| Looking for a different version of this character? |
|---|
| As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page. |
Darkseid is the tyrannical ruler of Apokolips, a sadistic, aggressive and merciless tyrant who has invaded and conquered countless worlds throughout the universe. As the God of Tyranny, Darkseid seeks to enslave all things to his will using the Anti-Life Equation.
History
Birth of a Dark God
In another universe, the Old Gods were immortal beings who relied on the prayers of mortals to remain in power, but nevertheless cared nothing about them. Soon the rebellious Uxas began putting lies and corruption in the minds of these Gods which sparked a war between them. As the gods began to die, Uxas began stealing the Gods' power for himself.[3]
Eventually, when his father Yuga Khan came to strike down both him and his brother Izaya for their insolence against the Old Gods, he used the Anti-Life to revive the Old Gods Uxas murdered, but was ultimately slain by his own son[4] who took the fallen Gods' power to become the New God Darkseid.
Izaya, too, received power from the Old Gods and confronted him, claiming they were New Gods who should unite to bring forth a new age, but Darkseid only felt disdain and destroyed their world, with only him and Izaya remaining.
As eons passed, Darkseid created the hellpit of Apokolips and has remained as its sole ruler, with the only force capable of opposing him being his brother Highfather and his forces of New Genesis.[5] At some point, he captured an aspect of Death in the form of the Black Racer to become his greatest weapon, but he couldn't command it unless it were anchored to a sentient host.[6]
Darkseid conceived many sons; one, Kalibak, became a brutal warrior of Apokolips while another, Orion, was traded for Highfather's own Scot in a promise of peace between both planets.[7]
Some time ago, Darkseid came across the Amazon Myrinaand conceived another child with her, a daughter named Grail,[2] who unbeknownst to him was being raised to destroy him.[8]
War against Earth
Seeking to conquer Earth, Darkseid went Earth pernsonally to confront Superman personally,[9] easily overpowering the Kryptonian's allies and managing to defeat and capture Superman.[10] However, the combined assault of Earth's defenders proved to be enough distraction for Batman to release Superman, who pushed Darkseid through a Boom-Tube for Cyborg to send to Apokolips, away from Earth.[11]
Darkseid War
Main article: Justice League: The Darkseid War
The Dark God vs. The Anti-God
Darkseid sent his Fury Lashina and the assassin Kanto on a hunt for his daughter's mother, while he returned to his throne room and came across Mister Miracle. The escapist confronted Darkseid but he once again proved to be stronger. Thus Miracle was forced to Boom-Tube to Earth, to which Darkseid remained indifferent.[12] The Anti-God arrived on Earth while Superman and an extra, Lex Luthor, were sent to Darkseid's domain by Lena Luthor, another emissary of Apokolips. Darkseid commanded his forces to mobilize with his war plan, ordering his right hand DeSaad to unleash the prisoners in the slave camp and sic them on Kal-El and Lex. He also commanded his General Steppenwolf to take his firstborn Kalibak with them in the war effort against Mobius.[8]
With his daughter Grail summoning him, Darkseid and his army finally arrived to the battle scene against the Anti-Monitor, facing his enemy head-on.[13] Growing desperate, Darkseid summoned the Black Racer, the living death of the New Gods, to destroy his enemy. The Anti-Monitor fused it with the Justice League's Flash and merged its power with the Anti-Life Equation to finally destroy Darkseid, ending his life once and for all.[14]
Afterwards, when the child of Superwoman and Mazahs was born and taken by Grail, the child absorbed the Omega Effect from Lex Luthor as well as the Anti-Life Equation from Steve Trevor becoming the new Darkseid temporarily, before being separated from the Anti-Life Equation and reverted into a child form of Darkseid taken by Grail to be raised.[1]
Returning to God-hood
Some time after the invasion of the Dark Multiverse Grail began killing Old Gods such as Hercules and absorbed their power. She would then give the power to Uxas to make him grow stronger and closer to becoming Darkseid again. After absorbing Hercules' power Uxas transformed into a much older child around the age 11 or 12 in human biological standards. After aging to a young adult, he fights Zeus himself. During the fight, he reveals that killing Hercules and the rest of Zeus' children was just bait for Zeus himself. He kills Zeus, absorbs his power, restores his own and escapes with Grail.
There's something missing here. This section of the article is incomplete, and contains information, but requires more before it can be considered complete. You can help DC Database by editing this page, providing additional information to bring this article to a higher standard of quality.
Wonder Woman vs Darkseid
There's something missing here. This section of the article is incomplete, and contains information, but requires more before it can be considered complete. You can help DC Database by editing this page, providing additional information to bring this article to a higher standard of quality.
Justice League Odyssey
Darkseid survived his encounter with Wonder Woman, and was able to manipulate the Justice League of space to gather information about them being deities of the Ghost Sector.
There's something missing here. This section of the article is incomplete, and contains information, but requires more before it can be considered complete. You can help DC Database by editing this page, providing additional information to bring this article to a higher standard of quality.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- New God Physiology: As a New God, Darkseid exists outside of normal time and space. The New Gods have evolved into beings of genetic stability and evolutionary perfection, due to taking up the powers of other gods and their close proximity to the Source. Darkseid's "True Form" or "Godhead" (which is the Multiversal Entity of pure evil that all versions and forms of Darkseid embody) however, was fragmented into a lesser form after Final Crisis, until he eventually reconstituted into his "True Form", which consisted of all of Darkseid's lesser forms, making all of his past aspects become one. In this True Form, Darkseid states his power exceeds what it was before the first Crisis.[15]
- Enhanced Intellect: Darkseid's mental capacity far exceeds that of a normal human. He's been described as being a hundred steps up the evolutionary ladder from humans.[16]
- Immortality: Darkseid is functionally immortal, having ceased aging physically when he received his power.[3]
- Invulnerability: Darkseid survived the destruction of a whole planet,[3] remained unfazed by the combined assault of the Justice League.[11]
- Energy Resistance: Darkseid is highly resistant to most energy based attacks. Even while in a weakened state, he was unfazed by both Cyborg's arm cannon and Azrael's flaming Murasame sword.[17]
- Regeneration: Darkseid was able to regenerate his eyesight after both his eyes were impaled by Wonder Woman and Aquaman.[11]
- Superhuman Speed: Darkseid is able to move at speeds far greater than any human. Even when not at full power, Darkseid was still fast enough to match Zeus' combat speed. During this fight, Wonder Woman stated she had never seen a battle happen at the speed they were fighting at.[18]
- Superhuman Stamina: Darkseid fought against Highfather Izaya for seven days straight, showing only minor signs of fatigue.[5]
- Superhuman Strength: Darkseid's strength rivals a Kryptonian's.[3] He is capable of effortlessly shattering Lantern constructs,[10] defeating multiple superhumans simultaneously. [11] Darkseid was even strong enough to hold open portals from closing, using only his bare hands.[3]
- Omega Effect: Darkseid wields a cosmic energy field called the "Omega Effect", which proves integral, as it is the core from which his other abilities manifest from. He can manipulate this powerful energy field to traverse time and space, among other abilities.
- Omega Beams: Darkseid can fire concentrated beams from his eyes which can lock on its target to ensure it never misses. He has pinpoint control over these Omega Beams, and his unerring aim allows it to travel in straight lines or bend, twist or curve around corners. The beams are powerful enough to harm Kryptonians,[10] destroy planets,[3] and are fast enough to catch speedsters.[10] Anything Darkseid destroys with them can be recreated with but a thought.[citation needed]
- Cosmic Awareness: Darkseid can perceive and understand the workings of the universe on a cosmic level. He is able to perceive others even in different dimensions.[20]
- Darkness Manipulation: In his True Form, Darkseid is able to generate and manipulate a powerful dark energy that was capable of seemingly killing the entire Quintessence.[15]
- Dimensional Travel: Darkseid's Omega Effect allows him to transverse through time and space at will,[3] allowing him to cross between dimensions.[21]
- Boomtube Projection: Darkseid is able to create and project Boomtubes at will, either for his own use or to send others to desired destinations without requiring the use of a Mother Box.[20]
- Erosion Blasts: Darkseid can focus his Omega energy through his hands and arms to generate eradicating shockwaves to destroy the surrounding landscape.[9]
- Flight: Darkseid is capable of levitating and flying at will.
- Gravity Manipulation: When Darkseid reached between universes, his hand created an immense gravitational pull that twisted time and space in his surrounding area.[22]
- Chronokinesis: Darkseid's gravitational pull was so strong that it warped time itself in the surrounding area. When John Constantine was trapped within it, he stated he lived days between each second from his perception.[22]
- Power Absorption: Darkseid can absorb the life-force of Old Gods to regain strength. He was able to absorb the power of Zeus in order to get back to full strength.[18] He was also able to feed on the energy of Zeus' children to regain power.[23]
- Resurrection: Darkseid can seemingly revitalize those who've been dead for some time as seen by his having been able to resurrect a long since deceased Steppenwolf, last seen within his personal chambers.[8]
- Size Alteration: Darkseid can adjust his size at will, as seen by his having once stretched an enlarged hand towards refugees from Earth 2 when Constantine tried to ferry them to safety in another universe.[20]
- Summoning: Darkseid has the unique ability to summon the Black Racer to aid him in battle. He also has complete control over the entity.[14]
- Telepathy: Darkseid is able to telepathically invade the minds of others, even while in a separate dimension.[20]
Abilities
- Deception[24]
- Genius Level Intellect
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)[18]
- Intimidation
- Leadership: Darkseid is recognized as the ultimate authority in Apokolips, inspiring intimidation among his lesser subjects in order to ensure blind obedience through fear of his wrath.[3]
- Quantum Mechanics
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Transportation
Notes
.jpg){kind=link}
Previous form of Darkseid.
- Darkseid was created by Jack Kirby, first appearing in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Darkseid first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Justice League (Volume 2) #3 by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee.
- Unlike most versions of Darkseid, the Post-Flashpoint version was not always bald. Instead, he was formerly brown haired, with a brown beard as well.[3] [4]
Recommended Reading
Related
- 215 Appearances of Darkseid (Prime Earth)
- 105 Images featuring Darkseid (Prime Earth)
- 18 Quotations by or about Darkseid (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Darkseid (Prime Earth)
Footnotes
- ā 1.0 1.1 Justice League (Volume 2) #50
- ā 2.0 2.1 Divergence #1
- ā 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Justice League (Volume 2) #23.1: Darkseid
- ā 4.0 4.1 Infinity Man and the Forever People #5
- ā 5.0 5.1 New Gods: Godhead #1
- ā Justice League (Volume 2) #45
- ā Justice League (Volume 2) #40
- ā 8.0 8.1 8.2 Justice League (Volume 2) #42
- ā 9.0 9.1 Justice League (Volume 2) #4
- ā 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Justice League (Volume 2) #5
- ā 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Justice League (Volume 2) #6
- ā Justice League (Volume 2) #41
- ā Justice League (Volume 2) #43
- ā 14.0 14.1 Justice League (Volume 2) #44
- ā 15.0 15.1 Infinite Frontier #0
- ā Justice League Odyssey #11
- ā Justice League Odyssey #2
- ā 18.0 18.1 18.2 Wonder Woman (Volume 5) #37
- ā Action Comics #970
- ā 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Constantine #22
- ā Constantine #23
- ā 22.0 22.1 Constantine #23
- ā Wonder Woman (Volume 5) #33
- ā Justice League Odyssey #7
  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 has been 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." |
 Batman Villain(s) |
 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." |