The Justice League is a beacon of hope for the fans of fiction. While fans await a great cinematic weaving of the group in live-action, the League has been ruling the hearts in animation for years in the DC Animated Universe.
It became the crown jewel of DCAU bringing the icons together to face threats no single hero could handle. The series has been a huge success since its release.
But even the most dedicated DCAU fans might be surprised to learn that the show might have taken inspiration from its biggest competitor – Marvel Comics.
Justice League Animated Series‘ Amazo Is Very Similar To Marvel’s Adam Warlock
Amazo has been a pain to the Justice League for many years as he could absorb the power of anyone he touched. The character made his TV debut in the episode Tabula Rasa where he had some significant changes in design and even in his story.
These changes seemed heavily borrowed from Marvel’s Adam Warlock. Both Amazo and Warlock are sentient beings created by human scientists. In Tabula Rasa, Amazo gains the ability to absorb and replicate the powers of any hero it touches, mirroring Warlock’s later ability to absorb and manipulate cosmic energy.
Both eventually break free from their creators’ control and develop their own goals and sense of self. In the episode, Amazo’s design heavily borrows from Adam Warlock’s classic golden skin appearance. This is a clear visual homage by the animators.
While the episode borrows elements from Adam Warlock’s origin, it ultimately diverges. Amazo eventually becomes obsessed with power and fights the Justice League. This keeps the episode firmly rooted in the DCAU with a classic hero vs villain conflict.
Marvel’s Defenders End Up In The DC Animated Universe
A team of unlikely heroes from Marvel Comics have a surprising connection to DC’s Justice League. Debuting in the 1970s, the Defenders consisted of Doctor Strange, the Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer, and Valkyrie. This ragtag group, often with clashing personalities, came together to face mystical and supernatural threats.
An episode of Justice League titled Wake the Dead paid homage to the Defenders. The episode featured an unlikely team that mirrored the Defenders’ roster but with DC characters. Dr. Fate took Doctor Strange’s place as the magic user, the monstrous Solomon Grundy filled the role of the rage-fueled Hulk, Hawkgirl mirrored the Asgardian warrior Valkyrie and unsurprisingly, Aquaman replaced Namor the Submariner.
This banter between Marvel and DC keeps things fresh. Justice League turned out to be a huge hit, despite early negative reaction. Wake the Dead and Tabula Rasa are two of the most popular episodes of the Animated Series, and they can be streamed on Max.
