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During the League's public debut ceremony, a giant bomb goes off underneath the podium. The explosion kills many innocents including Andre Briggs, Emerson Esposito and Rocket Red. [[Beatriz da Costa

Breakdown is a Justice League International storyline published as part of The New 52. The story is written by Dan Jurgens and illustrated by Aaron Lopresti, the second arc in their Justice League International volume. Following their debut in The Signal Masters, it concludes their run and the team's adventures. Its title is a reference to Breakdowns, the story that ended the JLI's original run.

Synopsis

During the League's public debut ceremony, a giant bomb goes off underneath the podium. The explosion kills many innocents including Andre Briggs, Emerson Esposito and Rocket Red. Fire, Ice and Vixen are hospitalized while the rest of the team struggle to save lives. Booster Gold is attacked at the hospital by a super-villain named Lightweaver.[1] Batwing appears to aid him, having been called in for extra help by Batman. The super-villain is revealed as a terrorist named Breakdown, having recruited Lightweaver and a girl named Intersek to his anti-establishment cause. The team is officially disbanded by the U.N. and told they're a danger to the populace. While they're regrouping, the monster OMAC blindsides them.[2] He is under the control of Intersek, but they break her hold and he joins the team. OMAC is hoping that Batman can restore his humanity, having helped create the technology that transformed him. Breakdown enlists a teleporter named Crosscut. Traveling to the Eiffel Tower to prevent an unrelated attack, the League meet Firestorm.[3] They assist him in taking down a group of rogue Firestorms, alongside Firehawk and Hurricane.[4]

Hunting down the terrorists, they find Breakdown plotting another attack with his henchman. Breakdown explains their anti-government motives, and reveals their name as the Burners. The League nearly succeeds in taking them down, but are defeated by Intersek's control over technology.[5] The Burners stage a public execution on the Hall of Justice steps. Despite the strength of their holds, they underestimate OMAC and he breaks everyone free. In the ensuing battle, the League wins and Lightweaver is shot dead by the military. August General punches Breakdown so hard that he explodes into pulp.[6] Holding a private funeral for Rocket Red, they're attacked by Lightweaver's brother who is seeking revenge. Batman stops him, then talks him down from the grief of losing a loved one. Despite having been disbanded, the team decides to continue their mission so that Rocket Red will not have died in vain. Believing in them, Batman secures financial backing and gives them a new headquarters.[7]

The team gets back on track and they regain U.N. approval. Booster decides to expand the team, inviting Blue Beetle and the Olympian. Guy Gardner quits over disagreements with Booster. OMAC is possessed by Brother Eye again, who everyone thought was destroyed. He devastates the team and teleports Beetle back to the Reach, claiming he is under the control of a new programmer. Booster is the last one conscious and manages to purge Brother Eye, reverting OMAC to his human form. Booster's future-self enters the clubhouse as an A.R.G.U.S. agent working with time traveler Rip Hunter. He insists that Superman and Wonder Woman must be stopped, then fades away into nothingness with present-day Booster following. Batman has a private meeting with Brother Eye, who swears that his new programmer will destroy him.[8]

Issues

Notes

OMAC Kevin Kho 0012

OMAC is cancelled.

  • OMAC's appearance in this storyline is following the cancellation of his own series.[9] Having concluded due to low sales on Omactivate!, his character was moved to a more popular series.[2] This was unfortunate given that Justice League International would be canceled four issues later.[7] The series' writer Dan DiDio returned to tie up plot-threads as a co-writer in JLI's finale issue.[8]

Recommended Reading

Links and References


JLA New World Order TP
Justice League Storyline
This event or storyline is specifically related to the Justice League of America, or to any other incarnations of the Justice League. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the Justice League Storylines category.
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