Justice League Plot and Storyline Discussion

[MadVillainy]

Since the other JL thread has mostly just gone on to the "business" side of making a JL film, I was wondering what plots/storylines or character arcs do you want to see happen? What villains do you want to see?

 

[DaveMoral]

To me Darkseid is the epitome of the JL's greatest villain. I actually really like the first JL arc of the New 52 as a template. They primarily with the Parademons and they are a challenge nearly insurmountable. The only thing I'd do differently is not have Darkseid come out and fight them only to be teleported away in a Boom tube just before defeating the League.

Then again, the Justice graphic novel could be good too.

 

[MadVillainy]

Funny. I just finished reading the new JL Origin story. It was okay, but I dont think that it should be used as a template. Some of the dialouge I'd use, but the overall storyline I wouldnt, especially Darkseid as a villain. And I definetly wouldn't use the way they portrayed the characters other than Flash.

 

[The Guard]

I wouldn't use ANY single JLA story as a template. I'd draw from everything.

 

[spider-neil]

I really like the OMAC storyline. the team has to take don a threat created by batman so you have conflict without (the OMACS) and conflict within (batman explaining why he built the omacs in the first place). yes the movie is batman centric but seeing as batman is DCs flagship character that is a good 'in' for the general audience.

 

[metaphysician]

And I, by contrast, think the OMAC storyline would be an *awful* choice for a JLA movie. You basically open the franchise with a plot that's even more covered in "anti-superhuman paranoia" than the first X-Men movie. That's not what the JLA is supposed to be about.

As for who to actually use, I agree that Darkseid is a great villain when done right. I just don't think he should be the first movie villain. Build up to him, and use him for the big finish, instead. I'd be inclined to use some variation on the White Martians as the initial movie villains, instead.

 

[CConn]

These are some ideas I've had recently...

* Have the country be extremely mistrustful of superheroes due to their propensity for violence and destruction.

* *Superman should have just come on the scene - he should have just come off of a Birthright-esque experience where he's overcome initial suspicions and is winning people's favor in Metropolis.

* *Batman is still lurking in the shadows of Gotham - more urban legend than anything. Gordon is already his ally, though.

* Wonder Woman is an ageless Themysciran who has been on the scene since WW2. Now she is the ambassador to paradise island.

* Green Lantern and The Flash are friends who are largely viewed as nuisances due to the damage they've caused from saving their respective cities. This bothers Flash. GL doesn't mind.

* Introduce the Starro spores as mysterious alien invaders who are taking normal people and turning them villainous (give it an Alien vibe) then have the JLA form as a response to that global threat.

* Throw Lex Luthor or maybe Vandal Savage in as a human contact for the invading aliens

* Then at about the halfwayc point, *reveal that the spores are actually just scout troops for a tremendously large galactic army headed up by the humanoid Starro The Conqueror.

* Have an epic land and space battle which can showcase all of the League's various powers, which proves both their honesty and necessity to the normal human world.

* End with a post-credits Darkseid scene.

 

[RoughNTumble]

^yep, that's how you do it

 

[CConn]

I'm not done either. That's just the broad scope. There still a lot of character progression and societal subtext that I'd like to add.

 

[MadVillainy]

These are some ideas I've had recently...

* Have the country be extremely mistrustful of superheroes due to their propensity for violence and destruction.

* *Superman should have just come on the scene - he should have just come off of a Birthright-esque experience where he's overcome initial suspicions and is winning people's favor in Metropolis.

* *Batman is still lurking in the shadows of Gotham - more urban legend than anything. Gordon is already his ally, though.

* Wonder Woman is an ageless Themysciran who has been on the scene since WW2. Now she is the ambassador to paradise island.

* Green Lantern and The Flash are friends who are largely viewed as nuisances due to the damage they've caused from saving their respective cities. This bothers Flash. GL doesn't mind.

* Introduce the Starro spores as mysterious alien invaders who are taking normal people and turning them villainous (give it an Alien vibe) then have the JLA form as a response to that global threat.

* Throw Lex Luthor or maybe Vandal Savage in as a human contact for the invading aliens

* Then at about the halfwayc point, *reveal that the spores are actually just scout troops for a tremendously large galactic army headed up by the humanoid Starro The Conqueror.

* Have an epic land and space battle which can showcase all of the League's various powers, which proves both their honesty and necessity to the normal human world.

* End with a post-credits Darkseid scene.

i agree with the bolded

 

[Thundercrack85]

Have Superman and Batman already know each other's identities even if they have not yet met in person. Shows both their intelligences.

Perhaps allude to past superheroes.

 

[MadVillainy]

I like those ideas Thundercrack

Or at least I want Batman to know the other's idenities. Kind of like in this

 

[HR-PUFF&STUFF]

you have to build up to a JLA movie like they did with the avengers. People wanted to see the Avengers because they saw the other movies and knew who the members were. If you just did the Avengers no one would have cared, it would have been just a big summer movie like transformers. You need to set up the JL over four or five movies.

if i were to use any story for a JL movie with be New Frontier. The story puts the heroes front and center. There's no need to fill time with the villains master plan, the Center wants the earth, easy enough.

Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, have to team up with Green Lantern the Flash and Martian Manhunter, to defeat a threatening alien presence on Earth.

 

[CConn]

i agree with the bolded

You...don't want GL and Flash to be friends?

 

[CConn]

you have to build up to a JLA movie like they did with the avengers. People wanted to see the Avengers because they saw the other movies and knew who the members were. If you just did the Avengers no one would have cared, it would have been just a big summer movie like transformers. You need to set up the JL over four or five movies.

if i were to use any story for a JL movie with be New Frontier. The story puts the heroes front and center. There's no need to fill time with the villains master plan, the Center wants the earth, easy enough.

Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, have to team up with Green Lantern the Flash and Martian Manhunter, to defeat a threatening alien presence on Earth.

Nah, New Frontier wouldn't work at all.

It's way too overloaded with characters no one in the GA has ever heard of, and the main cast of characters don't have nearly enough page-time or exposition to be compelling protagonists.

 

[RoughNTumble]

maybe they could do a world's finest movie leading into JL

 

[CConn]

That's not a bad idea.

 

[Doomed_hero]

To me the hardest thing is setting up batman and superman existing in the same movie. This is a public perception problem since most GA I have met have a hard time buying it or there friendship and Batman being surrounded in this world. I see no problem but i grew up with it much like people here. If they are able to convey it in a way everyone can buy it, I think its easy to once that friendship is established bringing Batman into the more fantasy world. To me its Thor in revrese since Thor was really hard to introduce into the real universe Marvel was setting up. Batman is harder to bring into the more fantasy based DC. But hell I never thought thor could work and they showed me

 

[CConn]

Exactly. The GA can be a tough sell on a lot of things, but as long as you do it correctly, and do it well, they'll eat it up.

 

[MadVillainy]

You...don't want GL and Flash to be friends?

i want them to be friends. Just not from the jump

 

[ЯɘvlveR]

i want a WF, followed by a trinity, culminating in a Jl film.

as far as the plot, I'm not sure where to start.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I like those ideas Thundercrack

Or at least I want Batman to know the other's idenities. Kind of like in this

That's a good reveal.

But it's safe to say that Superman would figure it out easily. At least, if he's got his super intelligence, and skills as a journalist. And he can see through walls.

Wally West would probably be the most tricky one. Of the three, he wouldn't have his own Wikipedia page, while Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent would be at least somewhat famous. They even had a joke about that in the show, where Lex Luthor got to unmask him, and realized he had no idea who Wally was.

 

[CConn]

I kinda picture them as the Black Widow and Hawkeye of the film (minus the romance, of course). With everyone else being newly introduced and unsettled with each other, they'd at least be the one constant.

Which, I think would be the most interesting as their personalities would be the most immature and roguish. That would say something. Here the ever mature Batman and Superman would be struggling to adjust to each other's divergent personalities, yet two total, yet kinda immature, opposites in GL and Flash would be best of friends.

Additionally, I'd make Wonder Woman the oldest of the group for similar reasons. Batman and Superman have such a gravitas about them, and in a lot of ways, a certain level of arrogance. Wonder Woman not only being wise beyond her years, but also a WW2 legend would, again, through Superman and Batman's idea of the status quo for a loop. Suddenly they'd be the ones who are intimidated, who are young and unproven compared to her.

Then, throughout the story, you have all of those different personalities learn from each other, and adapt to each other.

 

[batman strikes]

I honestly believe they should do a World's Finest film first and set up the Batman/ Superman friendship. You can have an after credits scene alluding to other heroes. I think the audience would be more willing to accept this than just jumping into a JLA film.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I honestly believe they should do a World's Finest film first and set up the Batman/ Superman friendship. You can have an after credits scene alluding to other heroes. I think the audience would be more willing to accept this than just jumping into a JLA film.

Agreed. That wouldn't be a bad place to start a Justice League universe, if solo films are too much trouble.