The following contains spoilers for Dark Crisis #2, now on sale from DC Comics
Dark Crisis has already pushed the heroes to their absolute limit, seemingly wiping out the Justice League in brutal battle and leaving a scattered and splintered superhero community back on Earth. Now, the heroes might have a way forward to combat those forces, and it might take them down a far darker path.
The battle between the Secret Society and the remaining heroes in Dark Crisis #2 (by Joshua Williamson, Daniel Sampere, Alejandro Sanchez, and Tom Napolitano) led to a status quo where the heroes might be willing to fall under the command of Black Adam. But this transformation into a Justice Army might end up causing more problems than it solves in the long-run.
The Secret Society’s attack on Titans Tower proved to be an absolutely brutal battle that. It doesn’t kill anyone, even suggesting Beast Boy survived his apparent death in the previous issue but it seemed to drain the resolve of the assembled young heroes in a very real way. Across the DC Universe, similar attacks were carried out against the rest of the superhero community. This eventually led Black Adam to come to the ruins of the Academy to express his frustration with the remaining heroes, especially Superman and Nightwing. He believed neither of them, can truly lead the Justice League.
Black Adam did relent when he noted Jon Kent was right to ask him to join a new incarnation of the League but decided that he will lead them. He intended to turn them into “the protectors” they will need to be to combat the Dark Army. In theory, it looks like Black Adam wants to turn the remaining hero community into an army, a “force” that can protect the world. This might be a crucial advantage for Earth, who could certainly use an alliance of heroes that can rally against Deathstroke’s Secret Society, let alone Pariah’s Dark Army.
Black Adam is a powerful enough and experienced enough fighter that he would likely be an ideal general for any such conflict. Under his command, the younger generation might gain a significant new level of lethality and brutality. If things truly get as grim as they’ve implied to become down the line, this might be a useful edge for the heroes to pick up.
But there are lots of little reasons to fear the possibility of a Justice Army protecting the world instead of a Justice League. Black Adam’s influence could push many heroes down darker paths, allowing them to indulge in far grimmer impulses that in turn could help Pariah’s cause. Black Adam’s moral flexibility means he’s been turned to darker forces before (such as his willingness to fight the heroes in Dark Nights: Metal), and his position in command of the League mean he could end up being drawn under the thrall of the Dark Army.
The world embracing a darker view on superheroes’ mission to “protect” their planet might also cost humanity’s faith. This means even a victory in Dark Crisis would leave the surviving heroes in a more troubled world where people like Lex Luthor or Bendix could push their advantage to become even more powerful. Black Adam’s ideal for a Justice Army might make for a good emergency strategy, but it could have a lot of problems down the line. Instead, this strategy will likely highlight the importance of the heroes of the DC Universe being a league of allis and friends instead of an army that is always prepared for battle.