Justice League (Volume 2) #40 is an issue of the series Justice League (Volume 2) with a cover date of June, 2015. It was published on April 29, 2015.
Synopsis for "The Darkseid War: Prologue"
The dark secret of existence is that history has been destroyed and reborn over and over, in an endless repetition. As far as Metron is concerned, this is a cycle that must end.
Wilson Morgan was one of those infected by the Amazo Virus, recently, but he was also one of the few who retained his metahuman abilities after it was cured. When his neighbor's daughter was kidnapped at gunpoint, he took it upon himself to track her down. Because he is just an ordinary man, though - despite his powers - he is shot when he tries to save her. And in dying, he gains the ability to see Metron. He cares little for the plight of this dying man, knowing that a great war is on the horizon, and if it is not stopped, it will cause history to unravel again - but this time, reality may not be stable enough to survive that unravelling. Without a reality to observe, Metron loses his purpose. Though he has been forbidden to interfere, he has disobeyed in the past.
The first time he broke his word was long ago, in another place, when the worlds of Apokolips and New Genesis were in conflict. He used his Mobius Chair to intervene and parlay with Darkseid of Apokolips. He suggested that Darkseid and his enemy Highfather each exchange a son, to deter them from waging war against one another. Darkseid warned that he would not cease, even with a son on New Genesis, but Metron reminded that it would at least prevent the more caring Highfather from waging war on Apokolips. Darkseid agreed.
Highfather was not as eager to give up any of his sons, but Metron lied, saying it was the only way to stop the war. Overhearing their conversation, young Scott Free begged Highfather not to choose him, but it was he who went to Apokolips in the end - and Metron knew that despite his sacrifice, many would still die. While Darkseid's son Orion was a beast to be tamed, Scott suffered greatly in the slave camps. All the same, the pact had been made, and Scott's survival was irrelevant in the long run, as long as war was averted.
There was peace, but some years later, Metron was shaken by a vision of the end. The Anti-Monitor had risen, with the power to consume universes - and for the first time, reality itself was threatened. Universes fell in the crisis that followed. Sacrifices were made, and in the end, all things imploded. Through the efforts of a few, the disparate universes were reborn as one. That world was a wonder for Metron to observe, unobstructed, for a time.
But there were more threats to come. One threatened to consume history, taking time apart and putting it back together in a new way. Another resulted in the return of the Multiverse. Yet another saw reality remade when the The Flash fought his greatest enemy, and caused time itself to rupture in a flashpoint.
Despite existence's rebirth through that event, reality has yet to solidify and stabilize. Metron suspects that he that threatens reality now knows that, as he approaches him on the ruined remains of Earth 3. The Anti-Monitor has returned, though Metron knows him best by the name Mobius. Fortunately, Metron is protected from his anti-matter attacks by the Mobius chair - a chair which the Anti-Monitor had once sat upon, long before Metron took it. Grimly, Metron admits that while he has always been witness, and Mobius has always been destroyer, the rebirth process is in jeopardy, and reality cannot survive another crisis.
The Anti-Monitor states that he is not going to destroy reality. Metron reminds that he has already begun, weakening reality to the point that even now, Brainiac is set on the path of causing a convergence of timelines. Metron offers a pact between the two of them. He promises that if the Anti-Monitor ceases his attempts to destroy reality, he will give up observing, and put every effort into restoring the Anti-Monitor to what he once was. Coldly, the Anti-Monitor responds that Metron does not have the power to do that, but he already knows who does. He intends to break the cycle of destruction on his own. He has already found the way. Metron warns that if Mobius seeks this path, he will face the wrath of Darkseid. Unexpectedly, Omega Beams destroy the Mobius chair, and warns that he wants war with Darkseid. His death is the key to all, and despite losing his conveyance, Metron will bear witness to the end of the age of the New Gods. The age of the Anti-God will soon begin.
Metron looks up, to find that the one who destroyed the Mobius chair is in fact Darkseid's daughter, who seeks to see him dead.
Appearing in "The Darkseid War: Prologue"
Featured Characters:
- Metron (Post-Flashpoint) (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- New Gods (Post-Flashpoint) (Flashback only)
- Darkseid (Flashback only)
- Parademons (Flashback only)
- Highfather (Flashback only)
- Genesisians (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Orion (Flashback only)
- Scot (First appearance) (Flashback only)
- Steppenwolf (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Darkseid (Flashback only)
Antagonists:
- Grail (Post-Flashpoint) (First appearance; unnamed) (Cameo)
- History of the Multiverse Flashback
- Alexander Luthor, Jr. (Earth-Three) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- The Anti-Monitor (Pre-Crisis) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Extant/Hank Hall (Pre-Flashpoint) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Parallax/Hal Jordan (Pre-Flashpoint) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Reverse-Flash/Eobard Thawne (Pre-Flashpoint) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Superboy-Prime (Earth-Prime) (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Mobius the Anti-Monitor (Post-Flashpoint)
Other Characters:
- Brainiac (Futures End) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Blood Moon Captives (On a TV or computer screen) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Earth-One characters
- Earth-Four characters
- Earth-S characters
- Earth-Three characters
- Earth-Two characters
- Pre-Flashpoint characters
- Blood Moon Captives (On a TV or computer screen) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- The Forgotten People of Apokolips (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- History of the Multiverse Flashback (Flashback only)
- Crisis on Infinite Earths characters
- Adam Strange (Earth-One)
- Air Wave (Earth-One)
- Animal Man (Earth-One)
- Batman (Earth-One)
- Blue Beetle (Earth-Four)
- Blue Devil (Earth-One)
- B'wana Beast (Earth-One)
- Captain Atom (Earth-Four)
- Captain Comet (Earth-One)
- The Creeper (Earth-One)
- Cryll (Earth-One)
- Doctor Light/Kimiyo Hoshi (Earth-One)
- Doom Patrol (Earth-One)
- Dove/Don Hall (Earth-One)
- Firehawk (Earth-One)
- Firestorm/Ronnie Raymond (Earth-One)
- Freedom Fighters (Earth-X)
- Global Guardians (Earth-One)
- Harlequin (Earth-Two)
- Hawk/Hank Hall (Earth-One)
- Hawkman (Earth-One)
- Heroes of Lallor (Pre-Zero Hour)
- Inferior Five (Earth-Twelve)
- Infinity, Inc. (Earth-Two)
- Jemm, Son of Saturn (Earth-One)
- Johnny Quick (Earth-Two)
- Justice League of America/Justice League Detroit (Earth-One)
- Justice Society of America (Earth-Two)
- Kid Devil (Earth-Two)
- Lady Quark (Earth-Six)
- Legion of Substitute Heroes (Pre-Zero Hour)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Pre-Zero Hour)
- Marvel Family (Earth-S)
- Metal Men (Earth-One)
- Metron (Pre-Crisis)
- New Teen Titans (Earth-One)
- Nightshade (Earth-Four)
- Outsiders (Earth-One)
- Pariah/Kell Mossa (Pre-Crisis)
- Peacemaker (Earth-Four)
- Peter Cannon (Earth-Four)
- Phantom Stranger (Earth-One)
- Plastic Man (Earth-One)
- Sargon the Sorcerer (Earth-Two)
- Son of Vulcan (Earth-Four)
- Space Ranger/Richard Starr (Earth-One)
- The Spectre/Jim Corrigan (Earth-Two)
- Stripesy (Earth-Two)
- Sunburst (Earth-One)
- Super-Chief (Earth-One)
- Superman (Earth-One)
- The Thunderbolt (Earth-Two)
- Ultraa (Earth-Prime)
- Valda (Earth-One)
- Warlord/Travis Morgan (Earth-One)
- Wonder Woman (Earth-One)
- Wonder Woman (Earth-Two)
- Zatanna (Earth-One)
- Zatara (Earth-One)
- Zero Hour characters
- Infinite Crisis characters
- Batman (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Cheetah (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Chronos (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Deathstroke/Slade Wilson (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Fastball (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Firehawk (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Green Lantern/Hal Jordan (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Green Lantern/John Stewart (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Halo (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Man-Bat/Robert Langstrom (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Martian Manhunter (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Mary Marvel/Mary Batson (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Professor Zoom/Hunter Zolomon (Pre-Flashpoint)
- The Riddler (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Robin/Tim Drake (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Shining Knight/Ystina (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Sinestro (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Skorpio (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Stargirl (Pre-Flashpoint)
- S.T.R.I.P.E. (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Vanguard (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Wildcat/Ted Grant (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Wonder Girl/Cassie Sandsmark (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Wonder Woman/Diana of Themyscira (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Flashpoint characters
- The Flash/Barry Allen (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Justice League (Post-Flashpoint)
- Power Girl (Earth-Two)
- Superman (Earth-Two)
- Superman (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Crisis on Infinite Earths characters
- Wilson Morgan (Post-Flashpoint) (First full appearance) (Dies)
- Wilson Morgan's murderer (Post-Flashpoint) (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Cameo)
- Wilson Morgan's neighbor (Post-Flashpoint) (Single appearance) (Unnamed) (Cameo)
- Amazo (Post-Flashpoint) (Mentioned only)
- Angels (Post-Flashpoint) (Mentioned only)
- Crime Syndicate (Earth 3) (Mentioned only)
- MPD (Post-Flashpoint) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Hypertime
- Blood Moon (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Fawcett City of Earth-S (On a TV or computer screen) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Gotham City of Earth-One (On a TV or computer screen) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Hub City of Earth-Four (On a TV or computer screen) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Metropolis of Earth-Three (On a TV or computer screen) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Metropolis of Earth-Two (On a TV or computer screen) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Metropolis of New Earth (Pre-Flashpoint) (On a TV or computer screen) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Metropolis of New Earth (Pre-Zero Hour) (On a TV or computer screen) (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Flashpoint Timeline
- London (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Timestream (Flashback only)
- Blood Moon (In a vision) (Cameo)
- Post-Flashpoint Multiverse
- Earth 0 (Flashback and main story)
- Earth 3 (In ruins)
- Sphere of the Gods
- Apokolips
- Darkseid's Palace (Flashback only)
- The Slave Camps (Flashback only)
- New Genesis (Flashback only)
- Apokolips
- Pre-Crisis Multiverse (Flashback only)
- Antimatter Universe (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Pre-Flashpoint Multiverse (Mentioned only)
- New Earth (Flashback only)
Items:
- Amazo Virus (Mentioned only)
- The Anti-Monitor's Armor (Flashback and main story)
- Batsuits (Flashback only)
- Bracelets of Submission (Flashback only)
- Lasso of Truth (Flashback only)
- Mobius Chair (Flashback and main story) (Destroyed)
- Green Lantern Ring (Flashback only)
- Trident of Neptune (Flashback only)
- Wonder Woman's Tiara (Flashback only)
Events:
- The Crises
- The Convergence (In a vision)
- The First Crisis (Flashback only)
- The Flashpoint (Flashback only)
- Infinite Crisis (Flashback only)
- Zero Hour (Flashback only)
- The Justice League's Origins (Flashback only)
Concepts:
- Anti-Life Equation (Behind the scenes)
- Antimatter
- Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum (Flashback only)
- "The Endless Cycle" (Mentioned only)
- Time Travel
Notes
- The events in the present of this story take place between Convergence #1 and Convergence #4 as well as before the epilogue of "The Other Amazon" from Divergence #1 which is a prelude to the Darkseid War storyline.
- This issue suggests that Metron and the Anti-Monitor remember events even prior to the Crisis on Infinite Earths. The Mobius Chair also allows them to move outside of time and space.
- The events of Justice League (Volume 4) #21-22 reveal the truth about the various incarnations of the Anti-Monitor.
- This issue is reprinted in Justice League: The Darkseid War, Part 1 and Justice League: The Darkseid War.
Trivia
- Earth 3 was previously destroyed by the Anti-Monitor in Forever Evil #7.
- Both Metron and the Anti-Monitor mention the "Endless Cycle" of the Multiverse which foreshadows the concept of The Eternal Return that is expanded in Justice League (Volume 3).
See Also