10 DC Characters who should have been in Injustice 2

While it can be argued that the DC Extended Universe (or as it is now called, the “Worlds of DC”) has definitely seen better days in live-action film, both its gaming and animated counterparts are thriving. While the reasons for the latter counterparts success can be attributed to a number of factors, at least one of them is that they feature excellent adaptations of heroes, anti-heroes and villains. Batman, for instance, has enjoyed huge fanfare on both the game and the animated fronts with the likes of Rocksteady’s Arkham series in the one basket, and the Batman Animated Series in the other. The same can be said about ol’ Sups — the Man of Steel has enjoyed a tremendously favourable reception for his portrayal in various DC Animated Universe films, but also had much love for his somewhat controversial portrayal in NetherRealm’s Injustice: Gods Among Us and Injustice 2.

Injustice 2 may be over a year old now, but DC fans and gamers cannot get the game out of their minds. I know I cannot! Both NetherRealm and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment continue to support the game with new content and characters. The latest batch of fighters came via Fighter Pack 3 right at the end of 2017, while the Legendary Edition of the game released earlier in 2018. With that said, NetherRealm has not released any new characters since!

As such, I have put together a little list of 10 DC Characters who should have been in Injustice 2, either right from the start, or as part of a future Fighter Pack – because you know, a man can dream. I have included characters that I am personally fond of, and characters that I just know would be instant hits among players and fans alike. So without further ado, here we go:

Constantine

I decided to start the list off with a character that I know for a fact would be a hit or miss situation. Constantine may not be one of the more well-known characters, but he sure as hell has an impact on both the Injustice comics and the Arrowverse (the collective title for all of DC and The CW’s superhero series).

John Constantine is described as an anti-hero that hunts down and kills demons. He helped out Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) in the Arrowverse a couple of times and even had a run in with Gabriel in the self-titled 2005 film. In the comics, however, Constantine was a huge part of the events of Year Three, having last sent Superman into a maniacal rage b- something fans the world over would have loved to see during the plot of Injustice 2. As an added bonus, they could have added Constantine in Injustice 2 to seek vengeance for his on-off comic book love interest Zatanna, who was a playable character in the first game.

Furthermore, Constantine has been shown to have a knack for sorcery. While both Enchantress and Doctor Fate are part of the roster, I cannot help but feel that there is a serious lack of down-to-earth anti-heroes like this demon hunter right here.

Zoom

There are many speedsters out there, yet Injustice 2 literally only features a single one: The Flash. You can technically play three different speedsters if you count the unique skins, and one or two more (like Savitar) when you collect all of the gear. With that said, you will never be able to actually play another speedster, and there are so many NetherRealm could have chosen!

I considered the list of speedsters, and ultimately one came out on top: Zoom. While he is by no means the most infamous of evil speedsters, since that title goes to Reverse Flash, Zoom definitely stands out. With that said, I think that the comic book Zoom(s) are wildly outgunned by their live-action counterpart featured in the second season of CW’s The Flash. He rocks a cool black outfit complete with a menacing voice and unique style of running.

In The Flash, Zoom was not just faster than Barry Allen, but he also vibrated at a vastly different frequency thanks to his Earth-2 origins. I feel like that could have played a huge role during the Reverse-Flash/Flash fight that took place in the Injustice 2 campaign. Imagine how epic it would have been if Flash had his own chapter in the campaign instead of sharing it with Green Lantern!

V

Ah yes. V, as in V from V for Vendetta. It is a little-known fact that V is, in fact, a DC Character — or at least, insofar that comic book publisher Vertigo is a DC imprint company.

As you most likely know, V is most commonly known for the 2005 dystopian political thriller V for Vendetta, but do not let that fool you. While the film itself was adapted from a comic, it hardly shows just how important V could be. See, V retains immense capabilities.

His superhuman strength alone should make him a candidate for Injustice 2, but then he also possesses superhuman speed, reflexes, and genius-level intellect rumoured to be more advanced than that of Bruce Wayne. Imagine if V and Brainiac had a battle of wit during the concluding chapter in Injustice 2; or if he had ended up in Brainiac’s court, imagine him going up against Cyborg with his master hacking skills. The possibilities are limitless!

V is considered an English vigilante and anti-hero just like Constantine. Perhaps the two of them could team up and take over the world themselves? Then again, both are ultimately remarkably moral beings that merely want the world to be left to its own, natural and good, devices. That is the whole plot for V for Vendetta, after all – to free the English people from the fascist state that is the United Kingdom. However, he also kind of encouraged anarchy, so there is that.

Anarky

Anarky is a somewhat lesser loved Batman adversary. However, it is shown time and again, both in recent live-action adaptations and in the comic books, that alter ego Lonnie Machin can be a force to be reckoned with.

Anarky’s main enemy is political societies and corrupt authorities. He would have been an ideal adversary (or at least rebellion leader) to fascist and commie Superman in Injustice: Gods Among Us, and by extension, Injustice 2.

Anarky, a child prodigy with a proficiency for inventing weapons and tools, and creating strategies that both Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne have had trouble figuring out, was one of Batman’s most very determined enemies. That was the case not because he was resilient, but because he manages to outplay and out think most heroes. Well, until the inevitable climax where the hero and their team finally figure out how to win. I can just imagine Anarky having a blast, going up against Red Hood.

Saint Walker

I have already included another speedster, so why not take it one step further and include another lantern? In this case, Blue Lantern Saint Walker, the most famous of them all. If Flash gets his own chapter where he dukes it out with Captain Cold, Reverse Flash, and Zoom, friend and fellow fighter Green Lantern would go by the wayside. That is unless he also gets his own chapter.

Saint Walker features in numerous Green Lantern story arcs. I may not know too much about Green Lantern himself, but ever since I started reading the comics (circa 2005), I have come across Walker and his strange need to be around a green lantern many times.

Unlike any other lanterns, the Blue Lanterns have to be nearby, or even within earshot of, Green Lanterns in order to access the maximum potential of their rings. As such, Saint Walker’s friendship, or at the very least a partnership, with Earth’s Green Lantern was basically essential.

Imagine Hal Jordan failing at the rage test Atrocitus puts him through, only for Saint Walker to show up and kick the Red Lantern and his cat in the nads with the power of hope. This would have made a perfect circle (minus a few other Lantern Corps.) for the Green Lantern chapter. Gosh, why is this not a thing!?

Mirror Master

While Mirror Master is by no means as powerful as Zoom or Saint Walker, he has his own quirks and specialities that would make him shine among the likes of Captain Cold and, ugh, Cheetah.

Mirror Master, who is a prominent enemy of The Flash, possesses the ability to manipulate reflective surfaces. Mirror Master can utilise any and all reflective surfaces to project himself elsewhere like a hologram, teleport from one to another, or even to turn the worlds of those who stare at him upside down. In short, Mirror Master seems like a perfect opponent to just about any hero featured in Injustice 2, right?

Imagine the possibilities. While he may not be a part of the hypothetical campaign that I have thought up over the previous five characters, he would have incredible potential around just about every arena featured in the game. Of course, you could not provide one character with the ability to manipulate levels when the others cannot, but even then, the shear spectacles that would happen when you use flashy combos would be great to see.

Penguin

I had a hard time making a choice between Two Face and Penguin. Both are spectacular villains to Batman, and to all heroes involved in and around Gotham. Both are criminal masterminds, with entire crews of henchmen at their disposal. Both are smart and tactical, with the ability to buy their way out of almost any situation. Ultimately, however, Penguin won for one reason: shock value.

While two-face has the obvious shock value physically, Cobblepot is a master at tinkering. Previous movies and comic book storylines havea had Penguin kill people in the weirdest, most creative ways via toys. Much like how both Joker and Harley Quinn are portrayed in Injustice 2, Penguin could stroll around the arena with his cane that doubles as a firearm. He could throw toy penguins at his opponents, and set traps on the ground that explode when opponents enter their proximity.

Just like Mirror Master, I do not think Penguin would have any place in the campaign. Instead, like Red Hood and Starfire, Penguin would be a Fighter Pack character meant as fan service. I would particularly like to see the Fox television show, Gotham, variant. The Gotham version is a much younger, much less obese, and very much not entirely circus-like version of Cobblepot that pretty much runs Gotham’s underworld.

Martian Manhunter

J’onn J’onzz was originally killed by Superman and Wonder Woman in the comic book story leading up to the events of Injustice: Gods Among Us. With that said, the Martian Manhunter would have been an amazing counterpart to the likes of Starfire or even Brainiac, had he made a return in Injustice 2.

Injustice 2 takes place in the same universe in which Martian Manhunter had died some years earlier. However, much like how Green Arrow form the alternate Earth stayed behind and fell in love with Black Canary, I feel like Martian Manhunter from the alternate Earth could also have come over to help. In fact, Martian Manhunter from any other earth could also have come over, considering he often features as a support ability in the multiverse.

I think the primary reason J’onn did not make the cut was for the fact that Injustice 2 is decidedly a story about Earth. Having yet another alien join the cast would perhaps have been a tiny bit too much. Between Supergirl, Superman, and Brainiac, maybe a fourth alien was unnecessary.

With that said, I would have liked to at least get him as a Fighter Pack character only. The possibilities about what he could do are endless: mind control powers like Gorilla Grodd, super strength like the Kryptonians, and even shapeshifting abilities that you somewhat get a feel for with Swamp Thing. Oh boy, I do hope there is a Fighter Pack 4 coming sometime down the line.

Ra’s Al Ghul

What would a list about forgotten characters be, if it did not include The Head of the Demon? Ra’s Al Ghul is yet another character that features prominently in the prequel comic book, but not in any of the games. Many fans speculate that Ra’s fell, along with the likes of Beast Boy, in the initial nuclear blast that took out Metropolis; but even then, why has alternate Earth Ghul not stepped forward?

In fact, it is such a shame that this character has been left out of the game. Especially when other characters name drop him throughout the story. In Injustice 2, Black Adam’s multiverse story ending talks of Ghul as if he is still alive and kicking!

Ra’s Al Ghul, as you might imagine, is a character with a lot of clout. Not only is he Batman’s most extraordinary adversary (second only to Joker according to many fans), he is also immortal. So even if he perished in the blast, surely another version of the character could just assume his place? Regardless of what could be, Ghul is the head of an ancient order called the League of Assassins. He is proficient at dual wielding swords, and is, as you might expect, a true ninja and master of arms.

Ra’s Al Ghul might not fit into the campaign as well as Saint Walker or Zoom, but he would make a perfect fit for the world of Injustice 2 – even as just a standard fighter. Let us be real: if NetherRealm can fit the Ninja Turtles in there, they could very well fit Ra’s Al Ghul in there too.

Huntress

Huntress is another bow-wielder like Green Arrow. Okay she might wield crossbows, but it still counts. Like Ra’s and J’onn, Huntress featured prominently in the prequel comics, only to be left out in both games. In the comics, Huntress served as the major force in Batman’s Insurgency.

Huntress is a talented martial artist and possesses incredible dexterity – more so than Oliver Queen. If her crossbow is too slow for the job, or if she needs to get back into the fray, she also wields a bo-staff and a bunch of gadgets. Among others doodads, she also famously uses spring-loaded throwing knives, grappling hooks, and climbing lines.

Throughout many comic book storylines, Huntress is also depicted as an on and off again love interest for Dick Grayson. However, it is her constant pairing with all of the Batman sidekicks that enjoys more recognition. In the New 52 timeline, for instance, she is depicted as Dick Grayson’s crime-fighting partner. Perhaps this could have played a roll in Injustice 2? While the Robin/Nightwing depicted in the game is Damian Wayne, and Red Hood is Jason Todd, Huntress could have come in as a villain to seek vengeance for her love, Grayson.

I think that she would have not only padded out the lacking number of female fighters in the game, but she would have also contributed as another (cross) bow-wielding fighter.

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So that is it for my top ten wishlist. I know that fan favourite characters include Midnighter, Booster Gold and Mera. Other fan-favourites include Batgirl, Batwoman, and even Nightwing himself. However, I thought that there was no need to ask for characters we have either already seen depicted in one of the games, or characters that would essentially be carbon copies of the Dark Knight.

Do you agree with this list? If not, what would you change and who would you add instead? Let us know.