It's a big week for DC with the Absolute Power crossover finally reaching its conclusion and immediately segueing into the new DC All In era and the launch of the Absolute Universe.
Absolute Power #4 by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, and Alejandro Sánchez packs in the surprises with an issue that finally brings the story of Amanda Waller's attempts to rid the world of superheroes for good to a close. From the surprise return of one character, to the final fate of Waller herself, there's a lot going on, so it probably goes without saying that this needs a big old SPOILER WARNING up front before we get into it.
Is Oliver Queen really a traitor?
One of Absolute Power's biggest swings was its reveal that Green Arrow Oliver Queen was, in fact, working with Waller, having apparently been convinced that the world is better off without superheroes. It was a big shock, but realistically, that was always going to be a hard move to maintain without tarnishing Ollie's reputation forever and there's always been the sense that he may turn out to be a double agent. And so it came to pass, with Queen choosing just the right moment to turn on Waller and destroy the Amazos.
The twist here is that thanks to a telepathic patch from the Martian Manhunter, Ollie really did believe in Waller, just long enough to convince her to recruit him, before his true personality was restored. Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman are understandably PO'd with him for not letting them know in advance, but he makes the valid point that had the Justice League still been active he wouldn't have had to go undercover in the first place.
Which character comes back from the dead?
We reported a few weeks back that Dreamer had been killed in the explosion that took out the Fortress of Solitude, while also noting that there was a certain amount of ambiguity with her death. Absolute Power: Super Son #1 seemed to drive home that, no, Nia Nal really was dead by focusing on Jon Kent's despair at the loss of his friend. But as we learn in Absolute Power #4, it's not quite as simple as all that. Yes, she was "torn apart" in the explosion but also "You can't kill a dream. Not if it's remembered." Apparently Jon's constant dreaming of Nia pulled her into the Dreamscape, giving her the chance to rebuild herself – and with powers that seem notably stronger than before.
How is Amanda Waller defeated?
In the end, Amanda Waller is brought down by the classic "caught on tape" trope beloved of so many whodunnits. "The people you protect? You're dead to them! I fooled every last one of them!" she yells at the heroes. "I used the Queen's A.I. to show the entire planet what I wanted them to know – that superheroes are monsters! Do you hear me?" But as Nightwing points out, "That was the straight up villain rant I was counting on." Yep, it turns out Air Wave – "a living wi-fi signal" – has caught and transmitted her confession to the whole world.
Given that this whole thing was started by Waller faking attacks using A.I. – presumably far more elaborate to create than a simple voice confession – this being the thing that finally puts Waller down strains credulity a bit. Still, it's apparently enough to get her a one-way trip to Belle Reve prison on a life sentence.
What happens to Amanda Waller next?
We pick up with Amanda Waller sometime later in Belle Reve where she's confronted by Dreamer, arguably the character who suffered the most at her hands in this arc. Waller threatens her, but we quickly learn that Nia's used her powers to tamper with Waller's memories, blocking her from being able to access any information that can be used against the heroes, things like the location of the Batcave or Green Lantern's alter-ego. They've not been erased – that would be crossing an ethical line – but for now at least they're out of reach.
After a summer where almost every DC comic has felt like it's had a scene where Waller shows up to say something menacing, it's actually a bit of a relief to learn that she's going to be benched for a bit. She's a great villain, but it's time for someone else to take a swing. She'll be back somewhere down the line of course, but it's time for a rest.
What's next for the DCU?
The issue ends with some set up for the DC All In Special, also out today. We learn that, while most of the heroes have their powers back now that the Amazos are out of action, some have lost their powers, while others have been swapped around. That should lead to some fun reveals in the coming months. We also see Superman rebuilding the Fortress of Solitude, and learn that access to the multiverse has been cut off. There's a lot of exposition in those final few pages which does leave this feeling like a bit of a frantic conclusion, but it's also one that really shakes things up for the DC universe in some interesting ways.
Earlier this year we talked with Kingdom Come writer Mark Waid about giving Darkseid his most badass comics moment in years.
