Justice League-New Beginning DCAU Universe

The JL-NB stories take place in a modified version of the DCAU. It fully takes into account the BTAS storylines as well as the STAS. The Justice League series and 1st season of JLU are preserved intact. Also preserved is the Batman Beyond continuity. Where things differentiate is in the JLU's second season.

The villains slain in the JLU's second season survive in the JL-NB stories. Also taken into account are elements of the Challenge of the Super Friends. Key figures (such as Black Vulcan, Apache Chief, and Samurai) are incorporated as is the Legion of Doom. However, the team roster for the Legion has been highly modified as has the powers of the three Super Friends. Other notable additions include the Gotham Rogues Gallery, Mary Marvel, Black Adam, Plastic Man, Ra's al Ghul, and L-Ron (from the JLI comic series).

As with all things DCAU: the League, characters, and history are trademarks of DC Comics, Inc. No infringement of copyright is intended and no profits are being made from these efforts. It's all for fun.

Chapter One

Lex Luthor's lips twisted into a cold, satisfied smile. More so-called super villains had decided to meet him here for his conference then he'd anticipated. Most had belonged to Grodd's Secret Society, the same Society which Luthor had wrested out of the simian's hands. The notable exception was the plethora of rogues from Gotham City. Grodd's previous overtures towards them had failed. Luthor's had not because he had the liquid assets to persuade them to at least hear him out.

Catwoman's participation was a delightful surprise. Like most of the Gothamites, she had her own agenda driving her. Her obsession with jewels and animal preserves didn't lend itself to collected villainy but there was always a first time for everything. After all, even Poison Ivy had deigned it necessary to be here.

This time Grodd and Luthor were presenting a unified front. Grodd had agreed to Luthor's agenda and his ability to best lead the forces pursuing it. This shearing away of old enmities had been vital to gathering those assembled here today.

Still, there were dangers to having so many megalomaniacs gathered together in such tight quarters. The Joker in particular bore watching. The Ultra-Humanite was another. Fortunately the most dangerous one of all had already been co-opted by Luthor.

Ra's al Ghul had endorsed Luthor's scheme and the power of the League of Assassins was now Luthor's to command. The Assassins' devotion to al Ghul gave Luthor an army of unwavering minions. That kind of loyalty couldn't be purchased no matter how many billions you threw at a person.

Of an even greater benefit was the fact that the various Assassins had insinuated themselves into positions of power and trust. Their combined pool of information was unrivalled by any other human agency. Al Ghul and his allies were primed to take over the world, and readily so, which was the point of this conference to begin with.

"Lex," Grodd spoke from Luthor's side, "They're here. No one else is coming."

"I have to admit more of them came then I anticipated but there aren't many heavy hitters." Luthor opined.

"You found Galatea." Grodd reminded him, "That's something. Besides, there's always Bizarro and Solomon Grundy."

"Yes." Luthor mused, "I suppose Star Sapphire and Sinestro wouldn't be considered pikers either."

"All right." Luthor squared his shoulders, "I'm ready. Warm them up for me."

"It will be my pleasure." Grodd was surprised to confess. He moved over to the podium and activated the mike, "Greetings. If you could settle in, we'll begin."

"When do we get paid?" the Joker called out.

"After the presentation." Grodd calmly answered, "You'll each receive a suitcase containing one million dollars in non-sequential bills."

The Joker leaned over and whispered into Harley Quinn's ear, "It's a good thing I brought you, Pooh. This way we can have two shares."

"We woulda anyway." Harley bubbled, "Ivy invited me too."

The Joker shot a glare towards Poison Ivy. Ivy saw his look, judged Quinn's expression, and knew what the Joker's temper was flared up over. She smiled and blew him a kiss. He sat there and scowled, all the while looking like a victim of one of his own jokes.

Ivy refocused on Grodd. She'd ignored the first two Secret Societies and had only come this time because she'd been told that the Society concept was out. That and that Luthor had a grand design and wanted to share both the work and the rewards.

Ivy had met Luthor once during an agricultural trade show back when she was boring old Pamela Isely. He'd eyed her of course, most men did. What made him different was that he listened and took her proposals seriously.

Ivy had been there arguing that plants could be used as cultivators, harvesters, and that natural floral toxins would make better insecticides. Luthor had given her grant money and a promise to develop her hybrids. What she hadn't expected was that he'd put them towards military applications, which they weren't bred for, and that they failed miserably. His funding soon went the way of the dodo.

Ivy didn't bear him any distinct ill will. She just felt her usual scorn for short sighted individuals. Just because I'm here for the sales pitch doesn't mean I'm buying into anything, Ivy thought to herself as Grodd relinquished control to Luthor.

Luthor's smile could have sold oil to Arabs. He was used to handling crowds, whether it be shareholders, high end clients, generals, or politicians. He'd worked them all. The only difference between then and now was that his current audience was admittedly criminal. He found the honesty refreshing.

"May I especially say 'welcome super-villains.'" Luthor began, "You have been branded outlaws, hunted, imprisoned, and cast out from the so-called 'polite' society. Your paths have often intersected and have finally led you here."

Luthor's eyes scanned the crowd. Some of them were already resistant but most were still listening, "During Darkseid's recent invasion I unwrapped the mystery of the Anti-Life Equation while many of you here fought Darkseid's forces. I enticed Darkseid to follow me to the Source and I offered him a choice: cease his attack on Earth or become a member of the Fallen who guard the Source."

"Darkseid made a counter-offer." Luthor revealed, "I agreed to desist but he offered me the chance to rule in his stead. I will serve as satrap over Earth and my allies will be its governors. Darkseid's only interest in Earth at this point is the desire to harness the meta-gene that produces our so-called 'superheroes' and those like us. Now I realize that many of you here do not possess inherent meta-human powers but your skills surpass that of ordinary citizens granting you comparable abilities."

"I agreed to Darkseid's plan and am now gathering my allies who will help me conquer Earth." Luthor announced.

"So you are putting together a new Secret Society." The Ultra Humanite said.

"No." Luthor replied, "The Society served one purpose: to mutually assist each other to become rich. I'm gathering something different. Our goal will be to take over this flyspeck of a planet and plunder it while we satisfy our every desire."

"So what will this group be called?" the Mirror Master asked.

"We will be the Legion of Doom." Luthor declared.

"Catchy title, Lex." The Joker called out, "But what makes you think that we can take on the Justice League? They are regrouping as some kind of UN police force."

Luthor chuckled, "So I've heard. But let me tell you, I've been busy over the last year. I've been recruiting and I have found some interesting Legionnaires."

"Before I introduce them, let me tell you a little story. You all remember when The Justice League fought versions of themselves from an alternate reality?" Luthor asked and there was a general consensus that they did. Even Killer Croc was in the loop so he continued, "Those people were the Justice Lords. They originated on a parallel Earth now referred to as Earth-2."

"I eliminated the Justice Lords' powers and the Justice League was able to return them to their universe. The Martian Manhunter blocked my memory of having built the nullifier and now when I try to remember it at all I find myself undergoing an uncontrollable urge to start knitting." The Joker in particular found this amusing so Luthor went on, "Having developed a hyperdimensional viewer and portal, I went exploring. What I found was fascinating. I have recreated the Justice Lords."

"From Earth-27 I found Supreme." Luthor announced. A figure dressed as the Justice Lords' Superman emerged from behind a curtain. The physical resemblance was striking as well. One had to step right up to him to differentiate him from Superman.

The crowd began to panic and Luthor began to soothe their nerves, "Supreme is really Gev Dar, a Daxamite who happened upon Earth-27. Possessing powers like Superman with none of his weaknesses, he killed their Man of Steel and conquered the planet. Despite all of his apparent invulnerability, Supreme does have one glaring Achilles' heel. His people have a violent, lethal reaction to lead. He had a supply of anti-lead poisoning serum but his supply ran out and, while he was formulating more, assassins came. They shot him and he developed lead poisoning."

Luthor carried on with the tale, "Supreme fled to the Himalayas where I tracked him down. I brought him back to Earth-1, our Earth, and treated him and developed more of his vital serum. He then agreed to join the Legion and is ready to assist me in taking over our world."

Luthor shifted gears as a young woman in the Lords' Wonder Woman costume appeared on stage, "From Earth-52 comes Donna Troy, the Wonder Girl. Raised by the Amazons, Donna killed Princess Diana over a dispute over their mission to 'Man's world.' Hunted by Queen Hippolyta's personal guard, Donna readily applied for membership."

"Next," Luthor spoke as a Lords' Green Lantern emerged, "On Earth-77 Spencer Hawk inherited the power ring. Determining that taking over that world was the best way to ensure peace, he waged a war against the rest of the planet's super beings. A war which he lost. Hawk was more than willing to enlist and now we have a Green Lantern on our side."

Seeing Sinestro's look of satisfaction, Luthor moved on as a Thanagarian emerged from the behind the curtain. As with the others, she was dressed in the Justice Lords' uniform. Luthor pressed on.

"On Earth-63, Danya Helstrom came to Earth as the Thanagarian scout. As with our Shayera Hol, Danya betrayed her superiors. Unlike Hawkgirl, Danya was then condemned by the very humans that she'd protected. In another glaring difference between worlds, Danya chose a different bird motif and is known as Kestrel." Luthor explained.

A dark figure dress as Justice Lords Batman emerged. A hush fell over the crowd and Luthor began to describe the solitary figure, "From here on Earth-1, Ra's al-Ghul introduced me to a man dedicated to the arts of assassination. He is a man with no name but his dedication, skill, and focus rival those of Batman, hence the costume. I have Ra's al-Ghul's word that we need not fear him. Dubbed Darkwing, he has included himself into my mission."

Next, a new figure blurred onto the stage. Dressed as the Flash, only with the colors of his costume reversed, he looked eager for action. Luthor began his description, "From the future came one Professor Zoom. The Professor replicated the Flash's powers and travelled back in time to best the Scarlet Speedster. Engaging in world conquest just enlarged his goals. He is simply referred to as the Reverse Flash."

A new figure emerged. She wore a costume no one had seen before. She resembled Wonder Woman but her eyes were cold and merciless. Luthor chuckled, "Ah, yes. Meet Superwoman. She comes from Earth-3. Earth-3 lacks any superheroes save my incarnation there. Superwoman led the Crime Syndicate, an ersatz Justice League with better priorities. Sadly, their Luthor made life untenable for Superwoman and she volunteered to join my team."

Finally, I present Brainiac!" Luthor triumphantly announced. Brainiac came forward out of the shadows and impassively stood by. Several of the assembled villains were preparing to leave but Luthor called out to them.

"Everyone, remain calm." He assured them, "Rest assured this Brainiac means us no harm. On Earth-212 I found Brainiac's shattered remains. I repaired him, and under Darkseid's guidance, I neutered him. This Brainiac only has limited self directives that allow independent thought and action. He truly is nothing but a computer now, dependent upon me to act."

"Brainiac is my tool and my bodyguard." Luthor warned, "Cross him at your peril."

Letting the words sink in, Luthor paused. Grodd and Ra's al Ghul came to stand beside him. Ra's spoke, "Grodd and I have thrown our weight behind Luthor. Grodd has asked to be made overseer of the continent of Africa when the time has come. I will purify the Earth and make her whole once again. I know this appeals to some of you."

Ivy shifted in her seat with a gleam in her eye as Grodd spoke, "I've put aside my differences with Luthor since all of my goals will be accomplished through his plan. I'm willing to serve as his lieutenant in order to further our mutual desires."

"This is all well and good," Dr. Polaris spoke up, "but what about Darkseid? What role will he play? Is he going to idly sit by while we do all of the work?"

"No, Handsome." Lashina said as she revealed herself. Mantis stood beside her, "He's sent us. He's also granting you some technology transfers: boom tube technology and the like. You all seem capable of acquiring as many minions as Lord Darkseid has parademons so imagine them equipped with weapons from Apokolips."

A murmur of approval rippled through the crowd and Lashina wore a triumphant smile, "I thought you'd like that."

"Why should we join you?" the Penguin inquired, "We do well enough on our own."

It was Luthor's turn to smile triumphantly, "Not like this you won't. Before we deal directly with the Justice League we'll undermine people's trust in them. That means we'll rob, loot, and plunder banks and jewelers. We'll sell advanced weapons to undesirables. We'll offer our services to rogue nations and insure their survival. In short, we'll make people hate the Justice League for failing to protect them."

His eyes intensified as he went on, "Then we'll replace the League as the UN's global guardians. From there we'll dictate our terms to the world. Without our protection the criminal elements will run rampant and overwhelm the forces of law and order. Chaos will erupt worldwide. They'll come crawling to us and we'll rule this world however we see fit."

"That all sounds good and all," the Shade ventured, "but in real, near future terms, how does that benefit me?"

Luthor's expression was predatory, "These things will happen. The Legion of Doom does exist. What you have to ask yourself now is do I want to be at the vanguard of these changes or do I want to get run over by them and lose out on any benefits I might have gained?"

"So what happens if we do want to sign up?" Volcana asked.

"Form a line to the left of the stage and go tell Brainiac that you're joining the Legion. He'll record your choice and then I will be in contact with you to tell you of the location of our headquarters. While you're at it, introduce yourselves to the Justice Lords and the others and sample some of the refreshments my caterer has provided."

Luthor watched as nearly two dozen of the super powered criminals ate some food and left without registering with Brainiac. He knew this was a likelihood so he was not bothered by their decisions. After all, the mooch factor ran high with this crowd. He still had time to convince them otherwise. Once the Legion's successes began to pile up, they'd come to him.

"Well, Lex-arooni, I have to hand it to you, you put on quite a show." The Joker slapped Luthor on the back, "You remember the little woman, don't you?"

Harley Quinn waved, "Hiya."

"Of course I remember you and Ms. Quinn. I wouldn't have asked you to join us today if I didn't." Luthor smoothly replied.

"That's just it, Lex old bean, our last two get togethers ended in disaster. What makes you think this time won't be more of the same?" the Joker asked.

"Because the last two times I didn't need you and you were simply in the way." Luthor's voice took on an edge, "This time you are needed. That psychotic little brain of yours may be sick and twisted but it's also full of its own strange genius. My plan needs to take in all variables. That includes the lunatic fringe."

"Glad to hear you say it." The Joker laughed, "We'll just mosey on over and sign up now. Tootles!"

Luthor spoke with a half a dozen participants, casually discussing elements of the Legion's plan for conquest. The current Legionnaires chatted it up with curious recruits. Deadshot had Darkwing cornered and Poison Ivy and Ra's al Ghul were locked in a very serious discussion.

Finally Brainiac approached, "I have the roll call compiled."

"Give the latest signees a fifteen minute chance at the refreshments and idle chatter and then we'll make the announcements." Luthor instructed.

"Very well, Master." Brainiac replied and stood there.

Luthor had detected another trend. Over half of those still here and never approached Brainiac. They were merely idling away their evening socializing, eating, and drinking. He suspected when they heard the results of the recruitment roster they might change their minds.

Luthor clapped his hands together, "If we could find our seats, Brainiac will announce the roster."

The assorted villainy sat down and Brainiac began his recitation, "The Legion of Doom stood at: Lex Luthor, Gorilla Grodd, Ra's al Ghul, Supreme, Wonder Girl, Spencer Hawk, Kestrel, Darkwing, Reverse Flash, and Superwoman. After today, the following have joined its ranks: the Ultra Humanite, Giganta, Galatea, Bizarro, Solomon Grundy, Lashina, Mantis, Dr. Polaris, the Gentleman Ghost, the Devil Ray, the Clock King, Rag Doll, Star Sapphire, Sinestro, the Mirror Master, Deadshot, Volcana, Poison Ivy, the Joker, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, the Penguin, Clayface, Copperhead, the Mad Hatter, and the Shade."

Hearing seeing the names presented, the remainder split into two groups: those leaving and those coming to see Brainiac. After a few minutes, Brainiac began again, "There have been unexpected additions to our ranks. Now added to the Legion's rolls are: the Riddler, Two Face, Catwoman, Bane, the Scarecrow, the Parasite, the Psycho Pirate, and the KGBeast."

Luthor approached the podium, "As you can tell, our numbers have dwindled somewhat since our meeting began. But you've remained. Ladies and Gentlemen, I salute you. We're going to change history and we're going to get everything we ever wanted while doing it!"