranoia, but he sincerely believes that all of them need to have something that can take them down just in case the worst happens - even himself.
 * Considering the readiness with which he countered the plans, it's likely that Batman also had contingency plans for the contingency plans.
 * Curb Stomp Battle: Superman gets two. In the first,  In the second,
 * Bane's first fight against Batman also counts. Bats only survives because of Bane's Bond Villain Stupidity, as explained above.
 * Dangerously Genre Savvy: Vandal Savage.
 * Darkest Hour:
 * Death Dealer: Queen of the Royal Flush Gang.
 * Decapitation Presentation:
 * Determinator: Batman. This is a man who punches his way out of a grave through six feet of Earth and returns to action without resting or waiting to recover.
 * Doppelganger Attack: Mirror Master favors this form of combat.
 * Even the Girls Want Her: Thanks to Wonder Woman's hallucinations, one of the many Cheetah copies remarks on how attractive she is.
 * Evil Counterpart: Bane and Star Sapphire are present. Ma'alefa'ak, however...
 * Evil Twin: Well, Ma'alefa'ak is the Martian Manhunter's brother.
 * Eye Beam: Jack of the Royal Flush Gang. And of course there's Superman's heat-vision, which is the deciding factor in
 * Gender Bender: Ma'alefa'ak
 * Heroic BSOD: The plan to take down Green Lantern involves putting him in one of these with lots of trickery and a healthy dose of fear gas.
 * Hero Insurance: Wonder Woman clearly has her premiums paid up.
 * I Did What I Had to Do: Batman's reason for the contingency plans.
 * Idiot Ball: In-story, Green Lantern pretty much accuses Batman of carrying the ball. GL's actually okay with the idea of Batman having contingency plans to take down the League; what he objects to is Batman letting those items be stolen.
 * Lady in Red: A blonde woman in a red dress J'onn meets in the bar.
 * Legion of Doom: That goes without saying, although it's not the usual group (other than Cheetah).
 * Leeroy Jenkins: In the beginning, Superman asks Batman to wait for backup, but Batman shuts off his communicator and charges in. The Royal Flush Gang kicks the crap out of him before the Justice League shows up.
 * Manhunter on Fire
 * Mars Needs Women: A literal example as J'onn really seemed attracted to that hot blonde who was hitting on him,
 * Mythology Gag: Jack sarcastically mentions Robin when King warns him that Batman wouldn't have attacked the Gang's heist alone.
 * Savage mentions that he payed LexCorp for the device Mirror Master uses to steal Batman's files.
 * Green Lantern was attacked with a version of Scarecrow's fear gas.
 * Vandal Savage's plan involving solar flares is similar to the Legion of Doom's plan Gone Horribly Wrong in an episode of Super Friends.
 * Neck Snap: Bane does this to an alligator that attacks him.
 * Nice Job Breaking It Hero: Arguably, everything the League goes through is Batman's fault.
 * Nice Job Fixing It Villain: Bane's arrogance essentially leads to the downfall of the Legion. Burying Batman alive is really only going to serve to remind him why he's Batman, and piss him off. Batman himself lampshades this.
 * No Badass to His Valet: In the opening battle sequence, Batman gets pretty badly hurt, but being Batman wants to shrug it off and keeps working. Wonder Woman offers to let him use her Purple Healing Ray to cut down his recuperation time; he ignores her. But when he's back at the Batcave, Alfred insists that he rest and get medical care, and stares him down.
 * Noodle Incident: Hal Jordan's long and sordid past with Star Sapphire. It's brought up several times in an important context but not actually explained.
 * Also, Martian Manhunter mentions a previous fight between the League and the Royal Flush Gang which left Superman embarrassed by Ace. No details are given. Leads directly to a Curb Stomp Battle.
 * No Holds Barred Beatdown: Bane delivers one to Bruce Wayne, beating him unconscious, then burying him alive.
 * No Sell: Ace really isn't a match for the man of Steel.
 * Off With His Head:
 * Oh Crap: The entire Legion when
 * Batman, when he realizes that
 * Ma'alefa'ak when
 * 10 in the first battle, literally: "Crap! It's the Justice League."
 * Opponent Switch: Sadly averted:
 * Outrun the Fireball: Flash,  Being the Fastest Man Alive, of course, means he literally can outrun the fireball (though the shrapnel wings him).
 * Power of Trust: A major theme. Though it's not quite as shattered as in "Tower Of Babel," mostly as it isn't revealed until well after he's gone out of his way to save them all, the team's trust in Batman is wavered by the fact that he made the plans against them in the first place. In the end, however, it leads to a heartwarming moment of sorts where it's shown that even though they don't like his methods they, particularly Superman, still trust him to do what's right even if it's against them, and likewise Batman trusts the League to counter him should he go too far.
 * Provoke Me Taunt: Green Lantern delivers one to Ten after the first warning shot.

"Batman: The Justice League is under attack!
 * Punch Punch Punch Uh Oh: Ace repeatedly punches Superman without so much as making him blink. The last time, Ace's arm explodes.
 * Recursive Ammo: Vandal Savage's missile works this way. In multiple layers, no less.
 * Servile Snarker: Alfred, who is in top form.
 * Shapeshifter Showdown: J'onn vs. Ma'alefa'ak.
 * Shock and Awe: Ten of the Royal Flush Gang.
 * Spanner in The Works: Cyborg.
 * The Stoic: Ma'alefa'ak. While the rest of the Legion, he simply leans back without a word. He only loses his cool when  , and when
 * Martian Manhunter as well. When King knocks him out, he just looks up and says, completely deadpan, "I am unharmed". He loses his cool when, but in his defense
 * Stripperiffic: Star Sapphire in her current costume.
 * Bane's also shows off more skin than needed.
 * Superman Can Breathe In Space:
 * Talking to Himself: Carl Lumbly voices both Martian Manhunter and Ma'alefa'ak.
 * Wham Line:

Alfred: By whom?

Batman: By !!"


 * What Happened to The Mouse:
 * Also,
 * What the Hell Hero: Wonder Woman begins to give Batman one of these speeches, but is cut off. Superman finishes it (rather nicely), calling the Dark Knight "arrogant" to his face.
 * Whip It Good: How Wonder Woman uses her Golden Lasso.
 * Whole Plot Reference: The plot is loosely adapted from the "Tower of Babel" story from the comics.
 * Woman Scorned: Pretty clearly this is Star Sapphire's problem with Green Lantern.
 * The Worf Effect: Happily averted. When he's in an ensemble, Superman often goes down very easily to emphasize how dangerous an opponent is; early seasons of Justice League were especially bad about this. But in Doom he is clearly the team's mightiest member.
 * The Worf Effect: Happily averted. When he's in an ensemble, Superman often goes down very easily to emphasize how dangerous an opponent is; early seasons of Justice League were especially bad about this. But in Doom he is clearly the team's mightiest member.