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'''Justice League Unlimited''' (or '''JLU''') was the name of an American animated television series that was produced by and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the previous ''Justice League'' animated series. ''JLU'' debuted on July 31, 2004 at 8:30 p.m. ET / PT on Toonami and ended with the episode aired May 13, 2006 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Contents

Overview

Characters

Episodes

Connection with ''Batman Beyond''

Voice cast

DVD releases

See also

Footnotes

External links

Overview

The series is a continuation of its predecessor, taking up soon after ''Justice League'' ended. It is sometimes considered to be the same series as the original; the first season of ''Justice League Unlimited'' is referred to by the producers as the third season of ''Justice League''. However, seasons referred to below treat ''Justice League Unlimited'' as a separate series, just as it was marketed on DVD.
It features a greatly-expanded League, in which the characters from the original series -- now referred to as "founding members" -- are joined by a number of superheroes (in the first episode, well over 50 characters appear), as well as a number of DC heroes who had made guest appearances in the first two seasons of ''Justice League'', '', and ''.
Unlike ''Justice League'', which primarily consisted of two- or three-part stories with only light continuity between them, ''Justice League Unlimited'' features ongoing story arcs, the first involving the building conflict between the league and a secret government agency known as Project Cadmus. This plot line heavily builds upon events that occurred during the second season of ''Justice League'' (which in turn built upon events in ''The New Batman / Superman Adventures'', in which a Darkseid-brainwashed Superman almost conquers the Earth single-handedly and awakens the deepest fears of the US Government), and has affected the plotlines of most of its episodes. It was resolved in a four-part story at the end of the first season of ''Justice League Unlimited''. The second season story arc focuses on the Legion of Doom as the main villains, a loose-knit organization formed to combat the increased superhero coordination of the first season.
Another aspect of the Cadmus storyline was its tendency to incorporate elements from the past DCAU Shows (''Batman: The Animated Series'', ''Superman: The Animated Series'', ''Batman Beyond'', and ''The Zeta Project'').^[1] Additionally, "Divided We Fall" was originally going to end with Superman revealing his secret identity to Lois at the end of the episode.^[2]
Towards the end of the series, certain characters became off-limits to the show, namely any character associated with Batman (aside from Batman himself) and every Aquaman character. This was due to unrelated animated series ''The Batman'', and the pilot of a ''Smallville''-like series for Aquaman which wasn't picked up. The decision to outlaw these characters is inconsistent with this theory, seeing as ''Smallville'' and ''Justice League Unlimited'' make use of several of Superman's supporting characters, namely Lex Luthor. However, this ruling would seem to apply to JLU's use of Lois Lane, as she did not have a speaking role once the character was added to the cast of ''Smallville''. On the other hand, the sibling superheroes who are featured in the League, Hawk and Dove, are among the few Teen Titans who do not appear in the television series depiction of that superhero team. Conversely, Speedy was able to appear on JLU soon after ''Teen Titans'' ended, due to the length of the second season of JLU's production.

In issue #45 of ''Teen Titans Go!'', the Justice League makes a one page appearance which takes place during ''Justice League Unlimited''. The members are Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl (depicted with her original costume), Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Zatanna, Atom, Captain Atom, Aquaman, Black Canary, Supergirl, and Mary Marvel.
Although he is featured prominently in the opening credits, and was one of the original members of the league in the previous ''Justice League'' series, the character of The Flash appears only fleetingly in the first half of the first season, though he has a more substantive role in the second half and in the second season.
''Justice League Unlimited'', like the second season of ''Justice League'', is animated in widescreen. The show also features new theme music. The two-part series finale was aired in the UK on February 8 and February 18, 2006 and in the United States on May 6 and May 13, 2006.

Characters

Main articles: Characters appearing in Justice League Unlimited

The seven founding members on ''Justice League Unlimited'' consist of the League's members during the original two ''Justice League'' seasons; these members continue to have greater authority and responsibility in the League.

Episodes

Main articles: List of Justice League episodes#Justice League Unlimited episodes, l1=List of Justice League Unlimited episodes

Connection with ''Batman Beyond''

The term "Justice League Unlimited" was used first in the two-part episode ("The Call") of the animated series ''Batman Beyond'' that aired more than a year before the first ''Justice League'' series began. Decades into the future of the DC Animated Universe, the Justice League still exists, and is referred to as the "Justice League Unlimited". This future League consists of Superman, a new Green Lantern, Big Barda, Warhawk, Aquagirl, and Micron. Like his predecessor, the new Batman becomes a part-time member of the League.
''Justice League Unlimited'''s first season two-part episode "The Once and Future Thing" features the League of an alternate future, with a reduced lineup (due to tampering with the time continuum). David Clinton and the Jokerz killed most of the future members of the League, leaving only the original Batman (now the 80-year-old Bruce Wayne), the second Batman (Terry McGinnis), Warhawk, and Static alive. This episode also features the revelation that Warhawk is the son of John Stewart and Shayera Hol. Some of these members appear again, along with the rest of the now-restored future heroes, in the season two finale "Epilogue".

Voice cast

'The Seven Founding Heroes'

★ Kevin Conroy - Bruce Wayne / Batman

★ Michael Rosenbaum - Wally West / The Flash

★ Phil LaMarr - John Stewart / Green Lantern

★ Maria Canals - Shayera Hol / Hawkgirl

★ Carl Lumbly - J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter

★ George Newbern - Clark Kent / Superman

★ Susan Eisenberg - Diana of Themiscyra / Wonder Woman
'Other Heroes'

★ Scott Rummell - Orin or Arthur Curry / Aquaman

★ John C. McGinley - Ray Palmer / The Atom

★ Atom Smasher

★ Will Friedle - Terry McGinnis / Batman Beyond

★ Farrah Forke - Big Barda

★ Morena Baccarin - Black Canary

★ Tom Everett Scott - Booster Gold

★ Peter Onorati - B'wana Beast

★ George Eads and Chris Cox - Captain Atom

★ Shane Haboucha - Billy Batson

★ Jerry O'Connell - Captain Marvel

★ Raphael Sbarge - Deadman

★ Jason Hervey - Dove

★ Oded Fehr - Dr. Fate

★ Jeremy Piven - Elongated Man

★ Maria Canals - Fire

★ Kin Shriner - Oliver Queen / Green Arrow

★ Adam Baldwin - Hal Jordan / Green Lantern

★ Will Friedle - Kyle Rayner / Green Lantern

★ Fred Savage - Hawk

★ James Remar - Carter Hall / Katar Hol / Hawkman

★ Amy Acker - Helena Bertinelli / The Huntress

★ Tom Sizemore - Metamorpho

★ Ioan Gruffudd - Mister Miracle

★ Michael Beach - Mister Terrific

★ Ron Perlman - Orion

★ Jeffrey Combs - The Question

★ Powers Boothe - Red Tornado

★ Chris Cox - Shining Knight

★ Phil LaMarr - Steel

★ Nicholle Tom - Kara In-Ze / Kara Kent / Supergirl

★ Nathan Fillion - Vigilante

★ Gina Torres - Vixen

★ Dennis Farina - Wildcat

★ Jennifer Hale - Zatanna
'Villains'

★ Robert Picardo - Amazo

★ Michael York - Ares

★ Lex Lang - Atomic Skull

★ Corey Burton - Brainiac

★ Donal Gibson - Captain Boomerang

★ Lex Lang - Captain Cold

★ Sheryl Lee Ralph - Cheetah

★ Peter MacNicol - Chronos

★ Rachel York - Circe

★ Michael Ironside - Darkseid

★ Michael Beach - Devil Ray

★ Michael Rosenbaum - Dr. Polaris

★ Michael Jai White - Doomsday

★ Robert Englund - Felix Faust

★ Robin Atkin Downes - The Gentleman Ghost

★ Powers Boothe - Gorilla Grodd

★ Michael Dorn - Kalibak

★ Clancy Brown - Lex Luthor

★ John Rhys-Davies - Lord Hades

★ Alexis Denisof - Mirror Master

★ Eric Roberts - Mongul

★ Olivia d'Abo - Morgaine Le Fey

★ Mark Hamill - The Joker

★ Stephen McHattie - The Shade

★ Mark Hamill - Solomon Grundy

★ Olivia d'Abo - Star Sapphire

★ Juliet Landau - Tala

★ Bud Cort - Toyman

★ Mark Hamill - The Trickster

★ Rob Zombie - Ichthulhu
'Recurring/other characters'

★ David Kaufman - Jimmy Olsen

★ CCH Pounder - Amanda Waller

★ Ben Browder - Bat Lash

★ Jason Marsden - Snapper Carr

★ J. K. Simmons - General Wade Eiling

★ Nestor Carbonell - El Diablo

★ Robert Foxworth - Professor Emil Hamilton

★ Adam Baldwin - Jonah Hex

★ Dana Delany - Lois Lane

★ Tim Matheson - Maxwell Lord

★ Daniel Dae Kim - Metron

★ Adam Baldwin - Captain Rick Flag

DVD releases

DVD Name	Release Date	Ep #	Additional Information
Season One	October 24 2006	26	Featurette: And Justice for All: The Process of Revamping the Series with New Characters and a New Creative Direction, Themes of Justice: Choose Your Favorite JLU Musical Theme Audio Tracks, Creators' Commentary on "This Little Piggy" and 'The Return". Contains all episodes of Seasons One and Two from the original airing. Episode 21 - "Hunter's Moon (AKA Mystery in Space)" - is placed out of order between episodes 22 ("Question Authority") and 23 ("Flashpoint").
Season Two	March 20 2007	13	Cadmus: Exposed: Mark Hamill and the Series Creative Personnel Discuss This Popular Series Story Arc, Justice League Chronicles: Series Writers, Producers and Directors Discuss Their Favorite Moments Among Final Season Episodes, Music-Only Audio Track for the Final Episode Destroyer.

See also

★ List of Justice League episodes

★ Justice League (TV series)

★ , a cancelled Justice League DTV feature.

★ The Ultimate JLU Ttribute, fan-made tribute video.

Footnotes

1. [1]
2. [2]

External links

★ Cartoon Network: ''Justice League Unlimited'' official site

★

★

★ Justice League Unlimited at The World's Finest

★ Justice League Unlimited Toys @ Legions Of Gotham

★ JusticeLeagueUnlimited.net - JLU character profiles, episode synopsis, and show clips