Every Founding Member of the Justice League, Ranked by Importance in 2026

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The League has certainly gotten bigger over the years. The advent of the Justice League Unlimited has seen nearly every superhero alive join their ranks, but the classics should always be respected. Seven people founded the League, and to this day, they are all incredible heroes. To celebrate those heroes, we’re going to take a look at how important each of the original seven is in comics in 2026. We’re only judging them by how much they are impacting overall stories and DC right now, and while each is definitely important, you might be surprised to see that some have waxed or waned more than you think. With all that said, let’s leap into ranking the League.

7) Flash

It feels wrong to put the Scarlet Speedster so low on this list, but while Barry Allen was the JL’s original Flash, he lost his powers at the end of the Absolute Power event. The current Flash ongoing follows Wally, and though Barry occasionally appears in a supporting role and his importance is consistently mentioned, the man himself is retired from hero work. He’s still somwhat relevant, however, as he has taken a new role as the multiverse’s scribe, writing New History of the DC Universe. 

This role might prove vital in the coming days, as King Omega Darkseid attacked Barry’s laptop at the end of DC K.O. Barry might not be the Fastest Man Alive, but his role definitely has the potential to change the course of reality in the future. Barry still knows more about the multiverse than anyone, and with the promised Absolute Crisis on the horizon, Barry’s knowledge might be needed to put things back to how they were when the dust finally settles.

6) Martian Manhunter

Unfortunately, sixth place on our list belongs to the beloved Manhunter from Mars. J’onn has often gotten the short end of the stick compared to his fellow founding Leaguers, especially when it comes to his own storylines. Where he is best shown off in Justice League stories, his teammates each have their own volumes focused solely on them. With the Justice League being so massive right now, that leaves even less time for Martian Manhunter to stake his claim. He’s still DC’s strongest telepath and the person everyone can turn to, but as of right now, he’s not doing nearly as much as his teammates. He is currently helping out Superboy in Action Comics (2016), so at least he’s operating in some spotlight.

5) Green Lantern

Hal Jordan is, to this day, the Green Lantern Corps’ number one hero. Recently, this was proven even more true as Hal’s name appeared in the legendary Book of Oa, which imparted its knowledge to him as visions. Hal has left Earth in Kyle’s hands as he’s taken off for the stars, intent on finding out what great cataclysm awaits the Corps in the future. The Green Lantern Corps is the biggest peacekeeping force in the universe, and whatever threat is coming their way, Hal is squarely in the middle of it. GLC problems can easily impact most of the known universe, so even with Hal leaving Earth, his importance is only growing.

4) Aquaman

It’s a good time to be an Aquaman fan, as the King of Atlantis is more important than ever before. For starters, Arthur has massively increased his power by becoming the avatar of the Blue, the primordial force that connects all water in the universe. As if that wasn’t enough, upon returning from the DC K.O. tournament, he decided it was time to think bigger than just Earth’s oceans. He declared himself Emperor Aquaman and stated his intent to spread his rulership across the cosmos, wherever there is water. Atlantis is on the road to becoming a true cosmic powerhouse, and that can only mean that Aquaman is about to become much, much more important.

3) Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is one of the legendary Trinity. Her, Batman, and Superman represent everything DC stands for, and Wonder Woman herself is taking a few steps up in the world. For starters, her own series is racing towards a war that will shake the very foundations of the Earth. The “Wonder War” storyline will decide if the Earth will live free or be subjugated under the Matriarch, and only Wonder Woman can stop her. Besides deciding the fate of the world, Diana is also one of the two leaders of the superhero community, heading the Justice League alongside Batman. She is the voice of reason and trust that he so often overlooks for safety, which makes her more vital than ever.

2) Batman

The Dark Knight is, as ever, one of DC’s most important characters. Just like Wonder Woman, he’s both one of the superhero community’s heads and a member of the Trinity. While his own stories have less of an impact on the cosmic scale of DC, he takes second because he maintains more ongoing comics than anyone else. Practically of DC’s catalogue at any given time is Batman books and books following a member of the Batman Family. Out of the thirty ongoing titles across DC, ten are focused on the legendary Gotham-based vigilante and his cast. There are ten ongoing limited series, and five of them are Batman-related. Batman is one of DC’s favorite children, and he will always be vital to everything they do.

1) Superman

The Man of Tomorrow is, without a doubt, the driving force behind DC’s multiverse-wide story, and he’s not even here. He was the central character in DC K.O., winning the tournament and rejecting godhood, shoving Darkseid back to fight another day. He vanished into the ether, saying he had something important to do, which led to the “Reign of the Superboys” event and the ongoing “Hunt For Superman.” The entire universe is looking for the Man of Steel, knowing that he is the number one hero that everyone, across all of time and space, looks up to. Only he could have stopped Darkseid, and when the evil god returns, they’re going to need him again.

Of course, this isn’t even getting into how vital Superman is to the concept of heroism. He is the original superhero, forging the template from which all others are molded and judged. His life inspires the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century, who have become major players in the fight for the future. Everything Darkseid does is to destroy Superman, and everything Superman does makes DC a better place for everyone. He is the most important superhero of all time, and his shadow alone is enough to push all of DC to the next level.

Which Justice Leaguer do you think is the most important? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!