8 Smartest Decisions In DC Villain History

6. Making The Justice League Question Their Own Existence - JLU's Cadmus Arc

Dwayne McDuffie did some of the best superhero-related things ever while involved with the DC Animated Universe, with Justice League Unlimited's Cadmus arc arguably his finest contribution to the animated medium.

JLU was no stranger to straddling complex themes and narratives, but Cadmus was particularly ambitious. It asked startling questions surrounding the presence of the League, the admittedly terrifying implications of harbouring an army of human weapons in an orbital satellite, and whether or not Batman is really as intimidating as he seems. (Major spoilers ahead, by the way.)

So, what is Cadmus? They're a government organisation headed up by Amanda Waller designed to counteract superhero influence. At first they just seem like another shadowy black ops force out to get the League, but they're not all that bad. In fact it's Waller who gives Batman a dressing down in her bathrobe when the Dark Knight tries to intimidate her into revealing Cadmus' secrets, forcing him and other figures in the League to reappraise their own value, and whether they may actually be doing more harm than good.

Loyalties are strained, and the League nearly falls apart. But the real kicker is that it's Lex Luthor who's been pulling the strings all along, running as President to effectively put Superman off balance and sow division between the public, Cadmus and the League. It's revealed he's been sharing a body with Braniac all along, and was merely buying time to upload his and the Kryptonian AI's consciousness into an Amazo android, thus gaining immortality.

It was a damn fine scheme. Just a shame The Flash had to go and ruin it all by discovering the speed force.