Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Revives Fallen DC Heroes

This week, Rocksteady Studios dropped the last bit of content for “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League,” and it turned out to be quite a twist. In a rather abrupt fashion, it reversed the dramatic fates of two major Justice League members. In the intense eighth episode, Task Force X manages to take down the final Brainiac, only for a major reveal—look to the sky!—Superman and Batman appear, very much alive and kicking.

As Harley Quinn narrates the thrilling conclusion, it turns out that the world’s most famous superheroes were actually trapped in Brainiac’s lair all along. Now liberated from Brainiac’s clutches, the remaining Justice League members set out on a mission of redemption. They’re aiming to free Metropolis’ citizens from alien domination and plan to visit alternative realities affected by other Brainiacs to right the wrongs.

Meanwhile, Task Force X has managed to rid themselves of the explosive devices implanted in their heads and have sought refuge in a peaceful Elseworld, far from Amanda Waller’s reach.

Throughout the 2024 game, players had the unique, albeit controversial, opportunity to take down some of DC’s most iconic heroes. This aspect didn’t sit well with Batman aficionados, especially since it marked the final video game performance of the legendary Kevin Conroy as Gotham’s protector, ending in a rather unceremonious demise. However, the concluding cutscene reveals that the Batman and Superman we saw falling to Task Force X were in fact clones, Brainiac’s fabrications. Now freed from their crystal prisons, the real Batman and Superman can return to Rocksteady’s Arkhamverse, as if nothing happened.

In earlier episodes, players brought back uncorrupted versions of The Flash and Green Lantern, undoing their supposed deaths too. Sadly, Wonder Woman, who was tragically killed by an evil cloned Superman, remains out of the picture for Rocksteady’s narrative. But there’s a silver lining! Diana has her own game coming up, though it remains to be seen if Monolith Productions’ Wonder Woman will integrate into the Arkhamverse storyline.

The revival of the Justice League, minus Wonder Woman, unfolded through various post-launch expansions. These updates have also brought exciting new faces to Task Force X, including another Joker from a parallel universe, distinct from Mark Hamill’s portrayal in the Arkham series.

It’s no shocker, being rooted in comic book lore, that our heroes would make a comeback, rendering their earlier deaths not quite final. This was also foreshadowed by several leaks and even a hint from Rocksteady themselves in an in-game calendar, alluding to Batman’s return despite his apparent demise at Harley’s hands.

The grand finale of “Kill the Justice League,” though, is delivered in the simplest terms: a few drawings and a single character’s narration to wrap up the once-pulse-pounding storyline. It’s a fitting closure to Rocksteady’s ambitious Suicide Squad game, marked by its fair share of setbacks, lukewarm reception, widespread leaks, and technical hitches. But on a brighter note, with Wonder Woman being the potential exception, the saga concludes with a sense of new beginnings for the rest.