It seems everyone agrees on Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Green Lantern (at least when you're doing the "big guns" version of them instead of the JLI or Detroit stuff).

This week's Justice League: Doom DVD saw a League that had Cyborg and the Martian Manhunter on the team... the JL/JLU show had Hawkgirl and the Martian Manhunter... the current line-up has Cyborg and Aquaman, bumping the Martian Manhunter... who belongs on the team?

Martian Manhunter and Aquaman. They got it right the first time.

Only seven? Atom and Aquaman.

I agree with Ross on the who, and with Trevor on the "only seven?"

I picked a couple of them, but +3 to the above. The Justice League Of America should have as many participants as it needs for each mission. Although I'd like to read a story where the galaxy is destroyed because Superman forgot to renew his JLA membership so they wouldn't let him join the battle.

Green Arrow and Black Canary.

Haha!

Blue Beetle and Booster Gold.

Yes.

If we are talking the founding team, I'd have Martian Manhunter and Aquaman as the added 2. However if we are talking a team years later I'd just have the most fun reading, I'd have Green Arrow and Black Canary.

Yep.

I don't know, it seems to be a number that comes up when talking about a stream-lined, core JLA.

As mentioned, Grant Morrison re-started the League with 7 members, the Timm/Dini series started with 7 for two seasons, the recent animated film had 7 members... I think seven is usually the most members a team can handle while still being able to give each member enough time in the spotlight. Not really an issue for a team where so many of the characters have a solo title, but that number seems to pop up.

Dr Fate and Martian Manhunter.

Or maybe Hawkman instead of Dr Fate.

Most writers tend to always have Fate taken out immediately just so they don't have to deal with him.

The Martian Manhunter? Sucky character that only old farts like. Too many powers and an ugly costume. OUT

Aquaman? I hate to see writers contort their story to include water just so he will have something to do. A great solo character though. OUT

Green Arrow ? Brings personality and every team needs a cool archer. IN

Cyborg ? He's not a JLAer. He's a Teen Titan. OUT.

Firestorm ? He will make a fine JLAer after he has been fixed. OUT

Red Tornado ? Every team needs an android also. IN

Black Canary ? Another female is nice to have, especially one with her powers. The romance between her an GA is needed as well. IN

Hawkman ? One of my all-time favorite characters. Looks great with the League. IN.

Hawkgirl ? One of my all-time favorite characters. Looks great with the League. IN.

Zatanna ? Backward spells. So she can do ANYTHING as long as she says it backward? OUT.

Captain Marvel ? Shouldn't even be on the same Earth as the JLA. OUT

Dr. Fate ? Looks great visually. A magic member who doesn't wear a top hat is great. IN

Elongated Man ? I LOVE Ralph Dibney. He's he no longer a ghost in this new universe? IN

Nobody remembered The Atom?
Poor li'l guy.

Using the old formula of
One member from each "family",
and having their own title,
The New 52 JLA Roster would be:
Superman (Superboy, Supergirl)
Batman (Nightwing, Batgirl, Batwoman, Batwing)
Wonder Woman
Flash
Green Lantern (Hal, John, Kyle)
Aquaman
Green Arrow
Hawkman
Captain Atom
Firestorm
Mr. Terrific
and in a more liberal interpretation of my conditions
Animal Man
Resurrection Man.
If you want to include all the Super-Heroes with their own titles
add in everyone in parenthesis above.
That's one hell of a big line-up!

My ideal line-up (just for the hell of it):
Superman
Batman
Wonder Woman
Flash
Green Lantern
Aquaman
Green Arrow
Hawkman
The Atom
J'onn J'onzz
But I'm an old fart stuck in the Silver Age.

I did. He brings powers and skills to the table that other members don't, so I picked him.

Good man, T!

the mad seven are the mag seven, accept no substitutes and keep Plas and Shazam out of it. That's pretty much Alex Ross sticking his nose in.

I think Grant Morrison had them in the League before Ross did... and I know Shazam was a JLAer long before that, with him even having an action figure in the 80s Super Powers Team toyline.

Ross did some prints way back when having them as part of the league, this was even before Morrison but difference with Morrison, I ended up liking Plas for the first time then thanks to Morrison. Ross would do these prints which featured the silver age JLA and he'd try to throw Shazam and Plas in there whenever he could simply because of the fan wank angle. The whole super powers thing was a separate entity that I think Kirby was working on back in the day.