When you think of the Justice League, you probably picture the "Big Seven." It’s that iconic image of gods and mortals standing shoulder-to-shoulder, ready to punch a hole through a cosmic threat. But honestly, the history of the list of founders of the Justice League is way more tangled than most fans realize.
Depending on which decade you grew up in—or which comic book reboot you actually bothered to read—the "original" team might look completely different. It's not just a matter of who was on the roster; it’s about who DC Comics decided deserved to be there at any given moment.
The 1960 Origin: When It All Started
Back in March 1960, writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky dropped The Brave and the Bold #28. This wasn't a slow-burn origin story. No, the team was just there. They were already established, hanging out in a cave in Rhode Island and dealing with a giant alien starfish named Starro the Conqueror.
The original list of founders of the Justice League from this Silver Age era consisted of:
- Superman (The Man of Steel)
- Batman (The Dark Knight)
- Wonder Woman (The Amazonian Princess)
- The Flash (Barry Allen)
- Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
- Aquaman (The King of the Seven Seas)
- Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz)
Funny thing, though: Superman and Batman barely did anything in that first issue. DC was actually worried that using their two biggest heavyweights too much would take the spotlight away from the other characters. Batman was "busy" in Gotham, and Superman was off-planet or something. It’s kinda hilarious to think that the two most famous members were basically guest stars in their own team's debut.
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The Appellaxian Invasion
We didn't actually find out how they met until Justice League of America #9 in 1962. It turns out a bunch of aliens called Appellaxians invaded Earth, and each hero fought a different one in a different part of the world. Eventually, they realized they couldn't do it alone. They teamed up, realized they were a pretty good match, and decided to form a "club."
The New 52 Shakeup: Swapping a Martian for a Machine
Fast forward to 2011. DC decides to reboot their entire universe with the "New 52" initiative. They wanted a modern feel, so they threw the old history out the window. In this version, written by Geoff Johns with art by Jim Lee, the list of founders of the Justice League saw a massive change that still makes some old-school fans salty.
They kicked Martian Manhunter off the founding roster and replaced him with Cyborg (Victor Stone).
The logic was that the League needed someone who represented the digital age. Plus, it added some much-needed diversity to the core lineup. In this continuity, the heroes first met to stop Darkseid's invasion. It was messy, they didn't trust each other, and Batman had to basically babysit everyone to make sure they didn't accidentally kill each other while trying to save the world.
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Why the "Founding Seven" Keep Changing
Continuity in comics is basically a giant game of Jenga. Every few years, an editor pulls a block out, and the whole thing shifts.
For a long time after Crisis on Infinite Earths in the late 80s, Black Canary was actually considered a founding member instead of Wonder Woman because of some weird legal and timeline issues. Then, during the JLA run by Grant Morrison in the 90s, they went back to the "Big Seven" philosophy.
Even in the movies, the list of founders of the Justice League is different. In the 2017 film (and the Snyder Cut), the team only has six members: Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, and Superman. Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter were left out of the initial formation entirely, though J'onn J'onzz does show up for a cup of coffee at the very end of the director's cut.
The Current State of the Founders
As of 2026, the DC Universe is in a bit of a "mix and match" phase. Following the Rebirth and Infinite Frontier events, the "official" history tends to lean back toward the 1960 lineup while acknowledging that heroes like Cyborg and Black Canary are just as vital to the team's legacy.
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Most fans generally accept the original Silver Age seven as the definitive list of founders of the Justice League, but the beauty of DC is that "canon" is always just one reboot away from changing again.
Essential Reading for League History
If you want to actually see these formations happen, you've got to check out these specific runs. Honestly, skipping the fluff and going straight to the source is the only way to make sense of the mess.
- Justice League of America #9 (1962): This is the "real" origin story of the Silver Age team. It’s campy, but it’s the blueprint.
- JLA: Year One: A late-90s miniseries that retells the origin without Superman or Batman as active founders. It sounds weird, but it's one of the best League stories ever written.
- Justice League Vol. 1: Origin (2011): This is the New 52 version. It’s cinematic, loud, and gives you the Cyborg-as-a-founder perspective.
- The Brave and the Bold #28: Just for the historical significance of seeing them fight a giant starfish.
Knowing the list of founders of the Justice League is kinda like knowing your family tree; it’s complicated, people disagree on the details, and there's always a weird uncle (looking at you, Snapper Carr) that everyone tries to forget.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into DC history, your next step should be checking out the JLA: Year One trade paperback. It does the best job of humanizing the founders and explaining why a group of people with such massive egos would ever agree to work together in the first place.