Justice League #41

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE DARKSEID WAR, PART ONE: GOD VS. MAN A woman returns home from a rough day, only to discover Kanto waiting for her and drinking her wine. She becomes very frightened and agitating, failing to answer his one and only question: is she Myrina Black? Annoyed by her screams, he drops her to the floor with a throwing knife. Lashina appears to confirm that this woman is not who they were looking for.   Scott Free had never been thought to be worth much. When he was seven years old, he was told that the only way to end war with Apokolips was for his father Highfather to exchange sons with the enemy leader, Darkseid. While Darkseid's son was welcomed and treated fairly, Scott was left in the slave pits of Apokolips and forgotten. It took him three years to stop crying over the torture and abandonment. It took him another to pick the lock on his cell. He got only ten feet outside the door before panicking and shutting himself back in. Another two months, and he picked the lock again, exploring further. After that, he picked his lock every night, exploring all that Apokolips had to offer before his slave masters knew he was gone. And then, one day, he didn't return to his cell.   He escaped to Earth, and took on the name of Scott Free, his given name having been simply Scot. These days, he is known more commonly as Mister Miracle. He has not spoken to his father since he was given away, and that betrayal never did stop Darkseid from waging war on New Genesis, as it happened. For that reason, Scott has returned to Apokolips, using all the skills he developed to break out in order to break in. Years ago, the Justice League ensured that Earth would be the first and only planet Darkseid attacked to avoid becoming a Parademon Factory. Since then, Darkseid has sought a way to become more powerful, so that he could return to Earth and see it done. Scott has hear rumors that Darkseid has found a source for that power, 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.   Wonder Woman had once mistaken the Justice League for gods - but they were not. She had expected, therefore, that they would have little in common. She was the only child born on an island of Amazons, once created by the gods to protect the world - but then chose to abandon it. She had been told horrible stories of man's world, but when she discovered a copy of The Story of Art by Ernst Gombrich washed up on the shores of Paradise Island, she could not tear herself away from it, and began to wonder what really lay beyond the island's confines. All of her comrades in the League had felt similar callings to seek something, whether it be truth, adventure, purpose, or justice.   The League is currently on the scene of an Boom Tube opening, having been alerted by the tech in Cyborg's body. Tracking it lead to the house of a man and woman, who are now dead. While The Flash and Batman examine crime scene surrounding the woman using their unique investigative skills, Green Lantern and Power Ring 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.   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 clearly heard him threaten the would-be assassin's life, earlier. Even so, Superman accompanies Lex to check in on Neutron, whose body has been ravaged by cancer since his powers were nullified. Unfortunately, Lex's doctors deliver a poor prognosis. He could die within a day. Grimly, Superman challenges Lex to heal the man, given that he's been bragging about his scientific prowess. With a grin, Captain Cold admits that he feels privileged to be present as Superman challenges Lex Luthor to cure cancer.   For years, Scott had tried to find anyone on Apokolips whom he could trust. He nearly died in the process of finding Himon - a rebel from New Genesis. Himon taught him that there were things worth fighting for beyond oneself, and reminded him that he was not the only one whose freedom was stolen. Much as Scott had wanted to be free of Apokolips, if others on the planet were enslaved - if he didn't stand up to Darkseid - he would never truly escape his captivity. Using a stolen Mother Box, Scott copies Darkseid's battle-files, and all of the information there is on the woman called Myrina Black. He is interrupted by Darkseid himself, who wonders why it is that Scott would wear the colors of New Genesis, a world that pretends to embody fairness. He warns Scott not to be fooled by the fact that he managed to survive the slave camps and escape Apokolips. He should not mistake himself for a free man. He never has been. Coldly, he blasts Scott's legs out from under him with his Omega Beams, and then flattens him against the floor beneath his massive heel. He warns that it does not matter if Scott discovered what he's doing. Before he can be crushed, Scott asks the Mother Box to get him to safety, and in a moment he is gone, and Darkseid is alone.   Cyborg soon learns that a Myrina Black was killed in another state, 30 minutes previously. A third one was killed in Miami ten minutes ago. There are 44 Myrina Blacks in the United States alone, the League must assume that all are targets, and protect them until they know what's happening. The Flash notes that Jessica is looking a bit uncomfortable, and wonders if she's alright, knowing she's had difficulty controlling her power ring. She explains that normally she can hear its voice whispering awful things to her, but lately it's gone quiet. She suspects it's not because she's gaining control over it so much as that it is waiting for something. Barry tries to respond with comforting words, but unexpectedly freezes in spot, as a voice claims that she has locked his frequency in order to use him as a doorway.   A woman with grey skin rips through 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, noting that despite his lack of powers, he could be troublesome, and therefore, he must hurt next. 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 up to her.   Scott emerges from the Mother Box next to the corpse of yet another Myrina Black - not the one Darkseid is seeking, apparently. He is given little time to investigate before Lashina and Kanto attack. The last time Scott saw Kanto, he had killed Himon, and will surely kill him now, if he gets a chance. For the sake of the universe, though, Scott knows he must survive.   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 hurls her into a nearby truck. In that moment of reprieve, he is surprised to see that Victor's body appears to have been growing back. Unfortunately, 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. Unfortunately, her lasso's power of truth doesn't appear to be working. Emitting beams from her own eyes, the woman responds that she is of Amazon blood, and carries on the mission they were created for. Diana, though, is a failure to the great gods, as all humans are.   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. Coldly, 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 that. 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. Unfortunately, it is only moments before his willpower is broken by her, and he cannot hold her back. Instead of him, though, the woman attacks Jessica, explaining that the ring she wears is a tether to another universe, and she hopes to use the evil power residing within it. Under her control, the ring unleashes a blast of energy that lights up the sky, as a signal that an army shall rise, and in joining the darkness, it will conquer the light. With that, the Anti-Monitor rises, as Ultraman and the Syndicate had warned he would.   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.   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 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.