“The Lazarus Volcano… what… what’s the aftermath…?”
That’s the breathy query a badly injured Batman asks to kick off 2023’s Lazarus Planet occasion. In Batman vs. Robin, the most recent DC Universe huge baddie, the Devil Nezha, used the magic siphoning superhero Black Alice to channel each nice supply of magical energy within the DCU into the Helm of Fate. But a battle with Batman and Robin noticed the helm break into items over a Lazarus Pit, inflicting an unlimited Lazarus Volcano to emerge which erupted magic storms throughout the globe.
What occurs subsequent is anyone’s guess, however we’re already seeing some main penalties in our first installment of that aftermath this week, Lazarus Planet: Alpha. Man-made know-how doesn’t work the way in which it ought to, inflicting science-based heroes to fail. The remaining heroes with magical aptitude discover their very own talents warping in unpredictable methods. And everywhere in the world, the undead, the inanimate, and the gods themselves are rising up. All can be answered in due time, however we’ve bought a number of questions of our personal proper off the bat.
(Also, take into account this your spoiler warning. From right here on out, we’ll be spoiling issues from the comedian, so be sure you’ve learn it!)
How did dumping an enormous reservoir of magic right into a Lazarus Pit trigger all this?
We can hazard a protected guess. Historically, we’ve realized that Lazarus Pits can solely be fashioned on the intersections of ley strains, veins of magical vitality which run throughout the Earth. Perhaps overloading such a locus with magical energies is like overloading an influence socket. But we are able to solely think about we’ll study extra in regards to the particulars of how Lazarus magic works within the weeks and months forward.
Why doesn’t alien know-how appear as inclined to the Lazarus Storms?
Again, this may occasionally have one thing to do with the truth that the Lazarus Pits are particularly anchored on the magic which runs by the Earth itself. After all, that is Lazarus Planet, not Lazarus Universe. But what does that say about how the power of magic works on a cosmic scale? We’d ask the Trenchcoat Brigade, however by no means anticipate a straight reply from Phantom Stranger.
Why is Nezha avoiding Superman and Supergirl?
Despite having a grudge to bear with the final cousins of Krypton from their earlier run-in in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Nezha has been going out of his solution to stop a rematch. It’s advised that Nezha remains to be recovering his power, however we’re not so positive…might the Lazarus Effect have one thing particular in retailer for our Kryptonians?
Power Girl isn’t from this Earth… how will the Lazarus Storms have an effect on her?
As one of many cowl stars of Lazarus Planet: Alpha, Power Girl stands out from our major forged for one main motive: she’s not from right here. We’ve seen that alien know-how affords some resistance to the storms of Lazarus Planet. What impact will they’ve on somebody from a totally totally different actuality altogether?
How does Black Alice put the genie again within the bottle?
This all began with Black Alice’s distinctive potential to channel the powers of any magic consumer on Earth. But so far as we all know, these talents don’t work in reverse. And but, it looks like Black Alice is being positioned as the important thing to setting magic proper once more. What is it about Black Alice’s singular powers we don’t but know, and the way will we see that develop?
Are Damian, Black Alice and Monkey Prince the subsequent Justice League Dark? Are they…Teen Titans Dark?
Having already gotten the possibility to bond with Damian over within the ongoing Monkey Prince collection, Marcus Sun will get to know Black Alice throughout a uncommon quiet second on this problem to fix fences between the three younger heroes concerned on this newest world-threatening escapade. Are we seeing the beginnings of a brand new group for a brand new age of magic?
We hear Jaime’s scarab say “thank god.” What sort of god does the scarab have?
Really makes you suppose. Some sort of actually huge area bug? Has anybody checked on Lady Styx? Maybe that is extra of a query for Blue Beetle: Graduation Day. (Or it’s simply Jaime giving a free translation.)
Poison Ivy…and Ra’s al Ghul? Whaaaaat?!?
I’m sorry, we simply discovered that Ra’s al Ghul and Poison Ivy have a shared historical past and that is all I can take into consideration proper now. It makes an excessive amount of sense for us to not have explored it earlier than. Maybe we’re seeing a teaser for a future World’s Finest arc? Please, Mark Waid, assist us out right here.
How are the Lazarus Storms affecting the Green?
The motive Ivy’s on this problem within the first place is that she and Swamp Thing have develop into dreadfully conscious that the Lazarus Storms are in some way messing with the Green, the subplanar subject which connects all plants. It actually explains Ivy’s new look, however what’s actually taking place deep down within the Parliament of Trees?
What in regards to the different Five Immortal Powers?
In Monkey Prince, we’ve seen King Fire Bull, Nezha’s son and biggest enemy, trying to assemble the Eight Immortal Powers from eight chosen heroes within the DC Universe. He’s gotten the ability of Fear from Batman, the ability of Voice from Aquaman, and seeks the ability of Invulnerability from Superman. Is King Fire Bull’s position on this occasion to acquire the opposite 5? And if that’s the case, who has them, and what are they?
What occurred to Nezha’s Red Armillary Sash?
In Lazarus Planet: Alpha’s backup story we get a bit of extra background on Nezha’s historical past. In his youth, Nezha and Monkey Prince’s father, the Monkey King, had been as soon as uneasy allies. A present from heaven, the Red Armillary Sash, is what allowed Nezha to maintain his demonic interior self in test. The indisputable fact that Nezha doesn’t have it anymore appears, properly, vital. What occurred to it? And might or not it’s the important thing to Nezha’s redemption?
Uhhhhhhhh, is Batman okay?
I imply, who can say whether or not Batman is ever okay? But after absorbing Nezha’s magic, he’s wanting…notably gnarly. Are we about to go down the Event Road of yet one more evil Batman? And who might probably cease him? Well, we bear in mind how Death Metal went. Maybe Wonder Woman’s not busy. Oh, she is? Well…let’s pray to no matter gods Jaime’s scarab has that another person can pull us out of the hearth this time. Maybe Teen Titans Dark.
Alex Jaffe is the creator of our month-to-month “Ask…the Question” column and writes about TV, motion pictures, comics and superhero historical past for DC.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlexJaffe and discover him within the DC Community as HubCityQuestion.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed on this column are solely these of Alex Jaffe and don’t essentially mirror these of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros.
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