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Eclipso 012

Eclipso with the Black Diamond.

The Heart of Darkness, also known as The Black Diamond of Eclipso, is a small, black diamond first mined on the desolate world of Apokolips.

History

New Earth

Eclipso 012

Eclipso with the Black Diamond.

Millennia ago, it was cut, shaped and used as a tool to crush those who opposed Apokolips' ruler Darkseid. The diamond was later mystically tethered to the demonic agent of vengeance known as Eclipso.

At some point, the black diamond was brought to Earth where it eventually came into the possession of scientist Bruce Gordon. Eclipso's essence, trapped within the diamond, surged outward and used Gordon as a host for his corruptive influence. Gordon fought for years to free himself from Eclipso's control, but invariably, the Heart of Darkness always returned to his person.

At one point, the Heart of Darkness appeared to an insane Jean Loring and convinced her to become the new human host for Eclipso's power. That led to the event known as the Day of Vengeance, involving the Spectre.

As a willing recipient of Eclipso's power, Loring wore the Heart of Darkness as a broach upon her cowl. She lost it during Countdown, and Bruce Gordon came back into possession of it during Countdown to Mystery.

Prime Earth

Justice League Dark Vol 1 23

Lord Kaala with the Black Diamond.

When Kaala became adult in the Gemworld, he killed his parents and received both of their blood-power by means of the Black Diamond. By virtue of his both having been born on an eclipse and gaining his powers during one, Kaala was tied to the darkness of a total solar eclipse. Kaala could not enslave those who bore the blood-power of their Houses, so Lady Chandra of House Amethyst was able to defeat him by opening a portal and dragging him to the "First Home", where he was trapped in the Black Diamond for centuries. Chandra hoped to destroy him, but she failed and the diamond survived with the essence of Kaala inside it, until he could find a physical host.[1][2]

The diamond ended up in Hell. In the early 11th century AD, it was taken to Earth by the Amazon Exoristos, who became more violent with it in her possession. She eventually left it with Al Jabr in the Moorish city of Al-Wadi, where by 1043, Kaala's influence had turned a proud city into a place of crime and corruption. Following the discovery of the Holy Grail by the Demon Knights in a giants' stronghold, it was used to balance the effects of the diamond.[3][4][5][6]

Eventually, the Diamond was discovered by Dr. Henry Jekyll, who used it to create a formula that transformed him into Mister Hyde, a monster consumed by the rage and power of Kaala.[7][8]

Nearly a century later, the Diamond had been housed on Sentinel Island, where it was protected by the ghosts of all of those who died there. It was discovered there by Team 7, who used the Black Diamond's power in an effort to counter a plan by Basilisk, against metahumans and retrieved it. During this, Deathstroke became possessed by the Kaala. After he was freed, the Diamond was hidden in the Black Room.[9][10]

Years later, Catwoman was contracted to infiltrate the Black Room and steal the Diamond, but she became possessed by it. After retrieving it safely, it was delivered to Alex Montez, who also became possessed by Eclipso.[11]

Arrowverse

Earth-1

In Earth-1, the Black Diamond is a Crystal made from dark matter. When a sorcerer amassed infernal power and claimed to be a god, plagues fell, crops withered, and children perished. Finally, the people cried out to God, and a shaft of heavenly light was released. The sorcerer was destroyed and his dark power hardened into a pure mass; a black diamond of radiant evil. An angel's fiery sword shattered the diamond, so that no one man could ever wield it again. The Great Flood spread the diamond fragments all around the world. Every time one was found, death followed. After the deaths of several humans in 2015, John Constantine took the diamond and kept it in a box.[12]

Earth-2

Eclipso Stargirl TV Series 001

Cindy with the Black Diamond.

In Post-Crisis Earth-2, the Black Diamond is from the Diablo Island. Isn't it on the map because they took it off. It's all over maps back in the s, but then around, the Island stopped appearing, like they didn't want anyone to go there. Because no one ever came back. The legend goes, there were two warring tribes living on different sides of the Island. One of the tribes summoned an evil entity of vengeance, trapping it in the black diamond, but it killed them all.[13]

In the mid-1800s LondonRichard Swift was a con man and a thief. He was hired to procure a black diamond, but instead, had a forgery made. It was for a cabal called the Men of Tears. They had heard a story about a lost island, a black diamond, and a ritual to summon a powerful god from a shadow world beyond. They wanted to trap that god so that they might use it to destroy their enemies. The dark ritual called for a sacrifice, so instead of paying Swift what he was due, the cabal kidnapped him and decided he was to be that sacrifice, but the diamond he provided them was a fake, and Eclipso was already trapped in the real one. The ritual was botched, but it opened a doorway to the dark power of the Shadowlands, a power the fake couldn't contain. The dark energy needed a vessel; and Swift became the vessel as The Shade.[14]

Eventually, an explorer named Bruce Gordon rediscovered the Diablo Island, but when he got there, everyone on it had been dead for decades. Bruce brought the black diamond back to the United States with him and became the new host of Eclipso. He used it to achieved wealth and fame and became obsessed and reliant on the power, to the point where he couldn't put the diamond down. He felt guilty for the deaths Eclipso had committed, and sought to end his life, but instead, he was manipulated into relinquishing control of his body to the entity. Starman killed Bruce, returning Eclipso to the diamond and it placed in a box for safety. When the host dies, Eclipso will be forced back into the diamond, and as long no one touch it, Eclipso will be powerless inside.[13][15]

In 2020, after the battle against the JSA, Cindy Burman went to The Wizard's storage unit in the ISA headquarters and finds the box. She takes the box down, removing the black diamond and becoming the new host of Eclipso, until Stargirl shattered the diamond and broke it in shards with the Cosmic Staff, releasing Eclipso, who trapped Cindy in the Shadowlands. Jennie-Lynn Hayden later used her Green Lantern Ring to reconstitute the diamond, in an attempt to trap Eclipso back into it, but the diamond was destroyed when the entity used it to send Stargirl to the Shadowlands.[16][17][18][19]

Earth-Prime

In Earth-Prime, the Black Diamond was mentioned in John Constantine's will. if Rama Khan's history remains intact, he was responsible for the pieces of the Black Diamond spreading through out the world during the Noah's flood.[20][21]


See Also

Links and References

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