A YJA Moment - The Templars

Untold thousands of years ago a meteor broke up in the Earth's atmosphere, its fragments coming to Earth across the globe.  These fragments gave animals self-awareness, ultimately creating the intelligent creatures of the Chittorgarh Hills, the Pride Lands, and the 100-Acre Wood.  It was also responsible for the creation of many strange phenomena, such as the healing waters of the Lazarus Pits.  On humans, they had another effect, granting them literal immortality.

The first of those immortals, the man who would later name himself Vandal Savage, gathered those like him into a group he called the Order of the Ancients, which sought to twist the world to their will.  Though the Order would make many enemies over the years, their only main rivals were the Hidden Ones, a group of assassins who worked to tear down the perfect autocratic societies the Ancients were trying to build.

Much like the Hidden Ones, the Order of Ancients went through many name changes over the centuries, but their association with the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon would gain them the title of Templars in the modern age.  While most of his fellow immortals had perished over the years, Vandal Savage remained alive and in control of the organization.  He would even make peace with the League of Shadows, the current incarnation of the Hidden Ones, inducting its last leader Ra's Al Ghul as an honorary member of the Order.

Much of the Templar's command and control was devastated by Thanos, who came to Earth seeking the Anti-Life Equation.  Believing that the keys to finding it were in the treasure vaults of the Templars, he attacked their hidden base underneath Oak Island. Unable to stand against this melding of New God and Eternal, Savage sent waves of his best warriors in order to stall the Mad Titan.  In the process of Battle, C.C. Batson, the original Captain Marvel and the current Man of Storms appeared on the battlefield.

The Time Stone disabled every living person in the area, granting them visions of their true past and possible futures.  Scarred by what he saw, Thanos ended his attack and returned to space.  Vandal, however, saw a future dominated by the forces of Apokalips, the moon replaced by the artificial Warworld.  Soon all life was under the control of the Anti-Life Equation, all enslaved to the will of the Lord of Entropy himself, Darkseid.

Shocked by his vision, Vandal Savage set in motion a plan to prepare for the arrival of Darkseid and his Parademons.  He contacted Apokalips and offered his services in securing the world.  Though Darkseid did not believe he needed the immortal's help, Savage's offer amused the New God and he accepted immediately.

From that point onward Vandal Savage abandoned the Templars and left them to their own devices. The Order fractured, forming dozens of competing groups all claiming to be the true Templar order.