Deus novus ex machina - Justice League of America #185

Darkseid Rising

Justice League of America #185

Cover Date: December 1980
Released: 11th September 1980

We start with both a full and two-page splash of Metron summing up the last issue, the Boom Tube apparently allowing them to see current events going on throughout Apokolips. We then get Darkseid himself shows up in the Fortress that Batman, Huntress and Mr Miracle were learning his plans.

Apparently being stranded in the astral plane has hardened Darkseid to weakness in life, though not family as he locks the Injustice League in the dread Chamber 13 for harming his son Orion. Though he doesn't care enough to thaw him out, Icicle having frozen them in a giant block of ice. Firestar flame being out in the block of ice is a nice touch as well. We then get the three active heroes attacking the guards dragging the ice block away before we cut to the next scene.

 We then get Dr Fate, Hal Lantern, High Father and Oberon in a brief fight with Parademons. Mostly its for High Father to take the Parademon down but to show he's all tuckered out after being drained by Darkseid. It's a quick scene and then we cut to the next.

We then go to Wonder Woman, Superman and Crimson breaking into Granny Goodness's place, Crimson shows how bloodthirst she has been made only for Superman to deliver the standard message that heroes don't kill. Supes then free's the poor kids, being taught in chains, whilst Wonder Woman gets to fight Granny Goodness. The kids are shown as celebrating their freedom, calling back to the idea of love from the previous issue. Wonder Woman gets to show how badass she is by catching the whip that Granny was used as a weapon, but Granny runs away into the secret tunnels built into the place. She, however, runs into Barda, who we haven't seen in any of these scenes, who as Granny notes knows the tunnels from when she was a Fury. 

Another storyline done we cut back to the palace where Firestorm, Orion and Power Girl have been freed from the ice block. I have to say that Kara looks pretty good with her wet hair, it's a different look compare to her regular hairstyle. Here I've noticed that she's not worn her chocker in any of these JLA, I only make a note as she'll be back to her classic costume by her next appearance. We also get a continuation of the bickering between Firestorm and Kara, with him apparently babbling when he's nervous. By her general attitude, I take Kara's comments as gentle teasing, which is very different to the harsh comments from her earlier appearances.

Batman and Mr Miracle then manage to free the Injustice League, with Helena standing watch, but releasing that like Dalek shuttlecraft it has massive ground defences and an undefended service hatch on top! (yes I know that is a deep, deep cut but somehow I remember the quote! Remembrance of the Daleks if anyone is curious). We then get a repeat of heroes doing the right things as they let the villain out of the box. It's couched as a pragmatic thing, they need them to get everyone home, but it's still called out here.

We have another cut back to the battle with the Parademon, this poor group being kept busy and out of the final conflict. They don't even get to win the battle, with Batman, Huntress and Mr Miracle, with the freed New Gods, sweeping in when all seems lost.

Talking of  Darkseid is defeated by Firestorm just turning his Omega Beams, which don't even have the cool straight line ascetic, back at Darkseid. The ruler of Apokolips still manages to press the button to send the planet to destroy Earth-2. However at the eleventh hour, in literally one (circular) panel Metron explains how he reprogramed the machine to send Darkseid somewhere. And that's it!

Rush endings aside this is another solid issue with the stories intertwining really well, except maybe the battle with the Parademons which never manages to build the tension it's apparently try to achieve. Darkseid is weird to the more modern eye not being the almost unstoppable foe that he is now, the fact that he's taken out in a single panel only help with this. Apart from maybe a few extra pages to give this a proper more drawn-out ending this is a good issue.

 ⋅ Writers: Gerry Conway ⋅ Pencilers: George Pérez ⋅ Inkers: Frank McLaughlin ⋅ 

Colourists: Gene D'Angelo ⋅ Letterers: Todd Klein ⋅ Editors: Len Wein ⋅