Ultimate DC!

[Claire Redfield]

No offense intended, but you're absolutely right: I don't like your ideas for Wonder Woman.

Eh, no offense taken. We agree on some things and disagree on others. I knew going in that my ideas would throw some, or even many, or maybe most, fans, but this is what I would do.

I'm not necessarily opposed to Diana being as powerful as Superman; in fact, depending on how you define "powerful", I would insist that she be as powerful as Superman: at the very least, she should be able to hold her own against him in a fight. But if, by "as powerful as Superman", you mean something more along the lines of "anything you can do, I can do better" (or even "just as well"; the key phrase is "anythingyou can do…"), then I have to disagree. Simply in terms of storytelling, this is a bad move because it makes the two of them interchangeable at best, and Diana clearly dominant at worst. From a symbolic perspective, I'm for harmony of the sexes, rather than domination of either one by the other. In particular, she already has a number of advantages over Superman, ranging from her various tools such as her infamous Golden Lasso to her extensive martial training (in which she is far more proficient than everyone else in the Justice League); making her as strong and tough as him as well would mean that he wouldn't be able to hold his own in a fight against her.

I mean just generally on his level. She doesn't have to do the "anything you can do, I can do better; I can do anything better than you!" thing. The way I'd see it, she'd probably defeat him more often than not, simply by virtue of being a much better fighter, even if he has more raw power.

Your mention of the Lasso reminds me of something else I'd change, too: her weapons. Give her an Aegis Shield capable of deflecting attacks, rather than the bracelets. Get rid of the Lasso entirely, as I find it a dumb weapon. Give her a sword, maybe, of some import.

She doesn't use the name "Wonder Woman", and she doesn't wear the costume: honestly, I could get behind this, to an extent: the official Wonder Woman did this very thing for a time, although I doubt you'd approve of the approach they took — she voluntarily surrendered her powers and started engaging in adventures that had more of a secret agent vibe than a superhero vibe.

As for how stupid and silly the name and the costume are, I'll have to agree with that point as well — but then, she's hardly unique in that regard. Superman's name and costume are equally ridiculous — if not mores, in terms of the names; at least "Wonder Woman" is alliterative. If Diana gets to go around wearing armored hoplite gear all the time, then Superman should get to wear ancient Kryptonian armor instead of the silly skin-tight suit with underwear on the outside that he traditionally sports. (That said, note that Wonder Woman does have a suit of Thymescrian Armor that she wears from time to time — mainly when she's expecting an unusually challenging fight. Another advantage that she'd have if confronting Superman.)

Superman seems less egregious to me for some reason. His name isn't as bad. It doesn't seem to come with the same level of silliness that accompanies "Wonder Woman". Granted, I can't see anyone in real life wearing that costume without it looking stupid, but like I said, with Diana, she doesn't wear armor because she needs to. It's just because I'm trying to think of something good she can wear that doesn't look like a stripper outfit. I mean, a little leg is fine — we're talking about a very vibrant and passionate woman, and sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of, as opposed to over-sexualization. But still not something that looks like it'd fall apart and leave her nude in the slightest scuffle, or something that looks like a swimsuit. Diana should be sexy because she's powerful, because you can see in her bearing (and in her actions) that she is a woman of courage, nobility and strength.

I do get your point about the oversexualization of women in comics; but I think you're going too far to the other extreme. It's entirely possible to modify the costume to make it practical without abandoning it entirely. Consider the costume that she was wearing in the comics as recently as four months ago: shoulder straps to ensure her top stays on; full-length pants. Originally, that costume also sported a jacket. She looked good in it, without looking like a swimsuit model. Also consider the costumes of Spider-Girl (the May Parker version) and Batgirl (the Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown versions): those were traditional superhero garb without being overly sexualized.

I don't really care for that costume, but it's better. I don't hate it or anything. Something like that wouldn't be bad. I'd prefer something with more of a Greek feel, though.

As for her being a lesbian: No. Just, no. An integral part of Diana's story is her relationship with Steve Trevor. Granted, the original version of Steve is not someone I would inflict on anyone; but then, I could say precisely the same thing about the early Lois Lane. Lois got a makeover that turned her from being Superman's default damsel in distress into being a competent character in her own right; the same thing can be done for Steve. Indeed, from what I've seen of the Steve Trevor in the new Justice League series, it has been done for him. He is now someone who I can actually believe that Wonder Woman would fall for (once she gets to know him) rather than merely being the first man that she ever laid eyes on, followed by an instant crush.

Here, we will never agree, for several reasons. One is that I just don't care about Steve Trevor. I feel nothing at all is lost by getting rid of him entirely, or writing a new role for him. Second, I think it would be nice to have a high-profile gay character, and particularly a lesbian character. Wonder Woman is definitely the highest-profile superheroine, though honestly I don't think she deserves it. There are a lot of heroines with better rogues, better writing and better development, I feel. That Wonder Woman has retained her profile is a testament to the costume (the one I'd get rid of) and the name (that I'd get rid of), funny enough. And probably Linda Carter.

Passionate? Sure! But also disciplined. Warrior? At times; but not exclusively. She should also be the most adept of the JLA when it comes to diplomacy, with an almost instinctive knowledge of how to resolve disputes peacefully — as well as when a peaceful resolution is not possible. She's not Diana, Warrior Princess; she's far more versatile than that.

Well, yes, I didn't mean to make it sound like she'd be a warrior only. Particularly as I think she would be one of the ones who adapted the best to the modern world, to the surprise of many, as she is considered one of the exemplary Amazon.

I wholeheartedly agree with your plot hook suggestions, and indeed would expand on them: as I've mentioned in my own post on the subject, I see Wonder Woman being at odds with the Olympians. far from serving them, she opposes their meddling in human affairs. Conversely, I don't see the Thymescrians as being primitive per se; I see them as deliberately choosing not to use "modern technology" for fear that it would make them dependent on it.

For your latter point, I agree. I don't see the Themyscirans as primitive at all. But, like many peoples, they're resistant to new cultural influences, at least at first. Many might also see the modern people as weak and frail (never mind that they're not, well, magic) and be afraid of dependency, yes.

And I also agree wholeheartedly about completely forbidding any scenes or situations resembling bondage, dominance, or sadomasochism involving Wonder Woman: she is neither into that sort of thing, nor willing to tolerate it. When something involving the exploitation of women (or children; or men, for that matter) does show up, it should be portrayed as something ranging from creepy to horrifying, and is the sort of thing that she puts a stop to at the earliest opportunity. I can see there being a rumor floating around that she loses her powers if you bind her arms, and she doesn't dissuade anyone of this notion when she hears it — because it's completely false, and anyone who chooses to act on it will immediately put himself at a distinct tactical disadvantage in the ensuing fight — if you ca call the likely one-sided thumping a fight.

I agree completely here. I can see her being the more... aggressive and confident partner in a relationship, but that's as far as that goes. Largely because she's an aggressive (though not too much -- she is thoughtful and intelligent, after all) and confident woman, as is her right.

Honestly, other than maybe a little bit of costume stuff and the sexuality issue, we at least have some similar ideas. I would never budge on the lesbian issue, though (unless maybe you give me Supergirl ) . It'd be kind of a dream come true for me, and I can think of stories along those lines. Heck, I can see two routes: she can fall for mortal Stephanie Trevor, or maybe another heroine!

[dataweaver]

Your mention of the Lasso reminds me of something else I'd change, too: her weapons. Give her an Aegis Shield capable of deflecting attacks, rather than the bracelets. Get rid of the Lasso entirely, as I find it a dumb weapon. Give her a sword, maybe, of some import.

I generally see her with two "combat modes", as it were: the first resembles her traditional costume, but more practical (more on this below); in this "mode", she has the bracelets and the lariat. Both are magical, although the bracelets' magic is more subtle: it renders the bracelets nearly indestructible, and absorbs the impact of anything that hits them. That's it. But when combined with the incredible speed and reflexes imparted to Diana by her Thymescrian training, it allows her to parry bullets. Sure, she could stand behind a shield and achieve the same effect; but the bracelets have two benefits over the shield, one practical and one stylistic: on the practical side, they're small, portable, and (until they gain a reputation) innocuous: she can take them places where she couldn't take a shield. Stylistically, the benefit is that she can parry bullets with her (almost) bare hands. They're a testament to her martial prowess.

Of course, that's a moot point if her skin is impervious to bullets; but I've never seen the need for this to be so.

As for the lasso: a sword can cut things, and perhaps act as an improvised hammer. That's it. A lasso is far more versatile, giving her a means to subdue enemies without killing them and extending her reach both in and out of combat. And that's completely disregarding its magical properties, such as the ability to adjust its length as needed, its sturdiness, and its famous use as a magical lie detector.

The other mode is her serious, no-nonsense mode: sword or axe, the aforementioned armor, and an Aegis Shield. This is what she wears when she's anticipating a confrontation with something tough, nasty, and mean. The sword can cut through tank armor as if it was butter; the shield can do everything her bracelets can do and then some, possibly even to the point of effectively generating a much larger magical force field that she — and those under her protection — can hide behind when dealing with large-scale attacks such as explosions. And she can throw it, Captain America-like.

She doesn't use the name "Wonder Woman", and she doesn't wear the costume: honestly, I could get behind this, to an extent: the official Wonder Woman did this very thing for a time, although I doubt you'd approve of the approach they took — she voluntarily surrendered her powers and started engaging in adventures that had more of a secret agent vibe than a superhero vibe.

BTW, did you notice the link that I had on the accompanying image? If you want to learn more about Wonder Woman and what makes her truly special, not just a female Superman in a bathing suit, the linked site will prove incredibly informative. I'm still learning things from it.

I don't really care for that costume, but it's better. I don't hate it or anything. Something like that wouldn't be bad. I'd prefer something with more of a Greek feel, though.

IMHO, the problem isn't the costume; the problem is that Diana herself doesn't look sufficiently Greek. From day one, she's been a Thymescrian in backstory — and a WASP in appearance. DC's been working for years to diversify their superhero community (I heartily recommend the new Batwoman title whose lead is lesbian but not defined by that fact; there's so much more to her); but to my mind, they have a golden opportunity in Princess Diana of Thymescria to do exactly that, simply by altering her appearance to match her origin, and they're missing it.

Honestly, other than maybe a little bit of costume stuff and the sexuality issue, we at least have some similar ideas. I would never budge on the lesbian issue, though (unless maybe you give me Supergirl ) . It'd be kind of a dream come true for me, and I can think of stories along those lines. Heck, I can see two routes: she can fall for mortal Stephanie Trevor, or maybe another heroine!

Honestly, I would have a lot less of a problem with a revelation that Supergirl is a lesbian than with Wonder Woman being one — but again, that's because I disagree about the essential disposability of Steve Trevor. To me, a vital piece of Wonder Woman mythology is lost if Diana is a lesbian; nothing nearly so vital gets lost if Kara is.

[TwoPointTradeoff]

*cracks knuckles* Well, since you two seem to have the Wonder Woman/Diana debate tackled (I generally agree with Claire, although it seems your positions are closer than they initially appears)...


Disclaimer: I have skimmed the thread, and to be honest, skipped a bit because I wanted to post while the ideas are fresh.

ULTIMATE DARKSEID: Call him Uxas. That's his damn name. It sounds so much...more godly than Darkside. Yes. I spelt it that way because it's how it's pronounced and theres no way you can convince me NOT to think of star wars every time I hear it. In conclusion: UXAS, the ANTI-GOD. or NEW GOD. Whatever. Similarly, axe the crappy Furies names. Either rename them less stupid things ("lashina", really?) or just make them nameless and call them the Furies.

My thoughts on ULT GL CORPS: I vote for the breakdown someone did with Crimson hunters, etc, only with the caveat that having only one Orange.

ULTIMATE SUPERGIRL: If you're going for the established, older Supes, than I think when Kara crashes to earth, she should bring with her the first of the Kryptonite. the meteor breaks up on entry, scattering the shards of kryptonite all over the world. Narratively, it ties the arrival of a new character with the arrival of a new threat.

ULTIMATE BATMAN: I understand that you guys have some pretty established ideas for him, so I won't actually detail the 6 or 7 pages of notes I have on "Ultimate Gotham", but instead will watch any Bat-discussion with Bat-interest, that I might Bat-insert my Bat-ideas at the appropriate Bat-time.

[Daibhid C]

Honestly, I would have a lot less of a problem with a revelation that Supergirl is a lesbian than with Wonder Woman being one — but again, that's because I disagree about the essential disposability of Steve Trevor. To me, a vital piece of Wonder Woman mythology is lost if Diana is a lesbian; nothing nearly so vital gets lost if Kara is.

And once again, Dick Malverne gets no respect ! (Everyone: "Who?")

Personally, I only really started reading comics properly post-Crisis, so as far as I'm concerned Steve Trevor is that late-middle-aged guy who married Etta Candy.

On the subject of her name, it's my recollection that in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon, she was always "Diana", just as J'onn was always "J'onn". I'm sure "Wonder Woman" and "Martian Manhunter" got used occasionally, but it wasn't what they were called in the same way as Batman was Batman.

[PersistenceHunter]

The thing I liked about JLU was subtle things like that; when talking amongst themselves, the Leaguers referred to each other by their secret identities, and not just Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter. GL was John, Superman was Clark, Batman was Bruce, Flash was Wally, etc. It made them feel like friends or family and not just team-mates.

Also, this thread is FANTASTIC.

[dataweaver]

So: could we get a summary of what is and is not canon thus far?

It seems that, thus far, Ultimate DC's speedsters have been overlooked. Thoughts?

[Belial666]

Here's my contribution on the Lovecraftian Horrors front;

Outsiders and Old Ones:

The universe is based on certain laws; time, space, cause-and-effect, beginning and end, the rule of three and so on and so forth. Those laws define it and were set by the Presence upon its creation. In essence, such laws are a reflection of the nature of the Presence and thus the universe itself is made in the image of the Presence. Outsiders are beings that aren't subject to such laws, reflections of paradigms other than the Presence. They exist in places beyond reality that are governed by such laws, made by the primordial beings that wrote those laws. Those primordials are called the Old Ones because they existed before the creation of universes, including our own.
Outsiders and Old Ones are irrelevant to good and evil. Morality may or may not exist in the realities they come from but for them to come to our own reality, they must violate the laws of our universe so they resemble their own; their presence alone unmakes bit by bit reality itself. And that is bad. Reality screams in the presence of Outsiders as their existence in our world is paradox - even their influence is damaging to all levels of existence, from the physical, to the temporal, to the mental and the spiritual. And even knowing about Outsiders is influence enough for mundane people, as a random touch would be for mundane locations.
Unfortunately, Outsiders can be called to our reality (or influence it) by beings that can bend the natural laws enough to establish the initial contact. Gods and sufficiently powerful wizards are the primary culprits of such abominable practices. Reasons for contacting outsiders can be manyfold; violation of conservation of energy for example could make anyone tireless while negation of entropy can make one immortal. Temporal paradox can allow someone to erase an abusive parent from existence and all the bad memories they have of him without ceasing to exist while violation of cause-and-effect could make someone richer the more money he spent or healthier the more damage he took. And that are just minor examples. Because the majority of gods and wizards want reality to continue to exist, they habitually gang upon and utterly erase anyone they find summoning them. Simply inviting the influence of Outsiders usually carries the penalty of eternal torment while attempting to uncover knowledge about outsiders or researching such subjects carries the death penalty.

Known Outsiders and Old Ones:
The Presence and Darkseid are technically Old Ones if they venture on a Reality beyond the one defined by the Presence, and their servants and minions would be as damaging to other realities as Outsiders are on the normal reality. The Unraveler (also called the Gate and Key) is the Old One in a reality that time and space don't exist and is known for minions that cause temporal paradox and prophesies that damage the future and destiny through their revelations. The Mad God is the Old One in a reality where there is no cause and effect and his minions are monsters of unnatural/chaotic forms whose existence and actions defy logic and explanation. The Void (also called Mother of Darkness) is the Old one in a reality where the concepts of "creation" and "end" are meaningless; her offspring are abominations that corrupt the nature of concepts where creation and end are paramount such as life, death, evolution, afterlife, soul, judgement and the divine.

[heathwilder]

Wow ... loving this. Just a couple of cents here

Always wondered (forgive the pun) why Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel (given their geographic power origins) don't share some backstory. Perhaps Diana of recent years is mentoring Bily?

Similarly with Teth Adam and Hawkman crossing paths (and Dr Fate for that matter). Re Teth; there is plenty going on in the Sinai which is disputed territory for his to have his lair/area of influence etc there.

[Libra]

Keep up the good work fellows!

[DaughterofEchoes]

It's been awhile, but I might as well share my brainstorming session.

On Hawkman and Black Adam knowing eachother, I say a big yes. I like the golden age Hawkman way better than the silver one anyway and it'll lead to some interesing situations. But let's look at how it works.

Hawkman is an anceint Egyptian prince who has been reincarnated again and again over thousands of years re-living a tragedy on the scale of Romeo and Juliet, which in this universe may have been inspired by Hawkman anyway. He has been a warrior in every age and has fought evil.
Now Ultimate Hawkman? He's done that and it hasn't been pretty. He has fought in so many wars he no longer knows how many times he died. He has been a leigionaire for Rome, a jaguar warrior for the Mayans (or Aztecs, I'm not good with mesoamerican cultures0, a samurai, a knight, a wuxia, a calvier and so many more. He knows and has sworn to serve so many different codes of honour that it would take him a week just to name them all. And he has done all this for the love of a woman.
Ultimate Hawkman is the worlds biggest romantic. He has no doubt the curse will be broken one day and he will get to live out a whole lifetime by her side, whatever name she has in this lifetime. He can't not think this, or else the past 5000 years will be for nothing, that every life he has ended has been a waste. Doesn't mean he isn't a bad arse soldier with no moral compuction against killing.

But for the first in a long time, he isn't alone. When UHM was fighting in WWII, using the skills he has honed over the milena in this new incarnation of his, Carter Hall saw something amazing. He saw superma. It led him to reclaim some of his old enchanted battle armour and join Superman and the other superheros. He fought well and died.
But now he hasbeen reincarnated again; new body, new name, new family...but his old friend Kal-El is still around! And even better, Teth Adam who he hasn't seen since his first few lives! They should all go out drinking some time...

just my two cents. I feel that Hawkman should be able to go drinking with Supes and talk about how awful the war was and still be able to go out with Black Adam and reminiss about their glory days.

Ultimate Flashis most definatly a leagcy character, and a family affair at that. Jay and his grandson Barry are dead. Jay died due to his enhanced metablism eating himself alive. His daughter, Barry's mother, told him all about it, after his acident. Barry spent his life trying to cure his condition. Some of his rouges even managed to get their hands on his samples, thereby explaining how the Tortoise*, Captain Cold and other rouges are still around. When little Wally (the current Flash) went through the same experiance, Barry kicked things into high gear. He suceeded just in time for Zoom to show up. Zoom being a villain, tries to steal the cure for himself. When that doesn't work, threatens to kill Iris if Barry doesn't give it up and it escalates from there.
End result, both Barry and Zoom are dead by the end of it, leaving Wally with the cure and Barry's notes.

I know it is know where near done, but it has a far more 'Ultimate' feel to it than the normal DC universe and it gives the Flash the same sort of tragic feel without having to blow up the multiverse. Barry died saving those he loved.

Another idea I had was to get rid of the speed force, because it just seems like a useless and messy idea. I might be missing the big deal about it though.


*this guy would have the full 'steals kinetic energy' thing going on. Which makes punching him useless in a Sebastian Shaw kinda way.

[dataweaver]

I like your take on the Flash. It never occurred to me to make Jay and Barry related; but it definitely plays into an aspect of the Flash that I would like to see emphasized: the importance of family. In that regard, Wally is a devoted husband and father, as well as a superhero.

As for the Speed Force: I don't really care one way or the other, just so long as the Ultimate DC speedsters have access to the full range of Speed Powers with proper training. "Speed Force" was originally introduced as a catch-all explanation for the more outlandish powers that the Flash manifested, such as phasing through walls or breaking through the barriers of time and space (allowing for time travel and dimensional travel); and in that regard, I don't have a problem with it. I have a bit more skepticism about its later use as a "place" that imprisoned speedsters who weren't careful, and don't get me started on the retcons that have been applied to it since "Flash: Rebirth".

[DaughterofEchoes]

Thanks DW. I figured since they basically act that way in cannon at times, we might as well go the extra mile.

As for the Speed Force; I don't like it because it is unnessicary. Almost all of those 'outlandish' powers (save dimensional travel, which can be dropped) can be explained as going very fast anyway without the need for an extra-dimensional force complicating things. The only thing you 'need' the Speed Force for is that imprisioned speedster thing.
And I agree with you that is less than fun.

[dataweaver]

The main point where I disagree is with dropping the dimensional travel thing. I'm fine with putting restrictions on a speedster's ability to time-travel or hop dimensions, such as requiring him to exploit naturally occurring wormholes. That is, there would be natural gates existing within the fabric of spacetime that lead to other times, places, and/or dimensions; an Ultimate DC speedster with the proper know-how could detect these gateways, briefly open them (only for a tiny fraction of a second) and run through before they slam shut. The time-gate idea could be used to facilitate a meeting between Jay and Barry, hearkening back to the classic "Flash of Two Worlds" story but reframing it as a "Flash of two Eras", and it could also be used to bring Bart Allen to the present; in that regard, I like the way that Young Justice has been handling Bart, and would like to use something like it with Ultimate DC: Bart found and traversed a time-gate from the future to the present, then did something that changed the timestream and destroyed the time-gate he used to get here, stranding him in the present.

What I like about the "speed gates" idea is that it allows the Flash to be an explorer who can visit alien worlds, without giving him an unfettered ability to go from anywhen/where to anywhen/where. A bit like the heroes of the Stargate franchise, except that the "speed gate" network would span time, space, and other dimensions rather than just space. It also brings a heavy element of science into the mix.

[Neo-Paladin]

Regarding WW...I am quite fond of the thought (which i have put forth in the introductory post) that science/technology and magic are either the same or have similar origins. Think of the Asgardians from the Thor movie, for example.

What if the Themyscirans are simply very advanced, both in regards to science and societal values...?

On another note, since another of my games fell victim to the recent drop in activity here, I wonder if anyone would be interested in trying this Ultimate DC setting out in game form?

[dataweaver]

Regarding WW...I am quite fond of the thought (which i have put forth in the introductory post) that science/technology and magic are either the same or have similar origins. Think of the Asgardians from the Thor movie, for example.

What if the Themyscirans are simply very advanced, both in regards to science and societal values...?

Bottom line, it's your setting; do with it as you see fit. That said, while I'm not against the idea of "magitech", I also don't find it to be a particularly compelling idea.

In particular, I'm OK with using it for the likes of the Olympians, the New Gods, the Guardians of the Universe, and so on; but I'd rather the Thymescrians be "differently advanced" rather than "very advanced", with the idea that the Thymescrians and Man's World are two sides of a coin: Man's World has developed Science to remarkable lengths; the Thymescrians have developed their brand of Mysticism to equally remarkable lengths; and the two have the potential to complement each other and give rise to a magitech future. The relationship between Princess Diana and Steve Trevor would be emblematic of this potential. Meanwhile, there are forces at work to ensure that this never happens (largely in the form of jealous Olympians who don't want the competition); and if it does happen, it's unlikely that a proper magitech society will emerge during the next thousand years. But the potential for it is there.

On another note, since another of my games fell victim to the recent drop in activity here, I wonder if anyone would be interested in trying this Ultimate DC setting out in game form?

I'd be interested. That said: there are approximately two-and-a-half pages of ideas here that you haven't weighed in on. Coincidently, the last time you posted to this topic was just under a week before my first post to this topic: as such, I have no clue as to the "canonicity" of any of the ideas that have been bandied about here since shortly before I joined in. Could we get some rulings on such things as the overall structure of the Justice League, Phrozen's take on the Penguin, the Joker's origin and nature, the status of the Green Lantern mythos in the Ultimate DC, what Wonder Woman is like (in particular, Claire and I have presented different takes on her that are somewhat at odds), Gazman's take on Black Canary, Belial666's thoughts about cosmic horror in the Ultimate DC, and the recent thoughts about Hawkman and the Flash?

One additional point concerning Steve Trevor: if Wonder Woman came to Man's World during WWII, and Steve Trevor was instrumental to her origin, then he should have died by now – of old age, if nothing else. This could keep him integral to the Wonder Woman mythology, while still removing him from Wonder Woman's current life. She has fond memories of her first love, but has since moved on. A related issue: Wonder Woman has been around since WWII. I don't really see her as being a virgin, especially after seventy years; and as I mentioned before, I'm not particularly fond of the idea that she's a lesbian (though I could go with her being bisexual). So has she ever had any children?

It might be interesting if something like Infinity Inc. existed on this Earth, but their adventures were mostly back in the sixties and seventies; now, most of them are in retirement, or very nearly so, assuming that the team didn't meet a tragic fate (which is entirely plausible, given the original team's history). It's possible that Wonder Woman's daughter, Lyta Trevor a.k.a. the Fury, was active as a member of this team.

Also, I just finished reviewing the topic from page one. Some observations and thoughts:
• The Arete-based Wonder Woman is fully compatible with Princess Diana, Agent of SHADE, although I'd personally prefer her to be an independent operative who works with SHADE rather than someone who takes orders from them and collects a paycheck.

• The Green Lantern mythos: The Green Lantern has actually had a long and storied history one Earth, going back for centuries or longer. Premise: somewhere along the line, the Solar System was quarantined. I'm leaning toward the Martians as the origin and enforcers of said quarantine. Figure that Earth's isolation was in force for a long time, possibly as much as three or four millenia, and only ended sometime in the middle of the twentieth century; before that, alien visitors to Earth were few and far between. One early visitor was a Green Lantern, who crash-landed in ancient China. Abin Sur died shortly after his arrival; his lantern was found by a local peasant who investigated the crash site and left before the Martian equivalents of MIBs showed up to sterilize the site. This Chinese peasant became Earth's first Green Lantern, though he didn't call himself that: the age of costumes and codenames was still centuries off. The Martian blockade prevented the Guardians from sending anyone to Earth to retrieve the lantern, and they ended up writing it off as a loss. Meanwhile, the lantern went from owner to owner, only activating when it found a person that they deemed worthy, and migrating around Asia and once making it as far west as the Middle East, where they inspired the legend of Aladdin. Eventually, it found its way to North America by way of migrant Chinese workers, where Alan Scott discovered it during a train crash. Alan was inspired by Superman to take up a costume and codename, and became Earth's first Green Lantern in name. The Martian Quarantine was still in effect at the time, and it didn't get lifted until the 60s, when the Martian race was exterminated. After Alan's death, the lantern and ring went dormant again; and it wasn't until the current Green Lantern found it that it reactivated, and the Guardians finally became aware that the long-lost lantern was still around and sent a recruiter to Earth.

In this version of things, the Green Lantern is a magitech artifact; the ring itself is merely a conduit of the lantern's power: that is, rather than the ring being a super-science gizmo that is charged by the lantern which is nothing more than a power battery, the lantern itself is the (quasi-mystical) source of Green Lantern's powers, and the ring is merely a sympathetic link between the wielder and the lantern: he has much more power available to him when he has the Lantern on hand, but has to deal with the awkwardness of carrying it around. Conversely, the power that he can channel through the ring is adequate for most purposes, and the ring is much more convenient.

The Lantern Oath isn't merely a pledge of service; it's an incantation that establishes or renews the bond between the lantern and its wielder. Part of the process of establishing the bond involves the formation of a ring: each Green Lantern has his own ring, created when he first recites the Oath.

Meanwhile, the Guardians are a quasi-mystical interstellar order dedicated to maintaining peace and order in the galaxy.

There are other groups out there that are similar to the Green Lanterns (the Crimson Hunters, the Amber Syndicate, the Order of Adara, the Sisterhood of the Star Sapphire, etc.); but for the most part, they aren't deeply entwined with the Green Lanterns: the main exceptions are the Scions of Sinestro, which was founded by a renegade Green Lantern, and the Sisterhood of the Star Sapphire, which (coincidentally?) drafted Hal Jordan's girlfriend into their ranks.

• Hawkman: in keeping with the "magitech" feel of the setting, most pantheons of gods in UDC are actually pseudo-mystical alien races. This includes the Egyptian pantheon. As well, it's rare for such a Pantheon to influence only one world: Earth is "merely" one of many worlds in the galaxy that have fallen under the sway of alien gods. Another world that Ra and his followers dominated for a time was the alien world of Thanagar. For the most part, this has been a moot point in Hawkman's history: there was no ancient Thanagarian ship that crashed on Earth in ancient Egypt, and the only "tie" between Egypt and Thanagar is the influence of a common Pantheon over both worlds. That said, one artifact of that tie is the Nth Metal, which is common to both cultures. Once the Martian Quarantine was enacted, nearly all such Pantheons were banished from Earth; and humans were allowed to develop unhindered by alien meddling. (The Olympians are a possible exception to this: perhaps they're native to Earth, and thus were trapped inside the quarantine rather than outside? Or not.) On Thanagar, however, matters weren't quite so pleasant. For millenia, Thanagarians suffered as slaves of their gods until they eventually staged a successful rebellion and gained control of their own world. They have since built a thriving interstellar empire; and when they heard of the fall of the Martian Quarantine, they sent an agent to investigate. Thus it was that Shayara Thal came to Earth.

In short, Hawkman is an ancient Egyptian who has been trapped in a cycle of reincarnation for millenia, and Hawkwoman is a recent arrival from the alien Thanagarian Empire. There is no Thanagarian Hawkman; and if there ever was a reincarnated Egyptian princess who served as Hawkman's love interest, she is no more. When Hawkman and Hawkwoman meet, it will be the first time that the two cultures formerly subject to the Pesedjet god-aliens will ever have met. So they are linked, but only indirectly.

• As long as we're investigating this "magitech" basis for everything, what if Aquaman is somehow tied to an ancient Atlantean pantheon that was destroyed when the Martian Quarantine went into effect?