History WesternAnimation / JusticeLeagueDarkApokolipsWar

* BookEnds: [[spoiler:The WesternAnimation/DCAnimatedMovieUniverse began with [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueTheFlashpointParadox the Flash going back in time to change history, though for selfish reasons]], and included [[TheStinger a Stinger]] showing Darkseid's Parademons arriving to attack Earth. The universe ends with the Flash doing this again but with more altruistic reasons, and no Stinger at the conclusion. Likewise, this universe's Justice League formed fighting Darkseid and their final adventure involves fighting Darkseid.]]

** PlayedWith. On the one hand, the heroes fight tooth and nail to save Earth from Darkseid... [[spoiler:only to learn that it was all pointless, since even though he's gone, his machines still did irreparable damage to the planet. The only solution left, as Constantine decides, is for the Flash go back in time and perform a CosmicRetcon so that none of this ever happened in the first place.]] On the other, if they hadn't fought tooth and nail [[spoiler:they wouldn't have found the Flash in the first place and therefore wouldn't have been able to perform the cosmic retcon]].

* CListFodder: PlayedWith. Many heroes and villains are unceremoniously killed by Paradooms regardless of their importance.

* CombatCompliment: Harley praises a left hook from Lois during their fight.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Damien's not wrong that the Justice League, who for years [[ThouShaltNotKill have been pulling their punches]], might not have the right attitude for fighting a war. "An army without killers is no army at all."

* PrecisionFStrike: Raven of all people delivers one in response to hearing how long it’ll take John Constantine to teleport them to Damien’s location, probably making it the first time an animated Raven ever swore on screen.

* PlanetaryCoreManipulation: Having successfully conquered Earth, Darkseid implants three machines on the planet's surface in order to harvest the minerals on its core. Groups of surviving heroes attack the devices and [[spoiler:ultimately fail to destroy them. By the end of the film, more than 30% of the planet's core has been lost, and Batman estimates that billions of people will die before they can restore the planet to its original orbit]].

'''Raven''': Oh for fuck’s sake. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!

* OffModel: During the Suicide Squad's final stand, [[spoiler:Lex Luthor's]] body collapses dead, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtMsbGlEaxU but he is explicitly missing his right hand]]. Not in a graphic fashion, either as his hand isn't completely drawn, indicating the animators may have made a mistake placing him in the center.

** Superman gets laced with liquid Kryptonite, whose effects remove his powers and leave him with a green "S" symbol tattoo. He is then sent back to Earth to live out the rest of his days reminded of how his failure cost the Earth dearly and how he is powerless to do anything.

* {{Gorn}}: The film is BloodierAndGorier than previous DC features, as it begins with a montage of almost all of Earth's heroes being brutally slaughtered by the Paradooms and Darkseid in extremely graphic ways.

* AfterTheEnd: After the Justice League is defeated by Comicbook/{{Darkseid}}, the Earth becomes a hellish battleground in which more than half of the global population has been slaughtered. ComicBook/LexLuthor hastily offers to allow Earth to become a vassal of Apokolips in exchange for its survival, which Darkseid condescendingly accepts. After this, the world's governments either collapse or ally themselves with Luthor, resulting in a semi-dystopic setting in which you either live or die according to the will of an evil god.

* AnyoneCanDie: The entire Justice League, save Comicbook/{{Superman}}, Comicbook/{{Batman}}, Comicbook/WonderWoman, ComicBook/{{Shazam}}, Comicbook/TheFlash and Comicbook/JohnConstantine are slaughtered in the film's opening fight, while many other heroes and anti-villains bite the dust in the final mission to save Earth from Darkseid. By the end of the film, [[spoiler: Comicbook/{{Raven}}, Superman, The Flash and Batman]] are the only major characters who are never shown being killed. However, it's subverted with [[spoiler:Comicbook/{{Robin}}, Comicbook/{{Starfire}}, Constantine, Comicbook/{{Mera|DC Comics}}, Comicbook/{{Hawkman}}, Comicbook/MartianManhunter and Comicbook/{{Nightwing}}]], who are all brought back to life by various means.

* TheCameo: Several villains from past movies like Toymaster, Weather Wizard, Giganta etc. appear in the audience of villains watching the Lois and Harley fight. Brick and Zsasz also make cameos sporting their designs from ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanAssaultOnArkham'' respectively.

* DeathByCameo: Several members of the Comicbook/GreenLantern Corps, including Guy Gardner and Arisia, are shown dead during Darkseid's invasion of Oa.

** Most of the Comicbook/TeenTitans (Comicbook/BlueBeetle, Kid Flash, Beast Boy, Bumblebee and Speedy) die in a {{flashback}} showing how Darkseid's forces destroyed Titans Tower.
** [[spoiler:Comicbook/{{Batwoman}}, Comicbook/{{Batgirl}}, Batwing and Comicbook/BlackOrchid are killed while trying to take down the Earth Reaper in the North Sea, while Comicbook/{{Steel}}, Comicbook/{{Superboy}} and Shazam all perish in an attempt to destroy the Chinese Earth Reaper.]]

** [[spoiler:Comicbook/SwampThing is destroyed while successfully bringing down the Congolese Earth Reaper.]]