TheDC Animated Universe was a series of shows and feature-length films that aired or were released during the period from 1992 through 2006 and featured many characters from theDC Comics roster. While many characters played important or ongoing roles in the series, many more appeared only in the background. This is a list of characters appearing in the related shows and films. The information is broken down by production and sorted by original air date or release date.
The series debuted in 1992 and ran through 1993, and 65 original episodes, under the titleBatman. The characters it used consisted of primarily of those drawn fromBatman related comic books, though a few were adapted from other DC Comics series or created specifically for the show. Notably, the show created the character ofHarley Quinn / Harleen Quinzel.
Released theatrically in 1993,Batman: Mask of the Phantasm continued the style and primary character use fromBatman: The Animated Series. It also introduced a character created specifically for the film.
WhenBatman: The Animated Series was renewed for an additional 20 episodes, it was also renamedThe Adventures of Batman & Robin and featured Robin more prominently. These episodes ran from 1994 through 1995 along with reruns of the previous season. Most of the characters used had appeared in the previous season. Most of those that had not were either created specifically for the show or drawn from Batman-related comic books.
A feature-length production released directly to video in 1998,Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero was based on the style ofBatman: The Animated Series andThe Adventures of Batman & Robin. The characters used had previously appeared in those two shows.
The series debuted in 1996 and ran for 54 original episodes through 2000 as an extension of the DC Animated Universe focusing onSuperman. The characters it used consisted primarily of those drawn from Superman-related comic books, though characters from a number of other DC Comics series, notablyThe New Gods, were adapted for the show and a few were created specifically for it.
The New Batman Adventures debuted in 1997 as a continuation ofBatman: The Animated Series andThe Adventures of Batman & Robin. It ran through 1999 with 24 original episodes. Most of the characters who appeared were carried over from the previous series. Additional characters were added, with most of them being drawn from a wider range of DC Comics comic books. The odd character was created specifically for the show or borrowed from its sister showSuperman: The Animated Series.
Running from 1999 through 2001,Batman Beyond was a spin-off of the other DC Animated Universe Batman shows set 20 years in the future. Over its run, 52 original episodes aired featuring a handful of characters carried forward from the previous shows. Most of the characters that rounded out the shows were created specifically for the show either wholly or as "20 year later" reinterpretations of then current DC Comics characters.
In 2000Gotham Girls was launched as a web-toon featuring some of the characters used inThe New Batman Adventures but from the perspective of three female villains. The episodes were posted through 2003.
In 2000Lobo was launched as a web-toon featuring Lobo who appeared inSuperman: The Animated Series. The episodes were posted throughout the same year. Unlike the other entries, it is completely adult-oriented with prominent graphic violence, profanity and sexual content.
Debuting in 2000 and running through 2004 with 52 original episodes,Static Shock featured the characterStatic. Prominent characters in the series were derived from, or very loosely based on, characters created byMilestone Media for comics published through DC Comics. Later episodes bring the series into the DC Animated Universe with the appearance of characters from the other shows.
A feature-length production released directly to video in 2000,Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker was based on the style ofBatman Beyond. The characters used had previously appeared in the various shows.
Debuting in 2001 and running through 2002 with 26 original episodes,The Zeta Project was a spin-off show fromBatman Beyond and featured mostly original characters.
Debuting in 2001,Justice League was a continuation of the continuity established in the various Batman and Superman related shows that had aired since 1992. The show ran through 2004, airing 52 original episodes. The characters were drawn from those that had appeared in previous series with additional characters being based on those from DC Comics comic books.
During the series various characters operated as teams in some episodes. In some cases the characters making up the team only appeared as part of that team, so the grouping is noted in the above list. In other cases the characters were not exclusive to the team. The teams that fall into this category are:
The two-part episode "Legends" featured pastiches of theJustice Society of America, theJustice Guild of America, and a selection of their villains. The pastiche was used in lieu of the actual characters at the insistence of DC Comics.[1]
The two-part episode "A Better World" featured a variation of theCrime Syndicate of America called theJustice Lords. The pastiche was used as the writers worked on the episode, replacing the standard Crime Syndicate with a Justice League went fascist.[2]
A feature-length production released directly to video in 2003,Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman was based on the style ofThe New Batman Adventures. With the exception of the titular "Batwoman", the characters used had previously appeared in the various shows.
When it was renewed for a third season in 2004,Justice League was retitledJustice League Unlimited. The show ran through 2006, airing an additional 39 original episodes. Most of the characters were carried over with additional ones being based on those from DC Comics comic books.
Unvoiced League members
The antagonists for this series break down into three types based on season and story arc. The first season had a set of episodes linked by an arc focusing on a secret government agency trying to control the Justice League. The second season had a set linked by an arc focusing on an expanded Secret Society. Both seasons also had episodes that did not tie to the arcs. The general antagonists are listed first.
The episode "Double Date" featured a crime lord as the primary antagonist that was a mix of two DC Comics characters. The character was calledSteven Mandragora, but did not visually resemble that character. The appearance was based onTobias Whale.
The episode "Ultimatum" featured the Ultimen, pastiches of characters created specifically for Hana-Barbara'sSuper Friends series.
A few characters have been cited by writers and producers as "off-limits" at various times during the production of the various shows, though they are allowed to appear in the comics based on the show.
Adam Strange was originally supposed to appear in "Hunter's Moon", but legal rights prevented that from happening.[3] The episode's original title was "Mystery In Space", the name of the comic that Strange starred in.
Characters fromAquaman comics could not appear due to character rights being reserved for a potential live-action series. This resulted inBlack Manta being renamed Devil Ray for the series, with the character first appearing in an episode that was intended to feature Aquaman.[4]
Most characters from the Batman comics also could not appear due to the "Bat-Embargo" that reserved those characters for use in other media. This left onlyBatman available to be prominently used inJustice League andJustice League Unlimited.[5][6]
This resulted in a partial rewrite of the episode "Double Date". Originally,Barbara Gordon was to appear in the episode. The episode would have her getting injured during a case as Batgirl. Since Bruce forbids her from participating she would recreate herself as Oracle, and get in touch with Black Canary and Huntress to finish her case. Neither of them would meet her in person. Due to the Bat-Embargo, the story replaced Batgirl withGreen Arrow andthe Question.[7]
Some non-speaking and quick cameos did make it in to a few episodes though:
Kathy Kane, the original Silver AgeBatwoman, could not appear as one of the three women to don the costume of Batwoman inBatman: Mystery of the Batwoman. According to the featurette included in the DVD release, Alan Burnett explains they had intended to use the name "Kathy Kane" but were asked to change it byDC Comics, thanks to some morally gray actions on the part of the movie Batwoman. This resulted in the character of Kathy Duquesne being created for the show. However, not much later, a new Batwoman debuted in the new DC continuity, being portrayed as a lesbian. The film features a near-identical character named Sonia Alcana.
Black Lightning could not appear within the shows due toDC Comics' refusal to pay royalties to his creator,Tony Isabella. This resulted in the characterBlack Vulcan being created for the showSuper Friends. The character Juice is a pastiche ofBlack Vulcan,[citation needed] and Soul Power inStatic Shock is also a pastiche of Black Lightning.[5][8]
This also affected the characters connected to Black Lightning and also created by Isabella. The original idea for "Double Date" was forTobias Whale to be the man who murdered Huntress's parents. He was replaced with a villain called Steven Mandragora, whose last name was later used for the man who arranged their deaths in the comic bookHuntress: Year One.[citation needed]
Blue Beetle could not appear as a member of the Justice League due to rights being tied up until 2007 because of his 1940s radio show and 1980s cartoon proposals.[5]
When theJustice League episode, "Hereafter" was being produced,Captain Marvel was set to appear as the temporary 7th member. As the rights to the character and the Marvel Family were unavailable to the show,Lobo took the position instead. Later in the episode, it was shown that Aquaman had become the 7th member. However, Captain Marvel would later appear in "Clash."[9]
Firestorm was intended to appear, but the writers were unable to create a plot featuring him.[citation needed]
While the production team regularly referred to the collection of villains joining forces in the final major arc ofJustice League Unlimited as the "Legion of Doom",[6] DC resisted the use of the term within the show itself.
Plastic Man was stated byDwayne McDuffie to be unusable in the show despite being mentioned as a League member byJohn Stewart in one episode, but he did not explain why.[10]
Bruce Timm had intended to utilize thePhantom Stranger in the DC Animated Universe, but was not allowed to do so for unknown reasons.
TheTeen Titans and related characters were off-limits due to theeponymous series. Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy appears in the episode "Patriot Act", which aired following the finale ofTeen Titans.[citation needed]
Sandman and otherVertigo characters were said byBruce Timm in aWizard interview to be considered, featuring an appearance ofNeil Gaiman's Sandman character, but they weren't sure how to incorporate it into the tone of the franchise. He went on to say "But now, it's not even an issue. The whole Vertigo universe is closed off for us."[11] In the same interview, Bruce Timm also states that they did attempt to use thePhantom Stranger and theSpectre but were told they could not use those characters.
Neil Gaiman once said: "I always loved the idea of doing a Sandman/Batman Animated cartoon episode, and we were definitely talking about it in '93, after Vertigo came into existence...I'd assumed that they lost interest. But there was definitely some kind of Vertigo/DC divide that came into existence in there somewhere, imposed from DC/Vertigo editorial and above, worried, I was told, that a kid would feel pressured by continuity to pick up a 'For Mature Readers' title and the world would end."[12]
A few characters were developed by writers and producers during the production of the various shows; however, they ultimately did not appear in any episodes or films.
WhenJustice League was pitched to theKids' WB network, the lineup originally included three young members as proteges for the League. The members would have beenRobin,Impulse, and an original character described as a "teenage female version of Cyborg" (Cyborgirl). The promo, which is viewable on the fourth disc of theJustice League Season 1 boxset, is the only appearance of Cyborgirl and Impulse in the DC Animated Universe.[13]
When plans for aJustice League series were originally in development in the late 1990s,Nightshade was included in a roster of prospective Justice League members by producerBruce Timm. Plans for the original series were canceled and production moved ontoSuperman: The Animated Series. She did not make into theJustice League series once it entered production.[14]
Nocturna was scheduled to appear in an episode ofBatman: The Animated Series as avampire, but the episode was canceled afterFox censors objected to the storyline, which would have involved Batman being turned into a vampire and craving human blood.[15]
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