WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Injustice vs. Masters of the Universe #4 by Tim Seeley, Freddie E. Williams II, Jeremy Colwell and Wes Abbott, on sale now.

The Anti-Life Equation is been one of the deadliest weapons in DC Comics history, from he day readers first learned of Darkseid's obsession with attaining it and using it to bend the universe to his will. As the name implies, it takes away people's will to live and makes them mindless slaves, which Darkseid sees as the means of order necessary to rule the universe the way he deems fit.

In the Injustice crossover with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, though, this alternate reality takes a few liberties and redefines the origin of the equation. It's gives fans a brand-new history that diverges massively from DC mythology, instead tying the weapon to Eternia and Castle Grayskull in ways we never imagined possible.

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Just to recap, in DC lore this equation was a staple of Jack Kirby's Fourth World stories, but its point of origin has always been murky. Darkseid was directed to it on Earth by the aliens living on Mars, and it's also been housed by Sonny Sumo in Japan, and we'd later learn that Mister Miracle unearthed secrets linking it to the Source Wall. But though villains like Darkseid, Empress and the Pied Piper were able to wield and harness it, the definitive origin lies with Darkseid's father, Yuga Khan, an Old God, who wanted to use it for warfare; and secondly, the Anti-Monitor, as this equation was what imbued him with the power to end all life.

But with so many interpretations of what the equation was, what it could do and where it originated from, this crossover decides to add a new player to the game as the equation's creator: He-Ro of Eternia.

As Darkseid invades Castle Grayskull, he beats down its protector, the Sorceress, and unveils an item similar to Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet. It's a glove named the Soul Syphon, and he reveals that years of traveling the cosmos taught him about the equation and how he had to weaponize it. In his villainous speech, he reveals the equation was discovered eons ago by He-Ro, an Eternian soldier who became frightened by the dangers it presented, and thus decided to lock it away in his mind.

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Even when he died, He-Ro's spirit had the willpower to protect the equation, his mind, body and soul now kept in a crypt in Grayskull, the universe's epicenter for light and magic. But Darkseid has done his homework, and the Soul Syphon is his way of extracting He-Ro's soul so he can probe his mind for the equation. As it stands, with Prince Adam, or He-Man as he's more commonly known, on Earth battling Superman, there's no stopping the villain and his army from Apokolips from carrying out this mission.

It's an interesting take in this Elseworlds story because He-Ro seems to wearing armor similar to He-Man's, which leaves us wondering if he might be be revealed as an ancestor of the hero. Also, if Sorceress knew about the equation, one would think she'd have a better way of protecting it, as Darkseid's forces storm the castle rather easily in this war. With the Anti-Life Equation within his grasp, it also brings into question what role the Power of Grayskull and Adam's Sword had in keeping He-Ro's spirit guarded, because, as fans of the source material know, anything housed in the castle is linked to He-Man, his artifacts and his general essence.

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What we do know is, Darkseid is closing in on it, gearing to enslave Eternia and the rest of the cosmos. In this story, however, we're not sure how the equation will look or sound, or what the consequences will be for both those on the receiving end, and the person using it.