Darkseid War

"Justice League: The Darkseid War" is a 2015–2016 superhero comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of a central, eponymous miniseries by writer Geoff Johns and artists Gary Frank and Jason Fabok, and numerous tie-in books by various other creative teams. It is the final storyline to feature the Justice League in the 2011 New 52 continuity, before DC transitioned to the continuity of DC Rebirth. The plot involves the fulfilment of a prophecy in which the Justice League are embroiled in a war between Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor, and learns that someone else has engineered these events all for their own purposes. The storyline received critical acclaim for the engaging plot, the action, and art of Jason Fabok.

Plot summary

Prologue

The dark secret of existence is that history has been destroyed and reborn over and over, in an endless repetition. As far as Metron is concerned, this is a cycle that must end. Metron was a being that observed the events depicted in the "Crisis on Infinite Earths", "Infinite Crisis", and " Flashpoint", storylines. Metron is observing the DC Universe when he meets the Anti-Monitor.

The Anti-Monitor states that he is not going to destroy reality. Metron reminds that he has already begun, weakening reality to the point that even now, Brainiac is set on the path of causing a convergence of timelines. Metron offers a pact between the two of them. He promises that if the Anti-Monitor ceases his attempts to destroy reality, he will give up observing, and put every effort into restoring the Anti-Monitor to what he once was. Coldly, the Anti-Monitor responds that Metron does not have the power to do that, but he already knows who does. He intends to break the cycle of destruction on his own. Metron warns that if Mobius/Anti-Monitor seeks this path, he will face the wrath of Darkseid. Unexpectedly, Omega Beams destroy the Mobius chair, and the Anti-Monitor warns that he wants war with Darkseid, as his death is the key, and that Metron will bear witness to the end of the age of the New Gods. The age of the Anti-God will soon begin.

Metron looks up, to find that the one who destroyed the Mobius chair is in fact Darkseid's daughter, Grail, who seeks to see him dead.

Act One

In the present day, Scott Free has heard rumors that Darkseid has found the Anti-Life Equation, and he hopes that by infiltrating Apokolips he can learn what his adoptive father plans to do with it. Whatever he learns, he will surely need the Justice League's help again.

The Justice League (Flash, Batman, Shazam, Cyborg and Wonder Woman) are currently on the scene of a Boom Tube opening, having been alerted by the tech in Cyborg's body. Tracking it leads to the house of a man and woman, who are now dead. While The Flash and Batman examine the crime scene using their unique investigative skills, Hal Jordan and Jessica Cruz work on isolating evidence on the dead husband upstairs. From DNA on a wine glass, Barry determines that whoever was drinking from it wasn't human. In the meantime, they are left to wonder where the non-human killer went. As Cyborg tries to determine that using ashes left behind by the Boom Tube, Shazam is troubled by the fact that, ostensibly being a kid, he has never seen a dead body before.

Cyborg soon learns that 44 women named Myrina Black were killed in the United States alone, and the League must protect them until they know what's happening. The Flash notes that Jessica is looking a bit uncomfortable, and wonders if she's alright when suddenly a woman with gray skin emerges from Barry's body, and lightly grazes his chest with a scythe, just enough to draw first blood. Following the Flash, she turns her attention to Batman where she cuts into his shoulder with her scythe, and again in his back, pinning him to the ground before spotting Cyborg, in whom she recognizes the power of the Mother Box, and demands that he give it to her.

As the woman begins tearing the technology from Cyborg's unconscious body, she is surprised when Shazam grabs her from behind sending electricity coursing through her body and then throws her into a nearby truck. In that moment of reprieve, Shazam is surprised to see that Victor's body appears to have been growing back, but it is a brief reprieve, as the woman thrusts her scythe through Shazam's gut. As he writhes in the woman's grip, Wonder Woman wraps her Lasso around the woman and demands to know who she is. On her unfortune, her lasso's power of truth doesn't appear to be working and the mystery woman fights back.

Meanwhile, Superman warns Lex Luthor that he still doesn't trust him, regardless of whether even Wonder Woman does. Lex has recently moved Neutron from an A.R.G.U.S. facility to LexCorp, claiming that he will receive better care there, despite the fact that Superman had earlier heard him threaten the would-be assassin's life. Lena Luthor reports to Lex and Superman that Wonder Woman's communications have gone down, and Lex insists on going to see what happened, preparing a Kryptonite-fueled Warsuit. He explains that Kryptonite is a valuable energy source that could power all of Metropolis, were it not for the fact that doing so would prevent Superman from being in the city. Superman responds that whatever Lex says about it, he is still convinced he is a common criminal and states that he will no longer be having any association with the Justice League. Angrily, Lex blasts him with his suit, responding that Superman is not the leader of the League, so it is not for him to decide. He is also put out that superman would talk to him that way in front of his sister. Unexpectedly, Lena herself shoots Lex in the arm with a pistol, causing him to pass out. As Superman looks on with surprise, she responds that everyone hates Lex, even her.

From above the scene of the attack on the League, Green Lantern assigns Power Ring to do crowd control while he tries to distract the attacker. Green Lantern is beaten, and the mystery woman takes control of Jessica's power ring to summon the Anti-Monitor. Lena reveals that she is holding a Mother Box, and orders it to send Superman and Lex to their ends, in the name of Darkseid, the pair is sent to Apokolips.

Unable to withstand both Lashina and Kanto at once, Scott asks his own Mother Box to steal their coordinates, and evade them. He is surprised when it drops him at the feet of a huge griffin. Fortunately, its owner reminds it that Scott is not an enemy. Despite her knowing this, Scott does not recognize her. She reveals that she is Myrina Black, and she has spent decades planning a war to kill Darkseid. She offers him the opportunity to join her in that war while revealing the mystery woman that attacked the Justice League is her daughter Grail.

The League, meanwhile, has been defeated by Grail, who claims to be of Amazon blood. Having stolen the Ring of Volthoom from Power Ring, she called the Anti-Monitor to this world, and now Wonder Woman - the only among the League who is still fit to fight - steels herself for a war that has already begun. Grail welcomes her attack, but their battle is not to occur, as the Anti-Monitor slams his fist down into the Earth. In wonder, Diana asks just who he is. He responds that he is desperate, reaching out to destroy her. In that instance, a Boom Tube erupts, and Metron appears, admitting that while Grail plays the game well, he does too. In another instant, he is gone, and he has taken the League with him. Grail insists that she will get the trophies she seeks in killing the League, but the Anti-Monitor reminds her that she will only get them after she delivers her father to him. She assures him that her mother promised that the war they seek would come to pass.

Myrina Black explains to Mister Miracle that she is humanity's savior. She had once been the Amazons' chosen assassin until they abandoned the great mission they were given by the old gods. They were meant to save the world from war, and she has been doing so for a long time. While Queen Hippolyta had chosen to hide the Amazons away on Paradise Island, Myrina had refused to hide, knowing that the dark god would one day come to enslave all of the Earth's inhabitants.

In preparation for this day, she created a weapon against war by giving birth to Darkseid's own daughter. She sent Grail to traverse reality in search of a being with the power to kill Darkseid, and she found the Anti-Monitor. The war against Darkseid will now take place with Earth as its battleground. Incredulously shocked by Myrinda's action, Scott realizes that billions of innocents will die. Unmoved, Myrina responds that war always comes at a cost - and Darkseid must die at any price. Scott's insistence that innocent lives are more important than her cause leads Myrina to turn on him. She thrusts her spear into his side. Emitting a bright light from his hand, Scott manages to blind her long enough to order his Mother Box to take him to friends.

Recovering, the League finds themselves at the feet of Metron and his Mobius Chair. Shazam recognizes their surroundings as the Rock of Eternity, and Metron explains that he brought them to it because it is hidden from the view of the New Gods. Green Lantern claims that Metron cannot be trusted, having dealt with him once in the past. Metron insists that he was only observing the attack on Oa, as he has observed the League save the world many times. This time, though, he states, there is no saving it. He warns the League to go to their loved ones, and then leave the Earth if they wish to survive. Wonder Woman reminds Metron that he should already know by observing them that they will not do that, she demands to know who the monster she saw was. Casually, Metron responds that this was the Anti-Monitor, but his story is forbidden to them. Frustratedly, she wraps her Lasso around him and asks to know how she can get the information she needs to stop the Anti-Monitor. Metron resists the Lasso's power, but her force of will causes him to let slip that the only way to get the answers to her questions is to take the Mobius Chair from him.

With that knowledge, Diana yanks Metron from his seat, and the unstable chair begins preparing to Boom away. Without hesitation, Batman sits on the chair to stop it from doing so, but the power that surges through him, as a result, is greater than expected. Finally, the surge calms, and Batman realizes that he can hear the answers to everything. Testing it, he asks who killed his parents. The answer is, as he already knows, Joe Chill. As another test, he asks the Joker's real name - but the answer he receives troubles him. Worriedly, Green Lantern points out that Batman can barely master a power ring, and the chair is surely worse. Diana asks if Batman is alright, and he responds assuredly that he is fine.

While fighting against Parademons in Apokolips, Lex Luthor realizes that the air is killing Superman, which is causing him to bleed. Hal Jordan is uneasy about Batman being in the Mobius Chair, but Batman assures him he's okay. Mister Miracle arrives in front of the heroes and tells them that he needs their help. The heroes (with the exception of Batman) confront Anti-Monitor and Grail once more when suddenly Darkseid and his army of Parademons as well as DaSaad, Kalibak, and Steppenwolf appear. Superman and Lex Luthor are confronted by Parademons, and Lex realizes that Superman needs to have his body recharged, and the fiery pits of Apokolips are the only thing that can recharge Superman, and Lex throws him in the pit. Just before Lex is killed, Superman arrives in a negative form, saying he should have killed him a long time ago.

Batman and Green Lantern go to the Crime Syndicate's world (since the villains have encountered Anti-Monitor in the past) to find it burning and destroyed. Green Lantern asks Batman if he's okay; Bruce says he's fine but insults Green Lantern by saying the power ring is the only special thing about him. Superman, corrupted by Apokolips, tells Lex Luthor that all those fights they had were him holding back, and knocks Lex out before leaving Apokolips. Grail blinds Kalibak, and Darkseid summons the Black Racer to heavily injure the Anti-Monitor. Green Lantern and Batman go to the center of the anti-matter universe and realize that Anti-Monitor is Mobius, the one who created the Mobius Chair. The Anti-Monitor uses the Anti-Life Equation to force the Flash to fuse with the Black Racer, and the fused Flash-Black Racer kills Darkseid.

Act Two: After Death

Having killed Darkseid, the Anti-Monitor cocoons himself in a shell of energy, and separates himself from the Anti-Life Equation, which is then obtained by Grail. Shortly afterward, he emerges from his shell changed into a more human-looking form, once again Mobius, but still possessing vast power and legions of Shadow Demons. With Darkseid gone, suddenly all the heroes become corrupt. The Flash-Black Racer returns to the team, saying he is the God of Death. Superman nearly beats Lex Luthor to death while proclaiming himself as the God of Strength. Shazam gets corrupted by the New Gods (who are angry at Darkseid's death) and he becomes the God of Gods, and leaves. Lex Luthor wanders around Apokolips, and falls in the fiery pits, becoming the God of Apokolips.

Wonder Woman seeks the Crime Syndicate's help, as they have dealt with the Anti-Monitor before, while Myrinda Black meets up with Grail. Grail tells her mother that she was after the Anti-Life Equation, and becomes the Goddess of the Anti-Life.

Act Three: Gods of Justice

A corrupted Superman tries fighting Wonder Woman, while Mister Miracle finds an imprisoned Ultraman for his advice and help. Ultraman reveals he is weakened because he needs kryptonite, and Anti-monitor is planning to kill everyone. Jessica Cruz's power ring finally corrupts her and she turns into Power Ring. Wonder Woman calms Superman by reminding him who he is; Batman and Hal Jordan appear in front of them. Batman explains to Superman, that the Apokolips energy Superman absorbed is killing him by breaking down his cellular structure. Mister Miracle's wife Big Barda arrives and tells him that Power Ring just freed the rest of the imprisoned Crime Syndicate, including a pregnant Superwoman. Power Ring corrupts Cyborg, turning him into the Grid (a sentient computer virus in a robot body made from Cyborg

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