Warning! Spoilers ahead for DC All In Special #1!Big changes have come to the DC Universe and it all starts with the untimely death of the infamous supervillain Darkseid. The heroes may have survived Absolute Power, but they face a greater challenge as the demise of Apokolips' ruler brings about massive consequences.

For months now, fans have been eagerly like the Absolute Universe, a brand-new addition to DC's multiverse that features dramatically different versions of iconic heroes like Batman and Superman. But what causes all of these shifts to DC's continuity and what role does Darkseid play going forward?

Darkseid's Death Leads to the Formation of the Absolute Universe

"Darkseid Ends" Only to Begin Again

In DC All In Special #1 by Joshua Williamson, Scott Snyder, Daniel Sampere, Wes Craig, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, Alejandro Sánchez, and Steve Wands, the multiverse has been sealed off in the wake of Absolute Power and Darkseid is feeling more restless than ever. Determined to find answers, he constructs a Miracle Machine and sacrifices his own son Kalibak to power it. He then searches high and low throughout the DC Universe, venturing to Heaven and Hell to find the one person who can give him the answers Darkseid seeks.

Don't forget to read DC's summer event Absolute Power before checking out DC All In Special #1!

It isn't until Darkseid reaches the dark side of the Moon that he finds who he's looking for: The Spectre. Darkseid finally uses his Miracle Machine to forcefully bond with the Spectre, making the New God the living embodiment of death. After transporting the fused pair to the Justice League’s Watchtower, the Spectre fights back, telling Darkseid that his restlessness is because his power is being concentrated into one space rather than being distributed across the multiverse. Impatient for the multiverse's return, Darkseid allows the Spectre to be torn from him, his last words being “Thank you...Darkseid ends.”.

Darkseid's physical body is destroyed, but his energy spreads out throughout space and latches onto the Elseworld, a young Earth not cut off from the multiverse. The once blank slate world now radiates the same energy is Darkseid, and though the Justice League can't see it for themselves, Darkseid's energy has shaped the Elseworld into an Earth built on adversity. As the timeline begins to solidify, the Absolute versions of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman begin to emerge, though Darkseid says on his world, hope will have to burn brighter than ever to survive.

What Influence Does Darkseid Have Over DC's New Absolute Universe?

A World Reflecting Darkseid's Tyrannical Ideals

There's so much that's unknown about DC Comics' new universe so far, but thankfully, various creators involved with the Absolute projects have given fans a solid idea. When Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder first discussed DC All In, the latter revealed that the Absolute Universe was built on 'Darkseid energy' in the same way that the Prime Universe was built on Superman. As such, the Absolute Universe is one where heroes are not the guiding forces, but rather the underdogs in a world where turmoil challenged hope at every corner.

...while Darkseid's energy was previously spread out to other universes, the Absolute Universe now the sole source of his power...

Though this new world does have familiar heroes, these icons lack the creature comforts that their Prime counterparts and many of their variants have. Batman doesn't have the finances and privileged upbringing while Wonder Woman lacks her Amazonian sisterhood and was raised in Hell instead of Paradise Island. Not to mention Absolute Superman didn't get the upbringing that shaped his humanity on most other worlds. Though these heroes are missing elements that generally define Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman, the core of them remains the same.

One must , this is a world that reflects Darkseid, a being who has sought the subjugation of all life for eons. And the Elseworld, though a part of the greater DC Omniverse, is a separate world that was young and impressionable (not to mention not cut off like the rest of the multiverse). When Darkseid 'died', his energy had nowhere to go but the Elseworld. So while Darkseid's energy was previously spread out to other universes, the Absolute Universe now the sole source of his power, allowing Darkseid to shape this world into one that suits his desires.

What Does Darkseid's Death Mean for the Absolute and Prime Worlds?

DC's Heroes Must Go All In During New Era

Though fans expected Darkseid was going to die and that his death would trigger the creation of the Absolute Universe, things aren't what they seem. Yes "Darkseid ends" is a fantastic line to go out on, but it doesn't necessarily mean death, at least not in the way many would expect. As a New God (and a literal force of nature), something like Darkseid doesn't so much die as it does transform. When the villain said "Darkseid ends", what he truly meant was that the being he was was ending and that something even greater was about to take place.

To be clear, Darkseid doesn't just have a planet, he's got his own separate reality that reflects his dark and oppressive ideals. Yes it has heroes, but the Absolute versions of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman are at a serious disadvantage. Not to mention Darkseid is shown with his own version of the Legion of Super-Heroes in DC All In Special #1, showing just how much his essence permeates this new world. With the multiverse cut off, there's only two worlds that matter: the Absolute Universe and Prime Earth, and Darkseid's not just going to stop with one world.

Darkseid's 'Death' is the Most Important Moment of the DC Universe

Darkseid's Rebirth is Just the Start

Thankfully, Absolute Power was a lesson in how much teamwork and communication was needed among DC's heroes and its resulted in a dramatically expanded Justice League. But that's not going to be enough. Darkseid has created a mirror world undoubtedly filled with the toughest threats the DC Universe has ever seen. Collaboration is going to be important, yes, but the Prime heroes can't do this alone. If the Justice League wants any shot at defeating Darkseid's universe, they're going to need to work together with the heroes of the Absolute Universe.

DC's heroes have faced adversity before, but never in such a grand way. Darkseid's world may have just started, an entire universe shaped by Darkseid's will is going to result in one of the most powerful armies he's ever had. The only way that the Justice League and every hero is going to survive what's on the horizon is by going all in, working among themselves and their counterparts in the Absolute Universe. Otherwise, Darkseid's death could be the beginning of the DC Universe's ultimate end.

DC All In Special #1 is available now from DC Comics.