DC Comics’ Absolute Universe has a lot of great villains, but they all pale in comparison to the new bad guy on the block. The Absolute line has been a major hit with fans, largely thanks to its incredibly relatable storylines and creative updates to DC lore. But as is usually the case with comics, what’s really drawn people in is the villains. In the Absolute Universe, the villains have far more power and influence than the heroes. Joker, Ra’s al Ghul, Hector Hammond, and more are much bigger threats than they are in the Prime Universe.
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Even the main duo of Absolute Martian Manhunter has had their plates full with the negative psychic entity, the White Martian. Unfortunately, John and the Martian took a brief break so that Jones could try to repair his relationship with his wife. The Martian’s been taken hostage, leaving John vulnerable. When we last saw John, he was being introduced to his new ‘partner’, another incorporeal being that called itself Despair-the-Zero. But Despair-the-Zero is nothing like the Martian, and the things it’s doing to John make it one of the most evil beings to inhabit the Absolute Universe.
DC Comics’ New Villain is Weaponized Negativity
In Absolute Martian Manhunter #9 by Deniz Camp, Javier Rodríguez, and Hassan Otsemane-Elhaou, the Martian is in dire straits as it’s been captured by the Agency and is being vivisected. John is doing his best to track down his partner, following up on the Martian’s psychic trail from the night it went missing. John is accompanied by Despair-the-Zero, who comments on everyone John speaks to, adding in a bitter, negative commentary throughout the investigation. Despair-the-Zero doesn’t hide its intentions from John, plainly saying it’s here to destroy Jones in every way, and through him, destroy the rest of reality.
John has to put his investigation on the side as he has family therapy and is running late. He makes it to his appointment, where he finds his wife, Bridget. And yes, Despair-the-Zero is here, too, whispering horrible things into John’s ear, encouraging him to commit suicide and other awful things. As much as John wants to be emotionally honest in therapy to try and fix things with Bridget, Despair-the-Zero makes things difficult, making John question himself and question Bridget and their counselor, especially when John discovers Bridget has divulged John’s relationship with the Martian.
Despair-the-Zero’s commentary becomes so loud that John can’t even hear what Bridget or their therapist is saying, only Despair-the-Zero’s interpretation of it. Despair-the-Zero even activates ‘Despero-Vision’, a twisted counterpart to the Martian’s Martian vision. Under Despair-the-Zero’s influence, the entity shows John the ‘true meaning’ behind people’s statements, no matter how innocuous. Despair-the-Zero is honest about one thing, though. The White Martian has possessed John’s son, and the higher-level beings that have targeted John no longer have any use for him, and a kill squad is already on the move to take Jones out permanently.
Despair-the-Zero is a More Insidious Kind of Evil for the Absolute Universe
https://comicbook.com/comics/list/every-absolute-justice-league-member-so-far-ranked/Now I know the Absolute Universe has some of the worst (and by that I mean, best) kinds of villains. From the megalomanical nature of Absolute Green Lantern’s Hector Hammond to the abject cruelty of Absolute Batman’s Joker, this world’s villains feel so much more of a threat than they are in the Prime DC Universe. But what makes Despair-the-Zero so terrifying isn’t because of how rich or influential it is. It’s because Despair-the-Zero is actively working to make sure that people like John feel and experience nothing but emotional pain and negativity.
The Martian is such a captivating protagonist because it sees most humans’ flaws as part of a beautiful tapestry. It acts as the outside observer that reminds us all that humans are messy and complicated, but ultimately good. Despair-the-Zero, however, acts as a diametric opposite. It doesn’t care about self-actualization or understanding. It thrives in negative emotions and self-destruction. Instead of attacking from the outside, Despair-the-Zero goes inward, preying on people’s insecurities and anxieties. And as we see in this issue, that’s so much more effective, and Despair-the-Zero does a great job at breaking John.
Despair-the-Zero isn’t as flashy or marketable as some of the other Absolute villains, sure. But it is an unbelievably sinister one, because the things that it does in this issue feel disturbingly real. Searching for the negative hidden meaning of what people say, those little negative commentaries we experience when we’re at our lowest? Despair-the-Zero might not be real, but weirdly, it really does feel like the devil on your shoulder when you’re spiraling. This was a heavy issue, and I’m quite curious to see how this series handles such a hauntingly relatable villain like Despair-the-Zero.
What did you think about Despair-the-Zero? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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