WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Justice League: No Justice #4 by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Josh Williamson and Francis Manapul, in stores now.


The Justice League saved the world in Justice League: No Justice, but like Dark Nights: Metal before it, new threats have already sprung out of supposedly definitive solutions. For example, the Omega Titans are gone, but the Legion of Doom is coming in Scott Snyder, Jim Cheung and Jorge Jimenez's run on Justice League. The final issue of No Justice shows us how exactly this new threat comes to be, and the adversarial relationship between Lex Luthor and Martian Manhunter, not Superman, is at the heart of it.

As the miniseries comes to a close, we learn that various divisions have formed within the ranks of the heroes. Having learned some hard truths about humanity and the universe itself, Lex Luthor has fallen from grace and blatantly turns his back on heroism. At the same time, Martian Manhunter, freshly returned from exile, manages to ascend to the position of Justice League chairman. We can expect this dynamic to be front and center during the next big conflict to come, of course, but the true level of conflict is bigger than it seems at first glance.

RELATED: Justice League: No Justice’s Least Likely Characters Save the Day – Almost

Lex Luthor and the Power of Chaos

Lex Luthor is a villain again, or he soon will be when he goes on to form the Legion of Doom in Justice League. Considered to be something of a hero in the Rebirth era of DC Comics, Luthor has recently abandoned the symbol of Superman he once adopted, and now has seemingly given up his new sense of morality. As it turns out, the events of No Justice proved to be a little too traumatic for Lex to handle; after embracing the power of Entropy and seeing it take command of Earth, he sees superheroes in a completely different light.

As Scott Snyder has previously mentioned, Luthor's experience during No Justice makes him wonder if  "'Maybe being a hero — maybe the heroes themselves — are this fallacy. Maybe the whole thing is the wrong way for humans to be.'” The idea that the people of Earth tend to embrace Entropy over any of the other four cosmic energies seems to have greatly impacted Lex Luthor's view on the universe. In a way, he has embraced this fatalistic sense of how humanity should operate.

RELATED: Somehow, Justice League: No Justice Has Become a Green Arrow Story

He sees that this planet is not looking for Wisdom or Wonder, knowledge or justice. It wants only chaos, so why not accept that truth and embrace it? Instead of worrying about putting out the literal and metaphorical fires, understand that the world is just prone to destruction. This is what he comes to learn over the course of the story, and it is what allows him to charge the fruit with enough entropic energy to take the Omega Titans down in the end.

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='How%20Martian%20Manhunter%2C%20Not%20Superman%2C%20Has%20Become%20Lex%20Luthor%27s%20Perfect%20Opposite']



For all his faults, Lex Luthor is a man of reason first and foremost. He uses his mind as a weapon in order to consolidate power and build his empire. However, if there is truly no order to humanity, and if chaos is all that matters on Earth, it changes everything for him. Maybe it's time to stop worry about materialistic things and just start destroying the world. In Lex's mind, the heroes have it all wrong, so he's going to do what he feels is right and embrace chaos instead.

Lex may have helped save the universe with a fruit, but Entropy has planted a seed within him. That seed will grow as he embraces his new role as a destroyer within the DC Universe. This is the spark that will set off the conflict between the Legion of Doom and the Justice League.

A Deadly Conflict is Building

Before the end of Justice League: No Justice, DC's advance solicitations revealed that Lex Luthor would be taking on a more villainous role in the forthcoming Justice League title. Asked how No Justice would set up the new ongoing, Scott Snyder stated that seeing "How strong the force of Entropy is on Earth, it really gives him a glimpse into his possible purpose in life." If Lex Luthor is destined to be a destroyer, Snyder has established Martian Manhunter as his opposite.

RELATED: Scott Snyder Explains Joker’s Role on DC’s New Legion of Doom

The two characters went on fundamentally different journeys over the course of the four-issue weekly series. Recruited by Brainiac to save the universe, J'onn and Luthor were placed on separate teams powered by different cosmic energies. While Luthor was off working with Team Entropy, Martian Manhunter is placed on Team Mystery, the living embodiment of pure potential. These two energies seem diametrically opposed to each other, since one believes in building, and the other embodies destruction.

Snyder and company have also gone out of their way to establish something of a relationship between J'onn J'onzz and Lex Luthor. In the first issue of No Justice, the two meet and size each other up. Martian Manhunter accuses Lex of merely pretending to be a hero, and Luthor questions whether the Martian still has what it takes to be a hero. From the beginning they were only allies because of their unfortunate circumstance. The final issues shows how much can change yet still remain the same in the end.

Page 3: [valnet-url-page page=3 paginated=0 text='Lex%20%26%20J%27onn%27s%20Final%20No%20Justice%20Meeting%20Sets%20the%20Stage%20for%20the%20Future']



The two meet again in Issue #4, but this time their uneasy relationship becomes more adversarial thanks to their opposing experiences. The cosmic balance of the universe has been altered again, and the two react differently to this realization. Martian Manhunter understands the need to embrace this change, and will lead the Justice League in order to meet what threats may come. Lex Luthor, on the other hand, believes he has been going about his life the wrong way, and instead of preparing for the future, he is looking to change it.

RELATED: DC Reveals New Logo For Justice League Reboot

If J'onn believes in justice and Luthor is heading down a road that leads only to destruction, the two are now on an unavoidable collision course. Luthor knows this, which is why he leaves the Martian Manhunter with a warning. "I need to prepare. And so should you." If everything he thought he knew was wrong, he will have to find a new way of living, and that's going to put him up against the Justice League.

The first storyline of the new Justice League title might lead to a conflict between the Justice League and Legion of Doom, but there is more here than that. Lex Luthor is normally the arch-nemesis of Superman, but things are going to be very different this time around. A conflict between Luthor and Martian Manhunter has the potential to change both characters forever. It's the kind of battle you don't want to miss out on.

Justice League #1 by Scott Snyder, Jim Cheung, and Jorge Jimenez arrives in stores Wednesday, June 6.