The forces of Apokolips launch an attack on new Genesis but are repelled by Orion, commander of the battlefleet. Steppenwolf, the Apokolips commander, calls his ruler, Darkseid, and informs him that the attack has failed. Darkseid tells Steppenwolf to take as many with them as possible. Orion contacts Darkseid, his father, and tells him that the attack failed. He teleports the wreckage of Steppenwolf's fleet directly onto Darkseid's palace. When the destruction is over, Darkseid emerges from the rubble. Highfather, ruler of New Genesis, contacts him to warn that if he attacks again, he'll be wiped out once and for all.
Aboard the Watchtower, Hawkgirl uses the monitors to watch birds flying on the planet below. J'onn comes in and telepathically senses that she is missing her homeworld. He apologizes for prying and offers to listen if she wants to talk about Thanagar.
On Apokolips, Darkseid oversees the reconstruction of the planet and discusses his plans with Desaad. Dessad notes that Darkseid erred in launching the attack on New Genesis to acquire the Anti-Life Equation. Darkseid destroys him with a burst of the Omega Force, and then watches as a massive planet approaches Apokolips.
Hawkgirl talks about how she came to Earth when she was caught in a teleport beam used by criminals on Thanagar. Her homeworld is so far away that it's never had contact with the Green Lantern Corps. J'onn talks about how most of the League members are orphans, and the satellite shakes with an energy backlash. He and Hawkgirl go to the control room where Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman have gathered. The energy backlash is the result of a boom tube, an Apokolips teleportation device. Darkseid steps through and Superman immediate attacks him. J'onn and Wonder Woman hold their comrade back, giving Darkseid the opportunity to explain that Brainiac, the Kryptonian super-computer, has launched an attack on Apokolips. After the failed assault on New Genesis, Darkseid's military forces are unable to oppose Brainiac. Superman doubts his explanation, but Darkseid notes that if Superman doesn't assist, millions of people on Apokolips will die.
Darkseid tells them to consider his offer of an alliance and departs. Superman refuses to help Darkseid, shocking his comrades, and insists that Darkseid has some ulterior plan. Batman observes that Superman is angry because the last time the hero met Darkseid, he was brainwashed and used in an invasion of Earth. He tells Superman to get over it, while J'onn suggests that if Brainiac is left unopposed his destruction of planet will be Krypton's only legacy. Superman agrees to help the others, but insists that Darkseid has something else planned. He asks Batman to do something for him.
Darkseid's forces launch an attack on Brainiac, but his ship's forcefield repels them with ease. He destroys the attack drones, repelling the forces of Darkseid's son, Kalibak. Darkseid receives word that the Justice League has agreed to help, and creates a boom tube so that Superman, Hawkgirl, and J'onn can arrive in a Javelin. As they arrive, Brainiac begins to assemble a massive device to assimilate Apokolips. Batman and Wonder Woman take a boom tube to New Genesis to contact Orion. A giant worm attacks them and they are soon overwhelmed. However, a humanoid figure throws a gas bomb into the creature's mouth, driving it off. He gets the two heroes to safety and introduces himself as Forager, a New Genesis "Bug." Forager explains that Orion and his ilk are gods, who literally live above them in a vast hovering city.
Superman and Hawkgirl attack the forcefield while J'onn pilots the Javelin. When Superman is unable to get through the forcefield, Darkseid says that he has a plan. Wonder Woman flies up to the city of New Genesis, and one of the New Gods, Lightray, intercepts her and Batman. He wonders what kind of bugs they are. Wonder Woman takes offense and chases after the mischievous being, dropping Batman ahead of her. She lures Lightray back to Batman, who snags him in his cape. Before they can get answers, Orion arrives and demands to know why they have invaded New Genesis.
Following Darkseid's plan, Superman taunts Brainiac into opening his forcefield and blasting the hero. Superman manages to open a gap in the field and resist the energy beams, and Darkside launches an attack, smashing Brainiac down. Superman gets through and attacks Brainiac, disabling the forcefield, and Kalibak's troops destroy the villain's machinery. Brainiac teleports out of Superman's grasp, returning to his ship. He returns fire and knocks Superman and Hawkgirl down, and then departs. Disgusted, Darkseid tells them to finish the job. The heroes follow Brainiac in the Javelin, and enter an asteroid field. Brainiac disappears among the asteroids, and the Javelin is caught in a tractor beam. They are pulled into the asteroid... shaped like Brainiac's head.
Written by Gadfly on Feb 14, 2019