Notice! Spoilers ahead for Challengers of the Unknown #1!A foundation Justice League member is hiding a dark secret that could result in the rebirth of Darkseid. The Lord of Apokolips infamously died earlier this year, ushering in the new DC All In era. But a shocking development suggests the iconic villain lives on as an incredibly powerful hero.
In Challengers of the Unknown #1 by Christopher Cantwell and Sean Izaakse, Mister Terrific teams Challenger Ace Morgan with Superman to investigate an indestructible glass formation that has appeared on Mars. The pair arrive at the anomaly and use Clark's heat vision to pick up a piece of the strange formation, which gives Ace disturbing hallucinations.
After the pair return from their mission, Mister Fantastic orders Superman to destroy the sample, saying he fears Darkseid's anomalies have manifested within the Challengers. However, the anomaly actually appears to be in Superman, whose eyes glow like Darkseid's before.
Superman is secretly harboring Darkseid's energy
Glimpses of the future reveal that Darkseid is returning
After the multiverse was sealed, Darkseid became restless due to his power being contained in a single container. He merged with the Specter in an attempt to change the universe, but the spirit took him to the Watchtower, where he fought with the Justice League. During the fight, Darkseid's physical body was destroyed and his energy was released into the ether. The Darkseid wave caused aberrations throughout the DC Universe that the League is still investigating. But most of Darkseid's energy went to a new Earth and formed the Absolute Universea world that reflects the worst aspects of the villain.
The ramifications of Darkseid's death have not yet been fully explored, but Challengers of the Unknown #1 makes it clear that Mister Fantastic is sure it's only a matter of time before he returns (as seen in his diary). Unfortunately, Terrific appears to be right, as the issue opens with a short peek into the future, which shows Darkseid's eyes glowing menacingly as the Justice League is defeated. Even worse, Terrific has his eye on the wrong person. because a Superman controlled by Darkseid is a bomb waiting to explode.
A corrupted Superman could easily destroy the new Justice League
Mister Fantastic has his eye on the wrong person
Mister Terrific is one of the smartest people in the world, but he is missing a great danger right in front of him. If Superman was corrupted by Darkseid, then he could decimate the dramatically expanded League before anyone knew what happened. He may be weakened in his current state, but all Darkseid needs to do is influence Superman just enough to force his way through his friends and allies and most would be unable to stop him. Hopefully Mister Fantastic has a backup plan, because while Superman is under Darkseid control, all Justice League is at risk.
Challengers of the Unknown #1 is now available from DC Comics.