A shocking reveal regarding the Justice League of the Absolute Universe is just what the franchise needs to progress. The monthly comics and miniseries making up the Absolute line have been a critical and commercial success for DC Comics, and this new story hook offers the perfect means of establishing the next phase of the Absolute Universe.
The surprising revelation arrived in Absolute Superman #20 by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval. The action of the issue centers around a reluctant alliance between Superman, Steel, and Hawkman. They are pitted the recently freed King Shazam, who is the Black Adam of the Absolute Universe. As the battle unfolds, Hawkman recalls the history of King Shazam and how he was empowered and imprisoned.
Rather than being granted magical power by the wizard Shazam, this Teth-Adam was empowered by the experiments of the Brainiac Collective. When he sought to use this power to end slavery on Earth, he was brought down by a group Hawkman refers to as the Justice League. This is notable as the Absolute Justice League was originally presumed to have been established in Absolute Evil #1 as a loose association of villains from the core Absolute Universe monthly comics.
Who is in historic Absolute Universe Justice League?
The flashback does not name the three beings who were responsible for entombing King Shazam. Indeed, the artwork only shows them in silhouette. However, enough details are revealed to make it possible to guess who was part of the ancient Absolute Justice League.
One figure is a bearded barbarian clad in furs. He resembles the immortal villain Vandal Savage. The middle figure wears an elaborate cloak and medallion and clutches an intricate trident with a mask worked into the metalwork. The mask resembles that of the Aquaman villain Ocean Master. This suggests the figure is tied to Atlantis, with the most likely suspect being Arion, a legendary Atlantean mage who has been both hero and villain. The final figure is a woman with four glowing red eyes in dark clothing. The eyes are a distinctive mark of the children of the demon Trigon, like Raven from the Teen Titans. It is unclear, however, if this is an earlier daughter of Trigon or a time-displaced Raven.
Absolute Justice League reveal opens up setting
Regardless of who makes up this ancient Absolute Justice League, their existence is a revelation. The events of Absolute Evil #1 showed one shadowy cabal of powerful people organizing to attack all threats to their influence. It makes sense that a similar group might have existed to control ancient idealist superhumans. From that line of logic, it is not hard to imagine an ancient conspiracy involving an organization akin to the legendary Illuminati of our world.
This ancient group might not have called itself the Justice League. That could be an affectation, which Hawkman used based on the modern group filling the same function. In any case, this idea opens up the Absolute Universe considerably.
For the most part, the events of the Absolute Universe are set in the 21st century. The main exceptions to this have been flashbacks to Hawkman’s past and the existence of a corrupted Legion of Super-Heroes in the future. The concept of an ancient Absolute Justice League encourages further exploration of the past of the setting. This could lead to more comics about would-be heroes like King Shazam, doomed to fail by the will of Darkseid.
Absolute Superman #20 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
Originally reported by Matt Morrison for SuperHeroHype.
