"Trinity War" is an 11-issue comic book story arc first published in 2013 by DC Comics, featuring the fictional superhero teams the Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark. The arc spans several titles, including Justice League, Justice League of America, Justice League Dark, Constantine, Trinity of Sin: Pandora and Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger. The story is an action-mystery that sees the Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark clash, in order to solve the mystery of Pandora's Box. The event also introduces the Crime Syndicate and the reveal of Earth-3 to The New 52.
The main storyline received generally positive reviews, though it was criticized for not having a true conclusion, instead leading directly into the "Forever Evil" storyline; the tie-in titles received mixed reviews. Every title involved in the story was collected into a trade paperback entitled Justice League: Trinity War.
Synopsis
Lead-up Pandora appeared in all first issues of the First and Second Wave titles of The New 52. Many of the stories since The New 52 was created at the end of Flashpoint lead up to "Trinity War". Some of these stories and events include:
In DC's Free Comic Book Day 2012 offering, The New 52 Free Comic Book Day Special Edition #1, Pandora, the Phantom Stranger and the Question's punishments before the Council of Eternity were shown, as well as a final image foreshadowing the coming "Trinity War". Back in the present, Pandora is seen in A.R.G.U.S.'s Black Room (where magical artifacts are kept) to retrieve her box. The back up to Justice League #0 shows Pandora trying to open her box. She fails and is approached by the Wizard from the Council of Eternity. He tells her that he has given up his power (to Billy Batson) and that the Circle were wrong to punish Pandora for her curiosity. He tells her only the purest or darkest of heart can open the box. The backup to Justice League #6 hints at the formation of the Secret Society of Super Villains at the hands of the mysterious Outsider. The Secret Society was fully introduced in Justice League of America. In Justice League of America #1, it was revealed that the Justice League of America team was created by A.R.G.U.S. to stop the Justice League if needed, with each member being paired with someone in the Justice League. Justice League #18 introduces Firestorm, Element Woman, and Atom as the newest members of the Justice League, as well as the Watchtower being hacked. It is revealed at the end of Justice League #20 that Atom is an agent of A.R.G.U.S. and is actually a member of the Justice League of America. She was chosen to act as a spy within the Justice League. In Justice League of America #4, Arthur Light is called in by A.R.G.U.S. to examine the Secret Society's communication coin. While doing so, it is manipulated from the other side causing Light to be enveloped in a white light, giving him powers. In Justice League of America #5, it is determined that the Secret Society's manor has stained glass with images of Pandora's Box, hinting at their interest in Pandora. A mysterious intruder breaks into the Batcave in Justice League #19. They steal Batman's Kryptonite ring, given to him by Superman in case Superman were to lose control. Batman, leery of Superman and Wonder Woman's relationship, tells Superman that he does not have a "Kryptonite" for Wonder Woman in case things get out of control, with Superman being the only one to stop her. The ring is given to Despero, who uses it to attack the Watchtower. When the Justice League recover the ring, they notice a small sliver has been cut out of it. The Phantom Stranger asks the Justice League Dark, specifically Zatanna, to help him enter Hell to save his family. In Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #10, Zauriel warns Phantom Stranger that he is never allowed to enter Heaven again, having gone to try to save his family. Zauriel states to Phantom Stranger that if he tries, he will be erased from time and history.
Plot In the year 8000 BC, Pandora finds the box and inadvertently opens it, unleashing the Seven Sins on the world. As a result, she is punished by the Council of Wizards with immortality. Pandora begins her travels, training and trying to destroy the Seven Sins. In the present, she receives information from the Wizard informing her that the box can only be opened by either the purest or darkest of heart. Pandora approaches Superman to open her box, believing he is 'without sin', but when he touches the box he appears to become possessed. Pandora manages to escape with the box, after which Superman seems to return to normal.
Shazam, having defeated his arch-enemy Black Adam, journeys to Kahndaq to bury him, inadvertently risking a diplomatic incident. Superman and the Justice League attempt to stop Shazam, which escalates into a fight. Amanda Waller decides it is the perfect opportunity for the Justice League of America to confront the Justice League, and dispatches them. During the conflict, it appears as though Superman murders the JLA's newest recruit Doctor Light. Seeming to have lost control of his powers, Superman surrenders himself to A.R.G.U.S.
Wonder Woman, believing that Pandora's box is responsible for Superman's actions, meets with Hephaestus, for answers about the box. She learns that he did not forge it and that Zeus and the other gods used Pandora to open the box because it contained something that the Gods of Olympus could not control. She meets with Justice League Dark to recruit them to track down Pandora. At A.R.G.U.S. headquarters, the Question enters Superman's cell and releases him.
The Question explains that he has evidence that indicates Doctor Psycho was in Kahndaq when Doctor Light was killed. Superman is physically ill and struggles to control his powers as he and the Question break out of the base to track down Psycho, with several other heroes in tow. When they confront Psycho, they determine that although he was present, he was not responsible for what happened in Kahndaq. Meanwhile, Pandora attempts to convince Vandal Savage to open the box, but he is also unable to do so.
While Batman examines Doctor Light's body, the Phantom Stranger arrives to warn him that should Wonder Woman locate Pandora and the box, it will be the death of all. They confront Wonder Woman and the Justice League Dark at Constantine's House of Mystery, but when Wonder Woman questions the Phantom Stranger about Superman's ailment, the Stranger admits he does not know what caused Superman's condition.
Batman convinces the Phantom Stranger to bring him to the afterlife so he can question Doctor Light. When Batman questions Doctor Light, the group learns that he does not remember anything about his death. Doctor Light gives a piece of his soul to the Stranger in hopes that he can give it to his family as a final gift. As the group is ready to leave, Zauriel appears, dismisses Batman and Deadman, and follows through on his promise to erase the Phantom Stranger from existence. Wonder Woman and her team track Pandora to the prison where Lex Luthor is held. Pandora approaches Luthor, hoping that he can open the box. Before she can give it to him, Wonder Woman and her group arrive to retrieve the box. Upon touching the box, Wonder Woman is apparently possessed just as Superman was.
The other superheroes around her attempt to get the box from her and free her from its power; one by one it begins to corrupt them all. Pandora can see the sins above the Justice League members fighting over the box. As the battle continues, Pandora is finally able to attack the Sins, by killing Envy. Constantine takes Shazam out of the area and tricks him into switching off his powers. Constantine then uses a ritual artifact to steal Billy's powers. When he is attacked by an agent of the Cold Flame, Constantine uses the Shazam power, but is unable to control it. Billy Batson distracts the agent, giving Constantine time to kill it, and Billy regains his power. Constantine pleads with Billy not to touch Pandora's box, afraid of the power it may possess, but Shazam leaves Constantine and returns to the group, where he sees the effect the box has had on Wonder Woman. He knocks the box aside and picks it up; the resulting contact corrupts him also, giving him an appearance similar to Black Adam and causing a huge ripple through the magical planes.
During the conflict, Constantine arrives, takes the box, and transports himself and Zatanna to the Temple of Hephaestus. There they find that Madame Xanadu had been kidnapped and locked away in a secret bunker. Xanadu tells everyone that Pandora had it wrong, that the box is actually a doorway.
Superman, Wonder Woman and their respective groups arrive at the temple. Constantine, still in possession of the box, realizes that the box is allowing evil thoughts to go through everyone's mind, and a massive fight breaks out as the heroes struggle to get possession of the box. Firestorm tells everyone that Superman is emitting Kryptonite. Element Woman goes inside Superman's blood stream and finds a small sliver in his brain. Atom then tells everyone that she put it there in Kahndaq, and that it was this that has been causing Superman's illness and loss of control of his powers. The Outsider comes out of the shadows to pick up the box. He tells the heroes that the box is not magic, but science, that was created on his world and can only be opened by someone from his world. He explains that the box opens a gateway to his homeworld, and that he and Atom arrived following the weakening of the barriers between the universes resulting from the Justice League's battle with Darkseid. The Outsider uses Pandora's box to open a portal to his home world, Earth-3, breaking the box in the process. The Earth-3 incarnation of the Justice League emerge — Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, Johnny Quick, Power Ring, and Deathstorm. Sea King does not survive the journey and collapses dead. Atom joins the group, answering to the name Atomica, revealing that she had arrived on Prime Earth along with the Outsider, who is revealed to be the Alfred Pennyworth of Earth-3. Cyborg's Apokoliptian prosthetics tear themselves from his body and form into a separate robot named Grid. Trailing behind the Crime Syndicate is a prisoner from Earth-3 whose identity is not revealed. The Crime Syndicate claim the planet as their own, and attack the three weakened Justice Leagues.
Aftermath
The outcome of "Trinity War" leads into DC's Forever Evil miniseries and "Villains Month" event, as well as the creation of new New 52 titles. Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #11 had major repercussions for Phantom Stranger and planted the seeds for a new story arc in Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #14, later revealed to be the "Forever Evil: Blight" storyline. At San Diego Comic-Con in 2013, Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire said the events of "Trinity War" would affect many of the DC titles, not just the Justice League books.
Name The name of the crossover had brought speculation to what the "Trinity" stood for. In the 2012 FCBD special, Pandora, the Phantom Stranger and the Question were dubbed the Trinity of Sin. In regards to the name, Geoff Johns stated there was "a bit of a mystery" around it saying, "Is it about the Trinity of Sin? The trinity of Leagues? Is it about Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman? What does "trinity" mean? What is it all about? That's something that the story explores." In Justice League #23, it is revealed that the "Trinity" refers to the true number of evil, three, referencing Earth-3.
Titles