Anti-Life Equation
The Anti-Life Equation is a fictional concept appearing in
History
Jack Kirby's original comics established the Anti-Life Equation as giving the power to dominate the will of all sentient and sapient races.[10] It is called the Anti-Life Equation because "if someone possesses absolute control over you — you're not really alive".[11] Most stories featuring the Equation use this concept. The Forever People's Mother Box found the Anti-Life Equation in Sonny Sumo,[11] but Darkseid, unaware of this, stranded him in ancient Japan. A man known as Billion-Dollar Bates had control over the Equation's power even without the Mother Box's aid, but was accidentally killed by one of his own guards.[12]
When
Martian Manhunter (vol. 2) #33 reveals that Darkseid first became aware of the equation approximately 300 years ago after making contact with the people of Mars. Upon learning of the Martian philosophy that free will and spiritual purpose could be defined by a Life Equation, Darkseid theorized that a negative equivalent must exist.
In
During the
It was revealed that the Equation can be countered by drawing the New Genesis word for "freedom" on one's face. Also, Doctor Sivana invented a device that allowed Lex Luthor to wrest control of the Equation-controlled Justifiers from Libra and Darkseid. In Terror Titans #4, because of the brain's status as an electromagnetic organ, Static is immune to the Equation's effects. In Final Crisis #7, Wonder Woman breaks the Equation's hold over the people of Earth by binding Darkseid's body with the Lasso of Truth.
After Darkseid's disappearance, the
The Multiversity features a different version of the Anti-Life Equation known as the Anti-Death Equation: a dark, mysterious power used by the Gentry, capable of transforming and corroding anything from the laws of physics to even beings as powerful as Monitors, turning its victims into immortal, gruesome, and evil creatures.
In DCU continuity the Equation itself retains its importance to a great many interested parties having come into the control of a host of users both in incomplete and whole formulations of itself. It is first possessed by the evil Old God
It was revealed that the Anti-Life Equation was the source of the Anti-Matter Universe's creation, and that the Anti-Monitor used to be a Qwardian scientist in the Anti-Matter Universe named Mobius who was the first to find and touch the Anti-Life Equation; it then fused with him and transformed him into the Anti-Monitor, the Anti-Life Equation's living embodiment.[19] When Darkseid died in the battle against him and his daughter Grail, Mobius forfeited the equation to return to his original form. The power itself which possessed him is now in the hands of his original benefactor, establishing her as the Goddess of Anti-Life.[20]
Interpretations of the Equation
This section possibly contains original research. (January 2010) |
Over the years, the Anti-Life Equation has changed as various writers have offered their own definitions of the concept.
In Jack Kirby's original version, the Equation manifests itself as the power to control any sentient minds through direct commands. A clear distinction was made between the Anti-Life Equation and other methods of control like manipulation or hypnosis. While Darkseid could already exert some control over humanity through the preachings of his minion Glorious Godfrey, possessing the Equation would allow unlimited and instantaneous control.[21]
In
In issue #4 of
In
In the 2005 Seven Soldiers: Mister Miracle mini-series, written by Grant Morrison, Darkseid (or Boss Dark Side, as he was calling himself) gained control of the Anti-Life Equation, which is stylized in narration as:
loneliness + alienation + fear + despair + self-worth ÷ mockery ÷ condemnation ÷ misunderstanding × guilt × shame × failure × judgment n=y where y=hope and n=folly, love=lies, life=death, self=dark side
By speaking said equation, Darkseid can insert the full formula into people's minds, giving them the mathematical certainty that life, hope and freedom are all pointless. According to
When Jim Starlin returned to writing the New Gods in 2007's Death of the New Gods mini-series, the retcon was revised, with the Anti-Life Equation Entity being revealed to be one-half of a cosmic being that was split into two by the war of the old gods (the other half of the cosmic entity being the Source). In a text page published in Final Crisis Secret Files, Grant Morrison attempts to reconcile the Starlin version of the Anti-Life Equation with his own version, by suggesting that the Equation is indeed sentient (as Starlin suggests) and that even after "mastering" the Equation, Darkseid still does not understand the true horrific nature of what the Anti-Life Equation is and its relationship with the Source.[25]
In the New 52 the Anti-Life has much of the same powers it had before,
Life Equation
The Anti-Life's opposite member takes more prominence within the New 52. The white Light of Life is said to be the spark that originally gave birth to the positive matter universe of Earth-Zero just as the Anti-Life gave rise to the antimatter universe. Unlike the Anti-Life Equation which saps a person of their free will, The Life Equation is an all consuming power which has the capability to restructure reality by changing its formula around rewriting the very multiverse itself, representing the attributes of life itself pertaining to change and variance. The make up of the equation formula seems to vary from iteration to iteration. One instance relates it to the Emotional Spectrum and its corresponding seven lights:
love.
Initially believing all of these refractions of the source light to lead in becoming the Life Equation, it is then realized that the formula itself is a separate power all its own connected directly to The Source of all things. Its power once hidden behind the wall of its namesake had been removed and supplanted within the White Ring utilized by Kyle Rayner to escape it after the seven emotional entities gave themselves to both him and it to replenish the Emotional Reservoir. It is later revealed that Kyle managed to escape with the equation in hand after he reached out into the source itself and unknowingly claimed the equation.[27] Once claimed the Life Equation has the power to redefine reality on a universal to multiversal degree enabling the user to change the formula to remake all of existence. In another manifestation, the formula reads as a direct contradiction to that of the Anti-Life Equation presenting as follows:
companionship + understanding + assurance + joy + altruism ÷ respect ÷ commendation ÷ sympathy × innocence × dignity × success × acceptance y=n where y=despair and n=caution, love=truth, death=rebirth, and self=light side
For reality embodies life and the equation is the tangible abstract of how it is defined, also similarly to Anti-Life; the Life variant can subjugate life to follow the user in the creation of a new world order in favor of protection of life, rather than accepting it as meaninglessness. The Life Equation was split into seven parts and placed into Kyle's and six newly created White Power rings. These seven rings can be brought together to restore the Life Equation if needed but until that time the White Lantern Corps can protect the equation.[28]
Alternate realities
- In the Krypton had been in possession of the Anti-Life Equation before it was destroyed and Jor-Elhad sent it with his son so that he could use it to subjugate Earth and create a new Krypton. Naturally Darkseid finds it and builds a series of towers which broadcast "...the ANTI-LIFE EQUATION which obliterates free will and individual identity".
- In the Superman and Batman: World's Funnest Elseworlds one-shot (2001), created by Evan Dorkin and a variety of artists, a conflict between Bat-Mite and Mister Mxyzptlk inadvertently destroys the DC Universe. When they destroy Apokolips, Darkseid is left the sole survivor, realizing that the Anti-Life Equation is "Mister Mxyzptlk + Bat-Mite = Anti-life". This causes him to die laughing.
- In the DCeased written by Tom Taylor, Darkseid has captured Cyborg, who possesses one half of the Anti-Life Equation. With the other half already in his possession, Darkseid attempts to mix the two halves together, but DeSaad warns him that if Cyborg dies, the Equation will cease to exist. Darkseid thus summons the Black Racer to control Cyborg's life and activates the Equation. However, Black Racer's connection tampers the Anti-Life Equation and makes it autonomous. This causes Darkseid to lose control to the now tainted Equation, and in his despair he destroys Apokolips. DeSaad manages to teleport Cyborg away beforehand, but as soon as Cyborg appears on Earth, the Equation breaches the Global Internet and infects the world via mobile devices connected to it.
In other media
DC Animated Universe
- In the Superman: The Animated Series episode "Apokolips... Now!", Orion arrives to Earth and uses his Mother Box to explain the history of Apokolips to Superman. During its explanation, the Box spoke of how Darkseid was after the Anti-Life Equation, which was said to give him great power.
- In the Justice League episode "Twilight", Darkseid hacks into Brainiac's systems in an attempt to obtain the Anti-Life Equation, which will allow him to remake the universe in his image.
- In Justice League Unlimited's final episode, "Destroyer", Lex Luthor and Metron obtain the Anti-Life Equation from the Source in a last-ditch effort to stop Darkseid. It causes both Luthor and Darkseid to disappear in a flash of light, and according to Dwayne McDuffie, they were absorbed into the Source Wall.
Smallville
- The Anti-Life Equation is briefly featured in the Smallville season 8 episode "Legion". During the episode, Brainiac attempts to capture the knowledge of others through a computer virus, which is implied to be the Equation.
- The Anti-Life Equation's Omega symbol appears in the tenth and final season, appearing on anyone influenced by Darkseid.
Other
- In the DC Super Hero Girls episode "My So Called Anti-Life", Darkseid, posing as human math teacher Dr. Seid, tricks the Super Hero Girls into solving the Anti-Life Equation by putting it on a test. With the completed equation, Darkseid begins transforming Earth's population into duplicates of himself. Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Bumblebee, and Raven reverse the effects by reminding the people of who they really are, which they refer to as "introducing new variables to the equation to change the answer".
- In Lego DC Super-Villains, Darkseid is after the Anti-Life Equation.[29] He sends the Crime Syndicate to replace the Justice League to find the Equation on Earth. Towards the end of the game, the Rookie absorbs part of the equation and uses it to brainwash Darkseid and his army into reforming.
- The Anti-Life Equation appears in the Justice League Action episode "It'll Take a Miracle!".
- In the third season of Young Justice, the first letter of each episode's title spells the phrase "Prepare the Anti-Life Equation".[30] Throughout the season, Granny Goodness uses Halo's connection to the Source to access the Anti-Life Equation, only to be defeated by Cyborg.
- In the Brainiac 5's doppelgangers uses the Anti-Life Equation to kill another version of himself.
- In Steppenwolfrediscovers the Equation and informs Darkseid, promising to complete the conquest of Earth so that Darkseid may claim the Equation. After Steppenwolf is defeated by the Justice League, Darkseid states that he will use "the old ways" to claim the Equation, and assembles his military forces for an invasion.
- In The Sandman episode "A Hope in Hell", Lucifer Morningstar invokes Anti-Life in-response to Dream invoking of a universe in an attempt to win their duel, only to be defeated once Matthew the Raven unwittingly inspires Dream to invoke hope, defeating and publicly humiliating Lucifer in front of their kingdom.
See also
References
- ISBN 978-1605490564.
- ^ Misselhorn, John (2017). "Love of Anti?-Life". Jack Kirby Collector (71). TwoMorrows Publishing: 26–30. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- The Wrap. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ Hogan, Jonathan (2011). "Mythic Representation, Audience Interpretation, and the Anti-life Equation: Mythology and Symbolic Interactionism in Jack Kirby's "New Gods"". N.p.: Syracuse University.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) - ISBN 9781303299858.
- ^ Wein, Len; Leigh, Rob (2009). Final Crisis: Secret Files. United States: DC Comics.
- ISBN 9781893905320.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link - ISBN 9781465486394.
- ISBN 9780244606299.
- ISBN 978-0-345-50108-0.
- ^ a b Forever People #5 (November 1971)
- ^ Forever People #8 (May 1972)
- ^ Swamp Thing #62
- ^ Invasion! #1
- ^ Oracle: The Cure #1-3
- ^ Infinity Man and The Forever People #5 (2014)
- ^ Earth 2 #0
- ^ Infinity Man and The Forever People #3
- ^ Justice League (vol. 2) #44
- ^ Justice League (vol. 2) #46
- ^ Forever People #3 (July 1971)
- The Sandman(vol. 2) #4
- ^ Orion #11 (April 2001)
- J.G. Jones, Carlos Pacheco (p), J.G. Jones, Jesus Merino(i). "Darkseid Says": Final Crisis issue #4 of 7 (November 2008), DC Comics.
- ^ Final Crisis Secret Files (w) Grant Morrison
- ^ Infinity Man and The Forever People #6
- ^ Green Lantern (vol. 5) Annual #2
- ^ Green Lantern: New Guardians #40 (May 2015)
- ^ "- YouTube". YouTube.
- ^ Adams, Tim (January 8, 2019). "Young Justice: Outsiders Episode Titles Spell Out An Ominous Message". CBR.com. Retrieved April 6, 2019.