As J. Michael Straczynski once noted, “No dictator, no invader can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever.” The ultimate failure of tyrants throughout history has been the hubris to believe no one would ever dare oppose them. This is a mistake that Amanda Waller inevitably made in Absolute Power: Task Force VII #2.
Written by John Layman, with art by Max Raynor, Absolute Power: Task Force VII #2 centers around the effort to conquer Atlantis. An Amazo robot under the command of Amanda Waller and the Bureau of Sovereignty manages to depower Aquaman and the Doom Patrol. This leads to an ultimatum delivered to the people of Atlantis — surrender or die.
The decision to try and conquer Atlantis without a fight shows amazing foresight on the part of Amanda Waller. The undersea nation is one of the great political powers of the DC Universe. Ignoring their king’s ties to the Justice League, Atlantis also has advanced technology, a sizeable army, and a culture rich in magic. This makes them a considerable threat to any effort to take over the Earth.
Amanda Waller underestimates Atlaneteans fighting spirit
However, while brilliant in recognizing the danger Atlantis poses, Amanda Waller vastly underestimated how ready the Atlantean people would be to resist her. The sight of their king, depowered and disgraced, only served to enrage them. Even armed with the powers of Aquaman and the Doom Patrol, the Amazo had a hard time fighting all of them.
In the end, Amazo won, but it was a hard-won victory, far from the peaceable surrender Amanda Waller had foreseen. This was entirely due to “the Wall” forgetting a universal truth: No matter how much people want order, they can only be pushed so far before they fight back. This misstep earned her a powerful enemy and laid bare what the promise of peace under an iron fist is truly worth.
Absolute Power: Task Force VII #2 is now available at comic shops everywhere.