The world of Kingdom Come remains one of the dourest realities within the DC multiverse. The classic miniseries by Mark Waid and Alex Ross painted a dark portent for the future of the DC Universe. Set in the near future, the reality of Kingdom Come took an incredibly dark turn the day the Joker attacked the Daily Planet -- wiping out the staff, including Superman's wife Lois Lane. Promptly killed by the rogue new superhero Magog, the Joker's death and the positive public response to it resulted in much of the superhero old guard retiring as they were replaced by a new generation of more unpredictable, reckless young heroes.
Superman entered self-imposed exile for years, only for a new series of conflicts and crises to draw his attention back to the greater world. However, he wasn't the only hero who went through a tragic arc, as with Orion of the New Gods meeting what might be the ultimate tragedy for any version of the character and a grim end to the New Gods saga.
Creating a new Justice League to work alongside him and Wonder Woman, Superman soon found himself forced to contain some of the more violent anti-heroes who refused to hold themselves to the League's standards. While trying to figure out a way to contain them, Superman ends up turning to an old ally -- Orion. As one of the major New Gods, Orion is the son of Darkseid, but he was famously raised on New Genesis as part of the Pact. Growing to appreciate the beauty and potential of the world, Orion spent countless years wrestling with his innate rage, trying to keep himself from truly becoming like the evil father he was often predicted of eventually killing. In the Kingdom Come universe, however, this fight eventually did come to pass, and Orion was able to actually bring down Darkseid once and for all.
After finally defeating his father off-panel, Orion initially had hope that his actions might allow the denizens of Apokolips to be free. But to the people of the world who'd only known subjugation at the hands of Darkseid, freedom was as paralyzing as anything that had come before. Despite not wanting the throne of Apokolips for himself, the attempt to bring democracy to the world resulted in an overwhelming victory for Orion, who was chosen as the stronger conqueror and defeater of Darkseid. After the votes had been tallied, Orion was made lord of the world that had no interest in losing its brutal edge, and the New Gods saga effectively ended with the people once subjugated by Darkseid unwilling to embrace the freedoms offered to them.
Arriving to speak with Orion and seeking wisdom from the former Dog of War, Superman finds himself incredibly disappointed that Orion never repaired his world. But as Orion explains, saving the world can often lead to destroying it through unintended consequence and response -- and that he's not the right person to talk to for that kind of help -- instead directing Superman to Mister Miracle and his wife Barda. Considering the lengths that Orion has gone through to avoid becoming his father, seeing a world where he's slowly and sadly morphed into his former role by the request of the people is genuinely tragic. As he ages, Orion has increasingly looked like his father, losing his sheer muscular form to instead become an imposing and stony figure.
Orion's attempts to bring light to the world of his birth failed, and instead, he's forced to maintain what little peace he can handle. It's the ultimate final insult from Darkseid to his son, seemingly breaking his spirit in a way that he never could in their long-running conflict. This is the most defeated Orion in the entire DC Multiverse, one without the fire that one fueled him or the passion that restrained him. He's become a quiet and somber figure, accepting of the dark side of the world. It's almost the inverse of the defeated and abandoned Darkseid of Jack Kirby's The Hunger Dogs, showcasing what could break Orion instead of Darkseid.