The Squadron Supreme, or How Man of Action Studios showed how stupid power scaling contests really are
Man of Action Studios, for all their flaws, have a remarkable understanding of the superhero genre and what makes heroes compelling. I could go on and on about their original shows like Ben 10 and Generator Rex, on how they always make sure that their heroes prioritize the safety of civilians over their mission or their own safety, how they use the posture, movements, and behavior of the heroes as a way to show how the hero views himself and his job, and other such things. Indeed, I already have done both of those in brief. But I think one of the best examples of their grasp on the genre actually comes from the Avengers Assemble cartoon, which they worked on during seasons 1 and 2 (the absence in season 3 onwards is actually kind of noticeable in the sudden drop in quality).
In season 2, Avengers Assemble does something that by all accounts shouldn't work, something that under normal circumstances I would ABSOLUTELY HATE. they had an Avengers versus Justice League plot arc for a third of the season. Personally, I hate power-scaling. "Oh this guy can beat that guy! Let's smash our action figures together and see which one breaks!" But despite this, they managed to make it work. How?
Obviously the show couldn't bring in the real justice league for legal reasons, so instead they made obvious parallels. Hyperion, a twisted version of Superman, had already been introduced in season 1. Nighthawk was their version of Batman, Zarda was their version of Wonder Woman, Speed Demon was their version of The Flash (clearly taking inspiration from the Barry Alan iteration), and Nuke was their version of Captain Atom. Interestingly, Professor Prism seems to be a hybrid of Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter in origin and powers respectively.
these characters are VERY MUCH NOT their actual justice league counterparts. Nor are they "mirror images" of them with opposite traits. But they are those characters with all of their heroic traits carefully, surgically removed.
The Squadron Supreme, as they call themselves, are the justice league without justice, heroes without heroics. They disdain the rule of law, instead favoring the rule of terror, taking justice into their own hands, beating the living daylights out of people who cross them. Hyperion, unlike superman, has no restraint. Speed Demon revels in tormenting his opponents. Nuke uses his powers at will despite knowing the danger they pose to everyone around him. Zarda kulls the weak to demonstrate her power. Professor Prism cowers behind the others, and bends to their will with little resistance despite ultimately being a good person. And nighthawk.
Nighthawk is the most telling of the bunch. He is the "batman could beat anyone given enough prep time" version of batman. He is the "actually batman should be totally fine killing people" version of batman. He is the "batman works alone and beats up goons" version of batman. He is the juvenile version of batman as thought of by power-scalers and, apparently, Hollywood executives. In other words, he is an ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE PERSON, and one of the most dangerous foes ever introduced in the series. He uses his friends as living weapons, deliberately endangers civilians to try to take out the heroes, and beats criminals within an inch of their life to send a message. Trying to fight his plans is like trying to hold back a tsunami with your hands; time consuming and futile.
They say that if you can't imagine your version of batman comforting a scared child, he's not batman, but punnisher in a funny mask. well nighthawk would fire a rocket at a child if it was part of his many unstoppable schemes. He's a monster.
You would expect, since the show is about the Avengers, that the Avengers would wipe the floor with the Squadron. But nope. All other things being equal, the Squadron ABSOLUTELY WIPES THE FLOOD WITH THE AVENGERS. Iron Man gets into a fight with Nighthawk, only for nighthawk to completely dismantle his armor in seconds, and the rest of the Avengers can barely take down Hyperion if they all gang up on him, let alone the other members of the squadron. They are just too powerful; it is essentially an admission that in a straight fight between the two, the Justice League would win.
But it is also a statement that in order for the fight to occur at all, the Justice League would have to cease to actually be the justice league. they would have to be reduced to their powers and strategies, with all that is good about them thrown in the trash.
Ultimately, what allows the avengers to win in the end is this exact fact: that the Squadron AREN'T actually the Justice League. The members of the Justice League care about each other, and have each-others back. They would never willingly sacrifice each-other for the sake of a plan, even if that plan assured victory. But the Squadron ABSOLUTELY would. Ultimately they are able to isolate them, or convince Nighthawk to sacrifice them one-by-one for his schemes until they finally have an opening to finish things, and Iron Man manages to defeat Nighthawk not through fighting or even guile, but through making an act of self-sacrifice that Nighthawk couldn't rap his head around.
The Squadron Supreme shows what traits actually make up the Justice League and make them who they are by contrast; showing us what the characters would be like without those traits. Without compassion, restraint, empathy, friendship, the Justice League simply isn't itself.
To think this insight came from an Avengers cartoon instead of a DC property.
Anyways, that is why I think Man of Action Studios deserves a bit more credit for their writing.
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