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.
 

The only way to save the world is to show no mercy! *the crowd roars* You already know what time it is—it’s time for DC’s biggest event of the season: DC K.O.!

DC’s best characters (of villainous and heroic nature) are going head-to-head and whoever wins gets crowned King (or Queen) Omega and granted the power to shape the world in their image. Needless to say, that could be very dangerous in the wrong hands, but it could also stop Darkseid from destroying every living being on Earth. The stakes literally couldn’t be higher! This is a thrilling battle of wits, technology, strength and metahuman abilities. Oh…and luck! *wink*

When we first started writing these DC K.O. predictions, we had no idea what to expect. Who would have guessed round two would be a hunt for the most powerful objects in the DC Universe? This time around, however, we’re getting the 1v1 matchups we were promised. Last week, Donovan Morgan Grant broke down the first four fights, while I’ll be tackling Harley Quinn vs. Zatanna, Jay Garrick vs. Guy Gardner, Lex Luthor vs. the Demon and Red Hood vs. the Joker (ouch!). And for the sake of my predictions, I’m going to assume they have not kept the artifacts they found in round two.
 

Harley Quinn vs. Zatanna

This is a hard one for me! I love both these characters, but wow, imagine a world shaped in Harley’s reality? I’m scared and intrigued. I think I’d dig it.

Harley Quinn, on paper, has a huge disadvantage compared to Zatanna. Harley is human with no metahuman abilities or magic, though she is above average in combat and agility and is a skilled gymnast. She’s also clever and, arguably, very lucky as a character. She’s great in team settings and knows how to use a weapon, and she isn’t afraid to make some heads roll! Though I think Zatanna would sweep this round, the DC K.O. event has been subverting expectations left and right, and I have a feeling she has something up her sleeve, even if she doesn’t know it yet! She did, after all, survive round two as a human against literal gods.

Zatanna, meanwhile, can quite literally shape reality! She’s one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe, with magic lineage that courses through her veins on both sides of the family. She can manipulate time and space. Her power is limited only by her own imagination! I don’t see how Harley could easily beat her, unless she somehow tapes her mouth shut before the round begins. But still, expect the unexpected! We also have no idea what the arena or rules are for this round. She might have something up her sleeve that she doesn’t even know about yet. Imagine if Harley were to get her hands on a powerful object like from round two? Zatanna would be in hot water!

ODDS:
HARLEY QUINN: 30%
ZATANNA: 70%
 

Jay Garrick vs. Guy Gardner

A speedster vs. a Green Lantern? And on top of that, it’s not the speedster or Lantern you’d expect. This one’s going to be tough!

Jay Garrick is the original Flash and has been a mentor to many heroes. He could run laps around Guy, literally! He could phase right through him and make a Guy Gardner pile of goo. There’s a lot he could do to take down Mr. Bowl Cut, but as we all learned in high school physics, each thing he does could have an equal and opposite reaction! He could be running light speed towards Guy and boom! A construct created at the right moment could turn Jay into a bug on a windshield. Wow, I’m sorry for all the graphic visuals!

Guy Gardner has an advantage in this tournament compared to other Green Lanterns: he’s angry. He’s been a Red Lantern, after all. He’s more capable of the brutality needed to win. This is a tournament that punishes hesitation and empathy. Like I said at the start of this column, show no mercy! Guy could do a million things to stop Jay in his tracks. He could trap him in a construct in the blink of an eye. He could crush him with a giant hammer, Harley Quinn-style. He could make a massive fist and punch him into yesterday—and he wouldn’t hesitate to do so. Because of that, I think Guy has a slight advantage! This one’s for the Justice Gang!

ODDS:
JAY GARRICK: 35%
GUY GARDNER: 65%
 

Lex Luthor vs. the Demon

It’s brain versus brawn!

Lex is possibly the smartest man in the DC Universe. He’s calculated, he’s brutal and he’s rich, which means he’s got the best armor and gear. Who knows what abilities he truly has? He could have made anything for this round. People don’t think of Lex as a brawler, but I think he is one of the most dangerous opponents in this tournament, even without any metahuman abilities. What makes him so threatening? Like he said in issue #2, he’s in this to win. He doesn’t care if any of his fellow villains fall around him. He’s all in!

The Demon! I like this guy. He’s incredibly strong and has hellish abilities. He is immortal and could physically overpower Lex, but not when Lex has his suit on. Lex almost defeated Superman in round two because he came prepared with Kryptonite, which I’m convinced he sleeps with under his pillow at this point. So, does the Demon have any weaknesses? And does Lex know about them? And did he have enough time to use that knowledge to prepare for this fight? This one’s going to be a very close call. If the Demon can get a punch (or mouthful of hellfire) in, that’s it for Lex. But Lex always has a plan B, C, D and well, you get the idea…

ODDS:
LEX LUTHOR: 55%
THE DEMON: 45%
 

Red Hood vs. the Joker

Oof! It really feels like someone in this tournament has it out for the Bat-Family. The history between these two! The drama! Oh my! *clutches pearls*

Red Hood, Jason Todd, was killed by the Joker and resurrected via the Lazarus Pit, so he’s a little messed up in the head! Out of all the former Robins, he’s the most brutal. In the past, he’s killed with no hesitation and is the only member to use guns. And when he’s motivated? That boy will do whatever it takes to take down his opponent. This round is personal. This is the vengeance he so craves and now he has permission to kill the Joker with no repercussions. Much like Robert Pattison’s Batman, I think a world shaped in Jason’s vision would be full of a lot of rain and Nirvana!

We all know the Joker’s a menace. He took out a lot of people in round two when he got his hands on Atom’s Belt. It was a bloodbath. He’s unpredictable and will always take things further than you knew was possible. He’s clever and knows how to utilize his surroundings and tools, so a lot of his advantages this round will depend on the environment and rules. (Though neither of these guys are much for playing by them.) With the Joker you should always expect the unexpected! As fighting skills go, Jason clearly has the advantage. Dude is also twice Joker’s size and mostly muscle!  But when it comes to unpredictability, savagery and getting into peoples’ heads, the Joker has the edge. He’s beaten Jason before. He could do it again. And this time, there’s no 900-number to call to save him.

ODDS:
RED HOOD: 45%
THE JOKER: 55%
 

DC K.O. continues this week in Aquaman #12 (featuring Aquaman vs. Hawkman) and DC K.O.: Wonder Woman vs. Lobo #1!

Who will win? Enter the DC K.O. Bracket Challenge for a chance to win some great prizes!

Sami DeMonster writes about superheroes, horror and sci-fi for DC.com and reviews comics every week on social media. Follow her at @samidemonster on Instagram and Substack.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Sami DeMonster 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.