10 characters we’d love to see in ‘Injustice 2’

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Supergirl, Gorilla Grodd, Deadshot, Atrocitus, Blue Beetle - all new, all in.

Here’s who we think should join them.

In 2017, ‘Injustice 2’, the long awaited sequel to 2013’s DC beat ‘em up by NetherRealm Studios will hit the shelves. A few fresh names have been confirmed, and we can assume the big players will be making a return appearance. That still leaves a lot of room for speculation!

10) ‘Poison Ivy’/Pamela Isley

Elemental fire, ice, water and wind attacks are standard issue in beat ‘em ups, Ivy’s foliage could add a different flavour.

One of the most regularly recurring Batman villains ever, Poison Ivy manipulates plants, and their pheromones, to fight back against the ravages of human progress.

A romantically promiscuous eco-terrorist, Ivy could bring a whole new visual element to ‘Injustice 2’. Walking Triffids that explode around your ankles, and a constricting vine that bursts out of the ground, spring to mind. She strides onto GCPD’s 10 Most Wanted list swinging a cane, and in these times of climate change anxiety and environmental awareness – Ivy can be a polarizing character, and a believable anti-hero.

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9) ‘Rorschach’/Walter Kovacs

Rorschach is derived from two Charlton Comics characters; masked detective The Question, and the uncompromising reporter, Mr. A.

A stubborn, right-wing vigilante, Rorschach is the embodiment of martyrdom, who will sacrifice everything, to achieve what he views as morally right.

Since DC Comics’ ‘Rebirth’ storyline, Alan Moore’s iconic ‘Watchmen’ are co-habiting the same universe as Batman, Superman and co. for the first time. Moore is known for disliking any adaptation of, or addition to, his 1986 graphic novel, considered by many to be the greatest graphic novel of all time. Despite that, there have been several prequels, and a 2009 feature film directed by Zack Snyder, with an extended and Ultimate cut. Then a 2-part X-Box 360 game, and a viral video, parodying the characters in a ‘Saturday morning cartoon’ format. There’s talk of HBO developing a TV series too. How much more pissed off can Alan Moore be than he already is?

8) ‘The Atom’/Ray Palmer

In the 90s, Palmer’s youth was regenerated and he battled Deathstroke as a member of the Teen Titans.

Using materials from a white dwarf star, Ray Palmer can shrink to the size of an atom, and manipulate the molecules of his own body.

Firstly, Atom has recently been introduced to a huge mainstream audience via Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Countless casual fans will play ‘Injustice 2’, and it at least makes sense to have the household names of the day involved.

Secondly, his primary ability is to shrink to a tiny size. Imagine being able to shrink to a barely noticeable size, and bounce around the location hitting your opponent from every angle; or leap inside their face through their tear-duct, swim through their veins, and punch them directly in the heart. With ‘Ant-Man’ still fresh to most eyes, it might just convert some Marvel fans, who don’t have a beat ‘em up with a shrinking guy in it to play.

7) ‘Two-Face’/Harvey Dent

In the 60s Clint Eastwood was considered to play Two-Face in the 1966 Batman series, but the character was rejected as too gruesome for a young demographic.

The former Gotham District Attorney, half of Harvey’s face was scarred horrifically, driving his mind to split in two as well.

All brute force and artillery, Dent is a well-loved Gothamite with enough name power to make the cut. A coin - spinning in slow-motion and landing scarred-side up, could be an atmospheric opening to a vicious special move. Perhaps an up close and personal revolver between the eyes, with a duality-based pun to finish. Valuable in Story Mode as someone who can switch sides at the drop of a hat (or the flip of a coin?), and as a low-level opponent for Batman, before the Justice League get together.

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6) ‘The Comedian’/Eddie Blake

In the controversial ‘Watchmen’ prequel novels, The Comedian is implied to be behind the deaths of JFK and Marilyn Monroe.

Eddie Blake is a ‘Nam vet, a vigilante and a government operative; as well a sadist, rapist, and murderer. The plot-line of ‘Watchmen’ is based around solving his murder.

An ideal ‘spanner-in-the-works’ character for Story Mode. Blake refuses to go along with the rest of the pack as standard. His shotgun and flamethrower make for devastating in-combat weaponry too. If included, expect to spend hours on the opposite side of the screen to Deadshot, jumping and shooting rhythmically. There’s no denying that igniting your cigar with a flamethrower is a badass victory taunt as well.

5) ‘Captain Cold’/Leonard Snart

Cold, along with the already rostered Gorilla Grodd, were the two Flash villains to be in the ‘Challenge of the Super-Friends’ Legion of Doom line-up.

Frontman of Flash foes ‘The Rogues’, Captain Cold and his ice gun were the first hurdle to befall the ‘Silver-Age’ Flash, Barry Allen.

Killer Frost brought the chills to the first Injustice, so why not Snart this time? He’s another major player in The CW’s DC TV universe, and is strongly rumoured to appear in the upcoming 2018 film ‘The Flash’. NetherRealm have plenty of experience devising and animating ice-themed attacks for Mortal Kombat’s resident cryo-ninja Sub Zero. It could be a friendly nod to the early MKs to include Heat Wave, Mirror Master and Weather Wizard as modern day pallet-swaps for the Cap, in the way Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile and Rain began.

4) ‘Firestorm’/Ronnie Raymond & Professor Martin Stein

Ronnie Raymond appeared on The CW’s ‘The Flash’, played by Robbie Amell, the Green Arrow’s real life brother

When the athletic Ronnie Raymond telepathically merges with the genius, Martin Stein, they form Firestorm ‘The Nuclear Man’.

As well as bringing nuclear-powered flame to the table, the telepathic connection between Ronnie and Martin Stein - combining their thoughts to create a mushroom cloud explosion, is a special move waiting to happen. Firestorm’s a wildly popular character in his own right, capable of a variety of pyrotechnics that would prove visually stunning in modern generation gaming glory.

Currently a central character on The CW’s ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’, an alternative costume for Ronnie could be that of the new Firestorm, Jefferson ‘Jax’ Jackson.

3) ‘Dr. Manhattan’/Jon Osterman

“The world’s smartest man poses no more threat to me, than does its smartest termite.”

Based on Charlton Comics’ Captain Atom, Jon Osterman was a physicist, tragically caught in a locked-down Intrinsic Field Subtractor. After slowly re-assembling himself, he became able to manipulate matter on a sub-atomic scale, and see backwards and forwards through time simultaneously.

The last entrant from ‘Watchmen’, we promise. Although Ozymandias would be great as well…and maybe Big Figure as DLC…anyway; Manhattan is an extremely powerful individual - god-like, bordering on omnipotent. His potential in combat is limitless, as he can see through time and deconstruct the very state of matter with his mind. This also makes him an extremely good foil for Superman in Story Mode. DC do their best, but heaps of casual fans struggle to get past the idea that anybody could beat Superman. Well Dr. Manhattan absolutely can – without breaking a sweat.

2) Mr. Mxyzptlk

He’s already made an appearance in the ‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’ comic line, why not the game?

A magic imp from a different dimension, this little chap packs some serious arcane punch, as well as having an unpronounceable name.

My personal wildcard. An impish entity from ‘the 5th Dimension’, Mxyzptlk can only be returned thence from, by making him say his own name backwards, as if forwards wasn’t hard enough. While on interdimensional vacation, he possesses ‘magic’ powers and has been a consistent thorn in Superman’s side since 1944. In ‘Injustice 2’ we envision Mxyzptlk as the ultimate annoying character. About to plough the little b*stard down with the Batmobile? Oh – he’s zipped away to the top right corner on a cloud. Sword-wielding double back somersault from Deathstroke? Damn, he’s disappeared entirely. DC’s most mischievous imp could be the bane of your own living room in 2017.

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1) ‘Red Hood’/Jason Todd

Todd waged a war against the Bat, not because Bruce let him die – but because he hadn’t killed The Joker for doing it.

The second Robin – murdered, resurrected, and less than happy about it. Jason Todd doesn’t follow the Bat-Family rule. He’ll blow your brains out with glee.

Surely a fan-favourite for entry too, Todd is best known as the second Robin, who was beaten with a crowbar by The Joker, and blown to smithereens. Kept dead by writers for 17 years, his original fate was left up to the real-world public in a phone-in vote. As you would expect, the public sent the young Boy Wonder to his appalling demise.

However, in 2005 in a storyline entitled ‘Under the Red Hood’, Todd was resurrected via one of Ra’s Al Ghul’s Lazarus pits. He returned to Gotham and waged war on the crime-lords, and unlike Batman, he blew them apart with assault weapons. The ‘Red Hood’ itself was a guise used by various Gotham criminals previously including The Joker.

Todd is a big deal in DC since his return, sparking his own title ‘Red Hood and the Outlaws’ and featuring centrally in Gotham-attached comics. His death has also been hinted at in ‘Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice’, so a big screen appearance could well be on the cards. If the guys at NetherRealm really can’t find room for him, he could at least be a DLC costume change for Nightwing or something, right?

DC has an almighty heap of quirky characters, from intergalactic policemen to Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew. Jump in the comments section to push your own picks!

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