Justice League #30 Spoilers - The Harmonious Forces And the Dark Forces

[Catalyst75]

With the recent issue of Justice League, we now know the names of the seven Harmonious Forces , the counterparts to the seven Dark Forces, as revealed by Starman. We already know three of them, so I'll bold the new ones:

1. The Speed Force which gives the Universe motion. Dark Counterpart: Still Force

2. The Emotional Spectrum which gives the Universe feelings. Dark Counterpart: Invisible Emotional Spectrum.

3. The Life Force which connects all living things down to their souls. Dark Counterpart: Tear of Extinction.

Up next is the newly named forces:

4. The Sphere of the Gods, which gives the Universe magic - wielded by the Gods and those who possess Godlike power. Dark Counterpart: The Void Wind.

5. The Collective Unconscious which grants living things wisdom and knowledge - wielded by great minds and telepaths. Dark Counterpart: The Black Apple.

6. The Dimensional Superstructure of the Multiverse which governs all things imaginable and unimaginable - wielded by the Monitors. Dark Counterpart: The Sixth Note.

We also get an additional idea to the nature of the last Force. Lionel Luthor first hinted it was a protective cosmic force that required the breaking of a multiverse wall (the Source Wall) to activate. Starman clarifies the nature of the seventh Force:

7. Name Unknown, Associated with Faith, protective cosmic force according to Lionel Luthor. Dark Counterpart will be activated when the Universe puts faith in "Doom", and the "Sigil of Doom" lights up the sky.

The page where Starman reveals these names also comes with images of the members of the Justice League who embody them - Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and the World Forger.

NOTE: Batman is not shown, but he could be associated with "The Collective Unconscious" due to being a great mind.

That leaves one Force left to be associated with a current member of the Justice League, which only leaves Superman. Since the Dark Seventh Force is associated with the rise of Doom, the Harmonious Seventh Force most definitely has to do with Hope and Justice. I'd even put odds on it being the nature of the Metaverse (revealed in Doomsday Clock #10), with Superman being the embodiment of that force within the Justice League.

But until the arc finishes, only the writers know for certain.

 

[Antvasima]

Thank you for the summary.

 

[Catalyst75]

You're welcome. It will be interesting to see exactly how the remaining two known Dark Forces operate in counterpart to the newly revealed Harmonious Forces. Allow me to give further thoughts on the matter:

Each of the Harmonious Forces gives something to all beings in the Multiverse or is connected to something all beings possess, from what I can observe. The Speed Force gives Motion, the Emotional Spectrum gives Feeling, the Life Force connects all life, the Sphere of the Gods gives Magic, the Collective Unconscious grants Wisdom and Knowledge, the Dimensional Superstructure governs Reality - all things imaginable and unimaginable.

The Dark Forces contrast - they take, hoard, and impose individual will upon others. The Still Force takes Motion in all its forms, inducing 'Stasis and Entropy. The Invisible Emotional Spectrum embodies Hidden Emotion, things that can drive people to isolation and to lash out irrationally at others. The Tear of Extinction embodies Isolation and Solipsism, 'Death and the severing of Life. The Void Wind embodies Destruction of the Divine, killing Gods and Magic.

The Black Apple could involve the corruption of wisdom and knowledge (forcing wisdom and knowledge to conform to what its wielder wishes it to i.e. brainwashing and the like), or even an emphasis on taking wisdom and knowledge, rather than what I'd presume would be the sharing of wisdom and knowledge of the Collective Unconscious. In other words, The Corruption of Wisdom and Knowledge to suit oneself.

The Sixth Note being the opposite of Dimensional Superstructure, it is likely it could involve some dark manipulation of reality's laws or fate itself, or even break down and compromise the current Superstructure. While the Dimensional Superstructure of the Multiverse governs, the Sixth Note may Break Down the Superstructure, Decide what Exists and What Does Not, or Feed on the Superstructure.

NOTE: For the Sixth Note "Deciding what exists", my mind drifted to Mxyzptlk "unimaginging existence" during the Sixth Dimension Arc. Given the nature of the Dark Forces thus far, using one's imagination to "unmake reality" rather fits the theme.

I also considered Barbatos and Mandrakk. Mandrakk the Dark Monitor fed on existence and on stories - a Monitor drawing on the Sixth Note rather than the Dimensional Superstructure, if you will; Barbatos' Anti-Music was breaking down the frequencies of the Multiverse and causing the Prime Earth to sink into the Dark Multiverse. But these are just hypotheses until we learn more.

As to the Seventh Force potentially being related to the Metaverse, Doomsday Clock #10 makes it clear that any changes to the Metaverse (Prime Earth) affects the Multiverse as a whole. A Force linked to the nature of the Metaverse makes perfect sense when paired with the other Harmonious Forces.

 

[Catalyst75]

I have been reading through Justice League Vol 3 "Hawkworld", and I believe I have found a key piece of dialogue that reveals what the Black Apple may be capable of:

"Even what Shayera has been able to do with the Absorbascon I wear now...to rewrite reality itself with the memories of what Thanagar once was, powered by my mind. This would be impossible without those energies freed." - The Martian Keep

The Absorbascon is made of Nth Metal, and its power was amplified with the breaking of the Source Wall and release of the seven Dark Forces. In this csae, amplified by the power of the Black Apple: an ability to rewrite reality with the power of the mind. Not knowledge from which to learn about reality and share it with others, but to impose your ideas upon reality.

It's just a spontaneous hypothesis from reading the volume, but it is a possibility.

 

[Antvasima]

Okay. Reality warping then.

 

[Catalyst75]

As I said, it's just a hypothesis. There was emphasis placed on the Absorbascon being made of Nth Metal, which is known to have mild reality-altering effects. That said, the fact the Dark Energies super-charged Nth Metal, and the fact this feat specifically had to do with the power of the mind, related to the Collective Unconscious that telepaths are now said to draw upon, it does make you wonder.

 

[Antvasima]

Okay.