WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Crush & Lobo #1 by Mariko Tamaki, Amancay Nahuelpan, Tamra Bonvillain, & Ariana Maher, on sale now
Crush is one of the newest young DC heroes, and she's still finding her place in the world of teen heroes while juggling her personal lingering issues with her father, Lobo. The two have come to blows multiple times, with their last fight involving the Teen Titans as well.
While both of these characters have reputations for destruction, Crush & Lobo #1 suggests that they may be on the path towards reconciliation if Lobo's newest outreach is actually sincere. And if it's not, they could be heading towards their most violent conflict yet.
Xiomara Rojas is the illegitimate daughter of Lobo, one of the DC Universe's single most dangerous figures. Born to a human mother (whose identity has yet to be revealed), Xiomara landed on Earth and was adopted by the Rojas couple. Eventually forced on the run after learning the identity of her father and the mysterious deaths of her adopted parents, Xiomara took the title Crush and eventually became a member of the Teen Titans under the command of Damian Wayne. A powerful brawler in her own right, Crush found genuine bonds with the Teen Titans, becoming close friends with Roundhouse and Red Arrow, and developing a romantic attraction to Djinn. However, following a recent confrontation with the Suicide Squad, Crush elected to leave the Teen Titans.
Her personal life is only more complicated when her girlfriend Katie's birthday party exposes her to the kind of sweet-natured and sheltered homelife Katie has always had, one that Crush feels she doesn't fit into. After inadvertently ruining her birthday party and having a fight with Katie, Crush wallows in self-guilt until Red Arrow visits her -- and learns that a call out of the blue has set Crush into something of an emotional tailspin. It turns out that Lobo, who tried to kill Crush and then manipulated her using upgrades during "Year of the Villain" to turn her against her friends, has been arrested and is being held in an impressive galactic prison. But as part of his rehabilitation process, Lobo is encouraged to reach out to his family. Considering Crush is the only other remaining member of his species, he called her on Earth.
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With a manic smile on his face during the call, Lobo reveals that his time behind bars and left him with a robotic therapist and a seemingly new view on life. He even wants to take part in a program where prisoners can have their children visit so they can try to make amends and aid the healing process for both parties. Red Arrow convinces Crush to go through a visit, hopefully helping her settle some of her lingering issues with her father along the way. Crush finally accepts and heads out to visit Lobo -- who waits inside his prison, an air of malice behind his grin. It's an unsettling development for Lobo given his past as a ruthless bounty hunter, but there have been times he's found a connection with others, such as his short-lived tenure with the Justice League.
There are still plenty of questions to be answered about the meeting between the pair, and why someone as deadly and violent as Lobo would want to arrange it in the first place. His history with Crush would suggest a more fearsome confrontation, not one where a potential bond could be cemented. If the two Czarnians could find peace, they could become one of the most unstoppable family units in the DC Universe. But this may also be a trap for the young antihero that lures her away from the friends she's made and right into the hands of a dangerous bounty hunter. Regardless, she's on her way to the prison to meet with Lobo, and there's sure to be violence whenever they meet, regardless of the ultimate outcome.
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