Being a superhero is never easy, but sometimes it seems like certain heroes are little more than punching bags who suffer to entertain fans. Over the years, certain members of the Justice League have sacrificed so much in the line of duty, some would say they sacrificed too much.
In some cases, these Justice Leaguers have lost family members, become outcasts of society, or even lost their own lives on multiple occasions. DC should take a step back and really look at the unlucky lives of these superheroes and maybe give them a chance to shine in the light for once.
10 Booster Gold Just Can't Get No Respect
First Appearance: Booster Gold #1 by Dan Jurgens
Booster Gold is a victim of poor luck, no matter what century he's in. In the 25th century, Booster was a washed-up quarterback who became a joke. That didn't exactly change when he decided to live in the 21st century and try to be a hero.
Booster Gold became a Justice League member, but he was recruited by Maxwell Lord, not the team itself. This put Booster on his back feet from the start, with the majority of the team never coming to respect him. His attempts at becoming a rich and famous superhero typically fall flat, and the best friend he ever had, Ted Kord, was murdered. Booster Gold never deserved this kind of treatment, especially since he's helped save the universe and timeline multiple times.
9 Doctor Fate Is Basically A Cursed Superhero
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #55 by Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman
Poor Kent Nelson, one of many hosts of Doctor Fate, is often tasked with enforcing order to avoid chaos, even if that means having to keep a timeline going where certain people die. That is the greatest curse of being Doctor Fate; he is forced to see many possible futures, and the majority of them feature terror and destruction.
Kent Nelson often has to fight tooth and nail to find a happy ending and, sadly, happy endings rarely happen to him. On top of that, being Doctor Fate has given Nelson an extended life which has led to him seeing many friends and loved ones die over the years. So much power, yet so much pain.
8 Cyborg's Origin Is One Of Tragedy
First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #26 by Marv Wolfman and George Perez
The entirety of Victor Stone's origin is based on poor luck. Victor was not only a genius, but he was also a gifted football star ready to become a superstar. Then that all was taken away when an accident left him amputated with burns across his whole body. His father saved his life, but in the process Victor Stone became Cyborg.
Though Cyborg was able to go on and become one of the most experienced Titans and, later on, a member of the Justice League, his entire life as Victor Stone was essentially erased. Cyborg couldn't continue his passion for football, most humans were afraid of him, and obviously adjusting to over 70% of his body being metal parts left him in a depressed state for a long time.
7 Ted Kord Did Not Deserve His Awful Fate
First Appearance: Captain Atom #83 by Steve Ditko and Gary Friedrich
Even though he was quite the admirer of the original Blue Beetle, Ted Kord was always punished for no reason by the DC universe. He was deemed unworthy by the Blue Beetle scarab, he had just as many fumbles as the second Blue Beetle as he did successes, and being partners with Booster Gold didn't help his reputation.
Then, after being ostracized by his fellow heroes, Blue Beetle met his tragic end at the hands of his former employer Maxwell Lord, who shot him in the head. While the death has since been recognized as an integral piece of Blue Beetle's history, it doesn't make it any less tragic. Ted Kord has since returned to the DC Universe but has mainly existed on the sidelines when he should be a recognized member of the Justice League.
6 Beast Boy Is A Traumatized Teenager
First Appearance: Doom Patrol vol 1 #99 by Arnold Drake and Bob Brown
A reserve member of the Justice League, Beast Boy is thought of as the happy-go-lucky teen who always has a bright smile on his face. The truth is that the world is lucky that Garfield Logan has such a bright disposition because he could have easily gone down a darker path and become a dangerous villain.
Beast Boy is still haunted by the death of his parents that happened when he was just a child, Terra, a member of the Teen Titans that he loved, turned out to be a spy working for Deathstroke in a heartbreaking betrayal, and his abilities are the result of a disease given to him by his own father. Beast Boy should have an attitude like Batman, but instead, he's still the joyous heart of the Titans.
5 Batman's Whole Life Is Full Of Pain
First Appearance: Detective Comics vol 1 #27 by Bob Kane and Bill Finger
When it comes to everyone's favorite Caped Crusader, most tend to forget that a lot of good has also happened to Batman over the years. However, there is no denying the shocking amount of horrors that has turned much of Batman's life into a living nightmare, starting with his parents being tragically murdered in front of him.
Batman's best friend was horribly disfigured by acid resulting in him becoming the villain Two-Face. The vigilante family he has built has also suffered, with some of them having died in the line of duty. Most recently, Catwoman left him at the altar, and he lost Alfred, the closest thing he had to a father. The Dark Knight has endured so many tragedies that any other man would be unable to continue with their self-imposed mission.
4 Barry Allen Can Never Care For Himself
First Appearance: Showcase vol 1 #4 by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino
Even before ever having any super speed, Barry Allen had to witness his father being falsely arrested and imprisoned for the murder of his mother. Nothing he was able to do as an everyday human could help and, even as the Flash, he couldn't go back to save his mother without horribly damaging the timeline.
In multiple events, Barry Allen has ended up dying to save the multiverse, most notably in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Most tragically, Barry lost Iris West, the love of his life, when his greatest foe, Reverse-Flash, killed her in an act of revenge.
3 Hal Jordan Loses A Lot In The Line Of Duty
First Appearance: Showcase vol 1 #22 by John Broome and Gil Kane
Of all the Green Lanterns of Earth, Hal Jordan is downright bullied by fate. Hal was first given the silliest weakness of yellow-colored things which made him seem like the weakest member of the Justice League. Even after that was retconned, things only got worse for Hal, beginning with being possessed by Parallax.
Hal Jordan has to live with the fact that he murdered many Green Lantern Corps members, his own lover became the villainous Star Sapphire, and his home city on Earth was destroyed by Mongul. In a life full of tragedy, Hal Jordan still finds the willpower to do what is needed, which is why he is one of the greatest Green Lanterns ever.
2 Roy Harper Suffered Far Too Much Damage
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #73 by Mort Weisinger and George Papp
In the beginning, Roy Harper was Speedy, Green Arrow's loyal partner in crime fighting and one of the first sidekicks of the DC Universe. Then that all changed when Roy was revealed to be addicted to drugs. Since then, the hero has endured far too many forms of emotional and physical abuse to count.
Not only did Roy, who became Arsenal, lose an arm, but he was also abandoned by most of his friends including Green Arrow, and was forced to be a single father trying to raise his daughter Lian. Apparently, DC decided that was too endearing, so Lian was murdered, leaving the short-term Justice Leaguer completely alone.
1 Wally West Is DC's Most Tragic Speedster
First Appearance: Flash vol 1 #110 by John Broome and Carmine Infantino
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Someone at DC apparently despises the character of Wally West because, in the last couple of decades, the character has been unfairly misused. Granted, in recent comics, he has been given his due in the form of becoming the main Flash, but that hardly makes up for years of character assassination.
After years of holding the Flash mantle, Wally West was pushed aside when Barry Allen returned. Making matters worse, Wally was erased from continuity during the New 52 era. After finally returning at the start of the Rebirth Era, Wally was turned into an inadvertent murderer of superheroes during Heroes in Crisis. Things are finally going good for Wally and his family, but it is only a matter of time before DC puts him through the wringer again.