WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Injustice 2 #71 by Tom Taylor, Daniel Sampere, Juan Albarran, Rex Lokus and Wes Abbott, on sale now.
The Injustice 2 comics have mostly been about war, but lately things have been dialed back. A more diplomatic turn has taken the spotlight as Batman (Bruce Wayne) has convinced the leaders of the free world, led by United States President Jefferson Pierce (aka Black Lightning), to seek out peace with Atlantis and Ra's al Ghul's military forces.
The Dark Knight's finally looking at uniting and rebuilding the world, however, things aren't as peaceful as they seem with Gorilla Grodd looking for vengeance against Ra's and his general, the white gorilla Solovar.
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In Injustice 2 #71, with this drama unfolding in Gorilla City, Jefferson is presented with a very important choice regarding Grodd's impending coup, and, sadly, he makes the wrong decision, betraying everything Batman's Resistance stands for.
The issue opens up with Green Arrow and Black Canary babysitting their kids, as well as Jefferson's and Harley Quinn's at the Oval Office. The day of fun quickly ends though, as the president is called into the Situation Room to deal with a matter of national security. There, Chairman Sam Lane (the father of the deceased Lois) informs him their satellites have picked up Grodd's army sneaking up on Gorilla City to take it back and kill Ra's and Solovar.
Jefferson initially wants to send a warning to his new "allies," due the recent treaty and whatnot, but Lane convinces him otherwise. He says all they have to do is feign ignorance and whatever transpires there, no one can be blamed for. Lane is clearly hurting from losing his daughter and doesn't want to let any villains off the hook. After all, Joker did trick Superman into killing his daughter.
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The chairman plays the president like a fiddle, reminding him how Ra's and Solovar kidnapped his kids, as well as the children of the other members of the Resistance, in an act of war months ago. They did get the kids back, but remembering this clearly dredges up bad memories for Jefferson, and so he decides to listen to Lane's advice, leaving Grodd to continue his takeover -- which coincides with Orca and Croc's wedding there -- and distracting his rivals.
When Jefferson's asked by Ollie, Canary and Harley when he reenters the Oval Office if something's up, he downplays things, declaring his meeting "a false alarm." However, the Resistance members aren't buying it, recognizing the president's lying. But he has to, because he can't let them know he's breaking the ceasefire negotiation, which Harley and Batman worked so hard to achieve.
If word does get out, it'll jeopardize this peace everyone's working so hard for, which is why Jefferson wants everything kept under wraps, especially so that Batman doesn't find out.
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The sad thing is, Jefferson's action -- or in this case, inaction -- will inevitably have dire consequences, because as we know from the video game's story mode, Grodd regains control of Gorilla City and forms his Secret Society, empowering Brainiac's invasion. Lies aren't usually associated with Black Lightning's character, but here, by breaking the trust Batman placed in him, he hasn't just doomed towns or cities, he has doomed the world.