Countdown – Issue 8

Atom finds himself in Darkseid’s throne room, hidden as a piece of the chess set while Darkseid and Solomon play. Darkseid reveals that it was Solomon who corrupted Captain Atom and turned him in Monarch and claims to have controlled the game from the very start, while Solomon aims to use the Morticoccus virus to wipe out the superhumans. Atom makes his way back to where the Challengers, along with Jimmy, Forager and the Hairies from the Habitat. The heroes argue as to what is the best course of action with the Atom insistent that Karate Kid has to die to end the plague before it begins and Jimmy planning to confront Darkseid. Solomon appears to them and tells Jimmy that his powers are the result of Darkseid storing energies within him. As the heroes continue to argue over what should happen to Karate Kid, Solomon transports them all back to Earth where the Atom realises that they have brought the Great Disaster with them.