Darkseid
| Darkseid | |
|---|---|
| File:Darkseid.png Darkseid Walt Simonson, artist | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 (November 1970) |
| Created by | Jack Kirby |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Uxas |
| Team affiliations | New Gods of Apokolips, Secret Society of Supervillains |
| Abilities | Omega Beams or Omega Effect, nearly limitless strength and endurance, Great intellect |
Darkseid is a DC Comics supervillain created by Jack Kirby, originally as part of The Fourth World series of comic books in the early 1970s. He first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 (November 1970).
Character history
He is the ruler of the planet Apokolips, a post he obtained after assassinating his mother. He is obsessed with finding the Anti-Life Equation to use to rule the universe. This goal also included conquering his rival planet, New Genesis, ruled by the Highfather, formerly Izaya the Inheritor. The resulting destructive war was stopped only with a diplomatic exchange of infant sons. Darkseid's Orion was surrendered to the Highfather while Darkseid received Scott Free. This turned out to be a setback for Darkseid with his biological son growing up to fiercely value and defend the ideals of New Genesis in opposition to his father. Meanwhile, Scott Free refused to be corrupted by the abuse of Apokolips and eventually escaped along with the former leader of the Female Furies, Big Barda to Earth to become the superhero escape artist, Mister Miracle.
Powers and abilities
Darkseid has become a major DC Comics villain who is an enemy to the DC Universe superheroes.
In addition to the considerable military forces at his command, he is himself formidable. His main power, the Omega Beams or Omega Effect, which he fires from his eyes, not only is a powerful attack, but can follow any target, can teleport the target anywhere he chooses or can disintegrate the target instantly and can just as quickly reassemble the target if he chooses. Darkseid also possesses strength and stamina comparable to that of Superman.
Darkseid's personality
Darkseid is a character whose personality can vaguely be described as evil incarnate. Darkseid is not merely content to control but to dominate those individuals under him into totally obedient and morally corrupt caricatures of individuals. Apokolips is a world that resembles Hell because of his need to be worshipped as a god and the need to nurture the most horrible aspects of the human spirit. In a personality cult reminiscent of Stalinism, his subjects are raised to venerate him, to gladly sacrifice themselves in his name.
Darkseid practices great emotional restraint, always maintaing a calm and disciplined composure despite the furious rage that often boils within him (his son, Orion, has inherited this rage but cannot control it as well as his father, relying on his mother box to keep his emotions in check). Darkseid seems to possess a twisted form of honor but this code is 'flexible' depending on his mood. It seems he desires to be thought of as an honorable being but never lets this stand in the way of his gaining power or revenge. He especially takes delight in seeing the mighty brought low whether in strength or moral conviction. Darkseid's primary weakness may be his obsession to get even with people who have gotten the better of him, especially Superman, Wonder Woman, and the New Gods. He may also begin to develop a grudge against Batman, who robbed him of his most powerful apprentice, Supergirl. He missed Supergirl's company, primarily because she was an attractive woman.
Darkseid's agenda
Darkseid's great ambition is to wipe out free will from the universe and reshape it in his own image. To this end, he seeks to unravel the mysterious 'Anti-Life Equation', which will allow him to completely control the thoughts and emotions of living beings. The Anti-Life Equation has often been portrayed as a quasi-mystical power that forces a listener to agree with whatever the wielder says. Other times, it is portrayed as a comprehensive scientific theory on how to dominate any living mind, whatever its nature.
Whilst he has yet to obtain this power, he has tried on several other occasions to achieve dominance of the universe through other methods. Darkseid has a special interest in Earth, as he believes humans possess collectively within their minds most, if not all, fragments of the Anti-Life Equation. Were he to conquer Earth, he would probe the mind of every human to piece together the Equation.
Destiny
As with gods in other mythologies, Darkseid is incredibly powerful, but cannot escape his ultimate destiny. It has been fortold that Darkseid will meet his final defeat at the hands of his son Orion, in a cataclysmic battle in the fiery pits of Apokolips. Presumably this outcome would occur at the climax of the New Gods series, but the title's unforseen cancellation instead brought Darkseid's story arc to an unceremonious end, and both he and Orion were brought into the mainstream DC universe, while Kirby moved on to other projects.
While this changeover kept Darkseid alive as a character, some fans feel it is to his detriment. No writers appear willing to write the ultimate resolution to the character, either out of respect for Kirby or because they are not about to kill off one of one of DC's most popular villains. As well, the idea of reversing or annulling the prophesy has been turned down, also out of respect to Kirby. At the present time Darkseid and Orion will not have their final battle in the forseeable future, and thus both characters, while still active, are in a story arc "limbo", unless his presumed death in the Justice League animation series holds in the comic world.
Recent Characterizations
Although Darkseid had previously been written as a nigh-unbeatable and omnipotent foe, his recent characterizations have shown him to be massively powered down to a level resembling his animated appearance. In several instances, his Omega Effect is deflected by Superman's heat vision, and more recently Wonder Woman's bracelets, feats that normally would have been impossible according to previous continuity. Superman himself is no match for Darkseid's Omega Effect. Neither is Wonder Woman, as the Omega Effect, when properly portrayed, would circumvent her bracelets and hit her directly.
Other appearances
He has appeared in the later versions of The Super Friends animated television series, perhaps to fulfill the producers' request for a villain similar to Star Wars' Darth Vader. In addition, he appears in the current series of DC Comics animated adaptations produced by Warner Brothers Television. He is voiced by Michael Ironside.
Michael Ironside reprised his role of Darkseid in Justice League where he teamed up with Brainiac to destroy the Justice League. Orion went a couple rounds with him and Superman beat him up and destroyed his Boom Tube where Brainiac's Asteroid Base blew up. It's unknown what happened to Darkseid. But in Justice League Unlimited, a civil war sprang on Apokolips between Granny Goodness and Vermin Vundebarr
External links
- Supermanica: Darkseid Supermanica entry for the Pre-Crisis Darkseid