Is DCeased a dark enough reality to belong in the Dark Multiverse -- or does the heroism of the world give it a place in the core Multiverse?

DCeased has quickly become one of the most brutal incarnations of the DC Universe ever conceived. The world has been besieged by monstrous versions of classic heroes, corrupted by the Anti-Life Virus into mindless killers. However, despite just how dire things are, some heroes have worked to keep humanity alive.

This then raises the question, though, whether DCeasedshould belong to the core DC Multiverse of the much, much grimmer Dark Multiverse. However, there are some good reasonsDCeasedisn't part of the Dark Multiverse, which was established to be a place where key eventsturn out badly and thus result in the end of their respective universes.

RELATED: DCeased: Dead Planet Delivers The Most Heartwarming Reunion EVER

Darkness has defined the world of DCeasedsince the first moments of the series.While experimenting with the Anti-Life Equation hidden inside Cyborg, Darkseid accidentally created a new version of it. This virus was able to consume the minds of those it infected. Darkseid himself was the first person to be affected by this, with the Anti-Life Virus being more than powerful enough to corrupt even the dark lord of Apokolips, causing the destruction of that world. It only got worse when Cyborg was sent back to Earth, spreading the disease and setting up the end of the world. The heroes ofDCeased'sworld aren't immune from these horrors either, as many of them were attacked and infected themselves.

Two human settlementsareeventually established: One in the Gotham Jungles, the other in space on Earth-2. However, almost every major DC hero had been turned into a Blighted One by then, with some remaining threats to the entire universe (Superman and Wonder Woman)while others weredispatched by their former allies (Martian Manhunter, Flash and Aquaman). It's a brutal world where classic heroes and villains suffer genuinely unsettling demises.

RELATED: DCeased Reveals How One Of DC's Most Powerful Beings Was Turned

Despite the end of the world,DCeaseddoesn't take place in a particularlyeviluniverse.Whatever heroes were able to avoid the initial outbreak of the infection quickly united with other allies to try and do what they could to save as many lives as possible. This is a zombie apocalypse where the heroes actually take proactive steps to ensure humanity survives. Even the DC Universe's villains -- as revealed inDCeased: The Unkillables -- were dedicated to saving lives instead of using the chaos to their advantage. This is a world where redemption and saving others wasn't a long-fought mission for the villains but rather an obvious choice.

All of this speaks to theDCeased Universe being firmly within the core DC Multiverse. The ideals of legacy are at the core of the story, with many of the sidekicks and partners of fallen heroes stepping up to take their place and protect the world. Even if the world around them has fallen into chaos, they wouldn't be the only world in the core DC Multiverse that's gone through terrors, including the Nazi-dominated Earth-10 and the vampiric Earth-43. Within theDCeased world, heroes are still dedicated to saving lives above allelse -- even in the middle of a mind-destroying outbreak. While it's often a tragic world, it's not a necessary evil one. The worst events that have happened have only forced out the best in all the heroes, and even the villains. It's a world of heroism in an impossible situation.

There's a solid argument to be made thatDCeased belongs in the Dark Multiverse. It's a world where one major shift in the timeline -- Cyborg's capture by Darkseid -- led to a completely ruined Earth. There have been plenty of brutal demises, and nightmarish figures like a Blighted Golden Superman exist as a reality-breaking possibility. But the world is still defined by heroism, even in the face of unending nightmares. A long-running undercurrent of even the worst worlds in the core DC Multiverse is that heroes still exist even in terrible realities: the Freedom Force still stands against the Nazi-alignedNew Reichsmen, and some heroes stillfight against the vampiric forces of Earth-43. There are still heroes in these worlds, even if they've otherwise endangered or corrupted.

If anything,DCeased has turned numerous conflicted or villainous charactersinto heroes. Because of their circumstances, even someone like Solomon Grundy can become surprisingly noble and well-meaning. It's a world where hope is never destroyed, even as heroes fall to the virus. While it might be one of the most brutal universes, the heart ofDCeased suggests that it should exist in the core DC Multiverse, where heroism is the standard, not the exception.

KEEP READING: DCeased: Tom Taylor Teases Sequel Showing A Post-Undead Heroes World

Avengers: The Heroes Go on a Comically Flawed Journey Through Time

Visit link:

DCeased: Does DC's Zombie Epic Belong in the Dark Multiverse? - CBR - Comic Book Resources