This article contains MAJOR spoilers forSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
Debuting as a team all the way back in 1960, the Justice League has been around for over six whole decades now, and while a good live-action adaptation may still be a ways off, there are countless excellent comic storylines just waiting to be read. From truly massivecrossover events likeCrisis on Infinite Earthsto smaller-scale runs likeJustice League International, there have been some truly great Justice League comics over the years, many of which have been used as inspiration in games likeSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
ThoughSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguefeatures an original story that sees Task Force X attempt to take down brain-washed versions of the world’s greatest heroes, it simply can’t avoid the 64 years of Justice League comics that have come before it. But while many ofSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s comic references are delivered in the form of Easter eggs, map locations, and general story concepts, there’s one specific Justice League comic run thatSuicide Squad’s narrative directly borrows from.
Released over the course of a few months in the year 2000,JLA: Tower of Babelis a direct source of inspiration forSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Written by Mark Waid, a writer renowned for his work with several Justice League members, the Fantastic Four, and Daredevil,JLA: Tower of Babelsees Ra’s al Ghul steal a set of files from Batman and use them to wreak havoc onthe Justice League of America.
Not just an ordinary set of data, Batman’s files contain contingency plans on how to defeat each member of the Justice League should they turn rogue. For instance, Plastic Man needs to be frozen with liquid nitrogen, Martian Manhunter needs to be engulfed in flames, Aquaman needs to be turned aquaphobic usingScarecrow’s fear toxin, and Superman’s skin needs to be exposed to Red Kryptonite to cause the alien immense pain. Though the Justice League manage to recover from their respective ailments, many get dangerously close to death, and after Ra’s is apprehended, the League decides to expel Batman from the team, citing a newfound mistrust of the Caped Crusader.
Long beforeSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s release, many fans theorized that the plot could end up referencing this iconic Justice League comic arc, and with the game now out, that theory turned out to be completely true. Toward the end ofSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, players venture into the Batcave where they find a hologram recording of Batman addressing Robin and the rest of the Bat-Family. After saying an emotional goodbye to his found family, Batman then discusses a set of fail-safes he’s devised for each member of the Justice League, a set of plans he calls “The Babel Protocols.”
Before this point in the story,Task Force Xhad already killed The Flash and Green Lantern, but were only able to do so thanks to a mysterious anti-Speed Force device and a stolen Yellow Lantern. In the Batcave, it’s revealed that these items were actually a part of Batman’s Babel Protocols all along, meaning that the Suicide Squad has been unwittingly following Batman’s contingency plans the entire time.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League
WHERE TO PLAY
Play as the Suicide Squad to take down the World’s Greatest DC Super Heroes, The Justice League. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, is a genre-defying, action-adventure third-person shooter from Rocksteady Studios, creators of the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham series.
