The battle between Wonder Woman and the others came to a sudden halt as everyone's attention shifted to Superman. His once iconic blue and red outfit had turned jet black. His skin, too, darkened with an eerie shadowy tone.
Then, before their eyes, the neck Wonder Woman had snapped, twisted unnaturally, and snapped back into place with a sickening crack. Superman stood up, silent, alive, and radiating a sinister energy.
"Ashborn… what are you doing?" Wonder Woman asked, her voice sharp with suspicion. But even as she spoke, she sensed it, this wasn't Ashborn's doing. Whatever had taken hold of Superman felt far too dark. Far too evil.
"This isn't my doing," Ashborn said with a sigh. "But this is clear proof he was evil. The Darkness used whatever darkness was already inside him to bring him back."
Lois covered her mouth, tears falling from her eyes. Watching the man she loved fall so far—it was almost too much to bear.
"I'm not evil! Everything I did was for the greater good!" Superman roared, his voice shaking with rage. His eyes blazed red before he unleashed a beam of heat vision—hotter than the sun—blasting straight toward Ashborn.
Everything in the path of the heat vision was erased—atoms burned away so completely that they released a massive surge of energy, resulting in a devastating explosion in midair.
The blast was colossal, vaporizing everything nearby for miles.
But Superman didn't stop. His eyes scanned the distance, where he spotted Ashborn, who had teleported everyone far away to safety—far enough that they could see the scale of the destruction Superman had just unleashed.
"So, I think you guys should stop being evil and help out," Ashborn said to Hal and the others, who were still struggling to process what was happening.
"That's not Superman. You did something to him," Injustice Wonder Woman said, refusing to believe what had become of the man she once followed.
"Yes, you're right. I, who just weakened myself by defeating two beings capable of destroying this universe, obviously decided it was a good idea to bring Superman back to life, stronger than ever," Ashborn said with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "And to really sell the act, I even had him attack me, just so I could burn through the little energy I have left. Brilliant, isn't it? And they say Batman is the world's greatest detective."
Injustice Wonder Woman clenched her fists in rage.
"Then why didn't Doomsday go through something like that?" Prime Wonder Woman asked, recalling how nothing similar happened after Ashborn killed Doomsday..
"Good question… I'm guessing it's because Doomsday was already fated to return?" Ashborn said with a shrug. "Anyway, I really shouldn't be fighting right now. I'd rather not draw unnecessary attention to myself."
"This isn't the time to talk, he's coming!" Hal shouted, but it was already too late. At the speed of light, Superman appeared right in front of Ashborn, his fist flying toward him with lethal intent.
But at the last second, Superman was forced to halt, Ashborn had suddenly pulled Lois's face in front of the incoming punch.
"What are you doing?!" several voices cried out in horror, stunned by the seemingly heartless act.
Ashborn, however, didn't respond. He didn't need to. The "Lois" standing in front of him was just an illusion, he had already teleported the real one far away to safety.
"So, you still have some good left in you. That means there's a voice inside, telling you this isn't who you are." Ashborn said, forming a mirror in front of Superman. The moment Superman saw his reflection, he floated back, visibly shaken by his appearance.
"You see, you and I aren't too different. Growing up, my only friend was a swing I'd sit on while watching—wait, wrong flashback…" Ashborn paused, realizing he still hadn't mastered the art of talk no jutsu. Ignoring the confused looks, he made a mental note to perfect it later..
"Lois is back. You can be a father… but not like this. You're becoming a monster, and if you keep going, you'll lose any chance of ever holding your child with love. Is that what you want? For your child to grow up without a father figure. Are you going to take those father and child moments away because you're giving up here?" Ashborn asked calmly.
Superman clutched his head, letting out a guttural, demonic roar as he struggled with the raging conflict inside.
"Go. Talk to him while beating him up," Ashborn said, seeing that Superman wasn't going to come back to his senses on his own.
Though they hesitated, the others followed Wonder Woman's lead and charged forward to take on Superman… and they were almost overwhelmed. The only reason they were able to keep up in the fight was thanks to Doctor Fate and John Constantine. The two magic users worked together to suppress Superman's power, giving the others a fighting chance.
With Superman restrained on the outside, it gave the version of him still buried within a chance to fight back—with a little help from Ashborn.
"I made so many mistakes… I became a tyrant," Superman said, curled up in a ball in some shadowy corner of his mind. All around him was pure darkness—darkness that parted as its sovereign approached.
"That you were," Ashborn said softly, "but now, you can be so much more. You lost your way, but you've found it again. Now, you can use your mistakes to grow and become an even better Superman. Even if you don't want to be Superman for the sake of the world, then do it for your child."
Superman looked up at him, tears in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ashborn cut him off gently.
"Yes, the world may never see you the same way. Their outlook might never change. If that's enough to stop you from being a hero for them, then don't be a hero for them—be one for the people who love you. Just look outside—everyone is still fighting for you. They've accepted their mistake."
Ashborn crouched down beside him.
"Death is the coward's way out. And when was the last time Superman was afraid?" he asked with a small smile.
Superman lowered his head for a long moment… then, slowly, he began to rise.
"How are you standing?" the Darkness within Superman roared, watching in disbelief as Superman's light grew stronger, pushing it back.
"Don't say anything—it can't sense my presence," Ashborn said, placing a hand on Superman's shoulder. "Like I said, I can't move against the Darkness… not yet." With that, Ashborn vanished.
Moments later, Superman let out a thunderous roar, releasing the Darkness from within. The corrupted energy burst out like a cloud of black gas, dissipating into the air.
Ashborn floated above, watching it unfold. "Looks like I need to update my plans. Even if a villain can be killed, they shouldn't be… because they'll just come back stronger." He sighed, feeling the drain on his MP as his body still hadn't fully recovered.
Ignoring the others who rushed to Superman's side as he collapsed, Ashborn quietly flew over to the bodies of Trigon and Mr. Mxyzptlk.
"Arise," Ashborn said calmly, drawing everyone's attention. Instantly, they went on high alert as a tornado of darkness swirled into existence, then vanished, revealing Trigon and Mr. Mxyzptlk kneeling before Ashborn.
"Explain," Batman demanded, his voice sharp with unease.
"Simple," Ashborn replied lazily. "I told their shadows to rise. Don't worry, this isn't the same as what happened to Superman. My powers turned them into living shadows that are completely loyal to me. What happened to Superman was different—he became a darker, stronger version of himself because of the evil already inside his heart."
"My lord Ashborn," Trigon spoke, his voice low with reluctant concern. "I am the god of evil. As much as it pains me to admit, I fear the darkness may use the very evil I embody to control me."
Ashborn frowned, not having considered that possibility.
"It's fine. I'll deal with that later. For now, return to my shadow," he said, dismissing the two. Trigon and Mxyzptlk silently dissolved into his shadow.
Turning back to the remaining members of Superman's team, Ashborn crossed his arms.
"Now, as for the rest of you—call me crazy, but I think everything that just happened is more than enough proof that you're all a bunch of bad guys."
Hal, Shazam, and Wonder Woman gritted their teeth, their silence saying everything.