I have dreamed of killing you, father. And now I am going to do unto you, the cruelest, most painful act of which I am capable. I will not kill you. I cannot. And I can barely believe it. 
- — Orion
New Gods (Volume 3) #21 is an issue of the series New Gods (Volume 3) with a cover date of October, 1990.
Synopsis for "Patricide"
Darkseid tells Orion to kill him to defeat Yuga Khan, but at the same time, he says that "a son cannot kill a father." Still unsure of the meaning of those words and incapable of killing him, Orion frees Darkseid and follows his lead to the Lump. Darkseid explains that he is constrained by a natural law that prevents him from killing his father. So to prove if it's true, Darkseid and Orion must fight inside the mind of the Lump. If Orion succeeds, then Darkseid will be free to kill Yuga Khan. At first, Orion doubts the veracity of his father's words, but in the end, he accepts, and they enter the Lump's mind.
Already inside, Darkseid taunts Orion to kill him, but Orion is incapable of doing. Or at least, he cannot force himself to do it, not even remembering all the horrible acts Darkseid committed. However, Orion sees through Darkseid's act, using him to break the natural law and commit an act of self-loathing. He knows that Darkseid couldn't even kill his own mother, and he had to use DeSaad. So Orion decides to do to him the most painful thing he is capable of: not killing Darkseid. He then leaves the Lump, letting Darkseid live.
Meanwhile, on New Genesis, Yuga Khan arrives in front of Highfather and the Source Wall. Seeking the knowledge hidden beyond the Wall, Khan attempts to destroy it. But all his might is useless against the Source, so instead of going through it, he goes within it. To do so, Khan turns himself into primal energy, the same as the Source, and phases through the Wall. Highfather watches, and he feels powerless in a situation like this. However, the Source Wall starts to recover its energy, which can only mean Yuga Khan failed. Later, Metron confirms it at the Promethean Galaxy, where he finds Yuga Khan confined again among the Celestial Giants.
Appearing in "Patricide"
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