If it's based on Tower of Babel, it's an extremely loose base.
It seems more like a use of the general concept (foolproof anti-League plans) added to the Secret Society / Lo D plot.
That said, looks awesome.
Adaptations are really trying to keep that Legion Of Doom name alive, aren't they?
edited 21st Oct '11 9:43:57 AM by KnownUnknown
Are they? I don't think I've seen the Legion of Doom since the Super Friends.
Other than "using Batman's files on the JL against them", I don't know much more about the comic storyline.
I think the Justice League is going to be voiced mostly by the original cast of the animated series, except Hal Jordan, who is supposed to be voiced by the actor from the recent GL animated movie.
edited 21st Oct '11 9:55:13 AM by NULLcHiLD27
Of the various movie style adaptions, I've liked most of the changes. The only change I can think of that I didn't like from one was Superman Batman Public Enemy, and that's that they removed Captain Atom's part at the end.
Fight smart, not fair.The "Tower of Babel" story was also partially used in the second season finale of Justice League, except it wasn't Batman's files.
This looks like it's going to have an origin story for Cyborg. I haven't read the comics story, but some quick research shows that Cyborg wasn't a part of that. I guess that Cyborg's going to be a Spanner in the Works.
DC is really trying to bump Cyborg up to A-list status. He's going to be a part of the Justice League in the D Cn U, and now this. I wonder why.
edited 28th Oct '11 6:51:14 AM by StarOutlaw
The Tower Of Babel plot involves Ra's Al Ghul using Batman's Secret Files on the league to cripple them, while also plotting to destroy a major percent of the population by removing the world's ability to communicate with each other, rendering all speech gibberish.
The plot deals heavily, if not mainly, with the lack of trust the League has for Batman after learning that - most strongly Bats and Supes' relationship - and arguably focuses mainly on Batman himself.
This seems more like an modern adaptation of the Legion of Doom, in the same vein as Grodd's Secret Society (which is, itself, a direct reference to the Legion of Doom, to the point where one of the episode titles refers to it as the "Legion"), rather than an actual adaptation of Tower Of Babel.
edited 28th Oct '11 10:15:24 AM by KnownUnknown
Superman Versus The Elite, which is supposed to be based on What's So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way?
, and a two-parter of The Dark Knight Returns are supposed to be next.
edited 28th Oct '11 3:13:10 PM by NULLcHiLD27
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
I'd say it's because of their lack of well known black characters. Also Cyborg has always been a great character for about 30 years are happy to use him more and fans will be pleased at his increased prominance rather than complaining that he's taking screentime away from more established characters.
I only ever read the fallout from The Tower of Babel storyline, I've no idea how far the comics explored the files being used part, always felt that would be the more interesting part of the story. Same for when the X-Men discovered Xaviers files on them, the angst was interesting but it would have been nice to see somone try to use one or two of them.
Am I a good man or a bad man?When you live in worlds where anybody can be mind-controlled, have their powers stolen, turn out to have an evil duplicate, etc. etc. it makes perfect sense to have plans to deal with every possible threat including your own allies. Batman and Xavier's errors were in hiding this fact from the others- as superheroes, they should have seen the need of it themselves. Especially if the plans also include how to take down the people who made them as well. (Or did Batman fail to think HE could go rogue as well?)
![]()
As I recall, Xavier did consider that he could go rogue, which is a pretty good thing considering that whole Onslaught incident.
As for telling the others, on the one hand, it would prevent trust issues later, but on the other hand, if they did go rogue, that would give them a reason to target him later, if they weren't already Genre Savvy enough to do so right away. He needs time to put these plans into action.
It's a bit of a Catch22
One Strip! One Strip!Yeah the problem is that if somone with acsess to the files goes rouge they now know not only how to take down the rest of the team but also what strategy is going to be used against them, making them even more dangerous.
IIRC Xavier had some really weird security measure for his files, each combination of people in the room activated a different recording. The problem there is, what if Wolverine guts somebody necessary to unlocking his file?
Am I a good man or a bad man?I understand the desire for more prominently placed minority characters, but why Cyborg, of all people? He's never really had much of a presence outside of the New Teen Titans and it's variants. Why not, for instance, Black Lightning? He's been around longer than Cyborg, and given that, as Black Vulcan, he's relatively well known, I'd think he'd be a more natural choice for promotion to the major leagues. You think they're trying to not double up on the African-American electrical hero thing, given that they're keeping Static around as a Teen Titan?
Maybe they'll haul Samurai and Apache Chief out of the mothballs, at least in their JLU incarnations as Wind Dragon and Longshadow. I wouldn't mind seeing an update of El Dorado, either.
Lots of people forget Cyborg was in Superfriends too. And in general throughout his long and proactive history, as far as mostly Teen Titans characters go, with the obvious exception of Robin and Superboy he's had more action outside the Titans and around the general DC Universe than most of his teammates. And it helps that he isn't created to be affiliated with a particular hero or team. He's got more of an individual presence.
So in short, I can understand why he's getting to be on the JLA, because if any member of the Teen Titans deserves/would work as being brought up to the JLA, it's him. And I can understand him being in this movie, because he's getting to be on the JLA.
Though I would love it if Black Lightning got more attention.
edited 30th Oct '11 1:30:25 PM by KnownUnknown
![]()
But Cyborg WAS created with a specific team affiliation in mind — he was created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, along with Raven and Starfire, specifically to be part of the 1980 New Teen Titans reboot. There's no reason why he couldn't be part of the JLA, of course, and I'm guessing DC is taking into account his fairly recent exposure in the animated Teen Titans as to why they're promoting him instead of someone else (name recognition, you know). He just always struck me as a fairly minor character; a good character, mind you, but a fairly minor one.
But he hasn't wholly adhered to it, and in the end it hasn't essentially defined him - to compare, Robin is inextricably bound to the Batman title, as is Superboy with Superman, and all the speedsters with the Flash title.
An example of someone who lost that affiliation is, say, Beast Boy, who used to be affiliated with the Doom Patrol, but in his case it's different, because in the end his character went straight into being attached to the Titans' name.
Cyborg, however, has long been a lot more "stand-out" in terms of character type and role in the DCU, and has a bit of a wide reference pool beyond being associated with the Teen Titans.
edited 30th Oct '11 4:47:05 PM by KnownUnknown
You know why Cyborg is being pushed as the African-American member of the team now? Because he's the highest profile black superhero who isn't from some made up African country, isn't a legacy character of a previous white hero that people with throw a fit over being replaced, or has the word "Black" in front of his name.
That said, I love Cyborg as a character and this looks like a very interesting movie. Can't wait to see more.
edited 30th Oct '11 6:00:55 PM by Brokenshell44

Based on the Tower Of Babel storyline in which a group of villains get hold of Batman's files on how to beat every member of the Justice League.
edited 21st Oct '11 9:34:51 AM by NULLcHiLD27