Ever heard of the Anti-Life Equation?

[Ken Cheng]

I read many superhero comics. If you're familiar with the DC Universe, you've probably heard of a villain named Darkseid, who is sometimes considered the ultimate villain in the DCU...the ultimate menace to Superman, Batman, and the rest of the Justice League.

Darkseid lives to discover a mathematical equation that supposedly establishes the futility of all life and hope. It goes like this:

loneliness + alienation + fear + despair + self-worth ÷ mockery ÷ condemnation ÷ misunderstanding x guilt x shame x failure x judgment n=y where y=hope and n=folly, love=lies, life=death, self=dark side

The Anti-Life Equation has been an ongoing subplot for years in stories involving the Darkseid character, but this year, it's become the centerpiece of FINAL CRISIS, the biggest cross-DCU saga in years.

For me, the line between fiction and reality is starting to blur. I'm starting to see this whole Anti-Life Equation thing as almost real.

[levendis d'orange]

It's probably as real as heroic flying men in tights.