Warning: contains spoilers for Justice League Unlimited #19!
DC has just introduced the coolest artifact in comics since the Infinity Gauntlet. One of the most powerful objects in the Marvel Universe, the Infinity Gauntlet allows its user to do virtually anything they wish. It gives its wearer complete mastery of time and space, making them, for all intent and purposes, a god.
Bold Reimagining · Alternate DC Universe Test Your DC Comics Absolute Universe Knowledge
♆️SupermanReimagined
🦇BatmanNo billions
⚔️Wonder WomanReforged
⚡FlashSpeed
🌐UniverseAbsolute
01
DC’s Absolute Universe is a new line of comics launched in late 2024 that reimagines iconic DC heroes in a world without the legacy advantages they traditionally have. Which DC event/storyline set up the creation of the Absolute Universe?
✓ Correct! The Absolute Universe was born from Darkseid rewriting reality in the current DC continuity. This cosmic act of villainy created a parallel world where DC’s greatest heroes exist without the advantages and support systems they traditionally rely on.
✗ That answer didn’t make it through the Absolute reboot! The answer is Darkseid’s rewriting of the DC Multiverse. While Dark Crisis, Infinite Frontier, and Flashpoint Beyond are all significant DC events, it was Darkseid’s manipulation of reality that gave birth to the Absolute Universe.
02
In Absolute Superman, Kal-El’s origin is dramatically different from the main universe. Instead of being raised by the Kents in Smallville, how does Absolute Superman grow up?
✓ Correct! In the Absolute Universe, Kal-El lands not with the Kents but in an immigrant community, growing up without wealth or privilege. This reimagining strips away Superman’s traditional support system while keeping his core values of hope and justice intact.
✗ That answer didn’t make it through the Absolute reboot! The answer is that he’s raised in an immigrant community with no wealth or privilege. The Absolute line is built on the concept of heroes without their traditional advantages, and Superman’s new upbringing reflects this perfectly.
03
Absolute Batman reimagines Bruce Wayne without his billionaire status. In this version, Bruce Wayne has a very different civilian occupation. What is Absolute Batman’s day job?
✓ Correct! In the Absolute Universe, Bruce Wayne works as an engineer and construction worker. Without the Wayne fortune or Wayne Enterprises, this Bruce builds his gear and gadgets with his own hands and working-class ingenuity, making him a truly self-made Batman.
✗ That answer didn’t make it through the Absolute reboot! The answer is engineer / construction worker. Absolute Batman strips Bruce Wayne of his billionaire status entirely. This Bruce is a massive, imposing figure who uses his engineering skills and physical labor background to craft his own Batman arsenal.
04
Absolute Batman’s costume and physique are dramatically different from the traditional Batman. This version of Bruce Wayne is much larger and more imposing. Who is the writer of Absolute Batman?
✓ Correct! Scott Snyder, who previously wrote the acclaimed New 52 Batman run, is the writer of Absolute Batman. His bold reimagining of Bruce Wayne as a working-class hero without billions has been one of the breakout hits of the Absolute Universe line.
✗ That answer didn’t make it through the Absolute reboot! The answer is Scott Snyder. Known for his legendary Batman run featuring the Court of Owls and other iconic storylines, Snyder returned to the Dark Knight with Absolute Batman, completely reinventing Bruce Wayne for this new universe.
05
Absolute Wonder Woman reimagines Diana in a significantly different setting. In this version, the character’s mythology and origin pull from different cultural influences. Who is the writer of Absolute Wonder Woman?
✓ Correct! Kelly Thompson writes Absolute Wonder Woman, bringing a fresh take on Diana’s mythology and origin. This version reimagines Wonder Woman’s world with different cultural influences while maintaining the warrior spirit at the core of the character.
✗ That answer didn’t make it through the Absolute reboot! The answer is Kelly Thompson. While all four writers are acclaimed in the comics industry, it’s Thompson who helms Absolute Wonder Woman, crafting a bold new vision for Diana in the Absolute Universe.
06
The Absolute Universe was created as a result of Darkseid altering reality. A key difference is that in this universe, heroes don’t have the traditional advantages and support systems. What concept describes this — that these heroes exist without their usual “safety nets”?
✓ Correct! “Heroes without legacy” is the core concept of the Absolute Universe. These versions of DC’s iconic characters exist without the inherited advantages, mentors, wealth, and support networks that traditionally define them — forcing them to become heroes purely on their own terms.
✗ That answer didn’t make it through the Absolute reboot! The answer is “Heroes without legacy.” The Absolute Universe is built on the idea that Darkseid stripped these heroes of their legacies — Batman has no fortune, Superman has no Kents, Wonder Woman has no Themyscira as we know it.
07
Absolute Flash reimagines Wally West in the Absolute Universe. In this version, the Flash’s connection to the Speed Force is portrayed differently. Who is the writer of Absolute Flash?
✓ Correct! Jeff Lemire, known for his deeply human storytelling in titles like Sweet Tooth and Animal Man, writes Absolute Flash. His take on Wally West reimagines the speedster’s relationship with the Speed Force in the context of the Absolute Universe’s stripped-down heroic landscape.
✗ That answer didn’t make it through the Absolute reboot! The answer is Jeff Lemire. While Williamson, Waid, and Adams have all written excellent Flash stories in the main continuity, it’s Lemire who brings his unique storytelling vision to Absolute Flash.
08
Absolute Superman is written and drawn by a critically acclaimed creator who handles both the writing and art duties on the series. Who is this creator?
✓ Correct! Absolute Superman is written by Jason Aaron with art by Rafa Sandoval. Together they’ve crafted a powerful reimagining of Kal-El, placing him in an immigrant community without the Kent family’s support, creating one of the most compelling new takes on the character in years.
✗ That answer didn’t make it through the Absolute reboot! The answer is Jason Aaron (writer) with Rafa Sandoval (art). While Jim Lee, Grant Morrison, and Jorge Jiménez are all legendary DC creators, it’s the Aaron and Sandoval team that brings Absolute Superman to life.
Analysis Complete Your Absolute Knowledge
/ 8
Are you an Absolute expert — or still in the main continuity?
The Infinity Gauntlet has been at the center of some of Marvel’s best stories. Created by the Mad Titan Thanos by using the Infinity Stones, the Gauntlet is responsible for one of the biggest acts of genocide in comics. In 1991’s Infinity Gauntlet #1, Thanos used it to slaughter half the universe’s population. Then, when both heroes and gods rallied to stop him, he used the Gauntlet to tear through them with ease. Only Thanos’ hubris allowed the heroes to end his reign of terror. The Gauntlet was disassembled, and the Stones have since weaved their way in and out of the Marvel Universe.
Marvel’s primary competitor, DC Comics, also has many powerful weapons and artifacts in its universe, yet nothing approaching the magnitude of the Infinity Gauntlet.
Marvel’s primary competitor, DC Comics, also has many powerful weapons and artifacts in its universe, yet nothing approaching the magnitude of the Infinity Gauntlet. Devices such as the Mother Boxes of New Genesis are capable of impressive feats in their own right, but they fall short of the sheer power of the Infinity Gauntlet. That is, until Justice League Unlimited #19, which introduces a mind-bending artifact, one capable of changing the game in the DC Universe.
The Justice League Has Created a Device to Rival the Infinity Gauntlet
The Power Bank Was Created Out of Necessity
Thanos wields the Infinity Stones on his gauntlet in Marvel Comics
Justice League Unlimited #19 is written by Mark Waid and drawn by Dan Mora. Several members of the League, including Metamorpho, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific and Guy Gardner, are in deep space, on their way to Oa. With them is a device Mister Terrific calls “the Power Bank,” and they are taking it to the home world of the Green Lantern Corps for safekeeping.
Along the way, Hawkgirl, who has not heard of the device, asks about its history. Mister Terrific informs her that only League members with natural powers contributed to it. The Power Bank was created in the wake of Absolute Power, when Amanda Waller robbed the heroes of their abilities, as a “backup,” capable of restoring said powers. The League recognizes its potential, both good and bad, and is taking it to a safe spot.
The Power Bank Could Change the Face of Heroics in the DC Universe
Absolute Power, a crossover event that directly led to the formation of the Unlimited incarnation of the Justice League, nearly decimated Earth’s heroic population. Amanda Waller, working with Failsafe and the Brainiac Queen, was able to strip powers and abilities away from all heroes. For instance, Waller scrambled John Constantine’s brain, preventing him from speaking any of his spells. Waller’s all-out assault on the heroes not only convinced them to band together as one massive army, but to create a method in case someone pulls a similar stunt.
Absolute Power was written by Justice League Unlimited scribe Mark Waid.
Enter the Power Bank, which could potentially revolutionize being a hero in the DC Universe. Justice League Unlimited #19 also makes it clear the energy nuclei containing the heroes’ powers can be transferred to other creatures. In this issue, Mister Terrific imparts some powers upon a gaggle of alien dinosaurs, in order to fight off intergalactic pirates. This means the Power Bank could conceivably allow anyone to access to any superpower. The only other device in the DC Universe containing similar abilities is the H-Dial, from Dial H for Hero.
Of course, such a device in the wrong hands could spell disaster. Currently, the Justice League is running a pilot program to give villains amnesty. The goal is to rehabilitate the villains, but as seen in Justice League Unlimited #19, the team is having mixed results with it. If even one of the villains, who fails to live up to their end of the bargain, gets their hands on the Power Bank, then the Justice League could fall quickly. The League recognizes this dark potential, and is sending it to one of the safest places in the universe.
The Power Bank is DC's Most Powerful Object, Full Stop
Justice League heroes gathered
The Power Bank’s ability to store and give abilities makes it the coolest device in comics. If DC decides to use it beyond Justice League Unlimited’s current storyline, it has the potential to rival the Infinity Gauntlet. While not reaching the total mastery of the universe the Gauntlet provides, the Bank’s power elevates it above any other object in the DC Universe, including the Mother Boxes and the Phantom Zone Projectors.
Justice League Unlimited #19 is on sale now from DC Comics!
