Steppenwolf(Germanfor "Steppe wolf") is asupervillainappearing incomic bookspublished byDC Comics.Created by writer-artistJack Kirby,the character first appeared inNew Gods#7 (February 1972).[1]ANew Godand military general from the planetApokolips,Steppenwolf isDarkseid's uncle and subordinate who commands his army ofParademons.
| Steppenwolf | |
|---|---|
 Steppenwolf as depicted inEarth 2#1 (July 2012). Art byNicola Scottand Trevor Scott | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | New Gods#7 (February 1972) |
| Created by | Jack Kirby |
| In-story information | |
| Species | New God |
| Place of origin | Apokolips |
| Team affiliations | Darkseid's Elite |
| Notable aliases | General of Apokolips |
| Abilities |
|
The character is featured in theDC Extended Universe,portrayed byCiarán Hindsvia motion capture.
Fictional character biography
editSteppenwolf is aNew Godwho is the younger brother ofHeggra(Darkseid's mother) and the uncle ofUxas(Darkseid). He is also a member ofDarkseid's Elite.He leads the military forces ofApokolipsand rides hounds bred for battle.
Steppenwolf is one of the earliest survivors ofDoomsday,the monster who once killedSuperman.245,000 years ago, Steppenwolf takes an Apokoliptian shuttle with Darkseid, Master Mayhem and a small crew to the planet of Bylan 5. The planet holds delicate natural materials Apokolips needs for weaponry, material which would be destroyed in the event of an invasion. The forcible marriage of Darkseid to the planet's princess comes to an end when Doomsday attacks. Master Mayhem is swiftly torn apart. Darkseid ignores Steppenwolf's orders to use Omega beams and engages the creature in hand-to-hand combat. Steppenwolf sees that the destruction that has been wrought has doomed the planet, and all who live on it. He teleports Darkseid out of harm's way, agreeing with Darkseid not to mention this to anyone. Doomsday escapes by stowing away on the Apokoliptian shuttle.[2]
Most of Steppenwolf's appearances under the pen of Jack Kirby are inflashbacks.His debut, inNew Gods#7, is a flashback story in which he helps Darkseid murderHighfather's wife. Highfather tracks down and kills Steppenwolf in retaliation, reigniting the war between the two sides.[3]However, Steppenwolf is eventually resurrected using Apokoliptian technology.[4]
Steppenwolf appears whenMister Miracle(Scott Free) gains godlike powers over life and death. Steppenwolf torments him over his role in killing Scott's mother (or alleged mother figure as is claimed) and in return is physically tortured. Free ends up healing him, instead of killing him as he desires. He is sent away with Darkseid's legions.[5]
He is seen inNew Gods(vol. 2) #6, with a new costume (a Kirby redesign for the figure's Super Powers action figure). Though considered a "mockery", Steppenwolf is given the job of running Darkseid's military forces. He is later seen fighting the Flash (Barry Allen) and theJustice League of America.[6]
InTerror Titans#2, Steppenwolf appears as a member of theDark Side Clubbefore being killed by theClock King.He is later resurrected inThe New 52continuity reboot.[7][8]
Powers and abilities
editAs a New God, Steppenwolf is nigh-immortal and possesses superhuman strength and durability. Furthermore, he is an experienced military leader and wields various several weapons, including an electric axe and a cable-snare that can generate radion beams.
Other versions
editAn alternate universe variant of Steppenwolf fromEarth-Twoappears in theEarth-2comic series. He invades Earth and kills its versions ofSuperman,Batman,andWonder Womanbefore being killed byBizarro.[9]
In other media
editTelevision
edit
- Steppenwolf appears in theSuperman: The Animated Seriestwo-part episode "Apokolips... Now!", voiced bySherman Howard.[10]
- Steppenwolf appears in theJustice League(2001) two-part episode "Twilight", voiced by an uncredited actor.
- Steppenwolf appears inBatman: The Brave and the Bold,voiced byKevin Michael Richardson.[10]This version is a champion gladiator inMongul's Warworld.
- Steppenwolf appears in theJustice League Actionepisode "Under a Red Sun", voiced byPeter Jessop.[10]
- Steppenwolf appears inHarley Quinn,voiced byKeith Ferguson.This version is an openly gay, intergalactic businessman whose design is a composite of his original and modern comics designs and that of hisZack Snyder's Justice Leagueincarnation (see below).[citation needed]
Film
editAn alternate universe variant of Steppenwolf makes a non-speaking cameo appearance inJustice League: Gods and Monsters.[10]
DC Extended Universe
edit
Steppenwolf appears in films set in theDC Extended Universe(DCEU).
- Steppenwolf makes a holographic cameo appearance in the Ultimate Edition ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice(2016) viaCGI.
- Steppenwolf appears in the theatrical cut ofJustice League(2017) and the director's cut,Zack Snyder's Justice League,voiced andmotion capturedbyCiarán Hinds.[10]For his performance, Hinds consultedLiam Neeson,who had done similar motion capture work inA Monster Calls.[11][12][13]
- In the theatrical release, Steppenwolf is exiled fromApokolipsfor failing to conquer Earth a millennium prior, after which hisMother Boxeswere stolen and hidden around the world. In the present, Steppenwolf returns to Earth in hopes of renewing his invasion and regaining Darkseid's favor. Despite reclaiming the Mother Boxes, he encounters theJustice Leagueand is defeated and returned to Apokolips. This depiction of Steppenwolf was negatively received, with criticism directed at the character's poor computer-generated design and generic demeanor. It was later reported that Steppenwolf's appearance and personality were drastically altered duringJoss Whedon'sretooling of the film,whichScreen Rantcriticized for being "too family-friendly" and "forgettable".[14]Additionally, Hinds has expressed frustration with the theatrical cut, which trimmed down much of his character's development and personality.[15]
- In the director's cut, Steppenwolf is banished from Apokolips for attempting to betray Darkseid and must conquer fifty-thousand worlds before he can return. Additionally, the Mother Boxes were left on Earth following Darkseid's failed invasion of Earth eons ago. After the Mother Boxes are reactivated followingSuperman's death, Steppenwolf travels to Earth to retrieve them, discovering theAnti-Life Equationin the process. Darkseid gives Steppenwolf a chance at redemption by uniting the Mother Boxes to prepare for his arrival. Steppenwolf and his Parademon forces overwhelm the Justice League until a resurrected Superman arrives and defeats him. Nonetheless, the Mother Boxes are synchronized, allowing Steppenwolf to terraform Earth. However, theFlashtaps into theSpeed Forceand reverses time to undo his victory, leading toAquaman,Superman, andWonder Womankilling Steppenwolf and returning his corpse to Apokolips.[citation needed]This depiction of Steppenwolf received a more positive reception from fans and critics, with praise directed at his monstrous and alien design, more menacing and sinister presence, and greater level of character depth and development in contrast to his theatrical counterpart.[16][17]
Video games
editSteppenwolf appears as a playable character inLego DC Super-Villains,voiced again by Peter Jessop.
References
edit- ^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016).The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe.DK Publishing. p. 288.ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ^Doomsday: Year One Annual
- ^New Gods#7
- ^Who's Who in the DC Universe#22
- ^Mister Miracle(vol. 3) #4 (July 1996)
- ^The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive#9
- ^Justice League(vol. 2) #6 (April 2012)
- ^Justice League(vol. 2) #43–45 (2015)
- ^Earth-2#1 (July 2012)
- ^abcde"Steppenwolf Voices (DC Universe)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedMarch 17,2024.A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
- ^Kendrick, Ben (June 21, 2016)."Justice League Movie Villain is Steppenwolf Not Darkseid".Screenrant.RetrievedJuly 27,2016.
- ^Muncy, Julie (October 8, 2017)."The Shadow of Superman Looms Large in New Justice League Trailer."Gizmodo.Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^Mottram, James (March 29, 2017)."Ciaran Hinds on Bleed for This, playing a supervillain in Justice League and asking old friend Liam Neeson for motion-capture performance tips".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-25.RetrievedApril 11,2017.
- ^Gunning, Cathal (2020-11-24)."Zack Snyder's New Steppenwolf Design Fixes Justice League's Biggest Issue".ScreenRant.Retrieved2021-04-07.
- ^"Ciarán Hinds Not Happy With the Theatrical Cut of Justice League – DC Comics Movie".9 December 2017.RetrievedJuly 13,2021.
- ^Laman, Douglas (July 5, 2020)."Zack Snyder Confirms Steppenwolf's Original Design for HBO Max Cut".CBR.Comic Book Resources.RetrievedNovember 3,2020.
- ^Maverick, Myck (27 March 2021)."Justice League: 10 Ways The Snyder Cut Saved Steppenwolf".ComicBook Cast.RetrievedApril 12,2021.