Justice League Dark’s Demon Etrigan has just found out the fate of Jason Blood, and it might be worse than death.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers from “Future State: Justice League Dark: Propheties Part 2” in Future State: Justice League #2 by Ram V., Marcio Takaro, Marelo Maiolo, and Rob Leigh, on sale now.
The future state of magic in the DC Universe has never looked so grim. It has been stolen almost in its entirety by the ancient wizard Merlin and left what few members of the Justice League Dark remained fled to a makeshift sanctuary to plan for his inevitable arrival.
Through all of this, the Demon Etrigan, one of the few to survive to this point, has refused to fight back against Merlin. In the past, Etrigan has shown no fear of the wizard who bound him to a mortal. But it is the fate of said mortal that Etrigan feared, and his worst fear may actually have been a kinder fate than what truly happened.
After coming out of hiding (even from himself) Doctor Fate took Etrigan aside to tell him what happened to Jason Blood. After Merlin arrived, he violently separated Etrigan from Jason Blood. What he had sewn together centuries ago he easily tore apart. Merlin had taken Etrigan hostage, threatening to kill him should Etrigan use his demonic magic against the ancient wizard. And as Etrigan put it, “Even demons suffer a heart.” His time bound together with Jason Blood had sparked deep care for his fellow prisoner turned friend, and Etrigan could not raise a hand against Merlin if it put Blood in harm’s way.
But Doctor Fate crushed these noble notions with just a few words. He explained that Etrigan’s fears had come true: Merlin had executed Jason Blood. Etrigan refused to believe this, perceiving it as Fate’s cruel way of trying to get a rise out of Etrigan and redirect that anger towards Merlin. Without proof, he would not heed the call to battle, even as Merlin’s forces closed in. But a pep talk from his new host, Detective Chimp, convinced Etrigan that he needed to follow Jason’s example and choose to fight, even if it seemed hopeless.
Etrigan seemed to briefly turn the tide, absolutely destroying the Enchantress in one-on-one combat but he was interrupted by an angel’s sword, thrown by Merlin’s blood knight. Then, to Etrigan’s horror and disappointment, the knight unmasked to reveal himself to be Jason Blood. His time as Merlin’s captive had changed him, he seemed to have drunk the Kool-Aid, believing that having all magic in the hands of one man would bring order to the magical world. With his new views, Jason believed that he and Etrigan had tried to fix things for centuries, only to fail over and over again. Merlin was their best chance at bringing peace.
Etrigan was disappointed, but still refused to give up his fight. He knew he would die, but it was still his choice. He would not agree to senseless butchery for one man’s delusions of grandeur. Jason prepared to deliver the final blow, before being stopped by Doctor Fate. He revealed the reason he had lied to Etrigan: to bring them to this moment, so he could offer Merlin a compromise. He would serve Merlin, in exchange for allowing Etrigan and the others to go free. Doctor Fate explained that Etrigan was the key to changing their future, bidding Etrigan hold on to the hope he had rediscovered. For it was the only thing that would save magic from the hands of a tyrant.
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