Movies News Talk
Get ready for unlike any other power struggle! In the thrilling first issue of DC Comics' summer event, "Absolute Power: Task Force VII," the tables are turned as a new, twisted form of Superman, known as Last Son, readily vanquishes the formidable Black Adam. The DC Universe has been rocked by this collision of giants, leaving viewers wondering about the fate of heroes and villains both.
The terrible confrontation between Black Adam and Last Son lays the core of this problem. In a sequence highlighting the sheer force of Amanda Waller's most recent work, Black Adam, the fierce defender of Kahndaq, is rendered helpless in a few brief seconds.
An Amazo driven by the combined powers of Superman, Superboy, and many other metahumans, Last Son shows to be a force beyond Black Adam has ever encountered. Black Adam is simply outmatched by Last Son's pure strength and capacity to drain his magical energies, not a classic struggle between equals.
The twisted schemes of Amanda Waller are the source of Last Son's amazing strength. Originally meant as support for the insane Batman persona, Zur-En-Arrh, the Amazos of Task Force Vii were turned by Waller into tools of her grand scheme to de-power the world's metahumans. Time Commander helped Waller's scientists revive these Amazos, arming them with Brainiac's advanced programming and power-absorbing properties.
The outcome is a strong force able of absorbing and controlling even the most strong metahuman ability. The absorption of Clark Kent's, Jon Kent's, and Conner Kent's Kryptonian talents magnifies Last Son's strength and power to an unheard-of degree.
Black Adam's loss was almost certain, notwithstanding his reputation as one of the most potent entities in the DC Universe. Although he has battled Superman in the past, those contests were fought on a level playing field. But Last Son stands for a fresh kind of power, stronger and more capable than even the Man of Steel.
Black Adam's attempts to use his magical abilities against Last Son are useless, as the Amazos' experiences with Doctor Fate and the Spectre show—magic can be drained. Black Adam's magical powers would be useless against a foe who could absorb and control magic itself, even if he could somehow resist Last Son's great physical might.
Black Adam's loss reminds us sharply of the immediate threat Task Force Vii presents. Should Black Adam fail against Last Son, what hope do other heroes and villains have against this unrelenting force? The shocking power disparity leaves the DC Universe's fate teetering dangerously close.
The stakes have never been greater as Amanda Waller's evil scheme comes to pass. The issue now is not whether Task Force VII will succeed but rather who, if anyone, can halt this new era of de-powered heroes and a society governed by Waller's warped vision.
Task Force VII #1 is currently DC Comics' absolute power.