Forward: An Author’s Apology

This is a long one. It started off innocently enough. I wanted to write some fun ideas that I have for the ‘at the moment unannounced’ Injustice 3 game. Assuming that NRS is shifting towards making after MK1. Fun costume/skin idea’s, my opinion on who should be in the base roster vs who should be DLC. What the gear system should evolve into. Then I started writing my thoughts for where I thought the story should go. And here we are. I’m going to save everything else for a separate post. What follows this paragraph is a hodgepodge story that I had to vomit out or I’d lose the plot. There will be very underdeveloped sections. As all I was trying to convey in some areas was a tone, or some cool ideas. There will be sections with dialogue that I thought would be cool in the moment. It will be inconsistent at best. But I had a hell of a great time writing it. I may come back to edit some pieces here and there. But, for the most part these are my mostly unedited unfiltered ideas for a third Injustice game. I apologize in advance

Alright folks, strap in!

Years have past. Batman is presumed dead, although it will be made clear to the player very early that he’s not. Batman is instead aged and has retired himself. This is when we introduce Terry as our beyond Batman. We get team up with him and Superboy, the Conner Kent version. Damien has become his own vigilante as he did not wish to dawn the cowl as his father did. He felt it came with too much weight and was unsure if he could fit the roll. He likes Terry and wishes him well, but feels he is on a fools errand. Batman will make an appearance near the mid point of the story with an armored suit akin to TDKR. This is due to his aging body. 

Conner probably in his early 20’s is now being taught by his cousin Supergirl. Supergirl who has kept the Justice League going as their new leader. She was invited at the end of Injustice 2, and after Batman retired it was left to Wonder Woman. But once Donna Troy abandoned Diana and join Darkseid, Wonder Woman resigned and left Supergirl in charge of the league. 

Terry was a shoe in to the league, and Terry constantly feels he needs to prove his worth. Conner is being initiated into the league. This has Bruce skeptical as Conner being a clone of Clark. 

Oliver quit the league after Dona killed Roy when Darkseid ordered her to. However, Oliver still fights. Oliver will have lost an arm in the years prior (homage to TDKR). But given a new mechanical arm by Bruce. This can also switch up Ollie’s gameplay. We learn that Ollie and Dinah got divorced in the years prior as Oliver become more vengeful and violent and Black Canary still wanted to do good.

This is when we intro to the Birds of Prey. Team consisting of Black Canary, Harley Quinn and Huntress. With new recruit Big Barda. This is where we get some of our back story for Darkseid and the horror of Apokolips. Barda explains the terror inflicted upon her by Granny and some exposition on why she is now with the BoP. When Harley makes a quip about leaving a bad relationship, we have Barda explain that she didn’t have it nearly as bad as her Husband. 

We get a scene of Mister Miracle performing a grand escape act in front of a massive audience that’s also being televised. Smile being on his face as he is being lowed into a tank of water tied up in chains. Knowing he has to put on a show for the crowd he pretends to struggle. He’s done this countless times. Through the glass he sees someone he recognizes. This stops him in his tracks. He starts to grasp for air. He has forgotten to make his escape. 

We then cut to Scott Free standing in front of a mirror taking a handful of pills, places them back into his medicine cabinet. Takes half a step away, reaches back for another handful of pills. Afterwards while looking for some alcohol to wash it down, we see that Orion is sitting on his couch watching Scott absue his own body. “You know that won’t kill someone like yourself” Orion will say. 

“A man can dream” Scott will quietly fire back. Orion will stand up and announce he is there to bring him back home to his father; Darkseid. He insists that he doesn’t understand why Scott chooses to entertain lesser beings while he is a God and is needed to fight the oncoming war as a warrior of Darkseid. 

They fight, and once Scott wins he passes out due to the pills he has has consumed. He awakens to Orion, Darkseid and Hal Jordan – Green Lantern on the planet Apokolips. Darkseid explains that Scott will be essential in stopping the war. Scott asks how he is going to be much help in chains, then he makes a quip about how placing him in chains is how he makes a living. 

Hal explains that the chains are made from his own constructs, and they don’t have a lock that Scott can pick. Darkseid interjects to answer Scotts question by stating that Scott wouldn’t be helping in the fight, but used as bait for Highfather to surrender. (It should be clear at this point that I am a decently large fan of Tom King, and most Notably his Mister Miracle mini series). 

We then cut to our other pillar hero of the story; John Constantine (time for NR to right their sin of leaving out our Hellblazer)

He is following up on a job that was clearly a set up to ambush John. He makes some quips about trying to quit the big leagues. He only accepted this job to help find an elderly woman cat. Says he’s trying to repent, and every time he tries to help save the world he ends up making things worse, or feels he is always getting someone killed or mauled. He doesn’t know how he can get more “neighborhood watch” than finding a missing cat. John is then confronted by the Joker. Same Joker who was killed by Superman that set off the events of OG Injustice. Not speaking in coherent sentences, and with a gaping rotted wound in his chest, they fight. (Undead Joker could do with a new move set. I think Havoc from MK1, i.e tearing off limbs to use as weapons, etc). Swamp Thing arrives after the fight to help stave off Zombie Joker. Swamp Thing asks if John has come to help him investigate who is disrupting The Green. As Constantine starts to try and explain the cat, he sees Joker reanimate and is joined by King Shark and Rorschach — This one is a stretch but, DC seems to really wanna push Watchman and DC together, so It wouldn’t shock me if they opted Marketing dollars to make NRS to write them in. In my personal opinion, as someone who actually enjoyed the Doomsday Clock story, I mess with it. So stick with me on this one.

This is our reveal of the second big bad in the game, Nekron. Nekron is raising an army of Black Lanterns to go to war with Darkseid as Black Lantern are not affected by the Anti Life Equation. 

At this point in the story all of our major players should be revealed, now we just need to elaborate. Why specifically is Darkseid holding a hostage to summon Highfather? Why does Nekron want to take out Darkseid? How do our heroes fit into this conflict?

We cut to Kal-El in the Phantom Zone. Bloody, beaten, but thriving and angry. Supes has the Mr Fantastic white hair happening now, and a beard. We see him holding the collar of a deceased General Zod, we pan out to see a sea of bodies. We are led to believe a years long war happened within the Phantom Zone and it just ended as Kal killed Zod. 

After this moment a tear in space opens behind him. He flies through and is now floating above earth. He closes his eye, you can see his eyes flickering back and forth. He’s listening. Opens them and says “Found you, Bruce.”

At the JL headquarters Kara, and Conner meeting with the Birds of Pray. This begins with Harley immediately attacking Conner. A scrap ensues (because fighting games). Once ended comments are exchanged about how Conner could kill them all. Noting if the apple falls far from the tree. Kara gives light exposition about how Conner is a clone. One that Superman never knew about. While Conner shares his incredible strength, Kara has been guiding him these last few years. She states that even though he is a clone, he is no less her family and she loves him, thus giving pause to the BoP questioning Conner’s motives. Kara explains that she wanted to meet up and rally everyone she could as she explains the threat of Nekron. Says she has been investigating for the better part of a year and she’s been working with the Lanterns learning as much as she can of the power rings and how devastating the power of the Black Core ring could be. Conner interjects and states that reports of the dead being raised to fight against their will. Each of the Birds has a ghost they can’t bear to face.

Barda interjects, she can’t begin to think about seeing the Furies again, wondering if these rings could control Gods. She states her peace about finding her husband. She refuses to assist with any mission unless  she is promised help. Kara does know of Barda and her husband Scott. She respects the choices they have made for escaping their world to make a new home on earth. For Kara, it wasn’t a choice yet she feels she can relate to these Gods because she too grew to consider Earth her home. Barda explains that Scott is being held prisoner of Darkseid on Apokolips. Conner protests stating that they are no where near ready to mount an attack on Apokolips, especially with the threat Nekron brings. Anger shows in Conner, and Kara can sense it. She raises a hand to him and he backs down. Kara does concede that Conner is still right. She tries to explain to a pissed off Barda. However they are interrupted by a White Lantern, Kyle Rayner. 

He confirms that Mister Miracle is in fact being held prisoner by Darkseid and his informant has told him he is being used as bait for Highfather. Darkseid want’s the armies of both Apokolips and New Genesis at his command and plans to kill Highfather. Kyle states that they must go to Apokolips first as Darkseid can take over New Genesis, but that won’t help him fight the Black Lanterns, a threat that Darkseid himself does not know looms. Kyle then confirms that Even if Darkseid possesses the Anti Life Equation, this won’t help him fight an army of the dead. However, if Nekron obtains the equation he could create a universal army. 

The crew debate on how most of them can even make it to Apokolips. Barda silent in this conversation, as she recalls Granny’s voice in her head laughing while off screen torture can be heard as it replays in Barda’s head. She begins to slowly produce an item from “wherever the hell video game characters keep stored items”.  Anxiety plain on her face while we can hear muted debate in the background noise of everyone else in the scene arguing. She (and the player) will then hear Scott’s voice echo in the mind of Barda. The camera will pull out as it’s revealed she is holding a MotherBox. She then interrupts the others to tell them she can get them to Apokolips.

Scott is standing in the middle of a dungeon cell, held in place by Hal’s constructs. Scott will joke about wanting to pay down. He will tell Hal to just cut the Green down and save himself the embarrassment. Scott will claim Will or no Will, chains are chains and they can’t hold him. Hal will if he is so annoyed of being made to stand in the room why hasn’t he broken out of them yet, Implying that he can’t. Scott says that sometimes in chains is where he feels the most safe. He then make a quip about how his “superpower” is disappearing. “When I’m in chain’s I have a purpose. I know everything that I need to do to get out of it. It’s effortless. It’s comfortable. Once I’m out though, I’m lost. Purposeless.”

Just then we hear from above an iron gate opening. They both look up, Hal states that’s him. It’s Highfather. As they hear them walk down the stone steps, Hal motions his ringed finger towards the door of the cell as to bring Mister Miracle to face his father. Hal then notices that the chains he has willed towards the door are bare and dangling in mid air. Hal quickly darts his head back to see Scott now sitting cross legged in the middle of the cell rubbing his wrist. “See? purposeless” 

In walks Highfather followed by Orion escorting him. Hal begins – “Scott’s not—”
“Looking to cause any problems. Hal let me go because he started to realize just how much I love being wrapped in chains” Scott will jest. 

Highfather: “Scott! What are you doing submitting to these demons. You’re a God, you’re better than this.”

Scott: “Hilarious coming from the poster father of abandonment. The fact you took the time to learn my name is astounding.”

Highfather: “I did what I did for New Genesis. If you had been taught to be a leader, you would think twice before questioning your leader. Now get up and we’ll get you back home and cleaned up”

Scott: “Bite me, old man. You wouldn’t do shit for anyone other than yourself. I may have not learned to be a leader on Apokolips, but I damn sure learned how to spot a coward when I see one. I’d rather drown in a sea of alcohol and pills trying to forget the shit you never did for me than take one step out of this cell with you on common ground. So respectfully go Fu—”

A hole erupts through Highfathers chest. Blood is scattered in front of him landing on Scott’s face. As Highfather fall to the ground of the cell we see Orion standing behind, having used the Astro force to blast through Highfathers chest. Both Scott and Hal watch mouth gaped open. Darkseid approaches from the shadows behind Orion. Summoning Highfathers staff to his hand from besides his limp body. 

“Good, now there is no need for the boy” Darkseid will start. “Before you die, I hope it pleases you to know that you were right. Highfather was a coward.”

Before Scott can process a though Hal constructs a wrecking ball and swings it at Orion knocking him back a across the dungeon, then immediately grabs Scott and creates an energy shield around the two of them and propel upwards breaking through the ceiling and exiting the prison. 

Hal while flying starts talking to Scott. Saying he knows that he has to have a ton of questions. He comes out as being a double agent for the Justice League. He has been feeding the Lanterns information about Darkseid’s plans, but he never thought he would have Highfather killed in cold blood, by the hands of his own adopted son. Hal then explains to an almost catatonic Scott that regardless of his feelings towards the Highfather, things have changed and this war is about to escalate quickly. Time for them to rendezvous with the League. 

We now cut to Terry in the Batcave, He’s getting a call from Conner clearly briefing him on Darkseid. Just then Clark burst through the roof of the cave and the two fight. Super explaining that this Batman isn’t Bruce. Terry almost beaten, we have Bruce intervene. We get him in the Bat Armour. New fight style. The two fight, transitioning through all of Wayne manor (again). Just when Clark has the upper hand we have our final intervention. Diana, it’s heavily hinted there was a budding romance before Clark was banished into the Phantom Zone. Diana tells Clark that he’s been gone a long time. Her, Bruce and the rest of the remaining league have reconciled and began building anew. Clark says he can’t give up because he will fail “her” (referencing Lois). Diana takes his hands and tells Superman “we already have”. Before continuing “But, together we can make things right”. Finally with our trinity united, off to Apokolips to join the final showdown.

Nekron begins his assault on Apokolips with an army of past DC characters meant to be dead, and those who have died in previous multiverses. It’s not revealed how Nekron was able to access other multiverses yet. This is to allow some Mirror Matches and fun matches in the campaign. Say what you will about MK1.. that final sequence was fun as all hell. 

Continuing the fight on Earth we have Constantine, Swamp Thing, Green Arrow, Black Canary and Aquaman, Mera and Batman Beyond. 

On Apokolips we have the newly formed and reunited League along with our Birds of Pray and New Gods. Bard and Scott reunite when. Hal apologizes to Bruce and the rest for playing a double agent for the last few years, Everyone once gathered is hostile towards Superman. While Clark is unsure is stopping this war is the right thing to do, all it takes is for him to see the reanimated corpses fighting with the Black Lantern, and Bruce placing a hand on Clark’s shoulder and asking “the dead should be left to rest. Life is hard, and they have earned it. As much as we miss her, we can not let this happen to her.” Clark silently agrees and takes off to the red skies of Apokolips. Tearing through this multiversal army of the dead. And our final battle begins. 

From this point to becomes very NetherRealms’y with fun team ups and we can kind of throw in some fun cameos for characters maybe not explored in the main campaign. 

Nekron will be the first antagonist pillar to fall, and will do so with both Kyle and Hal teaming up as Green and White Lantern. This will lead to giving us one of two endings. Kyle tells Clark that with his ring, he has the power to bring back Lois. Cannon ending while have Clark refuse, thinking back on Bruce’s word of letting the dead rest. And the fun “who gives a shit” ending will have Lois come back and be playable as a skin for Hal Jordan using White Lantern powers. 

Moving on!

Once Nekron is down, we center in on the final fight with Darkseid who is in possession of the Antilife Equation. We get a classic and much needed scene of the Trinity fighting off Darkseid, and we get the Birds helping Barda fight Granny Goodness. This ends with Bards killing Granny. The trinity take down Darkseid while the others were fighting off his minions and parademons. Once captured Hal and Kyle offer to bring Darkseid to trial, as this is being discussed, Scott murders Darkseid. To everyone’s shock Scott begins to scream in anger until weeping. Barda collects him, holding him as they boom away from Apokolips. No words spoken to the rest of the heroes. 

We have a time jump to our epilogue. Earth is coming back around. Superman has begun to earn the trust of everyone once again. People have made peace over all the conflict of the rest of the series. The final scene before the credits, is Clark walking up the steps to the hall of Justice as Bruce, Diana and Kara offer Superman his place among the league once again. 

Credits**

Now. I’m happy with that, I feel like they can just end the whole series and move on from Injustice. But! if they want to do what they did to the last two MK games and add an expansion a year down the road….

Mid credits scene!

Everyone seemingly regains consciousness and is living in the moment before Scott murders Darkseid. However everyone seems to have knowledge that they have traveled back in time. Hal is able to stop Scott from murdering Darkseid as they all remember what is about to happen. 

Our heroes all share a confused look.

We cut to Mars where a very naked Dr Manhattan is standing and staring out to the distance. He suddenly appears concerned and teleports off screen.

This is the final scene leading up to a potential Doomsday Clock style expansion. People might talk shit. But, Rebirth was happening around the time of Injustice 2 was releasing and I always thought it would be so strange to see Manhattan fight, as he would never have the need to. I picture his fighting style to be unique. Almost as if he is summoning body doubles to do his fighting for him. And the actual Dr Manhattan the (hitbox) is standing almost uninterested. Just a thought.

Alright! That’s my absolutely off the cuff brain explosion of a story of Injustice 3! Ed Boon, hit me up! Take anything you want from my “script”. Just throw me a credit wherever you can!