Summary
WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Absolute Power #2!Most fans likely assumedNightwingwould be the first ofBatman’schildren to make the Dark Knight a"grandfather"in main continuity. However, those expectations are shattered with the arrival of Bruce’s first ‘grandchild,’ who couldn’t be creepier if they tried. Spoiler alert: Batman quickly rejects the idea of being this ‘child’s’ grandfather, and fans are likely to quickly join him in that sentiment.
Batman’s ‘grandchild’ makes an unforgetable entrance by taking down the Titans' three strongest members—Starfire, Donna Troy, and Raven—in just seconds.
Mark Waid and Dan Mora’sAbsolute Power#2 continues the gripping storyline of DC’s blockbuster summer event. This issue focuses on DC’s heroes usingSuperman’s Fortress of Solitude as a sanctuaryfor those who have managed to elude capture by Waller and her Task Force of power-stealing Amazo robots.
However, their refuge quickly turns perilous when Waller deploys the Brainiac Queen,a mind-controlled Jon Kent, and the Martian Manhunter-inspired Amazo, Global Guardian, to lay siege to the fortress. This escalation leads to a tenseone-on-one battle between Batman and Global Guardian, during which the Amazo creepily addresses the Dark Knight as“Grandfather.”
GLOBAL GUARDIAN: Amanda Waller’s Martian Manhunter-Inspired Amazo Claims Batman as His Grandfather
Global Guardian’s debut inAbsolute Power#2 is nothing short of unforgettable. The Amazo makes a dramatic entrance by taking down the Titans' three strongest members—Starfire, Donna Troy, and Raven—in just seconds. The impact of Global Guardian grows even more intense during his confrontation with Batman when he eerily refers to the Dark Knight as“grandfather.”In their battle, the Martian Manhunter–inspired Amazo explains,“Batman. You begat Failsafe, who in turn begat me. Hello, grandfather.”This strange family connection is based on the notion that sinceBruce created Failsafeand Failsafe created Global Guardian, Batman is thus the Amazo’s grandfather—a remarkably odd family tree.
Global Guardian is one of six Amazos that compriseWaller’s Task Force VII, each modeled after one of the core seven Justice League members. The exception is Batman, whose likeness is embodied by Failsafe. Waller acquired these Amazos through a partnership with Failsafe, who, under the influence of Zur-En-Arrh, had collected a variety of Amazos from an unknown origin. Alongside these power-stealing robots,Failsafe also gathered numerous Zur-En-Arrh Batmen from across the multiverse and merged their personalities into the Amazos.Consequently, each member of Task Force VII is piloted by a version of Bruce Wayne.
Batman Rejects His Newfound Grandfatherhood By Zapping His Grandson’s Head
After addressing Batman as his grandfather, Global Guardian inquires,“What fancy toys does this Batsuit hide?”Bruce responds curtly, revealing his feelings about the“grandfather”label and answering the question:“Ultrasonics. And never call me that.”He then delivers an ultrasonic blast to Global Guardian’s head, making it clear that he firmly rejects the idea of being the robot’s grandfather and reserves such a title for a true grandchild. This interaction is also notable for Global Guardian’s somewhat childish demeanor—referring to the Batsuit’s upgrades as“toys”and viewing Bruce as a grandfather—raising the intriguing question of which multiverseBatmanis piloting this Amazo.
Batman Launches His Own Justice League, With Batmen from Across the Multiverse
Batman is a perennial Justice League member, and now the “evil” Batman Zur-En-Arrh is creating a dark version of his very own Justice League.
ABSOLUTE POWER #2 (2024)
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
