DC stunned fans with the announcement that Superman would face Homelander from The Boys in a canon comic. Now, the publisher has confirmed some of the other crossover death battles in the upcoming special event book. These include beloved characters from other comics publishers, like Archie and IDW, as well as the Mortal Kombat franchise.
The action will unfold in DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1. The current saga has various heroes and villains competing for the title of King Omega and a claim to the power of Darkseid. However, given the twisted nature of Darkseid’s tyrannical power, it must be claimed in conquest. This requires a cosmic tournament, pitting various Justice League and Legion of Doom members against each other in a series of challenges.
(Image Source: DC / Darick Robertson and Diego Rodriguez)
One of these challenges will apparently involve facing the champions of other universes. DC released several covers highlighting the characters involved in December. However, beyond the fight between Homelander and Superman, none of the other battles had been confirmed.
Who else is fighting in DC K.O.: Boss Battle?
DC released six unlettered preview pages from DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1. Beyond the Homelander vs. Superman fight, the following matches have been confirmed.
Wonder Woman vs. Red Sonja
Batwoman (Kate Kane) vs. Vampirella
Plastic Man and Black Lightning vs. Sub Zero
Star Sapphire (Carol Ferris) vs. Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Lex Luthor vs. Samantha Strong from Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees
There is logic to most of these matches. For instance, Red Sonja and Wonder Woman are both warriors blessed by a war goddess. However, some of these conflicts make little apparent sense. Despite this, there is method to the madness according to writer Jeremy Adams.
“Patrick Horvath created an incredibly complicated and frankly, scary, character with Samantha Strong,” shared Adams. “I feel lucky to be able to pit this serial-killer bear from IDW’s Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees against the greatest criminal mind of our time, Lex Luthor. Especially because Lex has no idea who it is he’s stumbled upon. And, having written four animated Mortal Kombat movies, I jumped at the chance to write more of the Netherrealm world, especially for comics. These characters hold a place dear to my heart as I’ve had the chance to interact with a huge swath of their fandom, their creators, and the MK universe as a whole!”
DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on February 4, 2026.