What if they were real?

[S.C.B]

This came up in another thread, but I thought it interesting enough to bring up seperately.

How would you feel about them if the Justice League Unlimited existed in the real world? Would you trust them implicitly? Would you fear them and lash out? Or would you be somewhere in the middle?

And also, if the the events of the Cadmus arc had happened, how would you then feel? Would you be applauding along with the crowd in 'Divided We Fall'? Or would you sympathise more with General Eiling's point of view?

Discuss. :D

[melibell21]

that would be the coolest friggin thing ever. yea, i would be a bit afraid of their sheer power, but not really.

if they were real:

i wouldn't be afraid b/c if they wanted to take over the world, they coulda done it ten times over with all that power. yet they don't. they put their lives on the line everyday for our safety. not too scared of that.

[Dens Maris]

I'd put on a cape and join. ;)

[melibell21]

I'd put on a cape and join. ;)

heck yea!

[kashpoing]

I would probably trust and respect them , but after the cadmus arc I would possibly question if anyone should have so much power afterall power corrupts.

[Death58]

I actually want to say that I would trust them if they were real, revering them as some of the greatest beings on the planet. That's based on what I've seen from the POV that the series gives me. Unfortunately, I must say that some of the really big moments of the Justice League saving Earth are sometimes never seen by the general public. Based on what the public sees, I would be rather conflicted, especially when considering what Superman did in STAS when he was under control of Darkseid, and there are other moments where it seemed as the though the heroes were turning against everyone.

Unfortunately, as the public seeing it on the news, we would never know the explanation of why a hero did what they did when they were being brainwashed(or altered in some other way). Wouldn't that make someone take more than a small glance at the mental stability of the Leaguers? I honestly don't think I could fully trust them, and the "Cadmus" situation makes their case even worse. .unless they saved me from some terrible event, then I would be okay with the League.

[Anwar]

I have to admit, sometimes the gullibility of the DC's public leaves me disgusted.

I was reading "Legends" the Ostrander story about Darkseid' smear campagin against DC's heroes. One guy says that since the heroes never did anything for him, they should all go. That stunned me. The guy has never been personally saved by a superhero, so that makes it okay to just dismiss them? All the times they saved the world don't count as that was a general save and no a person-specific one?

I know they were under Glorious Godfrey's influence but GEEZ...

[Sue]

If the League acutally existed, I'd be grateful as hell that I live in Baltimore instead of Metropolis or Gotham. We're screwed enough as is, we could do without the destruction they leave in their tracks :sweat:

[Anwar]

Makes me wonder. You suppose anybody could sue the Justice League like in "The Incredibles"?

[adoptedBatpuppy]

Fear them? Maybe a little... :shrug:

[DeathscytheVII]

As someone else in another thread said:

I'd ask Amazo to make a pie so big that he himself could not eat it :D

[D.Shaffer]

Unfortunately, I think I'd have to come down on the Cadmus side here. Sure, since we've watched them behave we know they're not really bad, but if it REALLY happened, we wouldnt have the same sort of coverage. I WOULD be worried if these strange men and aliens came down and said 'Dont worry, we'll use our superior intelligence and abilities to 'protect' you from the dangers of the universe'.

You want to help protect us? Fine, give us your technology and resources and let us do it ourselves. :mad:

[Bones Justice]

Is it okay to quote myself? Well, anyways, here's what I wrote in the other thread:



I have often wondered how I would feel if the Justice League really did exist. Would I admire them? Or fear them? I'm not sure I would know what to make of them. We as viewers get to see a lot more into the League's motivations and private discussions than the average citizen of Gotham or Metropolis. I'd probably have at least a few reservations about the League given their self-appointed status. I'd probably be more than a little skeptical at how many times bad things happened that the League claimed were not their fault. For example, would I really buy the whole mind-control explanation for Superman going rogue in Legacy? Or that Superman (an alien himself) was not at fault for dismantling our nuclear missiles prior to an alien invasion in Secret Origins? Or how about the Watchtower blowing up a city with their laser in Flashpoint? And how believable is a guy like Superman when he befriends a dangerous vigilante like Batman anyways?

Of course, my perspective on it all would probably depend upon how many times Superman or Batman had saved my bacon. At least, that I knew about since I doubt I could ever know about stuff like The Once and Future Thing. But since it's unlikely that I would live in either Gotham or Metropolis if I was a citizen of their world, more likely I would be skeptical. I'd probably be lucky to ever even see a superhero aside from on the evening news so I'd have to contend with any reporting bias, as well.

After reading a few other posts on the subject, I would add that my opinion in our world might differ from my opinion in the DCAU. I would laugh then be outraged if a famous person claimed to be "mind-controlled" as an excuse for an evil deed in our world. For example, could you imagine if O.J. or Robert Blake had admitted to murder then claimed that at the time, they were brain-washed by an old rival? Hopefully, no jury would buy it, either.

But in the DCAU? I don't know what I would believe. Superman has been off-then-on again as a hero more than once. Did the public really buy it? Or did they just not have a choice? I think I would still be skeptical but since I would have to accept that a man can indeed fly, maybe mind-control is a possibility, too.

There there is the whole personal responsibility angle. In our world, we all too often blame the victim of crimes rather than the criminal. "She left her purse in her car? Serves her right that it got stolen!" or "They should have locked the front door!" Yeah, good advice but the criminal was ultimately the one that did wrong. Likewise, the Watchtower laser -- a lot of DCAU folk might have believed that the weapon was taken over by a villain in Flashpoint but may still have been asking, "What the heck did they have it pointed at us for in the first place?"

Then there is the collateral damage caused by superheroes. Geez, look what happened in Clash. And that was televised! Many police forces these days will not even engage in vehicular pursuit of a criminal unless it's a serious crime in progress due to the liability of crashing into a bystander. Not only do superheroes engage villains in public places, sometimes they draw them out, like in Patriot Act. Bruce Wayne voiced his fear of this very thing in The Bat in the Belfry.

I doubt I would ever fully trust Hawkgirl again. She admitted to being a traitor without any sort of mind-control. People trusted the Hawks in general in Starcrossed because they were afraid. Once they realized they had been betrayed, it would be incredibly hard to earn that trust again, myself included.

So I can't really say how knowing that a man can fly would effect my outlook. But more than likely, I would agree with the likes of General Eiling. I wouldn't know that he tried to nuke an island of villagers (Doomsday Sanction) or that he turned himself into a super-powered freak bent on destruction (Patriot Act). I would just agree with him that after the events of Legacy, Clash, Flashpoint, and others, that we common folk would need some checks and balances against superheroes.

That is, unless I got some powers of my own. :D

[Justice League 2000]

If the JLU was real? I will Be a superhero ;)

[JLU Dude]

This is an interesting question. On one hand, I'd be glad that they're around, but on the other, yes a lot of their fights cause destruction in their wake and people do get hurt. Taking into account this question, I'm not sure I'd trust Hawkgirl again, or Superman for that matter. Plus, there's the cannon that the second Watchtower had.

Though, like Bones Justice said, if I had Superpowers, I might feel differently and try to join them.:)

Which brings me to


But more than likely, I would agree with the likes of General Eiling. I wouldn't know that he tried to nuke an island of villagers (Doomsday Sanction) or that he turned himself into a super-powered freak bent on destruction (Patriot Act).

Actually, regarding the events of Patriot Act, the public might know about he turning himself, since he attacked a televised parade and shortly after stating the fight announced who he was in front of a crowd.

[veemonjosh]

I'd be scared...

...very, very scared...

And even if I did have superpowers, I'd rather just save people in my town, since a league would seem overwelming to me for some reason.

(I want a superpower to freeze time. Or fly. Or turn into a monkey. Or all three.)

[melibell21]

well if these heroes were deputized or something and were more restrained and controlled, i wouldn't be scared.

[Silly McGooses]

I'd probably be terrified. I'd probably support Cadmus if they were real...you know...before J.K. Simmons turned into the Grey Hulk and started trying to kill everybody.

[DR.MID-NITE]

I woudl be more scared of the supervillians. Because in real life the good guys don't always win.

[Arkangel]

Since the overwhelming majority of the times the superheroes of the DCAU are shown they are either saving lives, averting disasters or fighting violent crimes (and criminals), I would welcome them with open arms. In fact, when has any DCAU superhero committed an evil act of their own free will. That's more than you can say for the American government in the DCAU (or in this world for that matter). I would love to know that if I were in a plane that was going down, or held hostage at gunpoint, there was at least a chance that a superhero would intervene to save me. A lot better deal than we have in the real world.

[swarlock]

Makes me wonder. You suppose anybody could sue the Justice League like in "The Incredibles"?

I don't see why not. Real people sometimes do it to celebrities who are unfortunately more screwed up than the public.

[mystery]

Well!That'a a strange question.If the JL was reaL,as a citizen of Earth I think I would fear them,but in the same time I would trust them.
Mabey if they were real I would even join them,and give them a hand.Of course I have to admit I would not dedicate my whole life to fighting crime.

[Jimmy 345]

If Batman and Superman were really I would be pissed at them for constantly letting Lex Luthor and The Joker live when killing them would save alot of innocent lives. Otherwise if they were real Id be gratful for stopping Earths constant alien invasions. Truthfully I am glad I live in the real world.

[Anwar]

Superman and Batman aren't to blame for Joker and Luthor's continued existance, the damn judicial system is. They go out there and bust their butts to take down these nuts and the judges either send them to Arkham or are bribed into letting them go rather than just giving the b@$t@rds the lethal injection.

[Jimmy 345]

Superman and Batman aren't to blame for Joker and Luthor's continued existance, the damn judicial system is. They go out there and bust their butts to take down these nuts and the judges either send them to Arkham or are bribed into letting them go rather than just giving the b@$t@rds the lethal injection.

If Batman and Superman were naive enough to believe the system would prosecute them that would be understandable but after numerous failed attempts to get the obviously very corupt and very liberal justice system to work I don't see why Batman or Superman couldn't do the job themselves or at the very least do a Batman Begins (I won't kill you but I don't have to save you) and stand by while they fall to there deaths.

I can understand Batman saving Two-face (a former friend) or Freeze (a very sympathic charcter but the Joker had several episodes and two movies and not once did he show the slightest redeeming or sympathic quality. He was a criminal before his accident and he kills people left and right just because he finds it funny. If the Joker was real I would spit in the face of anyone who would sypasize with this low life.

Then again the truth is they aren't real and I guess you can overlook the huge logic flaw in order to get more adventures with great villians you love to hate.

[PowerhouseRowe]

As much as I love the Justice League and everything that is comic books, I have to say that I wouldn't fear them because the reality of it is, at the end of the day, WE COULD CRUSH THEM. Remember, we outnumber the original seven nearly 1,000,000,000 to 1.

If the League went rogue, the Watchtower would get blown out of the sky immediately. There goes at least 25 superheros. The survivors wouldn't have long before they couldn't move without being noticed. From there, it turns into a witch hunt. For example, any man in Metropolis or Gotham with dark hair, dark eyes, strong build, and a 6 foot-plus stature would be accused of being Superman/Batman and eventually they'd be discovered. Bruce dies easily and I'm sure we'd get our hands on some kryptonite.

While I would welcome them with loving arms and I'd be a huge fan, I wouldn't fear a New World Order.

[Dusty]

If we were talking about the good old JL days, then that would be sweet! but if it were JLU, it would suck badly! also if it was real i would be Superman, :)




D.

[Phantasm]

The world needs a Batman.:sad:

[Dusty]

The world needs not just Batman and Superman but good and honest heroes period.



D.

[Peter Paltridge]

The Incredibles got it right. If they were real, the destruction they would cause would cost so much that they'd get sued into early retirement.

[adoptedBatpuppy]

As much as I love the Justice League and everything that is comic books, I have to say that I wouldn't fear them because the reality of it is, at the end of the day, WE COULD CRUSH THEM. Remember, we outnumber the original seven nearly 1,000,000,000 to 1.

If the League went rogue, the Watchtower would get blown out of the sky immediately. There goes at least 25 superheros. The survivors wouldn't have long before they couldn't move without being noticed. From there, it turns into a witch hunt. For example, any man in Metropolis or Gotham with dark hair, dark eyes, strong build, and a 6 foot-plus stature would be accused of being Superman/Batman and eventually they'd be discovered. Bruce dies easily and I'm sure we'd get our hands on some kryptonite.

While I would welcome them with loving arms and I'd be a huge fan, I wouldn't fear a New World Order.

The way you phrased that is you would think the Justice League would turn evil if they were real. :sad:

[DR.MID-NITE]

Here is a sort of side question. What do you think the real world reaction would be if a costumed hero (not a comic one) actually happened? Not necessarily a Superman or Spiderman. But, even someone like the movie version of Daredevil who has heightened senses, sonar and could jump incredible distances. Just a hero who actually has some kind of super-power.

[Bones Justice]

Here is a sort of side question. What do you think the real world reaction would be if a costumed hero (not a comic one) actually happened? Not necessarily a Superman or Spiderman. But, even someone like the movie version of Daredevil who has heightened senses, sonar and could jump incredible distances. Just a hero who actually has some kind of super-power.

Um, not sure how to answer that question. I could see several possibilities -- the guy who thinks he's Batman (ie, no super-powers); the guy who thinks he's Punisher (ie, no powers other than firepower); the guy who has some kind of mutant ability.

I think the world's reaction to the first two types would be that the guy is crazy. More than likely, the "Batman" guy would get killed off after not very long. The "Punisher" guy might survive longer and rack up a larger number of kills (literally) but would probably end up in jail or killed, also, after not much longer.

I think a true mutant, well, the world's reaction would probably depend upon the level of power that the guy had. Somebody with powers like Daredevil in the real world probably wouldn't fare much better than the above (jailed or killed). His powers might make for an interesting story on the Discovery Channel. But I don't think a lot of people would even really believe it. Bigfoot, UFO's, the Loch Ness monster, and this guy.

On the other hand, if a powerful mutant appeared -- one that could fly, was invulnerable, could lift cars, etc. -- I think that might cause a lot of people to panic at first. The whole WMD argument and all that. But over time, if this guy was shown to be benevolent and actually helping the common folks out there when they were in trouble, well, I think he would become a popular and appreciated part of every day life. I do think there would always be some that would want to take him apart, though. Some people just don't like the balance of power being messed with and this would do it on a level never seen before (or, perhaps, for a couple of thousands of years, depending upon your personal beliefs).