Lazarus Planet

During Batman and Robin's early adventures, they team up with Superman and the Doom Patrol to deal with a demon named Nezha who was wreaking havoc amongst Gotham City and Metropolis. The Doom Patrol explain that Nezha was originally a human who was the son of a powerful war general named Li Jing in China. Li Jing gave up all of his wealth and family to try to resurrect Nezha. An elderly Li Jing works for a magician, where the magician takes pity and gives Li Jing the elixir of immortal life.

When Nezha is resurrected by the elixir, Nezha is furious that his father lost all of his power and wealth, and kills him. Nezha rebuilt his father's empire, made deals with demons and obtained magical weapons, becoming a demon.[3] In order to stop Nezha, a group of people from the House of Ji imprisoned Nezha but Nezha frees himself due to Nezha not knowing a word that can free his prison. Nezha created a new spell to free himself but was disgusted with how humans had advanced and desired to control the world.[4] Batman and Superman manage to stop Nezha by trapping him in the Phantom Zone, but Nezha slowly tries to break free. Superman pushes Nezha and himself in Nezha's prison (which is a huge doorway) on Lazarus Island but with the help of the Doom Patrol, Superman escapes the prison.[5][6]

While Damian Wayne is participating in a tournament on Lazarus Island, it is revealed that Damian's great-grandmother, Mother's Soul, was brought back to life due to the Lazarus Pits, with Mother's Soul saying that they must free Nezha once more or else the world will be destroyed (hinting that she may have been the one to free Nezha to fight Batman and Superman).[7][8] One night, Bruce Wayne sees Alfred Pennyworth appear in front of him, which makes Bruce suspicious since Alfred was killed by Bane during the City of Bane storyline. Bruce tests Alfred on a series of questions to make sure Alfred isn't the imposter, and while they're in the Batcave they see a possessed Damian, Jakeem Thunder and Timothy Hunter. Batman subdues Jakeem and Timothy but Damian wounds him and escapes to meet up with Nezha and Mother Soul.[9]

Batman tries meeting up with Zatanna but finds her hanging, but Zatanna reveals she is alive with Justice League Dark being preoccupied by Nezha's magic. Batman goes to Kentucky to meet a magician name Abel where he learns about Damian's recent tournament on Lazarus Island, and learns that Mother Soul is the mother of Ra's al Ghul, Ruh's Al Ghul, and that the Lazarus Pits are from Nezha's elixir of immortality. Batman realizes that Nezha corrupted Damian and tricked him to free himself from his prison, and Nezha has taken control of Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Jason Todd, and Stephanie Brown.[10]

While traveling to Lazarus Island, Batman realizes that Nezha has incapacitated Barbara Gordon and Batwoman. Talia al Ghul is held prisoner by Damian and Mother Soul. Nezha captures his old friend Pigsy to find out where his son King Fire Bull is, while Mother Soul is trying to access Doctor Fate's helmet. Batman manages to defeat all the former Robins, and allows Alfred to be killed by Nezha, revealing that he knew Alfred was fake when Alfred answered all of Batman's questions when they first met, but not contradict Batman's question when Nezha thought Batman was telling the truth. Alfred tells Batman to try to reconcile with Damian before passing away once more.[11]

Damian confronts Batman who struggles due to his battles with the former Robins, but it is revealed that Batman freed Talia and disarms Nezha long enough for Batman to obtain Doctor Fate's helmet and frees everyone from Nezha's influence as well as teleports them away except Pigsy and Black Alice. Damian and Talia fight off Mother Soul where Mother Soul falls over a cliff. During the fight, Nezha mortally wounds Batman, but King Fire Bull arrives and fights Nezha off while Talia and Damian revive Batman by using Black Alice's magic. Nezha flees, and King Fire Bull angrily causes the Lazarus Volcano to explode.[12]

Damian flies Batman, Talia, and Black Alice out of the Lazarus Volcano while Supergirl notes that there is a big storm wrecking havoc on Earth. Damian and his group crash into the Hall of Justice where Supergirl, Power Girl, Blue Beetle, Mary Marvel, the Monkey Prince, Zatanna, Cyborg, and Blue Devil are. Damian brings everyone up to speed on what has happened and that King Fire Bull is the one responsible for the big storm. Zatanna notices that magic in general has gotten out of control, so Damian sends Mary Marvel, Zatanna, Cyborg, Blue Beetle and Power Girl to collect magical artifacts in the Tower of Fate, while Batman, Talia, and Supergirl will go find Nezha in the Himalayas and convince him to be an ally. While trying to breach the tower, Cyborg and Blue Beetle are attacked by King Fire Bull's bodyguard, the Silver Horn King.

Batman's group are confronted by King Fire Bull's other bodyguard, the Golden Horn King. While Blue Beetle and Supergirl distract the Golden Horn King, Batman and Talia are shocked to see Nezha being attacked by Swamp Thing and Poison Ivy, who are angered that the Lazarus Volcano explosion is poisoning the plants and Earth. Batman's group defeats Nezha, but Nezha's body slowly corrupts Batman, turning him into a demonic being. Mary Marvel's group gets closer to the Tower, and Mary yells her name, which causes people who were imprisoned by Nezha to be free. Damian is trying to figure out what is going on when he is suddenly confronted by Fire King Bull. [13]

One of Pigsy's miniature clones visits the Monkey Prince at the Hall and explains Nezha's and King Fire Bull's origins, revealing that King Fire Bull was once the heroic Red Boy who Nezha adopted as his son after Darkseid murdered his parents King Bull Demon and Princess Iron Fan during the war between Apokolips and the Heavenly Realm centuries ago. The Monkey Prince asks why Red Boy became King Fire Bull and wants to kill Nezha, but Pigsy can only conclude that "things between fathers and sons are never easy."[14]

While talking to Mrs. Grant about being part of the Daily Planet, Nia Nal is knocked unconscious after entering Batman's dream and the eruption of Lazarus Volcano. She arrives and meets up with Kara Zor-El and Damian where she gets brought up to speed and tells them the future has gone dark. Batman wakes up and tells Nia that the only way for them to know the true future is to get the Doctor Fate helmet from Khalid Nassour. Nia Nal manages to go to Khalid's dream, but Khalid does not recognize her but the helmet does. Nia Nal manages to retrieve the helmet, but she wakes up in a Lazarus Pit with the helmet. Meanwhile, Jon Kent confronts an individual who gains new powers due to the explosion on Lazarus Island. Mercy Graves is in LexCorp trying to protect Lex Luthor and the workers when a monstrous wolf appears, and Graves is hit with the radiation from the Lazarus Island explosion where she can transform her body into a weapon. After Mary Marvel said her name which freed all the imprisoned people, Power Girl is having hallucinations but manages to be free with the help of Lilith Clay. [15]

A family encounters a regular human washed up on the shore. However, its revealed that the human was originally one of the amphibious monsters in the Trench and starts attacking the family, but Aquaman intervenes and saves them. Martian Manhunter observes how the eruption from Lazarus Volcano gives everyone new powers. He observes a man name Raphael Arce who is an empath that tries to absorb all the pain from people who are painfully dying. Wonder Woman is sparring with a woman name Bia when Bia is taken by an undead Theseus and his army. Wonder Woman saves Bia from Theseus and with the help of Nubia, they defeat Theseus. Theseus reveals that the explosion from Lazarus Volcano causes the gates of Hades to open, allowing the undead to return back to the mortal world. Mary Marvel meets Black Adam's new heir Malik, and they try to free Billy Batson from the Rock of Eternity. They reach Batson, and he frees himself by absorbing the Rock of Eternity into him, however Shazam is angry that Batson absorbed the Rock of Eternity, causing Shazam to be locked out of his own power and declares the Shazam family unworthy.[16]

Renee Montoya learns that a man name George Dennis Elroy (a suspect who killed ten people) mysteriously disappeared. She learns that there was a victim who had body eaten by something sinister. Montoya goes into Elroy's apartment where she seems hostages there and confronts a monstrous Elroy but Elroy is defeated by her and the hostages. Raven and Beast Boy go see a house where a demon child is located, and manages to exorcise the demon. The demons explain that they were originally humans but the explosion from the Lazarus Volcano mutated them. Trigon dispatches Beast Boy, knocks out Raven, and takes the demons away. In Gotham City, Nightwing rescues City Boy who tries to go get a family heirloom in the sewers. Firestorm is flying when the explosion from Lazarus Volcano separates him and Martin Stein. A shadow demon attacks Ronnie, but he merges with a man name Dr. Ramirez to defeat the shadow demon, but when Ronnie tries to separate him and Ramirez, he realizes that the Matrix is stealing Ramirez's age for power. [17]

Red Hood encounters a group of vigilantes (one of them named Vigil) obtaining leftover Lazarus resin to prevent it from being in the wrong hands. Damian's girlfriend Flatline goes to Tokyo to confront Ubu, Ra's al Ghul's bodyguard. Flatline fights off Ubu and his bodyguards to find an Urn that has the ashes of Ra's al Ghul and sees him in front of her. Deadeye confronts his aunt Amanda Waller who reveals she's on Earth-Three. Deadeye explains how his shape-shifter partner Everyman was changed by the explosion from the Lazarus Volcano, and tried killing him. Red Canary tries studying for her chemistry test when she observes people being mutated by the Lazarus eruption. She asks for Sideways' help in dealing with the pigs. [18]

Monkey Prince confronts Ultra-Humanite and his sidekick Winston (who is Monkey Prince's adoptive father) who wants to fix the Phantom Zone projector. During the scuffle, the Monkey Prince arrives and accidentally knocking down the Phantom Zone Projector, which Monkey King appears. Monkey Prince realizes that he was originally born in the Phantom Zone but is immobilized by Ultra-Humanite as Ultra Humanity takes Winston father away. [19]