If a hero wants to survive DCeased, they're going to need to have superpowers.

In 2019, DC Comics releasedDCeasedfromTom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, and James Harren. In thissix-issue mini-series, Darkseid creates a technological version of the Anti-Life Equation and infects all of humanity. No corner of the DCU isspared as both human beings and superheroes alike are infected. What is most notable, however, is how the superhero community is affected. There's a striking contrast as to how writer Taylor showshuman heroes like Batman and Green Arrow succumbing to the infection a lot faster than the superhumans like Superman and Wonder Woman.

Since the Justice League was first formed in the 1960s, there has alwaysbeen a mixed roster of superhumans and human heroes working side by side. Heroes like Batman, Green Arrow, and Arsenal fightalongsidepowerful heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern. Regardless ofthe enemy beingthe earth-based Lex Luthor or the god-like Darkseid, the Justice League presentsall the heroes as having equal status despite their level of power. There are even story arcs when the human heroes best the superpowered ones. In the 2000 JLA story "Tower of Babel," from Mark Waid and Howard Porter, Batman made contingency plans to neutralize members of the Justice League, especiallythe superpowered ones. Batman's motive was to ensure that if any of the superhumans were to go rogue, that he had the means to take them down.

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During the events of DCeased, Darkseid uses Cyborg to release a techno-organic virus. Anyone on adevice linkedto the internet was immediately infected, and the virus doesnot discriminate. Readers enjoyed seeing their favorite characters turned into mindless zombie-like creatures intent on infecting others. One of the more dramatic elements of the story is the division Taylor makes (consciously?) between the superpowered and human heroes. After the virus is released on earth, Superman deals with the infection by using his heat vision to destroy all the screens in his home, thereby saving Jonathan, Lois, and Damian Wayne, who is visiting at the time. Over in the Batcave, things don't go as well for Batman. The firewall on the Batcomputer initially prevents Batman from the virus, but Nightwing and Red Robin becomeinfected. The issue ends with Batman fighting off his former protegesand the powerful image of Batman being bitten by Nightwing in the finalpanel.

Taylor makes it clear that there is a division between the human heroes and superhumans. There are indeed manysuperhuman heroes who are infected by the virus, but the rate of infection is notably skewed towards the human heroes with no superpowers. In DCeased #2, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Green Lantern Jordan are camping in the woods. Jordan glances at his phone and is immediately infected. Green Arrow is caught offguard and if it wasn't for Black Canary's sonic scream, he would have been killed by Jordan. Instead, Canary kills Jordan and becomes the next Green Lantern in sector 2814. She grabs Green Arrow and flies off when Superman arrives to take them to safety. Again, the reader sees how vulnerable, the human heroes are compared to the superpowered ones.

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In the DCeased spinoffDCeased: Dead Planet,fromby Tom Taylor and Trevor Hairsine, five years have passedsince the initial infection. In the first issue,readers see the familiar theme of the disadvantages of not being superhuman. A few of thesurviving heroes return to earth and are besieged by an infected Wonder Woman. The only hero that dies is Green Arrow. The otherheroes survive the attack due to their superpowers. In the second issue,Arsenal (Roy Harper) is attacked and burned to death bythe infected ex-Justice League International member Fire. If notfor the magical-powered Zatanna, Fire would have killed many of the other survivors.

DCeased has thrilled readers with how unpredictable the story is and how no hero is safe, but Tom Taylorsets the tone that it is better to have superpowers if you want to make it out alive.

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Scott Shoyer is an avid comic book collector & reader, a writer, and a podcaster in the Austin, TX area. A former chef in high-end restaurants and food salesperson, Scott is now doing what he truly loves: writing. He has four novels published and is excited to start as a features writer on CBR. When not writing, you can hear Scott on the Kirby's Kids podcast.

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