Zatanna #5 (2025)

Zatanna has been captured by a dark reflection of herself created by the sword that had previously stabbed her. The illusion who attempts to torture her with a tale about Zatanna's origins and failures. In her tale, Dark Zatanna constantly twists the events in Zatanna's life and makes it look like her father was always disappointed in her and tha he only forged her into a magician in a vicarious attempt to honor his lover, Sindella. One night, the young Zatanna was casting spells on a sword, which was actually a prison holding the dark witch Allura. Thanks to Zatanna's carelessness, Allura was freed and the dark witch kidnapped Giovanni and cast a course on father and daughter. Should they lay eyes on each other again, black wings would blot out the skies. Zatanna tried to fix her mistake by enlisting the help of the Justice League in saving her father but she triggered Allura's curse and Giovanni died. The Justice League took pity on Zatanna and accepted her into their ranks, but she knew in her heart that she coud never replace her father. Once the evil duplicate finishes her tale, Zatanna is not impressed by her double's attempts to demoralize her. She admits she is haunted by her failures and mistakes, but they are just a small part of who she is: a magician who specializes in the impossible. With an expression of power, Zatanna breaks free from her restraints but accidentally flings herself into a white void that takes the appearance of a drawing board. She quickly returns to the lighthouse and figures out that the sword had kept her bound to this realm for a reason. Now that she is free from the sword, she can find out what that reason is. She knocks on the door and is warmly received by Sindella, her mother. They spend a lovely time together and Sindella expresses pride on the woman her daughter had become. Unfortunately, Zatanna can stay too long, for she must attend to her next performance. With some words of encouragement from her mother, Zatanna marches to the to the top of the lighthouse and confronts her dark reflection again. Dark Zatanna challenges her to discover the sword's true name and Zatanna tells a story of her own: the story of how Loki, the God of Mischief, used the sword to stab Vidofnir, the divine rooster tasked by Odin to watch over Yggdrasil. She has discovered the sword's name, Laevateinn, and by doing so, she proclaims that the sword has no power over and thus Dark Zatanna is vanquished. However, that is not the end of Zatanna's problems, for there is another enemy still lurking in the shadows. At the ruins of the Crimson Palace, Lady White is angry that Brother Night pulled her out of the afterlife for his failed plan to destroy Zatanna. Luckily for her, another sorcerer has come to her aid. Allura has supplied Lady White with a spear similar to Laevateinn, which Lady White uses to stab Brother Night as revenge for her mistreatment at his hands.