Injustice: God Among Us

Injustice: God Among Us

The campaign of Injustice: Gods Among Us was written by NetherRealm Studios in collaboration with DC Comics' writers.^[18] Described by NetherRealm as "Story Mode 3.0", the Injustice campaign was approached similarly to Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and the 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot through the use of a cinematic narrative versus the traditional ladder-based single-player experience.^[19] According to lead designer John Edwards, the plot is meant to rationalize the game's fighting mechanics between characters that would not normally fight one another and explain how Batman can "stand toe-to-toe" with Superman.^[18] Writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti served as story consultants to ensure that the comic characters kept their proper voices in Injustice.

In an alternate universe, Joker tricks Superman into killing his pregnant wife Lois Lane, which detonates a nuclear weapon that destroys Metropolis and kills millions. Driven over the edge by this, Superman kills the Joker in retaliation. Now corrupted, Superman takes drastic measures to "save" the world, forcing people to follow his will and killing those who resist. He becomes a ruthless dictator who would kill criminals as he deemed fit and establishes a totalitarian world government named the One Earth Regime that eliminates crime and erases civil liberties. Superman leads the regime as its High Councillor alongside several Justice League members and villains who serve as his lieutenants. Now viewing Superman as Earth's greatest threat, Batman establishes an Insurgency of heroes against his tyrannical regime. A war breaks out between the two factions, ultimately leaving the Justice League disbanded.

Five years into Superman's regime, the Insurgency discovers a parallel universe where Joker's plan failed, and they teleport that world's Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern into their universe. Batman and Joker are accidentally transported as well, but are separated after an encounter with the Regime's military forces. While searching for somewhere to recharge his power ring, Green Lantern encounters Sinestro and his own Yellow Lantern counterpart. The alternate Aquaman fights his counterpart as well upon discovering that his counterpart has agreed to provide Atlantis' army to Superman.

The real-universe heroes eventually meet the Insurgency Batman in Gotham City. Batman and Lex Luthor, an Insurgent mole inside the Regime, explain that a nanotech pill derived from Kryptonian DNA can make regular humans thousands of times stronger and more resilient, as well as their plan to use a kryptonite-based weapon stored in the Batcave against Superman. DNA samples from the Justice League are needed to unlock it, but, in their universe, most core Leaguers were either recruited or killed by the Regime. Meanwhile, the alternate Batman pursues Joker through Gotham, but Yellow Lantern and Hawkgirl mistake him for their own Batman and arrest him. The Joker then reunites with the Harley Quinn of this world, who founded an underground organization called "Joker Clan" in his memory, but is otherwise allied with Batman's Insurgency. After helping the Joker Clan fight off a Regime attack (including Hawkgirl and Nightwing,) at Arkham Asylum, the Insurgents sneak into Wayne Manor, where they fight off Regime enforcers. The heroes are able to enter the Batcave and retrieve the kryptonite weapon, but they are attacked by Black Adam and Regime Wonder Woman. The Insurgents repel Black Adam, but not before he damages the weapon.

In the real universe, the remaining heroes, including Superman, Cyborg, and The Flash, attempt to recover their comrades. Their teleporter sends Cyborg into the Insurgency's universe, where he joins their efforts and works with Deathstroke to commandeer the Regime Watchtower's teleporter. At the same time, Batman and Green Arrow stage a break-in on Stryker's Island to rescue the prime Batman. Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman (commandeering an army of sea creatures) launch an attack on Stryker's Island to distract the Regime. Superman attempts to destroy the Watchtower, but fails when Deathstroke overcharges its core, setting off a massive explosion. Luthor tries to use the kryptonite weapon to kill Superman, but Shazam stops him, allowing Superman to execute him. Now aware of humanity's determination to depose him, Superman decides to destroy Gotham and Metropolis to demonstrate the chaos that would arise in his absence and invade the heroes' other universe as punishment for interfering. When Shazam protests, Superman murders him, causing Flash to defect and fight his way to the Insurgency and inform them of the Regime's plan.

The real universe Batman convinces his counterpart to recruit the Superman from his universe. When open war between the Regime and Insurgency erupts, Ares teleports the real universe Wonder Woman to Themyscira and reveals that Superman plans to have the Amazons invade Metropolis. After defeating her counterpart, Wonder Woman convinces the Amazons to fight Superman instead. An army led by Aquaman attacks Metropolis, where the insurgents and the Amazons fight them off. The real universe Superman defeats his counterpart's powerful Regime enforcers, including Doomsday, and engages in a confrontation against his counterpart at the Fortress of Solitude. Despite Superman's claims to have saved the Earth through his regime, the good Superman tells his counterpart that Lois would be afraid and disgusted by what he has become and that her death does not warrant or justify his subsequent actions. He proceeds to face his dark counterpart in a final battle where he emerges victorious, ending the reign of the One Earth Regime.

After the High Councillor's downfall and the Regime's defeat in Metropolis, the Regime is dismantled and all of its accomplices are detained. Harley Quinn has the Joker sent back to the real universe after realizing that he does not care about her. The dictator Superman is placed in a prison cell emitting red sun radiation that renders him powerless. As he and Batman discuss the recent turn of events and the immediate future, the real universe Superman admits his fear that he could go down the same dark path if he suffered the same tragedy the now-former High Councillor did. As Batman and Superman walk away, the former High Councillor's eyes glow red, indicating he still has some degree of his powers.