The Secrets of Tom King's Mister Miracle - Darkseid is (coming?) (March 2020)
Commentary (August 2021)
The following is commentary on my post below on Tom King and Mitch Gerads' Mister Miracle. It's an excellent story and is praised as one of their best works. The tributes to Jack Kirby and the characterization and arcs with Scott Free and Big Barda are great. I'm not too fond on the portrayals of most of the other characters in the Fourth World however. That being said, it's implied they are not real and this posts deals on why and what that means.
Also important here is Darkseid. From Jack Kirby's original saga, to John Byrne and Walt Simonson's continuations, to Grant Morrison's Rock of Ages, Seven Soldiers and Final Crisis, the dark lord of Apokolips has always been hinted at to be more than he seems. Darkseid is evil incarnate. Darkseid is in all things evil. Most especially he's in despair, death and the loss of free will. This book takes a lot from those, especially on Grant Morrison's contributions.
I especially point out how this parallels Seven Soldiers: Mister Miracle as well. I originally wanted to add commentary on Morrison's portrayal of Darkseid as a Satanic figure attempting to be God with Judeo-Christian Theology, which informs what "Godhead" even means, but midway I realize that could be a future post on its own. What's most important is that here he again represents despair and false reality.
This post focuses on how this story may in fact be relevant in the future as it connects to the past and sets up the future, hidden in the secrets of the story. Darkseid is now the big bad of Infinite Frontier which which I predicted in a later post. Shilo is Mister Miracle again, Scott seems to be missing and new New Gods from human hosts are appearing too. Is this the Fifth World rising once more? Guess we'll have to wait and see for that, but I do think this story will and has come in to play. I may make a new post on that, especially with Infinite Frontier utilizing the same "Darkseid is." image.
Link to the original on Reddit
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Mister Miracle
It's been quite some time since Tom King and Mich Gerads finished their work on their Eisner award winning Mister Miracle mini-series. This post will be theorizing on it so of course, spoiler warning for that, Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers, Final Crisis and Multiversity and Justice League Odyssey (which by itself includes spoilers for Darkseid War and Wonder Woman Rebirth).
Now, before reading this I highly recommend watching these two excellent videos by Tyler from Imaginary Axis:
The Truth Behind DC's Most Infamous Villain - Part 1
Darkseid is NOT a God ... He's WORSE! - Part 2
And additionally here's a community post with final notes.
Community Post
His videos explains the concepts behind "True" Darkseid which is seen in Morrison's works. He explains it in a very comprehensive, educational and yet entertaining way. Absolutely watch them. I will assume you have as I reference it throughout the post.
But just to sum it up here's a summary of some of the concepts that I made:
The ("True") New Gods are self-aware living ideas from a neoplatonic archetypal world. One that exists in a higher plane of existence than the physical multiverse (the Orrery of Worlds). They're representations of abstract concepts living in the Sphere of the Gods. They and their worlds emanate in the physical multiverse in multiple universes simultaneously. Like light through a prism. These "emanations" are to them like our shadows are to us. This is why there is only one Darkseid in the Multiverse, even though there are also many. Darkseid himself is the emanation of evil, the hole in things.
I've been thinking of most of this for a long time now, even during the series' run. Since then I've made several posts before ranging from theories to recaps to diagrams of the Three Jokers.
But why now?
Which leads to part 2 of this ten part post. (Yes, this'll probably be my biggest post since the original Three Jokers one not many people read at first.)
So, why make this now of all times? Does it have any relevance to continuity? Is it even in continuity?
Short answer: Yes it is and more.
Long Answer:
First off, you may have read my previous posts. If so you may be familiar with how writers like Geoff Johns, Scott Snyder and Brian Michael Bendis have been saying that their stories are part of a whole, assuring connections. Then there's Death Metal and 5G enforcing the idea that all stories matter with a new timeline where all stories are canonical. Common words from the statements: "One Big Story". "Everything Matters".
Searching through those statements I found one from Tom King. But it wasn't about Heroes in Crisis or Batman. It was about Mister Miracle:
"It's all one story"
The book was released around the same time as Dark Nights Metal and Doomsday Clock. Both Snyder and Geoff have been making big plans. As I've shown previously, though there have been changes they're mostly intact and are still unfulfilled. It is highly likely Mister Miracle was part of a plan that would eventually pull everything together. Especially with what's inside the book and what's coming next.
But Earthmine, there's no way this book's in continuity. What makes you think there's something in it that implies that.
Throughout the book we've seen hints of Scott being in a false reality. One that has versions of New Gods that have their classic appearances (as opposed to their current versions) but act out of character (more on that later). The TPB even has the classic origins before showing the first issue as opposed to the new retconned origins of Post-Flashpoint.
Classic Origin, Classic New Gods
There are visual motifs (glitches, Darkseid is.) that they confirm to be out of place (more on those later). But lastly, there's the ending.
"there is another world"
A glimpse of main continuity where Scott "should be". Here we see the (then) current versions of characters INCLUDING the current New Gods.
So I do believe something was planned, and it may still come sooner or later.
First let's look at the now infamous "Darkseid is.".
Imaginary Axis explains it pretty thoroughly. How it evokes the idea that Darkseid is more "real" than we are. That he is all things. Which of course is inspired by the bible. But where did it first come from?
"Who is beyond good and evil? Who is the prophet of Anti-Life?
Who is the rock, the chain and the lighting?
All powerful! All unforgiving! All conquering!
Who is your New God now and forever!"
The Original
The phrase itself first appears in Grant Morrison's JLA. Rock of Ages. It was Darkseid's conclusion to Godfrey's big hype speech but also seen in posters throughout the arc and even in one of the covers.
Posters
It doesn't get used much if at all in Final Crisis but it's there that the concepts behind it are put at the ultimate conclusion. Taking inspiration from theoretical physics, theology and philosophy, Grant Morrison took the idea of Darkseid as evil personified on a whole new level. One that's
"in you all"
Tom King here is similarly taking those ideas and applying it as an important part of this book's themes. Here is his and Mitch Gerad's say on "Darkseid is" in an interview:
Interview on Darkseid is.
But the idea that Darkseid is the evil within as all is of course not just exclusive to Morrison. It's something from the original Jack Kirby saga too. Something more modern stories in and out of comics and less knowledgeable fans may forget or not be aware of.
But there's more. There are allusions to Morrison's concepts and stories.
Let's start with:
The book implies that Scott himself is infected by the Anti-Life Equation. That may or may not be what's behind this false reality. Of course, this isn't something the ALE alone has done by itself.
The book itself starts with his apparent attempt at suicide.
From there he goes on with life but with hints that something is absolutely wrong.
Running motifs like reality glitches and "Darkseid is." appear consistently. Here is an interview excerpt on the glitches and how they're supposed to remind us the readers that something is wrong. I don't think there's 1 specific and strict reason for the placement of them. But as for "Darkseid is", as TK explains it's meant to remind us of the darkness within us. That Darkseid is.
Interview on Glitches
Besides that there's everyone around him being off. First there's things like Barda having different colored eyes than he remembers or Oberon being alive when he's not.
AS I said everyone is in their classic appearance and the classic origins and histories being followed. But more than that, it's not just Scott who's more depressed and hateful. Orion is too, and there relationship is different, perhaps intentionally. Here u/NovaStarLord explains how different very well.
It does seem like a false reality generated with the ALE. But how? Well in the book itself, Desaad implies that Darkseid requires the Omega Effect to execute the equation, or at least what he needs with it:
"Executing the ALE through Omega"
Now, what ability of the Omega Effect can do such a thing?
Answer: The Omega Sanction. The Life Trap.
Now there are two versions of the OS as confrimed and explained by Grant Morrison.
The original Kirby version simply sends its target through the timeline which Darkseid used on Batman in his final plan to win in Final Crisis and Return of Bruce Wayne.
The one Morrison created was a version was known as "The Life Trap". It sends its victim through an endless cycle of life and death with each life becoming more hopeless and each death becoming more brutal.
Seven Soldiers: Mister Miracle is Morrison's prelude to Final Crisis starring Scott Free's protege, Shilo Norman as the new MM. We first see The Life Trap in there when Boss Dark Side uses it after simply reciting the ALE alone fails as Shilo is immune to it.
I believe this is how The Life Trap is made.
Omega Sanction + Anti-Life = The Life Trap
From there he goes on to live and die again and again while also witnessing his friends and family die and get corrupted (like the out of character NGs here).
The problem of course is that Shilo eventually figured out what was going on and convinced the embodiment of the Sanction to escape with him. How? Because even the Adapter was suffering and so he offered it escape from that. The endless suffering and rebirth allowed Shilo awareness and a path to escape.
This time, the Omega Sanction has changed again. First off the Adapter is gone. But also, this time, the formula is different.
Instead of multiple hopeless lives and brutal deaths, it's 1 painful life and for every possible death, death is undone. Instead of the life being devoid of good however it's mixed in with a little hope and some of Scott's desires in order to keep him there and in denial. Which is how it succeeded.
Look at one of his escapes.
Blood and death, yet he lives.
Plenty of reality glitches too. Did he really escape?
Then this one.
We don't even see him escape and appear afterwards at all.
Another one
I believe Scott's original suicide was his attempt at escaping after him enduring the pain of the Sanction. The Life Trap however kept him alive and continues to do so until Scott stops trying to kill himself entirely and submits to the false reality completely.
... but there's more....
Not everything is all it seems.
Let's look more into Seven Soldiers. In that story, it turns out EVERYTHING was a test made by Metron.
Shilo never actually left the black hole from the beginning of the story.
It was all simulated reality to initiate Shilo into the New Gods becoming the new Avatar of Freedom, host of the Godhead of escape.
The book itself takes place after the War in Heaven that killed the New Gods.
Hence why Scott was gone and why Shilo was to succeed him. Shilo is Scott's new emanation like Boss Dark Side was Darkseid's
The war Darkseid's fall through the Multiverse and a massive hole in all things consumes everything until all is One in Darkseid. Final Crisis.
Later we see him truly meet Boss Dark Side (then the current incarnation of Darkseid after his emanation died).
True First Meeting
His new status as New God and host of the Godhead allows him God sight which lets him see the "True" Darkseid as well. The abstract form behind the emanations. While the Boss Dark Side himself knows nothing.
"True Darkseid"
Darkseid explains that Mister Miracle is his opposite and ultimate enemy. Avatar of Freedom, Master of the Life-Equation. Darkseid is the God of Evil, Avatar of Tyranny, Master of the Anti-Life Equation.
This plays a lot into TK's MM too. And here, Metron also makes a reveal.
He congratulates Scott and tells him to return to reality.
This can't be a coincidence. I think Metron here was testing Scott this time, to be the host of the Godhead and defeat Darkseid in the future.
However, thanks to the new version of the Sanction, Scott ultimately chooses not to escape.
Scott's own feelings and consciousness mixed together manifest as illusions in the reality calling him one more time to escape but it's useless. Scott fails. Anti-Life wins.
So what happened after? What was Darkseid's goal? What's coming soon?
First, let's remember something. The prophecy that Orion, son of Darkseid, would kill his father. Only, is Orion the son of the prophecy?
Throughout the book, it's implied to not be Orion all along, but Scott.
Just ask Granny
Now in some Earths where the prophecy does happen like Earth-12 (DCAU copy/Batman Beyond) and Earth-22 (Kingdom Come) Orion BECOMES the new Darkseid. (See Here)
Something the book hints at too with both Orion but also Scott.
Darkseid is.
In Final Crisis, Darkseid was attempting to incarnate into new hosts. Boss Dark Side. Dan Turpin. Simon Hurt. Now? Scott Free.
This was what Metron was warning him off. There have been many hints. Whether it's glitches of reality, "Darkseid is" reminding him of Darkseid being inside him, to abstract art like the ones we see in the TPB.
The Godhead of Darkseid is coming (more on that later) and possibly another War in Heaven and Final Crisis with it
The book also seems to portray it's own War in Heaven/Death of New Gods. Perhaps even based on the previous one as it was supposed to have happened.
If Seven Soldiers' false reality was post-war, this one was of the war itself.
What happened after this trial? It's pretty open ended. I do think this still takes place in the future and we'll learn more about it eventually. Which leads to....
Now let's look at what's going on with the current emanations of the New Gods in main continuity.
Ever since the Source Wall was broken, the current New Gods were seemingly wiped along with the Fourth World. Since then Highfather and Orion somehow survived and are currently aiding the heroes.
I don't think we've seen Scott since except for maybe Doomsday Clock.
Metron died way back at the end of Darkseid War and in Flash Forward and Flash 750, he's confirmed to still be dead. He may return later or not. All we know is that Wally West is currently the one on the Mobius Chair. We know from the Doomsday Clock vision that he'll be back. By then, who will sit on the Chair?
But Darkseid? He's been planning for this. Long story short he's returned to his cosmic self after losing his power and being de aged multiple times. He's planning something. (Most) of the New Gods are gone. Is his Final Crisis 2 next? Maybe.
But now let's take a look at the last time we saw the ORIGINAL New Gods and the Godhead.
At the end of Final Crisis, the New Gods of New Genesis (minus Orion who stayed dead and Metron who seemingly never died) were reborn on Earth 51, the Fifth World.
In Multiversity, they are shown to be unaffected by timeline changes. Just like before. They noticed the many emanations of themselves throughout the Multiverse. The Empty Hand had revived Darkseid and his essence is now rebuilding his Godhead, by putting all the fragments together.
Note, the Hyper Adapter from Morrison's books is not Barbatos. Batman Lost (Metal tie in) confirms that they're separate beings and that Barbatos witnessed it chase Bruce.
But there may still be a connection between Darkseid's Godhead and the Dark Multiverse.
We know that in Final Crisis, Darkseid was dragging everything in the Orrery of Worlds into oblivion. A dark hole at the bottom of the Multiverse. Since then we've learned that at the bottom of the Multiverse is the Dark Multiverse. In Death Metal, the DM will engulf everything.
Death Metal does feel a lot like a Final Crisis 2. Both have similar situations and both books have artists that like listening to Death Metal. But there's more than that. There have been many FC hints lately:
Mandrakk the Dark Monitor is now the monitor of the DM and feeds on the dark instead of the Bleed.
Nix Uotan finally appeared recently.
The House of Heroes are gearing up for the Crisis but have yet to act. Also the gathering of the Supermen of the Multiverse in Multiplicity.
The Multiverse being a sentient story creator that reacts to invaders and creates good and evil to generate conflict for story is also hinted at in Doomsday Clock (might make a post on that).
The Mobius Chair has reappeared with a new (temporary) host.
And of course, Darkseid himself is plotting something big.
Overall I do think that this series will come into play eventually. Whether it's as soon as Death Metal, or much later. We'll see how things will go. Tom King and Mitch Gerads are currently working on Strange Adventures right now. There might even be a relation to Mister Miracle there as well.
Anyway, thanks for reading all that. Comment below and talk about your thoughts.
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