Reverse Flash
Who is he? Multiple men have had his name–Eobard Thawne, Hunter Zolomon, Daniel West–but he’s exactly what his name suggests: the evil version of the Scarlet Speedster. Depending on the identity, he’s either a time traveler from the 25th century (Thawne), or is obsessed with making the current Flash better than he already is (Zolomon). More recently, he showed up in the first season of the CW’s The Flash under the identity of Harrison Wells (who turned out to be Thawne, because that’s not convoluted).
Why include him? The Flash’s villains didn’t really get their chance to shine in the original Injustice, so including them in the roster for Injustice 2 would be nice. Each version of Reverse has a different look to them, and if Netherrealm brings back the multiple fighting styles from Mortal Kombat X, the game could play off of that by having each version have their own special ability. Plus, c’mon, who wouldn’t want to see Flash fight his literal reverse?
Black Manta
Who is he? David (no one knows his last name), the archenemy of Aquaman for abandoning him to be abused as a young child. He saw Aquaman as the master of the sea and is determined to kill the former so he can control the latter himself. At one point, he killed Aquaman and Mera’s son, and is in even a father himself to one Jackson Hyde, who would later become Aqualad. (If you watched Young Justice, Aqualad is Kaldur’ahm; Kaldur was made specifically for the show, and the comic brought him in.)
Why include him? Manta has sadly been pretty underused in both current comics and outside media. But the man is a stone cold badass, both in and out of his battle suit. The original Injustice was lacking in villains that came from Aquaman’s side of the woods, so Manta would be a good start in showing folks that the King of the Sea fights more than whalers. But maybe don’t make his helmet so wide, because it just looks stupid.
Killer Croc
Who is he? Waylon Jones, a man born with atavism that gave him reptilian skin and sharp teeth. He usually works as hired muscle for crime lords in Gotham City, or he does his own thing and tries to eat Batman. Like, a lot of the time, he’ll try to eat someone, because he’s a freaking crocodile.
Why include him? Croc’s going to be making an appearance in the Suicide Squad movie due out in August, and DC’s definitely going to be capitalizing on that as much as possible. He’s been featured heavily in the promotion for both the film and the Suicide Squad comic for DC’s Rebirth initiative. The first Injustice played with the idea of characters of different size going up against each other, so why not continue that by having someone who, more often than not, can be as high as 11 feet tall?
Bizarro
Who not he? Long version is he not Superman from another world where everything opposite from here. He has all of the same powers as Superman, like heat breath, X-Ray vision, super strength, and so off. He not be in DC’s Rebirth as a member of Red Hood and the Outlaws.
Why not include him? No one like Bizarro, so no one want him to fight his mirror in Injustice 2. Would be lame to see them fight each other and wouldn’t be funny to hear his Bizarro speak during victory. After all, who would want a weakling like Bizarro fight in dumb game?
Poison Ivy
Who is she? Pamela Isley, a plant-based villain with a love of nature. She was given the power to control plants and release pheromones that put unfortunate souls under her mind control. Typically a villain, she’s also been an anti-hero, sometimes helping Batman or one of his partners to save Gotham and the world from whatever causes it harm. But not out of any care for humans, she just wants to make sure that Mother Nature will live.
Why include her? A fighting game character who can manipulate nature to her advantage? Yeah, that’d be a pretty cool hook for an Injustice sequel, and it’d be great if different fighting styles allowed her to control different kinds of plants. Admit it, performing a combo on your enemy, then letting them get swallowed by a Venus Fly Trap would be pretty cool.
Cheetah
Who is she? Like Reverse Flash, her name’s been taken by different people over the years. In recent years, Cheetah has been shown as an actual cheetah, with the speed and strength to match. She’s generally regarded as the archenemy of Wonder Woman, and when the two meet, Cheetah goes at her with the intent to kill.
Why include her? She may not be as fast as the Flash, but Cheetah is still pretty damn fast, and that would make her a nightmare for whoever’s unlucky enough to go against her. The fact that she’s been able to go up against Wonder Woman and not get gutted yet should say enough about her. Just don’t let her get up close and personal with those teeth of hers, because yikes.
Livewire
Who is she? Leslie Willis, a Metropolis shock jock who had no problem talking shit about whoever she wanted to just for the fun of it, including Superman. A freak accident during a storm turned her into a being of pure electricity and gave her control over it, which she uses for villainy and not something useful like providing electricity to those who can’t afford it. Jerk.
Why include her? Fighting games are always great with an elemental character, and if Killer Frost isn’t coming back, Livewire should follow in her footsteps. Folks certainly have to know of her thanks to Supergirl, and even if they don’t, electricity is a natural element to incorporate into a game. If she’s anything like Raiden in MKX, she’d be a blast to play.
Vandal Savage
Who is he? An immortal who’s been around since the beginning of time. Back when he was a caveman, he came across the radiation from a meteorite and bathed in it, which made him live forever and made him the smartest person of his time (and still pretty smart to this day). He may also be the first cannibal on record, so… yeah, watch out for that.
Why include him? Savage’s immortality has allowed him to live all throughout history. During that time, he’s had to have picked up a variety of fighting styles and weapons that would serve the cast of Injustice 2 well. Sure, the heroes and villains of the DC universe all have areas of combat where they’re best, but how can all of that stack up to a guy who’s been around since before combat was even really a thing?
Brainiac
Who is he? One of Superman’s primary enemies, this extraterrestrial android is obsessed with wiping out human life and destroying the planet. You know, as most robots do, when he’s not shrinking alien cities or trying to destroy his descendant Brainiac 5.
Why include him? Don’t be fooled by his tech-based appearance. While Brainiac can absolutely dominate when it comes to machines, he can also do more than that to diversify himself. He can create multiple copies of himself, possess others, and has some control over telepathy and telekinesis. He’s an absolute jack of all trades that could take down any opponent he comes across. His recent version in the New 52 lets him possess people to acquire their knowledge, like the love child of a Terminator and a symbiote. Imagine going up against yourself, but twice as deadly.
Captain Cold (SNART FOR INJUSTICE 2, DO IT DO IT)
Who is he? Leonard Snart, a common crook who also happens to be in possession of a gun that can freeze people. He’s one of the Flash’s best known Rogues (in addition to being their leader), sometimes a package deal with the fire-themed Heat Wave. More recently in the comics, he became a member of the Justice League alongside Lex Luthor (don’t ask) and has actual ice superpowers instead of just a freeze gun.
Why include him? Cold has become a fan favorite thanks to his appearance on the Flash TV show and Legends of Tomorrow. He walks the line between heroism and villainy so well that as far as the story mode for Injustice 2 is concerned, it’d be fun watching him flip back and forth. His abilities in the game would be a nice mix of close, short, and mid range that would keep him evenly balanced among the other fighters as well. And admittedly, it’d be great if they got Wentworth Miller to voice him in the game.
Who would you want to join the cast of Injustice 2? Let us know in the comments below!
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