Doomsday (Prime Earth)

Most predators attack their attackers...but this beast...it destroyed everything. That was its function, after all...to ensure that no Kryptonian would ever be safe again.

— General Zod ^src

History

A being of unknown origin and unimaginable power and bloodlust, the creature was unleashed onto Krypton, only to be repelled by Colonel Zod using an ancient Kryptonian warsuit (though Zod later hinted that he created the creature himself to serve as a rallying point to a pacifistic and 'soft' Krypton).^[1] Decades later, the creature would come to Earth, where it would find Superman. Little is known of their confrontation: what is certain is that Doomsday's arrival was heralded by the sky burning red, and when it appeared, it killed Superman^[2] and destroyed Metropolis, a day that would be known forever after as 'Doomsday', giving the monster a name. However, Superman returned and ultimately defeated the beast, afterwards rebuilding Metropolis.^[3] Doomsday would later be exiled to the Phantom Zone, but appeared sporadically in the material world^[4], eventually breaking free altogether.

The Next Step in Evolution

Sometime after his defeat, Doomsday discovered a way to teleport in between the Earth and the Phantom Zone at will, allowing him to ravage a location and then return to the safety of the Zone. Around this time he also reached the next stage in his evolution Doomsday now secreted a toxin that would destroy or kill everyone within a few mile radius. With this new power Doomsday teleported himself to "Honeymoon Island" in the Bahamas where he merely stood and let his new toxins annihilate the populace of three-thousand people. The U.S. military soon arrived however they were no match for his toxins, as they all burned. Doomsday then retreated into the Phantom Zone. Doomsday then reemerged in Botswana where he began slaughtering the wild life. He was quickly met by the arrival of hero Steel. However Steel was no match for Doomsday who dispatched him in mere seconds. Before Doomsday could end Steel's life Wonder Woman arrived for a rematch. After a few seconds of conflict Doomsday's toxin began affecting Diana, although this didn't stop her from releasing her fury on the beast. Superman soon arrived on the scene, the arrival of such a force made Doomsday retreat into the Phantom Zone as he recognized that he might not win the battle.^[5]

Doomsday would ravage huge portions of the planet, with the Justice League always missing him due to his dimensional travel. Eventually Superman was able to catch up to him in Mumbai. Superman immediately attacked the beast, dragging it outside of the Earth's atmosphere and into the solar system. The pair waged a titanic battle across the solar system until Superman seemingly incinerated Doomsday with his heat vision. However Doomsday survived and returned to Earth where he attacked Superman in Smallville. Overcome by anger caused by the slaughter of innocents, Superman ripped Doomsday in half.^[5]

In the aftermath of the battle Doomsday's toxins began infecting Superman. Slowly Superman began to turn into a Doomsday like creature known as SuperDoom, who would continue Doomsday's carnage.^[6] However in a climactic battle with Brainiac, Superman was cured of his affliction.^[7]

Change in History

The Superman of the old continuity eventually merged himself with the Superman that Doomsday had fought. This completely changed the timeline, adding and taking away from Doomsday's timeline. In a similar way to his counterpart in the old continuity, Doomsday and Superman killed each other in a brawl in Metropolis after Doomsday ravaged half of America and beat the Justice League.^[8]

Doomsday of the old continuity had been trapped in the lair of the Superman's father Jor-El after he tried to kill Superman again. Because of this when the two Doomsdays merged histories, the current Doomsday was trapped in Mister Oz's jail.^[9]

Imprisonment

Detective Comics Vol 1 966 Textless — Doomsday hunts Batman and Red Robin

During his stay in Jor-El's prison Doomsday was set free by the man as one of this other prisoners, Red Robin, had escaped and Doomsday was to hunt him down. Tearing through the complex, Doomsday eventually found his prey with a Batman from the future who had come to save Red Robin. He attacked the pair by knocking Red Robin into a wall, however the pair were able to flee after Batman shot him with synthetic kryptonite which momentarily disabled him. Doomsday was quickly back on the pair's trail. Before he could reach the pair they enclosed themselves behind a blast door. Doomsday began unrelentingly punching the door, hoping to smash the door and kill the two heroes inside. He was eventually able to break through the door, as he prepared to kill Batman and Red Robin Superman arrived.^[10]

Superman led Doomsday back to his cell where it was revealed to the beast that he had been chasing a hologram created by Batman. With Doomsday once again encaged, the two heroes were able to escape the prison.^[10] Doomsday was later in cryostasis when Superman confronted Jor-El in his prison, who tried to convince Superman that he meant no harm by displaying his capture of Doomsday.^[11]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Unique Physiology
- Limitless Strength: Doomsday is incredibly strong, possessing an unlimited strength level. While evolving, Doomsday could shatter a dimension within the Phantom Zone using nothing but brute force.^[12] He also broke one of Wonder Woman's arms just by punching it.^[13]
  - Super-Leaping
- Self-Evolution: If something kills him once, it cannot kill him again & he will either instantaneously heal from it instead or be invulnerable to it.^[5]
  - Immortality: Doomsday is functionally immortal, meaning he will never age or wither due to time. It is unknown if this is due to his regenerative healing or through other means.
  - Invulnerability: Doomsday is invulnerable to almost every form of damage. He is completely unharmed by bullets, bombs, missiles and other ballistic weaponry employed by humans. Punches from the likes of Superman and Wonder Woman do little to harm him.
  - Regeneration: He instantly heals any method of damage done to him a second time. This may be responsible for his immortality.
  - Energy Absorption: To aid in his growth cycle Doomsday would siphon the very energy and lives of anything around him into himself, becoming evermore powerful and expedite his further evolution.
- Superhuman Reflexes
- Toxikinesis: Prior to his death, Doomsday was capable of emitting a toxin that would kill anything near him. Even Superman could only confront him for a short while before succumbing to his presence.^[5]
  - Doomsday Conversion: An effect of Doomsday's new abilities. The potential letheality of which, while still incredibly caustic, was also discovered to be able to convert others afflicted by his miasma into Doomsday-like monstrosities.^[14]
    - Murderous Possession: Upon his death by the hands of Superman he was able to adversely affect him, Kal-El started to warp biologically to resemble Doomsday due to the beast imprinting his entire essence onto his genetic code.^[6]
  - Molecular Reconstruction: His poison didn't just intoxicate organic elements. Everything around him within 100 yards began to degenerate and die; desert sand burned into onyx in his wake, people a good distance away burst' into flames, brick & stone spontaneously dissolving at a molecular level, etc.^[3]
- Unlimited Stamina
Teleportation: Doomsday was capable of warping from location to location via the Phantom Zone.^[13]

Notes

Doomsday's first arrival on Earth was heralded by red skies, a sign often paired with a Crisis-level event in the Multiverse—the potential implications of this are unknown.
Doomsday is first mentioned in Action Comics (Volume 2) #16 by Grant Morrison, Rags Morales and Brad Walker, although it would not appear in full until Batman/Superman 3.1.

Doomsday was created by Dan Jurgens, first appearing in Superman: The Man of Steel #17. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Doomsday first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Batman/Superman #3.1: Doomsday by Greg Pak and Brett Booth.

Doomsday (Prime Earth) appears as Doomsday (Prime) a playable character in the Infinite Crisis video game.

Doomsday (Prime Earth)

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