DC K.O. was the comic book event of 2025 and bled into 2026. When it was announced, writers Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson promised that this wasn’t going to be just a series of comic books with a bunch of fights. There were going to be shocking events from start to finish. And just when you thought the final twist was coming, the series finale brought readers a bunch more.
There’s a story about a scorpion and a frog where the scorpion stings the frog, saying that it’s in his nature. At the end of the DC K.O. No. 4, Lex Luthor is the scorpion, and Superman is the frog. He betrays the Man of Steel (like everyone knew he would) to become the one to become King Omega and fight Darkseid. However, in Superman No. 35 by Joshua Williamson, Time Trapper (aka, Doomsday) learns that he’s more than anyone knew and that he has the ability to shift the power in the tournament.
While Darkseid is full of omega energy (death), Time Trapper finds out that he has alpha (life). With that knowledge, Time Trapper revives Superman to fight in the tournament instead of Luthor. This leaves Lex Luthor shocked (and probably annoyed) that, once again, Kal-El is the savior of the universe, and he’s left behind with his mouth agape.
As the fight goes on, Superman becomes the most powerful being in comic book history. However, it doesn’t seem like enough to defeat Darkseid, as the villain pushes Kal-El to the moment of the Big Bang. But this was Superman’s version of Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope. The Big Bang has every kind of energy within it. Supes uses that to his advantage and pushes back Darkseid. And just when it looks like Kal-El is going to win and recreate the universe in his image, he stops.
Knowing that victory is within reach, the Heart of Apokalips asks Superman why he stopped. Kal-El says, “No one should hold that much power, because, when one person wins, none of us do. What we need is not one hand to save us…but many. Every hand. Their hands. And yours too.”
After that, Superman shows various people throughout the universe, acknowledging that their differences are what make life worth living. It was a major win for the Man of Steel, as he left, saying he had something to do. Sadly, there's more going on than even the now seemingly omnipotent Clark knows about.
This was a major win for the Man of Steel, as he left, saying he had something to do. And while Clark may be gone, Lois isn’t worried. Sadly, she should be. There's more going on than even the now seemingly omnipotent Clark knows about.
On the last few pages, Darkseid mentions that there have been tournaments throughout the multiverse. And, on the final page, Darkseid is surrounded by planets with the omega symbol on them. That means these realities are all corrupted by his energy. Then, in a shocking phrase, he says, “Once the infinite Earths fall…there will be a crisis of absolute proportions.”
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