WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #2 by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, Jen Bartel and Pat Brosseau, on sale now.
The Future State of the DC Universe isn't been quite as bright as most would have expected. Granted, some books have ended positively, with the new generation of the Justice League finally growing comfortable with their new roles and making a positive impact in their corner of the world. But Future State doesn't merely go a few decades ahead of the timeline, it takes readers thousands of years into the future. Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #2 tells the tale of the very end of the universe's life, as well as revealing the fate of the last generation of heroes: the Legion of Super-Heroes.
When the previous issue ended, the Undoing had been unleashed upon the universe. It slowly made its way across space, consuming whatever stood in its path, no matter how heroic or vile. Some, like Darkseid, simply accepted that it was unstoppable and fled, trying to get one last sick sense of satisfaction before the end took him as well. But others wanted to fight. They had hope that this cosmic force of destruction could be stopped if they banded together. And that, in Diana's opinion, is why the Legion of Super-Heroes failed. They held on to too much hope, so it blinded them to the possibility of failure.
Though they banded together one last time to face the Undoing as a united team, they ultimately failed. They believed that if they stood together against the Undoing they could stop it, but Wonder Woman summarized the outcome of their last stand with a few chilling words, "They had hoped for a great battle... instead it was like a wave and a sandcastle. Undone."
It was a brutal summation of what should have been the Legion of Super-Heroes' last heroic stand. But if the imagery was any indication, then Diana was right: it wasn't a battle, it was a slaughter. The Undoing unmade the Legion, wiping them from existence, with Diana being the only one left to remember them. Even more horrifying is the fact that the Undoing easily destroyed so many powerhouses on the team.
The team was comprised of members who, by that point in time, had either taken up the names of their predecessors or were still alive and kicking by the time the universe's lifespan began to end. Among the lost were Brainiac 7, Bouncing Boy, Duo Damsel, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, and most interestingly and depressingly, Superboy IV and Supergirl II. These last two unnamed Kryptonians were clearly armed for battle but stood just as much a chance as the rest of their teammates.
So many heroes had spent their lives to try and bring about a better age, and for the most part, they were successful. But all things must come to end, even the Legion. Their goal was to be a new generation of heroes, taking these ideals beyond the confines of Earth into the greater universe.
It was a message that many received and accepted. Of course, some people challenged it (what's a hero without a good villain after all?). But like their predecessors, the Legion managed to bring about a better age for everyone and became the new generation that they hoped to become. But with their loss at the hands (tendrils?) of the Undoing, the Legion of Super-Heroes became the last generation of heroes in existence.