Summary

• The Last Son debuted in Absolute Power: Task Force VII #1 by killing a major Justice League villain.
• The death of this villain reveals a key flaw in Waller's Absolute Power plans that may lead to her defeat.
• Powers aren't the only thing that the Amazo robots are absorbing from DC's heroes.

WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Absolute Power: Task Force VII #1!Amanda Waller's Justice League villain. This death not only signals the potential for more casualties in the war against metas but also hints at how Waller's plan might unravel, providing a glimpse of hope for the DC Universe.

This death is significant because it marks the first on-page casualty in Absolute Power caused by one of Waller’s Task Force VII Amazos, while also serving as the official debut of the Last Son.

Leah Williams, Caitlin Yarsky, and Alex Guimarães' Absolute Power: Task Force VII #1 begins with Amanda Waller ordering the Last Son to track down and drain the Shazam children (Billy Batson and Mary Marvel) of their remaining powers before capturing them.

Accompanying the Last Son is the iconic Justice League villain Parasite, known for his energy-draining abilities, who acts as a "bloodhound" to lead the Amazo straight to Billy and Mary. However, after locating the children, the Last Son turns on Parasite and kills him, marking the first kill executed by Waller''s Task Force VII.

The Last Son: Amanda Waller's Superman-Inspired AMAZO Makes His Official Debut

Last Son is one of six power-absorbing Amazo robots enlisted in Amanda Waller’s newly established Task Force VII. Each Amazo is stylized after one of the core seven Justice League , except Batman whose form is replicated by Failsafe. These robots were acquired by Waller through an alliance with the Zur-En-Arrh-possessed Failsafe, who had amassed a collection of Amazos from an unknown source. Alongside these power-stealing machines, Failsafe also gathered various Zur-En-Arrh Batmen from across the multiverse and subsequently integrated these various personalities into the Amazos. As a result, each member of Task Force VII is imbued with some form of Batman.

Each member of Task Force VII has gained their abilities by siphoning powers from various heroes. Last Son, for instance, derives his powers primarily from the Superman Family, whose abilities he absorbed during the events of Absolute Power #1 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora, though this primarily happened off-page. Absolute Power: Task Force VII #1 saw Last Son drain Black Adam of his power, along with what remained of Shazam and Mary Marvel’s powers. Future issues of Absolute Power: Task Force VII will individually highlight the other Amazo robots, revealing how and from whom each acquired their powers.

This New Evil Superman Announces His Arrival By Killing Parasite

It's important to note that Parasite wasn't a willing ally of Waller or the Last Son; Waller coerced him by confiscating the device that suppressed his insatiable hunger for power absorption. With control over this device, Waller effectively controlled Parasite. After Parasite locates Billy and Mary, he pleads with the Last Son to return his appetite-suppressing armband. In response to Parasite's pleas, the Last Son coldly states, "Yes. I see you're in pain, and now I shall reward you by ending it," before unleashing a fatal burst of power that kills the villain.

Read Superman 2023 Annual to learn more about Parasite’s appetite-suppressing armband!

The Last Son killing Parasite is both a major and shocking development. Firstly, it's surprising because Parasite was effectively under Waller’s control; there seemed to be no reason to kill him, especially since he could have continued to be used to track down various metas. This raises the question of whether the Last Son is acting independently of Waller’s orders, posing significant risks for everyone involved. Secondly, this event is significant because it marks the first on-page death in Absolute Power caused by one of Waller’s Task Force VII Amazos. It also serves as the official debut of the Last Son, making a strong and lasting impression.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #1 is the official debut of The Last Son outside of previous cameos.

Parasite’s Death Signals the Collapse of Amanda Waller’s Absolute Power Plan

The demise of Parasite has unveiled a critical flaw in Waller’s plan that can be exploited. Following the Last Son’s lethal strike against Parasite, he begins to glitch, speaking gibberish and experiencing physical twitches. This malfunction is later attributed to revelations during a confrontation with Black Adam, who discloses, “When you thieve powers, you also glean other attributes.” In other words, Black Adam implies that the Last Son inherits the consciousness of the heroes from whom it steals powers. Therefore, when the Last Son engages in acts of extreme violence, it contradicts the moral codes of these heroes, resulting in operational malfunctions.

Given the Last Son's primary objective of depowering metahumans, this flaw will become increasingly pronounced and exploitable. It seems that the most effective strategy to defeat the Amazos is to overload them with the absorption of various heroes’ powers. By transferring the heroes' morals and aversion to killing onto the Amazos, they would malfunction to the point where they become non-functional or significantly weakened, rendering them vulnerable to other forms of incapacitation. This programming vulnerability may end up being crucial to the heroes’ resistance in Absolute Power.

Observing whether the other Amazos encounter the same issue as the Last Son will be intriguing. The defective programming appears to activate only when an Amazo commits murder. Therefore, if the other Task Force VII refrain from killing, they may remain unaffected by the morals and values they have assimilated from the heroes. Absolute Power: Task Force VII #2 will see the debut of Depth Charge, an Aquaman-inspired Amazo, on July 24th. Hence, this debut may shed light on whether the emergence of conscience will be a problem that will afflict the other Justice League-inspired Amazos.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #1 is available now from DC Comics!