Warning: The following contains spoilers for "Black Adam", a story in Future State: Suicide Squad #1 by Jeremy Adams, Fernando Pasarin and Oclair Albert, on sale now.
Even in the distant future of the 853rd Century, heroes are still around, protecting the cosmos from evil. While most of them are new faces under the masks, one person that hardcore comic fans might recognize in Future State: Black Adam is Mitch Shelly, also known as The Resurrection Man.
First, a little context on the issue itself. In the distant future, an evil team known as The Unkindness are sweeping across the universe, destroying everything in its path. Even Superman Prime, the most powerful version of the Kryptonian, was no match for them, being left to drift aimlessly through space after confronting them. In desperation, the Justice Legion (this eras Justice League) traveled to the planet of Kahndaq to enlist the help of former super-villain Black Adam. He has since turned the planet into a home for refugees and a safe place for the misunderstood, and it is here where Mitch Shelly has decided to spend his days.
First appearing in his own series in the late '90s, Resurrection Man not only has the ability to come back from the dead, but he also does so with a new power each time. The nature of these powers ranges drastically, at one point creating bio-luminescent butterflies or controlling metal, becoming a living shadow, or being able to manipulate the very structure of the universe. It was really just a roll of the dice. While not a huge fan of donning superhero tights, in one of his very first appearances he stumbled upon the Justice League losing a fight against a gigantic Amazo robot. He was killed by some falling debris, returned with the ability to create huge invisible energy blasts, and destroyed the robot with a single shot, all while the rest of the League was incapacitated.
His most recent solo outing was during his own series during the New 52 initiative, which ended on a cliff hanger that is still yet to be resolved. This is not, however, his first appearance in the future seen in Future State: Black Adam, as he also appears in the pages of DC One Million by Mark Miller, Mike Wieringo and Richard Case.
Much more heroic than his present self, he has a wrist tool that can control which abilities he gets when brought back to life, as well as a painless toxin that kills him for less than a second so that he can easily change between powers. During a fight with Vandal Savage, this was tampered with, leaving him writhing in agony, unable to escape. This is mentioned in passing by him in the current story, with Mitch thanking Wonder Woman from the never-ending torture. This could potentially explain why he has decided to take refuge on Kahndaq rather than continue his superhero exploits.
This issue ends with most of the Justice Legion taken over by the Seven Deadly Sins, with only Mitch, Wonder Woman and Black Adam still standing. Mitch seems reluctant to use his powers, or maybe something has happened to them that is yet to be revealed. With the arrival of the mysterious Gold Beetle, hopefully, readers will have a chance to see The Resurrection Man back in action.