The newest round of the DC KO tournament, in which the winner will go up against Darkseid for the fate of the universe, continues. In this part of the bracket, it’s Wonder Woman vs. Lobo. The Warrior of Themyscira, who has defeated monsters and gods, goes up against the unkillable and unlikable intergalactic mercenary.
Depending on who you ask, this fight could go either way. Thankfully, writer and artist Joëlle Jones understood the assignment and made this an incredible issue, and protected both competitors from looking bad.
DC K.O.: Wonder Woman vs. Lobo No. 1
- Writer: Joëlle Jones
- Artist: Cary Nord, Daniel Bayliss, and Jason Howard
- Colors: Tamra Bonvillain and Daniel Bayliss
The fight begins in an interesting way, with a deity watching the bout on TV (it will make sense in the end). Then, the two contenders start their battle in a wrestling ring. It’s no-holds-barred, with victory only coming in death. Shockingly, Wonder Woman lost the first round due to her arrogance. She talked more trash than Lobo, and the Scourge o' the Cosmos took advantage.
In round 2, the fighters could choose their forms. Diana took her god armor and brought Donna Troy, Cassandra Sandsmark, and Yara Flor to help her fight. Instead of doing something smart, Lobo goes into his younger New 52 look. Wonder Woman wins after taking him down with his own bike.
Round 3 consisted of mini-games. Among them were things like a chess-boxing showdown, shin kicking, a slap fight, and more. In the end, it came down to a gladiatorial battle.
Like the first round, arrogance was the loser’s downfall. This time, however, it was Lobo who made the mistake. He took the name of the god who allows him power in vain. Because of that, Lobo’s contract was terminated, leaving Wonder Woman victorious.
What's next for Lobo
If we’re being honest, a fight to the death should always end with Lobo winning because he can’t die. It’s a bit of a cheat code, but it’s part of his character. Nevertheless, what writer Joëlle Jones did was smart. She knew that there was no way for Lobo to lose a contest with the rules heavily favoring him. So how does that play out? Lobo’s well-known hubris ultimately works against him. Now, the question is how long his mortality lasts.
Most of what The Main Man does is dependent on his healing factor. Characters like Wolverine and Deadpool have both lost their healing factors and had to adjust their fighting styles. However, the situation is different with Lobo. He’s flying through the galaxy and may not be able to fight as well in the vacuum of space without his superpowers. Even if he can, the bounties he normally takes could be too dangerous for him. But it’s doubtful he’ll stop accepting the contracts.
To be clear, it’s unclear if the contract is null and void forever. When the world is reset, the consequences of the tournament could be reversed. But, gods in comic books are petty. They could continue to deny Lobo his immortality because he took their name in vain. And with Lobo appearing in the DC Universe's Supergirl movie next year, it might be a nice way to get him involved in a storyline before the movie drops. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to find out what’s next for The Main Man.
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