The Justice League is thought of as the A-Listing in terms of DC Comics’ largest superhero groups. As the primary defensive position for the DC Universe, the League has been house to most of the global’s maximum elite champions – however a few of the ones champions additionally refused to enroll in the enduring crew.
Whilst becoming a member of the Justice League is an honor, it’s now not at all times an automated “sure” from the heroes invited to enroll in. And there’s a shocking choice of heroes who flat-out denied the Justice League proper to their faces. Although the League debuted in 1960 in The Courageous and the Daring #28 via Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, Joe Giella, Murphy Anderson, Bernard Sachs, and Gaspar Saladino, many heroes have come and long gone from the crew within the a long time since – together with those that by no means joined in any respect.
10
Sandman
Justice League of The united states Annual #1 via Paul Levitz, Len Wein, Rick Hoberg, Dick Giordano, Gene D’Angelo, and John Costanza
Certainly one of Jack Kirby’s lesser-known creations, the second one DC Comics hero to make use of the Sandman moniker was once Garret Sanford, a scientist and psychology professor trapped inside the Dreaming who used his newfound talents to battle crime within the subject matter aircraft for an hour an afternoon. An occasional best friend of a handful of Justice League heroes, the Sandman was once presented an induction into their ranks after a scrape with the vintage dream-manipulating League villain, Dr. Future.
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Because of his hour-long obstacles, Sandman in the long run grew to become down their be offering, as an alternative opting to help them as a reservist will have to they ever want his products and services. Sadly, Sanford by no means were given the risk to really shine along the International’s Largest Heroes. And the possibilities he’ll be introduced again for every other shot anytime quickly are only a dream.
9
Yara Flor
Darkish Disaster on Endless Earths #1 via Joshua Williamson, Daniel Sampere, Alejandro Sánchez, and Tom Napolitano
The Surprise Girl of the Long term State timeline made some large strikes all through her preliminary push via DC Comics, however one transfer that Surprise Woman Yara Flor kept away from taking was once a club along a brand-new Justice League. Following the League’s perceived death by the hands of Pariah and his Darkish Military, Superman Jon Kent refused to let the legacy of his father and his allies fall to destroy and sought to unite the sector’s last champions as a brand new League.
Looking for out the newly debuted Surprise Woman, Jon invitations Yara to enroll in him earlier than any person else, hoping to start out via rebuilding a brand new Trinity. Surprise Woman in the long run turns Superman down since she’s nonetheless grappling together with her position in the legacy of Surprise Girl and the Amazons, however that doesn’t forestall her from combating the great battle along Jon when the Darkish Military storms the Corridor of Justice.
8
The Atom
All-New Atom #18 via Gail Simone, Mike Norton, Andy Smith, Trevor Scott, Keith Champagne, Alex Bleyaert, and John J. Hill
Ryan Choi made somewhat the identify for himself in his first stint because the All-New Atom, following within the footsteps of the former Mighty Mite, Ray Palmer. An previous good friend of Palmer’s, this new Atom did his absolute best to give protection to Ivy The town and attracted the eye of his predecessor’s Justice League allies within the procedure.
In spite of as soon as rejecting the League’s be offering, Ryan Choi – with the assistance of Ray Palmer – is now a key participant in 2025’s Justice League saga. Take a look at Justice League: The Atom Mission #1 via Ryan Parrott, John Ridley, Mike Perkins, Adriano Lucas, and Wes Abbott, to be had now from DC Comics.
Inspired with Ryan’s paintings following an impromptu team-up, Surprise Girl herself finds to a self-conscious Atom that she’s now not there to admonish him, however relatively, to supply him an enduring position at the Justice League’s roster. Whilst Ryan would pass on to enroll in the League in later iterations, he selected to show down this preliminary invite, as an alternative sticking to the streets of Ivy The town versus the Justice League Watchtower.
7
Hawk & Dove
Justice League The united states #42 via Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Mike McKone, José Marzan Jr., Gene D’Angelo, and Bob Lappan
The Avatars of Chaos and Order had been mainstays of the DC Universe for somewhat a while, however whilst those avian allies are not any strangers to teamwork as longtime Teenager Titans, they don’t percentage that very same historical past with the Justice League. Right through a recruitment pressure to enlarge the League’s roster, Hawk and Dove, sometimes called Hank Corridor and First light Granger, are approached via Justice League World staple, Ice, and long run Bat-Circle of relatives outsider, Huntress.
Wrapping up a skirmish with a few punks, Hawk and Dove are stunned via Ice’s proposal, best to show down their shot on the literal large League. Taking into account Hawk’s eventual flip because the villainous Extant, his refusal to enroll in was once most definitely for the most efficient, however the crew may just’ve surely benefited from Dove’s calming contact.
6
Booster Gold
Booster Gold #1 via Geoff Johns, Jeff Katz, Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund, Hello-Fi, and Rob Leigh
Booster Gold is also one of the crucial Justice League World’s maximum iconic inductees, however Michael Jon Carter doesn’t robotically soar at each exposure alternative, it doesn’t matter what his fellow heroes suppose. First of all in search of to earn his method into what his historical past describes as “the best Justice League of all time,” Booster spends per week foiling each crisis he can following a problem from Batman.
But if approached via fellow time traveler (and his secret son), Rip Hunter, Booster Gold is given a brand new challenge: to handle his idiotic, self-serving character whilst secretly protective the timestream. When his long-sought alternative arrives, Carter reluctantly rebuffs the League. However whilst many of the different heroes nonetheless see Booster as a self-absorbed idiot, best Batman in the long run discovers Gold’s actual motivations and the actual hero that lies inside of him.
5
El Diablo
Justice League The united states #42 via Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Mike McKone, José Marzan Jr., Gene D’Angelo, and Bob Lappan
Right through the similar recruitment pressure that noticed Hawk and Dove flip them down, the Justice League reached out to a number of extra heroes around the globe. One such hero was once the enigmatic El Diablo, secretly a small-town town councilman named Rafael Sandoval who donned a costumed id to pursue an arson case out of doors extra professional prison channels.
El Diablo made his first look in his personal self-titled collection: 1989’s El Diablo #1 via Gerard Jones, Mike Parobeck, John Nyberg, Lovern Kindzierski, and Willie Schubert.
Approached via JLI alumni Blue Beetle and Fireplace, El Diablo considers the Justice League’s paintings too prime above his paygrade, and too a long way clear of the ones he fights to give protection to as a extra street-level, down-to-Earth vigilante versus a full-on superhero. This might be a long way from El Diablo’s best interplay with the Justice League, but it surely’s about as shut as he ever got here to in fact becoming a member of the crew in an professional capability.
Justice League of The united states #42 via Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, Bernard Sachs, and Gaspar Saladino
The Component Guy, referred to as Metamorpho, is a fan-favorite DC Comics hero and longtime best friend of the Justice League, however his first stumble upon with the International’s Largest Heroes featured a powerful rejection at the a part of Rex Mason against becoming a member of the crew’s hallowed ranks. Approached via the League in-person after ignoring their skywriting summons, a disinterested Metamorpho explains that he doesn’t wish to be a hero, he best needs to be human once more.
After an impromptu journey, Metamorpho makes it transparent that he’s keen to enroll in as a reserve member and lend a hand out all through a disaster as long as he hasn’t discovered a solution to change into human once more. Rex would certainly even pass on to enroll in the Justice League in an professional capability years later, however now not till after accepting his future as the only and best Component Guy.
3
Black Lightning
Justice League of The united states #173 via Gerry Conway, Dick Dillin, Frank McLaughlin, Dick Giordano, Jerry Serpe, Tatjana Picket, and Ben Oda
At the moment, Black Lightning is an integral a part of the League’s “Limitless” establishment, however he didn’t get started out that method. When Inexperienced Arrow nominates an unknowing Black Lightning for League club, Arrow, Superman, Inexperienced Lantern, Flash, and Zatanna put Suicide Slums’ electrical protector to the take a look at in a sequence of initiation assessments disguised as random rogues for Jefferson Pierce to confront.
To no nice surprise, Black Lightning passes with flying colours, with the League revealing their ruse to a disgruntled Jefferson Pierce, best to be straight away, emphatically grew to become down. Pondering of the great he does and the folk he protects as a street-level hero, Lightning has little interest in becoming a member of the Justice League – an outlook he’ll handle for years yet to come till he ultimately steps up following the occasions of Endless Disaster.
2
Nightwing
Justice League of The united states #2 via Brad Meltzer, Ed Benes, Alex Sinclair, Sandra Hope, and Rob Leigh
As Robin, as Nightwing, or even as Batman, Dick Grayson has lengthy since confirmed himself as one of the crucial International’s Largest Heroes, however his historical past of club with the Justice League has hardly been as constant. When Superman, Batman, and Surprise Girl meet to arrange a brand new Justice League roster all through the “One Yr Later” generation, Superman and Surprise Girl straight away comply with induct Nightwing, just for Batman himself to mention that Dick has already grew to become them down.
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Batman Is aware of Nightwing Is Higher Than Him, And He is In a position to Percentage How in His Personal Phrases
Batman taught Nightwing the entirety he is aware of, which is why it is so unexpected that Batman admits, in his personal phrases, that Nightwing is best than him.
Annoyed via Bruce going in the back of their backs, Superman reminds his good friend that they’d agreed to vote, with Batman obviously making an exception for his one-time ward. By means of this level, Dick had already led a alternative Justice League roster handpicked via Batman following the crew’s seeming death, so he was once no stranger to the League. However Nightwing obviously had little interest in as soon as once more taking part in 2nd mess around to his previous mentor as a full-time Leaguer.
1
Superman
Legends #6 via John Ostrander, Len Wein, John Byrne, Karl Kesel, Dennis Janke, Carl Gafford, and Steve Haynie
Superman is one of the crucial Justice League’s maximum iconic heroes and leaders, however there were lengthy stretches of time wherein the Guy of Metal had not anything to do with the International’s Largest Heroes. Following the continuity reshuffle after Disaster on Endless Earths via Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, a brand new League was once shaped after a band of heroes, Superman, Batman, and Surprise Girl amongst them, foil a scheme via the depraved Darkseid to dominate the Earth.
Understanding the will for a brand new Justice League, Physician Destiny proposes those heroes sign up for forces on a full-time foundation, with Superman rejecting the be offering whilst promising to be there will have to an emergency ever get up. Obviously, this establishment wouldn’t remaining as Clark’s been a staple of the League for the simpler a part of 3 a long time at this level, however as soon as upon a time, the Justice League needed to recover from being rejected via Superman himself.
