¡Viva los Superhéroes!: Yes, they have different names in Spanish

I was recently asked about my nickname (no, Rafa Rivas is not my real name). It comes from "Rafael Rivas", the real name the Elongated Man or El Hombre Elástico gets in Spanish translations.

Clark Kent is still Clark Kent, no Spanish name for him. However, most superheroes, villains and supporting characters have Spanish names like that.

So, just because, here is a list of the most notorious ones. I'll write in gray the most accurate they could have used instead (but didn't).

Superman / Clark Kent: Supermán / Clark Kent. 

Batman / Bruce Wayne: Batman / Bruno Díaz.
Robin / Dick Grayson: Robin / Ricardo Tapia.
Wonder Woman / Diana Prince: Mujer Maravilla (o Marvila) / Diana Pérez. Diana Príncipe.
Wonder Girl / Donna Troy: Chica Maravilla / Dina Rosas. Dona Troya 

Elongated Man / Ralph Dibny: Hombre Elástico / Rafael Rivas. 

Sue Dibny: Susana Rivas.
Supergirl / Linda Lee: Superchica / Linda Lara.

Aquaman: Aquamán (can't recall if there was any translation for Arthur Curry, but it's likely Arturo something). Arturo Curi (although it would make him a Latin Lebanese). 

Green Lantern / Hal Jordan: Linterna Verde / Raúl Jordán. Hal (Haroldo) Jordán.

Flash / Barry Allen: Flash / Bruno Alba. "Flushman" in Argentina (for some reason).

Kid Flash / Wally West: Flashito / Carlos Vela. Gualter Oeste.

Martian Manhunter / John Jones: Detective Marciano / Julio Jordán. Juán Juanez.

Hawkman / Carter Hall: Hombre Halcón / Carlos Lara. Carlos Salón. 

Hawkwoman / Shiera Hall: Mujer Halcón / Mirna Lara.

Green Arrow / Oliver Queen: Flecha Verde / Oliverio Reyna. 

Black Canary / Dinah Lance: Canario Negro / Diana Ríos. Dina Lanza.

Atom / Ray Palmer: Átomo / Ray Palmer. Raymundo "Ray" Palmera.

Adam Strange: Adán Luna. Adán Extraño.
Zatanna: Zitana. That one seems to makes no sense, as zitana is meaningless. Zatanna.
Batgirl / Barbara Gordon: Batichica / Bárbara Fierro.

Red Tornado / John Smith: Tornado Rojo / Juan Pérez. 

Flash I / Jay Garrick: Flash / Jorge Forcada.

Firestorm / Ronnie Raymond: Antorcha / Ronnie Raymond. Ronaldo Raymundo.

Captain Marvel / Billy Batson: Capitán Maravilla / Memo Batson. Beto Basto.
Guy Gardner: Gil Garza. Gil Jardinero. (G and J sound alike in Spanish).
Mr. Miracle / Scott Free: Sr. Milagro / Oscar Liberal.
Starman: Astro.
Hourman: Horario.
Wildcat: Gato Montés.
Johnny Thunder: Juan Trueno.
Sandman: Arenero.

Starfire: Nova.

Changeling: Mutante.

Raven: Corvina.
Darkseid: Oscuranto, Morbus or Penumbra.

With Superman characters they tend to keep both names or at least the last one in English:

Lex Luthor: Lex Luthor.
Lois Lane: Luisa Lane.

Jimmy Olsen: Jaime Olsen. Jaime Olmos.

Perry White: Pedro White. Pedro Blanco.

Lana Lang: Lina Luna.

Pete Ross: Pedro Ross or Fernando Suárez.

Brainiac: Cerebro ("Brain"). Cerebrático.

Metallo: Metálico ("Metallic"). Metalo.
Parasite: Parásito.
Mr. Mxyzptlk: Senor Mxyzptlk (pronounced misleplik).
Bizarro: Bizarro (And "bizarro" is Spanish for "bizarre").
Krypto: Krypto.

Batman characters:

Commissioner Gordon: Comisionado Fierro.

Catwoman: Gatúbela (close to "Catarella", like Vampirella or Barbarella).

Joker: Guasón or Arlequín.

Penguin: Pingüino.

Mr. Freeze: Capitán Frio (Somehow they gave him the name that should be used for the enemy of the Flash —sometimes they use "Señor Gélido", a better translation).

The Riddler: El Acertijo.

Egghead: Cascarón (meaning "Eggshell"). Cabeza de Huevo.
King Tut: Rey Tut.

Gotham City: Ciudad Gótica.

Poison Ivy: Hiedra Venenosa, or Hortiga.

Two-Face: Dos Caras or Doble Cara ("Double Face").

The Ventriloquist / Scarface: Ventrílocuo / Cara Marcada.

Clayface: Cara de Barro.

Harley Quinn: Arlequín (sometimes Arly Quin).

Teams

Justice League of America: La Liga de la Justicia de América ("de América" is rarely said).
Justice Society of America: Los Defensores de la Justicia ("de América" is rarely said).
Doom Patrol: La Patrulla Salvadora o El Escuadron Suicida (that last one is "Suicide Squad", lol).

Teen Titans: Los Héroes Juveniles o Los Jóvenes Titanes. Los Adolescentes Titanes.

Wonder Twins: Gemelos Fantásticos.

Cities, places, and stuff
Gotham City: Ciudad Gótica ("Gothic City").
Metropolis: Metrópolis.
Krypton: Krytón or Kriptón.
Smallville: Villa Chica.
Coast City: Ciudad Costera.
The Watchtwer: La Atalaya.
The Batcave: La Baticueva (a made-up word).
Batmobile: Batimovil (another made-up word —since "bat" is "murciégalo", and that's too long, anything Batman-related is translated with the meaningless prefix "bati-", as in Batichica, Batibúmerang, Bati).
The Daily Planet: El Planeta ("The Planet").

Marvel:

Spider-man / Peter Parker: El Hombre Araña / Pedro Márquez.
Dr. Octopus: Dr. Pulpo.
Green Goblin: E Duende Verde. El Orco Verde.
Sandman: El Arenero.
Fatastic Four: Los Cuatro Fantásticos.
Mr. Fantastic / Reed Richards: Sr. Fantástico / Enrique Ricardo.
Invisible Woman / Sue Storm: La Mujer Invisible / Susana Sánchez.
Human Torch / Johnny Storm: La Antorcha Humana / Juan Sánchez.
The Thing / Ben Grimm: La Mole / Benito Gris. La Cosa.
Dr. Doom: Dr. Muerte. Dr. Perdición.
Galactus: Alberto el Hambriento (Hilarious! That means "Hungry Albert").
X-Men: La Patrulla-X, Los Hombres X ("X" or "equis" is a bit funny, because the word modern slang for "generic", "indifferent", or "it's ok").
Wolverine / Logan:  Guepardo / Leonardo (keep in mind that "guepardo" is Spanish for cheetah). Also: Emilio Garra, Lobezno, Carcayú, Glotón, Aguja Dinámica ("Dynamic Needle") and Aullador ("howler"). Carcayu. Carcayú or glotón are the right way to call a wolverine (gulo gulo), and "lobezno" is only ok for a wolf pup).
Morpho: Morfo.
Professor X / Charles Xavier: Profesor X (the X is pronounced "equis") / Carlos Xavier (prounounced "ha•vee•er"). He is often called "Profesor Xavier" instead of Profesor X.
Magneto: Magneto (although "a magnet" is "un magneto" in Spanish).
Rogue / Titania. Pilla.
Daredevil: Dan Defensor ("Dan Defender"), or Diabólico (Diabolic). Tough one. Dan Defender is pretty bad, but the translation would be "Temerario", which has no D or anything to do with "devil".
Dr. Strange: Dr. Centella. Dr. Extraño.

The Golden Age chronology!

For no particular reason (well, there's one, but you don't get to know about it for a while), I'm posting a chronological list of the debuts of the golden age characters of DC.

1935

Oct, More Fun Comics #6 – Dr. Occult, Rose Psychic

1937 

March, Detective Comics #1 – Slam Bradley and Shorty Morgan

1938 

Apr, Action Comics #1 – Superman, Zatara, Tex Thopson

Oct, Detective Comics #20 - Crimson Avenger and Wing

1939 

May, Detective Comics #27 – Batman

Jul, Adventure Comics #40 - Sandman

1940

Jan, Flash Comics #1 – Flash, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Johnny Thunder

Feb, More Fun Comics #52 – The Spectre

Mar, Adventure Comics #48 - Hourman

Spr, Batman #1 – Catwoman

Apr, Detective Comics #38 –  Robin

May, More Fun Comics #55 – Dr. Fate

Jun, More Fun Comics #56 - Congo Bill

Jul, All-American Comics #16 – Green Lantern

Oct, All-American Comics #19 – The Atom

Nov, All-American Comics #20 – Red Tornado
Win, All-Star Comics #3 – The Justice Society of America (Hawkman, Atom, Flash, Green Lantern, Dr. Fate, Spectre, Hurman and Sandman).

1941

Apr, All-American Comics #25 – Dr. Mid-Nite

Apr, Adventure Comics #61 - Starman

Sep, More Fun Comics #73 – Aquaman, Green Arrow, Speedy

Sep, Adventure Comics #66 – Shining Knight

Sep, Action Comics #40 – Star-Spanged Kid, Stripesy

Oct, All-Star Comics #8 - Wonder Woman

Oct, Star-Spangled Comics #1 - Tarantula

Nov, Action Comics #42 – Vigilante

Winter, Boy Commandos #1 – Liberty Belle
Winter, Leading Comics #1 – Seven Soldiers of Victory

1942

Jan, Sensation Comics #1 – Wildcat, Mr. Terrific

Feb, Detective Comics #60 – Air Wave

Apr, Star-Spangled Comics #7 – Robotman, TNT and Dan the Dyna-myte, The Guardian

1947

Aug, Flash Comics #86 – Black Canary

1948

Jun, - Star-Spangled Comics #81 – Gimmick Girl

1983

Jul, All-Star Squadron #23 – Amazing Man

Adoptive characters

A bunch of current DC Comics properties were created outside National Comics / All-American Publications. In this list I'm mixing Fawcett Comics, Quality Comics and Fox Comics. However, it must first  be considered that [besides the ancient and classic god pantheons and the biblical characters] certain classic characters that exist in the current DCU were created even before that:

c. 9th Century: King Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table

c. 1422: Robin Hood

1887: Sherlock Holmes and John Watson

1904: Rima, the Jungle Girl

1912: Tarzan

1933: Doc Savage

1939

Aug, Mystery Men Comics #1 – Blue Beetle

1940

Feb, Whiz Comics #2 – Captain Marvel, Spy Smasher

May, Nickel Comics #1 – Bulletman and Bulletgirl

May, Crack Comics #1 – Black Condor

Jul, National Comics #1 – Uncle Sam

Jun, Register and Tribune Syndicate – The Spirit

Sept, Smash Comics #14 – The Ray

1941

Aug, Police Comics #1 – Plastic Man, Phantom Lady, Human Bomb, Firebrand

Aug, Military Comics #1 – Miss America, Blackhawks

Dec, Whiz Comics #25 – Captain Marvel Jr.

1942

Dec, Captain Marvel Adventures #18 – Mary Marvel

1943

Jul, Military Comics #20 – Lady Blackhawk (unnamed)

Oct, Wow Comics #18 – Uncle Marvel

1944

Apr, Feature Comics #77 – Doll Man

It is interesting to note that in both cases, most of the characters were created between January 1940 and December 1941, and that, in general, they also had more staying power than the rest, with the exception being the two big archetypes that predate them: Superman and Batman.

Villains

And finally the villains (I might do supporting cast if I'm ever in the mood). It's funny I'd have never expected Wonder Woman to have the clearest gallery or Superman to be so difficult.
In this case we can also appreciate that, unlike superheroes, must of the villains were not created in 1940 or 1941. However, many archenemies are from those years: Luthor, Joker, Catwoman, Clayface, Scarecrow, Penguin, Hugo Strange, Sivana, Captain Nazi, Wotan, Karkull, Mr. Who, Hath Set, Dummy, Zor, Oom and Blackjack (hey, he was basically the only Aquaman guy back then!)

Wonder Woman

1942, Feb, Sensation Comics #2 – Doctor Poison

1942, Apr, Sensation Comics #4 – Baroness Paula von Gunther

1942, Sum, Wonder Woman #1 – Ares

1942, Fall, Wonder Woman #2 – Duke of Deception, Lord Conquest, Earl of Greed

1943, Apr, Wonder Woman #4 - Mavis

1943, Jun, Wonder Woman #5 – Dr. Psycho

1943, Oct, Wonder Woman #6 – Cheetah

1943, Dec, Comic Cavalcade #5 -Zara

1944, Mar, Wonder Woman #8 – Queen Clea

1944, Jun, Wonder Woman #9 – Giganta

1944, Fall, Wonder Woman #10 – Eviless

1944, Win, Wonder Woman #11 – Hipnota

1945, Apr, Sensation Comics #42, Draska Nishki              

1946, Sep, Sensation Comics #59 – Blue Snowman

1946, Oct, Comic Cavalcade #17 – Gunra the Valkyrie

1947, Jul, Wonder Woman #24 – The Mask
1948, Mar, Wonder Woman #28 – Villainy Inc.

1948, Apr, Wonder Woman #29 – Minister Blizzard

1949, Sep, Wonder Woman #37 - Circe

1953, Nov, Wonder Woman #62 – Angle Man

Batman

Wasn't able to get any Kane gallery, but here's some Sprang.

1939, Jul, Detective Comics #29 – Dr.  Death

1939, Sep, Detective Comics #31 – Monk & Dala

1940, Feb, Detective Comics #36 – Professor Hugo Strange

1940, Spr, Batman #1 – The Joker
1940, Apr, Detective Comics #38 –  Boss Zucco

1940, Jun, Detective Comics #40 - Clayface

1941, Fall, World’s Finest Comics #3 – The Scarecrow

1941, Dec, Detective Comics #58 – The Penguin

1942, Ago, Detective Comics #66 – Two-Face

1943, Apr, Detective Comics #74 – Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum

1943, Nov, Detective Comics #81 – The Cavalier
1947, Sep, World's Finest Comics #30 – The Penny Plunderer

1948, Oct, Batman #49 – The Mad Hatter

1950, Jun, Batman #59 – Deadshot  

1951, Feb, Batman #63 – Killer Moth

1952, Jun, Detective Comics #184 - Firefly
1983, Jul, The Brave and the Bold #200 – Brimstone

Captain Marvel

1940, Feb, Whiz Comics #2 – Dr. Sivana

1941, Dec, Master Comics #21 – Captain Nazi

1942, Mar, Captain Marvel Adventures #8 – Mr. Banjo, Ibac

1942, Apr, Captain Marvel Adventures #9 – Nippo

1943, Feb, Captain Marvel Jr. #4, Sabbac

1943, Mar, Captain Marvel Adventures #22 - Herkimer

1943, Ago, Captain Marvel Adventures #26 – Mr. Mind, Goat Man

1944, Jun, Captain Marvel Adventures #36 - Jeepers

1944, Nov, Captain Marvel Adventures #41 – Evil Eye

1945, Dec, Marvel Family #1 – Black Adam

1946, May, Captain Marvel Adventures #61 – Oggar

1947, Nov, Captain Marvel Adventures #78 – Mr. Atom

1951, Oct, Captain Marvel Adventures #125 – King Kull

Superman

1939, Jun, Action Comics #13 – Ultra-Humanite

1940, Jan, Action Comics #20 – Dolores Winters (who woud become Ultra-Humanite)

1940, Apr, Action Comics #23 – Lex Luthor

1941 Nov, Superman #13 – The Archer

1942 Aug – Action Comics #58 – The Prankster

1942 Nov, Superman #19 – Funny Face

1942, Jun, Action Comics #49 – The Puzzler

1942, Sum, World’s Finest Comics #6 – Metalo

1943, Sep,  Action Comics #64 – Toyman
1943, Nov, Superman #25 – Hi-Jack

1944, Jan, Superman #26 - J. Wilbur Wolfingham

1944, Sep, Superman #30 – Mr. Mxyzptlk

1950, Feb, Superboy #6 – Humpty Dumpty

Flash

1942, Sep, Flash Comics #33 – The Shade

1942, Dec, Flash Comics #36 ­– Rag Doll

1943, Fall, All Flash Comics #12 – The Thinker

1945, Win, All Flash Comics #21 – The Turtle

1947, Nov, Flash Comics #89 - Thorn

1947, Dec, All Flash Comics #32 – The Fiddler, Star Sapphire

1949, Feb, Flash Comics #104 – The Rival

Green Lantern

1943, Win, Green Lantern #10 – Vandal Savage

1944, Sum, Green Lantern #12 – The Gambler

1944, Oct, All-American Comics #61 – Solomon Grundy

1947, May, All-American Comics #85 – Sportsmaster
1947, Ago, Green Lantern #27 – Sky Pirate

1947, Sep, All-American Comics #89 – Harlequin

1947, Oct, All-American Comics #90 – Icicle

Dr. Fate

1940, May, More Fun Comics #55 - Wotan
1941, May, More Fun Comics #67 – Nergal
1941, Jul, More Fun Comics #69 – Ian Karkull 
1941, Nov, More Fun Comics #73 – Mr. Who
1942, Jun, More Fun Comics #80 – Octopus
1942, Jul, More Fun Comics #81 – The Clock

Justice Society of America

1943, Feb, All-Star Comics #15 – Brainwave

1945, Win, All-Star Comics #23 – Psycho-Pirate

1947, Apr, All-Star Comics #34 – The Wizard

1947, Jun, All-Star Comics #35 – Per Degaton
1947, Oct, All-Star Comics #37 – Injustice Society of the World 
1948, Dec, All-Star Comics #44 – Evil Star
1951, Mar, All-Star Comics #57 – The Key
1999, Dec, Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1 – Johnny Sorrow

Hawkman

1940, Jan, Flash Comics #1 – Hath Set

1940, Fall, All-Star Comics #2 - Nyola
1941, Jan, Flash Comics #13 – Satana

1945, Apr, Flash Comics #64 – The Monocle

1947, Oct, Flash Comics #88 – The Gentleman Ghost

Plastic Man

1950, May, Plastic Man #23 – The Figure
1950, Sep, Plastic Man #25 – Mr. Aqua

The Spectre

1940, May, More Fun Comics #55 –  Zor
1940, Win, All-Star Comics #3 – Oom

Aquaman

1941, Dec, More Fun Comics #74, Blackjack

Green Arrow

1946, Sep, World's Finest #24 – Bulls-Eye

Dr. Mid-Nite

1947, Feb, All-American Coics #82 - Dr. Light

Starman

1941, May, Adventure Comics #62 – The Light

1941, Oct, Adventure Comics #67 – The Mist

Vigilante

1941, Win, Leading Comics #1 – The Dummy

Zatara

1938, Apr, Action Comics #1 – The Tigress
1938, Oct, Action Comics #5 – Amen-Hotep

Congo Bill

1940, Jun, More Fun Comics #56 - The Skull

Robotman

1943, Feb, Star-Spangled Comics #17 – The Turtle

Wildcat

1943, Ago, Sensation Comics #20 – Yellow Wasp
1947, Ago, Sensation Comics #68 – The Huntress

Sandman

1942, Sum, World’s Finest Comics #6  - Ramulus

Boy Commandos

1946, Jun, Boy Commandos #15 – Crazy Quilt

RELATED ARTICLES:

• Survivors of the Golden Age! - A description of the transition between the Silver and the Golden Ages of DC Comics.
• The Elongated Man and the Silver Age Timeline! - A series of lists of the most important debuts and events of the Silver Age in chronological order.
• Part I: Pre-Classic - 1947 - 1956.
• Part II: Classic - 1956 - 1969.
• Part III: Post-Classic - 1969 - 1973.  
• The Elongated Man and the Bronze Age Timeline! - A list of the Bronze Age debuts of DC Characters and events in chronological order.

DC Universe Classics collection: The Elongated Man is finally here!!

It's finally here. Well, it's not, but it will on March 2013.

It's incredible that it took so long and that now it will only be available to the lucky ones that subscribed to Mattel's 'Club Infinite Earths', "a service for DC Universe Classics in 2011, intended to produce figures demanded by collectors". Maybe that minor scandal that they [OK, it was 50% me] made when it wasn't announced for the early wave had some influence (see: The Elongated Man and Wife: Embargoed?!).

I'm glad it comes with a magnifying glass, but it seems to have a number of imperfections. For starters, everyone at The Fwoosh seems to agree that the face is all weird. What's that expression? He should be raising an eyebrow or smiling. Also, to me (an a couple of guy I know), he looks like a Dick Van Dyke with a turn-up nose. Another mistake is the hair color, it should be red. And finally, I hope that forearm is not all that stretches.

One thing I hope they got right is his height; he's supposed to look tall and slim. The DC Direct figure has that right.

I wish it came with a Sue wearing one of her 60s dresses, but I know that's a really long shot.

For more information on the DC Universe Classics collection check the WP article.

Know your Super Buddy UPDATE II

I added a couple of characters to the Know your Super Buddy post: Power Girl, Crimson Fox and Beefeater.  Expect Captain Atom, Powergirl, Metamorpho, Flash and the rest soon.

Power Girl: Kara’s super strength is not only physical but emotional. She’s confident, emotionally independent and very outspoken; however, her temper is short and might lose sight of what’s important in order to make a stand. Even though his views are always fair, she engages easily  and she can be quite opinionated, which put her at odds with the likes of Guy. She has little tolerance for shenanigans as well, especially when it comes to men objectifying her because of her notorious sex appeal  –she doesn’t flirt or dress for men, but she also refuses to hide her beauty. She’s normally cranky, but she can be quite generous and kind. When it comes to her work, PG has a great determination that makes her diligent, quick and effective.

Crimson Fox: We’re talking about two women, but in general, their behavior seems the same. They like to remain a mystery to their teammates, so they are barely socialize and come across as “a” cold peer. They inform themselves about any situation and become all business right away; pretty much like Batman, only without barking orders. This is how they manage to hide the fact that they are two people sharing the same superhero identity. Like Batman, they seem too self-aware and even melancholic, but their determination and dedication to an agenda against injustice makes them overachieving perfectionist forces.

Beefeater: Is a conceited, arrogant, phony, obnoxious, rude, inconsiderate, stubborn, pretentious and absolutely sarcastic jerk. He can’t help but show a neurotic behavior whenever he interacts; normally characterized by his excessive complaining and attention to unimportant details. His constant engaging prevents him from inspiring any real authority despite his confidence; people rather please him in hopes to get him to shot up or go away. I know, I’m basically describing Basil, but it’s the same, anyway.

Know your Super Buddy

Continuing with the profiling here are the members of the Justice League International. Giffen and DeMatteis did an excellent job demonstrating the uniqueness of their personalities, still, it's always fun to review them. Tell me what you think about them.

Maxwell Lord: The true Maxwell is an opportunistic sleazeball with a great heart. He would manipulate and push so that his will is done; fortunately, he always has the greater good and the best interest of his friends in mind.  He sounds like a used car salesman, the difference is that he always delivers what he promises. He's the incarnation of the "Like a boss" meme; he works hard and he lives hard, always surounded by luxury. He's all charm, and yet, unlike the stereotypical sanguinean type, he gets the job done without disappointments. He has a thing for power and control, but his main reasons are his egocentrism and certain paternalist feelings he has towards the JLI. As the boss, he's always has his eyes on the ball and knows how to take charge without engaging (at least when it matters).

The Martian Manhunter: The leader of the oddest incarnation of the JLI also serves as its father figure; while he seems to have a peer relationship with Batman and Maxwell, he thinks of the rest as "the children".  He knows human nature better than humans so he’s very accepting and avoids engaging in nonsense and even most of the social situations of the team. His attitude and personality often places him as the straight man among the shenanigans of his team. As a leader he's calm, insightful and patient and knows exactly what to say to lead this weird wild crowd, always with his eyes on the ball.  

Blue Beetle: Ted is creative, optimistic, enthusiastic, adventurous, witty and a bit juvenile. He has a great, easy going temper, which is why he's normally in great mood. His friends would say that he's hyperactive and often too smart for his own good. He took the Blue Beetle mantle from his teacher, but the truth is that he's a superhero out of his optimism and sense of adventure. Like Ralph, he's a true example of emotional intelligence.

Fire: Bea is loud, fiery, flirty, fun loving and very hot tempered (a lot like Sofia Vergara or Eva Longoria). She's very street wise, has a quick wit, which helps her charm her way to get what she wants; however, she has no trouble calling things by their name.

In some stories, she has a Bart-Simpsonesque, devil-may-care attitude. She's a nudist who has worked in showbiz for men, yet she showed a smart taste in men (liking Oberon, hating Guy) and was quite protective of Ice's love life. Her deal in that sense seems to be that she uses her sensuality and charisma to get stuff but is very careful when it comes to feelings. Despite her hedonistic exterior she shows good, caring values when it comes to people. This is more evident with good kind people, like Ted, Ice, Mary or the Dibnys. By contrast she's tough on jerks (even if they are still her friends) and really tough on villains.

Booster Gold: He's basically a phony superhero that is perpetually redeeming himself. For some reason, his goals as a superhero are fame and fortune. He's shallow, shameless and often desperate; however, he always pulls through. He's not much of a thinker, which makes him the perfect bottom of the jokes (making him the perfect odd couple for Blue Beetle); however he has his heart in the right place and has an amazing deal of determination, which are the reasons that qualify him as a member.

Ice: She's sweet and caring; her borderline naive innocence contrasts with Bea's sharp eye. She's utterly honest, transparent and, despite certain shyness, she always shows her true emotions. However, she's not a bad judge of character as much as she prefers not to judge, often seeing the goodness behind rough exteriors like Guy's or even Bea's. Her sense of fun is very child-like and playful, which makes her able to enjoy the simple things in life.

Ralph: In JLI he became less of a Nick Charles superhero and more of a funny, paternalistic uncle; going to extremes he never went to get people to laugh. His behavior is more sanguine than ever, as if he decided to take the back seat and relax in this team. His usual wit is still there, but he starts relying on slapstick for humor. At the end of the day people always listen to him and Wally even seeks his approbation. And it figures, hiding behind a class clown surface he's indirectly mentoring and encouraging the new Flash, Power Girl, Mary Marvel and even his wife, who became a member of the team as well. Despite being acknowledged as the most experienced member of the European branch, he prefers being a good team member to being the leader, so he always respected Captain Atom's position as the leader.

Sue: She's the proof that sometimes spoiling works. Despite having everything and being able to get whatever she whims, she cares a lot about people. That's called vision of abundance. Her mood is usually great, she is very plucky, extroverted, chatty, witty and easy going; however, at times she can be high maintenance or show quite a temper, if the situation justifies it. Like Ralph, she is only able to see opportunities and she makes things happen with even less effort. She's a natural problem solver and her main weapons are charisma, charm a quick wit and tons of confidence. As much as she trusts and admires her husband as a superhero, she usually fears for him and the rest of the team when they are on the field, which is the reason she likes to get involved. Before JLI she used to me mostly a carefree, spoiled wife on an eternal honeymoon adventure, but then, a permanent duty as monitor led her to become a technology wiz dedicated to her new team and family, which she eventually lead as bureau chief.

Guy: Arrogant, overly confident, chauvinistic, short tempered, annoying, obtuse and immature: the embodiment of the American spirit gone wrong. He is only a hero because he believes in saving the day, and he's too stubborn not to get things done. He's too much of an action man to think things through. His m. o. seems to be all about bullying the bullies; the problem is that he normally a dick to the good guys, even if he's ultimately harmless and always gets losing. Ice is the only person that gets him to rethink his ways.

L-Ron: Despite being more intelligent than his bosses, he was created to be a servant, so he uses tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top flattery (and often just sarcasm) as a form release. L-Ron seems to be doomed to be an eternal witness to really bad ideas that he can’t prevent from being executed, in fact he normally has to help making them happen. However, little by little, he has moved to a position in which he can contribute to better causes. He will always be a servant, but he'll at least try to serve where it counts.  

Power Girl: Kara’s super strength is not only physical but emotional. She’s confident, emotionally independent and very outspoken; however, her temper is short and might lose sight of what’s important in order to make a stand. Even though his views are always fair, she engages easily  and she can be quite opinionated, which put her at odds with the likes of Guy. She has little tolerance for shenanigans as well, especially when it comes to men objectifying her because of her notorious sex appeal  –she doesn’t flirt or dress for men, but she also refuses to hide her beauty. She’s normally cranky, but she can be quite generous and kind. When it comes to her work, PG has a great determination that makes her diligent, quick and effective.

Rocket Red: Dmitri is a big jolly man, optimistic and enthusiastic about everything. The type of person that rarely has anything negative to say. Always with a smile on his face, he enjoys about everything, and is loudly outspoken about it. He sees enough of everything for everyone, which is why he has a very generous philosophy and nature. When it comes to serious matters he’s very insightful and truly helpful to his friends. He has a very balanced life and has a loving family waiting for him after work.

Crimson Fox: We’re talking about two women, but in general, their behavior seems the same. They like to remain a mystery to their teammates, so they are barely socialize and come across as “a” cold peer. They inform themselves about any situation and become all business right away; pretty much like Batman, only without barking orders. This is how they manage to hide the fact that they are two people sharing the same superhero identity. Like Batman, they seem too self-aware and even melancholic, but their determination and dedication to an agenda against injustice makes them overachieving perfectionist forces.

Catherine Cobert: A diligent and independent career woman capable of great achievements. She’s such a straight man, she doesn’t even engage with the nonsense of her team. Even though she is really dedicated and hardworking, with her calm attitude and big picture sight she makes it seem as if her great achievements came with little effort. Her great perception and sensibility allows her to be as persuasive as Maxwell (which is probably why she e eventually wet from being his great discovery to his boss). It’s also clear that she’s very confident, and it also shows when she flits. While it’s clear that she liked Captain Atom from day one (and that it was mutual), she rather worked on him with friendship and teases without spoiling the tension.

Batman: A consumed pro with no time for nonsense. His perfectionism feels sharper than ever and he has a heaver reliance on fear as a weapon. He's playing on a really advanced level that few in the JLI can follow and only J'Onn does. It would appear as if his respect only went to his equals (J'Onn, Ralph, Fate, Canary) but he actually believes in all of them, so he serves as an outsider who  always knows what to do and what to say (his mind seems to go at light speed), so he arrives late, barks instructions and out he goes. He barely takes a few seconds to correct Guy's attitude problem. Tough love. His field instructions have a surgeon’s precision; however, after renouncing the leadership he decided to respect the authority of the new field commanders. And yet, the team can't help but feel as if he was the one pulling the strings (and he might be).

Other notorious members

Some members didn't really stayed that long but sitll became characteristic members of the Bwahaha era anyway.

Beefeater: Is a conceited, arrogant, phony, obnoxious, rude, inconsiderate, stubborn, pretentious and absolutely sarcastic jerk. He can’t help but show a neurotic behavior whenever he interacts; normally characterized by his excessive complaining and attention to unimportant details. His constant engaging prevents him from inspiring any real authority despite his confidence; people rather please him in hopes to get him to shot up or go away. I know, I’m basically describing Basil, but it’s the same, anyway.

Coming soon within this post: Captain Atom, Oberon, Mr. Miracle, Flash, Metamorpho, G'Nort,  and Animal Man.

For more character profiles, check out the following articles:

Know your Justice Leaguer!
Understand the personality of the early
members of the World's mightiest team.

Know your Bat-Villain! Part I - 
Probably the craziest supervillains in 
American comics, so it is a longer read.