Refresher Course: The Dominators (Justice League Adventures #21)

[zapbiffpow]

According to stuff, the Dominators are the villains for this CW season's Arrow/Flash/Legends/Supergirl crossover. I haven't read any mainstream stories with them, but here's one about them from the DCAU.

Featuring: democracy in the face of intergalactic racists, Green Lantern incapable of number comparison, and Phonetically Adorbs Missile Firing Noises! Not featured: the absence of a "Mr. Lau from The Dark Knight" reference.


The Story:

Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter intercept an escaping ship being attacked by another ship.

The League (sans Batman, who's working a Joker case), take the Dominators and Kayla into custody to hear both parties out.





The Dominators play a clever game here, playing the appearance card while simultaneously casting doubt over Kayla.

Considering this League had a previous Jonn story where he was concerned about his Martianness and its effect on people, the 'appearance is no metric of value' might have a stronger pull on them at this time. Not to mention at least two of them probably saw The Thing on cable.





I'm unfamiliar with Ostrander's work, but I imagine there's a tinge of a Suicide Squad style, morally-gray,
'no clear right answer' choice here: respect for other cultures versus risks to safety and security.

The League member make their individual cases:





Naturally, a fight breaks out. Kayla uses the time to try and escape, as Batman attempts to convince her.




Kayla, deciding to help the League, ditches her escape to enact the television's so-called plan.

Martian Manhunter, restraining a Could-Easily-Burn-Him Superman: "My friend, listen to me! Deep down, you are being manipulated, you know this! Your heart isn't in this struggle!"




There's something "They should've done it before already" with that plan, but it works, and the League discovers what Kayla knows:





So, animal testing commentary, I guess? Although I'm more curious about the resultant findings from that Futurama head-jar technology, and...whatever the hell they're doing with Flash. What is that?

Anyway, the Dominators drop the act:





The League mentally overwhelms the Dominators, taking them into custody.

GL offers to take Kayla somewhere but she, spurred by these events, counter-proposes.





And so, something something DCAU Legion of Superheroes (who I think were a comic book exclusive, which is kinda cool; I don't remember them appearing in the series).

Anyway, if anyone has some definitive Dominator stories from mainstream continuity, like Giffen's work on them, (or if you've got some JL Adventures requests), feel free!

Comments

[simiansyndicate]

Eh, off by two series.
The Legion appeared in both Superman: TAS and Justice League Unlimited, and their appearances were pretty brief both times.

That said, thanks for showing off more of the Dominators! I've been curious about them since hearing they were going to be the big bads that spark the crossover in this year's DCW-verse shows.

[zapbiffpow]

Aha, off I apparently am. Thanks for the heads up + you're welcome! This was my first/only exposure to the Dominators, so I figured I'd dig up this old story.

Expect mind control-initiated, Civil War-inspired, yet CW-budgeted combat between the DC heroes in the near future, probably.

[dcbanacek]

The INVASION! storyline from 1988-89 is a good place to start with the Dominators.

[zapbiffpow]

Thank you for the lead! I've been reading up on Ryan Choi for now but I'll track that story very soon.

[super_fly]

Here's a tip: if one group of people is using words like "lesser race" and "caste" about someone else, they're probably not the guys you want to be taking a side with.

[zapbiffpow]

Heh, true. I wonder if that's going to be a thing with the CW!Dominators - constantly sporting prejudiced buzzwords. They certainly did a master class of that here.

[long_silence]

So is Kayla an ancestor of Imra/Saturn Girl of the Legion?

[zapbiffpow]

Affirmatory, Captain. Apparently this is part of the DCAU!Legion's secret origin of sorts.