Sorry for the double post, but I finished my "Series Bible" for my DCAU JL adaptation and wanted to share it here so that people can get a better sense of what I'm looking to do.
JUSTICE LEAGUE SERIES BIBLE
Series created by DigificWriter
Loosely based on “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited” created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm
THE BACKSTORY
The year is 2017, A.D. Within the last 5 years, the world has witnessed the advent of an “age of heroes” in which superpowered heroes like
Superwoman,
The Flash, and
Green Lantern and the vigilante
Batwoman have emerged into the public eye.
It is in this environment that Earth finds itself under attack from a strange alien invasion force known as the Imperium. Faced with this tremendous threat, Earth’s heroes find themselves being called together by another, the
Martian Manhunter, a prisoner of the Imperium whose own civilization suffered their wrath. As they band together to combat the Imperium and defeat, them, this collection of heroes is joined by three others, the King of the underwater civilization of Atlantis,
Aquaman, the Themysciran warrior princess
Wonder Woman, and the displaced Thanagarian
Hawkwoman.
REGULAR CHARACTERS
Superwoman
The last survivor of the planet of Argo, Superwoman, born Kara In-Ze, was placed into cryogenic stasis by her parents, who had feared the destruction of their civilization and were looking to preserve themselves and their way of life, trusting that an automated distress signal they had set would be heard and they would be discovered. The signal would be heard, but not until some 5 years after Krypton’s destruction, when the Green Lanterns Tomar Re of Xudor and John Stewart of Earth would come across it while searching for the space pirate Kanjar Ro. While searching for the source of the signal, John came across the cryogenic chamber and discovered that Kara’s life signs were fading. In order to save her life, he freed her from the chamber, but was forced to leave her behind when Tomar Re – who had been ambushed by Kanjar Ro – summoned him.
Following Kanjar Ro’s defeat, John returned to the chamber to find Kara cowering on the floor in fear and disorientation, and he introduced himself as “John”, told her that he would keep her safe, and took her back to Oa with him. Shortly thereafter, he was reassigned to patrol his “home sector” and return to Earth, bringing Kara with him. As his duties as a Lantern would leave little time for him to help her adjust to her new surroundings, John took her to Jonathan Kent, a retired Army officer whom he had served alongside in Iraq, and his wife Martha, who agreed to raise her as their own daughter.
As she began to get to know her new home and family, Kara discovered that her exposure to Earth’s yellow sun gave her superpowers, and, as she watched tales of John’s heroic exploits as the “Green Lantern” be reported on the news, resolved that she’d become a hero too, finally getting her chance when the Kents and the rest of the residents of Smallville fell under the thrall of a strange itinerent preacher named the Reverend. She later traveled to the city of Metropolis, where she made her official “public debut” as a superhero by stopping a robbery being committed by members of the criminal organization known as Intergang, an act that was witnessed by reporter Lois Lane, who nicknamed her the “Supergirl” (although that moniker was later changed to the “Superwoman”).
It was shortly after making her public debut that Kara would come into contact with Batwoman, forming the friendship and partnership that would lead them to play a key role in repelling the Imperium’s invasion of Earth.
Batwoman
The daughter of Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon, Batwoman, born Barbara Gordon, grew up watching her father as he struggled to clean up the streets of Gotham City and rid his department of corruption and excess, idolizing him and wanting to follow in his footsteps, although not necessarily as a police officer.
She finally got her opportunity to do so when her father was framed for murder by the deranged criminal known as Two-Face (who had once been her father’s best friend, Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent). With the new Interim Police Commissioner unwilling to listen to her protests that her father was innocent, Barbara decided to take matters into her own hands, fashioning a costume – inspired by a character her father had created for her as a child, “The Bat” – and setting out to clear her father’s name, eventually arresting Two-Face and sending him to prison. She later confided her secret to her father, who told her that he was proud of her, but warned her that she needed to be careful if she were going to continue fighting crime, something she decided to do.
Shortly after beginning her crime-fighting career in earnest, Barbara would encounter Superwoman, forming a friendship that would serve the two women well, particularly during the onset of the Imperium’s invasion of Earth when they teamed up to face the threat head-on.
Wonder Woman
Sculpted from clay, given life, and raised on the hidden island of Themyscira, Wonder Woman, born Princess Diana, knew nothing of life beyond Themyscira until she began having strange dreams of massive while “creatures” attacking people and destroying cities, and received a visit in her dreams from the goddess Athena, who told her that the images she was seeing were of “Man’s World” and that the Themyscirans needed to “send help”.
After trying and failing to persuade her mother, Queen Hippolyta, to heed Athena’s warning/request, Diana decided to do so on her own, stealing the Themyscirans’ sacred armor from the Temple of Athena and leaving the island behind.
The Flash
It isn’t known exactly how The Flash, born Wally West, came to possess the ability to run at superhuman speeds, or exactly when his first public appearance was, as most of his activities were confined to Central City, where he spent his time facing and capturing criminals of all stripes, including a growing collection of individuals who possessed superpowers themselves.
His first appearance outside of Central City, however, came when he participated in a “charity race” against Superwoman a few months after the latter had made her own debut in the public eye. It was during this event that he and Superwoman encountered a criminal extortionist named Mark Mardon whom he had dealt with previously and whose latest scheme involved controlling the weather using a device built by his younger brother Ben and were able to defeat him by working together; they would then resume their race, although the result of the competition would never be made public.
Green Lantern
Green Lantern, born John Stewart, grew up spending time with his uncle and reading the comic exploits of the “Justice Guild”, activities that fostered in him a strong sense of right and wrong and a commitment to the American ideals of truth, justice, and freedom, ideals that he had the opportunity to fight to uphold when he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps following his graduation from high school. After a few short months as a Marine, John was deployed to fight in the Iraq War, serving several tours of duty until the withdrawal of US troops from the conflict.
Returning home, John found himself “drifting” and without purpose until one evening when he found a strange green ring, which led him to be recruited by the intergalactic police agency known as the Green Lantern Corps. Although he by all rights should’ve been assigned by the Corps to protect his “home sector” of 2814, the sector already had a Green Lantern, one Abin Sur of Ungara – who was notoriously solitary and resisted working closely with others - assigned to it, and so John was assigned to help patrol Sector 2813, the “home sector” of one of the Green Lanterns who’d trained him, Tomar Re of Xudar.
It was during his partnership with Tomar Re that John would come across the Argoan survivor Kara In-Ze, with whom he would develop a close father-daughter-type bond for the short few months he spent caring for her prior to his being transferred back to Earth, at which point he turned her over to the custody of Jonathan Kent, a retired Army officer with whom he’d briefly served in Iraq, and his wife Martha, who took her in and raised her as their own daughter while John continued his duties as a Green Lantern.
Aquaman
For years, the existence of Aquaman, born Arthur, King of the underwater civilization of Atlantis, was nothing more than an urban legend perpetuated by sailors and others who made their living on and near the world’s oceans, but all of that changed when he was captured and imprisoned by billionaire businessman Lex Luthor after he came to the surface to stop weapons testing being conducted near Atlantis, which was polluting the oceans and causing harm to the Atlanteans and their way of life.
To escape his captor, Arthur called out telepathically to the world’s ocean creatures, instructing them to “attack the surface dwellers”. The attack was stopped by Superwoman and reporter Lois Lane, who were able to convince him that, despite the actions of men like Luthor, the “surface world” posed no direct threat to either him or his people, although Arthur warned them that if tensions were to ever escalate again, he would not hold back, and a war between Atlantis and the “surface dwellers” would swiftly follow.
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter, born J’onn J’onzz, had a much different life before the Imperium invaded his home planet of Mars, living happily with his wife, M’yriah, and two children. It wasn’t until M’yriah and his children perished during the Imperium’s initial assault that J’onn found himself compelled to act, joining the newly formed Martian strike force known as the Manhunters for a massive “final strike offensive” against the invading Imperium forces in an effort to end the conflict and save what was left of the rapidly dwindling Martian population.
Their efforts were only partially successful, however, because, although the Imperium chose to abort its assault on Mars, they only did so after capturing J’onn, scanning his mind, and learning about the existence of Earth (information gleaned from Martian scouting expeditions to the “blue planet” to ascertain the level of threat that it posed to Martian civilization as its people began to explore the cosmos), and still chose to perpetrate one final act of destruction, wiping out the remainder of the Martian civilization before departing, leaving J’onn, whom they took with them, as the last remaining survivor of his race.
As the Imperium fleet bore down on the unsuspecting Earth, J’onn reached out with his mind to send a telepathic warning to anyone on the planet who might be able to hear its call, unsure of the outcome but determined not to let another world suffer the same fate as his own.
Hawkwoman
On her native planet of Thanagar, Hawkwoman, born Shayera Hol, was a member of the Thanagarian military and an expert in espionage, and was often assigned to travel to other planets as a scout in order to learn their defenses, with the information she provided being used by her superior officers, including her “promised”, Hro Talak, to attack and subdue said planets, which were then used as “staging grounds” from which the Thanagarians could build “hyperspace bypass” generators that would offer them a way to attack the homeworld of their ancient enemies, the Gordanians.
It was one such scouting assignment that brought Shayera to Earth, with her cover story being that she’d been accidentally transported to the planet while attempting to apprehend a trio of criminals on Thanagar. Although initially faithful to her assignment, Shayera’s resolve began to waver the more time she spent on Earth, especially after her military instincts kicked in and she stopped a robbery, an act that exposed her to the general populace of Earth as the heroic Hawkwoman, although she continued to report in as requested. Her resolve would be further tested during the Imperium invasion after she was summoned by the telepathic call of the Martian J’onn J’onzz.
RECURRING CHARACTERS
Lois Lane
The Daily Planet reporter who first introduced the world to Superwoman, Lois maintains a friendship with the costumed superheroine, albeit unawares, through her close working relationship at the Daily Planet with her (Superwoman’s) civilian alter ego, Kara Kent.
James Gordon
The Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, Gordon is aware of his daughter Barbara’s nocturnal activities as the vigilante Batwoman and maintains a working partnership with her in that guise.
Katma Tui and Tomar Re
The members of the Green Lantern Corps who trained John Stewart and, in Tomar Re’s case, later served in formal partnership with him, the two maintain a close friendship with him and have made themselves available to assist him if and when necessary despite having their own sectors and assignments to worry about most of the time.
Lex Luthor
A brilliant businessman, scientist, and billionaire who presents himself to the world as a philanthropist but who secretly conspires to commit criminal acts and defeat Superwoman, whom he sees as a direct threat to his shadowy enterprises and has clashed with in the past.
The Joker
A deranged criminal mastermind who has tangled with Batwoman on numerous occassions and considers himself to be her greatest foe and archenemy.
Aresia
A Themysciran whose full-blown hatred of non-females caused her to be ostracized – and later banished – from Themysciran society by Hippolyta, Aresia has sworn to rid the entire world of males and gain revenge on Hippolyta and the Themyscirans for exiling her.
The Shade
One of many criminals to set up shop in Central City, The Shade has become far more notable for his numerous attempts to defeat The Flash than for his other criminal deeds, particularly since he has not often been all that successful in gaining financial wealth from his crimes.
Star Sapphire
The daughter of Carl Ferris, the owner of Ferris Aeronautics, Carol Ferris grew disillusioned with the life her father had chosen for her and chose to rebel constantly, eventually coming across a strange mask that granted her powers, which she started using to commit crimes and seek out thrills.
When Green Lantern returned to Earth, he came into conflict with her for the first time when she hired herself out to a group of criminals who wanted to take down her father’s enterprise, and the two have developed a somewhat intense rivalry.
Cheetah
A former scientist who was experimenting with ways to increase intelligence in animals, Cheetah experimented on herself and transformed herself into a half-human/half-cheetah hybrid and began a criminal career that has frequently brought her into conflict with Batwoman.
Copperhead
A mercenary with snake-like skills and abilities whose services are often up for grabs for the highest bidder, but who has come into frequent conflict with Batwoman.
Ultra-Humanite
A scientist who transplanted his brain into a specialized body created by splicing human and gorilla DNA together, the Ultra-Humanite holds the distinction of being the first major supervillain Superwoman tangled with following her public superhero debut, and he has developed a rivalry with the costumed heroine that rivals that of her clashes with Lex Luthor, whom he views as a “criminal rival”.
Solomon Grundy
A gangster operating in Gotham City during the 1920s, Cyrus Gold was betrayed by his own men and gunned down in a swamp, only to be mystically returned to life as a soulless zombie-like creature with little memory of his past life. Resurfacing in Gotham shortly after the emergence of Batwoman, Grundy has faced off with both her and Superwoman in the past, nearly besting both with his tremendous strength.
Tsukuri
An Asian mercenary with deadly swordsmanship skills whose path has crossed with that of Batwoman and Superwoman in the past and with Aresia’s as well.
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I'd appreciate feedback and comments on what I've come up with, as well as suggestions on anything that people might want to see me add or change.
