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. #4.
 

In DC K.O., only one champion can win, save the world from Darkseid and shape reality in their image. That’s unnerving enough on its own without even acknowledging that two of the four champions still remaining after three rounds are the Joker and Lex Luthor. But in DC K.O. #4, the event’s penultimate issue, they have a bigger problem: Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Superman have arrived as Darkseid’s Three Horsemen of the Apokolips. The heroes of a world shaped by Darkseid have been turned into weapons of mass destruction and set against the alternate versions of themselves we know from the DC Universe. But whose side are the Absolute heroes really on?

When we meet them in issue #4, they aren't the characters we know from their comics—they are corrupted and controlled by pure Omega energy. They’re unwilling pawns in Darkseid’s twisted game of chess. They’re powerful ones too. Younger than their DCU counterparts and possessing abilities unfamiliar to our world’s Bruce, Clark and Diana. (Yes, Bruce. He makes it back to the arena after running the gauntlet in the DC K.O.: Knightfight tie-in series.)

So, how will the Golden Trio defeat the Darkseid-infused younger version of themselves? It comes down to the Man of Steel punching a Darkseid-possessed Booster Gold into freeing their doppelgängers. Their fierce enemies then become their allies in the fight to save the world. I won’t try to describe the incredible fighting sequences that lead up to all this—they’re something you absolutely have to see for yourself. But unsurprisingly, there’s no sudden heroic turn by the Joker. He switches sides and gets an upgrade. The dude is a cockroach and will do whatever it takes to save his own skin. Fortunately, he gets what’s coming to him. Batman takes ‘show no mercy’ to heart and does not hesitate to strike down his opposition. Finally!

At first, I was worried, yet intrigued, to see these heroes fight each other. But in a best-of-both-worlds situation, I was glad to see the Absolute gang ultimately team up with their alternate selves in the latter half of this issue. I want to see more of these six together. In fact, I would love a dedicated one-shot where the Absolute heroes get coffee with their original selves because I need more of their banter. I loved the insults the Bruce Waynes threw at each other. Absolute Bruce calling Original Bruce a “rich boy” and Original Bruce snapping back by telling him he has the ugliest bat-symbol he has ever seen is even more hilarious if you know how the fandom talks about these sorts of things.

This was an action-packed issue with some great payoffs, and in the end, Earth may have found its King Omega. When Darkseid finally emerges, it’s Superman and Lex Luthor who are left standing…and one is a backstabbing self-preservationist that has no problem striking someone when they’re down. And that, regrettably, is exactly what happens. Lex Luthor uses his final blast to take down a weakened Superman. In the end, our heroes’ biggest fear came true. A villain has won, potentially gaining the ability to shape the world in their image.

What would a world shaped by Lex Luthor look like? A fascist, capitalistic hellscape no doubt. We have seen what Lex Luthor does in any position of power, and now he will be the most powerful entity on the planet. Pledge allegiance to the United Nations of Lex Luthor. I wonder if he’d bring back Superman just to torment him? I think he would. There is no Lex Luthor without Superman, Lex’s purpose is Superman. I have no idea what to expect in the final issue of DC K.O., but if Lex Luthor really does become King Omega, I think it would be powerful to see a Luthor world in full swing as presumably Superman and the other heroes fight to break free from his grip.

One thing I’ve found fascinating throughout the series is getting to see glimpses of Superman’s ideal world—the world he would create if he became King Omega. It’s a peaceful, solar-punk utopia that looks a lot like Krypton. I wonder if this was a subconscious choice or if he purposely wanted to create a world that mixed his two identities.

Well, unsurprisingly, I’ll take Superman's world over Lex’s any day. I was really rooting for my second-favorite Kryptonian. If you are reading this, Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Javi Fernández and Xermánico, I love what ya’ll have done here! I cannot wait for DC K.O. #5. And I really hope Lex does NOT become King Omega!
 

DC K.O. #4 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.

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.