| "DC K.O." | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics | ||
| Publication date | October 2025 –March 2026 | ||
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| Main characters | |||
| Creative team | |||
| Writer(s) | Scott Snyder Joshua Williamson | ||
| Artists |
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| Penciller | Javier Fernandez | ||
| Inker | Xermanico | ||
| Letterer | Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou | ||
| Colorist |
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| Editor | Paul Kaminski | ||
DC K.O. [a] is an American comic book crossover event published by DC Comics as part of the DC All In initiative. The event is mainly written by Scott Snyder as well as Joshua Williamson, with art mainly by Javier Fernandez. The story consists of the Justice League trying to defeat Darkseid who wants to terraform Earth after creating the Absolute Universe. [2]
On July 16, 2025, DC Comics announced that Scott Snyder will be returning to DC Comics after a 5-year hiatus writing the main issues with Joshua Williamson helping write the tie-in events after working together on DC All in Special #1. Scott Snyder has stated that K.O. in the event do not stand for Knock-out, but rather King Omega. [3]
The event also features guest third-party characters like Homelander ( The Boys ), Sub-Zero ( Mortal Kombat ), Annabelle ( The Conjuring ), Red Sonja, Vampirella and Samantha (Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees). [4]
Various heroes and villains compete in a tournament so that the winner can obtain enough energy to confront Darkseid, who has returned to the DC Universe after creating and absorbing power from the Absolute Universe. [5] [6]
After the heroes stop Amanda Waller, they rebuild the new Justice League Watchtower, and Booster Gold is offered membership by Superman. Just then, Darkseid arrives, having bonded with the Spectre (after killing his allies, defeating Eclipso, and the Quintessence) and taking control of Zatanna, Swamp Thing, and Doctor Fate to arrive. With the help of magical beings, Superman repels Darkseid, but Darkseid thanks him before disappearing. Leaving an unstable rift. Mister Terrific reveals Darkseid retreated to a world called Alpha World, which only time-travelers can travel to safely. Booster Gold offers to travel there, but is captured by Darkseid's corrupt Legion of Super-Heroes. [7]
It is revealed that Darkseid felt the multiverse was severed, he felt a surge of power and during the confrontation with Spectre, Spectre tells Darkseid that Superman is the embodiment of Life, while Darkseid is the opposite. As life expanded, Darkseid's presence spread out, causing him to currently feel more restless and even hungrier for power. After bonding with Spectre using the Miracle Machine, he traveled to another universe and corrupted it using his influence. [8] [9]
Gorilla Grodd senses Darkseid's rift and tries to use it, but the Justice League with their alternate variants defeat Grodd. Superman encounters Time Trapper (a future version of Doomsday) who wants Superman to join with it to rule eternity but Superman rejects. Time Trapper travels back to his world, but is captured by Darkseid's Legion, and is saved by the World Forger. Superman manages to free Booster Gold (who is infused with Chronal and Omega energy) with the help of Superboy-Prime, and tells the League to come help them. Time Trapper tries to convince Booster Gold to leave, but after traveling to Time Trapper's world with Wally West, he decides to work with Superman. [10]
The Quantum Quorum (Time Trapper, reformed Gorilla Grodd, World Forger, and Booster Gold) want to change the timeline (similar to The New 52), but the Justice League decline that offer. Time Trapper explains that Apokolips' heart runs on Omega Energy, and Darkseid has placed its heart on a different earth, creating it in his own image, becoming King Omega. Darkseid has planned to do the same thing to current Earth, but Batman offers creating their own King Omega to fight back using Booster Gold. Superman objects at first, but after persuasion from Wonder Woman and Batman, he relents. For one week, the heroes secure all the villains, convince the world to work together and build mega arks for evacuation. They eventually head to the Skartas Nexus (passageway to Center of Earth) to participate in the tournament. During the first round, the villains arrive. Batman is seemingly killed by Joker, and Darkseid is revealed to have secretly been impersonating Booster Gold. [11] [12]
In addition to the main DC K.O. and DC K.O. Knightfight series, several other series across DC's current line-up contain stories that tie directly into the main event.
Titans Volume 4, starting with #28 [13] and expected to end with #32, [14] details the Titans remaining on Earth during the tournament to evacuate the human population, eventually rehoming much of Earth's population to Gemworld. [15]
Aquaman Volume 9 #11 [16] serves as a prelude to the main DC K.O. storyline, about Aquaman learning of a connection between Darkseid and the Dark Tide. Issues of Aquaman Volume 9 are expected to continue tying into DC K.O. until #14. [14]
Superman Volume 6 has tie-ins starting with #31 [17] and expected to end with #35 [14] that show Superman, and later, Lois Lane in the Fortress of Solitude. They discover secrets about Darkseid relating to the end of Krypton.
The Flash Volume 6 contains a tie-in story with Wally West attempting to stop a time-travelling Impulse from destroying the flow of time. This story started with #26 [18] and is currently set to carry through until #30. [14]
Justice League Unlimited Volume 2 has a story starting with #12 [19] where Mister Terrific must unite with several time-displaced superheroes from the We are Yesterday comic event and journey to hell and uncover the origin of a signal from one of his devices, which originated from the Earth's core. Tie-in stories to DC K.O. will conclude with #16. [14]
Additionally, several one-shots will be published relating to the DC K.O. event, including several "All Fight Month" issues in December, DC K.O. Green Lantern Galactic Slam and DC K.O. The Kids Are All Fight in January, and DC K.O. Boss Battle in February. [14] The latter comic contains several crossover characters from other franchises, including Homelander from The Boys, Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat , and Red Sonja. [20]