Darkseid’s Original Form is Way Less Terrifying (And a Mama’s Boy)

Warning: contains spoilers for Green Lantern #7!

Among the villains of the DC Universe, and comics in general, Darkseid stands head and shoulder above the rest. As the ruler of Apokolips, he has waged war on all of existence, seeking to control the Anti-Life Equation, giving him complete control over the universe. His Parademon hordes have ravaged worlds and enslaved countless numbers—but it was not always this way. In Green Lantern #7, on sale now in print and digital, readers are treated to a vision of a younger Darkseid—and he is far from the dictator he would become.

After helping revolutionize comics in the 1960s at Marvel, legendary artist Jack Kirby left for DC in 1970. Kirby created a number of lasting characters while at DC, but the centerpiece of his DC stint—and maybe his whole career, is the Fourth World saga, a sprawling story that pitted the forces of New Genesis against Darkseid and his legions on Apokolips. Darskeid was born Prince Uxas, second in line to the throne. His brother, Drax, sought the Omega Force, but Uxas killed him and took the power for himself; the power transformed Uxas, causing his skin to turn to stone. Rechristening himself Darkseid, he took control of Apokolips and began his universal crusade of terror. Darkseid’s life as Uxas is rarely seen, and there may be good reason for this, as Uxas and Darkseid were very different.

Green Lantern #7 is written by Geoffrey Thorne, with art by Tom Raney and Marco Santucci, colors by Mike Atiyeh and letters by Rob Leigh. In the issue Green Lantern John Stewart, while trying to discern who attacked the Green Lantern Corps, is visited by Lonar of New Genesis. As they head into battle, Lonar teleports John back billions of years, to a battle between the Oans (before they created the Green Lantern Corps) and the forces of Apokolips, including Darkseid (as Uxas) and his mother Heggra. Watching Uxas/Darkseid interact with Heggra, it is clear they have a close relationship. He tells her it is his “joy to obey” her and refers to her as “my lady queen.” Uxas/Darkseid cuts a less intimidating physical presence as well—he is not as big, with normal, grey-toned skin, a beard without a mustache and a receding hairline.

Earlier in his life, Darkseid was a boot-licking mama’s boy who needed to use weapons such as Desaad’s Soul cannon to level the playing field—a far cry from what he is now. Seeing Darkseid like this and knowing what he will become is jarring; they almost seem like different characters. Yet there are hints of the great evil to come: when Uxas/Darkseid fires the Soul Cannon, with effects similar to his Omega Beams, for the first time, he has a look of sheer ecstasy on his face—he is witnessing the Cannon’s destructive power and he loves it; it is not too much of a stretch to see this incident as a forerunner to what was to come.

Darkseid is one of the scariest villains in comics, capable of striking fear into the hearts of Superman, Batman and literally everyone else in the DC Universe. Everyone has to start somewhere, and Darkseid is no different; he has evolved over time from a mama’s boy to a dictator seeking to conquer all existence.

About The Author

Shaun Corley
(1378 Articles Published)

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Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he’s turned his attention to writing about comic books–his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.

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