Final Crisis

Lead-up
Following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Darkseid and Vandal Savage embark on a quest to find the fabled Anti-Life Equation. The journey takes them to the Antimatter Universe, where Darkseid extracts a half of the Equation from Mobius. He travels to the Source Wall, where he fights his son Orion. During their fight, a Promethean Giant grabs both of them, bring them into contact with the Source. The Source gives him the rest of the Equation, and he is released.

At the end of Justice League S5/EP7 - "Society", Martian Manhunter is kidnapped by the Secret Society members after their conflict with the JLA.

Prologue - "Twilight"
A civil war brews on a leaderless Apokolips between the forces of Granny Goodness and Kalibak vs Kanto and Steppenwolf. As the two sides prepare for battle, a boom tube opens, and Darkseid returns, more powerful than ever. This Darkseid has accomplished his Ultimate Goal: acquiring the Anti-Life Equation. He tells his subjects to turn their attention to their real goal: destroying New Genesis.

Metron arrives, attempting to prevent Darkseid from pursuing this path: as it will result in the destruction of both worlds, and the Fourth World itself. This however is precisely what Darkseid wants, and he kills Metron. The Mobius Chair teleports itself away, while Darkseid's forces prepare for invasion.

As the forces of evil ravage New Genesis, Highfather makes his last communion with the Source. The Mobius Chair manifests in front of Highfather and Scott Free, and Highfather tells his son to take the chair and leave the planet. Scott does so, becoming the new Metron. Highfather hones all of his god-essence, and releases it; sacrificing himself to destroy Darkseid. The explosion emits a "Godwave", unmaking everything that it touches.

In the Source Wall, Orion is told to enact his destiny: to kill his father. It gives him the weapon "Radion", an indestructible element that can be used to kill gods. He is then released, and arrives on New Genesis, obliterating the Apokoliptain forces. Orion finds Darkseid, where he takes the radion in the form of a gun. Just as he shoots Darkseid, Kalibak attacks him. Orion quickly kills Kalibak, but is mortally wounded by Darkseid's Omega Beams.

As the Godwave approaches the two, Darkseid walks towards it willingly; accepting his end with satisfaction. In a last ditch effort to escape, Orion uses his Mother Box to boom him to Earth.

Chapter One - "Godfall"
A Boom tube opens above Gotham City, with Orion falling out of it. Batman arrives at his body, and Orion grabs him, warning him of the threat coming to Earth. The contact between the two zaps Batman back, and Orion succumbs to his wounds. John Stewart, Guy, Ganthet, and Flash arrive to analyze the scene with Batman. The group believes that Orion must have been killed by Darkseid's forces, and they should prepare for a coming conflict. John, Guy, and Ganthet leave to deal with Hal Jordan's abduction from Sanctuary. Barry takes Orion's body back to the Hall, and sees the Black Racer, the New God of Death, above them.

A mass gathering of villains is brought together by an individual named Libra, whom claims to be an envoy of the God of Evil. Libra preaches an eternal night upon his arrival, recruiting the members of the former Society, Injustice League, and Legion to join his cause. In a demonstration of power, Libra brings out the captured Martian Manhunter, and executes him with a flaming spear in front of everyone. J'onn lets out a psychic scream, heard by all of his allies.

As Batman does a final sweep of Orion's landing, he finds the "Radion Gun" lying on the ground. He pockets the weapon, making his way to the Hall. The Batmobile is attacked by a menagerie of Batman's rogues gallery, who surround him. He fights them valiantly, but their sheer numbers succeed in defeating the Dark Knight.

Chapter Two - "Godspeed"
Amanda Waller briefs the president; explaining that Command D, Checkmate's former headquarters, have been taken control by a "local warlord". She sends in a squadron to deal with the situation.

As Atom and Cyborg analyze Orion's corpse, the Hall of Justice is attacked by Deathstroke, Doctor Light, and the Reverse Flash. Flash and Reverse run, but Cyborg is captured, leaving Green Arrow behind. They also take Orion's body.

Captain Marvel and Black Adam go to commune with their pantheon of gods, only to find that they have been corrupted by the evil gods of the Fourth World. Black Adam is able to resist the Dark Gods infuence, but Billy is possessed by Granny Goodness. The two fight with Captain Marvel beating Adam and thrusting him into the Sphere of Gods.

The Rogues decide to decline Libra's offer to join the Society.

Luthor confronts Libra, but all of the Society leaders are under his control. He fights Libra, but is overwhelmed by the newly reborn bodies of Kalibak and Steppenwolf.

Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Nightwing arrive at destroyed Hall of Justice, finding a wounded Green Arrow and Atom. They summon the League in order to attack Command D, where they find the dead checkmate squadron sent by Waller. They are attacked by Amazo, who grabs Superman and flies into space. An army of villains, led by Libra, attack the remaining heroes.

Flash and Reverse Flash continue running, until they enter the Speed Force wall, finding Jay Garrick and the Black Racer hot on their heels.

Chapter Three - "Submit"
The League engages with the villains, with a "Granny Goodness possessed Captain Marvel" giving an advantage to evil.

Doctor Fate observes the battle from his Tower, where he is encountered by the Question and a comatose and badly injured Black Adam.

Luthor awakened by DeSaad, and told that he will be used to host Darkseid. They originally wanted to use Batman, but they attempt to clone him instead by using his body and mind as the template for perfect soldiers. They have been recreating bodies for the gods of Apokolips for their army. Desaad explains that the new gods deaths killed their physical bodies, but once they die their souls can go into new bodies/hosts.

Barry and Jay run through the Speed Force with the Reverse Flash and Black Racer following behind.

Amanda Waller activates "Article X", a super hero draft, that readies Earth's metahuman forces for the coming war. The signal is received by numerous super-teams.

As villains begin to overwhelm the heroes, Captain Marvel strikes Firestorm, splitting his core, causing an explosion. Nightwing and Green Arrow escape, while Wonder Woman is the last to fall. She gives Dick her lasso. The heroes who are captured are given the equation, while Libra then activates an ALE infused Cyborg who releases the Equation across the world.

As the equation is released, DeSaad infuses Luthor with Darkseid's spirit, and the Dark God returns.

As the speedsters continue to run, the two run so fast that they end up one month in the future.

Chapter Four - "Resist"
1 Month in future. Barry and Jay try to catch their breath, when the Reverse Flash attacks them. Just as Thawne prepares to strike, he is killed by the Black Racer, who leaves the two speedsters.

The flashes are attacked by the New Furies, led by an infected Wonder Woman and Cheetah. The heroes are saved by the Rogues, who take them to the Resistance headquarters.

Nightwing and Green Arrow have gathered a resistance against Darkseid. 5 remaining watchtowers: Mount Justice, Tower of Fate, Superbia, Nanda Parbat, and the Checkmate Castle. All are being besieged by the forces of Darkseid.

Barry and Jay meet up with heroes and decide to attack Command D with the other watchtowers. They use their lightning to awaken Black Adam from his coma. With the newfound hope, the heroes resist the siege, and gather to attack Command D.

Inside Command D, Batman is subjected to the equation, where DeSaad tries to get him to submit. He uses a psychic predator called the "Lump", but Batman is somehow able to resist the equation. This causes a reaction, destroying the cloning process by driving them insane. He then frees himself from the machine.

As he roams the facility, he frees the only other person who could resist the equation; the Joker! DeSaad attempts to kill the two, but Joker kills him, and the duo escape the Evil Factory.

Chapter Five - "Omega"
The resistance makes their attack, clashing with Darkseid's forces. The Ultramarine Corps, League of Shadows, and Justice League all band together.

Black Adam charges and attacks Captain Marvel. Doctor Fate binds the hero, while Adam uses the living lightning to expel Granny Goodness from Batson's soul.

Green Arrow kills Libra, while Dick tries to get to Wonder Woman. The Rogues and the Flashes try to save Cyborg, in an attempt to eliminate his distribution of the Equation to the Justifiers. They are attacked by Kalibak, who mortally wounds Captain Cold.

As the battle rages on, Darkseid/Luthor emerges, enslaving all with his voice. There is no resistance; Darkseid is.

Batman emerges from behind the Dark God, with his power having no effect on the Dark Knight. Darkseid senses a familiar presence residing inside the hero, belonging only to his son; Orion. Batman resisted the ALE because Orion transferred his soul/spirit to batman before he died.

Batman unsheathes the Radion gun, stating that despite his solemn vow about firearms, he will make an exception for the God. Darkseid reveals that regardless of his death, the Earth will be pulled into a endless abyss, creating a singularity at the heart of creation, into which all of space and time are slowly being drawn.

As Batman aims his weapon, Darkseid asks him if he can outrace Darkseid's greatest weapon; the Omega Sanction, the Death that is Life.

Batman fires anyways, wounding the Dark God, while the Sanction hits him simultaneously.

Chapter Six - "The Abyss"
Batman is dead, reduced to ash with only his cowl remaining.

Darkseid falls to his knees as he vomits blood onto the ground. His control over the world shudders for a second, as the radion bullet poisons his soul.

As eternal midnight descends upon Earth, Darkseid looks to the sky and sees the heavens shatter to the sound of a great horn. The Ultima Thule breaks throught the clouds, as an army of Lanterns and Supermen charge towards the battlefield that once was Bludhaven. Heat vision razes Command D while green warriors plow through the dark gods forces.

Darkseid gets up and smiles, knowing what comes next. Superman finds Batman's remains, and confronts the God of Evil. Darkseid mocks Superman for failing to defend Earth, and that as Darkseid has becoming everyone and everything; Superman is now the enemy of all that lives. Driven to a rage, the Man of Steel is about to tear the Dark God apart when he realizes that Darkseid is in Lex Luthor. His hesitation allows the Anti-Life infected slaves to surround Superman while Darkseid escapes. Nightwing battles against a infected wonder woman, using her lasso to free Diana from the Equation. Wonder Woman uses the Lasso of Truth to bind Darkseid's influence, breaking the Anti-Life Equation's hold over the people of Earth.

The sun has set forever, and there is a black hole where Darkseid's heart should be. Darkseid plunges the earth into the Forever Pit, an abyss of darkness where he will corrupt all of creation.

Nix Uotan and Scott Free use the Ultima Thule as a tether in an attempt to drag Earth out of the Forever Pit. The Supermen and the Green Lantern Corps also help.

Deep in the heart of the singularity, Superman finds a withering Darkseid in the last stages of radion poisoning. Darkseid knows death is near, so he decides to take the kryptonian with him. As Darkseid's astral form surrounds the hero, Superman lets out a single note that shatters the villains soul forever. In Darkseid's final moments, he sees the Black Racer; but it doesn't come for him, only waiting.

Darkseid smiles, as is essence is expelled from Luthor's body.

Epilogue - "Dawn"
With the Earth secured and the Orrery of Worlds stabilized, Nix Uotan takes his place as the "Monitor" in the House of Heroes, witnessing the dawn of a new age in the multiverse, a New Age of Heroes.

As always, the Earth endures, and rebuilds itself following the crisis. The heroes mourn for their fallen comrades, burying J'onn on Mars, and placing Bruce's ashes and cowl in the Wayne Mausoleum.

However, 50,000 years in the past, a dark haired man awakens in a cave, with no memory of how he got there.

Timeline

 * This event is part of the Modern Age
 * It is preceded by the Fall of Checkmate
 * It occurs simultaneously with the Sinestro Corps War
 * It is followed by the New Age of Heroes

Links

 * Full Reading Order
 * Justice League Reading Order
 * Superman Reading Order
 * Batman Reading Order