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Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.
With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.
Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.
2026 will see DC Comics crowning its most important hero, yet the chosen character will likely be one none of us are expecting. This is all thanks to the current DC K.O. crossover, a massive ongoing tournament that has been whittled down to its Elite Eight.
As seen in DC K.O. thus far, several heroes (and a handful of villains) have entered the King Omega tournament, a massive contest consisting of multiple battles and trials where the ultimate victor will be granted the power of Darkseid himself by the Heart of Apokolips. With it, the hope is to fight fire with fire and save their universe from Darkseid.
However, based on the eight combatants left, it seems doubtful that the winner of DC K.O. will be who we expect.
DC's K.O. Crossover Is Down To Its Elite Eight
Following the release of DC K.O. #2, which whittled down the contestants to sixteen, eight issues were released featuring various 1v1 showdowns.
In the aftermath, it's since been confirmed that Superman, Guy Gardner, Aquaman, Lex Luthor, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Red Hood, and Zatanna emerged the victors as DC K.O's Elite Eight, having won their respective best-of-three showdowns against Captain Atom, Jar Garrick, Hawkman, Etrigan the Demon, Lobo, Swamp Thing, The Joker, and Harley Quinn.
It's also worth noting that Batman, who was eliminated in the very first round, may get a second chance and reenter the tournament as teased in the tie-in series DC K.O. Knightfight, assuming The Dark Knight can pass the brutal trials given to him by the Heart of Apokolips. Nonetheless, the official Elite Eight is quite an interesting crew of characters.
Which DC Character Will Win The Whole King Omega Tournament?
As two-thirds of the DC Trinity, it feels too predictable for either Superman or Wonder Woman to win the whole DC K.O. tournament. Likewise, I expect Lex Luthor to be merciless to make it to the Final Four, though I doubt he'll be winning the whole thing either (the power on the line is too great).
Out of all eight showdowns, Aquaman was the only combatant to get back-to-back wins against Hawkman, a testament to his impressive new command over The Blue. That does make him feel like a pretty solid contender.
That being said, I do think that Red Hood, Guy Gardner, or Zatanna stand the most likely contenders to win the whole thing. Not only would their winning be completely unexpected, but the power they would come to inherit would be the most entertaining in any of their hands.
At any rate, it's going to be fascinating to see who comes out on top as this major new DC Comics crossover continues.
DC K.O. #3 releases on January 14th from DC Comics.
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