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Following the revival of the Multiverse in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 and the overtaking of the Legion of Doom by Deathstroke and his Dark Army, issue #5 sees the heroes of Earth on the precipice of destruction.
Their actions in this issue could make or break their chances of saving Earth-0/Prime from Pariah's machinations.
Spoilers ahead for Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5
Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5, written by Joshua Williamson, drawn by Daniel Sampere, colored by Alejandro Sanchez, and lettered by Tom Napolitano, shows Mr. Terrific, Supergirl, Aquaman (Jackson Hyde), and Sideways rushing in to save Black Adam just seconds before he's overtaken by the Great Darkness.
Black Adam is ushered to safety through a portal created by Sideways, and on the other side is Nightwing who got an earful from Black Adam in issue #2 of the ongoing event. Nightwing informs Black Adam that his JL Communicator is still active, allowing him to be tracked by the team.
And thank goodness for that. With heroes and villains falling left and right to the Great Darkness, the team Jon Kent attempted to assemble in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 has its work cut out if the heroes want to take back Earth-0/Prime.
So Nightwing asks Oracle to put out a call to every remaining hero, with a plan to bring the fight right to Deathstroke.
Nightwing calls the shots in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5
Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 showcases Dick Grayson's leadership skills, which makes a lot of sense seeing. The event will result in a new DC editorial era known as the Dawn of the DCU, which seems to prominently feature Nightwing. Now that the Great Darkness is spreading and heroes and villains are both falling victim to its power, Nightwing greets the heroes who answer Oracle's call with a plan.
They'll split into teams to divide and conquer this battle on multiple fronts. First, Dick says they need a team to investigate the Great Darkness and try to contain it. Second, they need a team to actually fight Deathstroke.
Here, Alan Scott leads the Justice Society away to handle the Multiverse, while Jon Kent-Superman arrives to reveal the Great Darkness has been corrupted by Pariah and the very machine he created that destroyed the first five Earths in the original Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. Damian and Dr. Light disappear to enact some plan Damian doesn't share - though will apparently be explored in the Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Dark Army #1 one-shot in November.
And then Deathstroke and his army show up, forcing a battle before the heroes can finish planning. Black Adam once again chews Dick out, because the Justice League is dead and can't be brought back - or so he thinks. More on that in a minute.
But Dick isn't trying to recreate the Justice League. His team is the Titans. And that not only fulfills the prediction Newsarama made before the start of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, but spotlights the team as one of the most powerful forces on Earth-0/Prime for the first time in a long time.
Unfortunately, Deathstroke's army overwhelms them.
The Justice League returns
At San Diego Comic-Con, Williamson promised the return of the Justice League - the members of which have been trapped on various Earths created by Pariah - in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5.
And now, thanks to Barry Allen and Hal Jordan running between these various Earths to rescue their teammates, the Justice League has been restored. The last member to be retrieved is Superman, who admits he's known all along that his world isn't real - he's even tried to escape.
As Clark and the other members of the JLA are pulled out of their various "happiness prisons," Pariah sees his reborn Multiverse begin to literally crumble before his eyes. He needs more energy to stabilize it, and he decides to use the Green Lantern Corps. to do it - but the JLA arrives to stop him before he can manage it.
Pariah claims the Justice League heroes really are dead, and the only way for them to exist is as conduits and batteries for his Earths. If they return to Earth-0/Prime, he says they'll be erased.
Still, they have to try, especially once Pariah goes after the remaining heroes there to power his new Multiverse.
The True Darkness arrives
The final page of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 shows Pariah leading what he calls the True Darkness, which seems to be comprised of every major villain the Justice League has ever faced. He's seemingly hellbent on squashing every last bit of hope Nightwing, the Titans, and their friends and allies hold close, and unless the Justice League truly can return to Earth-0/Prime and fight, this may mark the end.
In fact, the issue even says, "Next: Death to the DC Universe!"
But we know it's not as simple as all that.
As mentioned above, the new editorial era at DC is called the Dawn of the DCU, and it launches in early 2023, seemingly with Nightwing as a major figure. It seems likely that the DCU is somehow "reborn" after Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, which could mean Pariah succeeds in "killing" it.
But what also seems possible (and even probable) is that the Dawn of the DCU is a rebuilding period after a highly destructive but ultimately unsuccessful attempt by Pariah to rip the entire Multiverse apart and remake it how he wants it to exist.
Of course, we don't yet know how he managed to corrupt the Great Darkness, or how Super Swamp Thing removing Pariah's machine from its depths will affect proceedings. Perhaps the DCU really does die - or perhaps Pariah tries to control it the same way he did the Justice League-Earths, only to fail when the DCU breaks free and is restored.
Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 is available now.
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