War for Earth-3 is a 2022 Bat Family Crossover between Suicide Squad (2021), The Flash (Infinite Frontier), and Teen Titans Academy. It is written by Robbie Thompson, Dennis Hopeless, Jermey Adams, and Tim Sheridan. It also serves as the Grand Finale for Thompson and Hopeless' Suicide Squad run.
When the DC Multiverse was rebooted in the climax of Dark Nights: Death Metal, space and time warped and glimpses were shown of events to come — or events which might come in this Future State.
In the case of Task Force X, it was revealed that Amanda Waller had used the Suicide Squad to conquer Earth-3. She had deposed the Crime Syndicate of America and replaced them with her own 'Justice League'. The only opposition to her rule were surviving Earth-3 villains not caught up in the takeover and a splinter Suicide Squad led by her now-estranged longtime field commander Rick Flag.
However, this was ultimately only a possible future... or was it?
As the DC Infinite Frontier era began, ominous portents have slowly emerged in Task Force X's corner of the DCU over the last year. Waller has become increasingly obsessed with the Multiverse and has conducted stealth operations on Earth-3. Flag has been ousted from the Squad for failing to toe Waller's party line. Future members of her 'Justice League' have slowly ended up in the current Squad's roster.
And now, finally, the last portent has been fulfilled: Waller, like her future counterpart, has launched an invasion of Earth-3. Now, the 'heroes' of the Crime Syndicate must join forces with the Teen Titans, the Flash, and even Flag's splinter Suicide Squad to try and stop Waller.
Can they save Earth-3? Or will this particular dark tomorrow of Future State be realized?
- War for Earth-3 #1
- Suicide Squad #13
- The Flash #780
- Teen Titans Academy #13
- War for Earth-3 #2
War for Earth-3 contains examples of:
- Adaptational Wimp: Overlapping with Villain Decay. The Crime Syndicate as portrayed here are a far cry from the villainous cadre they were in their run, taking more cues from their New 52 counterparts without any of their ability. Ultraman's paranoia has become apathy, Power Ring has been reduced to a hedonist, Owlman has gone from "evil Batman" to "tech-illiterate" and Superwoman's defined entirely by her rivalry with Ultraman. The moment Amanda's crew arrives on Earth-3, everyone other than Ultraman is effortlessly dealt with and he's imprisoned in the Phantom Zone by story's end.
- All for Nothing: The sacrifices of Flag and his Suicide Squad and even the Crime Syndicate fail to stop Waller's takeover.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Waller gets everything she wants by the end of the storyline, the Suicide Squad and Teen Titans powerless to stop her.
- Big Bad: Amanda Waller, who's gone rogue and plans to conquer Earth-3.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Waller's operatives make a mockery out of the Crime Syndicate upon her arrival - taking down Power Ring and Owlman in only a few pages.
- Downer Ending: Waller successfully talks the Teen Titans into leaving Earth-3 using the safety of their students as leverage while also tricking the Suicide Squad into disabling Ultraman (the only Syndicate member with a chance to stand up to her). Waller then forcibly teleports the Squad back home before re-tooling the remaining members of the Syndicate into her own personal Justice League. Earth-3 is also quarantined from the larger Multiverse, preventing Flag or any of the other heroes from coming after her).
- Enemy Mine: The Teen Titans, Wally West, Rick Flag's Suicide Squad, and members of the Crime Syndicate all have to work together to try and stop Waller.
- Foregone Conclusion: Intentionally played with, as the potential tomorrows of Future State have and haven't come to pass in the other DC books. So, the dramatic tension lies in whether the potential tomorrow we saw in Future State: Suicide Squad will come to pass in the main DCU timeline or not. It does.
- Grand Finale: For the Infinite Frontier relaunch of Suicide Squad.
- Invincible Villain: Amanda Waller is never portrayed as anything more than in-control of everything from start to finish. The only time she comes close to losing her cool is when Rick Flag manages to pep-talk Ultraman, but he's quickly dealt with and it's back to business as usual, eventually getting everything she wants with absolutely no consequences.
- Living Battery: Ultraman ends the storyline imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, his projector serving as the battery that isolates Earth-3 from the Multiverse.
- Mirror Universe: As per the norm with Crime Syndicate of America and Earth-3 stories.
- Nominal Hero: The team put together by Waller after her victory is made up primarily of Crime Syndicate mainstays.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The Suicide Squad pep-talking Ultraman into attempting a coup d'état gets their ace-in-the-hole imprisoned in the Phantom Zone. Then again, Waller planned on backstabbing him at some point anyway.
- Phantom Zone: Ultraman is imprisoned within it after his attempt to do away with Waller backfires.
- Replacement Goldfish: Waller's motive is to "save" Earth-3 the same way she feels she couldn't save the prime Earth.
