The new DC Universe might be leading to one of the biggest events in DC Comics history, Blackest Night, and if that’s the case expect there to be a lot of destruction in the coming years.
A theory posted on the DC Cinematic Reddit suggested Nekron as the overarching villain for the upcoming DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, and there’s some evidence that could support this. Nekron is a powerful entity, the embodiment of death, and has battled against the Green Lanterns. In Blackest Night, he takes his love of death to the entire DCU. The Flash movie will reset the DC Universe a la Flashpoint, and Crisis On Infinite Earths has already been done by The CW’s Arrowverse. Blackest Night has yet to get the live-action treatment, and it’s climactic enough to warrant an adaption.
DC’s Blackest Night
Blackest Night was a limited series, crossover event created by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reiss that affected literally every part of the DC Universe. At that time in DC Comics, Batman has just been seemingly killed during the events of Final Crisis when Darkseid hit him with the Omega Beams. Crisis also saw Barry Allen/Flash return to the land of the living after being trapped in the Speed Force for decades. In superhero stories, death is a loose concept that doesn’t mean it’s the end in the traditional sense, and many heroes and villains alike have died. In this story those who are dead — and those who have died at least once — become Black Lanterns, reanimated corpses who feed on the living. Think of zombies but only much cooler and smarter. The Black Lantern Corps was formed by Nekron so that death would overtake the universe.
These zombified characters crave the hearts of the living and their ultimate demise to join their undead ranks, and the heroes have to confront their former friends, allies, and loved ones in the worst ways possible. William Hand/Black Hand has a lust for death as the leader of the Black Lantern Corps, and he’s responsible for this horrific cataclysm. He goes to the unmarked grave of Bruce Wayne, and uses his connection to the DC Universe’s heroes to send out Black Lantern rings.
These rings bring dead characters to life, including Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Ronnie Raymond/Firestorm, Digger Harkness/Captain Boomerang, Ralph Dibny/Elongated Man, and many, many more. The Green Lanterns aren’t alone in the fight. There are other Lanterns in the emotional spectrum who get involved, namely Red (rage), Orange (avarice), Yellow (fear), Blue (hope), Indigo (compassion), and Violet (love). Some heroes even become Lanterns to help in this fight, including Wonder Woman who transforms into chosen a Violet Lantern and influences Black Lantern Batman back to the side of light.
Gods and Monsters
In the DC Comics Universe, neither gods nor monsters are immune to death. Every sentient being is in danger when Nekron comes for them. Gods, in this case, are more metaphorical in nature, as it references the almighty heroes, specifically Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and so on as the upper echelon in the DCU. The New Gods weren’t present in the original story, but an updated version could include some of Jack Kirby’s greatest creations to make the event all the more epic.
It’s important to note that Alec Holland, the man who was once Swamp Thing, was brought back to life at the end of Blackest Night, and it’s a critical moment in the character’s history. The Swamp Thing movie will thrust the DC Universe into the horror genre, and this kind of dark storyline is perfect for a hero such as this one.
Lanterns
Based on what’s known about DCU Chapter One, there’s some reason to suspect that a Blackest Night major event could be on the horizon. One of the biggest markers is the Lanterns show following Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart solving a great mystery True Detective-style. If Blackest Night happens, it will have to involve the Green Lantern Corps, and with the new DC Universe having a Green Lantern show, this would be the proverbial canary in the coal mine. Ideally, this series would build up the Green Lantern Corps, the Guardians, Sinestro, and the other characters in the emotional spectrum, so that when it comes time for the War of Light saga, it can lead right into Blackest Night. The mystery Hal and Jon are solving — or a potential later mystery —could involve following the case of William Hand, the sick and death-obsessed individual responsible for this universal terror, and Nekron’s link to the living plane.
The Brave and the Bold
Surprisingly, Batman and his son Damian Wayne/Robin might be another clue that Blackest Night might not be too far off. Gunn has said that Brave and the Bold will be based on Batman and Son by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert. That series and Blackest Night are relatively close to one another, and the former story could indicate where Batman is on his journey. By the time Batman’s son, Damian, comes into the picture, Bruce Wayne is older and has already gone through a string of other Robins. Blackest Night takes place in a DCU that’s already been established, and with many of these origin stories already known, the general timeline of the new DC Universe could be a little further along. Superman: Legacy isn’t an origin story either, so it might not be that long until Black Hand and Nekron show up.
As exciting as this would be, it wouldn’t be opportune to do Blackest Night so soon. Chapter One: Gods and Monsters should be mostly set up, and Blackest Night is all about tearing things down with the benefit of having so much history that gives the story gravitas. Without building to this story in the right way, the end result could be underwhelming, and thus far, the new Justice League hasn’t even been announced. The gods and monsters theme is at the forefront of the new DC Universe, but Gunn has stated that the DC Universe will have stories taking place at various points in the timeline, so they could technically “jump” to do this major event, but audiences will still need a strong understanding of this universe before the intergalactic zombie apocalypse begins.
