Absolute DC presents radically new versions of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman, with each having a completely new origin story. Overseen by Scott Snyder, DC Comic’s Absolute Universe is a new parallel reality to the mainline DC Comics continuity, kicking off with the DC All-In Special and establishing the Absolute Universe, or Earth-Alpha, as a significantly different one impacted by the energy of the intergalactic conqueror Darkseid. Accordingly, Absolute DC presents each of the DC Universe’s core heroes with greatly re-worked and often much darker backstories. Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman got the ball rolling on Absolute DC, in that order, in late 2024 with each character’s Absolute incarnation continuing and being followed by Absolute versions of The Flash, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and other DC heroes.
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The plans of an Absolute DC crossover indicate that Absolute DC’s heroes will eventually meet and form a new version of the Justice League. However, given just how different Absolute DC’s version of DC’s Trinity is right from the start, the Absolute Universe is sure to remain DC’s wildcard for the foreseeable future. Here are the 7 biggest changes Absolute DC makes to DC’s Trinity of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman.
Wonder Woman Grew Up In Hell, Not Themyscira
In traditional DC Comics lore, Diana grows up among the warrior women of Themyscira, eventually bringing her metahuman strength and Amazonian training to the world as Wonder Woman. Absolute DC completely changes the circumstances of Diana’s upbringing, with the young Amazon literally taken to Hell by Apollo to be raised by Circe, notably one of Wonder Woman’s major enemies in her typical portrayal. Diana’s origins in Hell are connected to the Amazons relationship with the Olympians in Absolute DC, which is any but a friendly one as is normally the case. In any case, Absolute Wonder Woman‘s origin and background in Absolute DC is one huge change of many.
Batman Isn’t An Orphan Or a Billionaire Anymore
Bruce Wayne is known for coming from wealth under the Wayne family, but Absolute DC changes that entire with the circumstances of Thomas Wayne’s murder. In contrast to Bruce and Martha Wayne being killed by Joe Chill in a dark alley, Thomas Wayne is killed during a mass shooting while chaperoning Bruce’s school field trip to the Gotham City school. This also leaves Martha alive and well to raise Bruce, and she remains alive as he is beginning his career as Batman. What’s more, Bruce doesn’t have his usual vast wealth in Absolute DC, with the re-imagined Batman a civil engineer as his day job, though this still provides him with a lot of tech knowledge when his life as the Dark Knight begins.
Superman Doesn’t Arrive On Earth As An Infant & Isn’t Raised By The Kents
The Man of Steel’s origin story has been passed down for ages as that of the infant Kal-El being sent to Earth in a Kryptonian space pod by his parents just before his home planet Krypton explodes. Not so in Absolute DC, with Kal-El escaping to Earth from Krypton’s oligarchical system of governance as a young man. What’s more, the timeframe of his arrival means that that the Absolute version of Superman is neither raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent, nor does he grow up with the human name of Clark Kent. Like the many changes in Absolute DC’s mythos, this leads to a very different version of Superman as he dons his cape indeed.
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Alfred Meets Batman Under Very Different Circumstances
With Bruce Wayne having grown up in the wealth and splendor of Wayne Manor, Alfred Pennyworth has been a staple of the Batman mythos as both Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler and one of Batman’s closest allies (with some fans even theorizing that Alfred is Bruce’s real father.) With Bruce no longer born to a billionaire family in Absolute DC, his and Alfred’s relationship kicks off quite different with Alfred meeting Batman before Bruce. Absolute DC portrays Alfred as a secret agent on the streets of Gotham, who sees Batman beating down criminal through a rifle’s scope. Naturally, this re-imagining of their first meeting alone sets up Absolute Batman and Alfred Pennyworth for a far different relationship in the Absolute DC Universe.
Wonder Woman’s Lasso Of Truth Has Major New Powers
One of Wonder Woman’s most trusted weapons as a superheroine is her famed Lasso of Truth, an unbreakable relic that forces anyone who comes into contact with it to tell the truth. Absolute DC expounds of the power of the Lasso greatly, most notably in granting the holder the ability to transform into a new being completely. Diana makes use of this exact trait of the Lasso when she uses it to morph herself into a towering version of the Medusa in order to defeat the monstrous creature known as the Tetracide. What’s more, the Lasso itself is gifted to Diana from Circe, who also refers to the Lasso as “she”, and even gives it the name “Sacrifice”. In all, having the truth forced out of villains has clearly become one of the Lasso’s secondary powers in Absolute DC.
Superman Has An A.I. Tech Suit
The suit of the Man of Steel has been illustrated and re-imagined differently across the decades, but it is still remained an inanimate but inspiring suit and cape that Superman wears. Absolute DC quite literally gives life to Superman’s suit by turning into a tech-heavy super-suit with A.I. programming named Sol. As it turns out, Sol itself is tasked with protecting Kal-El in his new home, and also comes equipped with battle-enhancing elements, including the ability to channel energy blasts and shielding him from attacks with “Sunstone Dust”. Superman, of all superheroes, would seemingly be the last one in need of much protection or use for an A.I. guided tech suit like Sol, but Superman’s re-imagined suit adds a thoroughly captivating new element to his origin story in Absolute DC.
Superman & Lois Lane Begin As Enemies
Having witnessed the exploitation of workers (particularly miners) on his home world, Superman arrives to Earth primarily focused with putting a stop to similar abuses in dangerous work environments like miners, with the help his tech suit Sol. Superman finds one particularly egregious target in the Lazarus corporation, which employs an army of Peacemaker enforcers, but Kal-El also encounters a most unexpected enemy in Absolute Superman #1 – Lois Lane, seen in Absolute DC as a mercenary employed by Lazarus. While Superman’s powers and altruistic goals eventually win Lois to his side, the fact that they start out as enemies, with Lois even arresting Superman, is nonetheless a massive change from their traditional romance and work alongside each other as journalists in the Daily Planet. However, Absolute DC is an absolute makeover of all things DC, and the huge change to Superman and Lois Lane’s first meeting is one of the biggest examples of how new a universe Absolute DC really is.
