Spoilers for Flash #767 ahead!
Black Adam, one of the DCEU’s upcoming stars, is finally assembling a team of his own. In Flash #767, Black Adam opens his home country’s borders to refugees, but does he have an ulterior motive? The issue, tying into DC’s Endless Winter event, is written by Andy Lanning and Ron Marz, with art by Clayton Henry and colors by Marcelo Maiolo, is in stores now.
Black Adam began life as a Fawcett Comics character, not a DC one. Designed to be a villainous version of Shazam, the character made only one appearance during that time; when Shazam and related characters were integrated into the regular DC Universe, Adam returned as a villain, but over time morphed into an anti-hero. Born Seth-Adam, he was the wizard Shazam’s first champion, but he became corrupted by the power and was banished to space. He returned to Earth and tangled with the Shazam family and was one of DC’s most popular characters in the mid-2000s, being one of the driving forces behind Infinite Crisis. The character has receded into the background but is making a major return during Endless Winter.
As the worldwide deep freeze brought on by the Frost King rages, Black Adam addressed the United Nations. Citing the failure of groups like the Justice League to adequately provide during the crisis, he opens the borders of Khandaq, his home country to refugees displaced by the cold wave. When the Flash arrives in Khandaq, we see some of Adam’s “refugees,” such as the Silver Banshee and Catman - characters with less than stellar pasts. The Flash asks him about them, but Adam deflects the question, simply calling them “refugees.”
Given the past of some of the refugees, as well as Adam’s, it is not too much of a stretch to believe Adam may be planning something with these folks, either during the deep freeze or after it. Did Adam open up his borders as a ruse to get these individuals into his country? What are his plans with them? Or is everything as it appears?
Black Adam once occupied a place of prominence in the DC Universe but fell in recent years. Now he is poised to make a huge comeback, both in the DC Universe, where he might be putting together his own team and on the big screen as well, where he will be played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. A new generation of readers is poised to see just how great a character Black Adam is.