Firestorm by a mile.

Yeah, let me know when he gets his own book. Zatanna all the way!!!

Those who don’t love Ralph Dibny, just don’t love life!

really? I thought Phantom Stranger was the only possible vote.

Wrong! The answer is …. Green Arrow!

Hawkgirl FTW!

Your right “Matches”! Firestorm should have his own book.

Hawkman and his Attitude.

I had to go with Firestorm, as to me being created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom he has the most “Marvel” feel, and I love Marvel-style characters.

Green Arrow, for the Grell era if nothing else. I could pick just about anyyone from that list for second. Except Red Tornado, because he’s even whinier than The Vision.

Atom.

Matches, Firestorm did have his own book and it lasted longer than Zatanna ever will. His most recent run is probably one of the most undersold high quality books of the early 00′s..

Firestorm all the way!

hard picks but wound up going with green arrow for one he was suspose to be one of the original founders of the team with the big seven. and two fire storm is proably the number one pick on this thing.

Ralph!

Elongated Man for sure.

This list makes me realize I really don’t give a shit about the Satellite JLA. I could never read about any of these characters again and be just fine.

OK, maybe Phantom Stranger is cool.

I would have to say Firestorm also.

I never understood how Phantom Stranger got added, especially considering we still really know nothing about him (he remains a Stranger), even though at one point I thought The Kingdom revealed he is the son of Kingdom Come Superman and Wonder Woman. Granted, many have said this is not true, even though it is portrayed as such within the Kingdom miniseries.

Satellite Era JLA is what got me into comics in the first place, but even though he hardly even counts as a member, I had to go with the Phantom Stranger. I was always pretty dang excited when he showed up.

Firestorm because he brought a different type of character to the League.

Phantom Stranger rules, but he is just barely a JLA member even today.

Zatanna was fine, but I don’t much like the way she has been used since – and really, she was pretty underdeveloped in JLA.

Atom was exciting, particularly during her “Rescue of Jean Loring” saga, but ultimately I had to go with Firestorm.

Firestorm. The Gerry Conway/George Perez JLA issues with Firestorm are still amongst my favorites of all-time!

I like them all. To me, they all belong in the league.

1. Green Arrow: He brings the friction
2. Phantom Stranger: He brings the spooky
3. Hawkman/Hawkgirl: Just cool looking
4. Black Canary: Butt-whipping hot blonde (even though its a wig)
5. Elongate Man: He brings the funny
6. Firestorn: Power and Youth
7 Zatanna: Magic and hot brunette
8:Atom: Science and size control

A lot of good choices here, but I’m going with Hawkman for the win.
When I was a kid and I looked at the top tier DC characters, there was no differentiation for me between Hawkman, Aquaman, Flash or Green Lantern. I mean, obviously he wasn’t one of the Trinity, but he was definitely on the next level below.
Sadly, that no longer seems to be the case for poor Hawkman. I think Aquaman fairs a bit better in public perception in that he still has some name value, and people still think of him as an integral part of the Justice League, even if he can’t sustain a solo book. But Hawkman… last time they pulled together the “classic” league (during Morrison’s run) they used a STAND-IN. Sad times for Hawkman indeed!

You’re all smoking crack. The clear winner should be Red Tornado. Every team needs a mopey android, and Reddy is a better mopey android than the Vision anyday. Plus Dick Dillin’s costume design is an unsung piece of beauty.

Green Arrow for me. I like archer characters and the guy has a defined personality.

But Black Canary IS a founding member! Wait, what? Help! I’ve been retconned!

If I was voting DURING the satellite era, it would be GA all the way.

Today, it’s Black Canary.

Ralph Ralph Ralph Ralph Ralph Ralph!!!

Because they came in when I first started reading comics, I’ve always had a big soft spot for the Elongated Man and Red Tornado. It was a tough final choice, but I had to go with RT. I enjoyed Ralph’s wit, but being about 11 years old at the time, I connected more with Red Tornado. (I can’t get myself to write Reddy, which even I have to admit is an extremely stupid nickname.) Plus his sacrifice in JLA #102, even if it didn’t last long, was brilliant!

Well, sure. Triumph’s a founding member too. Also possibly Lobo and Jack T. Chance.

EM for bringing detective skills that Batman forgot during this era. Also for bringing Sue along to add a touch of humanity to this super-powered locker room.

Still waiting for Ralph & Sue’s “Ghost Detectives” series. You know that had to be the plan for them.

I think we all know how I voted.

Back in the day Red Tornado or Phantom Stranger… today Zatanna or Phantom Stranger…

I guess it’s Phantom Stranger.

I came of age as a comic fan during the satellite era, and Firestorm was my favourite character back in the day. I still have a soft spot for him, so I had to vote for him.

It’s been way too long since I’ve read Justice League, but if my memory is correct, the ones I liked the most when I was in grade school were Green Arrow and Black Canary (and I remember them as a pair), and the Elongated Man. I went with Elongated Man here.

Elongated Man is tops.

For me, these are all very much third tier characters. I am not interested in any of them unless one of my favorite creators is involved.

Bear in mind, satellite-era Zatanna wore the red insect hat.

Gotta go with the Tornado. As pointed out above, every team needs a mopey hero without his own series so all the character development happens in the team book.

I don’t even know his current origin, since he’s obviously no longer a JSAer who crossed over to Earth 1 and never went back.

Bear in mind, satellite-era Zatanna wore the red insect hat.

I think of that as her Detroit League costume, but indeed it was introduced very late in the Satellite era. For most of it she had the getup with the ponytail and the boob window.

Phantom Stranger, because:

a) he’s cool
b) when he showed up, his usage was very consistent because the character concept was so strongly agreed upon by DC at that time
c) weaker Satellite-era writers and storylines weren’t going to push a really stupid or forced character arc on him because of the nature of the character–so no Wonder Woman acting like an asshole to Barry Allen because she thought he was a hick, or Barry Allen getting the hots for Zatanna or getting worried about losing his mojo or anything like that. He pops in, does something weird, says something cryptic, and he’s off again. Loved that one time he shows up and just turns off Shadow Thief’s dimensionmeter before it triggers an Ice Age–it’s about a three-panel appearance, and when the rest of the League starts being bitchy, he’s gone again.

1. Black Canary
2. Green Arrow

and if I had to rank the rest, they would start wtih …

3. Elongated Man
4. Firestorm
5. Zatanna

Phantom Stranger shouldn’t count — he wasn’t really a member. He just popped up every once in a while.

The Stranger was officially a member.

For what it’s worth.

Black Canary. Based purely on the awesome work of Dixon and Simone, she is one of my favorite comic characters.

RALPH. Fuck off DC!

Black Canary got my vote.

Red Tornado. So tragic yet so heroic. And I loved how ugly that costume Canary sewed for him was. She must have been on crack when she designed it. She sewed Amazo’s second look alps which was equally vile. Why did they keep letting her sew stuff? Oh that’s right, she was the only female member at that time…

Hawkman – first JLA I ever remember buying was issue 118 Takeover of the Earth Masters featuring the return of Hawkman to the ranks.
If i had a second place voteit would be Black Canary just for Dick Dillin’s wonderful depiction of her

Ollie was a true original.

I grew up reading the Satellite Era, and my favorite non-founding member back then was Green Arrow by a MILE.

Ollie had passion, he was outspoken and unafraid to antagonize teammates who he disagreed with – which was a RADICAL departure from how the JLA worked before Green Arrow came in. The JLA used to be such an agreeable hive-mind, during the violently-overrated Gardner Fox days, that they finished each others’ sentences frequently… and their personalities were practically interchangeable. Then came in Opinionated Oliver, and for the first time in the JLA’s history the scenes where they just talked to each other became interesting to read! I remember Green Arrows’ arguments with Hawkman vividly, I loved it.

I am not really a fan of the pre-Crisis JLA, I am sad to say.

It’s like, the JLA has always been such a great, straightforward concept, but the reality of it, the execution of it, always seemed underwhelming to me.

I would crack open the competition’s equivalent book, the Avengers, and it was always so much more interesting and well written. Even though Stan Lee created them as Marvel’s JLA, it was a case of the copy proving to be so much more intense and vivid than the original.

It’s Stan Lee and then Thomas and then Englehart and then Shooter… I don’t think the JLA could really compare. And strangely, Englehart’s and other’s attempts to replicate the Avenger’s spirit made the book less interesting, instead of more.

I have to confess that the first time I really like the League was with Giffen/deMatteis, and that wasn’t even the real League. Grant Morrison was the first writer that got to work with the real JLA and made me truly like the team.

And the sad part is, he is also the only one.

Oh, my vote. Right. Firestorm, I suppose.

You know, I only voted for one, but if I chose multiple characters, would it count my vote?

And while I’m not familiar enough with the Satellite Era JLA, I *think* that this poll is more just for the character, not just the character on JLA. Maybe.

But Ralph is awesome, that mini of his from 92 is one of the best ever, and Bill Reed agrees with me, I’m sure.

Let’s just forget any book with “Crisis” in the title re: Ralph and Sue. Please.

Zatanna and the Stranger are also neat, and the rest of the characters are ok too.

Green Arrow makes it by force of personality.

@ MarkAndrew: No, the Stranger was voted in, but never accepted or declined membership. So not officially a member.

At least twice– once when voting Wonder Woman back into the League, and once in JLA 146, the Stranger takes part in a group decision and refers to himself as a member. I’ve always remembered the slightly-aggressive phrasing: “I am a member of this League, am I not?”

Or, an instance of the Jedi Mind Trick. Good call, Jacob.

The lone vote for Ray Palmer will be mine. If I split the satellite era JLA in half and kept only my favorite eight, the Atom would be the only non founding member.

The Atom

Firestorm

I’m one of the very few Atom-lovers here. It was between him and Hawkman for me (perhaps the second greatest visual in all comics IMHO), but the Atom’s abilities were mroe distinctive. Always thought he didn’t get used to his full potential.

For me it was a toss up between Zee and Firestorm.

Zee won because she has become quite an interesting character.

Atom for me.Great visuals and distinct powers,even more so today w/ the internet. Firestorm 2nd. I love classic GA and Hawkman but they need to play off each other & arent as interseting on their own.