| Libra | |
|---|---|
 Libra meets withThe Society; interior artwork byDoug Mahnke fromDC Universe #0 (2008). | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Justice League of America #111 (June 1974) |
| Created by | Len Wein (script) Dick Dillin (art) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Justin Ballantine |
| Team affiliations | Injustice Gang The Society |
| Notable aliases | Equinox |
| Abilities | Superpower absorption |
Libra is asupervillain appearing incomic books published byDC Comics. He first appeared inJustice League of America #111 (May–June 1974),[1] where he formed the first incarnation of theInjustice Gang. Libra made his return with a leading role inFinal Crisis in 2008.
Libra's only major appearance, prior to his appearance inFinal Crisis, was inJustice League of America #111, in 1974. In 2004, he made a brief cameo in theJLA/Avengers crossover (#4) byKurt Busiek andGeorge Pérez.
Final Crisis writerGrant Morrison explained the reason for picking an obscure villain:[2]
The reason I chose them was because Libra came from my favorite ever run of 'Justice League of America' and he's never been used again. He was a character who had stolen all the powers of the Justice League, but then couldn't handle it and ascended to some kind of screaming godhood where he became a million transparent body parts spread across the sky. So I thought if I was doing a thing about theNew Gods, he'd be an interesting guy to bring back because I needed a masked mystery man to start a new recruitment drive for the Secret Society of Supervillains (sic), because they become almost a terrorist sect. Under Libra's guidance, they start doing quite bad things, even to superheroes' wives and families, crossing the line. So there's that element to the story and I needed a masked guy, who people didn't really know that well. And I remembered Libra and the fact that he is connected to this ascending to godhood thing tied him in really quite nicely. What's really going on under the hood will be revealed later in the series.
In May 2008, his appearances were reprinted inDC Universe Special: Justice League of America at the same time as he was reintroduced, along with theHuman Flame, inJustice League of America #21.[2] He returns, apparently retaining the full might of his godlike status, to lead a new and final incarnation of theSecret Society of Super-Villains, this time offering to every villain, from simple costumed crooks to major ones, the realization of his/her fondest wish.
The full origins of Libra and the connection between his original appearance andFinal Crisis was then made apparent in a one-shot story by his original creator, Len Wein, inFinal Crisis: Secret Files #1 in December 2008.
Libra's backstory is given inFinal Crisis: Secret Files #1. He was born Justin Ballantine and lost his mother at the age of eight due to an alcoholic pharmacist mismeasuring medicine his mother needed. Soon afterward, his father turned to alcoholism himself and became abusive. He threatened to beat him with his telescope, but lost his balance and fell to his death, which led Justin to see the importance of balance.
Libra is a secret founder of theInjustice Gang, given control by a mysterious benefactor.[3] He constructs an unusual device, the Transmortifier, that can steal half the power or energy of a given person. When Libra attempts to absorb the power of the universe, the Transmortifier backfires and destroys his body.DeSaad later reconstructs Libra's body, after which he pledges loyalty toDarkseid.[4]
Libra returns inFinal Crisis, where he controls an army of super-villains and threatens the multiverse.[5] He killsMartian Manhunter, who states that he is destined to fail.Lex Luthor tries to kill Libra, having concluded that Libra's effectiveness makes him too dangerous to be left alive, but Libra instead surrounds him with Justifiers. He offers Luthor a choice to either swear allegiance to Darkseid or become a slave. Luthor blasts Libra, seemingly killing him, though he later resurfaces.[6]
Equinox, a character inspired by Libra, appears inBatman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced byOded Fehr.[7] He is an orphan raised by theLords of Chaos and Order, who granted him godlike powers and tasked him with maintaining balance between good and evil. However, Equinox was overwhelmed by this and went rogue to pursue his own sense of balance. This brought him into multiple confrontations with Batman, and thus as of the end of the series, Equinox's consciousness now exists as eleven fragments, each embodying a single part of his mind, and scattered throughout space and time.
Through the words of scripter Len Wein and the art of Dick Dillin, the masked menace of Libra established himself as a grave threat to the World's Greatest Heroes.
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