A BATMAN: ZERO YEAR tie-in! When The Riddler throws Gotham City into total darkness, a young Marine named John Stewart is deployed as part of the peacekeeping measures. But he gets much more than he expected when he must deal with the costumed chaos known as ANARKY!

20 years ago, Detroit: Shirley Stewart, John Stewart's mother, takes her children to a labor protest. She then tells her children why she protests for equal right for all.

6 years ago, Gotham: The Marines arrive in Gotham ahead of the Zero Year storm, John Stewart is among them. Their mission to get the people held up in the Seaside Coliseum out and to safety, but when they get there there are more people trapped that they expected, and they are being led by a man who calls himself Anarchy.

Anarchy and his loyalists over take the Marines and captures them, but soon John Stewart get his fellow Marines free, and they are able to rearm themselves and take the fight to Anarchy. Disobeying his commander's orders, John takes down Anarchy without harming his loyalists.

John then gives all the people a choice, come with the Marines or stay. Most go with the Marines, but Anarchy escapes and John's commanding officer blames John actions. John decks his commander and realizes his career in the marines is over, but at least he stood up for what he believed in, looking out for the little guy and treating everyone fairly.