Absolute Power has been delivering on being a big game changing event for the DC Universe. There have been plenty of developments that we can see will set the stage for the immediate future post-Absolute Power. One of the biggest took place in last week’s Batman #152 with the teased return of Darkeseid. How did we get here with such a massive return in an Absolute Power tie-in? Let’s break it down.
BATMAN & CATWOMAN DEADLY HEIST
During Absolute Power #2 when Nightwing took command of the remaining heroes able to fight back against Amanda Waller he gave his mentor a special mission. That mission was for Batman to use the data left by Cyborg to find where Amanda Waller had a Mother Box stored. This was all part of the bigger plan for the heroes to get their powers back and a way through Amanda Waller’s defenses.
To find and steal the Mother Box there was only one person that Batman could team-up with. That was none other than Catwoman. Since he didn’t have his normal resources Catwoman was able to create secret identities so she and Batman can infiltrate Amanda Waller’s special base located in Gamorra that the energy of the Mother Box was last seen. While their secret identities got them into the base it could not get them past the Bizarro-led Task Force X that Waller had stationed in the base.
Batman and Catwoman used all their abilities to evade Task Force X and discover a secret portal that took them to Czarnia, the home planet of Lobo. While Task Force X did follow the duo to Czarnia, Chip Zdarsky and Mike Hawthorne used this as an opportunity to showcase Batman and Catwoman’s chemistry. Without missing a beat Batma and Catwoman used their skills to make all the Task Force X members fight in their style. It was all a reminder of how even though they are no longer a full-time couple their chemistry will always be there.
DARKSEID ALL IN RETURN TEASED
In what turned out to be a double edge sword, Batman and Catwoman were indeed successful in stealing Amanda Waller’s Mother Box. This was something further confirmed in Absolute Power #3. That said, the other side of the sword came from the discovery that the Mother Box would act as a beacon for Darkseid to follow its location. That indeed happens as Darkseid immediately kills Gunsmith with his Omega Beams and forces Batman and Catwoman to immediately escape.
Darkseid’s return made way for a major revelation about Amanda Waller’s Absolute Power plans. Afterall, as Batman points out, Amanda Waller could’ve used the Mother Box to help eliminate all the heroes. But she instead chose keep the Mother Box in her possession hidden on the highly dangerous planet of Czarnia with maximum security. Even if she didn’t want to admit it Amanda Waller did at the very least view Darkseid as a threat to her plan that she would not be able to stop if he showed up. Ensuring there was no possibility of Darkseid’s arrival was a major part of her plans.
But now because of the immediate threat Amanda Waller is she forced the heroes to unintentionally set-up Darkseid’s future attack on Earth. She left the heroes no other choice as they had to get a Mother Box to defeat her and not even Batman understood the consequences of that action. It further showed how game changing Absolute Power is as there are major consequences that will be felt once all is said and done with the latest DC Universe event.
This also sets the stage for Darkseid to immediately appear right after Absolute Power ends. That in turn will be what will set-up for the next big direction for the DC Universe with All In. Having a proper lead in to DC All In does prove there was long term planning going into the direction for DC Comics future. It gives more confidence that DC All In and the launch of the Absolute Universe has been given time to plan out.
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