DC Comics has no shortage of superhero teams. From the Justice Society of America and the Legion of Superheroes to the Justice League and Teen Titans, there are dozens of teams of idealistic individuals looking to make the world safer from aliens, supervillains, and tyrants of all sorts.
However, not all superhero teams are created equal. Not everyone can have the numbers of the Legion of Superheroes or the raw power of the Justice League. Some groups do good but don't have the firepower to take on the likes of Darkseid and Brainiac. For some teams, such things aren't even a concern, as the team is made to fight its own class of villains.
10 The Gotham Knights Are Skilled Fighters With Few Superpowers
The Gotham Knights were founded by Batman and operate out of Gotham City. They are made up of Batman, Batwoman, Red Robin, Spoiler, Orphan, Batwing, Azrael, and Clayface. The idea behind it was that Gotham needed a more organized team defending it as opposed to a loosely connected network of superheroes.
The team was made to fight low-level criminals and the breed of supervillain that comes with Gotham City. While they were able to perform when Hugo Strange unleashed kaiju-like monsters on Gotham, they were never intended to deal with the kind of threats taken on by the Justice League.
9 The Freedom Fighters Have Good Intentions But Little Punching Weight
The Freedom Fighters are a patriotic team hailing from Earth X. On this Earth, the Nazis won World War II, and the Freedom Fighters are among the final defenders that the Earth has. They were made part of the New Earth after Crisis on Infinite Earths and interacted with the likes of the Justice League and Teen Titans, but they were replaced on Earth X in their last maxiseries by Robert Venditti and Eddy Barrows.
The team has some power thanks to the Ray and Uncle Sam. However, Uncle Sam's power is mercurial and tied to how patriotic America is feeling at the moment. There is also the Human Bomb, but, as his name implies, his powers can be a threat to his comrades.
8 S.H.A.D.E. Has Had Its High Points But Doesn't Have Consistent Strength
S.H.A.D.E, or the Super-Human Advanced Defense Executive, is a government-run superteam that actually has a connection with the Freedom Fighters of the mainstream DC continuity. It had some power in the past with the likes of Major Force, the Ray, and even the Atom being among their number.
However, the most recent incarnation has Frankenstein and the Creature Commandos at its disposal.
7 The Outlaws Had The Might And Tenacity But Not The Numbers
In the New 52, the Red Hood gathered other superhero drifters Starfire and the Arsenal to become a nomadic crew known as the Outlaws. This group never expanded beyond that, and Starfire is the only real muscle this version of the team ever had.
Later, Red Hood joined up with Bizarro and Artemis for a stronger version of the team, but the shifting nature of Bizarro's physiology, as well as the limited number of team members, make this an unreliable team for bigger fights.
6 The Metal Men Are A Delightful Sci-Fi Team Short On Power Variety
The Metal Men are a DC classic that has had limited popularity in the modern era. They are a team made up of single-metal robots, namely Gold, Platinum, Lead, Iron, Mercury, Tin, and (sometimes) Copper. They are led by Doc Magnus, is has also become a Metal Man in the past.
Despite the slightly varying abilities that each respective metal gives their Metal Man member, they all really have the same power set. That means that they share many of the same weaknesses, and they'd be found wanting during a Brainiac or Darkseid invasion.
5 The Doom Patrol Is A Crew Of Outcasts Not Made To Fight Global Threats
The Doom Patrol was never meant to be a superhero team on the level of the League or the Society. They are outcasts brought together by Niles Caulder. Robot Man, Negative Man, and Elasti-Girl are the core team, but they've been joined by others such as Flex Mantello, Beast Boy, Crazy Jane, Celsius, and others over the years.
They've dealt with surreal and reality-bending foes in the past, but they're not suited to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Despero, Johnny Sorrow, the Injustice Society, or Starro.
4 The Seven Soldiers Of Victory Is A Silver Age Group With Little Power
The original Seven Soldiers of Victory were Green Arrow, Speedy, Vigilante, Shining Knight, the Crimson Avenger, the Star-Spangled Kid, and Stripesy. This is far from a powerhouse lineup, but it was a charming relic of the past. Batgirl was also a part of this team at some point. The team was later retconned to include others instead of Green Arrow and Speedy to give the crew more of a Golden Age vibe.
Grant Morrison later recreated the team with Shining Knight, Frankenstein, Guardian, Clarion the Witch Boy, Zatanna, Bulleteer, and Mister Miracle. That's a bit more power but not quite up to snuff with other teams. Even more recently, Sideways reunited the team sans the Guardian, and Infinite Frontier has found the original lineup returning except with Red Arrow, Stargirl, and S.T.R.I.P.E., and the new Crimson Avenger instead of Speedy, the Star-Spangled Kid, Stripesy, and the old Crimson Avenger.
3 The Inferior Five Were A Crew Of Would-Be Heroes United By Bat-Mite
The Inferior Five were a joke team of superheroes that originated on Earth-12 but has popped up here and there in the post-Crisis DC Universe. Most recently, they were brought back into existence by the Imp known as Bat-Mite.
The Inferior Five were made up of Merryman, Blimp, Dumb Bunny, Awkward Man, and White Feather. Their powers aren't especially incredible, as they were always meant to be a comedy team.
2 The Suicide Squad Will Always Be Held Back By Its Press-Gang Nature
The Suicide Squad is one of DC's most famous teams, but that doesn't mean it's one of the best or most efficient. The members are forced into action by Amanda Waller and Rick Flag as well as the bombs in the Squad members' necks. The team is never given much time to build a rapport. They are meant for quick and dirty missions, and, true to the team name, many of its members die on the regular.
Beyond that, the Suicide Squad has rarely had true powerhouses. Enchantress, Killer Croc, and King Shark are fairly strong, but they're unstable. In fact, much of the team's lineup has been historically mentally unstable. Their most reliable member has been Deadshot, and he's currently deceased.
1 The Justice League Of Antarctica Was A Joke Group
Finally, there is the Justice League of Antarctica, another group that was intended more as a joke than a genuine Justice League annex. It was initially intended as a villain team led by Major Disaster, but it stumbled its way into being considered an actual superhero team.
The crew was made up of historically inept villains: Major Disaster, Big Sir, Clock King, Cluemaster, Mighty Bruce, Multi-Man, the Scarlet Skier, and the Green Lantern G'Nort. Regardless, they became an official international Justice League team until Maxwell Lord shut it down. Many of the members were later made part of the Suicide Squad and died.