I'd do THE JUSTICE LEAGUE like this:
A reporter's voiceover tells us that there are Gods among us. As the picture fades in, we find ourselves in a high-tech Monitor Room with The Roundtable, listening to TV host Snapper Carr talking about the Justice League. Through Carr, we are briefly introduced to each known member of the league: Superman, Princess Diana, Green Lantern, J'onn J'onnz, and The Flash. The League has been operating on Earth for some time, and is much revered. Someone is there, listening to Carr's broadcast, scientist Ray Palmer asks someone named "O'Brian" to take over the monitors. Carr mentions that it's a comfort to know that not all alien worlds are hostile.
And then we are in Deep Space, looking at the beautiful planet New Genesis. Beyond it looms the dark industrial world Apokolips. On Apokolips, an industrial slaveworld, inside a great stone palace, the shadowy ruler of the planet is receiving an ambassador from New Genesis. The ambassador, "Orion", asks the ruler to stop his warlike ways, or face retaliation from New Genesis, and the ruler responds that he has adhered to The Treaty, and owes nothing more. The ambassador leaves, angry, but controlling his temper as best he can.
Confronted by his son Kalibak, Darkseid decides that he has waited too long and his people have suffered for it, and that Apokolips must seek out new worlds to conquer in order to stave off defeat by the forces of New Genesis, even though it means breaking The Treaty.
Orion watches from space as Darkseid's forces depart Apokolips and disappear into the stars. He contacts his own ruler, The Highfather of New Genesis, and is told not to interefere, but that he must warn Darkseid's target world of the tyrant's ambitions. Orion opens a strange worm-hole like portal in space, and disappears into the cosmos.
On Earth, we find ourselves in Metropolis, the City of Tomorrow, and then at the Daily Planet, where Clark Kent receives a phone call from Ray Palmer informing him that a long-dormant volcano in the Corto Maltese is about to erupt. Clark excuses himself and disappears.
Elsewhere, Palmer contacts "others" via various methods: Kyle Rayner, who is working on a comic strip, Wally West, who is relaxing at home his wife and young son, and John Jones, a detective involved in a murder case. All of them drop what they're doing to respond to the summons.
Across the ocean, in the Corto Maltese, a massive volcano is preparing to erupt as rescue workers attempt to evacuate the coastline. Panic is ensuing in the village streets below the mountain, and Princess Diana appears out of nowhere, rescuing a young girl and fostering calm in the sea of chaos around her. The rest of the Justice League arrives in grand fashion, Superman, Green Lantern, J'onn J'onnz, and The Flash. The leaguers immediately do what they can to evacuate the island and stop the volcano, each utilizing their unique powers and teamwork to halt the disaster. The Flash rescues citizens from the after-effects of the disaster and Superman and Diana deal with the volcano itself. J'onn J'onnz does his best to calm to crowds and provide direction, but finds himself almost overwhelmed amidst the chaos. In the end, Green Lantern tries to stop the volcano singelhandedly, but cannot maintain his will, and his ring gives out, leading the league to seek an alternate solution. When the disaster is finally averted, after a number of large earthquakes and threatening eruptions, and massive destruction to the island nation, the league leaves stunned Maltesian citizens behind and head for home. Everyone, that is, except for The Flash, who remains behind to help the overwhelmed rescue workers.
Back in Metropolis, The League rendevouzs at The Watchtower, a state-of-the-art headquarters amidst a lush park/fountain area. They discuss the events of the day, and Ray Palmer reveals that when they stopped the disaster, they inadvertently caused other chain-reactions that caused massive damage, and will ultimately lead to economic hardships for the Corto Maltese. In the midst of the discussion, the league's monitor person Eel O'Brian enters the picture, leading to some conflict. The league ends the meeting, with Superman telling them they've done well, and to get plenty of rest.
In the state-of-the-art Watchtower cafeteria, Wally and Kyle discuss the day's events, theorizing why Kyle's ring gave out on him. Eel O'Brian enters, and receives something of a cold shoulder from the other's, with hints at a criminal past. He leaves, angry and frustrated at their lack of acceptance.
On the ledge of the Watchtower, Superman is interrupted by Diana, who tells him he should be resting as much as anyone. He and Diana discuss the fact that he can't do everything, and she asks him to allow his human side more time. She tells him that she and the other leaguers are more than capable of handling world events. Superman leaves in the middle of the discussion to handle flooding in the Midwest.
Back in the Watchtower, Eel O'Brian flashes back to the criminal event that caused him to become a metahuman, and relives the incident, where he ran from police during a firefight, and was doused with strange chemicals. The memory disturbs him. Kyle finds J'onn in the Watchtower Library, trying to overcome his fear of flame via a book of matches. When he attempts to bond with J'onn, the Martian asks to be left alone.
Ray Palmer is working on a helmet of some kind when Eel Palmer enters his laboratory. He asks Eel what's wrong, and Eel says he's there for his routine tests. Palmer runs some tests on O'Brian, and we learn a bit more about O'Brian's remarkable physiology. Whatever he can do, it's bound to be cool. When Palmer presses him for what's wrong, O'Brian reveals that he's not sure why he's working with the Justice League, as he's not fitting in at all or making allies. It's hinted that he's there as a sort of plea-bargain to escape a prison sentence related to his criminal activities over the years. O'Brian wants to know what good behind-the-scenes work is, and Palmer assures him that it does make a difference. O'Brian changes the subject, asking Palmer what he's working on (a pressurization suit). Palmer preaches patience, and tells Eel there's a difference between having power and knowing what and when to use it it for.
In Washington D.C, at the White House, protestors are wielding signs about The Justice League's use of power in the Corto Maltese. The President denies a connection with the League, as it's a private organization. And the media runs with it. Playing to a packed audience, television host Snapper Carr denounces the League and their use of power. He thinks they want to be seen as Gods. Meanwhile, Superman handles flooding in the Midwest. And given the way he handles it, he might well be one. Carr mentions a past conflict with the submarine nation of Atlantis, and asks if the world can afford to trust metahumans to handle the world's issues.
The screen image explodes. An enraged Diana has destroyed one of the monitors in the Watchtower Monitor Room. She is livid at the propanga about the league that is circulating, but Superman points out that humanity has a point. The league's methods may require some evaluation. He and Diana's views on the situation conflict, and a wedge begins to form between them.
Wally returns home to find his son sleeping, and has to explain his absence to him. In the backyard, he talks to his wife Linda about his time with the league. She points out that if he spends time with them, and as The Flash, that he's missing out on his family life. Wally thinks that his power is all that makes him special, but Linda attempts to quell his fears. The two of them look up at the full Moon.
On the Moon itself, a massive Supercarrier is settling into the dark side of the Moon, and a supercomplex is revealed, built into the Moon's bedrock. Darkseid and Kalibak board the supercomplex, and Darkseid is greeted with upmost reverence by legions of soldiers, who have apparently been manning the Moon Complex for some time. Darkseid excuses himself to make contact with an Earth sleeper agent, Desaad. Desaad reveals that he has followed Darkseid's plans to the letter, and speaks of their reunion to come. As a reward, Darkseid tells Desaad that after Earth has fallen, Desaad will oversee the "conversion" process, hinting at his ultimate plan. Then Darkseid turns his attention to Earth matters. There is something transpiring at the United Nations.
Indeed, at the United Nations, Superman and Diana, as representatives of the league, have been summoned to a special summit to explain their actions in the Corto Maltese. Superman apologizes on behalf of the league, but that's not enough for the coucil. Diana takes offense to this and reacts with anger, effectively ending the summit. Superman asks her what she's doing, and in the ensuing argument, it becomes clear that they no longer see eye to eye about how the league should interact with the world. Diana leaves, telling Superman that she is seeking out someone who will do what must be done.
At a military base in Washington D.C, soldiers scramble for the arrival of a metahuman invader, Orion. He asks to see their leaders, and when threatened with deadly force, loses his temper and mows them down, entering the base. A gas attack subdues him, and soldiers apprehend him. At the White House, Amanda Waller, the Secretary of Defense, informs The President of the breach. The President, unsure and paranoid of Orion's metahuman origins, elects not to inform The Justice League of the event.
