Justice League of America (New 52) Timeline
This timeline is designed to detail the exploits of the New 52 version of the Justice League of America. These summaries are here to help make reading about the League easier. For more information regarding our timeline project, see our about page here.
This timeline is heavily based on our “Justice League of America (New 52 Version) Reading Order“. Non-indented sections correspond with the League’s “Essential” storyline while indented sections correspond with the League’s “Extra” storyline. Make sure to check out our reading order here for more information.
New 52
With the beginning of the New 52, the DC Universe’s continuity was restarted. In this new continuity, a new version of the Justice League of America exists. This version was created by the United States government in order to provide a check against the already established Justice League (see their timeline here). This timeline follows them from their creation to throughout their short-lived time as a team.
Also be sure to view our “Justice League of America (New 52 Version) Reading Order“.
World’s Most Dangerous
The new leader of A.R.G.U.S., Amanda Waller, is concerned about the unchecked power of the Justice League. In response, she works to form the Justice League of America. The members of this new team are specifically chosen from individuals whose powers and personalities present a threat to the real Justice League. This new team includes Martian Manhunter, as a counter to Superman; Catwoman, as a counter to Batman; Katana, as a counter to Wonder Woman; Green Lantern (Simon Baz), as a counter to Green Lantern (Hal Jordan); Vibe, as a counter to the Flash; Stargirl, as a counter to Cyborg; and Hawkman, as a counter to Aquaman. Later on, Green Arrow and Doctor Light also join the team.
For their first mission, the Justice League of America is tasked with infiltrating the mysterious Secret Society of Super-Villains, a group which A.R.G.U.S. has just discovered. To find their base, Catwoman fakes her own arrest so that the Super-Villains will contact her while she is in prison. The plan works and she is taken to the Society’s base, where the JLA tracks her. They are not able to discover much before the Society’s headquarters teleports away, leaving them with no new leads. However, they do manage to learn that the Society has some sort of connection to Pandora’s Box.
This storyline extends through issues #1-5 of Justice League of America Vol. 3. These issues are collected in Justice League of America Vol. 1: World’s Most Dangerous (Review).
Trinity War
The Justice League of America plays a significant role in the Trinity War event. At the very beginning, they are sent in to stop the Justice League from entering Kahndaq, where a battle erupts between the two Leagues. During this battle, Superman’s heat vision malfunctions and he kills Dr. Light (later on it is reveals that he had a chunk of Kryptonite placed in his brain to make this happen). After Superman is imprisoned, members of the JLA split up and try to track down the conspiracy behind how Superman’s powers malfunctioned.
Eventually, the members of the JLA are brought together again in the final battle of Trinity War. During this battle, a portal opens up and an evil version of the Justice League, called the Crime Syndicate, steps out.
This storyline extends through issues #22-23 of Justice League Vol. 2, issues #22-23 of Justice League Dark Vol. 1, and issues #6-7 of Justice League of America Vol. 3. These issues are collected in Trinity War (Review). See our “Trinity War Reading Order” or our “Trinity War Timeline” for more information.
Survivors of Evil
The Justice League of America and most of the Justice League are trapped within the Firestorm Matrix. Each hero is held in a prison created from their own thoughts and each prison is inescapable. The only ones able to maneuver the prisons are Martian Manhunter and Stargirl. These two heroes fight against a number of illusions and mental attacks to try to escape. At one point, they believe they have made it out, yet this proves to be another illusion. However, their efforts allow Martian Manhunter to make contact with Steve Trevor in order to give him instructions on how to free everyone.
After the heroes are freed, Steve Trevor explains that the JLA took the heat for everything that happened during Forever Evil. Thus, the team was disbanded and each of the members went their separate ways. However, Steve Trevor subtly encourages Stargirl to start a new team. She likes the idea and shares the thought with Martian Manhunter.
This storyline extends through issues #8-14 of Justice League of America Vol. 3. These issues are collected in Justice League of America Vol. 2: Survivors of Evil (Review).
Justice League Canada
Animal Man and Stargirl are in Canada signing autographs when they are approached by a man named Adam Strange. They agree to help him find Alanna, his fiancé, who mysteriously teleported away one day. When they approach the site where she went missing, they are attacked by alien creatures. They defeat the creatures thanks to additional help from Martian Manhunter and Green Arrow, who arrive in response to Stargirl’s old JLA transmitter. The group finds an alien base nearby but are suddenly teleported away to the planet Rann.
On Rann, they fight a monster and are joined by Supergirl. They also meet Sardath, a scientist from Rann. Sardath explains that he and other scientists had attempted to create a being made from the DNA of numerous creatures. However, the project was hijacked by an evil shapeshifter named Byth. Byth began kidnapping creatures to harvest their DNA and also planned to use the resulting child as a weapon of war. Sardath then teleports the heroes to Byth’s spaceship, where they have a chance to stop his evil plan.
On the spaceship, the heroes meet Hawkman and Alanna, who have already been fighting Byth’s forces. Byth finishes creating his hybrid child and a huge battle erupts. The battle eventually makes its way to Rann, where the city’s teleporter is malfunctioning. The heroes get the child from Byth and he is forced to run away. However, in the battle, Hawkman is killed.
The heroes all return to Canada and agree to form a new Justice League, called the Justice League United. However, immediately after deciding this, Allana bursts into the room carrying a local girl who has just discovered her own superpowers. The girl, Miiyahbin, is unconscious and needs help.
This storyline extends through issues #0-4 of Justice League United Vol. 1. These issues are collected in Justice League United Vol. 1: Justice League Canada (Review).
The Midayo and the Whitago
Miiyahbin begins a journey of self-discovery and learns that her powers come from her ancestors. She takes on the name Equinox and joins the Justice League United.
Meanwhile, the rest of the League is dealing with a new incident. Hawkman’s communicator is activated, despite the fact that Hawkman is supposed to be dead. Green Arrow, Supergirl, Stargirl, and Animal Man are teleported into space to deal with this issue. Martian Manhunter stays behind to take care of the alien child, who is now going by the name Ultra.
The storyline ends when another superhero bursts in on Martian Manhunter and claims that he must kill Ultra in order to save the Legion of Super-Heroes.
This storyline is told in issue #5 of Justice League United Vol. 1. This issue is collected in Justice League United Vol. 1: Justice League Canada (Review).
The Infinitus Saga
The Legion of Super-Heroes arrives and immediately tries to kill Ultra. After this leads to violence, they explain that, in the future, Ultra becomes an all-powerful creature that destroys entire worlds. The Justice League United refuse to kill Ultra and the Legion of Super-Heroes agrees to work with them to find another solution.
Unfortunately, their plans are interrupted by Byth. Byth steals Ultra and reveals that he has brainwashed Hawkman into serving him. He then begins controlling Ultra and forces him to transform into the all-powerful creature. The combined might of the Justice League United and the Legion of Super-Heroes is not nearly enough to fight Ultra. However, eventually, Martian Manhunter is able to get close enough to Ultra to wipe his mind and remove his new powers. During the chaos, Byth is sent through a portal which tosses him back in time.
The JLU agrees to send Ultra into the future, where the Legion of Super-Heroes will attend to him. In addition, they are able to free Hawkman of his mind control. Each member of the team goes to attend personal business but they agree that keeping the team together is a good idea.
This storyline extends through annual #1 and issues #6-10 of Justice League United Vol. 1. These issues are collected in Justice League United Vol. 2: The Infinitus Saga (Review).
Futures End
In a possible future, the JLU has broken up and most of the members have lost contact. When a telepathic distress signal from Martian Manhunter goes out to all the old members, only Equinox responds. She approaches the future version of the Justice League for help, which they are happy to provide.
The group go to Mars, where Martian Manhunter has been warden for a prison of supervillains. Once there, they find Martian Manhunter incapacitated and discover the distress signal was part of a breakout attempt. The strongest prisoner, Captain Atom, almost escapes but the Justice League distracts him for a moment, allowing Martian Manhunter to mentally subdue him. With the prison riot over, the Justice League returns to Earth and Martian Manhunter begins rebuilding the prison.
This storyline extends through issue #1 of Justice League United: Futures End and issue #1 of Justice League: Futures End. These issues are collected in Justice League United Vol. 2: The Infinitus Saga (Review).
The Island of No Return
The only remaining members of the Justice League United are Adam Strange, Alanna Strange, Animal Man, Equinox, and Stargirl. The rest are too busy to help out.
The world is being invaded by sentient pockets of reality from another dimension. In the initial attempt to fight one of these pockets of reality, Adam Strange destroyed it but was lost in another dimension, the dimension which the Zeta-Beams come from. In this higher state of reality, Adam has access to tons of information but cannot make contact with anyone. Alanna is the only one who is still able to speak to him, though only barely. Adam uses his new knowledge to let the JLU know exactly what combination of heroes and villains will allow them to defeat the next pocket of reality.
This leads the JLU to temporarily recruit Mera, Etrigan, Poison Ivy, and Swamp Thing. They all go to Lake Erie, where a pocket of reality is floating in the middle of the lake. They infiltrate the mass and, through their combined efforts, are able to burn it. The temporary members then leave the team.
This storyline extends through issues #11-12 of Justice League United Vol. 1. These issues are currently uncollected.
War Zone
The JLU temporarily recruits Batgirl, Steel, Robotman, and Vandal Savage to fight a new pocket of malevolent reality. This disturbance is in Arracourt, France, where every wartime battle in the location’s history is being fought at the same time. The JLU discovers where the fighting is centralized and storms the area. Their might, combined with various soldiers fighting in the wars, allows them to defeat the entity and return the area to normal.
This storyline extends through issues #13-15 of Justice League United Vol. 1. These issues are currently uncollected.
House of Secrets
All of the evil pockets of reality have been dealt with but Adam Strange is still stuck in a place between dimensions. Alanna Strange reveals to the JLU a secret she discovered on one of their earlier missions. Years ago, Sardath came to Earth and started dating Alanna’s mother. The two fell in love and had a child but Sardath was forced to abandon Earth. After discovering this, Alanna realizes that Sardath is her father.
Upon facing him with this information, he reveals that he could have helped Adam escape this entire time. Alanna forces him to help and the couple is united once again.
This story is told in issue #16 of Justice League United Vol. 1. This issue is currently uncollected.