Justice League: 18 Easter Eggs & References We Already Know

13. Justice League Origin

This is more of a general point: there's something of a falacy that Batman and Superman came up with the idea of the Justice League and asked others to join, but Snyder's approach to not following that is true to the comics. In actual fact, the first time the group came together in 1960, Batman and Superman were background characters, who were sidelined on purpose to let the other characters have more space to show off their appeal.

Still, it's a nice nod back to the comics that it's Batman's idea to form a League...

In the comics, too, an alien invasion was the catalyst for the team coming together. In Justice League of America #9 (February 1962), a race known as the Appelaxians invaded Earth, sending competing warriors to see who could conquer Earth first, in order to decide who would rule their home planet. The disparate attacks led to the team comign together as they realised there was strength in unity. That seems to have been borrowed fro Justice League, with Steppenwolf replacing the Appelaxians.

And before even that, the team came together in Brave and the Bold #28 (1960) when another alien - Starro the Conquerer - attacked Earth and drew them together.