Justice League Dark: Apokolips War

## Plot

The New God Darkseid has been on the warpath, destroying worlds throughout the galaxy and making his way towards Earth, building a tyrannical empire from his fiery home of Apokolips. Following his two failed invasions of Earth, the Justice League, Justice League Granit, Batfalmily from second Gotham prepare to launch a counter-attack on Apokolips. Unbeknownst to the heroes, Darkseid is spying on them through Cyborg's Apokolyptian technology and is aware of their plan. Upon their arrival at Apokolips, the League is massacred by Darkseid's Paradooms: genetic hybrids of Parademons and the monster Doomsday. Several heroes are killed and the rest are captured, transformed into Darkseid's slaves by Apokolyptian tech. John Constantine flees from the attackers, leaving his lover Zatanna to be violently killed.

Two years later, Darkseid's forces have taken over Earth. The world's population is considerably diminished and much of the Earth is a wasteland. In a London pub, Constantine and the demon Etrigan are attempting to drown their sorrows when they are approached by Raven and a depowered Superman. Clark reveals that some members of the Justice League, Justice League from planet Granit, Batfalmily from second Gotham were spared and used for other purposes. Batman was brainwashed and made to serve as Darkseid's right-hand man while Lex Luthor became the New God's representative on Earth. Wonder Woman,  and several other heroes were outfitted with alien body parts and forced to become Darkseid's enforcers, called the Furies. Finally, Superman was infused with liquid Kryptonite to deprive him of his abilities, and forced to wander his home with the knowledge of what his failed plan had wrought. Clark tells Constantine that Darkseid is using alien devices called Reapers to drain Earth of its plasma core, which will destabilize and destroy the planet if successful. Still feeling guilty over the death of Zatanna, Constantine agrees to join the two on their mission, with Etrigan tagging along as well.

Raven teleports the group to a League of Shadows outpost, the act severely weakening her. This is due to her father Trigon's attempts to escape his magical prison after Raven captured him. The group is attacked by the Shadows, but their leader Damian Wayne calls them off. Once a member of the Teen Titans as Robin, Damian left following Darkseid's invasion to lead his late grandfather's and late mother's organization. Save for Raven, all his teammates were killed or captured. Though he blames Superman for everything that happened, Damian agrees to join them on their quest to save the world. He also hopes that he'll be able to save Batman, his father, from Darkseid's control, and kill him if the Dark Knight is beyond saving.

The team teleports to Metropolis, where Superman's wife Lois Lane has recruited former members of the Suicide Squad for their operation, including Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark, among others. Damian and Raven reconcile their feelings for one another, while the heroes prepare their final assault. As their allies around the world attack the Reapers, Superman and his team will infiltrate the LexCorp building and use its teleporter to transport themselves to Apokolips, where they'll kill Darkseid and destroy his planet, crippling the New God’s empire once and for all. Using the former Suicide Squad members as a cover to enter the building, the heroes make their way to the teleporter. They come face to face with Lex Luthor, who reveals that he's been their informant on the inside of Darkseid's organization. He arranges their transportation to Apokolips while he stays behind with Lois and the Suicide Squad. Batman, discovering Luthor's treachery, sends Paradooms to attack the Lexcorp building.

With Darkseid currently away conquering the Green Lantern home planet of Oa, Superman's team makes their way to the main fortress to end the New God's reign of terror. Before they can enter, the heroes are attacked by Darkseid's Furies. Etrigan dies, but Constantine manages to free Wonder Woman from the villain's control; she stays behind to fend off the former heroes while Superman and his allies head inside. There, they discover a dismantled Cyborg, who has been infused with the very technological network of Apokolips, making it impossible for him to be freed. However, he reveals that the Flash is still alive, imprisoned to run forever on a treadmill that helps power the planet. Superman frees him, but before the heroes can figure out a way to destroy Apokolips, Batman arrives with Darkseid. The two of them proceed to viciously attack the heroes, with Damian's attempts to free his father of the New God's control unsuccessful. It is only when Darkseid kills his son that Batman is freed of the mind control, joining the other heroes once more. Nevertheless, his redemption is not enough to stop the New God. As a last-ditch effort, Constantine frees Trigon from Raven's prison, offering himself as a host. Instead, the demon infests Superman and kills Constantine. Seemingly in the afterlife, John is reunited with Zatanna, who reveals that she used her magic to make him flee from the fight and that he didn't abandon her. After professing their love for one another, Zatanna revives Constantine. As Lois and her allies prepare to destroy the Lexcorp building back on Earth, which will destroy both the Paradooms and themselves, she sends a goodbye message to Superman on Apokolips. Constantine manages to project this video around the chamber. Lois's death manages to free Superman of Trigon’s control; this act gives the Man of Steel his power back while also directing Trigon and Darkseid against each other. Raven uses her own magic to revive Damian. Cyborg teleports all the heroes back to Earth while he sacrifices his own life to destroy Apokolips, obliterating the planet in a black hole.

Despite Darkseid's defeat, Batman reveals that the Reapers managed to destroy 31% of the Earth's core, which could disrupt the planet's orbit and take one billion more lives before the League can find a solution. Constantine informs the Flash that he needs to run back in time and create another Flashpoint, which he does, despite the speedster promising to Iris that he'd never do it again. Though reluctant, Barry agrees that regardless of the results, while it won't be perfect, it would still be a better world than the present. As Flash runs off to reset the timeline, Damian and Raven share their first and last kiss as the heroes optimistic about their future as they're all engulfed in a white light.