On a routine scouting mission through the reaches of Sector 2814, Hal Jordan is transported through time and space to an all too familiar setting. The scorched lands of Apokolips! Home to the devious and menacing New God known as Darkseid. While gathering his bearings and checking his surroundings, Hal is stricken from behind. He hasn’t felt pain like this in a long time…
“Green Lantern! Do not cower on the ground too long. I am Lord of Apokolips and as much as I like the idea of my adversaries groveling at my feet, I command you to stand and face me! This will be a testament to the strength of my world and a warning to all those who dare oppose the reign of DARKSEID!”
With those words, Hal springs into action, launching himself high into the air. Ready for an all out battle with the hordes of Darkseid’s minions, Hal is astonished to see it is just Darkseid himself, nobody else…
Collecting himself he dives mercilessly at the despotic ruler and lands a deafening blow to the abdomen of Darkseid. It is shaken off and Darkseid swats the hero from his presence as if he were just a mere fly…
The dictator rushes Hal faster than he can regain his composure and is struck with repeated blows to his ribcage and chest. Shaken Hal strikes back with an exploding construct in the shape of a sidewinder missile. BOOOOOM! The ground shakes from the explosion and Darkseid is taken aback by the offensive. Hal quickly continues and wraps his opponents legs in a bolo-whip construct, turns and with what seems a single movement, propels Darkseid overhead and smashes him into the ground, creating a crater around the menace.
Annoyed at the sudden rush of pain he feels, Darkseid retaliates with a blast from his eyes. His Omega Beams find their target! Hitting Hal squarely in the chest…But, it doesn’t have the desired effect. The Green Lanterns energy field kept him from being obliterated. Darkseid rises and dashes for Hal. With a flick of his wrist Hal creates a construct resembling a cubic ton if bricks being swung around like the Olympic hammer throw but is caught off guard as the Apokoliptian is found to be no longer in front, but behind our hero. Without warning Darkseid smashes full-force into Hal Jordan’s spine and his construct dissipates while the grimacing face of pain overtakes Hal. Not wanting his opponent to regain his standing, Darkseid continues his onslaught with a barrage of heavy-handed blows to the back of Hal’s skull; forcing his face deeper into the vile mud.
Knowing full well what his adversary is capable of, Hal musters up the energy and willpower to create an expanding field of energy around him, and bursting it like a child’s bubble he sends Darkseid hurtling hundreds of feet and smashing head first into the hard ground behind him. Hal quickly snaps to his feet and flies toward the ruler, grabbing him by his feet and dragging him face first across jagged rocks that continually batter the New Gods ugly mug. As blood begins to seep from his face, Darkseid lifts his head in time to see a small outcropping of rocks heading his direction, he swiftly grabs hold and stops both contestants in their tracks. The momentum from his flight sends Hal reeling forward unable to stop in time, he is smashed head-long into the ground.
The battle is taking it’s toll rapidly on our hero and for a moment it seems all is lost as Hal is seen motionless. Darkseid rises from the ground and approaches our hero, eyes blazing with the fury of the furnaces of Apokolips. He smashes his foot squarely in Hal’s back…Repeatedly bringing what seems like the entire weight of the planet onto the hero’s spine, pelvis and ribcage. With the sound of bones cracking and screams of pain and terror, Darkseid smiles. A smile so menacing it instills fear in those who gaze upon it. As he laughs as his seeming triumph, a familiar green glow encompasses the monarch, trapping him in a cylindrical cage resembling green glass. Impenetrable by merely all who contest it, Darkseid attempts to smash his way through. But, to no avail.
As Hal rises from his resting place, he turns to Darkseid, battered and bloody, and smiles. A smile to which would rival the despots. A smile which removes the condescending look from Darkseid’s face…
As Hal releases him from his prison he constructs what would appear to be an enormous particle bean cannon and fires repeated green energy globules into the chest and face of the once proud and menacing ruler. Over and over our hero unleashes a fury not seen from him in a long time. Repeated blasts send Darkseid scrambling to find footing, or in the least, somewhere to stave off the barrage…But there is nowhere in the barren fields on Apokolips to hide.
Hal fires one after another, each one hitting with more force than the last. Burning and damaging the rock-like hide of his opponent, battering, bruising, bloodying the merciless ruler. As his fury and anger place shots squarely into the menaces frame, Darkseid unleashes desperately his most potent blast of Omega Beams, more powerful than anything Hal was prepared for…and it hits! With the sizzle of a thousand stars, Green Lantern’s construct is destroyed, and he is rendered nigh unconscious from the attack.
With both opponents at their wits end, battered and bloodied, they stand toe to toe with one another, glaring into the colorless eyes of their respective opponents; Hal into the empty, soulless blackness that is Darkseid, and Darkseid into the glaring bright white of Hal Jordan. Each ready to make their final move; one last chance to see his adversary felled for the last time…Like high noon in an old western, they stare, ready to bare down on one another the brunt of their existence. In less than a blink of the eye, Hal Jordan and Darkseid both fire beams of pure, unadulterated will at one another…Who’s will hit it’s mark? Who will be left battered, but victorious? It is up to you!
Well, the battle has been laid out, each opponent beaten, but not defeated…Yet. It is up to you, the reader, to determine the outcome of this battle. So, cast your vote here and now for the fates of these two warriors.