How did Hal Jordan lose his way?
How come none of the other heavy hitters were able to stop Superman?
Now were in the middle ofInjustice 2, a prequel comic showing whats happened in-between the two games.
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1.
The friendship between Superman and Batman fell to pieces over disagreements and backstabbing.
Superman chose to confront Batman, mostly as an excuse to vent.
From there, things calmed down and in one moment, we were reminded that they were friends.
The problem is, Superman is supposed to be better.
This issue dealt with him second-guessing Supermans actions for the first time.
In Australia, a group of people protested Supermans insistence to keep countries from going to war or else.
He got Rock Bottomd into the pavement in a second.
It was the place where Galaxon was engineered.
Batman is an asshole and does some really scummy stuff.
Cyborg would initiate the doors and Flash would run off with the prisoners.
Once he finally came to his senses, he couldnt understand it.
He just updated his firewalls and theres no way Batman could have infected him.
Then Cyborg realized that Batman infected him with the virus onthe first week they met.
In the background, Killer Croc noted, Thats pretty evil.
Batman pulled crap like that a lot in the first year.
A man not known for listening to reason, he fought the heroes, who eventually overpowered him.
In a moment of, How did nobody else thing of this before?!
Wonder Woman proved that she is Black Adams kryptonite.
All she had to do was get him in the lasso and ask him what his magic words are.
Shazam tried to plead with him and asked him point blank if there was any way to stop him.
He couldnt be swayed.
Then he transformed into a powerless old man and was taken off the table untilYear Five.
Kalibak completely underestimated Supermans mindset in this act and paid for it.
I dont think Taylor thought that far ahead.
Anyway, Robin was all, No way, were doing this!
Get Superman a Twitter account!
Or at least an off-brand one that we can use in this comic!
While goofy, it did lead to a wonderful follow-up scene.
A short list of irreplaceable things to take with him in case Batmans identity was blown.
His mothers pearls, fathers stethoscope, etc.
Batman thanked Alfred and suggested that perhaps he should remain at the mansion, but Alfred refused.
After all, he was on the top of the list!
GREEN ARROWS DEATH (Y1: #33-34)
It all led up to this moment.
Superman didnt simply lose his way overnight.
The incident escalated and it seemed like everything was against Superman, including fate.
His friends betrayed him.
His government betrayed him.
The current love of his life Wonder Woman was critically injured.
He was almost killed by Captain Atom.
Batman wouldnt stop trying to undermine him.
After he flew off to find Batman, the three moped about their failures as parents.
Superman caught him and decided that he wouldnt kill Batman.
Instead, he broke him over his knee, Bane-style.
Before Superman could process this, a hand touched his shoulder.
Then Alfred buried his forehead into Supermans nose.
Alfred verbally ran down Superman while stomping him so hard that his own shoe exploded into leather pieces.
The moment this issue came out, readers were clamoring for an Alfred Pennyworth DLC in the game.
Due to the whole Kalibak incident, Darkseid hired him to take out Superman.
One thing led to another and soon Harley had ingested one of the super pills.
Then Harley used her psychological assets to convince Lobo that she was beneath him and he moved on.
In one instance, he took the original girls in refrigerators moment and turned it on its head.
Kyle Rayner was off doing space adventures and was on his way to go meet his girl.
The horrifying way he and his Sinestro Corps took Kyle apart was genuinely sad and just a little scary.
This didnt sit well for Commissioner Gordon.
He walked over to one of Oracles secret hideouts and told her he knew everything.
He knew about Batgirl.
He knew about Oracle.
He knew Batman was Bruce Wayne.
He knew from the very beginning because he was a detective and he was damn good at his job.
With Hal Jordan kept imprisoned, the Oans sent a bunch of Lanterns to Earth to pick a fight.
Without Superman being able to even think right, the Man of Steel was theres for the taking.
Harley stopped once Canary started vomiting, realizing she was suffering morning sickness and was pregnant with Ollies child.
She casually let it slip that she too was once pregnant and Dinah pressed the subject until Harley relented.
Years ago, she was pregnant with the Jokers kid.
Its rare to get a good scene that really gets the Joker/Harley relationship without feeling icky.
Taylor made sure that it wasnt just one thing making his turn to darkness a simple on-off switch.
Flying in from space, Despero crashed into a populated building in Chicago.
before snapping Desperos neck out of supposed self-defense.
Hal believed every second of it.
Then they went all, No, were not anti-gay!
Were just anti-marriage in general!
when everyone made a stink about it?
Batman took to the radio to give a big speech about sacrifice and heroism and all that.
Hed bring up family and wed see Barbara and James Gordon saying their goodbyes.
Hed bring up friends and wed see Harvey Bullock getting drunk by himself.
It was never referenced again.
Guy tried to reason with him, but Hal was firmly on Supermans side.
Desperate, Hal begged Sinestro to save Carol, but Sinestro refused.
We need you in this war.
With a yellow ring offered, Hal joined Sinestros brand and rescued Carol.
A few issues later, Sinestro killed John Stewart and told Hal that Guy was accidentally responsible.
Sinestro took out three of the Earth Lanterns in one year while turning the other to his side.
Cyborg was tracing Oracles signal and was going to figure out her location in moments.
As he and Luthor discussed, taking the super pill didnt aid Gordons health.
It only made the cancer stronger.
He enjoyed the peaceful view from above Earth and spoke to Barbara and Batman through his communicator.
He said his goodbyes, ending with the joke, Batman.
I guess…I guess I disappear on you for once, before collapsing.
Hell, since the moment Superman snapped and killed Ollie.
Superman saw the Batwing flying towards him and figured it was Batman.
With her sonic scream, she was able to paralyze Superman while spiking him into the ground.
When they got up, she shot him in the chest with a kryptonite bullet.
Yep, all was looking peachy as she kicked the crap out of him.
One of the empty rings flew to him and helped him remove the kryptonite bullet from his chest.
He critically wounded Canary with his heat vision and showed off his badass new Sinestro Corps threads.
Still, Canary had the last laugh.
She had special contact lenses that allowed her to record the entire fight.
No longer would Superman be able to use media smoke and mirrors to play off his actions as heroic.
The world knew what he really was.
Black Canary was never going to stop Superman.
Guy Gardner was never going to stop Sinestro.
James Gordon wasnt going to survive.
That meant that the moment Dinah Lance targeted Superman, she was doomed.
Fate, who had only made a couple minor appearances prior, decided that he couldnt let this stand.
Dinah woke up in another world.
Perhaps they could connect.
But they and baby Connor had a chance to be happy and be safe from Supermans wrath.
Well see more of those guys later.
Early on, John Constantine hooked up with Batman and Detective Chimp.
Driven around by Constantines buddy Chas, the group made their way to where Raven was being held captive.
That was just enough for them to lose their minds laughing.
Batman yelled at them, but Detective Chimp told him to calm down.
Oh, come on.
Im a talking chimpanzee and youre a grown man in a bat suit.
Let them have this.
He ranted about how Batman could barely walk and was completely useless in this situation.
Batman proceeded to punch him in the face.
When Constantine got up and saw what Batman was doing, he smirked.
Bollocks the size of coconuts.
Riling him up was his plan all along.
WHERE IS CORRIGAN?!
Spectres host was NOT Corrigan.
Spectre gave a devious smile and then killed Deadman.
Coincidentally, Madam Xanadu read some fortunes earlier that included mention that the Joker would return in some form.
How does the Spectre get a human host?
Through finding one who had been murdered.
He injured Sinestro, causing Hal to escape with his partner.
That left Superman and Etrigan to battle it out.
With Superman in close quarters, Etrigan then transformed into his new host form: BATMAN.
Batman sprayed Superman with something that appeared to be sprinkles of a Black Mercy plant laced with magic.
Whatever it was, it knocked Superman into a coma.
He spent the last two issues of his run showing this version of Supermans fantasy reality.
We got to see the Jokers plan thwarted.
Then it was Batman who chose to kill the Joker as a self-sacrifice so Superman didnt have to.
Supermans daughter Lara grew up and talked her father out of a world where they ran everything.
She brought peace to Earth.
Lois went on to become President.
Batman married Wonder Woman.
It was a good life.
The issue ended with Superman almost acknowledging to the reader that this wasnt going to last.
But he and Lois made the most of it.
This meant that Superman had to take on one of the Greeks representatives in a trial by combat.
Eventually, Wonder Woman came out the winner, only to be interrupted by Sinestro.
Theres a darkness in you, Bruce.
I dont understand it…and I dont ever want to.
Even inInjustice 2, he appears to just be a playable non-factor.
Exiled from Earth, Superman flew to Apokalips to throw down with the DC big bad.
Supermans death would still only be a possibility.
Darkseid knew that it wasnt worth continuing with and yielded to Supermans demand to stay away from Earth.
Plas confronted the Justice League and openly smack-talked the group for being a bunch of fascist monsters.
Plas went on to not only rescue Offspring, but also a whole bunch of Green Lanterns and supervillains.
Then he decided to lay low for a little while and let the real heroes figure this out.
Unfortunately, his unfinished clone escaped containment and found himself in Germany, confused and naked.
A tailor took him in to feed him, clothe him, and help him remember his identity.
He demanded the tailor fix it, thereby giving us Bizarros trademark outfit.
Due to misunderstandings and outbursts, Bizarro killed dozens of people and lost his only friend in the Trickster.
ByYear Five, Superman had become desperate and impatient.
The series was winding down and Alfred certainly wasnt around in the game.
Superman was left angry and red-eyed.
He did have Alfred murdered, but he wasnt the one to do it.
Even then, I strongly enjoyed this segment where they crossed paths.
In this universe, Mongul spends his time chilling out on a throne made of skulls and treasure.
Hawkman entered Monguls domain so he could get his kryptonite ring.
He agreed to the terms and the two viscerally beat the crap out of each other for thirty seconds.
Mongul got the advantage and with two seconds left, it was questionable whether Hawkman would survive.
Soon after, he reappeared on Earth, brandishing a kryptonite mace.
In return, they became strongly loyal to her as well.
In this expanded story, Joker took over most of the Joker Clan and killed one of Harleys buddies.
True Superman proceeded to take down Black Adam and Sinestro before silently shaming Yellow Lantern into removing his ring.
Then Doomsday tackled him.
Harley briefly explained her transformation to Superman, but the incoming Doomsday cut their conversation short.
Not only did she deserve comeuppance, but she was in a narrative that would fully allow it.
Harley laughed at the fact that someone would kidnap her becauseof courseBatman would look into it.
Batman did finally arrive, but with a twist.
A red-eyed imposter gunned down Waller and Rick Flagg to take over the Suicide Squad.
Its always Red Hood.
THE PROPOSAL (Injustice 2 #4)
Remember that big thing where Dr. Several years later, the two were doing pretty great, all things considered.
Fate brought them to theInjusticeworld and Batman intended to have them help him put society back in working order.
Technically, so would Canary, since they were married.
WithInjustice 2, Superman is still in captivity, so in captivity he will stay.
Hes barely in the story at all.
Batman told him to listen to the voice in his head and stop.
When Superman made a go at Batman, he got brain-stabbed and passed out.
Ras decided to push Harley towards his genocidal agenda by holding her secret daughter (remember her?)
Cooler heads did prevail and it led to something that was long overdue.
See, Harley is the anti-Superman in this story.
Shes the horrible villain who became a hero.
The Max Damage to his Plutonian (look it up if you dont know).
Of course Joker wouldnt succeed.
They were up against the goddamn Superman.
As Ras best put it, He didnt save Metropolis, Miss Quinzel.
He didnt save his wife.
He didnt save his child.
And he cant save you from what you did.
Sometime later, Booster and Jaime were confronted by Teds lawyer and a holographic will.
Booster would no longer live with the deep-seeded guilt of being a thief.
Alfred has since remained in Wayne Manor, gradually regaining himself.
Plastic Man and Offspring ultimately agreed to join the other heroes once they realized what they were up against.
You know, to figure out Ras Al Ghuls plan.
Wildcat showed up to keep Killer Batman busy as the others left.
Brought a gun to a fistfight.
You ******* coward.
Shocked, Harley jokingly referred to the boy as Green Canary.
Keep in mind, Kara had yet to really master being a Kryptonian on Earth.
She just figured out the whole flying thing.
Once it was discovered that Kara was out to spring Diana, it led to an Amazon civil war.
These bonds were made to hold gods.
I guess its lucky Im not a god.
Catwoman had heard about the incident back when she was a member of the Regime and made Batman aware.
Naturally, Batman and his allies went to the Fortress of Solitude to free the teen heroes.
He offered to fight the good fight alongside Batman as partners once more and Batman happily shook his hand.
Batman and Robin together again.
Then General Zod, escaping from the portal, blasted Red Robin through the chest with his heat vision.
Just because the post-Injusticeworld is a more positive one doesnt mean that the heroes are immune to heartbreaking disaster.
An incredibly pissed off Batman left to seek out a very special anti-Kryptonian weapon he created.
Needing a retinal scan, password, and drop of blood to activate, Batman unleashed a badass mech.
The same kryptonite fear gas used on Superman.
Free Kryptonian heart to save Superboy!
After all, he was surrounded by talking gorillas, a crocodile man, and a half-man/half-bat creature.
Deadshot noticed Orca coming over and joked that things were about to get stranger.
He was right, as Orca came over to tell Croc that she was pregnant before walking away.
Croc calmly responded to the bewildered looks of his teammates who didnt know that the two were an item.
Then he slammed Deadshot into a wall after one too many jokes.
Later on, Grodds gorilla army went to war with Solovars.
The Suicide Squad sided with Solovar and during the mayhem, a gorilla tried to sneak up on Orca.
Croc bit his head off.
Then they made out while Deadshot and Boomerang were all weirded out.
