C-SpanDEX: ww3
Flash! Mister and Misses America and All the Ships at Sea! Spoilers; this way!
Black Adam, sovereign ruler of Khandaq has been deposed. After committing acts of genocide around the world he was assassinated by a loose cabal of heroes backed by American forces on Chinese soil.
Victory in Asia; the Third World War has ended.
Adam’s rampage began in the middle-eastern nation of Bialya where it’s reported that he killed every man, woman and child in less than a week’s time. Thanks to the Freedom of Powers Treaty, which Adam championed most vocally, foreign super-humans were unable to intervene. For instance; if a super-powered American citizen were to cross the border without consent from the Bialyan government, Bialyan allies would be forced to retaliate against America. Conversely Bialyan allies’ were bound by the same rules.
It’s this same Treaty that makes Black Adam a man without a country when Khandaq is razed by agents of the fundamentalist crime organization, Intergang.
If Adam crosses into countries not covered by the treaty he’s sought for arrest on international crimes. Meanwhile, a coalition of the unwilling who have signed the treaty, confront him for trespassing.
This is certainly a world-wide-war but it’s status as WW3 remains tenuous as previous platitudes have come and gone. A war implies some form of strategy or endgame. This was more of an unfocused “rapid deployment” or reactionary “military action” than actual war.
It’s not uncommon for whole cities to be destroyed any given day on Earth 1. However, the seemingly random disaster of, say, Blüdhaven stands in stark contrast to the willful destruction in Bialya. The world is in a panic and there’s certainly a leader-ship vacuum without the big three; Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
Despite this, forces from America mustered at the Chinese border when state controlled super team, Big 10, finally issued a distress. More of a gang than an army; Justice Society reserves unceremoniously piled on Black Adam. The mad dictator was overwhelmed and presumably executed, possibly by members from within the Marvel Family.
The true international incident is avoided thanks to the steady hand of Alan Scott, former Green Lantern and Justice Society Chairman. Scott commanded the Invasion of Beijing and waited until the call from China before crossing the border. Had the Society violated the treaty Chinese defenses would have been divided across two fronts. If anyone on Earth were to survive the massacre there would certainly be political ramifications.
In the end Black Adam’s flawed foreign policy and multiple acts of genocide don’t exactly add up to World War 3. His ultimate goals had less to do with world conquering than mutually assured destruction. One must speculate that his actions were manipulated by an unseen force. One who understands how to gain from meddling in the geo-political affairs of Earth.
Having survived ww3 can the Fourth World War be far behind?
-Johnny Zito
