Injustice Gang || Justice League 2001 (DCAU)

Lex Luthor formed the Injustice Gang to enact revenge on Superman and the Justice League after being notified that he would die as an effect of the cancer that he contracted via Kryptonite poisoning. After his escape from prison with the help of Ultra-Humanite, Luthor and Ultra-Humanite gathered with Copperhead, Solomon Grundy, Cheetah, Star Sapphire and the Shade. This incarnation had one skirmish with the League, wherein Copperhead was captured, but the rest managed to escape. The Joker learned of Luthor's endeavor and offered to join the team. At first, Luthor didn't want the unpredictable Joker around[1] being betrayed by him in the past, but the Clown Prince of Crime quickly proved his worth by capturing Batman. Realizing their need to improve, Luthor devised a new plan that worked to put every Gang member into their own element.

Members: Lex Luthor is intelligent, successful, and likes nothing better than for "lesser beings" to recognize and admire him as a leader of men. Lex's enormous legitimate accomplishments are dwarfed by his own egotistical view of himself. Lex sees himself as a modern renaissance man and the standard for human personal achievement. He has the charisma of a natural leader and the education to take advantage of this trait. However, his ambitions almost always undermine the trust and faith of his allies and subordinates, often leading to dismal failure. Failure infuriates Luthor more than almost anything in the world; his entire existence revolves around the idea of success and superiority. Though Luthor usually demonstrates great restraint and self-control, he never forgets a slight. When angered, Luthor's rage is uncontrollable and will only subside when it is properly sated by success or revenge. Because of this super-heated temper, it is Lex's ultimate undoing that his position in life is (in Lex's mind alone) threatened by the mere existence of Superman. Luthor's true villainy was and is heavily fueled by his sheer envy of Superman; the hero was born with abilities far beyond those of mortal men like Lex and overshadowed Luthor as Metropolis's favorite son from the day of his first public appearance. Had Luthor never acted upon his jealousy of Superman, he might have been no more than an extremely high-powered (if corrupt) captain of industry. However, Luthor's reckless attempts to destroy Superman (and later, the Justice League) made him instead one of the most dangerous criminals in existence. However, despite all his negative points, Luthor is not without scruples. Given the situation, he will aid Superman and the Justice League in their battles against more powerful foes, such as the Justice Lords and Darkseid. Although a normal human, Lex Luthor possesses a keen intellect as well as a photographic memory.[9] At his peak, his vast intelligence and technological know-how is matched only by notables such as Mr. Terrific and Bruce Wayne, though Lex is not quite as skilled a combatant. He rarely wades into combat without some sort of weapon; be it a power suit, gun, or a piece of Kryptonite to deal with Superman. Perhaps his greatest asset is his ruthlessness, as he will go to absolutely any end to get what he wants, regardless of the consequences.

Ultra-Humanite was an albino gorilla-humanoid whose intelligence is far superior to most men. Unique among the supervillains, Humanite was a true lover of fine arts, such as opera. That passion was so strong that Batman took advantage of it to persuade him to turn on Lex Luthor and his Injustice Gang. As a result, Humanite turned himself in so he could savor in prison the cultural programming made possible by a massive donation Batman gave in his name, double what Luthor was paying him. Ultra-Humanite showed his more "human" side some time later. He originally wanted to destroy a massive museum collection of statues of modern art, which he saw as "garbage," but he took a break from villainy to spend Christmas with Flash and some orphans with a toy the Flash was bringing that he accidentally broke, but refitted to tell the story of The Nutcracker. Humanite later returns to jail, where Flash thanks him for his help. Humanite notes he welcomes any opportunity to bring culture to children. Flash gives him an aluminum Christmas tree, which Humanite finds surprisingly touching and tells him he hadn't owned one since he was a child. Ultra-Humanite was a genius scientist, who in fact transplanted his brain into a plethora of different bodies to preserve his own life, eventually settling for the albino gorilla due to its immense strength. The mad scientist in his original body had a very weak body due to old age but genius-like intelligence, which was meant to be the antithesis of Superman, who had super-strength and a healthy body but his mind and intelligence were the same as other men. Early on the creators decided to instead focus on Lex Luthor as the "mad scientist villian", and Ultra-Humanite was less seen. Arrogant & Superior: Believes his intellect makes him the most advanced being, deserving of rule. Genius Mad Scientist: Creates advanced tech, but his primary power is brain transference. Ruthless: A major threat, willing to endanger many to achieve his goals.

Copperhead was a mercenary with lethal snake-like skills. He was hired by Lex Luthor as a member of the Injustice Gang, where he became attracted to femme fatale Cheetah. Copperhead was apprehended in the Gang's first skirmish with the Justice League. He was taken to Stryker's Prison, where Superman questioned him. The fiend had also "bitten" Batman in the battle, which injured him temporarily. Copperhead resurfaced, only to join Aresia's second Injustice Gang, while they escaped from the Biotech, he and Shade were knocked to the ground by Batman. Arrogant & Cunning: Believes they're smarter than their opponents, often gets cocky. Acrobatic & Agile: Uses contortionism and speed, making them hard to catch. Venomous: Possesses poisonous fangs and a debilitating bite. Self-Sabotaging: Tends to overthink or get caught up in their own schemes, leading to defeat. Professional: Works as a mercenary or assassin for hire, valuing efficiency.

Solomon Grundy was a zombie created when a criminal by the name of Cyrus Gold was killed, cursed and his body dumped in a swamp. Solomon Grundy possessed superhuman strength sufficient to engage Superman and put up a fairly decent fight. He is a monstrous, undead powerhouse with limited speech, embodying brute strength and instinct, often driven by simple desires for treasure or obedience to a master, yet showing flickers of his former human life (Cyrus Gold) and surprising empathy or loyalty. Often speaks in simple, broken sentences ("Grundy smash!") and acts on pure instinct, focused on fighting or acquiring shiny things. He's often motivated by basic needs or commands, seeking gold, treasure, or simply to be left alone, depending on the version. Solomon Grundy's memorable "speech" isn't a long monologue but rather his simple, childlike, and often broken speech patterns, like "Too much talking! Grundy bored!" or his iconic nursery rhyme refrain, emphasizing his monstrous nature and limited understanding.

Shade is a super villain who controlled shadows. He joined a record number of four separate Anti-Justice League organizations. Shade wielded a nightstick that allowed him to manipulate darkness and shadows. This ability extended to covering large areas in darkness, as well as using them for offensive attacks. Without his nightstick, he was powerless. Shade revealed that he had compensated for this disadvantage by studying martial arts. He put them to the test against Batman, who didn't know about Shade's recent training and was caught off guard by his initial attack. Shade landed the first blow, but once Batman was ready for him, Shade was easily outmaneuvered, with a simple kick. Shade is a pragmatic, tactical, and composed shadow-manipulator, more neutral than outright evil, focused on his own goals (like teaming with Grodd) but not prone to petty villainy, showing leadership and even a hint of sophistication, making him a formidable, intelligent antagonist who respects power but isn't inherently sadistic.

Cheetah was a genetically modified human, scientist and criminal in order to get funding for her research. Cheetah was a research scientist, exploring the possibilities of enhancing human capabilities with animal characteristics. Excited by the potential of her research, but without sufficient funding to continue, she was forced to use herself as a test subject and transformed herself into a human-cheetah hybrid. She hoped to prove the value of her work, but instead made herself an outcast and turned to crime as a source of continued funding. Batman described her as a person so devoted to her work that she was willing to give up her humanity for it. Despite this, she is still insecure over her transformation and resents her outcast status. Lex Luthor recruited Cheetah as a member of his Injustice Gang to destroy the Justice League. Cheetah (Barbara Ann Minerva) was a driven, yet insecure, scientist-turned-villain, transformed into a hybrid seeking funds for research, who was sadistic, enjoyed fighting Wonder Woman, and secretly yearned for acceptance, even showing unexpected moments of remorse or attraction (like towards Batman) despite her vicious, animalistic nature and desire for power.

Star Sapphire was recruited into Lex Luthor's Injustice Gang, a team of supervillains meant to destroy the Justice League. She was initially repelled by the idea of working with "common criminals", but seemed to warm to the amount of money that Luthor promised each of them if they help him. Star Sapphire wields a mystical crystal set into her mask that gives her powers similar to those of a Green Lantern's power ring—the ability to form solid constructs from energy, including shields, weapons, force beams, and a full-body field that enables her to fly and travel through deep space. Star Sapphire (Carol Ferris) embodies a fierce, scorned woman with a powerful, possessive love, manifesting as a British-accented secondary personality that clashes with her civilian self, driven by her complicated, obsessive relationship with Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) and her role as the Zamarons' queen, wielding love-based powers but often acting villainously or defensively against the League and Green Lantern.