To quote Mike Gold from his foreword to the collected version of LEGENDS, "What do you do after you destroy the universe?" this was the problem facing the creative teams at DC Comics. They had just completed the massive Crisis on Infinitive Earth's crossover and had created a single unified Earth. Their only problem was that the nature of that Earth was not yet tied down fully. The major characters of Superman, Wonder Woman and to an extent Batman were under major revamping along with many second rung characters as well.

Amid all this rebirth and renovation the old JLA looked tired and wore out, the 1984 revamp of the League with the characters Vibe, Vixen, et al had run out of steam. So after 28 issues of the Detroit era and 261 issues in total the decision was made to relaunch the Justice League taking it back to it's original concept of the Worlds Greatest Superheroes. But which world?

The initial team roster for the Justice League had more to do with which characters the writers couldn't use rather that the ones that they could use. The major revamping meant that many of the old tried and tested pre-1984 characters were out of bounds, this led to the team that was to spring board out of the LEGENDS mini-series. While the 1996 revamp of the JLA has been heralded as the return of the icons - the 1987 revamp had it's own share of icons but this time they had been drawn from across the former multiverse.

Where as the JLA had always been the larger than life pantheon style team the new JLI had a different approach, it was a book strongly founded in the interactions between the characters, their relationships to each other and as a group to the world at large. Eventually the JLI would split into two groups Justice League America (no "of") and Justice League Europe. The groups would remain relatively stable up to and including the Breakdowns saga that involved the attempted assignation of JLI supremo Maxwell Lord.

ARTICLES

In the Beginning...	The history of the JLI from LEGENDS to BREAKDOWNS.
Playing "fast and loose" with the DCU	An interview with Andy Helfer (JLI editor) and Keith Giffen (JLI plotter) from 1989.

FOUNDING MEMBERS

	BATMAN I There is a darkness on the streets of Gotham City and only one man can stand in it's way. That man is the Batman! Supreme human athlete and near genius intellect. He has perfected his body and mind so that he may wage a war on the criminals of Gotham City.
	BLACK CANARY II Dinah Lance is the daughter of the original Black Canary who was a member of the Golden Age Justice Society. Her daughter became her successor when it was discovered that she possessed the ability to generate hypersonic "canary cries". While she has since lost that power and split up from her long time lover Green Arrow, she is still active as part of the Birds of Prey team.
	BLUE BEETLE II Ted Kord is the second hero to bear the name Blue Beetle after the death of his mentor (the late Dan Garret the original Blue Beetle). Using a combination of dexterity, luck, technology and quick wits the current Blue Beetle carries on the legacy.
	CAPTAIN MARVEL When young Billy Baston says the name of the wizard SHAZAM he is transformed into Captain Marvel champion of the weak, defender of man, and all round nice guy.
	DOCTOR FATE I Since before the age of man the Lords of Order have battled the Lords of Chaos. One of them - Nabu - descended into our world to create the champion Doctor Fate by using the host body of archaeologist's son Kent Nelson. One of the founding members of the JSA, the Immortal Doctor Fate is one of the most powerful beings on the planet.
	DOCTOR LIGHT II A Japanese scientist specialising in light based technology she was given superpowers during the Crisis on Infinite Earth's by the manipulations of the Monitor. Manoeuvred into the JL by Maxwell Lord she prefers to work in her civilian identity.
	GREEN LANTERN IV: GUY GARDNER Original Hal Jordan's back up he was replaced by John Stewart when he was critically injured. Argumentative, brash and rude he considered himself the "One, True Green Lantern". His alien heritage was later revealed and he became the hero Warrior.
	MARTIAN MANHUNTER Ours in not the only civilisation to have graced our humble solar system. Millennia before we walked upright the ancient world of Mars boasted a beautiful peaceful utopia of a society. Destroyed by plague, the last Martian was brought to Earth by the machine of a lone scientist. For decades he has walked amongst us, helping us, protecting us in the shadows and in public.
	MISTER MIRACLE II Scott Free is the son of the late Highfather, ruler of New Genesis who was swapped with Darkseid's son in a peace pact with Apokolips. He escaped to Earth and with the help of the dwarf Oberon took up the mantle of the late Mister Miracle.

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