Earth 2: World's End #16 is an issue of the series Earth 2: World's End (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 2015. It was published on January 21, 2015.
Synopsis for "Birth"
Within the heart of planet Earth 2, in the Parliament Enclave, the Parliament (The White, The Blue, The Red, The Gray, and The Green) discuss the destruction of Earth. Blue says that they world cannot survive if they die. Green notes that the damage inflicted on the champions of th White and the Blue has been felt by the forces, and the Red is still restricted because it's Avatar is imprisoned. The Gray says that the Furies of Apokolips are too strong for their champions. Green is saddened to hear that even the Gray has lost hope, but The Red senses a glimmer of hope left.
Down in the cloning facilities of Desaad, far beneath the Fire Pit in Geneva, the group (Power Girl / Kara, Batman II / Thomas Wayne, Superman II / Val-Zod, Red Tornado / Lois Lane) mourn Clark Kent (Superman I)'s death again. Behind them is the Avatar of the Red, still imprisoned. Lois, cradling Clark's body, says that he sacrificed himself by injecting his toxic blood into the system, to prevent Desaad from making more parademons and clones. Kara says that they need to destroy the Fire Pits for good. The Avatar of the Red speaks to Kara, thanking her for rescuing it. Kara says she is sorry for what happened to the Avatar, and what it has cost them to save a monster. The Avatar starts to transform and reveals that it isn't a monster, but in fact was once a human woman, Yolanda Montez. She says that her time in this prison has come to an end, and Val says she is using her power to start a chain reaction and destroy the Fire Pit. He says that the group needs to leave, and Lois tries to resist leaving without Clark, but Kara picks up his body. As the Avatar of the Red powers through the Fire Pit, the group decides they need to leave the way they entered before the whole place collapses.
Up in Russia on the eurasian steppe, the Avatars of Earth (Solomon Grundy, Alan Scott/Green Lantern, Sam Zhao, Azathoth) continue to fight the Furies of Apokolips (Helena Wayne/Huntress/Famine II, War, Death, Pestilence). Sam and Azathoth are both incapacitated, but Grundy and Alan continue to fight. War tells the group to give up their battle to save the dying planet, but Alan says that it isn't over just yet. As he fires a beam at War, she uses her ax to deflect it and hit Grundy with it, knocking him out. The Furies converge on Alan, asking him how he wants to die. Helena says she wants to do it, but before they can make a move, she exclaims that the ground is moving. With a huge crack in the earth, the group is flung away, and The Green speaks to Alan, saying that his last ally has joined the fray - the Avatar of the Red (Yolanda Montez), who represents life and blood; she had been imprisoned in the Tower of Fate, and then Desaad's lab, but is now free. Yolanda, in beast mode, bursts out of the ground, ready to fight the Furies.
Beyond the run of the Firepit of Geneva, that group has successfully escaped Desaad's lab, with Kara still carrying Clark's body. She remarks how good it is to feel the sun. Thomas grumbles that Helena isn't showing on his scanner, so she must be far away. As he takes off the helmet to his suit, he laments that the Firepits cannot be stopped. Val responds that Yolanda had been the power source for them all. With her jailbreak, they're starting to come undone, and he can hear around the planet the parademons falling dead out of the skies and their factories grinding to a halt. He tells the group that this is a victory: without the factories being powered by the Avatar of the Red, the forces of Apokolips cannot kidnap anymore humans to turn into parademons. Thomas says he doesn't care, he just wants to find his granddaughter. As he is about to take some Venom, Lois tells him not to, because she needs his mind; he calls her a machine, and she says that is the point; he can use her to boost the signal of his tracker, to find Helena. He thanks her and apologizes, saying the Venom and armor suit are getting to him. Lois comforts him, saying they will find Helena. Kara and Val walk towards a tree on a hill, with Clark's body. They agree that it is a good spot for a burial, and Kara asks him to help her quickly bury her adoptive father. After they've finished, Lois flies over to them and pulls Clark's emblem out of her pocket, giving it to Kara, saying it is hers to wear. The sigil fuses to the chest of her suit. Kara asks the two of them to go with her to help Thomas find and save Helena, and they agree.
Over in Dr. Crane's Lab in Amazonia, a boom tube opens and Mister Terrific/Michael Holt, Sandman/Wesley Dodds, Mister Miracle, and Fury appear. Jimmy Olsen welcomes them, while Dr. Crane says to his assistant, Linda, that he wants her to document the physiological changes that happened to the humans who came through the boom tube. Miracle briefly reports what happened, and Jimmy tells him that their journey was not in vain, as Commander Khan's sacrifice provided vital information. He uses his Source powers to show them the Generation Ship that Terry Sloan (Mister Eight) had been hiding at the Lagrange point, which can be used to save the human population. He suggests that they steal the ship.
At a World Army Outpost near Geneva, the group arrives to find it empty as Jay Garrick (Flash) radios Lois. He tells her that it was abandoned because of the destruction, and they can use whatever they salvage. Lois confirms to him that they've stopped the Firepits and the parademon production. Jay transfers her a file on the Furies of Apokolips. Thomas, now out of his power suit (but in standard Batman garb), climbs into one of the jets. Lois thanks Jay and says they'll be in contact, and the group resolves to find and save Helena.
Four hours later, in the Airspace over Russia, the now complete group of Avatars continue their fight against the Furies. As Val, Kara, Lois, and Thomas arrive on scene, Alan welcomes them to the battle, and Grundy says that the two groups were at a deadlock. Kara spots Helena. Lois engages Pestilence, who tries to use her powers on her, but Lois retorts that as a machine, she cannot be harmed in that manner. Sensing her guilt, Lois asks Pestilence about the loved one she had lost, and if she had caused the death of her loved ones, before throwing the fury to Grundy, who body-slams her. As Grundy uses the power of the Gray to restrain her, War notes that he's using bones - which she cannot corrupt - to do so. War begins to fight Val, who says it was dumb of him to come back after their last battle. He asks her politely to surrender. She says she loves Darkseid, and she will only stop once she has tortured, maimed, and killed all living beings, leaving Val with a slaughterhouse. Val quickly grabs her hands, and says that as a Tamaranean, her power is from radiation. However, Kryptonian cells work faster than hers and are more powerful, and so he overcharges her system, eliminating her powers without killing her. Batman (in the jet), Sam, and Alan face off against Death. Batman asks what she'll do; Death says she will yield, for the life of her child. Helena flies towards the jet, saying she doesn't yield, and rips off one of the jet's wings. As Alan uses his powers to rescue Thomas from the explosion, Kara tackles Helena out of the sky, with Lois following. The two crash-land, and Kara restrains Helena, talking to her. Helena starts to recognize her, and slowly her face starts to return to her normal, human visage. Weakly, Helena says that Darkseid won't release her; Kara pleads with her to fight against his influence, and that she never belonged to him. They hug one another. Grundy proclaims that they have won, but Green Lantern notices something amiss with Death. She shouts that she is giving her life for her child, and as she screams, a black claw bursts through her stomach.
Appearing in "Birth"
Featured Characters:
- Batman
- Power Girl
- Red Tornado
- Superman
- Wonders of the World
- Flash (Communication)
- Green Lantern
Supporting Characters:
- Accountable
- Avatar of the White
- Fury
- Kal-El (Deceased)
- Mister Miracle
- Mister Terrific
- Earth's Parliament
- Solomon Grundy
- World Army
Antagonists:
- Furies
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in Earth 2: World's End Vol. 2.
See Also