At the Orphanage, Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and John Stewart focus their power rings on the floating base, surrounding it in a force field. Elongated Man leads a League attack on the base and notes there are no countermeasures against them. Superman, Wonder Woman, and the others head toward the base, and Superman uses his x-ray vision to scan the Orphanage. He warns that the device has been activated, and a shockwave hits the Leaguers. Within the Orphanage, the controlled Violet releases a burst of violet light, knocking out the Leaguers.
Inside the Orphanage, Granny laughs in triumph, satisfied the Anti-Life Equation performed as required. She tells Violet that Darkseid will be most pleased.
At Santa Monica. Jeff sits on the beach. Static sits with him and offers him a hot dog, and Jeff remembers having a hot dog with Helga and the dates they went on. He turns away from Static, and the two look out at the ocean.
At the Outsiders HQ, the team watches as Gretchen announces that the company facilities around the globe have suffered a rash of break-ins. She claims that forensics show that metahumans are responsible, and she insists that metahumans working outside the law must be disciplined. Gar storms off, and Forager wishes that he could find Violet. Artemis disagrees, noting that the covert team already launched attacks on Gretchen's facilities trying to find Violet and had no luck. Aquaman figures that Violet is off-world, and Dick comes out and says that they'll find her despite his recent illness.
Miss Martian tries to talk to Connor about what happened. She says that they were losing the war against the Light and they had to either protect their ideals or protect people. Miss Martian insists that they chose to protect people, including their fellow heroes from the repercussions of their choice. Connor wonders why Miss Martian went along with it, reminding her that every time she's liked to her teammates she loses a little bit of her soul. He points out that her lies nearly ended their relationship, and Miss Martian insists that she didn't telepathically alter anyone's minds. Connor says that lies alter minds.
The doorman, Kirby Jacobs, calls up to say there's a man there to see them: Vandal. They have Vandal come up and he says that he knows they have a Mother Box. He's there to offer coordinates so they can create a Boom Tube to Violet's location. In return they have to tell her abductor who sent them.
The team prepares to go to rescue Violet, and Nightwing insists on going with them. Aquaman is going with them because he promised to watch over Barbara, but will act as backup. It's Miss Martian's team so she'll lead the mission.
Geo Force talks to Connor privately and says that he's going to rescue Violet. Connor asks if Geo Force can keep his head, and he says that he can for Violet's sake. Nightwing comes in and overhears Connor, and says that he sounded like a leader. Connor points out that Nightwing is already a leader and the question is what kind of leader he wants to be.
Gar texts to wish Miss Martian luck, and they leave for the Orphanage along with Terra and Forager. They Boom Tube to the Orphanage and quickly take out the parademons on guard. Superboy locks Mother Box on Violet, but Miss Martian can't sense her psychically. She sends Geo Force, Terra, and Forager to find Violet while the others provide a distraction. Superboy gives the Mother Box to Geo Force and tells him to Boom Tube home if his team gets in trouble. Geo Force promises that he'll watch out for the others and keep his temper.
Aquaman spots the League's Javelin and realizes that they're on the Orphanage and the League was raiding the place earlier. Miss Martian can't sense the other team or the League psychically, and they figure Granny has the League. More parademons come down the corridor and the team prepares to fight them. Nightwing tells Aquaman that he's fine.
In Dakota City, Jeff and Static go to Static's apartment. They fist bump outside and Jeff walks away while remembering what happened between him and the League.
Geo Force, Terra, and Forager follow Mother Box's directions to Violet, and they hide as Mantis and two of the Female Furies lead a squad of parademons. Once they pass, Forager admits that he never thought Mantis would leave the hive to fight for Apokolips. Terra tells him that they can't always save people from themselves, and Geo Force says that they will save Violet for their hive: their family.
In the hangar, the rest of the team fight Mantis and his allies. Nightwing seals the entrances with explosives but one of the parademons fires an energy lance, burying Nightwing beneath a pile of boxes. The original Kid Flash arrives and helps Nightwing up, seeing his teammates in their original costumes. Nightwing releases drones from the Javelin taking out more parademons arriving. Kid Flash takes control of half of the drones and knocks out the remaining parademons. The others gather around Nightwing, who realize that he hallucinated Kid Flash as part of his fever dream. Artemis says that they experienced his dreams through Miss Martian's psychic links, and tells him that Wally is always fighting at their side and always will be. The parademons outside dig through their rubble, and Nightwing assures his teammates that he's never felt better.
In Metropolis, Jeff visits his ex-wife and daughters. His older daughter is dressed as Black Lightning, and Jeff picks her up and hugs her.
Geo Force and others track Violet to the central chamber. Granny is waiting for them and boasts that the galaxy will soon fall to Anti-Life. She says that Geo Force's trust has been lost by a confidant, and says that now he leads his sister and friends to an inescapable doom. Geo Force psychically tells Forager via Miss Martian's link that he's only pretending to lose his temper to distract Granny while his Mother Box breaks Granny's control of Violet.
Martian Manhunter passes up through the floor and breaks the psychic link, and Superman throws Geo Force into Terra and Forager.
Miss Martian warns the others that she briefly sensed her uncle's mind pattern before she lost her link with the others. They figure the Leaguers are under Granny's control, and Aquaman tells Miss Martian to telepathically render everyone unconscious. Superboy warns that it won't work against Anti-Life-controlled slaves, but Aquaman says that he understands the effects of such a mental blast and he understands the consequences. Superboy warns against the consequences to Miss Martian, but Miss Martian tells him that they have to consider the consequences to the universe if she doesn't. She's willing to sacrifice her soul to save billions, and asks Superboy if he's willing to stop her.
Granny tells the Outsiders that they're joining the League, as will Earth's entire meta population. The non-metas suffer ill effects, like Nightwing did, and says that every non-meta in the galaxy will suffer the same way before dying. Geo Force calls to Violet, and Granny assures him that the two of them will spread Anti-Life through the universe.
Superman holds Geo Force in place, and Granny has Overlord create an energy cube around her and Violet. As she engages the energy sphere, she and the others collapse in pain as Miss Martian's mental blast hits everyone. The others head for the energy sphere, which expands and enshrouds them in pain. Granny shoves Violet out of the protective cube, and Violet reinforces the Anti-Life and enslaves the Outsiders as well.
Miss Martian collapses from the strain, and Granny has her mind-controlled slaves rise. She says that the Age of the Anti-Life and Darkseid begins, as Anti-Life spreads outward across the galaxy.
Written by Gadfly on Aug 24, 2019