Stan Lee, one of the greatest creative minds fromMarvel Comics, had the crossover opportunity of a lifetime to create his version ofDC Comics’Justice League. After co-creating Marvel’s most iconic teams, like the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four, Stan Lee certainly has experience with working on superhero teams. With an all-star team of artists, Stan Lee gave his all with these Marvelized replicas of DC’s most famous superheroes.
2001’sJust Imagine…is a miniseries of one-shot comics where the Justice League is given a Marvel-style makeover. 78-year-old Stan Lee wrote the series with artwork by Jim Lee, John Buscema, Dave Gibbons, and many more throughout. TheseEarth-6 variants of the Justice Leagueare so iconic they nowofficially exist in the DC Multiverse. Each character retains their original superhero name but their designs and backstories are straight from the Golden Era of Marvel Comics. While DC has heroes who could destroy galaxies, Marvel has those same heroes but with real-world problems. Let’s gaze in awe at the top 10 greatestJust Imagineredesigns of the Justice League.
One of Stan Lee’s Top 4 Marvel Heroes Still Hasn’t Appeared in the MCU
Stan Lee is responsible for co-creating some of Marvel’s greatest heroes, and while most have made the jump to the MCU, one specific character hasn’t!
10Catwoman (AKA Joanie Jordan)
Just Imagine… Stan Lee with Chris Bachalo - Creating Catwoman (2002)
Joanie Jordan has possiblythe closest costume resemblance to Selina Kyle’s Catwoman.Joanie works as an LA supermodel by day, but by night, she becomes the metahuman, Catwoman. After she and her cat Ebony were struck by green lightning,Joanie Jordan gained a psychic link to Ebony, and she received cat-like superpowerssuch as enhanced speed, agility, and durability.
Her costume is an all-black leather suit with cat ears and a classic belt buckle. So far, so Selina Kyle but with one key difference: a pair of extra-long razor-sharp claws. These claws resemble Lady Deathstrike’s adamantium claws from the X-Men comics.
9Robin
Just Imagine… Stan Lee with John Byrne - Creating Robin (2002)
From sidekick to a living martial arts weapon of the Justice League. The unnamed orphaned youth known asRobin radically differs from any of the Boy/Girl Wondersin the DC canon. Earth-6 Robin sports a similar look to Marvel’s Shang-Chi mixed with Daredevil. With his martial arts mastery, he comes across as a deadly ninja of the Hand, but still has his trademark black and red colors.
This version of Robin was trained and brainwashed by Reverend Darkk to be a villain and fight Batman. After Batman helps him see the light,Robin becomes an official Justice League of America member.
8The Sandman (AKA Larry Wilton)
Just Imagine… Stan Lee with Walt Simonson - Creating The Sandman (2002)
The Sandman gets a massive upgrade in abilities and his superhero appearance. Instead of being DC’s mysterious detective with a gas mask and visions,The Sandman is more of a supernatural superhero with a fated destiny.Larry Wilton transforms into a full-on wizard with a brown flowing cloak, armored boots, and mystical runes to capture and defeat all sorts of demons.
He also has a Moon Knight level of intensity while wearing his mask. As the Sandman, he draws his power from the Dreamworld and lives to protect both the real and dream realms from harm.
7Shazam (AKA Robert Rogers)
Just Imagine… Stan Lee with Gary Frank - Creating Shazam! (2002)
This version of Shazam draws his power from another famous wizard: Merlin. No longer a Greek god avatar of a little boy named Billy Batson, Robert Rogers becomes a Red Hulk mixed with DC’s Trigon, who calls himself Shazam. A far cry from Captain Marvel’s red, white, and gold robes and heroic looks,this Shazam looks like a demonic force of nature.
On the other hand, Rogers was an Interpol agent who encountered a strange man during a mission in India, who gave him magical powers. After learning his powers came fromthe mythical wizard of legend, Merlin,Robert can become a magic monster by saying “SHAZAM!”
6The Flash (AKA Mary Maxwell)
Just Imagine… Stan Lee and Kevin Maguire - Creating Flash (2002)
The fastest woman alive has a psychedelic look to go along with her strange backstory.Mary Maxwell, a comic book fan with a terminal illness,is injected with the DNA of a hummingbird which gives her superspeed and cures her disease. Now known as the Flash, her dream of becoming a superhero is realized but she doesn’t follow the red and yellow trend of the original Flash.
Mary’s Flash outfit is a simple all-white body suit with orange gogglesto protect her body from her speed. Also, her super speed leaves a bright rainbow trail when she travels faster than the speed of light.
Stan Lee’s Justice League: How Each Member Differs From The Original
Largely forgotten over twenty years later, Stan Lee’s interpretations of various DC characters differ largely from the main universe versions.
5Green Lantern (AKA Len Lewis)
Just Imagine… Stan Lee and Dave Gibbons - Creating Green Lantern (2001)
Instead of being an army of galactic space police, this Green Lantern exists as a solo superhero with a mystical origin story. Leonard “Len” Lewis was an archeology professor at LA University who traveled to Africa to findthe Tree of Life, Yggdrasil.After getting shot by Reverend Darrk during his journey, the Tree of Life speaks to Len in a dream and transforms him into Green Lantern.
This Earth-6 variant ofGreen Lantern has a full green glowing body of energywith a similar Lantern ring logo on his chest. Instead of a willpower ring, Green Lantern has super strength, flight, telekinesis, and can even conjure wind and sandstorms.
4Aquaman (AKA Ramon Raymond)
Just Imagine… Stan Lee with Scott McDaniel - Creating Aquaman (2002)
From the king of Atlantis to a being made of pure water. Ramon Raymond was a mild-mannered marine biologist before he found a strange green substance on an expedition. This substance turned him intoAquaman, who can transform his body into water at will.
No longer a half-human, half-Atlantean hybrid,this Aquaman looks more like an angry blue spiritwith swim trunks and rolling waves across his body. This version of Aquaman looks more like a vigilante crimefighter with his intimidating water form. With his hydrokinesis, Aquaman can morph his body into any form of water, even on land.
Just Imagine… Stan Lee with Joe Kubert - Creating Batman (2001)
He is vengeance, he is the night, he’s a pro wrestler? After his parents are killed by a criminal named “Handz”, Wayne Williams, who is released from jail after being falsely imprisoned for a crime, seeks revenge. Unlike Bruce Wayne, Wayne Williams had to earn his huge fortune and fame asa masked wrestler named Batman.
This pro wrestler/vigilante fashioned his costume as an actual bat suit complete witha dark suit, cape, and a realistic bat cowl/mask.Who needs a billionaire in a fancy tech suit when we have a larger-than-life wrestler to protect Gotham City?
2Superman (AKA Salden)
Just Imagine… Stan Lee with John Buscema - Creating Superman (2002)
Salden, a “Law-Bringer” from Krypton, comes to Earth while tracking a murderous alien to the planet. After discovering his new superpowers thanks to Earth’s gravity,Salden became Superman,the name given to him by Lois Lane, his talent manager.Earth-6 Superman comes equipped with a full red and blue body suitand a red cape just like Kal-El, but with some notable changes.
The blonde-haired Salden has red gloves, two tiny Superman-shaped logos on his chest, and a wicked star on his left eye. It’s worth noting that this Superman can’t fly, but he has all of Superman’s base powers like super strength, speed, durability, and a high jump ability.
1Wonder Woman (AKA Maria Mendoza)
Just Imagine… Stan Lee with Jim Lee - Creating Wonder Woman (2001)
Undoubtedly, the most true-to-form Marvel version of DC’s Wonder Woman. Political activist Maria Mendoza shows the same heroic and feminist values as Diana of Themyscria. But after she is gifted with the powers of the Incan Sun God, she becomesWonder Woman, a goddess of light.
Her costume is truly a sight to behold, with golden armor set with a flowing white cape. Complete withher shiny gold helmet and transforming staff,this Wonder Woman looks more like a Greek goddess than the Prime version. This super heroine belongs in Olympus with all the gods and carries a warrior angel aura.
