Justice League Movie's Technology & Weapons, Explained

Unveiled over the weekend at Comic-Con International in San Diego, the second trailer for Justice League further showcased the film's action and humor, while undoubtedly frustrating some fans with its glaring lack of Superman. But in addition to fleshing out the plot, if perhaps only a little, the footage provided a prime showcase for the film's fictional technology.

From Batman's gadgets, both large and small, to Wonder Woman's arsenal, to the wondrous and terrible devices of Apokolips (all springing from the mind of the late, great Jack Kirby), they're all on display in this latest Justice League trailer. We break them down below.

Mother Boxes

The great MacGuffin of Justice League, and what brings antagonist Steppenwolf and his Parademons to Earth, Mother Boxes are "living computers" introduced in 1971 by Jack Kirby in The Forever People #1. Invented in DC Comics lore on New Genesis, the sunny counterpart to Apokolips, they've effectively sentient PCs capable of a wide range of wondrous abilities, from healing seemingly fatal injuries and creating blasts of injuries to rearranging the molecular structure of matter and opening and closing the extra-dimensional portals known as Boom Tubes.

Mother Boxes were actually introduced into the DC Extended Universe in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, first in a brief video that shows the transformation of Victor Stone into Cyborg, and then in a deleted scene in which Lex Luthor communes with Steppenwolf, who's seen holding three cubes. Those are Mother Boxes, of course.

"These Mother Boxes are best when they work in threes," producer Charles Roven explained in June 2016 during a visit by CBR and other outlets to the Justice League set. "And back before there was a history, these Mother Boxes, this is an Amazonian Mother Box, this is Atlantean, and this is mankind." It was so far back, in fact, that Atlantis wasn't even submerged yet. We see the Amazonian Mother Box in the trailer, and we're left to wonder how Cyborg's father, Dr. Silas Stone, got his hands on one.

Boom Tube

In the trailer, Steppenwolf arrives on Themyscira, to the alarm of Queen Hippolyta and her Amazons, courtesy of a Boom Tube, an extradimensional portal opened most commonly by (what else?) a Mother Box. Named for the sonic boom triggered whenever the portal is opened, Boom Tubes have sometimes been depicted in DC comics as the only way to travel between Earth and New Genesis or Apokolips.

Introduced by Jack Kirby in 1971 in The Forever People #1, Boom Tubes can accommodate passengers, and objects, of varying numbers and sizes, making them ideal for transporting, say, an entire Apokoliptian army across the galaxy for an all-out invasion of Earth.

Steppenwolf's Electro-Ax

It seems likely the Mother Box in the possession of Atlantis is used to open a second Boom Tube, as in the trailer we see Jason Momoa's Aquaman dodge an ornate ax. In DC Comics lore that's the Electro-Ax, the traditional weapon of Steppenwolf. It's been depicted in different ways over the decades in comics, animation and toys (even being attached by cable to a backpack power source), but one element remains consistent: It's really, really powerful.

That's most obvious in the new trailer when Steppenwolf strikes the ground with the Electro-Ax, opening up chasms of lava that creates hell on Earth -- or at least makes it a dead ringer for Apokolips. However, there's also a moment where the weapon seems to meet its match in Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, which probably shouldn't be a surprise. After all, she went toe to toe with Doomsday and Ares.

Parademons

Perhaps not exactly technology, the Parademons are nevertheless an important tool of Steppenwolf and Apokolips. Darkseid's shock troops, they were introduced into the DC Extended Universe in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where they were depicted in the "Knightmare" vision sequence as locust-like creatures, swooping in to pick off their foes. That "swarm" aspect is their strength; they overwhelm enemies with their sheer numbers; with their rudimentary intelligence, they're hardly military strategists.

Debuting in 1971 in DC's The New Gods #1, by Jack Kirby, Parademons are created in the laboratories of Apokolips to serve as advance forces in his planetary invasions. Possessing enhanced strength and a high tolerance for pain, the Parademons come equipped with Apokoliptian weaponry and wing blades, permitting them to fly. In DC's New 52, they also possessed fire breath, self-detonation and the ability to convert captives into new Parademons, a la the Borg from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

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Trident of Neptune

Although it has yet to be officially identified, it would appear that Aquaman wields the Trident of Neptune in Justice League and, presumably, his upcoming solo film. (Yes, despite having five prongs, it's referred to in the comics as a trident). One of the relics of Atlantis, the Trident of Neptune was presented by the god to the ruler and protector of the seas.

The magical weapon grants its user to control the water and even weather, and fire blasts of energy. The two trailers provide solid evidence for this being the Trident of Neptune, as they depict Jason Momoa's Aquaman using the weapon to hold back a torrent of water. Oh, and to stab a Parademon in the throat, but that can be done with any run-of-the-mill trident.

Cyborg

In traditional DC Comics lore, Victor Stone is horribly injured while visiting his parents at S.T.A.R. Labs, leaving his scientist father Silas Stone to rebuild his body using experimental prosthetics. However, as we glimpsed in Batman v Superman, Cyborg's DC Extended Universe origin hews more closely to that of DC's New 52, in which elements of a Mother Box are incorporated into his new body. So, yes, it appears as if Cyborg is (effectively) Earth's third Mother Box.

In the trailers, Ray Fisher's Cyborg displays some of the same abilities as his comic-book counterpart, including superhuman strength, a sound amplifier/sonic cannon, flight (whether that's by rocket boosters remains to be seen), and computer interfacing, which enables him to hack and pilot the Nightcrawler.

Wonder Woman's Arsenal

While it's no God Killer, Wonder Woman's Sword of Athena makes a return in Justice League, following the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Little is known about the blade, but given its name and that it was able to maim Doomsday, it's a safe bet that it's magical in nature.

The sword isn't alone in Diana's arsenal, however. It's accompanied by Wonder Woman's signature weapon, the Lasso of Truth, which is virtually unbreakable, and able to compel anyone it comes in contact with to tell the truth; a seemingly indestructible shield; and the Bracelets of Submission, capable of both deflecting and absorbing tremendous amounts of energy.

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The Flying Fox

Prominently featured in Justice League's Comic-Con trailer -- the Batmobile launches from its cargo door at about the halfway point -- the Flying Fox has been characterized as an aerial troop transport designed to carry the members of the League around the globe. “It’s big enough for the Batmobile, and it can house other Bat-gadgets,” producer Charles Roven explained in June 2016, when concept art of the Flying Fox was unveiled to CBR and other outlets on the film's set. “It’s definitely its own self-contained, fantastic piece of equipment.”

However, judging from the new footage, the Flying Fox is much more than a winged bus: Toward the end of the trailer, we see that this vehicle is fully armed, and capable of unleashing some destruction of its own.

The Batmobile

Arguably the ultimate piece of technology, at least in the eyes of Batman fans, the Batmobile often undergoes upgrades (if not complete redesigns) for its film appearances, and Justice League is no different. The work of Batman v Superman production designer Patrick Tatopoulos, the Batmobile brings to Justice League some additional firepower in the form of retractable missile launchers, cannons and machine guns.

Measuring 20 feet long and weighing 8,500 pounds, the Dark Knight's signature ride is still surprisingly nimble, as we see in footage from the film: It leaps out of the cargo door of the Flying Fox; takes a turn on two wheels, flinging Parademons as it goes; and rides smooth enough for Aquaman to ride while standing on the outside.

The Nightcrawler

Seen in the first trailer piloted by Batman and in the second by Cyborg, the Nightcrawler is more specialized than the Flying Fox. Developed (in secret, no doubt) by Wayne Enterprises, the one-person, multi-legged vehicle is designed to fit -- and fight -- in tight spaces, like, say an enormous tunnel.

“There’s an action set piece — we’re gonna take you to this tunnel,” producer Deborah Snyder told CBR and other outlets last summer during a visit to the Justice League set. “It’s a tunnel they were gonna build between Metropolis and Gotham and it had been abandoned, so the project never really went forward. But there’s abandoned remains of what started to be this tunnel. It’s pretty hard to get the Batmobile through there, so it’s nice to have the Crawler, which can maneuver.”

Arriving Nov. 17, Justice League stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta and J. K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.