>>96214133
>headcanon
Nah actually this is pretty much canon now. The current major event, DC All-In, canonised the idea that not only is Darkseid the End of Stories, not only is he the literal left hand of the Great Darkness, but at the formation of the DC multiverse he was designated as a metaphysical counterweight to all life and hope-giving it meaning through having something to struggle against. Canonically Darkseid’s power fluctuates, waning as the multiverse expands and he is apparently spread thin through his various avatars, and contracting as the multiverse is compressed or confined. The entire reason Darkseid became restless enough to get an existential crisis (after his previous one at the hands of the Great Darkness. Or rather, as it’s hand) recently is because of the multiverse being temporarily sealed due to Amanda Waller using advanced technology and a multiversal Suicide Squad to try to police the entire multiverse. Like mixing pepsi and mentos then shaking it, this made Darkseid volatile enough to start finding a way to escape his preordained role.

So yeah. Going by DC All-In, every crossover/Elseworld/shift in reality drastic enough to create a no-bullshit actualised timeline “nerfs” Darkseid by spooling off some of his essence to have an avatar that scales roughly to Sonic/Raiden/whoever, and every time the multiverse as a whole is drastically reduced Darkseid gets the cosmic deity equivalent of roid rage as well as a power boost from being squished back into his thicc fullness.

…this implies that crossovers are actually healthier for DC in the long term, because it both weakens and distracts Darkseid’s core essence. Spreading his evil across multiple worlds like a sticky jam.