10 Times The Justice League Were Utterly Destroyed
4. The Villains Win In Forever Evil
Forever Evil was a seven-issue miniseries written by Geoff Johns and drawn by David Finch. It ran from 2013-2014 during the New 52. The Crime Syndicate traveled to Earth One and systematically took over. They opened every prison on the planet and invited all the villains to join them in Happy Harbor for the first meeting of their Secret Society.
Ultraman said that the Justice League was dead and the villains were now in charge. To drive the point home, they brought Nightwing out on stage, beat him to a bloody pulp, and revealed his identity on national television. And as sunlight weakened Ultraman, he moved the moon to put the Earth in a permanent solar eclipse. Lastly, he told all assembled that they must swear allegiance to the Crime Syndicate. The Monocle questioned this and was killed on the spot.
A resistance was soon formed. Batman revealed that many heroes, including the League, were trapped inside Deathstorm’s matrix. Joining with Lex Luthor and a violent group of villains, they cut a deadly path through the other rogues until Batman convinced Luthor to follow his plan and stop killing in Forever Evil #5. Luthor did not keep his word, killing many, including Power Ring. Black Adam and Sinestro restored the sun and Batman freed the heroes from Deathstorm. Ultraman and a pregnant Superwoman were captured and Owlman got away.