A JLA Darkly

I was messing around on the Wizard Universe Message Boards the other day and came across a thread about picking the ideal JLA lineup. Somewhere along the way, the talk turned to who be members of a Dark JLA, ala the Dark Avengers.

Ok, I'll play.

The Steel Knight (Lex Luthor)
If anybody in the DC Universe is gonna pull the wool over the general populace's eyes and make a bunch of bad guys seem like the top heroes in the world ala Norman Osborn, it's gonna be Lex Luthor, who, y'know, already somehow got elected President that one time. He's got the smarts, the powers of manipulation, and the motive to stick it to Superman, Batman, et al. Given that those two dudes are the primary source of Lex's frustrations, I think he'd do like Norman did with the Iron Patriot and create an armored gestalt of their personas--hence the Steel Knight. Lex would then go into full PR mode, manufacturing events and positioning his JLA to save the day, ala what he did during 52. As for who would join him...

Batman (Jason Todd)
I think Lex and JT would be a match made in heaven (or that other place). Jason really needs a father figure, and Bruce Wayne wasn't hardcore enough for him. Lex would probably dig having an heir of sorts, especially if it sticks it to Batman. Plus Jason just recently dressed up as Batman and would likely have no problem doing so again and even acting the part of the virtuous hero he once kinda was to get on the nerves of his "family." I guess he's kinda the Daken of the group.

Isis
I thought about Black Adam to fill the "Wonder Woman" role, but Isis is a better fit, and not just because she's actually a chick. She's powerful and she does have some degree of popularity with the DCU rubes that Lex could manipulate; he could play up the whole "she was used by Black Adam" angle to gain her some sympathy and rehab her public image. It also helps to have at least one genuinely good but confused hero on the team and Isis fits the bill here. Of course Lex would have to get Adam out of the way somehow...

The Flash (Zoom)
Hunter Zolomon already thinks of himself as a hero, so it wouldn't be impossible for Lex to get him onboard here, but he's also a very unstable personality and a very powerful player. Still, you gotta have a speedster and I'd say Zoom is the best bet and best fit.

Aquaman (Ocean Master)
Easy choice here as Orm not only hates his brother and longs to take his place, he has also worked with Lex in the past as part of his Injustice Gang during Rock of Ages. The major drawback to Ocean Master as Aquaman is that he doesn't actually have any of his brother's powers, but when you've already got Zoom and Isis on the team, you're already pretty well set in the power department and the look is more important here. Plus, a martyr wouldn't exactly hurt the cause...

Martian Manhunter (Clayface)
The folks on the boards didn't get why I would pick somebody who didn't possess J'onn's telepathy and other powers to pose as him here, but you gotta think like Lex: you're putting together a group of volatile personalities like this and already don't trust anybody, the last thing you want in the mix is a wild card telepath who can throw the balance of power off in a direction potentially not yours (that's also why you may notice guys like Deathstroke didn't make this list). Clayface is dumb, easy to manipulate, and can look like the Martian Manhunter--that's all you need.

Green Arrow (Merlyn)
No-brainer as Merlyn has got the archery skills to pose as Green Arrow and can be easily bought. Hotheaded Ollie would likely take offense and rush into a confrontation with the Dark JLA that Lex could steer to his advantage.

Black Canary (Lady Shiva)
Since she taught Black Canary all the badass fighting skills she already knows, Lady Shiva would be an perfect choice to take her spot on this team. Since she is mostly just motivated by looking for a good fight, all Lex needs to do is promise her plenty of action; he would have to be wary of her sense of honor and respect for the actual Black Canary though. As for the lack of a Canary Cry? Lady Shiva doesn't need a Canary Cry.

Superboy (Match)
Lex is probably going to devote a good deal of his time after he gets this operation up and running trying to recruit the real Superboy to follow in his footsteps. Employing Match could be stage one of a master plan. I also see this need to have his "son" on the team as Lex's potential downfall as Jason Todd will get pissed off, splinter the group, and send everything crashing down...

Got your own?