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Justice League: Last Ride #4 reveals that Lobo didn’t actually kill the New Gods and raises some questions about who the heroes are really up against.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Justice League: Last Ride #4, on sale now from DC Comics.
Justice League: Last Ride has put Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the other Leaguers through the wringer. As the team continues to grapple with the aftermath of their tragic battle against Darkseid and the death of Martian Manhunter, they are saddled with the difficult task of helping the Green Lantern Corps protect Lobo from a universe full of would-be assassins.
In Chip Zdarsky, Miguel Mendonca, Enrica Angiolini and Andworld Design’s Justice League: Last Ride #4 the League sets up camp in the abandoned ruins of Apokolips to hide Lobo from the numerous characters who are looking to murder him before he can go to trial for killing the New Gods. Surprisingly, Lobo reveals to the League that he was hired to hunt and capture the New Gods, not kill them. He says someone else is responsible for taking their lives. This revelation prompts Superman to tell the Flash that the Green Lantern Corps still has no idea why the New Gods were killed. They had initially assumed that someone had planned to take over the planet New Genesis, but since it still hasn’t been attacked, that motive is beginning to seem less likely.
Lobo refuses to reveal his employer’s identity, but a few characters seem most likely to be behind the murder of the New Gods. The most obvious suspect is Darkseid. The despotic former ruler of Apokolips has been fighting the heroes of New Genesis for as long as they’ve both lived. Since the Justice League destroyed Apokolips, it would make sense for Darkseid to make an attempt to size the New Gods’ home for himself. Darkseid’s son Kalibak would certainly have similar motivations for hiring Lobo. And, the prestige of finally defeating his father’s longtime enemies would certainly be an additional factor for the formidable villain looking to live up to his family legacy.
If the whole situation is actually an intricate trap meant to lure the Justice League away from Earth, both Darkseid and Kalibak could still be behind the heinous crime. After all, they have a score to settle with the Justice League after their brutal battle. That being said, other villains like Vandal Savage or Trigon would be equally likely to hatch a plan to dispose of the New Gods and the League. Frankly, the Justice League has an abundance of enemies, many of which could be capable of tricking the already short-staffed team of heroes. But, both Mongul and Cyborg Superman arrive on Apokolips to fight the league. It is unclear whether they are here to kill Lobo or to rescue him, but they are clearly involved in the plot to some degree.
It is likely that Cyborg Superman and Mongul are being instructed by the same forces that hired the intergalactic bounty hunter rather than acting alone. Anyone with the resources and power to hire Lobo and kill the New Gods is bound to have a few tricks left up their sleeves. However, one of the most resourceful characters in Justice League: Last Ride isn’t a villain at all. Batman is the one who suggested that the team hide Lobo on Apokolips in the first place, and he has been directing the Justice League since their arrival. Perhaps he is trying to divide them once and for all. At one point in Justice League: Last Ride #4, he tells Hal Jordan that he doesn’t think the Justice League is as essential as it once was. This may be his way of proving that. Or this could be part of some desperate, convoluted plan to restore order to a struggling cosmos.
The solicitations for Justice League: Last Ride #6 mention that one member of the Justice League will betray their fellow heroes. At this juncture, Batman seems to be the most likely candidate. His reputation for careful planning and his almost unlimited personal resources could make him the greatest threat to the League and one of the only characters capable of defeating the New Gods. Whoever hired Lobo seems to have more nefarious plans in store for the Justice League and the universe in general.
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