The battle to be crowned King Omega is underway! In “Come Out Writing,” we help you stay on top of all things DC K.O., offering our predictions on upcoming matchups and expert commentary on all the important fights.
SPOILER ALERT: The following feature contains spoilers for DC K.O. #2. We suggest reading it only after you’ve read the comic.
Well…that was certainly unexpected.
DC K.O. #2 gave us wall-to-wall action as DC’s greatest heroes and villains duked it out in a tournament to become the next champion. The winner will be granted enough cosmic power to take on King Omega himself and save all of reality, so the stakes are pretty high.
My fellow DC.com columnists and I made our predictions for the first bracket of matchups and noted that the tournament might throw a few surprises our way. Boy, did they ever! First, Batman was eliminated by the Joker in DC K.O. #1, and if you thought DC K.O. #2 was going to give you a chance to catch your breath, you’re mistaken.
The tournament (which seems be a living entity itself) decided to surprise us by doing a free-for-all for this bracket instead of head-to-head matchups, which made all of our round one predictions…well, pretty much irrelevant. Sigh… Hey, we said from the start that we didn’t know what’s ahead any better than you do. Besides, what a free-for-all it was!
Sixteen of the most powerful items in the entire DC Universe were scattered across the tournament grounds, with victory going to the sixteen heroes who claimed them. While we didn’t get the one-on-one fights we expected, we did get plenty of amazing moments like the Joker using the Atom’s belt to turn into a giant version of himself (and taking out numerous competitors in the process), Lex Luthor using a Black Lantern ring to raise dead elder gods, Harley Quinn tapping into the Speed Force and more.
I could spend this whole column recapping them all, but if you’ve already read the comic, you’ve seen them (and if you haven’t, I don’t want to spoil every panel). What I’d like to do instead is use this space to talk about an entirely different battle Superman is having—one that doesn’t involve any physical combat. The tournament is forcing Superman to battle with his own morality, as he realizes he might have to compromise his values in order to win.
Let’s start by looking at the game night flashback. As a thought exercise, Clark, Bruce and Diana are asked to guess what they would be if they couldn’t be what they are now. The caveats are that it can’t be the same job they currently hold and no powers can be involved. Bruce suggests that Clark would be president, which Clark quickly disputes.
“My point is you always look to do the most good possible,” Bruce responds. “That’s who you are. You’re a strategist, same as me and Diana. But in your own way. And right now, your math works.”
Bruce then explains that without his powers, Clark would seek out how he could do the most good, which is why he thinks he would be president. However, Clark is adamant that he doesn’t have what it takes to be a politician.
While we don’t see Clark elaborate, he’s likely referring to the moral compromises and maneuvering politicians have to do to get ahead. Clark doesn’t see himself as that person. However, the events of DC K.O. are testing those values.
Lex Luthor, who in some ways knows Superman better than anyone, gives his assessment during their battle.
“When I first arrived here in the heart of Apokolips, it gave me a vision of what the universe could be like if I won,” Luthor says. “Of everything remade in my image. I assume it did this for everyone. So, what was yours Superman?”
When Superman doesn’t answer, Lex tells him that he probably rejected his vision and just wants to put everything back to the way it was. He then says that Superman is too weak and cowardly to save everyone. Superman doesn’t crave the Omega powers for the same reasons Lex, Darkseid and the others do. He wants to save people and put things right, but the tournament doesn’t reward people who play that way.
Much like the political arena Clark rejects, you can only move ahead in the tournament if you play dirty. One of the rules of the tournament is, “Follow the example of Darkseid and you shall be rewarded,” and it isn’t until Superman embraces that philosophy that he’s able to turn the tide. He does this by gaining the surprise powers of the Omega Sanction and destroying Luthor’s elder gods.
Like Bruce predicted, Clark is adapting to do the most good, and in this case, it’s winning the tournament. His actions allow him to advance to the next round, along with the Joker, Etrigan, Jay Garrick, Hawkman, Lobo, Zatanna, Guy Gardner, Lex Luthor, Harley Quinn, Jason Todd, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Captain Atom, Swamp Thing and Cyborg.
But before Superman can fight the rest of them, he’ll have to continue the internal battle with his own morality. Is he willing to play dirty to get ahead and save all of reality? What if it means hurting or killing one of his closest friends? It’s the trolley problem, but on a more cosmic scale.
As if Superman’s problems weren’t bad enough, it looks like King Omega himself is entering the arena, using Booster Gold as a vessel. Strap yourselves in, folks, because this tournament’s just getting started, and perhaps an even bigger question than who will win is—at what cost?
DC K.O. #2 by Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Javi Fernández, Xermánico and Alejandro Sánchez is now available in print and as a digital comic book. It can also be read on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
