Darkseid: An Introduction to One of DC’ S Biggest Supervillains

Darkseid is a DC Comics supervillain that rules over the planet Apokolips. He is commonly known as one of the leading Superman villains, although he has gone up against many different DC heroes. A cruel despot, his goals in life are to rule the universe and destroy the various heroes that have stepped in his path over the years.

Darkseid was created by comic legend Jack Kirby. Kirby’s other famous creations include The Fantastic Four and Captain America. The first appearance of Darseid was in Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, issue # 134. This issue hit newsstands in 1970 and Darkseid has seen many incarnations over the years. He is still a leading DC supervillain.

With abilities that make him almost god-like, Darkseid became ruler of Apokolips by assassinating his mother. Apokolips is a miserable, fiery planet that resembles many mainstream versions of hell. It is crawling with parademons, nasty little creatures that exact Darkseid’s totalitarian rule over the lowly inhabitants of Apokolips.

Darkseid’s main power is his Omega Beam (aka Omega Effect), which comes from his eyes. The Omega Beam can destroy virtually anyone in its path and it is also used to teleport him through time and space. One of Darkseid’s advantages over his enemies is that he doesn’t have to adhere to the physical laws known to mankind.

Beyond his Omega Beam, Darkseid’s super strength and speed match that of Superman’s. Over the years, Darkseid has battled with Superman, Wonder Woman, Lobo, Batman, and Supergirl. In the limited DC series, Our Worlds At War, Darkseid was forced to temporarily ally himself with Superman and rest of the Justice League of America. This wasn’t easy on any party.

In the comic series The New Gods, by Jack Kirby, it was foretold that Orion, Darkseid’s son, would overthrow and kill Darkseid. The series was never finished, leaving Darkseid alive in DC’s main storyline. However, the limited series hit, Kingdom Come, told of a post-apocalyptic DC universe in which Orion has become Apokolips’ ruler. Regardless, Darkseid seems ever present as one of DC’s thriving, popular villains.