New Gods #2 (1989)

Orion fulfills his promise to bring Forager's corpse to the Bug People he so much despises. Attempting to learn new things from them, he stays for the burial ceremony and is touched by it. Then, the Prime One introduces him to the new female Forager, again to Orion's surprise. Orion asks them to teach him more about their culture, but Prime One admits their knowledge is very limited, so they ask him the same thing in return. Orion proceeds to explain how their universe consists of only two inhabited planets in a war against each other, New Genesis and Apokolips, and how he is a product of both worlds. Orion says the Bug People are a product of Darkseid himself, used as a biological mutant race to plunder New Genesis's food supplies. He ends his tale with the pact between Darkseid and Highfather, but the Prime One asks him why he hates the Bug People so much. Meanwhile, in Supertown, Highfather talks to the catatonic Metron, reflecting about the risk that Orion finds out some hidden, ancient lie about their world. Lightray arrives before Izaya and asks his permission to travel to Earth and stay there, which Highfather agrees on, but tells him to be prepared to return if summoned. Orion continues his tales to Prime One, telling about his younger days when he met his childhood friend Akarl, who died at the hands of an insect patrol who looted their agri-center. That's when Orion started hating the bug people and, in a rush of fury, killed all of the insects he found that day. All except one, who interrupts Orion's tale to explain their attack was an act of retribution after a group of insects died due to an insecticide released upon them while they raided an orchard earlier that same day. The insect ends his narration and asks Orion to kill him as a symbolic sacrifice to end the hatred between their people. Deep inside Orion wants to do it, but decides to spare him so the cycle of vengeance can end. Unfortunately, a group of Monitors, elite guardians assigned to exterminate the insect people, attacks their citadel. Orion confronts the Monitors and tells them that the Insect Empire is under his protection from now on. The Monitors return to Supertown, calling him a traitor, and Orion reflects on the irony that he, frequently considered the ultimate warrior, is now a maker of peace. Meanwhile, on Earth, Mantis and his army raid a U.S. Air Force, preparing to release radioactive weapons upon the humans.