Checkmate was rebuilt by the mysterious “Mister King” in reaction to Leviathan’s deadly strike on the DC Universe’s intelligence community. Checkmate’s many members, including Lois Lane and Green Arrow, have attempted to deduce Mister King’s identity throughout the six-issue miniseries, and in Checkmate #6, on sale now in print and digital, readers learn the horrifying truth about Mister King.
DC: Amanda Waller Reveals The Mystery Behind Mister King!
The identity of Mister King, who has reconstituted Checkmate to prevent Mark Shaw and Leviathan from obtaining access to the Justice League’s secret computer network, has been a central mystery of the series. The squad successfully repels Leviathan, and as they reassemble to plan their next move, Amanda Waller of the Suicide Squad arrives, revealing that Mister King is actually Kamandi. Waller goes on to tell King’s teammates that he is from the future and has returned to prevent something from happening, but it is unclear what that something is.
Kamandi was one of the few individuals who survive the “Great Disaster” in Earth’s future.
The reveal of Mister King’s identity, as well as his intentions for returning to the current day, has set in motion a series of intriguing mysteries that will be played out across the DC Universe in the coming months. Waller makes it apparent that Kamandi has returned to avoid a disaster, but doesn’t say anything else. What inspired Kamandi to return to the twenty-first century? What exactly did he see? One of the few humans to survive the “Great Disaster” was Kamandi. But, exactly, what is the Great Disaster? Its specific nature was never revealed in the comics; all that was stated was that it took place in the future. Darkseid has been observed attempting to control the Great Darkness’s powers—could this be related to the Great Disaster? It would add seriousness to Kamandi’s purpose, which is to hunt down the Omniverse’s ultimate baddie, in addition to uniting two legendary Jack Kirby creations.
Furthermore, Checkmate has remained largely unknown, particularly in comparison to the rest of Bendis’ DC oeuvre. While Kamandi’s debut may come as a surprise, Bendis mentioned the character twice in his Legion of Super-Heroes run—another book that alluded to the Great Darkness’s power. Kamandi’s goal will become even more important in the DC Universe when Darkseid continues his quest to harness its power.
