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"Eons have passed since I came face-to-face with a force that could possibly tip the balance to the light. You are the light! You cast out the darkness from Oliver Queen, and you will obliterate my darkness from the rest of the world if you are not stopped! You will surrender to me. You will lose your soul. I will annihilate you!"
— Darkseid to Clark. Finale, Part 2

Darkseid is an alien despot hailing from the doomsday planet Apokolips. A powerful and corrupt entity, Darkseid has held a particular interest in the planet Earth, manifesting his powers in different ways during the darkest periods of human history, only to be banished each time.

He returned to Earth to corrupt it once more through a hole in the universe which was created when the Book of Rao was used as a portal to a new world. Re-emerging on Earth, Darkseid sought a vessel to inhabit so that he could directly influence Earth's people and started to gather prophets to further his cause.

Darkseid went on to possess Gordon Godfrey and created a backlash against superheroes in Metropolis. He also attempted to use the doubts and fears in the heart of Clark Kent to turn him into a weapon, but was unsuccessful. After his attempt to use Oliver Queen to defeat Clark failed as well, Darkseid offered Lionel Luthor to revive his son Lex Luthor in exchange for Lionel's soul. When Lionel agreed, Darkseid ripped his still-beating heart out to restore Lex while using Lionel's corpse as a vessel to face Clark. However, Clark's memories of his heroic experiences gave him the courage to face Darkseid and defeat him.

Physical Appearance[]

Darkseid reveals

Darkseid's physical appearance.

In his true form, Darkseid has a tall, cracked rock-like body. His eyes and the cracks in his skin glow with white or red light. Originally, towards the beginning of the tenth season, his eyes were bluish white, but as the season progressed, they were changed to dark red. When he was possessing someone, the sclera in their eyes became black and their irises disappeared.[1]

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Darkseid's smoke form.

Most often, Darkseid does not appear in his true form, but as a dark cloud of smoke or as a flock of ravens. His smoke form can be extremely destructive and it seems to be packed with pressure, being strong enough to shatter glass,[2] and pin Clark in a vortex.[3]

Personality[]

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Darkseid-10x02-02

Darkseid transforming into a flock of ravens

Darkseid is manipulative, domineering and controlling.[4] Granny Goodness described his powers and overall influence as "true gifts." While he was "using" Gordon Godfrey as a vessel, Darkseid displayed a charismatic and charming attitude: this helped him win a lot of support in his campaign against vigilantes. Despite his strong influence, people with pure hearts or who had their emotions under control (like Lois Lane, Kara Kent and later Clark and Chloe Sullivan), or people with true faith in the heroes, seemed unnerved by him.

He also possessed a sadistic and somewhat masochistic nature, which he showed in Club Desaad when he told a disguised Lois that he was "hunting" for something to distract him for a while and enjoyed Lois' "playful" torture of his host's body. He was disappointed when he learned that Lois was pure of heart, claiming he would have had fun taking her over. He was also very intimidating due to the fact that he can mentally undermine anyone but the purest of heart, including Clark.

Darkseid enjoyed using his empathy to gain insight into the emotional and moral weaknesses of his opponents. He was especially overjoyed when he found the darkness Clark had inside his heart and actually managed to visibly unnerve Clark by telling him that he could feel Clark's desire to kill him and that Clark had wanted to kill before: believing his victory was assured, he immediately tried to possess Clark.

But even Darkseid was not above showing his temper, which was seen after Lois refused to give him the photos that would incriminate Godfrey. His true voice slipped through and he violently broke the cuffs Lois had put on him before knocking her unconscious. After learning about him, Oliver realized that Darkseid was incredibly patient since all he had to do is wait for people to show a single fault before he could corrupt them directly or through his minions.

However, Darkseid was not naive, as he realized that even he has weaknesses: as such, he was cautious and able to learn from past experiences. Fully aware that his son Orion had left the one weapon that could harm him somewhere on Earth, he created a plan to find and destroy it. When Oliver was infected by the Omega symbol, Darkseid delayed taking him over and allowed Oliver to go on a quest to find the Bow under the belief it would free him from the mark. When Oliver found the Bow, Granny Goodness revealed herself and destroyed the weapon, claiming that Oliver was a pawn to disable the traps that protected the bow from Darkseid's minions.

Powers and Abilities[]

As an Apokoliptian, the complete measure of Darkseid's powers were left unrevealed, as he was not at full strength during his initial encounter with a fully-powered Clark Kent - instead relying on his prophets and needing to inhabit a human vessel to exert his influence on Earth.

  • 1021Smallville1841

    Darkseid possessing Lionel.

    Possession: While Darkseid can possess vessels that could be either living or deceased, he can only possess hosts that have darkness in their hearts that they can't control.[5] Darkseid claimed that his vessels were still aware when he had control over them. It was believed that this meant he could take possession of nearly every person on Earth, including the entire population of heroes, given time.
  • Super-Strength: Within a human host, Darkseid exhibited strength sufficient to seamlessly snap handcuffs and send Lois Lane across a floor with ease. While in his true form, even while not at full power, he hoisted Earth-2's Lionel by the throat and removed out his heart. Later, he choked Clark.[6]
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Darkseid using telekinesis.

  • Telekinesis: Darkseid is an extremely powerful telekinetic who could influence the movement of objects and people.[7] He choked Clark from a short distance away just by holding out his hand.
  • Invulnerability: Darkseid's true form was virtually intangible and was therefore impervious to almost all forms of harm,[8] though the light of a pure heart can temporarily drive him away.[9] By possessing a vessel, Darkseid increases his host's durability, allowing him to withstand most injuries.[10] As the darkness in all the people on Earth grew, so did his invulnerability and strength levels apparently.[11]
  • Longevity: Darkseid has probably lived an extremely long period of time, as he had previously attempted to conquer Earth in the past, most notably during the Spanish Inquisition and World War II.[12] He claims to have existed for eons.
  • Corruption: Darkseid can corrupt the souls and minds of living beings, twisting or refining them into tools for his own purposes and desires and those possessed by him are left stained and become completely loyal to him.[13] Individuals who get infected are sometimes referred to as "prophets."[14]
  • Empathy: While Darkseid can't directly read the minds of others, he can see someone's innermost doubts/fears with a better view on a person's darkness if someone angry appears.[15] He also seems to be able to find "abandoned souls" and can tell if the most pure person has even a speckle of doubt in their heart.[16]
  • Dimensional Travel: Darkseid is able to transverse through other worlds and retain his abilities. He has visited and conquered many other worlds. This was shown when skulls of victims in the Phantom Zone were used as poles. He can also enter and leave the Phantom Zone effortlessly.[17]
  • Omega Beams: Darkseid's ultimate power that he is able to utilize after gaining his full strength and physical form. He uses his eyes to fire two laser beams of Omega energy that can move, twist, turn and change course as per Darksied's mental command, in order to ensure they strike their intended target.[18]

Vulnerabilities[]

Darkseid is incapable of possessing someone with a pure heart[19] or those who have their fears and doubts under control.[20]

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Kara deflecting the Darkness.

It is theorized in that Kara's bracelet might have been able to banish Darkseid back to where he came from, if caught while in a vessel. Outside of a vessel, the bracelet is just enough to temporarily drive him off.[21]

The Bow of Orion was the one thing that had managed to cause Darkseid serious harm in the past.[22] It is later revealed that even though the Bow was destroyed, another light source strong enough to defeat him existed: Clark Kent.[23] Clark destroyed Darkseid by flying through him, crisping his darkness to ash with solar energy.

Jor-El was able to freeze Darkseid, proven by the fact that Darkseid didn't go and kill Clark while Jor-El was talking with him.

Early Life[]

While Darkseid's origin and early history remains unknown, he was previously known on Earth as the Judeo-Christian Lucifer and the Greco-Roman Hades, as well as also connected to the Hindu goddess Kali.[24] This makes him a being of supernatural or spiritual proportions, a theory which is further advocated by his servants. At some point in the past, he lost his warrior son Orion to another alien entity who was dedicated to spreading light just as Darkseid was to spreading darkness.

While speading his darkness throughout the galaxy and other dimenisions, Darkseid would occasionally return to Earth to cause several chaotic time periods, like the Spanish Inquisition and World War II.[25] At some point, Orion used his own bow to defeat his malevolent father.

At some point following this, Darkseid entered another dimension and was partially cut-off from his influence on Earth. In his absence, he left behind certain "prophets" in order to continue his campaign of corrupting humanity.

Season Ten[]

"Are you sure you can win against me? You know what I am. You know the doubt in your heart. You so-called heroes are false gods, all of you. And when people stop believing in you, you'll shatter like glass." - Darkseid, Supergirl
SV 1134

Darkseid appears on Earth.

In the aftermath of Clark Kent opening a portal to send the Kandorians away to a new world, both Jor-El and the spirit of Jonathan Kent warned him of a dark force that was coming to Earth to corrupt it. Activating the portal left a tear in the universe that the dark force was able to pass through to come to Earth and the dark smoke gathered around the crow's nest and near the console where the portal was opened and formed into the shape of a rock-like creature that howled at the night sky.

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Darkseid possessing Godfrey.

After that, the smoke transformed in to a flock of ravens and flew over all of Metropolis, looking for someone to possess. It was eventually attracted to the darkness in the heart of radio jockey Gordon Godfrey. Breaking the window, the dark force possessed Godfrey and led him to become a celebrity by helping him create a charismatic image of himself and popularizing the movement against so-called vigilantes in the city.

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Darkseid attacking Lois.

When Kara Kent had returned to Earth on Jor-El's orders to replace Clark as the savior of humanity and keep it safe from the "darkness," she informed Clark that the darkness came to Earth after a rip in the universe was created. Clark realized that this happened when he opened the portal to send the Kandorians away. After Lois Lane fixed her attention on Godfrey, she was threatened after Darkseid failed in his intent to make her his next vessel due to her pure heart.

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Darkseid enjoying torturing Lois.

Instead, he imprisoned her in a rope trap that would kill her so he could use her death to lure in a hero he could use as a vessel. After Clark and Kara tracked down Darkseid and discovered that he was inhabiting Godfrey, they went after Godfrey to save Lois. Clark encountered Darkseid possessing Godfrey for the first time at Club Desaad, where he used Clark's anger and doubt to get a better read on the darkness inside of him. He discovered the conflict and turmoil in Clark's soul and then forced his essence out of Godfrey and circled Clark, preparing to possess him. However, he was driven away by Kara who used her bracelet against him.

Later it was revealed that Darkseid recruited Desaad, Granny Goodness, as well as Godfrey to assist him in his conquest of Earth. Granny Goodness' long presence on Earth suggests that Darkseid has been interested in Earth and Clark for a long time and has been quietly setting the stage for Earth's conquest.

As Darkseid's presence continues to affect humanity, everyone who comes under his influence bears an Omega symbol. Clark discovered that Slade Wilson had one. Darkseid's name was finally revealed by Desaad who referred to him as "Lord Darkseid".

Despite Darkseid's spreading influence it is revealed that there are many who still believe in the Blur and what he is doing and people are opposed to VRA. Clark is touched when Chloe and Lois show him a website were those who still believe in the Blur have risked themselves to come out and show their support.

Darkseid was far from gone as Desaad had went on a killing spree in order to find people to corrupt with the darkness. Desaad warned Chloe Sullivan that his master is close to fully manifesting himself on Earth. While Desaad failed to corrupt Chloe or Clark, he managed to corrupt Oliver Queen by provoking his anger against Chloe's abductors.

S10e16-darkseid

Darkseid appearing before Lionel.

When the dimensionally-displaced Lionel Luthor was paying his respects to his son's tombstone, Darkseid appeared in his true form before Lionel.

It was later revealed that Darkseid had been to other planets and branded their civilians with the Omega symbol like he did to Earth. This is evidenced when Clark and Oliver went to the Phantom Zone and found skeletons with Omega symbols on their skulls. When Clark along with Oliver eventually managed to escape, Oliver decided to go on a quest to find the Bow of Orion, an artifact he believed would help him rid himself of the Omega symbol on his skull.[26]

Although Oliver found the Bow, with some help from Kara Kent, he was subsequently caught by Granny Goodness, who revealed that Darkseid had allowed Oliver to find the Bow so that Darkseid could destroy it, thus removing the only weapon supposedly capable of defeating him. Granny also turned Oliver into a slave of Darkseid using her memory powers and instructed him under her master's orders to find gold kryptonite and use it to rid Clark of his powers, planning to leave him defenseless against Darkseid (Although this plan failed when Chloe recognised the ring's true nature in time to stop Clark putting it on).

S10e22-004

Darkseid's deal with Lionel.

While Apokolips was moving towards Earth, Darkseid approached Lionel, who was dying after being shot by his daughter Tess Mercer and revealed that when he first met with him, he was going to give him immortality, but Lionel said that he wanted Lex to live instead. Darkseid accepted the deal under the condition that Lionel's soul was rightfully his. He then ripped Lionel's heart from his chest and placed the heart inside Lex.

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Darkseid being vanquished.

Using Lionel's corpse as a vessel, Darkseid encountered Clark at the Kent Farm and taunted him, saying the humans fell to him easily and Clark would as well. He then telekinetically grabbed and tossed Clark across the loft. But when Clark had a short conversation with Jor-El in his mind telling him he was ready, Clark finally mastered the power of flight and flew directly through Darkseid's host body, destroying it and seemingly vanquishing him.

Clark later dons the title of Superman and flies into the sky to push Apokolips away from Earth, which finally ends the threat of Darkseid.

Season Eleven[]

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Earth-Omega after Darkseid's war with the Monitors.

A year later, Superman and Lois are accidentally transported to a parallel Earth known as Earth-Omega, in which Apokolips is shown to have been collided with Earth and among the ruins there are several fallen ships that belonged to the Monitors, wrecked Manhunters and skeletons of dead people with the Omega symbol on their forehead.

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Darkseid appears on Earth-Omega.

Superman wonders who attempted to destroy this Earth if not the Monitors. Suddenly he hears a very faint sound, similar to a heartbeat so together with Lois they head towards its source to find out what exactly it is.

Later, Superman and Lois discover the source of the noise he heard. A dark figure calls to him from the rubble, saying on his earth, Superman was known as Clark Kent. When Superman asks the figure how he knows this, the figure turns and says they have fought each other in the past, indicating that Superman had defeated him, and then reveals himself as Darkseid, saying that he never forgets a face.

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Darkseid explains what happened since his last encounter with Superman.

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Darkseid makes a deal with Superman.

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Darkseid creates New Genesis.

Superman and Lois talk with Darkseid. The ruler of Apokolips tells them that there isn't any other version of him in the multiverse, as there is only one Darkseid and until recently, he traveled to many universes to bring death and destruction. He also mentions the only reason Superman achieved to defeat him before was because he hadn't reached his full strength at the time. However, the Monitors succeeded to break him, when he had already conquered this world. Superman then offers a deal to Darkseid, to help them board on one of the Monitors' ships flying overhead, and in return Clark will also give him something. Darkseid accepts the offer so, while Superman carries Lois and follows the Monitors' ship into the atmosphere, he fires his Omega beams towards the ship, opening its side door so Superman and Lois can get inside it just before the ship enters the Bleed.

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Darkseid beholds New Genesis.

Back on the planet's surface, Darkseid holds the crystal shard that contains the presence of Jor-El from Earth-Majestic. He says this feels like a second chance and throws the shard into the distance. A fortress of solitude forms, and Darkseid says it could be a new beginning, a "New Genesis."

Appearances[]

In the Comics[]

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Darkseid as he appears in the New 52.

In the comics, Darkseid is an evil New God who rules the planet Apokolips. He is at war with Apokolips' rival planet New Genesis and the superheroes of Earth, most notably Superman. One of Darkseid's main goals in his life was to control the Anti-Life Equation, a source of power that grants absolute control over all others when discovered and spoken: it is mathematical proof that all life, hope and freedom are useless. He believed that much of the equation was on Earth and was the reason for his constant attacks on the planet.

In Grant Morrison's 2005 Mister Miracle limited series, it was revealed that Darkseid had finally discovered the Anti-Life Equation, which he then used to destroy the Fourth World altogether. The New Gods fled to Earth, where they hid: Highfather and his followers were now a group of homeless people, Metron used a wheelchair, the Black Racer was an old white man in a wheelchair, Desaad an evil psychiatrist, Granny Goodness a pimp for the Female Furies and Darkseid himself now an evil gang leader who is referred to only as "Boss Dark Side."

In the final battle with his own son Orion, Orion ultimately kills him by ripping his heart out, creating a firepit of Apokolips from Darkseid's chest cavity (in reference to the prophecy of their final battle). As Darkseid dies, a battered and wounded Orion walks away from the battlefield, having "won" the battle against his father once and for all. Darkseid's life essence endured even the death of his body and fell back in time, where he was reborn once more as "Boss Dark Side," aided by his resurrected minions and the super-villain Libra.

Now once again bound to the form of a human, "Boss Dark Side" began to appear in a number of titles in the run up to Final Crisis. In Flash (vol. 2) #240, he led an army of fanatics, their will broken by the "spoken form" of the Anti-Life Equation, to kidnap the Tornado Twins.

In Birds of Prey #118, he runs his Dark Side Club where superhumans fight to the death, brainwashed by drugs produced by Bernadeth. In Teen Titans #59, it was revealed that he had employed the Terror Titans to capture the Teen Titans and use them in his club fights.

In Final Crisis, Darkseid has begun to take over Earth and corrupt the Multiverse with the aid of his herald Libra, a reborn supervillain and Antichrist-like figure who soon converts much of the Secret Society of Supervillains to his cause with the aid of the Crime Bible and the Holy Lance. Darkseid is also joined by the souls of his fellow evil New Gods who, like Darkseid, now possess either modified human bodies or the bodies of other super-powered beings, such as Mary Marvel.

Using Metron's abandoned Mobius Chair, Darkseid assassinates his son Orion via a "time travel" bullet fired into the past. He also arranges for Detective Dan Turpin to be lured into the Dark Side Club, where Turpin is turned into Darkseid's "final host", as his Boss Dark Side body has begun to mummify due to Darkseid's foul astral presence. With his legion of followers and allies aiding him as he undergoes his latest "rebirth", Darkseid successfully conquers the Earth with the unleashing of the Anti-Life Equation onto mankind. However, the rebirthing process is still far from complete as Turpin's mind and soul, while corrupted by Darkseid's essence, still remains in firm control over his body. At the same moment, Shilo Norman, the "Embodiment of Freedom," is shot by S.H.A.D.E. operatives, thus signaling the "Victory of Evil." Darkseid wins control over Turpin's body, now twisted in a close copy of his Apokoliptan former appearance and wearing an updated version of his battle armor. Darkseid then gains the fullest of his power, his "fall" having the effect of compressing and crumpling space-time around Earth.

After escaping from captivity, Batman shot Darkseid with the same Radion bullet that killed Orion, while Darkseid simultaneously hits Batman with the Omega Sanction. Darkseid is seriously wounded, but not before supposedly killing Batman. Remains believed to be Batman's are found by Superman (in truth, the remains were those of one of the many Batman clones that Darkseid had created as new foot soldiers), who confronts Darkseid in anger. As Darkseid mocks Superman for failing to defend Earth, it emerges that, in Darkseid's fall through the multiverse, he is dragging all of time and space in the entire multiverse into a Doomsday singularity with him. While Superman attempted to physically assault him, Darkseid was beyond physical attack, as he now almost entirely controls reality itself. With his body dying of Radion poisoning by Batman, his physical form was then killed when Barry Allen and Wally West lead the Black Racer to him after he fired the bullet which will go back in time and slay Orion. In his final effort, Darkseid's disembodied essence appears and tried to seize the Miracle Machine Superman had created: Superman uses counter-vibrations to destroy him.

Darkseid makes a final stab at those who opposed him through the use of Batman. While Batman was believed killed by Darkseid's Omega Sanction, he instead transported Batman backwards to Prehistoric Times. Knowing that Batman was the universe's greatest survivor, Darkseid had intended for Batman to travel back to the present, all the while building up Omega Energy in his body. The result would be that when Batman finally returned to the present, he would essentially become a Ticking Doomsday Time Bomb of sorts, destroying all those who fought against him. Thanks to the actions of Superman, Red Robin (Tim Drake), Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Booster Gold, Rip Hunter, the Justice League and Bruce Wayne himself, Darkseid's final plan ultimately failed.

Other faces of Darkseid[]

Quotes[]

Darkseid: Are you sure you can win against me? You know what I am. You know the doubt in your heart. You so-called heroes are false gods, all of you. And when people stop believing in you, you'll shatter like glass.
Season Ten: Supergirl

Desaad: Godfrey has been chosen. Our Dark Lord has anointed him... made him like us—a prophet. He is Darkseid's third minion.
Gordon Godfrey: So I do have a higher purpose.
Desaad: Yes, Godfrey. Your golden voice is broadcast around the world.
Granny Goodness: Not impressed. And you—I see you're enjoying your clubs. They seem more popular than ever.
Desaad: Our unholy trinity is complete. I bind their bodies, Godfrey breaks their spirit, and you, my beloved friend, you clear their minds, preparing the way for Lord Darkseid.
Season Ten: Abandoned

Clark: I think there is something more behind the darkness, something that hero-haters like Slade don't even know is affecting them. When I sent the Kandorians away through the portal in space, I opened a door for something else to come to Earth.
Oliver: Are you seriously trying to tell me that, out of all the intergalactic bad-boys we've ever faced, this thing is actually worse?!
Clark: This is much worse. We can't even see it to fight it. This thing is like an evil that is spreading over the Earth. It preys upon the dark side that we already have. It feeds on our doubts, our fears, and our distrust.
Oliver: Well, I'd say that from where I'm standing, it's already on the winning side.
Clark: I think it even affected Slade. Just before the facility exploded, I saw something on Slade's skull—the Omega symbol. It was like it was branded there. Almost like the mark...
Tess: Of the Beast in Revelations.
Lois: Which would explain why he veered so far off his marching orders.
Oliver: I'm guessing you don't think Slade is the only pledge to the Alpha-Omega-Die fraternity.
Clark: I think that the Omega is a mark of corruption. A sign that the darkness has fully taken over someone.
Lois: Didn't Kara say that a person had to be open to the darkness? That it can't infect anyone of pure heart?
Clark: And which one of us doesn't have that weakness? A hidden hatred or fear that this thing couldn't prey upon?
Oliver: So basically this thing doesn't have to do anything.
Lois: It just waits for everybody's weaknesses, and then we destroy ourselves.
Clark: If we can't stop it, the darkness will infect every person on this planet.
Season Ten: Patriot

Clark: What exactly are you, Desaad?
Desaad: A prophet. A servant, loyal to a far greater power.
Clark: The darkness.
Desaad: To Darkseid. When he last laid his eyes upon you, you wore your sin openly. You're much more self-assured now. More love in your heart than when you faced Godfrey. Stronger than when you faced Granny, as well. Sadly incorruptible. They, much like I, have been preparing for something...amazing.
Clark: And that's why the three of you have been burning the Omega symbols into innocent people.
Desaad: You act as though the marks weren't there to begin with...but I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise.
Season Ten: Masquerade

Zod: I've seen what Darkseid is capable of.
Oliver: What do you know?
Zod: After the Kandorians sent me here, a very powerful entity came looking for me. Darkseid promised me lordship of this dominion if I solved one problem for him.
Oliver: Clark.
Zod: Darkseid has certain ambitions for your planet.
Oliver: The thing is, we took care of that. We blocked him. Took out three of his little minions, too.
Zod: Kal-El might delude himself as usual, that's how he's won, but there are millions -- millions on Earth just waiting to surrender to the will of Darkseid, and you, friend, are one of them.
Season Ten: Dominion

Darkseid: You refused my offer once. But this may be the moment you re-consider my offer.
Lionel: I never intended to live forever. There's only one thing that I care about. Let my son live.
Darkseid: In exchange for your soul.
Season Ten: Finale, Part 2

Darkseid: The lost son of Jor-El.
Clark: Darkseid. My father sent me to protect this planet. And I will fight you to my last breath.
Darkseid: There must be a part of you that's disgusted by how easily your people fell to me.
Clark: They may not be perfect, but I believe even in the darkest soul, there's always hope. People want to believe in something greater, and it may be easier to hate, but it's stronger to love.
Darkseid: Is it? Eons have passed since I came face-to-face with a force that could possibly tip the balance to the light. You are the light! You cast out the darkness from Oliver Queen, and you will obliterate my darkness from the rest of the world if you are not stopped! You will surrender to me. You will lose your soul. I will annihilate you!
Season Ten: Finale, Part 2

Notes[]

  • Darkseid is the main antagonist of Season Ten.
  • While this Darkseid is the one from the DC Universe, he is heavily based on the Darkseid during the Final Crisis saga, where without a body, he and his followers possessed the bodies of people around the world. Also, using the Omega symbol, they were able to corrupt most of Earth's population, including some heroes.
  • Darkseid and Doomsday are both the only non-humanoid looking main antagonists, although Darkseid has possessed humans and Doomsday has the human guise of Davis Bloome.
  • Throughout all of his television appearances in Smallville, Darkseid never once demonstrated his iconic powers of Omega Beam/Omega Effect, both of which are twin-laser beams of omega energy that can move, twist, turn and change course as per Darksied's mental command, in order to ensure they strike their intended target.
    • The Omega Beams generally destroy its victims, but can also resurrect them should Darksied choose. It is often used as a form of punishment.
    • The Omega Effect, meanwhile, can affect its victims by transporting them through time and space to any location, at any point in time and with various effects (i.e. Bruce Wayne was transported to Prehistoric Times and slowly leaped forward to assorted points, while the Young Justice member Slo-Bo was transported into the distant future and had his consciousness forever locked inside a stone statue of himself).
    • He finally demonstrated the power of the Omega beams in the Season Eleven comic book continuation of the show. By that point Darkseid had gained full power and restored his physical appearance, therefore he was able to utilize his Omega beams.
  • Michael Ironside, who played General Sam Lane on Smallville, is well known for providing the voice of Darkseid on Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.
  • Godfrey's role as Darkseid's minion is different from his comic-book counterpart. In the Smallville universe, he is a human who Darkseid possesses as opposed to being an Apokoliptian who served as one of Darkseid's many henchmen. However, Godfrey's role here could be a mix of his New Earth and DCAU portrayals being a normal human and a media personality but also a minion in the service of Darkseid.
  • Darkseid was portrayed by Michael Daingerfield in Supergirl, Steve Byers in Masquerade and John Glover in the series finale.
  • The birds that accompany Darkseid's spectral form strongly resembles the Teen Titan Raven, who is also able to transform into black smoke and ravens.
  • In Final Crisis, Darkseid is reborn in human form as "Boss Darkseid", owning a nightclub known as Club Dark Side.
  • Darkseid's name was first mentioned in Abandoned.
  • Kara claims that Darkseid is like a virus and has moved through many worlds, infecting and corrupting them to his will.
  • Similar to his comic counterpart, Darkseid "feeds" on the dark emotions and thoughts of individuals to gain strength.
  • During the "Previously on Smallville" recaps in Masquerade and Prophecy, Darkseid's eyes have been changed from glowing bluish white to now red. This is done to match his appearance at the end of Scion in the graveyard.
  • Desaad's claim to Chloe that Darkseid will create Hell on Earth seems appropriate, considering Darkseid is the ruler of the inferno planet Apokolips in the comics.
  • Kara reveals to Oliver Darkseid's Apokoliptian origins and that Orion is his son.
  • Darkseid is the first villain since Brainiac to appear in less than 10 episodes during one season.
  • When speaking to Tess Mercer, Granny Goodness says one of the names for Darkseid in Earth legend was "Lucifer," the light-bearer who fell. According to the Bible, Lucifer was a fallen angel who became the Devil. This is similar to long-time genre comparing Superman to Jesus Christ.
  • Considering that Hades had previously been identified as an alias of Darkseid by Granny Goodness in Finale, how the two characters are separate beings is yet to be explained. Unless somehow Hades serves as a disguise for Darkseid.
  • While all along season 10 it been strongly implied that Darkseid's purpose is to destroy earth, his actions and speech in the comics implies that his purpose was absolutly different. His reffering to the re-creation of the fortress of solitude as new genesis implies his actual purpose was, all along, to create something. However, it is unknown what he wants to create.

Trivia[]

  • Darkseid can't possess people with pure souls. Therefore, they would be unsuitable vessels for him. Neither Lois, Kara, Chloe, or Clark can be taken over. However, Oliver was corrupted during a moment of weakness when he believed Chloe to be dead.
  • The appearance of Darkseid and his desire to inhabit Clark to use him as a weapon makes sense of the original function of the Orb in Season Seven to prevent Clark from becoming the world's greatest threat.
  • In the comics, Orion is the second son of Darkseid, half-brother of Kalibak and Grayven, as well as the husband of Bekka. As a child, he was traded for Scott Free (Mister Miracle) in a peace effort between New Genesis and Apokolips. He was raised as the son of Highfather.
  • The Omega symbol that was shown on Slade's skull looks similar to the Anti-Life Equation that was used in Final Crisis to turn those exposed to it into mindless slaves for Darkseid.

See also[]

References[]

  1. Examples include Gordon Godfrey in Supergirl and Desaad in Masquerade.
  2. Supergirl
  3. Masquerade
  4. Supergirl, Masquerade
  5. Darkseid was able to successfully possess Godfrey in Supergirl, briefly used Desaad in Masquerade and used Lionel's corpse in Finale, Part 2. However, in Supergirl, Lois and Kara were able to resist his influence, thus making it impossible for him to possess them. Later on, by Masquerade, Clark was able to harness and control his inner darkness and thus could no longer be used by Darkseid.
  6. Darkseid can capture people in vortexes like when "using" and/or possessing vessels as shown in Supergirl and Finale, Part 2. In Supergirl, Darkseid (while possessing Godfrey) easily broke out of Lois' handcuffs and knocked her unconscious. In Finale, Part 2, Darkseid plunged his arm into Lionel's chest and removed his heart to put it into Lex and (while possessing Lionel's corpse) grasped Clark by the neck and threw him across the barn with incredible force and speed.
  7. Darkseid (while in Lionel's corpse) demonstrated this when he choked Clark in Finale, Part 2.
  8. Darkseid's smoke form is durable enough to smash through Godfrey's windows unharmed in Supergirl.
  9. Darkseid was temporarily repelled by Kara's bracelet in Supergirl.
  10. Darkseid (while using Godfrey) didn't seem effected by the taser Lois used on Godfrey in Supergirl.
  11. Supergirl, Patriot, Icarus
  12. Carter points these facts out in Icarus.
  13. After being Darkseid's vessel in Supergirl, Godfrey was a prophet along with Granny Goodness and Dessad in Masquerade.
  14. While the scope of Darkseid's corruption is vague, Clark speculated in Patriot that he could infect every single person on Earth.
  15. In Supergirl, Darkseid saw right through Clark when he angered him over Lois.
  16. Abandoned
  17. In Dominion, Clark came to the conclusion that no world or dimension is safe from Darkseid as he continues to grow stronger and Zod saying that he had an encounter with Darkseid in the Phantom Zone. In Finale, Part 2, Darkseid transported Lex's soul from a spiritual plane to his composite clone.
  18. Chaos
  19. Like Lois or Kara in Supergirl.
  20. In Masquerade, both Clark and Chloe are strong enough to resist some temptations Darkseid used on them.
  21. Supergirl
  22. According to Granny Goodness in Prophecy.
  23. In Finale, Part 1, Clark was able to remove the Omega symbol from Oliver's forehead, which in turn, removed the darkness stain from his soul, freeing him of the darkness.
  24. According to Granny Goodness in Finale, Part 1.
  25. According to Carter Hall in Icarus.
  26. Zod revealed this to Oliver.

External links[]

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