The Justice League’s Greatest Epic Is Animated

‘Starcrossed’ has all the ingredients of top-notch superhero storytelling.

The best iteration of the Justice League? Outside of comic books, it’s no contest. Including comics, it still might be the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series (which are really the same series with a structural shift along the way).

Together, they ran from 2001 to 2006. Like Batman: The Animated Series before them, they synthesize the best elements of the concept into a single, timeless package, offering tremendous fun for older and younger fans alike.

Justice League concluded in 2004 with a three-part storyline called “Starcrossed,” which was later billed as a movie in its DVD release. Written by Rich Fogel, John Ridley, and Dwayne McDuffie, it’s everything an epic superhero movie should be.

So let’s focus on these three episodes. There will be spoilers. Go watch the series if you haven’t already.

Plot

Early in Part I, a powerful alien vessel attacks Washington, D.C. The Justice League struggles to stop it, until more alien vessels arrive—but these aliens lend a hand. Hawkgirl recognizes them right away, as they’re her own people, the winged Thanagarians.

The Thanagarians warn the governments of Earth about an imminent invasion from an evil alien race, and they offer their assistance. After some deliberation, Earth accepts the aid of Thanagar, and the seemingly friendly aliens begin construction of a massive force field generator that will help protect the planet from hostile forces.

As the story progresses, we learn that the Thanagarians’ motives aren’t so pure, and neither are their methods. They impose martial law and force humans to act as slave labor. And, of course, the force field generator will actually destroy the entire planet so the Thanagarians can live to fight another day.

The Thanagarians represent a corruption of the superhero concept. Superheroes such as the Justice League typically strive to protect people without interfering in daily life or hindering anyone’s personal liberties. The Thanagarians, however, claim to want to save the world but really just want to save themselves, no matter how many people they need to hurt or kill along the way.

It’s one of the themes I explored in The Silver Stranger: Villains promise to save the world; heroes save people.

So that’s all great, but plot and ideas aren’t enough. Character is essential.

Character

The comic books’ best Justice League lineups feature characters who already star in their own solo series (or even multiple solo series), so there’s little room for ongoing character-based storylines like we see in X-Men or Teen Titans comics. The characters’ main storylines need to happen in their own books.

A good Justice League comic typically presents great characters who are perfectly in character, and it’s highly enjoyable to watch them interact with each other. But don’t expect too much growth or threats to their status quo.

The animated series didn’t have those constraints. Sure, it couldn’t do anything drastic with Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman, but it didn’t have to worry about whatever was going on in their own cartoons. Superman’s and Batman’s series were already finished, and poor Wonder Woman never even got her own.

They had more leeway with the lesser-known characters, however. And Justice League made its greatest mark on Hawkgirl.

The series established Hawkgirl as an alien early on, but in “Starcrossed,” we learn that she hasn’t been entirely forthright with her teammates. Turns out she’s a Thanagarian military officer who was sent here as an advance scout and a spy. She’s also engaged to the Thanagarian commander. It’s all quite a surprise to the other Justice Leaguers—especially Green Lantern, who had just started dating her.

Hawkgirl’s loyalties are put to the test throughout the three-parter. At the end of Part I, she fails the test.

Batman, being Batman, figures out the Thanagarians’ true motives, but he immediately gets captured. The rest of the League soon falls until Green Lantern is the last man standing. Hawkgirl confronts him, asking him to stand down.

Green Lantern: [pointing his ring at Hawkgirl] Whose side are you really on?

Hawkgirl: Don’t you know?

[Lantern hesitates, then lowers his ring. Hawkgirl hits him with her mace.]

Hawkgirl: I'm sorry, John.

That’s one brutal sucker punch—the perfect blend of physical and emotional pain, and the perfect ending to Part I. It’s all the more meaningful because of everything the previous episodes have established. If this were a pilot or a standalone movie, it might still be good, but it wouldn’t hit as hard. That mace carries the weight of the previous 49 episodes.

The second part focuses on the Justice League (minus Hawkgirl) freeing themselves from the Thanagarians and avoiding recapture. Fortunately, they have readymade disguises—their civilian identities.

Seeing the Justice League interacting in more human guises is a nice change of pace. It helps ground these modern myths and flesh out their characters before we dive into the all-out action of the final part.

The episode also resumes the occasional flirtation between Batman and Wonder Woman, a fun recurring subplot that demonstrates the thought and care that the writers put into the series. Pairing Wonder Woman and Superman may be more visually obvious, but pairing Wonder Woman and Batman makes more sense for the characters—Wonder Woman would indeed admire Batman’s drive and self-made skills, and Batman would admire Wonder Woman’s unique combination of innocence and warrior prowess. (Plus, mortal girlfriends like Lois and Lana help humanize the Man of Steel. He really shouldn’t ever date a fellow superhero.)

Ensemble & Resolution

Part III isn’t just a satisfying conclusion to this storyline—it could have worked as the overall series finale (though I’m glad we got Justice League Unlimited).

Every main character gets involved in meaningful action. They all have their moments to shine.

The Martian Manhunter puts his life on the line by venturing into an alien’s mind to retrieve vital information.

Flash gets the least to do, but he provides some comic relief and helps recapture the Watchtower.

Wonder Woman, furious at Hawkgirl, channels her rage by tearing through the Thanagarian army. Despite her anger, she frees Hawkgirl rather than leaving her to die.

Batman stages a grand sacrificial play by manually piloting the Watchtower so he can crash it on the Thanagarians’ force field generator. He’s fully prepared to die in the process, but …

Superman, previously unaware of Batman’s plans, swoops in and saves him at the last second—leading to this wonderful exchange, which sums up both of them in just a couple of lines:

Superman: Always have to be the hero, don't you?

Batman: Right back at ya.

And then we have our romantic leads. Green Lantern, while attempting to shut down the force field, gets into a knock-down, drag-out fight with the alien commander. Hawkgirl eventually joins and sides with humanity. Ultimately, Hawkgirl and Green Lantern have to put their personal issues aside and work together to save the lives of everyone on Earth.

Of course, Hawkgirl’s earlier betrayal demands some consequences. The other Leaguers vote on whether she should remain a member. But we don’t learn the results (at least until a later episode), because Hawkgirl falls on her sword, or mace, and decides to resign.

And actually, here’s where Flash makes his most meaningful, in-character contribution—by giving her a warm, brotherly hug as she departs. The heartfelt moment represents the bonds that have formed between all seven characters over the past two seasons.

“Starcrossed” is everything a superhero story should be—a formidable threat, epic action, great characters, spot-on characterization, believable character development, high stakes, personal stakes, payoffs for some subplots, the continuation of other subplots, a satisfying ending, and the opportunity for further greatness ahead. All in a mere 68 minutes.