Darkseid was the evil, undisputed tyrant ruler of the planet Apokolips. He commanded massive armies to conquer the universe, and battled Superman and the Justice League on numerous occasions, with power so great even death could not stop him.
History
Darkseid attempted to take over Earth, at first via Intergang and its boss, Bruno Mannheim. That led to an eventual invasion of Metropolis, which was only stopped when Orion showed up with the army of New Genesis. Orion declared that Earth would be under New Genesis' protection, which barred Darkseid from invading the planet again. However, Darkseid used his Omega Beams and killed Dan Turpin before he left Earth. Darkseid nurtured a grudge against Superman, as well as used him for his second attack on Earth. After Darkseid brainwashed Superman, so that Superman believed that Darkseid had adopted him, he set Superman against Earth. Though the invasion plan failed, Darkseid managed to undermine Superman's status with the people. Superman returned to Apokolips and defeated Darkseid. Superman was shocked when the people of Apokolips did not free themselves and Darkseid told him that on Apokolips, he was God.
Darkseid battles Superman and the Justice League
Darkseid tried a new approach: he formed a devil's alliance with Brainiac. Brainiac would "attack" Apokolips and Darkseid would come to Superman and the Justice League for aid. However, once Superman was captured, Darkseid took over Brainiac, and planned to use him to uncover the Anti-Life Equation. The plan ended badly. After Darkseid betrayed Brainiac, Darkseid tried to escape, but was cornered by Superman. The two fiercely brawled and the battle ended with both Darkseid and Brainiac being blown up along with Brainiac's asteroid base.
When Lex Luthor and the Legion of Doom tried to resurrect Brainiac, they accidentally resurrected Darkseid, who was merged with Brainiac. The more powerful Darkseid first restored order to Apokolips, which was in a Civil War, as well as launched an invasion of Earth, and planned to attack New Genesis next. The Justice League and surviving members of the Legion teamed up to fight the invasion. Superman originally beat Darkseid physically in Metropolis, but Darkseid trapped Superman with an Agony Matrix and tried to kill him with a Kryptonite Knife. Luthor gained the Anti-Life Equation and bartered with it. As both Darkseid and Luthor admired the beauty of the equation, they disappeared and were absorbed into the Source Wall.
Earth 12 Future
In Earth 12, Darkseid and Luthor weren't absorbed into the Source Wall and eventually returned to their respective homes. Decades later, Highfather approached Darkseid looking for help and the dark lord only agreed in exchange for full access to the Anti-Life Equation. While Highfather was consumed by the light, Darkseid was rendered blind and lost the Omega Force. No longer feeling he was fit to rule Apokolips, he bequeathed to his son Orion.[1]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- New God Physiology: Darkseid's overbearing size, gravely voice, and granite-like skin gave him a fierce countenance.
- Accelerated Healing: Injuring Darkseid was an almost impossible feat, but he could get hurt; well when he did, depending on the damage, Darkseid could heal/recover from his wounds at an accelerated rate.
- Immortality: It was believed that Darkseid was an ancient being, who was possibly several millennia old. His body did not suffer the rigors of disease or the normal cellular mitosis that came with age.
- Invulnerability: Darkseid was well-nigh invulnerable and could withstand nearly any physical threat. That was not to suggest that Darkseid could not be injured, however. Sufficient physical force, such as a full-powered punch from Superman, would weaken and even injure Darkseid, though he had been known to recover from such damage extremely quickly.
- Omega Beams: Originally, Darkseid projected spurts or pulses of flame beams from his eyes. Later, upon his emergence with Brainiac, he shot more of laser-like beams, of which proved both devastating and chaotic. The properties of the Omega Beams changed according to Darkseid's needs. Sometimes, they took the form of concussive bolts of energy. Other times, they manifested as lethal disintegration rays.
- Superhuman Stamina: Darkseid could operate with maximum efficiency for an undetermined period of time without rest or the need for sleep.
- Superhuman Strength: Darkseid was one of the strongest beings in the galaxy, and his strength was far greater than Superman's or Mongul's.
Abilities
- Deception[1]
- Firearms
- Genius Level Intellect
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)
- Leadership
- Intimidation
- Military Protocol: Darkseid controlled all of his immense army, even more than his commanders.
Other Characteristics
- Blind: In Earth 12, Darkseid was blinded by The Source.[1]
Paraphernalia
Transportation
Notes
- This version of the character is exclusive to the continuity of the DC Animated Universe and is an adaptation of Darkseid. The original character was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134.
- Darkseid was voiced by Michael Ironside for the various Animated Series and by Kevin Michael Richardson for the video game Superman: Shadow of Apokolips.
Related
- 34 Appearances of Darkseid (DCAU)
- 4 Images featuring Darkseid (DCAU)
- 8 Quotations by or about Darkseid (DCAU)
- Character Gallery: Darkseid (DCAU)
External Links
Footnotes
  This character or group of characters are related to Jack Kirby's Fourth World, either the original concept and group of titles by Jack Kirby, or any of their subsequent adaptations by other creators. This template will categorize articles that include it into the Fourth World Characters category. |
 This character is or was primarily an enemy of the Justice League, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Justice League Villains." |
 This character is or was primarily an enemy of Superman in any of his various incarnations, or members of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Villains category." |
