Welcome to our weekly Monday Demythify column!
In the Trinity War finale in Justice League #23, we saw the DC Comics New 52 debut of the Earth 3 Crime Syndicate. From that very first moment, writer Geoff Johns has proved that the team members are expendable.
In fact, since the end of Trinity War, half of the Earth 3 membership of the Crime Syndicate have died; remember that while The Grid is a member of the team, he/it did not originate on Earth 3. He/it aligned him/itself with that team, but he/its comes from Prime Earth not Earth 3.
Forever Evil #6 continued that trend of death with two more members dying. Here’s a run down of all the all Earth 3 Crime Syndicate members that have died so far.
What does all this mean for After Forever?
Sea King
In Justice League #23, which was the finale of Trinity War, Sea King – the Crime Syndicate’s Aquaman doppelgänger – was the first to reach Prime Earth from Earth 3, and the first to die. This was among several other interesting developments and spoilers from that issue that set up Forever Evil.
However, in the pages of Justice League Dark and the Forever Evil Blight cross-over, Deadman has co-opted Sea King’s corpse for some interesting shenanigans.
J’onn J’onzz
Pandora #4 was a Forever Evil tie-in that saw our heroine travel to the ravaged Earth 3. There she met J’onn J’onzz – The Crime Syndicate’s evil Martian Manhunter – who was in bad shape and died in the issue not before making things more interesting for the Forever Evil narrative; Earth 3 today is barren wasteland.
Power Ring
In Forever Evil #5, Power Ring was maimed brutally and killed by Injustice League member Sinestro which set up some interesting future Forever Evil moments including the eventual debut of a new female Power Ring Jessica Cruz destined to join the Justice League.
The Outsider & Johnny Quick
Forever Evil #6 gave us a two-fer with both The Outsider – an evil Alfred Pennyworth – and Johnny Quick – an evil Flash – dying. Theie deaths are part of the several big reveals and spoilers from Forever Evil #6. The Outsider was killed by Black Manta while Johnny Quick was brutally maimed by Captain Cold and killed by the unmasked Earth 3 hooded prisoner: Alexander Luthor who possesses the Power of MAZAHS!
It would appear that he is Earth 3’s Shazam, but is he evil or a hero? He looks crazed in his debut and as we know the other analogues on Earth 3 for DC’s super-heroes are evil and on the Crime Syndicate. So, perhaps Forever Evil #7 will reveal Alexander Luthor and Mazahs’ true intentions and allegiances.
Who’s Left?
From Earth 3, that leaves five members of the Crime Syndicate left after five have been killed. Those left standing, for now, are:
- Ultraman
- Superwoman
- Owlman
- Deathstorm
- Atomica
In addition, The Grid survived, but he/it is from Prime Earth not Earth 3 despite being a Crime Syndicate member.
How many more will die before we get to end of Forever Evil #7? And, how will this play into After Forever?
In addition, the jury is still out on Owlman. He has acted strangely by wanting to protect Dick Grayson, Nightwing from harm. Could Owlman already be dead and the man underneath the cowl be the presumed-dead Earth 3 Dick Grayson / Talon? Afterall, Forever Evil #7 only served up Nightwing’s partial fate with Dick’s actual fate decided next issue in Forever Evil #7.
That could explain why he plans to take down the Crime Syndicate. Owlman’s behaviour and motivations remains mysteries yet to be solved, but likely we’ll understand after next month’s Forever Evil #7. Also, is Owlman Alexander Luthor and the Power of Mazahs’s benefactor as teased in Justice League #26?
Thanks for reading. All feedback welcome!