Warning! Spoilers ahead for Superman #18!There’s a new Yellow Lantern in town and they’re the most powerful one theDC Universehas ever seen. Superman is fighting to save the Earth’s metahumans, but he’s not prepared for the most insidious villain in Amanda Waller’s roster.
Waller has spent months preparing to rid the world of metahumansandAbsolute Powerhasfinally seen her accomplish her goal. But the Man of Steel refuses to let her win and isworking with Zatanna toturn the tide. But waiting in the wings is a powerful villain that’s helped Waller secure the iron grip she has on the multiverse.
DC Officially Debuts Konfusion, Its Twisted New Yellow Lantern
Dark Crisis on Infinite EarthsBiggest Mystery Returns
InSuperman #18by Joshua Williamson, Jamal Campbell, and Ariana MMaher, Clark and Zatanna are in Oblivion Bar discussing a deal with Neron to secure the Map of Mordu. The map is their only hope of navigating the Dark Roads to evade Waller’s forces. Neron agrees to give the duo the map, but only if Superman agrees to violate his dedication to truth and lie for Neron. With no other choice, Clark agrees andNeron hands over the Map of Mordu to Superman.
Zatanna and Superman’s journey begins withSuperman #16 (2024)!
Superman and Zatanna walk along the Dark Roads, even as the shadowy paths drain Zatanna’s life force. The two press on and make their way to the House of Heroes and discover the sanctuary is in ruins. Dr. Light emerges and reveals she was stranded after Waller barricaded the multiverse. Light also reveals that Waller has a special agent to live in the Bleed that’s stopped people from crossing the multiversal barrier. Just as Superman wonders who could live in the bleed, the heroes areattacked by a twisted Yellow Lantern calling itself Konfusion.
…Konfusion is powered by the Yellow Light of Fear…
Superman notes that Konfusion looks similar to the amalgamated form Clark and Batman once shared. But Konfusion is powered by the Yellow Light of Fear anduses their Yellow Lantern powers to generate dozens of missiles and constructs in the shape of Superman’s rival, Ultraman. With Superman, Zatanna, and Dr. Light all powerless, they’re all helpless against Konfusion. However, the House of Heroes crashes into the Bleed, giving the team just enough of an opening to access the Dark Roads and leave Konfusion stranded in the Bleed.
Where Did Konfusion Come From?
Check OutBatman/Superman: World’s Finest #4by Mark Waid and Dan Mora!
As Superman pointed out, if Konfusion looks familiar, it’s because he’s very much an evil version of the one-off combined form of the Dark Knight and the Man of Tomorrow. Years ago, the world was under attack by a villain known as the Devil Nezha, who corrupted every magic user in the world. Unfortunately, Batman and Superman were cornered and attacked by Green Lantern Hal Jordan. However, the duo managed to de-power their ally by combining their willpower and snatching his ring, resulting inBatman and Superman sharing a body with Green Lantern powers.
Make sure to readBatman/Superman World’s Finest 1: The Devil Nezha (2023)!
The heroes' combined form helped them easily defeat other possessed heroes. Not only did it possess the best traits of Superman and Batman, but thanks to Green Lantern’s Power Ring, they could generate anything they thought of like construct Batarangs. They even managed to take the fight directly to the Devil Nezha and nearly beat him. But once the ring was depleted,Batman and Superman split back into two separate people and their combined form was never seen again.
Interestingly enough however, shortly afterDark Crisis on Infinite Earths, Amanda Waller returned from Earth-3 with plans to rid the Prime DC Universe of metahumans. But she wasn’t alone as she was joined by several other people from the multiverse, including a female Peacemaker known as Peacewrecker. By her side was the then-unnamed Konfusion, who looked exactly like Batman and Superman’s combined form, but with a purple and green color scheme, smiling graffiti accents, anda Sinestro Corps Power Ring overflowing with Yellow Lantern energy.
That’s right, Konfusion hasn’t been seen sinceDark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (2022)!
DC’s New Yellow Lantern is the Most Powerful Weapon in Waller’s Arsenal
Is Konfusion a Joker/Lex Luthor/Sinestro Corps Combo?
Sadly, after months of teasing, readers only get a small glimpse of Konfusion’s power, but their first appearance did not disappoint. Konfusion is very much presented as one of the biggest threats working for Amanda Waller. She’s got several Earth-3 villains working for her, but when it came to keeping the multiverse off-limits, she entrusted that job to this odd amalgamation.After seeing what the strange foe can do with their Yellow Lantern powers, its no wonder no hero was able to escape from the Prime Earth and seek refuge elsewhere.
…Konfusion is a cutthroat follower of Waller with one of the most powerful weapons on their finger.
It’s hard to get a sense of just how powerful Konfusion is. They freely admit they’re not a combination of Ultraman and Owlman, but they’re clearly using a Sinestro Corps ring. But they do imply that they’re a mirror opposite, so it’s highly likely they’re some kind of fusion. The smiling graffiti on their outfit suggests one half of Konfusion is Joker while the purple and green color scheme really brings Lex Luthor’s war suit to mind. That said, Joker and Lex’s Earth-3 equivalents are good guys,so its unlikely that they’re this new Yellow Lantern.
Regardless of who’s behind that mask, Konfusion is a cutthroat follower of Waller with one of the most powerful weapons on their finger. They may be stranded in the Bleed now, but with enough cunning and will, they could easily escape and make their way back to the DC Universe. Konfusion was strong enough to live in the Bleed and take down any hero that came their way. Imagine what kind of threat they could be if they make their way to the Prime world completely unrestrained. If they survived this event,the DC Universe could be in huge trouble.
What’s Next For DC’s Killer New Yellow Lantern?
A Post-Absolute PowerThreat is Waiting for DC’s Heroes
They may be stranded in the Bleed now, but that just keeps them safe from whatever the fallout fromAbsolute Powerwill be. After the dust settles and Waller siege is through, Konfusion will still be there, ready to challenge any hero that comes their way. Perhaps Superman will get a chance at a rematch once he gets his powers back or perhaps Green Lantern will come face-to-face with this dreaded combo. Whatever lies ahead, theDC Universesurely hasn’t seen the last of this horrifying Yellow Lantern.
