DC K.O. Takes a Page From Dragon Ball For Its Latest Eye-Popping Issue

DC K.O. is one of the biggest crossover events in the comic book company’s history so far, and some of the titanic battles haven’t even taken place yet. Last year, DC Comics confirmed that various characters from other realities would fight members of the Justice League and their bitter opponents. These combatants include The Boys’ Homelander, The Conjuring’s Annabelle, Dynamite’s Vampirella, and even Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees’ Sam. In a wild twist, the fight for the birth of a new universe has invoked elements of the Dragon Ball franchise in a way that will throw many for a loop.

Warning. If you have yet to read DC K.O.’s latest issue, Issue #3, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into spoiler territory. In the latest issue of this crossover, the surviving DC heroes and villains are forced to pick a team member to help them in fighting their opponents. Described as a tribute to Darkseid and his occasions in which the lord of Apokolips “allied himself with unexpected beings,” the pairings ranged from expected to wildly unexpected. Guy Gardner chose Hal Jordan to fight Superman and Captain Marvel, Lex Luthor chose Supergirl to fight Aquaman and Hawkman, Wonder Woman chose Big Barda to face Cyborg and Green Arrow (Connor Hawke), and Zatanna chose John Constantine to fight Joker and Mr. Myxyzptlk.

In fighting against the Green Lanterns, Superman and Shazam find themselves with their backs against the wall. The Man of Steel struggles against a “Black Mercy” created by the Lanterns, while Billy Batson succumbs to Hal and Guy’s assault. In a moment of desperation, Billy performs a trick that Captain Marvel often uses in some of the most dire circumstances, granting Clark the power of Shazam to add to his own. While this might not seem akin to Dragon Ball’s fusion dance, there is one big factor that proves that this DC fusion is a major tribute to Vegito. You can see for yourself below.

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DC K.O.’s Dragon Ball Potarra Connection

As you can see, the Man of Tomorrow receives a new look thanks to adding the power of Shazam to his own. While Clark still retains the traditional “S” shield he has been known for, the Wizard’s lightning is added to it, along with a change in his traditional cape. On his ears, you can clearly see that this new iteration of Superman is wearing earrings that look suspiciously similar to Dragon Ball’s potarra earrings. First introduced in Dragon Ball Z’s Majin Buu saga, the earrings allow two combatants to fuse permanently, with there only being a few ways to undo this process. The most popular fusion born from these earrings was Vegito, the fusion of Goku and Vegita, who fought against Buu, but would then return in Dragon Ball Super to fight against Zamasu.

This DC fusion allows Superman to walk away victorious, joining the likes of Wonder Woman, the Joker, and Lex Luthor as the victors who might reshape the universe. In a shocking final page, the Absolute versions of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman appear ready to fight, along with a bearded Booster Gold. Now that Shazam is no longer in the mix, we don’t expect to see the fusion character make a comeback, though we expect far more wild moments in DC K.O.’s future.

Past DC Fusions

This fusion of Superman and Captain Marvel is far from the first time that we’ve seen DC heroes unite their powers into one form. One of the most recent examples was in the crossover comic Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, in which a Green Lantern ring caused the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel to share the same body. “SuperBat” was a wild fusion, but the being’s opponent might have given him a run for his money as a Joker/Lex Luthor fusion eventually rose to rival the two heroes becoming one.

One major example of DC fusing its characters to the detriment of the Justice League was with the Batman Who Laughs and his cronies. Arriving from the Dark Multiverse, the grinning Dark Knight was a fusion of Batman and Joker, while the other Dark Knights were alternate takes on Bruce Wayne that had characteristics similar to Doomsday, Cyborg, Aquaman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman. Even the fusion of Marvel and DC, Amalgam, recently returned to comic book stands thanks to the recent Deadpool/Batman crossover that brought back the fusion of Batman and Wolverine, Dark Claw. While there has never been an official crossover that pit DC’s finest against the world of Dragon Ball, there has long been a desire by fans to see the Man of Steel and Goku settle the argument of who is strongest once and for all.

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