History ComicBook / DarkKnightsOfSteel

** This universe's version of ComicBook/RasAlGhul takes the title "Head of the Demon" more literally, since [[spoiler:he has Jason Blood's role as Etrigan's human form]].

Nineteen years ago, a rocket crashed into a medieval Earth, carrying the aliens Jor-El and his wife, who happened to be pregnant at the time. They found shelter with King Thomas and Queen Martha, and when Thomas and Martha died, Jor-El and Lara became the new King and Queen, as Martha's only son Bruce was a bastard.

The House of El prospers, but in the Kingdom of Storms, King Jefferson and his court magician John have seen a dire prophecy that demons from another world will conquer the world, and they believe Jor-El and his progeny to be these demons. When someone arranges for Jor-El to be assassinated, a war brews between these two powers.

* AdaptationalSuperpowerChange: Anissa Pierce has sound/shockwave based powers rather than her usual SuperStrength and NighInvulnerability.
* AdaptationalVillainy: This universe's [[spoiler: Green Lantern]] is part of the CompositeCharacter that seems to be manipulating the events and is responsible for killing Bruce's parents.

* AmbiguouslyEvil: Constantine's prophecy describes the Els as demons come to conquer the world and Jor-El does order all metahumans in his kingdom imprisoned without trial, but he otherwise appears to be TheGoodKing. It's not clear if he's a VillainWithGoodPublicity or just overzealous about security.
* AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler: Everyone who knows her views Zala’s actions as not making sense of her. While Diana is biased in arguing this is morally not what her lover would do, even the objective Lois is confused about how her actions do not make any sense for her motive (e.g. she made not attempt to harm Jefferson or take apart his castle, instead killing his son who had nothing to do with Jor-El's death). Later when confronted with this accusation, Zala is both genuinely baffled and horrified by it. There is also how later somebody resembling Kal, handles kryptonite to no ill-effect to similarly do a horrible deed, suggesting perhaps a shapeshifter is in play. This is resolved when it comes to light that the Els were being impersonated by White Martians.]]
* AntiVillain: King Jefferson is the House of El's main enemy, and he's willing to do things like [[spoiler:hire assassins]] and consort with dark wizards, but he's generally not a bad guy and truly believes that the Kryptonians are a threat to the world and that destroying them is the only way to ensure safety for his kingdom and people.
* BatmanGambit: While meeting with Queen Hippolyta and her daughter Diana, King Jefferson loudly accuses Zala Jor-El of murdering his son and demands that the Amazons stand with him in any potential war with the House of El. This naturally angers Diana, Zala's lover, who leaves Amazonia and defects to the House of El. Afterwards, John asks Jefferson if it was really such a good idea to send the most powerful Amazon flying into the arms of their enemies. Jefferson points out that this also effectively removes the House of El's strongest supporter from Amazonia ''and'' effectively makes her a traitor to the Amazons, making it that much easier for the Amazons to countenance an alliance with the Kingdom of Storms.
* BigBad:[[spoiler: Protex, the leader of the White Martians escalating the conflicts between the Kingdoms.]]
* BlackKnight: Batman, Prince of the House of El.
* BlackVikings: Despite being set in an equivalent of medieval Europe, nobody bats an eye at Duke Thomas, [[ComicBook/BlackLightning Jefferson Pierce]] or Amanda Waller being around. In fact, the Pierce family are the royal dynasty of a country mostly populated by white people with no apparent issues.

** The Green Man, who is this universe's version of [[spoiler: Joker, Lex Luthor, and Green Lantern.]]
** This version of Ra's Al Ghul takes the title Head of the Demon more literally, since [[spoiler: he has Jason Blood's role as Etrigan's human form.]]
** [[spoiler: Alfred is actually J'onn J'onzz in a human guise.]]
* TheChessmaster: It is implied that [[spoiler: The Green Man]] is somehow behind the increasing tensions between the kingdoms. That said, it is [[spoiler:the White Martians]] who are more deliberate examples.

* CycleOfRevenge: [[spoiler: Jor-El]] is brutally murdered on the orders of King Jefferson. In response Zala [[spoiler: kills King Jefferson's son (though it is implied it may not be her)]]. Things continue to escalate from there. Invoked by [[spoiler:the White Martians, who kill various people (including Jefferson's son) to cause the kingdoms to descend into chaos]].

* EyeScream: [[spoiler:The first issue ends with Jor-El taking a Kryptonite arrow to the eye]].
* ExactWords: Kal-El comes to Amazonia to attempt to make peace, and is nearly attacked due to [[LadyLand no man being allowed to set foot there]]. However, as [[{{Flight}} he doesn't actually set foot]], he claims immunity, though Lois says he [[LoopholeAbuse is following the letter, though not the spirit, of the law]].
* FantasticRacism: Bruce suffers from a version of this as he has dedicated his mission to finding and imprisoning any magic users in the kingdom due to the circumstances of his parents' deaths and the fact that magic is one of the very few things that can actually hurt the remaining family that he has left in the Els. He starts to rethink his views on the issue after the [[spoiler: Teen Titans]] save his life and he discovers that [[spoiler: he has [[YouAreWhatYouHate powers]] himself]].

* GreyAndGrayMorality: The Els and the Pierces are both shown to be generally well-meaning people who are willing to do distasteful things for what they consider the greater good. The Amazons are more straightforwardly heroic but they have their flaws too.
* HalfHumanHybrid: [[spoiler:Bruce]].
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: [[spoiler: Hippolyta]] meets their demise this way at the hands of [[spoiler:a White Martian pretending to be Lara]].
* HeroicBastard: Bruce.
* HighFantasy

** Amanda Waller does not accept forging an alliance with the other two kingdoms to fend off the white martians, citing the deaths inflicted upon them even though it was revealed to be conflict stoked by the white martians. She goes behind Lara's back to parlay with Protex.
* IGaveMyWord: The Amazons are long-standing allies of the Kingdom of the Storms and swore to aid them in war if necessary, so when they declare war on the Els Hippolyta joins them even though she thinks it's a bad idea.

* TheKingslayer: [[spoiler: ALL]] of the three main kingdoms have had a monarch die a brutal death at the hands of their enemies.

** [[spoiler:Jefferson Pierce]] is killed by [[spoiler:a White Martian claiming to be Zala Jor-El]].
** In the backstory, [[spoiler:Thomas Wayne]] is slain by [[spoiler:the Green Man, [[MurderByMistake who had been hoping to hit the Els' carriage but picked the wrong one]]]].

* LadyLand: Amazonia, like its alternate-universe counterparts, is an island populated entirely by women.

* MadeOfIron: Bruce can survive things that a normal man really shouldn't, [[spoiler:because he's half Kryptonian]].
* MakeMeWannaShout: Black Canary is believed to be a banshee.
* MythologyGag: In 1959’s ''Superman'' #132, Superman watches a simulation of a universe where Krypton didn’t explode. There, Jor-El and Lara have a second son named Zal-El. In this universe, Jor-El and Lara have [[GenderFlip a daughter named Zala]].

** At one point, [[spoiler:Kal-El]] effortlessly handles {{Kryptonite|Factor}}, despite it being particularly debilitating most of the time.
* OutOfCharacterAlert: Numerous examples on the side of the Els. In such scenarios, they claim to be interested in conquest (something they never are in private), and openly revel in murder. These moments are key to the implication that there is something very wrong. [[spoiler:This is because they are ''not'' Kryptonians at all, but rather White Martians pretending to be the Els.]]
* PromotedToLoveInterest: Wonder Woman and [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Zala]] are a couple.
* ProphecyTwist: A running prophecy through the series is that there are beings that look like humans but are actually demons out to destroy humanity. John Constantine believes it's [[HumanAliens the Els]],[[spoiler: but it turns out to be White Martians impersonating them to turn everyone against each other]].

* RelatedInTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:Jor-El]] is [[spoiler:Bruce's]] father, and [[spoiler:Kal-El and Bruce]] are half-brothers.
* ReluctantRuler: Jor-El believes Bruce should be king rather than him.

* TheScapegoat: The El family seems to be being framed for the various actions around the kingdoms. In particular, [[spoiler:Kal and Zala]] make distinctly conquest-based speeches when they are attacking others, ones that they show no knowledge of when pressed. [[spoiler:Confirmed in Issue 9: those instances were actually White Martians]].
* ScheduleSlip: The series was published monthly until issue #6. There was then a two month gap until issue #7 was released, then five months until issue #8, before getting back on a monthly schedule for issue #9. There was a special issue published during the hiatus, but it only told prequel stories.

** Locations seen in issue #1 include [[Creator/RaymondEFeist Feist Village]], the [[Creator/PhilipPullman Pullman Inn]] and [[Creator/RobinHobb Hobb Forest]].
* SoleSurvivor: Alfred repeatedly mentions that he is the only survivor of a war, without expanding on that thought.[[spoiler: He's J'onn J'onzz, a survivor of the war between the White and Green Martians.]]
* SparedByTheAdaptation: Jor-El (at least initially) and Lara (so far).
* UndyingLoyalty: Bruce to the Els.

* UnwittingPawn: The Green Man [[spoiler:believes that his ring tells him what to do]], but in fcat [[spoiler:it's the White Martians]].
* WarriorPrincess: Diana and Zala.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: King Jefferson's concerns about the Els are understandable seeing as their arrival was accompanied by a suitably ominous prophecy that seems to suggest they are less than benevolent. His response, [[spoiler: arranging for Jor-El to be assassinated]], is a bit extreme by anyone's standards.
* WhamEpisode: Issue 9. [[spoiler:The subjects of Constantine's prophecy were the White Martians, who have been pinning everything on the Els due to being able to get away with similar powers. Meanwhile, Alfred is actually J'onn J'onzz, and the war he is the only survivor of was that of the Green Martians versus the White Martians]]

** [[spoiler:Kal-El stabbing Bruce in the chest with a shard of Kryptonite]].

* TheWisePrince: Kal-El.
* TheWitchHunter: Bruce's job, hunting down people with [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividuals "magic"]] who could potentially harm the Els.

* HonorBeforeReason: Due to the medieval nature of the world. Bruce especially suffers from it and apparently, his mother and stepfather had the same problem.

** The Metal Men are humans in armor befitting their code names, rather than robots.

* CycleOfRevenge: [[spoiler: Jor-El]] is brutally murdered on the orders of King Jefferson. In response Zala [[spoiler: kills King Jefferson's son (though it is implied it may not be her)]]. Things continue to escalate from there.

* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: [[spoiler: Hippolyta]] meets their demise this way at the hands of [[spoiler:Lara]].

** [[spoiler:Jefferson Pierce]] is killed by [[spoiler:someone claiming to be Zala Jor-El]].

** [[spoiler:Hippolyta]] is killed by [[spoiler:someone claiming to be Lara, under similar circumstances to Pierce]].

* TheScapegoat: The El family seems to be being framed for the various actions around the kingdoms. In particular, [[spoiler:Kal and Zala]] make distinctly conquest-based speeches when they are attacking others, ones that they show no knowledge of when pressed.

* WouldHurtAChild: [[spoiler:Zala Jor-El seemingly, murders Prince Jacob - but there are suggestions that it might also be someone who impersonated her that did so instead.]]

* TheChessmaster: It is implied that [[spoiler: The Green Man]] is somehow behind the increasing tensions between the kingdoms.

** [[spoiler:Lara confronting [[CriminalDoppelganger another Lara]], which confirms [[FrameUp what is actually happening.]]

* AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler: Everyone who knows her views Zala’s actions as not making sense of her. While Diana is biased in arguing this is morally not what her lover would do, even the objective Lois is confused about how her actions do not make any sense for her motive (e.g. she made not attempt to harm Jefferson or take apart his castle, instead killing his son who had nothing to do with Jor-El's death)]].
** [[spoiler: Later when confronted with this accusation, Zala is both genuinely baffled and horrified by it. There is also how later somebody resembling Kal, handles kryptonite to no ill-effect to similarly do a horrible deed, suggesting perhaps a shapeshifter is in play.]]

* NoSell:

* OutOfCharacterAlert: Numerous examples on the side of the Els. In such scenarios, they claim to be interested in conquest (something they never are in private), and openly revel in murder. These moments are key to the implication that there is something very wrong.

* WhamShot: [[spoiler:Kal-El stabbing Bruce in the chest with a shard of Kryptonite]].

* SoleSurvivor: Alfred repeatedly mentions that he is the only survivor of a war, without expanding on that thought.

* AdaptationalVillainy: In the biggest divergence from the rest of the DCU, [[spoiler: Kal-El]]. However, [[spoiler: him being completely unaffected by prolonged holding of completely exposed Kryptonite - combined with the strong implications that somebody has been impersonating Zala - heavily calls in to question if it’s really him]].
** A less ambiguous example is that this universe's [[spoiler: Green Lantern]] is part of the CompositeCharacter that seems to be manipulating the events and is responsible for killing Bruce's parents.

* CycleOfRevenge: [[spoiler: Jor-El]] is brutally murdered on the orders of King Jefferson. In response Zala [[spoiler: kills King Jefferson's son]]. Things continue to escalate from there.

* TheKingslayer: [[spoiler: ALL]] of the three main kingdoms have had a monarch die a brutal death at the hands of their enemies by this point.

* BlackKnight: Bat-Prince.

* AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler: Everyone who knows her views Zala’s actions as not making sense of her. While Diana is biased in arguing this is morally not what her lover would do, even the objective Lois is confused about how her actions do not make any sense for her motive (e.g. she made not attempt to harm Jefferson or take apart his castle, instead killing his son who had nothing to do with Joe-El's death)]].