Libra (DC Comics)
Encyclopedia
Libra is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

, a supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...

 appearing in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...

s published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

. He first appeared in Justice League of America (vol. 1) #111, published in June 1974
1974 in comics
This is a list of comics-related events in 1974.-Year overall:* From May to September, Marvel debuts their Giant-Size series, mostly double- or triple-length comics featuring their most popular characters...

, where he formed the first incarnation of the Injustice Gang
Injustice Gang
The Injustice Gang is a group of fictional supervillains in the DC Comics universe. They are antagonists of the Justice League.-First Formation:The original Injustice Gang's membership consisted of:...

 (though there had been other villain groups with similar names, like the Injustice Society
Injustice Society
The Injustice Society is a group of fictional supervillains in the . They are the main antagonists of the Justice Society of America.-Original team:...

 and the Injustice League
Injustice League
The Injustice League is the name of two fictional teams of supervillains in the .-Original League :The original Injustice League was the brainchild of the interplanetary conqueror Agamemno. Bored of his dominion, he set out to conquer Earth and their champions, the Justice League...

). Libra makes his return with a leading role in Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...

in 2008
2008 in comics
-January:*January 9: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual, delayed since 2003, is published.*January 23: Hellblazer #240, marking the 20th anniversary of the series, is released.-February:...

.

Publication history

Libra's only major appearance, prior to his appearance in Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...

, was in Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....

#111-112, in 1974
1974 in comics
This is a list of comics-related events in 1974.-Year overall:* From May to September, Marvel debuts their Giant-Size series, mostly double- or triple-length comics featuring their most popular characters...

.

In 2004
2004 in comics
-February:*February 6: Marvel Enterprises and Electronic Arts announce a multi-year agreement in which EA will develop a new generation of fighting video games pitting Marvel superheroes against a new, original set of EA heroes....

, he made a brief cameo in the JLA/Avengers
JLA/Avengers
JLA/Avengers is a comic book limited series and crossover published in prestige format by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from September 2003 to May 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, with art by George Pérez...

crossover (#4) by Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...

 and George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...

.

Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...

, the writer of Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...

, explained the reason for picking an obscure villain:

The reason I chose them was because Libra came from my favorite ever run of 'Justice League of America' and he's never been used again. He was a character who had stolen all the powers of the Justice League, but then couldn't handle it and ascended to some kind of screaming godhood where he became a million transparent body parts spread across the sky. So I thought if I was doing a thing about the New Gods
New Gods
The New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....

, he'd be an interesting guy to bring back because I needed a masked mystery man to start a new recruitment drive for the Secret Society of Supervillains (sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...

), because they become almost a terrorist sect. Under Libra's guidance, they start doing quite bad things, even to superheroes' wives and families, crossing the line. So there's that element to the story and I needed a masked guy, who people didn't really know that well. And I remembered Libra and the fact that he is connected to this ascending to godhood thing tied him in really quite nicely. What's really going on under the hood will be revealed later in the series.


In May 2008
2008 in comics
-January:*January 9: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual, delayed since 2003, is published.*January 23: Hellblazer #240, marking the 20th anniversary of the series, is released.-February:...

, his appearances were reprinted in DC Universe Special: Justice League of America at the same time as he was reintroduced, along with the Human Flame
Human Flame
The Human Flame is a comic book character, a supervillain in DC Comics' main shared universe. He first appeared in Detective Comics #274 , and was created by Jack Miller and Joe Certa.-Publication history:...

 (a Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...

 foe who appeared in Detective Comics #274), in Justice League of America #21. He returns, apparently retaining the full might of his godlike status, to lead a new and final incarnation of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, this time offering to every villain, from simple costumed crooks to major ones, the realization of his/her fondest wish.

The full origins of Libra and the connection between his original appearance and Final Crisis was then made apparent in a one-shot story by his original creator, Len Wein, in Final Crisis: Secret Files & Origins in December 2008.

Fictional character biography

In Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...

: Secret Files #1, it was shown that Libra was born Justin Ballantine, who lost his mother at the age of eight due to an alcoholic pharmacist mismeasuring medicine his mother needed. Soon after his father turned to alcoholism himself and brutally abused Justin regularly. Justin would later use all the money he had to buy a telescope so that he could stargaze and imagine a better life among the stars. His father threatened to beat him with his telescope one night but he lost his balance and fell to his death, which led Justin to see the importance of balance in the universe. While attending university, his physics professor was Ted Knight
Starman (Ted Knight)
Starman is a fictional comic book superhero in the , and a member of the Justice Society of America. Created by artist Jack Burnley and editors Whit Ellsworth, Murray Boltinoff, Jack Schiff, Mort Weisinger, and Bernie Breslauer, he first appeared in Adventure Comics #61 .-Fictional character...

.

Libra was a secret founder of the group of super-villains named Injustice Gang
Injustice Gang
The Injustice Gang is a group of fictional supervillains in the DC Comics universe. They are antagonists of the Justice League.-First Formation:The original Injustice Gang's membership consisted of:...

, given control by a mysterious benefactor. He constructed an unusual device, the Transmortifier, basing it on copied plans of Ted Knight's Cosmic Rod. The device enabled him to steal half the powers or energies of a given person. By the end of the first appearance, it was revealed that their entire operation was a massive feint by their organizer, Libra, to test the Transmortifier. A series of "Plan A" devices the villains had been given in case the JLA defeated them absorbed half of the heroes' powers and transferred them to Libra. Satisfied with these results, he then turned his device upon the universe itself, hoping to become a god. Instead, Libra was absorbed into the universe itself, effectively disintegrating him and spreading his essence across the cosmos. He spent years drifting through the cosmos, until he was brought back to cohesion on Apokolips
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....

, by Desaad
Desaad
Desaad is a fictional comic book supervillain, appearing in books published by DC Comics. He is one of the followers of Darkseid from the planet of Apokolips in Jack Kirby's Fourth World meta-series....

. There he encounters his initial benefactor, Glorious Godfrey
Glorious Godfrey
Glorious Godfrey is a DC Comics villain created by Jack Kirby, originally as part of The Fourth World series of comic books in the early 1970s. He first appeared in Forever People vol. 1 #3 .-Fictional character biography:...

, and his master, Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....

. He promises eternal loyalty to Darkseid. Morrison has implied that this means Libra has become a New God.

Libra returns in Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...

controlling an army of super-villains and threatening the entire Multiverse. He is identified in Justice League of America #21 as an alien warlord, although no such origin was indicated in his initial appearance, or subsequently in Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...

: Secret Files #1. During the events of Final Crisis #1 he kills the Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...

 with his staff, granting the Human Flame
Human Flame
The Human Flame is a comic book character, a supervillain in DC Comics' main shared universe. He first appeared in Detective Comics #274 , and was created by Jack Miller and Joe Certa.-Publication history:...

's greatest desire. Before he died, the Martian Manhunter revealed that he knew how this would end. He told Libra he and his kind would fail, that they always fail. He also told Libra that defeat was his destiny, now and forever. To prove his claims to Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...

 when he requests to draw Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...

 to him, Libra then sends Clayface
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.-Publication history:...

 I to bomb the Daily Planet
Daily Planet
The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the , appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building in Cleveland, Ohio...

 building, severely injuring Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....

. Later, when the Human Flame thanks Libra for his revenge, Libra begins to discuss what the villain owes him. In follow-up to this, Libra gives him a new base at the former swamp headquarters of the Legion of Doom and then gives him a new upgraded outfit. When Libra shoves a helmet (which turned out to be a Justifier
Justifiers
The Justifiers are fictional foot soldiers in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Forever People #3, , and were created by Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...

 helmet) on Human Flame, he is transformed into a mindless slave to the Anti-Life Equation. Libra then reveals himself as a prophet of Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....

.

At this point, Lex Luthor tries to kill Libra, having concluded that Libra's effectiveness makes him too dangerous to be left alive, but the newer villain instead surrounds him with more Justifiers. He offers Luthor a choice to either swear an oath to the God of Evil (Darkseid) or become a mindless slave. At the time Libra is leading the Secret Society of Super-Villains at a public execution. Some savant with access to the Society's computers has been breaking codes for the Resistance, and Libra has condemned Calculator
Calculator (comics)
The Calculator is a fictional supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Detective Comics #463 , and he was created by Bob Rozakis and Mike Grell.-Publication history:...

 for the action. Lex Luthor is silent on the matter, but has been picked to lead the rearguard action against the heroes at Blüdhaven. He assumes it's an honor, but he doesn't look very pleased. A hole in the sky opens over the hanging, and as Libra tells the Society of the "night of anguish that lasts forever", Darkseid gains the fullness of his power. Libra, having discovered, at this time, that Lex Luthor was the actual mole, attempts to kill him only to have Doctor Sivana
Doctor Sivana
Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a fictional comic book supervillain. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, he first appeared opposite superhero Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics #2 by Fawcett Comics...

  use a device to disable the Justifiers. Luthor then blasts Libra, seemingly killing him. Lex Luthor then reveals that Libra was a living embodiment of the Anti-Life Equation.

In Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge
Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge
Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge is a three-issue 2008 mini-series produced by DC Comics. The series is a tie-in to Final Crisis, and is written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Scott Kolins. This reunites the creative team for the first time since their critically acclaimed run on The Flash Final...

, Libra was shocked when he heard that the Rogues
Rogues (comics)
Some of the enemies of the comic book superhero the Flash, led by Captain Cold, constitute a loose criminal association who refer to themselves as the Rogues, disdaining the use of the term "supervillain" or "super-criminal"....

 declined membership into his Secret Society. He tried many attempts to get them on his side, including threats against their families and revealing that Barry Allen had returned from the dead, but failed. As they walked off, Libra shouts that evil will win.

In Final Crisis: Revelations
Final Crisis: Revelations
Final Crisis: Revelations is a five-issue comic book limited series written by Greg Rucka, with art by Philip Tan, Jeff De Los Santos, and Jonathan Glapion.-Outline:...

, Libra was confronted by Crispus Allen
Crispus Allen
Crispus Allen is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Greg Rucka and Shawn Martinbrough created the character in Detective Comics #742 . Allen later went on to be one of the main characters in Gotham Central...

, the third Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...

, who had come to judge him for the murder of the Martian Manhunter. Not only was the Spectre unable to learn Libra's real identity, but the villain was able to fight off the Spirit of Vengeance and drive him away.

Television

  • In the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold
    Batman: The Brave and the Bold
    Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...

    , there is a character called Equinox (voiced by Oded Fehr
    Oded Fehr
    Oded Fehr is an Israeli film and television actor now based in the United States. He is known for his appearance as Ardeth Bay in the 1999 remake of The Mummy and its sequel The Mummy Returns, as well as Carlos Olivera in Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Extinction and Resident Evil:...

    ) with similarities to Libra including the interest in "balance". An orphan boy raised from birth by the Lords of Chaos and Order
    Lords of Chaos and Order
    The Lords of Chaos and Lords of Order are complementary groups of supernatural entities with godlike powers that appear in DC Comics. They have also been retconned into the histories of Amethyst, Doctor Fate, Kid Eternity, the Phantom Stranger, Shazam and Hawk and Dove...

    , Equinox was granted powers by both, and charged with the task of supporting the balance between good and evil. However, this proved too much of a burden, he left the masters and sought his ideal balance, opposing Batman, but occasionally aiding him. He first appears in the teaser of the episode "Mystery in Space!", when he tries to eliminate Gorilla Grodd (an agent of evil) and The Question (an agent of justice) at the same time to keep balance, but Batman intervenes and Equinox faces him for the first time. He evades Batman and promises they will meet again. In the episode "When OMAC Attacks!", he appears as the mastermind of a terrorist plot: a village was destroyed in another county due to the actions of a peace-keeping organization. To keep everything in balance, he plans to destroy the city where the organization is based by overloading a nuclear power plant. In the end, however, he saves Batman's life by healing him after he nearly dies of radiation exposure from shutting down the nuclear reactor, for Batman's death would be an imbalance. He then gets away. In "The Fate of Equinox!", Equinox's origins are revealed after he tricked Batman into ensuring the villain's ascent to godhood with the intent to unmake the universe and create it anew, taking his masters' powers to do so. Doctor Fate borrows the powers from a number of heroes and gives them to Batman in an attempt to stop him. When Equinox's new powers prove too strong even for the combined might of Batman and his allies, Batman turns the tables by presenting to Equinox the revelation that he himself is unbalanced, which disillusions the villain long enough for Batman to send him to oblivion by knocking him into a vortex he had begun to create to destroy the universe. In "Time Out for Vengeance!", it was revealed that his consciousness was shattered into a dozen fragments and scattered throughout time and space. Each aspect embodied a part of Equinox-Prime's mind. His hate arrived in the far future and entered a computer which it used to create and animate a bunch of robots to form his Batman Revenge Squad sending them to erase the Batmen from the Time-Space Continuum. Rip Hunter discovered this and alerted the Justice League International who each paired off into different groups. Once the Batman Revenge Squad robots were taken down, the Justice League International arrived in the future where Equinox was. Equinox's conscious merged some of the remaining robots into one giant robot that Equinox's mind could inhabit, but Batman freed himself and summoned three other Batmen to help him. The four Batmen neutralized Equinox and the Batman of the present returned to existence. But Equinox's consciousness separated into 12 fragments means that they haven't heard the last of Equinox.

External links

  • Libra at the DC Database Project
  • FINAL CRISIS FLASHBACK: Libra & Human Flame, Comic Book Resources
    Comic Book Resources
    Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...

    , June 5, 2008
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