Batman Based a Justice League Battle Plan on Star Wars
It's official. Bruce Wayne, The Batman, has seen Star Wars. When the Justice League are trapped under tons of rock thanks to a massive alien mining colony machine, they need to regroup and the Dark Knight comes up with plan inspired by the iconic science fiction films. Naturally, when the usually brooding and serious vigilante makes such a huge pop culture reference, it comes as a bit of a shock to the Flash, who would typically be the most likely Justice League member to make references like that. Read on to learn more about the surprising and awesome Batman moment.
The Star Wars reference made by Batman is found in 2016's Justice League #14 from writer Bryan Hitch with art by Daniel Henriques. In the issue, the Justice League head to battle with a massive moon sized machine run by an interstellar mining colony, who strip-mine entire solar systems leaving nothing behind in its wake, and Earth is the next planet on its list. Using a giant gravity laser canon, the machine fires a test shot at Canada, creating a giant hole 12 miles deep, with the Justice League caught in the blast, getting trapped under several tons of rock. While the canon recharges, the League finds each amidst the rubble. As they try to regroup, they also make the determination to trust one another more than they had previously, and to coalesce into a more better, more unified team. Once it's time to come up with a plan, Batman provides his strategy from a galaxy, far, far away.
Thanks to the massive moon-sized mining machine above all of their heads, Batman is reminded of the Death Star from the Star Wars films, believing that there has to be a weakness, just like the trench and exhaust port that proved to be the battle station's undoing in A New Hope. He even references how Luke Skywalker thought it would be just like shooting womp rats in his T-16 back home in Beggar's Canyon. Flash is so surprised he wants to have it shown at their next Christmas party.
Using Batman's Star Wars reference as inspiration, the Justice League is able to come together and create a plan to stop the invading mining colony from destroying their planet. While they didn't plan on getting trapped under all of the rocks, the pause in the fighting allows for them all to become stronger and more connected as a team, helping them win the day. They certainly didn't plan or expect for Batman to quote such an iconic saga of films. It seems to indicate that he's a fan, or at least appreciates enough of Star Wars to be able to do reference it with all the specificity that comes with mentioning womp rats. In any case, the mere idea that Batman has watched Star Wars as some point in his life is amazing, both for DC and Star Wars fans alike.