Warning: Spoilers for Titans #17Amanda Wallerhas been confirmed to be aDarkseid-level threat in DC lore, and her role is bigger than ever despite her recent fall from grace. After the events ofAbsolute Powerby Mark Waid and Dan Mora, Waller is out of commission, and the newfound absence of Waller and Darkseid alike has permanently rewritten the power structure of the DC Universe.
InTitans#17 by John Layman, Pete Woods, and Wes Abbott, the Titans battle a powered-up Clock King who now operates alone without Waller ordering him around in the Suicide Squad. UnderDonna Troy’s leadership, the team defeats Clock King, and Nightwing informs Donna of what the villain’s arrival means for the future:“There’s a power vacuum left by Waller and Darkseid, and if Clock King is any indication, enemies will be lining up to fill it.”
According to Nightwing, Amanda Waller’s absence in the DC Universe is leading to the debut of new villains who are more powerful than even the Justice League can handle. Waller’s impact on DC’s villain hierarchy is similar to Darkseid’s following his death, which proves that she’s on the same threat level as the New God.
Amanda Waller Is Officially a Darkseid-Level Villain in DC Lore
Amanda Waller’s Power Over the DC Universe Elevates Her to Darkseid Status
Since her creation in 1986 by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne, Amanda Waller has come a long way in her quest for power. Like Darkseid,she operates in a calculating manner and orders others to carry out her bidding.She doesn’t have a tangible world to rule over asDarkseid does with Apokolips, though she commands others through her formation of the Suicide Squad. By planting a bomb in the brains of those she contracts to her cause, Waller can dictate their actions as she pleases, and so she and Darkseid share the capacity to control their subjected fighters.
Darkseid’s Ultimate Form Confirms the 1 Being Whose Power He Actually Respects
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Waller may not possess superpowers or any of Darkseid’s otherworldly attributes, but she’s procured power through other clever means. In theAbsolute Powerminiseries,Waller unleashes her Trinity of Evilupon DC’s heroes and robs them of their superpowers with an Amazo army. With the Justice League powerless to stop her and civilians on her side thanks to A.I. propaganda, she stakes her claim over the Earth.Waller procuring a swift victory over the superheroes is a feat that rivals Darkseid’s past victoriesover them, putting them on the same tier of might.
Amanda Waller’s Rise to Power in the DC Universe Rivals Darkseid’s
However, Like Darkseid’s, Waller’s Reign Doesn’t Last Forever
Darkseid claimed powerin DC lore by killing his brother to become next in line for the throne of Apokolips, and Waller similarly has to cheat her way to the top through any means necessary. For instance, inTitans: Beast World#5 by Tom Taylor, Ivan Reis, and Eduardo Pansica, Waller obtains a platform to address the world after manipulating the President of the United States. She lies to the public about her involvement inChester Runk’s deathand sows distrust in the Titans for their part in the beast plague outbreak.Waller’s manipulation paves the way for herAbsolute Powerdomination,employing Darkseid-level trickery to attain power.
Amanda Waller’s backstory that leads to her meteoric rise is explored inAbsolute Power: Originsby John Ridley and Alitha Martinez, available now from DC Comics.
However, as meticulously as Amanda Waller built her way to the top of DC’s food chain, all it takes is one misstep for everything to come crashing down around her. Her allegiance with Green Arrow leads to her downfall, as he feigns loyalty to her cause before betraying her anddefeating Task Force VII.Waller is imprisoned, and her memories of the heroes' secrets are taken from herso that she no longer has leverage over them. Moreover, Dreamer implies thatWaller now has a bomb in her brain, mirroring the punishment she’s given Suicide Squad members for decades and cementing her defeat.
Darkseid’s Death Coincides With Amanda Waller’s Own Defeat
DC’s Two Most Formidable Villains Have Both Faced Their End
Shortly after Amanda Waller’s defeat by the Justice League,Darkseid faces his own shocking end in his own battle against DC’s greatest heroes.InDC All In Special# by Joshua Williamson, Scott Snyder, Daniel Sampere, Wes Craig, and Mora, Darkseid decides that he must forsake his physical form in order to attain a power beyond his current abilities. Thus, he allows the League’s heroes to destroy his body, resulting in his lore-changing death. Darkseid may be dead within DC’s main universe, but he lives on in the newAbsolute Universe, which he’s created in his image.
Curious about Darkseid’s Absolute Universe? Check outAbsolute Batman#1 by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta,Absolute Wonder Woman#1 by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman, andAbsolute Superman#1 by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval!
In a major upheaval to the universe’s power structure, both Waller and Darkseid are no longer key players in DC’s core continuity. Waller is no longer around to contend with the Justice League or operate in the shadows via hervarious Suicide Squad rosters. Meanwhile, the death of Darkseid has sent hisfamily tree of New Godsinto disarray. Without these formidable villains keeping those beneath them in line,there’s an opening for new threats to come forth and challenge their roles in DC lore.This process has already begun for Waller, and it’s only a matter of time before Darkseid is replaced as well.
With Waller and Darkseid Gone, New DC Villains Will Rise to Take Their Place
Clock King Is First in Line to Replace DC’s Most Notorious Foes
Now that Amanda Waller is imprisoned, her position of power is up for grabs. In Layman and Woods’Titans#16,Clock King makes his debut as a metahuman in hopes of replacing her. His new powers are the direct result of Waller’s actions, after the Justice League’s attempt to retrieve their powers from her Amazos resulted in theheroes switching powers. As it turns out, the heroes aren’t the only ones affected, as Clock King unlocks an upgrade of his own. He reveals that Waller is no longer the one calling the shots and hints at his hopes ofreplacing her as the Suicide Squad’s leader.
Clock King is only the first of many villains who, as explained by Nightwing, will seek to fill the void Waller has left behind in the DC Universe.
Clock King is only the first of many villains who, as explained by Nightwing, will seek to fill the void Waller has left behind in the DC Universe. Likewise, the same is unfolding in the cosmos now thatDarkseid’s deathhas left a power vacuum within the pantheon of gods. In the worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips,the Scavenger is already attempting to replace Darkseid, and more gods are set to rise in his absence. The fall ofAmanda Wallerhas the same impact on DC lore as the fall ofDarkseid, and it won’t be long before a villain more powerful than both of them emerges.
Titans#17is available now from DC Comics.
Darkseid
Darkseid is a tyrannical supervillain in DC Comics, ruling the hellish planet Apokolips. He seeks the Anti-Life Equation to control all sentient life and eliminate free will across the universe. With immense strength, energy manipulation, and Omega Beams that disintegrate targets, Darkseid is a relentless foe of Superman, the Justice League, New Gods, and free people everywhere.
