The forces of Apokolips are coming, and in great numbers. Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon's Justice League will see the world's finest heroes team up to wage a battle that none of them could win on their own. We've known for some time the invasion will be led by Steppenwolf, now confirmed as the nephew, rather than uncle, of Darkseid. But what about his troops, the seemingly inescapable Parademons?
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This morning brought the arrival of a new Justice League trailer, and with it, a new look at the Parademons, introduced in the "Knightmare" sequence of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Perhaps most noteworthy is the first look at one of the soldiers' more gruesome attributes: the ability to convert captives into new Parademons, ensuring Apokolips an endless supply of shock troops.
Early in the trailer, we catch a glimpse of what appears to be a battle waged long ago between the invading Parademons and the armies of mankind and Themyscira. While much of the action is viewed from a distance, providing an overview of the grand scale, we're given a close-up look at a human soldier undergoing a terrible ordeal. As he screams in agony, his skin begins to crack and turn gray, his teeth sharpen, and his eyes become red. We're witnessing the birth of a new Parademon.
That spells even more trouble for the Justice League, and for Earth, as the real strength of the Parademons is in their sheer numbers, allowing them to overwhelm their enemies in a locust-like swarm. They're not precise weapons; they're blunt objects, hurled in the direction of their foes.
While this is a similar power to that displayed by Parademons in DC Comics' Justice League: Origin by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, the comic showed that it comes with restrictions. Mainly, Parademons had to kidnap their victims, and take them to an Apokoliptian chamber, where the captive would then be tortured and transformed of Darkseid's army. However, this trailer seems to indicate the Parademons can turn others much more freely, and quickly. It would appear that an incubation/torture chamber isn't required; instead, much like zombies, the Parademons can just "infect" others.
It's a devious ability, and one that will undoubtedly prove a more immediate challenge for Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash: The longer the Parademons roam, the bigger their army becomes.
Opening Nov. 17, Justice League stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Raymond Fisher as Cyborg, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta, Amber Heard as Mera and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.