Darkseid (fictional character)

Darkseid is a fictional supervillain who appears in comic books published by American comic book publisher DC Comics. Darkseid first appeared in issues of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen in 1970 before making his official debut in the first issue of Forever People in 1971. He is described as a vicious and tyrannical villain who comes from the planet Apokolips. His goal is to rule the entire universe and demolish free will by finding what is known as the Anti-Life Equation. Described as one of the most powerful characters in the DC universe, Darkseid became one of Superman’s primary antagonists throughout his storylines. He is also a sworn enemy of the Justice League group of superheroes. Darkseid has appeared in a number of plotlines across multiple DC comic book series and is considered one of the greatest DC supervillains ever created.

Background

The character of Darkseid was created by American comic book artist Jack Kirby in 1970. Kirby created Darkseid to serve as the primary villain for his new epic storyline “Fourth World,” which interconnected multiple DC storylines from various comics. He designed Darkseid’s face after American actor Jack Palance’s. Darkseid’s personality was modeled after fascist ruler Adolf Hitler’s.

Darkseid’s character was first hinted at in issue number 134 of the DC comic series Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen and subsequently appeared in issues 135 and 136. Darkseid’s first complete appearance as a major supervillain came in the first issue of Forever People—also created by Kirby and first published in 1971. Darkseid was created to be the main antagonist of the heroes in Forever People as well as those in the Mister Miracle series and the New Gods series, but he remained a major part of the DC universe of stories even after these titles were no longer published.

Darkseid hails from the planet Apokolips, where he was born to King Yuga Khan and Queen Heggra. He originally went by Prince Uxas and was second in line to the throne behind his brother Drax. Drax and Uxas sought the legendary Omega Force, which Drax intended to absorb and become the most powerful being in the universe. When the pair discovered the force, Uxas murdered his brother and absorbed the power himself. He was transformed into a large, rock-like being with great strength and subsequently changed his name to Darkseid. He then fell in love with a fellow Apokoliptian named Suli who was a sorceress. The pair had a son together named Kalibak. Suli was poisoned by order of Darkseid’s mother, who felt that Suli was a bad influence on her son. Any semblance of Darkseid’s humanity was lost following Suli’s death. In revenge, he had Heggra poisoned and effectively took over as ruler of Apokolips.

Darkseid’s origin story was altered with the launch of the New 52 DC Universe in 2011. In this revamped version of the DC universe, Darkseid was not a prince but a lower member of the Old Gods. He manipulated the Old Gods into turning against each other and as they grew weak, he murdered each of them and absorbed their powers, eventually becoming the invincible New God Darkseid. His brother was Highfather, and conflict between the two resulted in the creation of the worlds New Genesis and Apokolips. Darkseid’s origins were thrown into turmoil once more in 2016 with the launch of DC Rebirth, which interweaved new and old DC storylines. With this relaunch, Darkseid’s roots became unclear.

Overview

Darkseid is considered a living god with many powerful abilities. His greatest power comes from the Omega Effect, a powerful force that emits in blasts from his hands. The force also gives him the power to blast “Omega Beams” from his eyes, which can be used to kill his enemies instantly. The beams are also capable of resurrecting dead heroes if Darkseid decides to continue their torture. The Omega Effect also gives Darkseid the power to trap his enemies in alternate realities designed to torment the individual stuck in them, an ability called the Omega Sanction. Alongside his Omega Effect powers, Darkseid also has mysterious telepathic abilities and is seemingly indestructible. Multiple superheroes have managed to destroy his body over the years only for Darkseid to completely reconstruct himself. In terms of physical strength, he is considered the strongest being in the universe, even outdoing the strength of heroes such as Superman and Wonder Woman.

Darkseid’s initial storyline is told through the Fourth World metaseries of comics in which he is the primary villain. Following the cancellation of the Forever People, New Gods, and Mister Miracle comics featured within the Fourth World series, Darkseid became a major villain of the Justice League, especially Superman. He was also the main antagonist in the Great Darkness Saga contained within the Legion of Super-Heroes vol. II, first published in 1982. This plot line saw him draining other villains of their powers and absorbing them as his own. He used these powers to try to conquer the universe. In issues 1-6 of DC’s Legends, Darkseid turns his attentions to Earth in an attempt to turn Earthlings against their heroes but ultimately fails. He returns to Earth in issues of Death of the News Gods and Final Crisis, using what is known as the Anti-Life Equation to rob humanity of its free will and make humans his slaves. His plot is thwarted by Wonder Woman and the Flash in the end.

Throughout the 2010s, with the arrival of the New 52 relaunch and then the Rebirth relaunch, Darkseid continued to be the main villain of the Justice League. He also appeared in a number of new Wonder Woman issues, becoming the superhero’s primary antagonist throughout 2017 and 2018. Alongside his continued appearances in DC comics, the character has also made appearances in various film and TV adaptations of the DC universe. He was featured on the live-action TV show Smallville, which follows the early years of Superman after his arrival on Earth. He also appeared in multiple animated TV shows and films. In 2019, executives at the DC Extended franchise announced plans to give Darkseid his first live-action film appearance in a new film tentatively titled The New Gods.

Bibliography

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