DC vs Vampires Assumes DCeased's Legacy As Some Shocking Characters Enter the Fray
WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for DC vs. Vampires: World War V #6!
DC’s fan-favorite Elseworlds series, DC vs. Vampires: World War V, has just reached its midpoint, bringing major developments as some of DC’s most powerful beings join the human-vampire war on Earth-63. However, the pressing question remains: will the arrival of these all-powerful entities bring salvation—or total annihilation?
What began as a two-sided war between humans and vampires has now transformed into a chaotic three-front battle: humans vs. gods vs. vampires.
Matthew Rosenberg and Otto Schmidt’s DC vs. Vampires: World War V hits a climactic midpoint in issue #6, where battle lines are officially drawn, and war erupts between Vampire Queen Barbara Gordon’s undead army and the Green Arrow-led Human Resistance.
While the series has been building toward this moment, it’s clear that this is neither the endgame nor the most pivotal battle the heroes will face. With Darkseid, Doctor Fate, the Spectre, and the Stranger teased to enter the conflict, the stakes are set to escalate dramatically, promising cataclysmic levels of carnage—or perhaps a glimmer of salvation.
Darkseid, Doctor Fate, The Spectre, and The Stranger Enter the Fray in DC’s Vampire War
Panel Comes From DC vs. Vampires: World War V #6 (2025) – Art by Otto Schmidt
As the battle between humans and vampires intensifies, Darkseid makes a surprise appearance, confronting Vampire Queen Barbara Gordon and her right-hand man, Aquaman, as they oversee the chaos from a cliffside. Darkseid demands answers regarding the bargain Barbara struck with his emissary, Granny Goodness—a deal in which Batgirl promised to locate Darkseid’s granddaughter, the vampire-god hybrid offspring of Mister Miracle and Big Barda. However, Aquaman boldly informs the New God that he personally killed both the child and Mister Miracle. Enraged, Darkseid crushes Aquaman with his fist and vows to see Earth-63 reduced to ashes, ensuring his direct involvement in the escalating conflict.
Meanwhile, the DC vs. Vampires universe expands with the introduction of Doctor Fate, the Spectre, and the Stranger. Following John Constantine’s death at the hands of Gorilla Grodd, who snapped his neck, John finds himself awakening in an alternate plane of existence. There, he is confronted by the three overpowered entities. They inform Constantine that his "work is not done yet" in the ongoing war. Hence, with Doctor Fate, the Spectre, and the Stranger now involving themselves in the war, the conflict between vampires and humans now faces the intervention of four of DC’s most formidable forces, setting the stage for an even more explosive confrontation.
DC vs. Vampires Has Officially Evolved From a Two-Sided War to a Three-Sided War
Main Cover for DC vs. Vampires: World War V #7 (2025) – Art by Otto Schmidt
With Darkseid, the Spectre, Doctor Fate, and the Stranger entering the fray, the conflict is poised to escalate into unprecedented carnage—especially with Darkseid, who has already slain a core Justice League member and unleashed his Parademons upon Earth. While Doctor Fate, the Spectre, and the Stranger have shown their allegiance to humanity through their intervention with Constantine, Darkseid’s actions suggest he poses a threat to all sides. His vow to see the planet burn makes it clear that his objectives are separate from either faction. What began as a two-sided war between humans and vampires has now transformed into a chaotic three-front battle: humans vs. gods vs. vampires.
DC vs. Vampires' Death Toll Is Gaining on DCeased: Which Will Become DC’s Deadliest Elseworlds?
Cover C Card Stock Variant by Daniel Bayliss for DC vs. Vampires: World War V #3 (2024)
The DC vs. Vampires universe has already experienced a staggering death toll, and with the introduction of the New God and other immensely powerful entities, the carnage is set to escalate to unprecedented levels. This evolution could soon position the DC vs. Vampires saga as DC's deadliest Elseworlds—a title currently held by Tom Taylor's DCeased universe. In DCeased, a techno-organic virus devastated Earth-55 and beyond, transforming its population into mindless, death-driven zombies. The series brought catastrophic losses to the entire universe, setting a high bar for destruction. However, DC vs. Vampires is rapidly closing that gap.
Although determining the exact body counts for DC vs. Vampires and DCeased is challenging, the Bat-Family offers a representative sample of the devastation each universe has endured. So far, DC vs. Vampires has claimed seven Bat-Family members: Bruce "Batman" Wayne, Tim "Red Robin" Drake, Jason "Red Hood" Todd, Duke "Signal" Thomas, Selina "Catwoman" Kyle, Dick "Nightwing" Grayson, and Kate "Batwoman" Kane. By the end of DCeased, however, the Bat-Family had lost a total of ten members. While this is only a snapshot of the larger losses in each Elseworlds universe, it serves as a telling indicator of the sheer scale of destruction—and how DC vs. Vampires is steadily catching up.
DC vs. Vampires: World War V #6 is available now from DC Comics!
