Pre-Rock of Ages/Knightmare

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In Metropolis, the Birds are tracking some bombs set in the Park Ridge district in buildings owned by LexCorp and Kord Industries. They manage to disarm all bombs and proceed to track and confront Winslow Schott the Toyman. As they enter the hideout, they discover that Schott has been violently beheaded. Helena manages to activate power in the building which helps Barbara tap in to the security camera feed inside the hideout. Barbara, consulting with Tatsu, Dinah and Helena confirm that Schott was murdered with a blade of inhumanly precise sharpness. The Birds regroup at the Clock Tower to investigate further.

At the Tower, Dinah re-tells the story of how Deathstroke brutally murdered Oliver Queen (Green Arrow), her ex-husband and tortured Roy Harper (Arsenal) to such an extent that it has rendered Roy catatonic. Helena, Tatsu and Barbara comfort Dinah after the story but it is cut short when Mad Harriet infiltrates the Clock Tower to attack the Birds. Harriet sets her eyes on Barbara but before she could advance further, Tatsu manages to chop Harriet's nose off. Severely wounded and disgraced, Mad Harriet now boom-tubes back to the Apokoliptian hideout on the Earth's solar system.

Meanwhile, Darkseid and his Elite have now taken control of the planet Jupiter and are in the process of turning it into a slave camp. The Elite, now consisting of Kanto, Kalibak, Granny Goodness and DeSaad, descend on Jupiter. Gilotina returns from Earth after having surveyed the planet for super beings and the level of power. She reveals to Granny that she had beheaded the Toyman and brought his head to Granny as a trophy. On the other side of the planet is DeSaad's stronghold, where him, Kanto and Kalibak are trying to open a portal to the Phantom Zone to uncover its secrets. Stompa and Lashina are called for backup to fight against any creatures that may arise from the Phantom Zone. To everybody's surprise, Faora-Ul emerges from the Phantom Zone but centuries of isolation in the Zone has rendered her insane. She rages out at Lashina, Stompa, Kanto and Kalibak before being subdued by Lashina's weapons. But during the fight, she manages to kill Stompa and Kalibak. Lashina then brings Faora to Granny Goodness to decide what to do with her next. Faora's antics are noticed by Darkseid who is impressed that Faora was able to kill two of his Elite and decides that Faora should join the Furies and that she should replace Bernadeth as the leader of the team. Bernadeth tries to voice opposition to the latter decision but is omega-beamed to death by Darkseid. DeSaad shows a slight bit of remorse for his sister but is distracted when Mad Harriet arrives at the stronghold with a broken nose. He then manages to augment Harriet's strength using advanced Apokoliptian technology and Kryptonian armor confiscated from Faora. Darkseid and his Elite begin the invasion on Earth to obtain the Anti-Life Equation and subjugate the planet to the will of the Great Darkness.

Back on Earth, the Birds recover from their injuries caused from battling Mad Harriet. The team decides to start preparing for the invasion of the planet from Darkseid and his forces after the recent attacks on Toyman and on the team themselves. Oracle, working with Ryan Choi (Atom) and Victor Stone (Cyborg) fabricates a headband that can inhibit the effects of Anti-Life on the wearer's mind. The three of them fabricate these devices in S.T.A.R. Labs and distribute one to each of the heroes. Oracle then returns to the Clock Tower to give the inhibitor headbands to the Dinah, Helena and Tatsu. 

The Invasion begins. Darkseid takes control of the Anti-Life Equation and is starting to broadcast it slowly throughout the world. The Justice League arrive to fight Darkseid and his generals while his Female Furies are fighting the Birds of Prey. Tatsu is fending off Faora with the help of Martian Manhunter while Lashina, Gilotina and Mad Harriet battle Dinah and Helena. In the meantime, Oracle is trying but barely succeeding to neutralize the Anti-Life virus that is being broadcast worldwide by Darkseid's wizards. In an unexpected turn of events, a thunderous roar is heard throughout the world and the cosmos. Wonder Woman has been killed by Darkseid. The Apokoloptians then transport themselves back to their stronghold on Jupiter while Earth's heroes, now injured, mourn the loss of one of their most inspirational heroes. Back in Jupiter, Metron calls for a ceasefire for 14 days to honor the death of Wonder Woman. Darkseid reluctantly agrees and focuses on rebuilding his army of parademons and soldiers for an even stronger second attack after the ceasefire. Metron then leaves to Earth to inform the heroes of the ceasefire and warns them of the even stronger impending attack from Darkseid and his Elite. 

A funeral for Diana (Wonder Woman) is held in Themyscira, which is attended by all of Earth's heroes, some parademons, the Furies and Darkseid himself. Soon after, Dinah takes her Anti-Life inhibitor headband off, claiming that she has already lost so many people in her life that are so important to her (Oliver Queen, Roy Harper and now Diana) and that she cannot consciously fathom the fact that more people will fall to Darkseid's impending attacks. The other Birds are shocked on hearing this and try to convince her otherwise but to no avail. Darkseid takes immediate notice of this and corrupts Dinah with the Anti-Life Equation, having her join his Female Furies.  

The war continues. Aquaman is impaled with King Atlan's trident and Vulko is vaporized by Darkseid's omega beam. A little while later, Lois (carrying her and Superman's unborn child) is killed by Darkseid. This causes Superman to lose control and become susceptible to Darkseid's will through the Anti-Life equation. He joins Darkseid's Elite as a general. All the heroes watch in utter horror as the Knightmare begins. 


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