Is Darkseid the puppet master behind Infinite Crisis?

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Yeah, yeah, Dido and Johns have repeatedly said that Darkseid won't be involved in Infinite Crisis, but they said the same thing about Sinestro in Rebirth. In other words, they lied...through their teeth.

However, Darkseid has been so over-used recently, I can understand them wanting to give ol' Granite Face a rest for a bit. I mean, he's Darkseid, he always behind everything. Everyone would expect it.

That, said, he is Darkseid, he's always behind everything! How can they not have him involved in this?

[DracoMalfoy]

I doubt it. Grant Morrison's Mister Miracle series seems to justify it.

[Guts/Batman]

If it is PC Darkseid, I have no problem with it. Actually, I might consider IC not a complete waste of time.

If it this imposter than have been writing recently, *Glares at Jeph Loeb* then no, keep him away from this. At all costs. But then again, Didio and Johns are not trustworthy on these types of things at the moment so I don't believe them in the least.

There are more than a few characters that need to go away for a few years and need to be forgotten about. Darkseid, Joker, Deathstroke, Doc Light I, etc...

[Calculator]

I thought the last we saw of him he was still stuck in the Source Wall (Superman's doing in Batman/Superman #13)?

Has he escaped yet in another book?

[Guts/Batman]

Has he escaped yet in another book?

No, not in another book.

He will be coming off the wall in issue #25.

[Calculator]

No, not in another book.

He will be coming off the wall in issue #25.


Assuming we get the issue this year....at least Ultimates is consistently good...

[Guts/Batman]

Assuming we get the issue this year....at least Ultimates is consistently good...

Too true...#24 feels like it hit a long time ago.

[soda]

Let me be clear about what I meant when I pitched this idea in the IC SF thread: I'm not sure that Darkseid is the "master mind" behind IC, however, I am sure about this (because it was revealed in the SF): That Alexander Luthor wound up in the paradise dimension because Darkseid wanted him there. So, while Darkseid might not be the mastermind, it's impossible to say how much of his finger is in the cookie jar, but what it is possible to say is this: this won't end without him being involved somehow. Besides, you guys know Darkseid, he always has a plan. Darkseid sent Alexander Luthor to the paradise dimension for a reason, it was his will, and Darkseid's will is always inextricably bound up with some nefarious plan or other. Darkseid doesn't get up in the morning and tie his shoes without the action having some ultimate, universe conquering, end. I'm not sure how this will all shake out, but I know four things:

1) Darkseid's omission in IC is one of the glaring omissions

2) Darkseid sent Alexander Luthor and co to the paradise dimension, they didn't choose it.

3) That decision is part of some larger master plan to conquer the universe, because that's what everything darkseid does is a part of.

4) This can only mean no good for our heroes.

Dan Didio has repeatedly said that Darkseid is "busy" during IC. By that I took it to mean that Darkseid is letting everyone else do his dirty work for him, and waiting for just the right moment to apply a finishing stroke. He isn't the villian of IC (at least, I don't believe he is), but I certainly think that he's using the events of IC to further his ends. If Darkseid is the master schemer of the DCU, then the Joker is the monkey wrench, and I believe that in IC #7, Mr. J will show up and ruin everything.

[JBeckett]

I'm pickin' up what Soda's puttin down-Darkseid is key and Joker's involvement will be important, only in his own way.

[LordEd1976]

I have doubts that Darkseid's involved in any shape or form with IC. If he was we would have seen some hint of it by now. I think its safe to assume that Joker will play some part in the proceedings based on the fact he's seen in issue 2 and it made pretty clear he's pissed at the Society for not letting him play in their reindeer games. But Drakseid has not been seen at all during this whole thing except for the fact Superman hallucinated that he brainwashed then killed Lois as part of the mental domination he was suffering from at the hands of Max Lord. Darkseid's elsewhere and probably won't make his prescense known until its all over.

[K'Nort]

Well and he inadvertently kicked off this whole thing. Or at least so Alex currently claims. I think that counts as at least somewhat involved. It means editorial isn't ignoring him.

[Jkid099]

During the recent Wizard World LA (or something like that), one of the questions during a DC panel was in regard to Darkseid in Infinite Crisis, and Geoff Johns' response was "Wait." Now, this might mean he may be behind everything and show up at the end for the big reveal, or it just might mean he'll make an appearance in #6 or #7.

As for the Joker, a question a while back during a panel was when Joker would show up, and the response was "The second to last panel on the second to last page" or something along those lines. I'm going out on a limb (again) and guessing that this is going to be one of those ironic justice endings. Alexander Luthor will manage to escape the big fight between the heroes & the person(s) who are really behind all of this, but will seemingly not pay for his crimes until the very end when the Joker randomly shows up in regard to being "kept out of the Society" and handles justice ... his way.

Just a prediction. Kind of a long shot ... but I seem to recall when people didn't believe me about the two Luthors either. :-)

[sly_kat]

During the recent Wizard World LA (or something like that), one of the questions during a DC panel was in regard to Darkseid in Infinite Crisis, and Geoff Johns' response was "Wait." Now, this might mean he may be behind everything and show up at the end for the big reveal, or it just might mean he'll make an appearance in #6 or #7.

As for the Joker, a question a while back during a panel was when Joker would show up, and the response was "The second to last panel on the second to last page" or something along those lines. I'm going out on a limb (again) and guessing that this is going to be one of those ironic justice endings. Alexander Luthor will manage to escape the big fight between the heroes & the person(s) who are really behind all of this, but will seemingly not pay for his crimes until the very end when the Joker randomly shows up in regard to being "kept out of the Society" and handles justice ... his way.

Just a prediction. Kind of a long shot ... but I seem to recall when people didn't believe me about the two Luthors either. :-)

Actualyl wasn't the question: who is on the second to last panel on the second to last page? and the answer was 'the joker' but with his cameo in Infinite Crisis#2, its for sure he'll make his justice in the end...

[COMIXROCK]

Anybody remember in Superman/Batman #6 when Luthor was fighting Superman and he was boasting that he had received his spiffy new armour from Darkseid. Superman said something about how Luthor shouldn't trust Darkseid etc. Anybody get the feeling that Darkseid gave the armour to Luthor for a reason, and that this reason may become evident in IC#6 or #7? Maybe to let Alexander do the hard work, have Mockingbird Luthor use Darkseid's armour to kill Alexander/disrupt his plans or something like that.

Longshot of the year, I know...

[PatrickG]

I dunno if that rationale is needed.

Luthor gave Doomsday to Darkseid.

The two are pretty chummy and Luthor has even hinted that his friendship/allegiance with Darkseid predates his presidency.

Keeping that in mind, for all we know, Luthor may have been pals with Darkseid before Superman was even aware of Darkseid.

[Altraferne]

I said this in the IC SF thread and I'll say it again here;

I hope Darkseid is not the mastermind behind IC. He's been used in so many other stories, and this one needs to be about these characters that have been gone for so long. This is their story, its needs to be them and them alone in the spot-light. Don't get me wrong, I like Darkseid, but as has already been pointed out he's behind almost everything in the DCU. So, this time I think its a much better idea to keep IC driven by its own characters, rather than the one everybody would know was behind it all.

Personally, I hope its the Anti-Monitor making a come back. Crisis was his story, after all, so IC should be his sequal.