Justice League: Legends Return

Justice League: Legends Return is an American animated film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The film is directed by Sam Liu, with scripting by Alan Burnett. It is the 34th film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series, and the 13th installment of the DC Animated Movie Universe. It is based on the Smallville Episode (Absolute justice). The film was released for downloading on January 21, 2020 and was released on Blu-ray and DVD formats on February 4, 2020.

The film depicts The Justice League Meeting a team of superheroes, called the Justice Society of America, who operated during the 1980's. The Justice Society is being hunted by an assassin  known as the Icicle,  Icicle was recruited by the organization Checkmate, which is being headed by Agent Maxwell Lord. The Justice League team up with the Justice Society members to battle Icicle and Maxwell Lord.

Plot
As Steve Trevor tries to get in touch with Diana Prince, He finds Himself cornered in an alleyway by a man named Sylvester Pemberton, who is wielding a staff that has the ability to control light. As Sylvester attempts to inform Steve that he is a friend, an assassin known as Icicle attacks and Sylvester is ultimately killed. Batman and Superman go to the hospital to investigate the truth behind Sylvester, which ultimately leads them to the Daily Planet archive room. There, Clark and the Rest of the league discover documents and an old 16 mm film that identifies Sylvester as part of a team of "criminals", which includes: Carter Hall, Kent Nelson, Jay Garrick, Alan Scott, Ted Grant, Rex Tyler, Charles McNider, Wesley Dodds, and Al Pratt. In the documentary footage, Sylvester and the rest of his team are systematically arrested, but because of allegations of jury tampering, falsified evidence, and lack of connection all of the individuals are released.

While The league is looking into the criminal group, Icicle tracks down and kills Wesley Dodds. Following Dodds' death, Clark tracks down Carter Hall, believing him to be Icicle's next target. Clark finds Hall at a museum; he also finds Kent Nelson, who is mumbling incoherently to himself and clutching onto a small bag. Using his X-ray vision, Clark sees a helmet inside the bag, which turns on its own and looks back at Clark. Having enough of Clark's questions, Carter sends Clark on his way. Meanwhile, Cyborg sends Green Lantern and Flash after Sylvester's staff. Unfortunately, high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore has already taken the staff. Before They can get the staff from her, Kent shows up and uses the staff to teleport both him and Courtney back to the museum. Here, it is revealed that Sylvester's team was actually a group of superheroes led by Carter Hall, who went by the codename "Hawkman". The group called themselves the "Justice Society of America". Courtney, who was Sylvester's protégé, Kent and Carter band together to find Sylvester's killer. As such, Kent places the Helmet of Nabu back on and transforms into "Doctor Fate".

After investigating Dodds and Pemberton's deaths, Clark, Bruce, and Dinan believe they have located the killer at the psychiatric ward of Metropolis General Hospital. When they arrive, they find the individual, Joar Mahkent, in a vegetative state and Doctor Fate reading his mind. Doctor Fate then sees the league's fate and teleports Them and himself to the museum. Meanwhile, the real assassin is revealed to be Joar's son, who is killing the Justice Society members for putting his father in that vegetative state decades earlier. Hired by an organization known as Checkmate, and instructed by Agent Maxwell Lord, Icicle sets his sights on Courtney. Shazam tracks down Courtney—who calls herself "Stargirl"—and realizes that she is setting herself up as bait to lure Icicle out. Icicle arrives, but Shazam interrupts Courtney's plan. As a result, Hawkman grabs Shazam, throws him through the Hall of Justice roof, and then threatens to do worse if The League interferes again.

Meanwhile, Checkmate sends Lois Lane an anonymous package that provides her with the truth about the Justice Society. Clark, Bruce and Diana awakens at the museum, where Doctor Fate informs them that their fate is to lead a new generation of superheroes, and that they will one day conquer there greastest enemies. Green Lantern, Flash, cyborg, Shazam, Aquaman, Hawkman (Katar Hol), and Martian Manhunter show up at the museum to rescue the others, unaware that Hawkman, Doctor Fate, and Stargirl are actually heroes. Banding together, the group splits up into pairs to locate Icicle. While on patrol, Doctor Fate and John Jones are attacked by Icicle. Doctor Fate is Killed, and While John lies unconscious, Icicle steals Doctor Fate's helmet, But is double-crossed by Maxwell Lord who Kills Icicle and  acquires the Helmet's Powers.

The heroes regroup at the hall of Justice, Where Maxwell arrives to kill the rest of the Justice Society and take over the world. At first, The League and The society are having trouble taking down Maxwell and and his new abilities. When John arrives, the group is finally able to defeat maxwell. Afterward, Carter tells Clark that he and Cyborg have located the surviving members of the Justice Society, their children, and their protégés in order to build a new team of superheroes for today's generation. Back at the Daily Planet, Lois publishes her article on the Justice Society, revealing them to be a team of superheroes who were lambasted by the government, and falsely imprisoned.

In a post-credits scene, maxwell is transported back to Checkmate, where lex Luthor subsequently kills him after informing Icicle that he was a part of the new Legion of Doom.

Justice League
The Justice League is a team of superpowered and highly skilled individuals dedicated to protect the world from extranormal calamities, ranging from alien invasions to supernatural occurrences. The founding members all met and worked together for the first time to fight off Darkseid's invasion. Although Shazam initially gave the group the name of the Super Seven, it was later changed due to Justice League being preferred in focus groups.

Known members
Superman: birth name Kal-El, was the only Kryptonian who survived the destruction of Krypton and sent to Earth, where he adopted the name of Clark Kent. After he got a job as reporter at the Daily Planet newspaper, he became the superhero known as Superman and founded the Justice League. Voiced by Jerry O'Connell

Batman: Bruce Wayne is the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, and the son of the late Martha and Thomas Wayne. After his parents were murdered in front of him, Bruce dedicated himself to wiping out the crime that took their lives, becoming the Gotham City vigilante known as Batman. During his career against evil, he had fought soulless psychopaths,mercenaries, serial killers, vile scientists, dual personality, love obsessed clowns, and evil terrorists. Voiced by Jason O'Mara

Wonder Woman: an Amazon warrior princess and one of the most powerful superheroes in the DC Universe. The daughter of Hippolyta, she was given power by the Gods to fight against evil in all its forms. Although she was raised entirely by women on the island of Themyscira, she was sent as an ambassador to the Man's World, spreading their idealistic message of strength and love. Wonder Woman fights crime and acts as a positive role model for women everywhere. Her equipment includes the Lasso of Truth, magic gauntlets, and an invisible jet. In the secret identity she has adopted to become closer to humanity, she is Diana Prince, a government agent for the Department of Metahuman Affairs. Voiced by Rosario Dawson

Green Lantern: Hal Jordan is the greatest Green Lantern, an inter-galactic police officer and member of the Green Lantern Corps, chosen by the Guardians of the Universe for his ability to overcome great fear. The strength of his willpower allows him to wield the universe's mightiest weapon, a power ring controlled by his thoughts. In his secret identity he is a test pilot working for Ferris Aircraft where his boss Carol Ferris is also his romantic interest. Voiced by Nathan Fillion

The Flash: Barry Allen was born to Nora and Henry Allen. At some point during his childhood, his mother was mysteriously murdered and his father wrongly accused of this, and imprisoned for it. Barry later became a forensic scientist working for the Central City Police Department. One night, an accident involving various chemicals and a lightning strike genetically altered Barry, imbuing him with super-speed. Barry decided to help do good by becoming the costumed superhero the Flash. Voiced by Christopher Gorham

Aquaman: also known as Arthur Curry and Orin, is a superhero and the ruler of the seas. As the king of Atlantis and other undersea territories, he technically controls most of the planet. His abilities include super-strength, durability, super-speed, staying underwater indefinitely, and telepathy, which he uses to communicate with sea-life. His aquatic nature means he requires water regularly at the risk of dehydration, although he is perfectly capable of staying on land for extended periods. Voiced by Matt Lanter

Cyborg: Victor Stone is the son of Dr. Silas Stone and the former quarterback of the Titans. After holding a Mother Box as it activated, his father's team at S.T.A.R. Labs attempted to save his life by graphing experimental skin graphs onto him, though machine used was graphed to his body instead, turning him into a Cyborg. He helped defeat Darkseid and his forces, becoming a founding member of the Justice League afterwards. Later on, he also Temporarly joined the Teen Titans. Voiced by Shemar Moore

Shazam: a teenager who becomes  the world's mightiest mortal. Granted access to incredible powers by the wizard Shazam, he speaks the wizard's name and is struck by a lightning bolt that gives him the powers of the gods. Voiced by Zach Callison and Sean Astin.

Hawkman: Katar Hol was a police officer from the planet Thanagar sent to Earth to capture the criminal Byth Rok. Having become intrigued by the planet, he returned to Earth to study human police methods, On Earth, he adopted the secret identity of Carter Hall, curator of the Midway City Museum, and as the hero Hawkman, became a member of the Justice League of America. Voiced by David Kaye.

Martian Manhunter: J'onn J'onzz, also known as the Martian Manhunter and John Jones, is a superhero from the planet Mars and the last surviving member of his race. He is currently a member of the Justice League. Voiced by Jonathan Adams

Justice Society
The Justice Society of America (also known as the Justice Society or the JSA)  was a team of superheroes that secretly defended Earth from villains and criminal activity during the 1980's  Some members came out of retirement to help a modern-day team of heroes take down a vengeful Icicle II. Despite their attempts to keep themselves secret, a government organization named Checkmate found out about their activities. Checkmate wanted the JSA to work for them, but the JSA refused. In retaliation, Checkmate uncovered the identities of the JSA members and framed them for crimes. As a result, the members of the JSA were arrested and institutionalized. Forcing them out of the skies and out from the streets. Some members were even ripped away from their families, to protect their loved ones. Eventually, the arrested JSA members were released, as the faked charges didn't hold up. However, many of them had already had their lives ruined. As a result, the JSA disbanded and the members retired from crime fighting.

Known members
Hawkman: Carter Hall was the original leader of the Justice Society of America and the superhero known as Hawkman. a winged vigilante who fights crime using a flight harness made from Nth metal and a mace. There have been several different versions of the character, along with love interests and partners such as Hawkgirl. His secret identity is Carter Hall, an archaeologist and museum curator who lives out his destiny as a reincarnation of the ancient Egyptian prince Khufu using magic weaponry. Voiced by Michael Shanks Garrett

Doctor Fate: Kent Nelson was a retired member of the Justice Society of America who could bond with the Helmet of Nabu to become Doctor Fate. He came out of retirement and bonded with the helmet once more to help take down Icicle. Kent Nelson is able to access near-unlimited magical abilities. The full extent of Fate's powers are unknown, however he did demonstrate the ability to teleport, transmute matter, flight and see into possible futures of others but not for himself. He was later killed by Icicle. voiced by Brent Stait

The Star-Spangled Kid: Sylvester Pemberton was a retired hero known as the Star-Spangled Kid and a member of the disbanded 1980's group 'The Justice Society of America'. Pemberton came into possession of a Cosmic Staff and became a costumed vigilante under the alias the "Star-Spangled Kid". He worked alongside his side kick, Pat Dugan and became a member of Justice Society of America. However, his vigilante activities came to an end when he was framed by Checkmate and arrested. Like the other members of the JSA, Pemberton tried to protect the others and take the fall for them. In the end, the conviction against Pemberton didn't hold up and he was released. While most of the other members of the JSA left their gear at the JSA brownstone, Pemberton sent his to Pat Dugan. Years later, Dugan's stepdaughter found Pemberton's gear and decided to become a superhero. For unknown reasons, Pemberton decided to take Courtney under his wing. Seeing a new generation of heroes emerging, Pemberto also decided to try and bring the JSA back together. Combining the old heroes with these newer ones.Investigating the new heroes, Pemberton managed to uncover their identities. However, when he approached steve trevor. he was attacked by Cameron Mahkent. Pemberton managed to protect steve,  but lost his own life in the battle against Mahkent. Voiced by Jim Shield

Sandman: he was a valuable member of the Justice Society of America. When the JSA was targeted by Checkmate, Wesley along with the rest of the JSA were arrested for assorted crimes that they did not commit. During his arrest, Wesley was videotaped holding an injured or dying woman in his arms as riots exploded around him. Their arrests were apparently done to silence or shut-down the JSA. The police, unaware of their identities as super-heroes, held Wesley and the others for days, trying to get them to roll on each other. However, in the end there was no evidence to convict them, and they were let go. Unfortunately, the events caused the group to split-up, each of them going into their own form of retirement. Years after the splitting up of the JSA, Wesley is now living alone in Metropolis. Despite retiring from his life as a hero, he is still plagued by his prophetic dreams, causing him to fear sleeping and consuming large amounts of coffee to stay awake. However, upon finally falling asleep in his armchair, Wesley had a dream of Sylvester Pemberton being murdered by Icicle. After awaking from his dream, he realized that he was next to be targeted. Choosing to go down fighting, Wesley once again dressed in his old Sandman costume and gas mask. As he examined himself in the mirror, Icicle appeared behind him. The young villain froze him to death, and proceeded to shoot icicles through his body. Later,Batman investigated his home and found his dead body. Before his death however, Sandman managed to write "JSA" in his own blood, thus giving The League a clue about Wesley's past.

The Atom:  A physics professor at Calvin College. At some point, Pratt became a costumed vigilante under the alias "The Atom" and a member of the Justice Society of America. Pratt was arrested for assaulting police officers, who attempted to arrest his friend, Wesley Dodds. Afterwards, Pratt tried to take the fall for the other members of the JSA. Eventually he was released.

Spectre: Jim Corrigan is the original human host of the Spectre. Murdered in life as a police detective, his soul was bonded to God's spirit of divine vengeance. Using his conscience and willpower, he controls the Spectre force and gives it human perspective.

Hawkgirl: Shayera Hall was a 20th century reincarnation of Chay-Ara. At some point in her life, Shayera began a career as a masked vigilante under the name "Hawkgirl" and worked alongside her husband, Carter Hall (Hawkman). She became a member of the Justice Society of America, a team of superheroes lead by her husband.

Hourman: Rex Tyler is the original superhero known as Hourman. Using his talents as a research chemist he designed a drug called "Miraclo" that would grant him super-powers such as increased strength and durability for exactly one hour. he was a member of the Justice Society of America.

Doctor Mid-Nite: Charles McNider, a surgeon, was called one night to remove a bullet from a witness set to testify against mobsters. A mobster threw a grenade into the room, killing the witness and blinding McNider, with the injury causing him to believe his career as a surgeon was over. One evening, as he was recovering, an owl crashed through his window. Removing the bandages covering his eyes, McNider discovered that he could still see, but only in perfect darkness. McNider developed a special visor allowing him to see in the light and "blackout bombs" capable of blocking out all light, becoming a costumed crime fighter. He adopted the owl, naming it 'Hooty', and it became his "sidekick." he was a member of the Justice Society of America.

Black Canary: Dinah Drake-Lance was the infamous Black Canary. As a young woman Carolyn discovered she had an ability that would become known as the canary cry. With this she became one of the very first women superheroes to ever "put on a cape" though she did not, in fact, wear a cape.

Mister Terrific: Terry Sloane was a child genius at the age of 10. He graduated from high school at the age of eleven and completed his college studies when he was twelve. He went on to become an award-winning athlete. Finally he became a leader in business and made himself a fortune. But the multi-talented Sloane felt that success had come to him too easily in life, and feeling that he had no challenges left, he sank into depression. while driving his car and contemplating suicide, he saw a young woman about to jump from a bridge. Sloane rescued her and discovered that her name was Wanda Wilson and she had been driven to despair by the fact that her younger brother, Billy, had gotten involved in criminal activity. Billy was working for a gangster he idolized named Big Shot. Sloane disguised himself with a mask and costume and, before the eyes of Billy and the other kids in the gang, fought off Big Shot's men and drove them out of town. The boys had a new hero and Billy named the costumed Sloane, "Mister Terrific." he was a member of the Justice Society of America.

Green Lantern: After having gained possession of a Power ring, Alan Scott became the masked mystery man, known as the Green Lantern and a founding member of the Justice Society of America. During this time, Alan was a CEO of his own broadcasting company. Alan was later framed by a government agency and was arrested for embezzlement. Just like the rest of his friends, Alan tried to take the blame and exonerate the others. Eventually, due to lack of evidence, missing witnesses and evidence of jury tampering, Alan was released along with rest of his teammates. voiced by Jason Phelps.

The Flash:  At some point in his youth, Jay Garrick gained the ability to move at speeds far greater, than an ordinary man. Eventually, he assumed the identity of the Flash and became a founding member of the Justice Society of America. He was later framed by a government agency and charged for fraud and resisting arrest. Jay and the rest of his JSA teammates were arrested in their civilian identities and sent to jail. Neither Jay nor anyone else in the group was convicted due to a massive lack of evidence and was later released. Unfortunately the arrests caused the JSA to split up and go into retirement. Voiced by Travis Willingham

Wildcat:  In his youth, Ted Grant became a professional boxer, eventually at some point earning the title of "Heavy Weight Champion". Using his fighting talents, he later became the costumed mystery man, known as "Wildcat" and a member of the Justice Society of America. Despite his duties as a member of the JSA he continued his career as a boxer, even opening his own gym. Ted's heroic career ended when he along with his fellow JSA members were all framed by a government agency and arrested. However, he was never convicted due to a lack of evidence and was eventually released, together with the rest of his teammates. Unfortunately, their arrests led to the JSA dismantling and each of them going into retirement. Voiced by Dennis Farina

Stargirl: Courtney Whitmore had a normal life as a student at Blue Valley High and with her mom and stepdad, Pat Dugan. Then, everything changed when she opened Pat's footlocker and discovered his well-guarded secret; Pat Dugan had once been Stripsey, teenage sidekick to the Golden Age hero Star-Spangled Kid. Originally so she could annoy the overprotective Pat, she made a costume designed after Star-Spangled Kid's and began a career as a superhero. Eventually, Pat introduced her to the other surviving Justce Society members. Courtney became Sylvester's protege, during which she trained with him. As a result of her training, she dropped out of school for roughly three weeks. After his death, Courtney inherited his Cosmic Control Belt and Staff, by stealing them from the police evidence locker.Voiced by Britt Irvin

Other Characters
Icicle II: Cameron Mahkent was a metahuman with the ability to manipulate ice. Cameron inherited his powers from his father. His mother died from hypothermia while giving birth to him. Angered by the Justice Society of America for putting his father, the original Icicle, into a coma, Cameron devoted himself to getting revenge on the retired team of heroes. Luckily for him, the secret organization, Checkmate, was very interested in recruiting his talents and were allowing him to pursue his vengeance at the same time. Voiced by Yuri Lowenthal

Icicle: Joar Mahkent was a hitman, who used cryonics to murder his victims (earning him the nickname "the Icicle"). Joar had several encounters with the JSA over the years. Their final encounter left Joar severely wounded after he killed Hawkgirl. This sent Hawkgirl's husband, Hawkman AKA Carter Hall over the edge and into a state of grief while also fueled by rage and the strong need to exact revenge, Hawkman viciously attacked Joar, leaving Joar in a catatonic state. Some time before this, Joar married an unknown woman, who gave birth to Joar's son, Cameron Mahkent.

Maxwell Lord: the head of Checkmate, Maxwell is a very ruthless man. He doesn't like to fail. He  appears as the main antagonist in the Movie. voiced by Tim Matheson.

Lois Lane:  Clark Kent's partner at work at the Daily Planet. voiced by Juliet Landau

James "Jimmy" Olsen: a photographer at The Daily Planet with Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Voiced by David Kaufman

Steve Trevor: a government official and ally of Wonder Woman. Voiced by George Newbern

Lex Luthor: Lex Luthor made a cameo appearances in the post end credit scene for the Movie. voiced by Steven Blum.