Rank and File: Justice League of America, Roll Call!

Redartz:  Hi gang! Most of the time here at BitBA we seem to discuss Marvel Comics and their phenomenal cast of characters. So this time around, we'll give a chance to DC. Specifically, the Justice League. 

 The JLA has had as many lineup changes as the Avengers, and perhaps more. Of course, the League had a couple years head start. A wide range of characters have filled the membership logs of the JLA, including DC's biggest stars, and many of their lesser lights. From Superman to Blue Beetle, from Wonder Woman to Gypsy, much of DC's lineup have occupied the pages of DC's premier team book. 

There was the classic original lineup, with the likes of Green Lantern, Flash, Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman (and frequently Superman and Batman). In the 70's there was the "Satellite Era", with a grand array of members, adding such names as Firestorm, Black Lightning, Elongated Man, Red Tornado, Black Canary and Green Arrow. In the 80's, a new era for the JLA gave us the lineup with Gypsy, Vibe, Steel, Vixen and John J'onzz. A few years later, after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the "Bwa Ha Ha" league, with Batman, Black Canary, Captain Marvel, Dr. Fate, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Mr. Miracle, John J'onzz and Guy Gardner kept us entertained. 

Which lineup was the best? Which heroes had the biggest impact? What characters did you enjoy seeing in the book, and which ones could have stayed home? Give us your opinions, and I won't tell Batman about how you missed the membership meeting...

 

Rank and File: The Better Six!

Martinex1:   Here we are for another round of ranking the Avengers and Justice League of America superstars!   This time around we are taking a look at the female characters.

Scarlet Witch, the Wasp, Zatanna, Black Canary, Hawkgirl, and Ms. Marvel are all to be compared today in terms of their contribution to their respective teams as well as  who generates the most interest for you. 

I have to say that Marvel is the clear leader for me in this category.   I admittedly am not as versed in DC lore; I struggled to name many JLA featured characters although I suspect Power Girl and Vixen could have been added to the list.   While for Marvel, I strongly considered adding Tigra, Black Widow, She-Hulk, and Captain Marvel (Photon) to the list as I felt they were all significant contributors, but discounted their impact due to length of service or contributions to other teams (She-Hulk on the FF and Black Widow and the Champions),

But you can add others to this Rank and File as you see fit.

My personal rankings are:

1. Wasp:  The early days were rough, but I really grew to appreciate Janet Van Dyne during Roger Stern's run as I think he created a wonderful evolution for the character.
2. Scarlet Witch: Although she has had serious retcons and re-imaginings over the years.  I still think of Wanda as a core and interesting member of the team.  I find I prefer eras with her in the cast  more so than those times she is absent.  
3. Hawkgirl: The "Hawk" characters are so convoluted with their various reincarnations and shifting alter egos and origins.  But I still like them.   Out of all of the winged characters, however, I really like the costume and warrior-like intentions of Kendra.
4. Ms. Marvel:  I have mixed feelings about Carol Danvers.  She is a different and bold creation and I enjoy that they made her such a powerhouse,  but I have never found her characteristics to be totally rounded and complete.  I have not read her adventures for a while, but back in the Bronze Age I would have liked to see more depth to her motivation.  And unfortunately Avengers #200 was a complete travesty that had impacted her future.
5. Black Canary:  Despite coming first, I always felt that Dinah was a strange copy of Black Widow but with an added power with her vocal ability.   I am probably completely wrong as I know so little about her history in the JLA, with the Bird of Prey, or when teaming with Green Arrow.   I essentially defer to others' input.
6. Zatanna:  Again, I am at a loss.  Are there major arcs involving Zatanna?   This may say a lot about my DC knowledge, but perhaps it also is a commentary about DC characters in general.   Should other characters be on this list?

I also want to point out that in regards to the Avengers, the Wasp and Scarlet Witch are top tier.  I would bump a couple from my "male" top six to make room for them on the team.   In my eyes, they are more important to the team than Thor, Iron Man, Wonder Man, Black Panther and many others.

What do you think about these heroines?  How do you rank them?  And how do you list them when side-by-side with their male counterparts?
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