The DC film and TV worlds have seen a lot of changes over the last twenty years, with plenty of successes and failures along the way. But through it all, DC’s animated series consistently stood out as the strongest part of the franchise. Twenty years ago today, that beloved animated series aired its final episode.
We’re focusing on the DC Animated Universe, or DCAU. It started with the highly praised show Batman: The Animated Series and continued through Justice League Unlimited. The universe officially ended with the 13th episode of Justice League Unlimited‘s third season, appropriately named “Destroyer.” This episode featured the Legion of Doom teaming up with the Justice League to fight a revived Darkseid, concluding the series with a suitably grand battle.
Why Did The Legion of Doom Team Up With The Justice League?
The situation was truly desperate when Lex Luthor and his Legion of Doom—even villains like Sinestro and Cheetah—were forced to ask their greatest rivals for help, as seen in the story ‘Destroyer.’ Lex, acting recklessly, attempted to resurrect Brainiac, but accidentally brought back Darkseid instead. Darkseid immediately began a massive invasion of Earth.
The Legion of Super-Heroes joined forces with the Justice League, creating a massive team effort that included both heroes and villains. They had to defend Earth from an invasion of Parademons and the forces of Apokolips, while also tracking down and defeating Darkseid. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Justice League Unlimited was seeing a wide variety of DC heroes appear and fight alongside the main characters, and adding villains to the mix made the battles even more exciting.
A surprising alliance of heroes – including Hackman, Stargirl, Star Sapphire, Giganta, Siniestro, The Atom, The Creeper, and even Toyman – joined forces in an incredible final battle. As Superman clashed with Darkseid, the danger escalated, and Lex Luthor unexpectedly became crucial in stopping Darkseid’s destructive path. The episode concluded with Lex seemingly giving Darkseid the Anti-Life Equation, after which both disappeared, leaving the door open for a potential fourth season.
The DC Animated Universe (DCAU) features popular shows like Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, The Zeta Project, Static Shock, Gotham Girls, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited.
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2026-05-14 06:11