History ComicBook / JLATowerOfBabel

* CurbStompBattle: Ra's men don't last long against the Justice League once they survive the stolen contigency plans. Superman simply waits until everyone is evacatuated from Ra's tower before leveling it.

* RealityEnsues: Even among the people willing to forgive Batman for making the contingencies, it's clear that their trust and friendship with Batman has taken a critical blow. Just because they understand why Batman did what he did doesn't mean they have to like it, especially as Batman exploited their trust to figure out how to counter them.

The plot begins with a series of incidents that target individual members of the JLA. [[ComicBook/MartianManhunter J'onn Jonnz]] is infected with nanites that set him on perpetual fire, ComicBook/PlasticMan is frozen in liquid nitrogen, ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} becomes hydrophobic, Kyle Rayner[=/=]Franchise/GreenLantern wakes up blind, ComicBook/WonderWoman finds herself battling a doppelganger endlessly, ComicBook/WallyWest[=/=]the Flash is sent into an epileptic frenzy, and ComicBook/{{Superman}} is exposed to Red Kryptonite that turns his skin transparent and his body gets overdosed on solar radiation. Batman realizes that the culprit for this attack is ComicBook/RasAlGhul and his organization, but he also discovers that Ra's accomplice is... himself. Ra's, acting via ComicBook/TaliaAlGhul, hacked into Batman's secret files and stole a number of contingency plans designed to immediately take down the Justice League in case they went rogue. He did this without telling them and behind their backs. Ra's uses this confusion to launch his most ambitious scheme for global domination and cleansing, a modern Tower of Babel that globally disrupts the language center of the brain, making people communicate in gibberish, triggering a global catastrophe and civil war that would thin out the human population.

--> '''Flash''': How well do you really know him? Or, I guess, more to the point... how well does he know you? Well enough to know better than any of us how you'll vote?\\

* DidntThinkThisThrough: In making contingency plans against the League should they turn rogue, Batman never once factored in the possibility that they could be hacked as a means to take out the League entirely. He kept the files on his computers while ignoring the fact that a few villains know his SecretIdentity and have resources to access it.

* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Ra's indifference towards his men's safety eventually leads to his downfall. Talia defects, tired of being treated as a pawn and wanting to part on his genocidal plans and Diana manages to convince a {{Mook}} to surrender by convincing him Ra would not care or remember him sacrificing himself for Ra.

* NonActionBigBad: Ra relies on Talia and his {{Mooks}} to use Batman's plans to take down the League, while he himself simply monitors the situation. Even when the heroes break into his lair, he simply escapes, knowing he'd be no match for them.

** Ra is shown ordering the execution of one of his subordinates after they messed while caring for a rare tiger and ended up killing him.
** Later, Ra also executes the henchmen who shot Talia, [[PapaWolf even though the henchmen did in order to prevent her from assisting the League]].

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: The debate in the League [[spoiler:about Batman's actions in the final issue where some argue (Kyle Rayner, Wally West, J'Onn J'Onzz) that Batman does have a point about making these contingencies in case they go rogue, while others insist that it's a terrible betrayal by someone who is their partner to do behind their backs (Plastic Man, Aquaman, Wonder Woman). The comic believably underscores both the rational justifications for what Batman did, and the emotional consequences his actions unleash on his teammates. Wonder Woman even points out that ''having'' the contingencies and not telling the Leaguers wha they are isn't even really the problem, it's that he didn't even ''tell'' them he was doing it before it was too late]].

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: The debate in the League [[spoiler:about Batman's actions in the final issue where some argue (Kyle Rayner, Wally West, J'Onn J'Onzz) that Batman does have a point about making these contingencies in case they go rogue, while others insist that it's a terrible betrayal by someone who is their partner to do behind their backs (Plastic Man, Aquaman, Wonder Woman). The comic believably underscores both the rational justifications for what Batman did, and the emotional consequences his actions unleash on his teammates]].

''Tower of Babel'' is a four-issue storyline in ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica written by Creator/MarkWaid, and drawn by Howard Porter and Steve Scott. It was published in issues #43-46 between July and October 2000. ''JLA Secret Files and Origins Vol. 1 #3'' published in December 2000 serves as a prequel to the comic showing the manner in which ComicBook/{{Batman}} create those countermeasures and how it was hacked.

* EasilyForgiven: Martian Manhunter, The Flash and Kyle Rayner are willing to forgive Batman for his actions but the other members of the League are not.

* YouHaveFailedMe:
** Ra is shown ordering the execution of one of his subordinates after they messed while caring for a rare tiger and ended up killing him.
** Later, Ra also executes the henchmen who shot Talia, [[PapaWolf even though the henchmen did in order to prevent her from assisting the League]].

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Talia ends up having a crisis of conscience over her father's genocidal goals and defects, and helps the league by tipping them off about his final plans so that they'll stop him.

* NonActionBigBad: Ra relies on Talia and his {{Mooks}} to use Batman's plans to take down the league, while he himself simply monitors the situation. Even when the heroes break into his lair, he simply escapes, knowing he'd be no match for them.

* WeNeedADistraction: Ra's makes great use of this against the league, creating some crisis to draw their attention while he strikes at his true goal without their noticing. He does this when Talia infiltrates the watchtower, so she would only need to get past the automatic defenses, and pulls this on Batman, distracting him by robbing the Wayne's coffins, so Batman would be too busy to notice the league was being defeated by his own failsafe plans.

* WhatTheHellHero: Batman gets several of these, from most of the cast. Alfred highly disapproved of Bruce working on ways to fight against his teammates. The league themselves also have this reaction, feeling unable to trust Batman again after he breached their trust. Even ''Talia'' is shocked at the brutality of Batman's plans.

* LotusEaterMachine: The contingency against Wonder Woman uses a self-contained VR technology.

* GraveRobbing: Ra's plan to keep Batman distracted while his plans are in motion is to steal the coffin of Bruce's parents.

''Tower of Babel'' is a four-issue storyline in ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica written by Creator/MarkWaid, and drawn by Howard Porter and Steve Scott. It was published in issues #43-46 between July and October 2000. ''JLA Secret Files and Origins Vol. 1 #3'' published in December 2000 serves as a prequel to the comic showing the manner in which Batman create those countermeasures and how it was hacked.

The plot begins with a series of incidents that target individual members of the JLA. J'onn Jonnz is infected with nanites that set him on perpetual fire, Plastic Man is frozen in liquid nitrogen, Aquaman becomes hydrophobic, Kyle Rayner[=/=]Franchise/GreenLantern wakes up blind, Wonder Woman finds herself battling a doppelganger endlessly, ComicBook/WallyWest[=/=]the Flash is sent into a epileptic frenzy, and Superman is exposed to Red Kryptonite that turns his skin transparent and his body gets overdosed on solar radiation. Batman realizes that the culprit for this attack is ComicBook/RasAlGhul and his organization, but he also discovers that Ra's accomplice is...himself. Ra's, acting via Talia, hacked into Batman's secret files and stole a number of contingency plans designed to immediately take down the Justice League in case they went rogue. He did this without telling them and behind their backs. Ra's uses this confusion to launch his most ambitious scheme for global domination and cleansing, a modern Tower of Babel that globally disrupts the language center of the brain, making people communicate in gibberish, triggering a global catastrophe and civil war that would thin out the human population.

--> '''Flash''': "How well do you really know him? Or, I guess, more to the point...how well does he know you? Well enough to know better than any of us how you'll vote?"\\
'''Superman''': "Yes."

* ContinuityNod: When Kyle Rayner reflects on Batman's plan for counter-measures against the League, he argues that had such plans existed when Hal Jordan seemingly went rogue as Parallax, then many people would still be alive.

* CurseOfBabel: Ra's grand plan is to unleash a literal modern tower with neurotransmitters.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: In making contingency plans against the League should they turn rogue, Batman never once factored in the possibility that they could be hacked as a means to take out the League entirely. He kept the files on his computers while ignoring the fact that a few villains know his secret identity and have resources to access it.

--> '''Ra's Al Ghul''': "God-powerful aliens. A child with a magic ring. So much wasted potential. So much they could do to remake an endangered Earth."\\
'''Superman''': "Agreed. Why don't we start by taking you out of the picture?"

--> '''Green Lantern''': "C'mon, man, he brought you in."\\
'''Plastic Man''': "Yeah, yeah, he did. I owe him. I know that."\\
'''Green Lantern''': "Then.....?"\\
'''Plastic Man''': (pause as comic shows flashback to his brutal treatment) "Get him out of here."

''Tower of Babel'' is a four Issue story arc in ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica written by Creator/MarkWaid, and drawn by Howard Porter and Steve Scott. It was published in issues #43-46 between July and October 2000. ''JLA Secret Files and Origins Vol.1 #3'' published in December 2000 serves as a prequel to the comic showing the manner in which Batman create those countermeasures and how it was hacked.

The plot begins with a series of incidents that target individual members of the JLA. J'onn Jonnz is infected with nanites that set him on perpetual fire, Plastic Man is frozen in liquid nitrogen, Aquaman becomes hydrophobic, Kyle Rayner[=/=]Franchise/GreenLantern wakes up blind, Wonder Woman finds herself battling a doppelganger endlessly, Flash is sent into a epileptic frenzy, and Superman is exposed to Red Kryptonite that turns his skin transparent and his body unreceptive to solar radiation. Batman realizes that the culprit for this attack is ComicBook/RasAlGhul and his organization, but he also discovers that Ra's accomplice is...himself. Ra's, acting via Talia, hacked into Batman's secret files and stole a number of contingency plans designed to immediately take down the Justice League in case they went rogue. He did this without telling them and behind their backs. Ra's uses this confusion to launch his most ambitious scheme for global domination and cleansing, a modern Tower of Babel that globally disrupts the language center of the brain, making people communicate in gibberish, triggering a global catastrophe and civil war that would thin out the human population.

It has also been adapted with some changes as ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueDoom'', while parts of the storyline inspired episodes in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' ([[Recap/BatmanBeyondS2E12Babel Babel]] where the sound based villain Shriek uses a similar plot) and the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' three-parter ''[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E24To26Starcrossed Starcrossed]]''.

** J'onn J'onzz's body is covered with magnesium-laced nanites which catches fire on exposure to air.

** Wonder Woman is implanted with a VR device that forces her to fight until she dies of exhaustion and/or heart attack.

** Aquaman is dosed with fear toxin making him afraid of water, which he needs to live.

* BatmanGambit: Ra's Al Ghul pulls one on Batman and the entire League. Knowing Batman intimately he manages to deduce that the Detective's paranoia about being a BadassNormal in a group of super powered beings would lead him to make contingency plans to take them out. He then hacked it and turned it loose, dividing the League internally and keeping them from foiling his latest plan. He also sent Batman on a search around the world after stealing the remains of Thomas and Martha Wayne, knowing that Batman would be so fixated on the theft that he would treat anything else, including League matters, would be trivial in comparison.

--> '''Flash''': "How well do you really know him? Or, I guess, more to the point....how well does he know you? Well enough to know better than any of us how you'll vote?"\\

* BodyHorror: The Martian Manhunter on a perpetual state of fire, Plastic Man LiterallyShatteredLives (and his "restored" state afterward not looking much better, and his teammaates aren't even sure if they put ''all'' pieces of him together), and Superman's skin going transparent that he looked like he was flayed/skinned alive.

* BodyHorror: The Martian Manhunter on fire, Plastic Man LiterallyShatteredLives (and his "restored" state afterward not looking much better), and Superman's skin going transparent that he looked like he was flayed/skinned alive.

** J'onn J'onzz's body is covered with magnesium-laced nanites which catches fire on exposure to air

* CuttingTheKnot: All the anti-League contingencies have some level of complexity to them...except Plastic Man, where he was just shattered into pieces.

* BatmanGambit: Ra's Al Ghul pulls one on Batman and the entire League. Knowing Batman intimately he manages to deduce that the Detective's paranoia about being a BadassNormal in a group of super powered beings would lead him to make contingency plans to take them out. He then hacked it and turned it loose, dividing the League internally and keeping them from foiling his latest plan. He also sent Batman on a search around the world after stealing the remains of Thomas and Martha Wayne, knowing that Batman would be so fixated on the theft that anything else, including League matters, would be trivial in comparison.

* BodyHorror: The Martian Manhunter on fire, Plastic Man LiterallyShatteredLives, and Superman's skin going transparent that he looked like he was flayed/skinned alive.

The plot begins with a series of incidents that target individual members of the JLA. The graves of Batman's parents are robbed, Kyle Rayner[=/=]Franchise/GreenLantern wakes up blind, Wonder Woman finds herself battling a doppelganger endlessly, Plastic Man is frozen in liquid nitrogen and shattered, and Superman is exposed to Red Kryptonite that turns his skin transparent and his body unreceptive to solar radiation. Batman realizes that the culprit for this attack is ComicBook/RasAlGhul and his organization, but he also discovers that Ra's accomplice is...himself. Ra's, acting via Talia, hacked into Batman's secret files and stole a number of contingency plans designed to immediately take down the Justice League in case they went rogue. He did this without telling them and behind their backs. Ra's uses this confusion to launch his most ambitious scheme for global domination and cleansing, a modern Tower of Babel that globally disrupts the language center of the brain, making people communicate in gibberish, triggering a global catastrophe and civil war that would thin out the human population.

* BatmanGambit: Ra's Al Ghul pulls one on Batman and the entire League. Knowing Batman intimately he manages to deduce that the Detective's paranoia about being a BadassNormal in a group of super powered beings would lead him to make contingency plans to take them out. He then hacked it and turned it loose, dividing the League internally and keeping them from foiling his latest plan.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: The debate in the League [[spoiler:about Batman's actions in the final issue where some argue (Kyle Rayner, Wally West, J'Onn J'Onzz) that Batman does have a point about making these contingencies in case they go rogue, while others insist that it's a terrible betrayal by someone who is their partner to do behind their backs (Plastic Man, Aquaman, Wonder Woman). The comic believably underscores both the rational justifications for what Batman did, and the emotional consequences his actions unleash on his team-mates]].
* ColdBloodedTorture: Batman's counter-measures against the League, which is intended to "non-lethally" incapacitate them amount to personalized torture chambers: [[spoiler:Aquaman is dosed with fear toxin making him afraid of water, which he needs to live; Plastic Man is traumatized by being shattered into pieces after being frozen in liquid oxygen; J'onn J'onzz's body is covered with magnesium-laced nanites which catches fire on exposure to air; Green Lantern's ring is modified to make him blind, preventing him from using it; Wonder Woman is implanted with a device that forces her to fight until she dies of exhaustion]]. The revelation that their co-worker had planned to torture them painfully to incapacitate them surprisingly doesn't go well with the Justice League, as Ra's Al Ghul counted on.

* EasilyForgiven: Martian Manhunter, The Flash and Kyle Rayner are willing to forgive Batman for his actions but the other members of the League aren't.

''Tower of Babel'' is a 4 Issue story arc in ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica written by Creator/MarkWaid, and drawn by Howard Porter and Steve Scott. It was published in issues #43-46 between July and October 2000. ''JLA Secret Files and Origins Vol.1 #3'' published in December 2000 serves as a prequel to the comic showing the manner in which Batman create those countermeasures and how it was hacked.

The plot begins with a series of incidents that target individual members of the JLA. The graves of Batman's parents are robbed, Kyle Rayner[=/=]Franchise/GreenLantern wakes up blind, Wonder Woman finds herself battling a doppelganger endlessly, Plastic Man is trapped in liquid nitrogen and broken, and Superman upon exposure to Red Kryptonite finds his skin made transparent and his body unreceptive to the Yellow Sun. Batman realizes that the culprit for this attack is ComicBook/RasAlGhul and his organization but he also discovers that Ra's accomplice is...himself. Ra's acting via Talia, hacked into Batman's secret files which created a number of contingencies to immediately take down the Justice League in case they were possessed. He did this without telling them and behind their backs. Ra's uses this confusion to launch his most ambitious scheme for global domination and cleansing, a modern Tower of Babel that globally disrupts the language center of the brain, making people communicate in gibberish, triggering a global catastrophe and civil war that would thin out the human population.

* BatmanGambit: Ra's Al Ghul pulls one on Batman and the entire League. Knowing Batman intimately he manages to decipher that the Detective's paranoia about being a BadassNormal in a group of super powered beings would lead him to make contingency plans to take them out. He then hacked it, and turned it loose, dividing the League internally and keeping them away from foiling his latest plan.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: The debate in the league [[spoiler:about Batman's actions in the final issue where some argue (Kyle Rayner, Wally West, J'Onn J'Onzz) that Batman does have a point about making these contingencies in case they get possessed or go rogue, while others insist that it's a terrible betrayal by someone who is their partner to do behind their backs (Plastic Man, Aquaman, Wonder Woman). The comic believably underscores both the rational justifications for what Batman did, and the emotional consequences his actions unleash on his team-mates]].
* ColdBloodedTorture: Batman's counter-measures against the League, which is intended to "non-lethally" incapacitate them amount to personalized torture chambers. [[spoiler:Aquaman is dosed with fear toxin to make him afraid of water, which he needs for his life and immersing him in a container of water has to be done by putting him to sleep. Plastic Man is traumatized by being shattered into many pieces after being frozen liquid, while J'onn J'onzz's body is covered with magnesium which catches fire on exposure to air, and Superman is also traumatized into his body being made transparent]]. The revelation that their co-worker had planned to torture them painfully to incapacitate them surprisingly doesn't go well with the Justice League, as Ra's Al Ghul counted on.

* CrazyPrepared: Batman cites the case of Agamemno hijacking and possessing the Justice League as justification for creating counter-measures to take out the league in case they are possessed. Martian Manhunter points out that he himself made some plans early on but never to the extent Batman did.

* KarmaHoudini: Despite plunging the world into chaos, and turning the League against each other, [[spoiler:Ra's Al Ghul escapes for another day, though the League note that his plan failed and his organization faced a major setback]].

* TeamKiller: Batman proves to be one. His plans decommission the League and would have killed them had he wished so. The reason he was able to do so was because he was able to win their trust and gain psychological insight into them.

* ContinuityNod: When Kyle Rayner

* TheTowerOfBabel: Ra's creates a modern one which ends up ruining the language centers of humanity by affecting them neurally.