
Superhero stories often face a challenge: as they get longer, it becomes difficult to create meaningful character development and compelling conflicts. A common result is heroes effortlessly defeating villains they once struggled with, simply to show how much stronger they’ve become. We see this happen repeatedly – from the climactic battles in X-Men and X-Men: Apocalypse taking place in increasingly absurd locations, to Superman refraining from fighting in his original movie and immediately mastering his powers in later installments. Even in The Flash, a recurring villain like Weather Wizard was easily defeated after years of posing a threat. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – it’s a way to keep the action exciting and remind viewers of the hero’s progress. The 1997 Justice League of America TV movie offers a good example. While most of the team were already established heroes, it cleverly upgraded the Weather Wizard, giving him a more significant role. This approach was surprisingly innovative for its time, and could offer valuable lessons for James Gunn’s new DC Universe.