Black Adam # 1 2022 NM-

Black Adam # 1 (June 2022), titled "Back in Black" (or "The Sandbox"), launched a 12-issue limited series that reimagined the antihero as a dying monarch. Written by Christopher Priest and illustrated by Rafa Sandoval, the series serves as a political thriller and character deconstruction of Teth-Adam. 

"Theogony: Book One" 

The story opens with Black Adam facing a biological and existential crisis. 

• The Incurable Plague: Black Adam discovers he is infected with a mystical "space virus" that is slowly killing him and stripping away his immortality.
• The Successor: Believing his end is near, Adam begins searching for a successor to protect Kahndaq. He identifies a distant relative, Malik White, a medical student in Washington, D.C..
• Political Intrigue: Adam visits Washington to address the U.S. Senate but is accused of murdering a Kahndaqi political rival, Shakur Nassar.
• The Transfer: During a confrontation with a supposed illusion of Darkseid, Adam transfers his god-like powers to Malik to save his own life and prevent the virus from spreading further.
• The Bond: In a tragic twist, the process "handcuffs" Adam and Malik together mystically; as long as Malik holds the power, Adam's plague is arrested, but the two are now forced to work as a dysfunctional team. 
• Black Adam (Teth-Adam): The aging, cynical ruler of Kahndaq.
• First Appearance: Malik White (White Adam): Introduced in this issue as Adam's successor, a medical student who is initially reluctant to inherit the mantle.
• First Appearance: Jasmin: A medical professional and Malik's colleague.
• Supporting Appearances: Includes cameos or mentions of the Martian Manhunter, Superman, and Batman. 
• Writer: Christopher Priest.
• Artist: Rafa Sandoval.
• Cover Artists: Irvin Rodriguez (Main Cover A), with variants by Lucio Parrillo, Simone Di Meo, and Crystal Kung.