The Most Powerful Justice Society Members Of All Time, Ranked

Most modern fans of DC Comics and its many characters are familiar with the Justice League of America. After all, Warner Bros. released its live-action adaptation of the superhero team not once, but twice! But while the JLA is DC's preeminent superhero team, it hasn't been around for as long as some may believe. They first appeared in 1960, but if you go back another 20 years, you'll find DC's first major team, the Justice Society of America.

The JSA debuted in 1940's "All-Star Comics" #3, so the roster was filled with Golden Age superheroes. The team was eventually replaced by the JLA, but it never truly went away, thanks largely to DC's penchant for rebooting its universe.

The JSA has been home to some of DC's greatest and most powerful superheroes, many of whom were or are based on Golden Age characters. Throughout its many rosters, the JSA has been host to dozens of powerful players. Each of the characters below represents the most powerful people to call the JSA home, ranked by their abilities, history in the comics, and how they compare to others. This article covers only the main DC Comics continuity, so alternate Earth rosters aren't considered.

Hourman was one of the founding members of the JSA, but there have been three different people to carry the title. Rex Tyler is the first Hourman, and he's also responsible for making himself meta. Tyler worked as a chemist and biochemist, which is how he accidentally created the source of his superpowers: Miraclo.

Whenever Tyler ingests Miraclo, he gains superpowers for one hour. Once the 60 minutes are up, Tyler is an ordinary man once more. Miraclo gives Tyler several impressive superpowers, including superhuman strength, speed, durability, and stamina. He also has heightened night vision, expert martial arts skills, and can survive underwater. Tyler offered his superhero services via an ad before he worked his way up the ladder to become a respected hero.

In terms of power, Hourman isn't the strongest member of the JSA, but his intellect and abilities combine to make him incredibly powerful. Tyler's use of a drug to gain superpowers isn't the best message for kids, so subsequent depictions altered the source of his power. Regardless, for 60 minutes, Hourman can bring the pain and stand on his own or with the team, making him one of the JSA's strongest early members.

Atom Smasher isn't the most popular DC character, but he did make his live-action debut in "Black Adam" via Noah Centineo's performance. Albert Rothstein is the grandson of Al Pratt, the Atom from the Golden Age of comics. He has similar powers to his grandfather, including the ability to alter the size and density of his body, and while he cannot shrink, he can grow to immense size.

Atom Smasher also has super-strength and full control over his molecular structure. He started out as Nuklon, a name he operated under while he served in the Justice League. Years later, Rothstein changed his superhero identity to Atom Smasher and joined the JSA. It was a source of pride for Rothstein to honor his grandfather by following in his footsteps.

Rothstein's superpowers are impressive, as he's super-strong at normal size. When he manipulates his size, he can truly bring the pain to his enemies. In one kerfuffle, Atom Smasher grows to 60 feet in size and is strong enough to knock out Power Girl with one hit. He can be knocked down and out with enough force, but ultimately, Atom Smasher is an incredibly powerful player in the JSA.

Throughout the JSA's history, several superheroes with the word "Star" in their name have used the Cosmic Staff as their weapon. Of these heroes, Courtney Whitmore is the most powerful and impressive, having mastered her use of the Cosmic Staff as Stargirl. She received the powerful artifact from Jack Knight, the second Starman and son of the first, Ted Knight. The Cosmic Staff is powerful, even giving her the ability to fly while standing on it, but Stargirl has more than that up her sleeves.

Stargirl also possesses the Cosmic Converter Belt, which, as the name suggests, converts cosmic energy into a force she can use for a variety of purposes. Her various devices give her advanced physical conditioning, amounting to super strength, reflexes, speed, agility, durability, and stamina. She can also project pulses of light to disorient her enemies.

Additionally, Stargirl can wield and manipulate cosmic energy, create and control stellar energy, and deflect attacks. Courtney started out as the second Star-Spangled Kid before embracing Stargirl as her superhero identity, though she later changed it to Starwoman. She joined the JSA in 2003's "JSA: All-Stars" #4 and remains a valued member of the team, outside of retcons and reboots, of course.

There are many superheroes who have gone by the moniker the Flash, but only one has been a member of the JSA: Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash. He was also one of the group's founding members, after having first appeared in 1940's "Flash Comics" #1.

The Flash gained his superpowers by inhaling hard water vapor during a lab accident. He was endowed with the ability to move incredibly fast, so he became a superhero, as one does. The Flash was one of the most popular Golden Age heroes, but he only stayed with the JSA for six issues before departing. He returned a few years later in "All-Star Comics" #24, and since then, throughout the JSA's many subsequent rosters and makeups, the Flash has been part of the group.

The Flash's powers go beyond his enhanced speed and agility — he also ages slowly, which is why he's still active, decades after his introduction. He can phase through matter, create wind bursts, is incredibly intelligent, and can manipulate energy in different forms. The Flash is a vital member of the team, but he's also an excellent hero when he works alone, which is partly what inspired Barry Allen to follow in his footsteps.

The modern Green Lanterns born from the Silver Age of comics are almost antithetical to the Golden Age Green Lantern, Alan Scott. A railroad engineer, Scott comes upon a lantern crafted from a meteor that carries a mystical green flame which tells Scott how to make a ring from its metal. He follows the instructions and becomes the Green Lantern, a superhero who is also a founding member of the JSA.

Green Lantern's costume is different from his successors, as he wears several bright colors. His ring can create constructs like modern Green Lanterns' rings, but it does much more. Green Lantern can fly, move through solid objects, hypnotize people, fire off blasts of energy, melt metals, and more, including time travel. It also protects him from anything made of metal, but has one major weakness.

Green Lantern's ring doesn't work on anything plant-based, so wooden objects can stymie it. This may have been more of an impediment in the 1940s, but it's not much of a limitation for modern Lanterns. Regardless, Green Lantern's impressive abilities made him an integral member of the JSA and one of its most powerful players. Thanks to reboots and retcons, he's still around today.

Black Adam entered the comic book world as one of its most impressive supervillains and archnemeses to Captain Marvel. The two possess similar superpowers, though Teth-Adam gained his magical abilities in ancient times. Like Captain Marvel, he need only say "SHAZAM" to transform into a being of incredible powers. Black Adam would remain a villain for a long time, but eventually he evolved into an antihero.

In this capacity, he found his way onto the JSA in 2002, becoming teammates with his longtime foil. He was made a probationary member because of his past actions, which created some problems among the team who'd fought him previously. Captain Marvel was chief among Black Adam's detractors, and he eventually leaves the team, saying Adam's methods cross a line the JSA should not.

Black Adam's powers derived from Egyptian gods, giving him the stamina of Shu, the speed of Horus, the strength of Amon, the wisdom of Zehuti, the power of Aten, and the courage of Mehen. These abilities put him in the same league as Captain Marvel, but unlike his more powerful nemesis, Black Adam doesn't hold back. He's brutal in his attacks and overpowers his foes through strength and determination.

Long before he took on the name SHAZAM!, Billy Batson's superpowered alter ego was known as Captain Marvel, and he was a member of the JSA. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as him having joined up in the 1940s; Captain Marvel didn't join the team until it was reformed decades later, bringing him on board in 2002. DC continuity is too complicated to get into much detail, but what's important is that Captain Marvel served on the JSA — with a twist.

As it happens, Captain Marvel joined the team alongside his old nemesis, Black Adam. Despite sharing similar powers, Cap's often called the "World's Mightiest Mortal," having been empowered by the wizard Shazam with abilities derived from legendary figures. When young Billy Batson transforms into Captain Marvel by uttering the wizard's name, he becomes an adult with major powers.

His powers are divine in origin, and he's able to perform magic. His other powers include the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. In many ways, Captain Marvel is a magical version of Superman, and he's one of the JSA's strongest members.

Johnny Thunder and the Thunderbolt, Yz, were founding members of the JSA, but while Thunder and Yz were a potent pair, Jakeem Williams is even more powerful. When Jakeem receives a pen that contains the genie Thunderbolt, the two bond and form a partnership to become Jakeem Thunder, a duo that combines Thunderbolt's immeasurable magical abilities and Jakeem's incredible strategic mind.

Thunder joins the JSA in 2001's "JSA Secret Files" #2 when he assists the team in fighting an evil blue genie named Lkz. It's important to understand just how powerful Thunderbolt, and therefore, Jakeem, is. Thunderbolt is from the fifth dimension, which means he has the ability to alter reality and grant any wish Jakeem asks of him, though he often takes them too literally.

Thunderbolt is essentially the good version of Superman's foe, Mister Mxyzptlk, who is also from the fifth dimension. Together, as Jakeem Thunder, they're all but unstoppable, and DC has dropped hints of how powerful they'll become in the future. At some point, the two will merge into one being, becoming the most powerful member of the JSA — but that time has not yet arrived.

Power Girl is Superman's cousin, but she comes from Earth-Two, arriving on Earth-One when she made her first appearance in 1976's "All-Star Comics" #58. Power Girl is the superhero identity of Kara-Zor L, a different character from the Supergirl of Earth-One. After she becomes stranded in DC's main continuity, Power Girl goes on to become a proper superhero and a very powerful member of the JSA.

Power Girl was already a member of the JSA on Earth-Two when she made her Earth-One debut. After she's trapped on Earth-One, she joins this reality's JSA as well and goes through a period of intense retconning, almost all of which was abandoned soon after. Power Girl worked with the JSA throughout the Bronze Age of comics and returned when the group reformed in the '90s.

Power Girl is older than Supergirl due to the time it took her to land on Earth-Two following her escape from Krypton. Because of this, she has more experience as a hero, and she's also more powerful, having absorbed more solar energy than her Earth-One counterpart. She has all the usual superpowers of a Kryptonian on Earth, making her one of the team's most powerful members.

Wonder Woman was an honorary member of the JSA, but she was given a misogynistic role as the Society Secretary. Instead of kicking butt and taking names, Diana recorded meeting notes and brought everyone coffee. These days, Wonder Woman is a better-developed character with far more nuance to her personality and history, making her a proper superhero.

While the Golden Age Wonder Woman joined the JSA, the one with the power to be rated amongst the strongest members came much later. Thanks to some retconning and universe reshaping, the modern version of Wonder Woman, Diana of Themyscira, is the most powerful to belong to the JSA. She was brought in during 2016's "Rebirth" event, which retconned her into a member of the team, altering DC history a bit.

DC isn't afraid to launch upheaval events, and Diana hasn't been immune to changes to her history. Through it all, Wonder Woman has numerous superpowers that make her incredibly powerful. She's skilled in all forms of combat, is invulnerable and immortal, has divine powers, is incredibly intelligent, and much more. In short, she's come a long way since her days working as a secretary for the JSA.

Magog is the antihero created for the "Kingdom Come" story, where he was introduced as an immensely powerful counter to Superman. He later joined main DC continuity, and his character was fleshed out with more detail. Magog was once Lance Corporal David Reid, a member of the Marines and Franklin D. Roosevelt's great-grandson. The JSA took notice of him, as FDR helped form the original superhero team.

Reid gained his powers after being stabbed in the arm with an unusual rock that embedded itself into him. He was left with a brand in the shape of an eye instead of a wound and gained the ability to funnel energy and blast it at his enemies. He also gained super strength and stamina, is invulnerable to most forms of attacks, and, thanks to his training, is an expert with weapons and unarmed combat.

Magog joined the JSA in "Justice Society of America" #12, though at this time he went by the name Lance. In a fight with Gog, Lance is killed and resurrected with greater power, appearing in Gog's image. He renames himself Magog, and his personality and allegiances change. He becomes more powerful at this point, but is less of a team player.

The Superman from the Golden Age was a founding honorary member of DC's legendary superhero team, but he's not the most powerful incarnation of the character. The Superman who was the strongest version of the Man of Steel to also be a member of the JSA was the Superman of Earth-22, better known as the "Kingdom Come" universe.

This older, more powerful version of the Last Son of Krypton joined the JSA in 2007's "Justice Society of America" #10. Thanks to its sweeping storyline, "Kingdom Come" is one of those DC stories that would be great as a TV series, largely due to its portrayal of Superman. He's older, more cynical, and finished being a hero. He comes out of retirement to handle Magog and a new breed of unruly superheroes, and he eventually comes to Earth-One.

Superman has many powers, some more unusual than others, but ultimately, he's one of the strongest superheroes in DC Comics. In this form, Superman is even stronger than his modern counterpart, making the Superman of Earth-22 the most powerful version to serve on the JSA, though he's more of a temporary addition than a long-term member.

There are many magical beings in modern DC Comics, but they all follow in the footsteps of the original: Kent Nelson, the Golden Age Doctor Fate. Nelson awoke Nabu in his temple, and the Lord of Order bestowed him with immense magical cosmic power. Doctor Fate has mastery over magic and uses a variety of mystical artifacts to improve his abilities as well as boost Nelson's physiology. These include increasing Nelson's lifespan, transforming him into peak physical conditioning, and more.

There have been a few Doctor Fates over the years, but Nelson is the OG. He's also one of the most powerful due to his ability to learn how best to use his supernatural abilities. Doctor Fate can do almost anything imaginable, including time travel, teleportation, and reality manipulation.

Doctor Fate was a founding member of the JSA, and he's been part of numerous versions of the team ever since, both in and out of comics. He's also been retconned and reimagined a few times, which is true of most of DC's popular characters. But while Doctor Fate is nearly the most indomitable member of the JSA, he stands in the shadow of the group's most powerful member, someone who has abilities few can comprehend.

The Spectre is one of DC's more unusual superheroes because he's not merely a metahuman; he's divine. Jim Corrigan was killed while working as a cop, but instead of going to Heaven, he was bonded with the Spectre, God's literal spirit of vengeance. While Corrigan and the Spectre are separate entities, they work together — though they do occasionally come into conflict with each other.

Regardless of their issues, the Spectre is easily one of the most powerful superheroes in the JSA, as well as the entire DC Universe. The Spectre is divinely powered, which makes him immortal and invulnerable. He also uses magic as well as any sorcerer, can create illusions, has the full range of superpowered abilities common among DC's elite, and is a master of armed and unarmed combat.

There have been multiple versions of The Spectre, as well as different hosts, though Corrigan is probably the best-known of them. He helped found the JSA and stuck with it for a few years before leaving and returning more than a few times. Because of his divine powers and magical abilities, The Spectre is easily the most powerful member of the JSA.