With Darkseid dead, the planet of Apokolips sits waiting for a new ruler to take charge and while the late despot’s lackeys fight and plot to wrest control of the planet, Neron makes his own plans.
In the Armagetto, rumours of Darkseid’s death stir the thoughts of rebellion in one of the hunger dogs, a young man called Targa. Try as he may, he cannot convince his companions that fighting against the remnants of Darkseid’s rule is the right thing to do.
Dr Bedlam wonders whether to risk raising an army against the other Gods of Apokolips, keenly aware that they too will have their soldiers. As he debates with himself, Neron appears and offers him words of encouragement.
Elsewhere, Granny Goodness and Virman Vundabar pay lip service to the de facto ruler of Apokolips, Desaad, who works with Darkseid’s son Kalibak, naming him regent in his father’s absence. As Kalibak and Desaad leave, Neron appears and once more stokes the fires of conflict.
Convinced that rebellion is the only path available, Targa raids a food stall, sharing the bread with the other Hunger Dogs before a lone Parademon appears. Convincing both the onlookers and the Parademon himself that Darkseid is dead, Targa forces the ‘Demon to flee and, buoyed up by this unexpected turn of events, the Hunger Dogs look to Targa to lead them.
Desaad and Kaliba, aware of the Hunger Dogs’ rebellion, are approached by Neron while Virman Vundabar narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by Kanto, hired by Vundabar’s supposed partner in crime, Granny Goodness. Dr Bedlam, too, barely escapes another of Granny’s attempts as Kanto returns to Granny, now in the mploy of Vundabar, and attempts to kill her before being blocked by Lashina.
With sides drawn, the armies of the various Gods gather in the Armagetto to the dismay of Targa who tries to raise an army of his own from among the Hunger Dogs. Neron appears to him, too, tempting him to accept his help but his resolve is strong and Neron is rejected.
The battle begins as the armies clash, the Gods themselves simply looking on from the safety of their own strongholds before Targa, spurred on by the sight of a wounded child, gathers the Hunger Dogs and fights back, clawing their way to the very door of Darkseid’s palace. All gathered are astounded, however, to see Darkseid step forth and end the battle with his appearance, destroying Targa’s Hunger Dogs as punishment.
When he returns to the palace, though, Darkseid’s form shifts to reveal lowly Desaad who used Darkseid’s shape for his own ends. Neron appears and reveals that he is the true winner, having sown chaos amongst the Gods themselves.
Crisis on Earth-Prime 