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Warning: Spoilers for Black Lightning #2
The Justice League‘s iconic Watchtower base has made its highly anticipated return now that the team has reformed, and a newly unveiled portion of it has major implications for DC lore. With the Justice League expanding, their base has expanded as well to accommodate the heroes’ needs, with one such accommodation standing out from the rest.
In the preview for Black Lightning #2 by Brandon Thomas, Fico Ossio, Ulises Arreola, and Lucas Gattoni, Anissa Pierce – also known as Thunder, the daughter of Black Lightning – opens up about her complex feelings surrounding her father. Anissa has endured plenty of emotional turmoil after the groundbreaking Absolute Power event, so the Justice League has referred her to the Watchtower’s “Sanctuary Wing” for therapy.
The Sanctuary Wing of the Justice League’s new base repurposes the superhero mental health facility of the same name, in an unexpected callback to the infamous Heroes in Crisis story by Tom King and Clay Mann.
The Justice League Brings Back Sanctuary, Redefining DC’s Most Controversial Crisis
Heroes in Crisis Gets a Callback in the Justice League’s New Base
Sanctuary was formally introduced in the Heroes in Crisis event as a safe haven for DC’s heroes, where they could be admitted for therapy and address their traumas without judgment. However, unlike in traditional therapy, Sanctuary patients were monitored by robots rather than confiding in human beings. Furthermore, the residents of this facility were not allowed to interact with one another and instead remained in perpetual isolation. While Sanctuary’s system granted the superheroes anonymity as they had their therapy sessions recorded, it also led to a devastating outcome that shook the Justice League to its core.
DC Unveils Its New Justice League: Who Is the “Army of Justice” and Its Members?
After years of disbandment, DC has finally reunited the Justice League. But this isn’t just a return—it’s a revolution unlike anything seen before.
When Wally West’s Flash was admitted to Sanctuary following the loss of his wife and children, his isolation made him desperate to feel less alone, so he uncovered the therapy recordings of his fellow heroes. Witnessing their suffering broke the Flash, causing the Speed Force to explode out of him and kill the Sanctuary patients.After this horrific accident, Sanctuary’s reinstatement in the Watchtower comes as a surprise, but this return hasn’t come without updates. The implementation of more standard therapy practices – including a real therapist giving proper one-on-one sessions – proves that the Justice League is dedicated to righting their wrongs.
The Flash’s Sanctuary massacre has since been retconned, with him no longer being responsible for their deaths. For more on this, see
The Flash 2021 Annual
#1 by Jeremy Adams, Fernando Pasarin, and Brandon Peterson – available now from DC Comics!
DC’s Heroes Learn From Their Mistakes in the Justice League’s New Era
Sanctuary’s Redefined Purpose Proves the Justice League Has Changed
The Justice League may be DC’s premier super-team, but that status doesn’t mean they are entirely infallible. The Sanctuary incident is one of many times when the League’s oversight culminated in a tragedy that should have been preventable. In Black Lightning #1, Superman even admits that solving problems is “not something the League has always excelled at.” This comeback isn’t simply a return to form; as evidenced by the new-and-improved Sanctuary Wing, this new era for the Justice League serves as an opportunity for the heroes of the DC Universe to reflect on their past mistakes and do better moving forward.
Black Lightning #2 is available December 11th, 2024 from DC Comics.
“}]] A major Justice League controversy is repurposed. Read More