Who's really the 7th Member of the JLA's "Big Seven"

[Kaijudo]

Yeah, if 'My Favorite 7' was the theme, I'd be all Booster Gold, Vixen, Big Barda, Black Canary, Icemaiden, Crimson Fox, Equinox! Just to drive everyone crazy.

I voted for J'onn, even if I'd totally put Vixen or Black Canary or Hawkwoman there in heartbeat.

Haha...three of your Big 7 are in mine too, so I'd definitely pick up that book if that was the line-up.

[Riv86672]

Nothing wrong with your lineup, but "The Big Seven" is a term frequently used amongst fandom and DC - it's not just "each reader's personal 7 favorites."

^^^Yeah that’d be a whole different topic.

[Jim Kelly]

Just because a character is interesting doesn't mean they should be a founding member. Sometimes joining a group after it has already formed can provide drama.

Meatball was an original member of the Little Wise Guys. He came to a tragic end and Curly, who felt some responsibility for Meatball's death, joined the team.

Green Arrow joining the League after they were formed, allows him to provide an outsider's perspective. In gives the League a reason to retell their origin, since Ollie and Snapper weren't there.

I much prefer the Black Canary who was married to Larry Lance but saw him die and came over to Earth-One. Her trauma from that experience carried over into GREEN LANTERN. She brought new life to the team--it was the beginning of a new chapter in their adventures, as they relocated to the Satellite Sanctuary. If she had been there from the start, that wouldn't have happened.

I can see why some more women and some more people of colour should be added to the League. But keeping the original configuration of the group should allow some editorial commentary--showing up the League's failing in not being inclusive. Admitting the truth of old wrongs is a step forward in reconciliation. You can't do that if you whitewash the truth. That could motivate a powerful story where the founding members are brought up short by their lack of inclusion. New members can serve to disrupt the old boys' network.

[Cap808]

I think the obvious answer is J'onn. The fact that Batman said that the Manhunter is an almagamation of him and Superman is quite scary.

Otherwise, I think Hawkman should get some votes as well. I still remember when Zauriel joined the league and someone mentioned, "The league always needs a big guy with wings."

[Mai Zen]

I Vote for my guy Detective Chimp

[Riv86672]

I can see why some more women and some more people of colour should be added to the League. But keeping the original configuration of the group should allow some editorial commentary--showing up the League's failing in not being inclusive. Admitting the truth of old wrongs is a step forward in reconciliation. You can't do that if you whitewash the truth. That could motivate a powerful story where the founding members are brought up short by their lack of inclusion. New members can serve to disrupt the old boys' network.

^^^SHOULD be added?
Sure if they make sense and aren’t there just to fill some obligatory affirmative action quota made up by the annoyingly woke.

Should HAVE been added?
Who was there to add? Silver Age DC wasn’t deep in terms of female and Black/Hispanic/Asian etc. characters in 1960. Comics creators simply weren’t thinking in that direction yet.
That’s not the League’s fault. To ding them, in-continuity or as an actual comic for that is pretty unrealistic.

[GreyFox]

To me, 'Big' implies important, in terms of fame and sales. The Martian Manhunter is important, but a long term JLA member who is 'bigger' would be Green Arrow.

[The Darknight Detective]

^^^SHOULD be added?
Sure if they make sense and aren’t there just to fill some obligatory affirmative action quota made up by the annoyingly woke.

Should HAVE been added?
Who was there to add? Silver Age DC wasn’t deep in terms of female and Black/Hispanic/Asian etc. characters in 1960. Comics creators simply weren’t thinking in that direction yet.
That’s not the League’s fault. To ding them, in-continuity or as an actual comic for that is pretty unrealistic.

Yeah, if you keep the original 7 as the starting point because they happened to work together on a mission, then expand almost immediately to include others from different groups.

[The Darknight Detective]

To me, 'Big' implies important, in terms of fame and sales. The Martian Manhunter is important, but a long term JLA member who is 'bigger' would be Green Arrow.

I'm assuming Ollie wasn't more popular than J'Onn in 1959, but maybe I'm wrong about that. He definitely has been more popular since the Bronze Age.

[Shockingjustice]

^^^SHOULD be added?
Sure if they make sense and aren’t there just to fill some obligatory affirmative action quota made up by the annoyingly woke.

Should HAVE been added?
Who was there to add? Silver Age DC wasn’t deep in terms of female and Black/Hispanic/Asian etc. characters in 1960. Comics creators simply weren’t thinking in that direction yet.
That’s not the League’s fault. To ding them, in-continuity or as an actual comic for that is pretty unrealistic.

I mean if the league forms in modern times and can't think of anyone that doesn't look like themselves there's a reason to blame them. Even Stan Lee and Kirby put a black guy in their comic in the first issue of Howling Commandos. Besides this question is about who should be the founding members.

[Riv86672]

Yeah, if you keep the original 7 as the starting point because they happened to work together on a mission, then expand almost immediately to include others from different groups.

^^^How immediate is immediate, and in what context?
Like I said, there was no one to add.

And when there was…

On the team or not, Black Lightning’s consideration for membership should never have been about race. It’s insulting to him as a person to be broken down to just the color of his skin.

[The Darknight Detective]

^^^How immediate is immediate, and in what context?
Like I said, there was no one to add.

And when there was…

On the team or not, Black Lightning’s consideration for membership should never have been about race. It’s insulting to him as a person to be broken down to just the color of his skin.

I'm not talking about back then. I'm talking about now. If DC wants to use the original 7 to get things going, then move to include others pronto. BTW, I bought that issue featuring BL back then (and it still annoys me that he didn't become a member - for the right reasons).

[HsssH]

To me 7th slot has three options: MM, Hawkman and Green Arrow. And from those I like Silver Age Hawkman the most.

[Riv86672]

I'm not talking about back then. I'm talking about now. If DC wants to use the original 7 to get things going, then move to include others pronto. BTW, I bought that issue featuring BL back then (and it still annoys me that he didn't become a member - for the right reasons).

^^^Okay, cool; thanks for the context.
I’ll still go w. as long as it makes sense and isn’t done to fill a quota.

It’s funny, though. When Luke Cage joined the FF in 1976…



…and was put on retainer by Nighthawk as a Defender in 1977, after sparodically going on adventures w. them since 1974…



…his race was never a factor. Which I very much appreciated.

[Holt]

Just because a character is interesting doesn't mean they should be a founding member. Sometimes joining a group after it has already formed can provide drama.

Meatball was an original member of the Little Wise Guys. He came to a tragic end and Curly, who felt some responsibility for Meatball's death, joined the team.

Green Arrow joining the League after they were formed, allows him to provide an outsider's perspective. In gives the League a reason to retell their origin, since Ollie and Snapper weren't there.

I much prefer the Black Canary who was married to Larry Lance but saw him die and came over to Earth-One. Her trauma from that experience carried over into GREEN LANTERN. She brought new life to the team--it was the beginning of a new chapter in their adventures, as they relocated to the Satellite Sanctuary. If she had been there from the start, that wouldn't have happened.

I can see why some more women and some more people of colour should be added to the League. But keeping the original configuration of the group should allow some editorial commentary--showing up the League's failing in not being inclusive. Admitting the truth of old wrongs is a step forward in reconciliation. You can't do that if you whitewash the truth. That could motivate a powerful story where the founding members are brought up short by their lack of inclusion. New members can serve to disrupt the old boys' network.

I think that's why they added in Cyborg, which, while a noble effort, fell flat for a lot of people since it seemed like they didn't really know what to do with him. If you're going for a more diverse Justice League for a modern setting, I think the TV show did it well. Alternatively, you could start with the original Big 7 but then add some characters like Vixen, Hawkgirl, Zatanna and Black Lightning.