Warning! Spoilers ahead for DC All In Special #1!Big changes have come to the DC Universe and it all starts with the untimely death of the infamous supervillain Darkseid. The heroes may have survived Absolute powerBut they face a bigger challenge as the death of Apokolips’ lord brings massive consequences.
For months now, fans have eagerly anticipated DC All In, a massive line-wide initiative that promised major shakeups to continuity. Nothing got fans talking like the Absolute Universe, a brand new addition to DC’s multiverse that features dramatically different versions of iconic heroes like Batman and Superman. But what are all these shifts to DC’s continuity and what role does Darkseid play going forward?
Darkseid’s death leads to the formation of the Absolute Universe
“Darkseid ends“Just to start again
in DC All In Special #1 By Joshua Williamson, Scott Snyder, Daniel Sampere, Wes Craig, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, Alejandro Sánchez and Steve Wands, the multiverse is sealed in the wake of Absolute power And Darkseid was feeling more restless than ever. Determined to find answers, he constructs a miracle machine and sacrifices his own son Kalibak to power it. He then searches high and low throughout the DC Universe, venturing to Heaven and Hell Find the one person who can give him the answers Darkseid is looking for.
Don’t forget to read DC’s summer events Absolute power Before checking out DC All In Special #1!
It’s not until Darkseid reaches the dark side of the moon that he finds what he’s looking for: the Spectre. Darkseid finally uses his miracle machine to forcefully bond with the Spectre, making the New God the living embodiment of death. After transporting the fused pair to the Justice League’s watchtower, the Specter fights back, telling Darkseid that his uneasiness is because his power is concentrated in one place rather than being distributed throughout the multiverse. Impatient for the return of the multiverse, Darkseid allows the Specter to be torn from him, His last words were “Thank you… Darkseid ends.“.
Darkseid’s physical body is destroyed, but his energy spreads across space and latches onto the Elseworld, a young Earth not cut off from the multiverse. The once empty slate world now radiates the same energy that is Darkseid, and although the Justice League cannot see it for themselves, Darkseid’s energy has shaped the Elseworld into a land built on disaster. As the timeline begins to solidify, the ultimate versions of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman begin to emerge, though Darkseid says on his world, hope will have to burn brighter than ever to survive.
What influence did Darkseid have on DC’s new Absolute Universe?
A world reflecting the tyrannical ideal of Darkseid
There is so much that is unknown about DC Comics’ new universe so far, but luckily, various creators involved with the absolute projects have given fans a solid idea. When Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder first discussed DC All In, the latter revealed that the Absolute Universe was built on ‘Darkseid energy’ in the same way that the Prime Universe was built on Superman. As such, the Absolute Universe is one where heroes are not the guiding forcesBut rather the underdogs in a world where turmoil challenges hope at every corner.
… While Darkseid’s energy was previously spread to other universes, the Absolute Universe is now the sole source of his power…
Although the new world has familiar heroes, these icons lack the creature comforts that their prime counterparts and many of their variants have. Batman lacks the finances and privileged upbringing while Wonder Woman misses her Amazonian sister and was raised in Hell instead of Paradise Island. Not to mention Absolute Superman didn’t get the upbringing that shaped his humanity on most other worlds. Although These heroes are missing elements that generally define Wonder Woman, Superman and BatmanThe heart of them remains the same.
You have to remember, this is a world that reflects Darkseid, a being who sought the subjugation of his whole life during Aion. And the Elseworld, while part of the larger DC Omniverse, is a separate world that was young and impressionable (not to mention not cut off like the rest of the multiverse). When Darkseid ‘died’, his energy had nowhere to go but the universe. So while Darkseid’s energy was previously spread to other universes, the Absolute Universe is now the sole source of his power, Allowing Darkseid to shape the world into one that suits his desires.
What does Darkseid’s death mean for the Absolute and Prime worlds?
DC’s heroes must go all in during the New Era
Although fans expected that Darkseid would die and that his death would trigger the creation of the Absolute Universe, things are not what they seem. yes”Darkseid ends“is a fantastic line to walk on, but it doesn’t necessarily mean death, at least not in the way many would expect. As a New God (and a literal force of nature), something like Darkseid doesn’t so much die as transform.” . When the evil one said “Darkseid ends“, what he really meant is that the being he was endless And that something even worse happened.
To be clear, Darkseid doesn’t just have a planet, he has his own separate reality that reflects his dark and oppressive ideals. Yes, it has heroes, but the absolute versions of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman are at a serious disadvantage. Not to mention Darkseid shows up with his own version ofThe Legion of Super-Heroes in DC All In Special #1Shows just how much his essence penetrates the new world. With the multiverse cut off, there are only two worlds that matter: the Absolute Universe and Prime Earth, and Darkseid won’t just stop with one world.
Darkseid’s ‘death’ is the most important moment of the DC Universe
Darkseid’s rebirth is just the beginning
luckily, Absolute power was a lesson in how much teamwork and communication is needed between DC’s heroes and it resulted in a dramatically expanded Justice League. But that won’t be enough. Darkseid has created a mirror world undoubtedly filled with the toughest threats the DC Universe has ever seen. Collaboration will be important, yes, but the prime heroes can’t do it alone. If the Justice League wants to defeat Darkseid’s universe, They will need to work together with the heroes of the Absolute Universe.
DC’s heroes have faced adversity before, but never in such a big way. Darkseid’s world may have just begun, an entire universe shaped by Darkseid’s will will result in one of the most powerful armies he has ever had. The only way that the Justice League and every hero will survive that is on the horizon is by going all in, working between themselves and their counterparts in the Absolute Universe. Otherwise, Darkseid’s Death could be the beginning of the DC Universe’s final end.
DC All In Special #1 is available now from DC Comics.