New Gods

For other uses, seeNew Gods (disambiguation).

New Gods
Artwork of theNew Gods, Magnificent Seven. Art byAlex Ross.
Species publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	The New Gods#1 (February/March1971)
Created by	Jack Kirby(writer and artist)
Characteristics
Place of origin	New Genesis,Apokolips
Notable members	List of New Gods
The New GodsorNew Gods
	Cover toThe New Gods#1 (February/March 1971) Art by Jack Kirby
Series publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	Vol. 1 Bimonthly Vol. 2–4 Monthly
Format	Vol. 1, 3, 4 Ongoing series Vol. 2andDeath of the New Gods Limited series
Genre	Superhero
Publication date	(Vol. 1) February/March1971– October/November1972 (Vol. 1 continued) July1977– July/August1978 (Vol. 2) June1979– November1984 (Vol. 3) February1989– August1991 (Vol. 4) October1995– February1997 (Death of the New Gods) Early December2007– June2008
Number of issues	Vol. 1 19 Vol. 2 6 Vol. 3 28 Vol. 4 15 Death of the New Gods 8
Creative team
Writer(s)	List Vol. 1Jack Kirby,Gerry Conway Vol. 3Mark Evanier Vol. 4Tom Peyer,Rachel Pollack,John Byrne Death of the New GodsJim Starlin
Penciller(s)	List Vol. 1Jack Kirby,Don Newton,Rich Buckler Vol. 3Paris Cullins,Steve Erwin,Rick Hoberg Vol. 4Luke Ross,John Byrne Death of the New GodsJim Starlin
Inker(s)	List Vol. 1Vince Colletta,Mike Royer,Dan Adkins Vol. 3Bob Lewis, Willie Blyberg Vol. 4Brian Garvey,Bob Wiacek Death of the New GodsMatt Banning,Art Thibert
Collected editions
Jack Kirby's New Gods	ISBN1-56389-385-1

TheNew Godsare a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in theeponymouscomic bookseries published byDC Comics,as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed byJack Kirby,they first appeared in February 1971 inNew Gods#1.

Publication history

Volume 1 (1971)

Cover toThe New Gods#7 (February–March 1972), featuring "The Pact"
Art byJack KirbyandMike Royer.

The New Gods are natives of the twin planets ofNew GenesisandApokolips.New Genesis is anidyllicplanet filled with unspoiled forests, mountains, and rivers and ruled by the benevolentHighfather,while Apokolips is a nightmarish, polluteddystopiafilled with machinery and fire pits, ruled by the tyrannicalDarkseid.The two planets were once part of the same world, a planet calledUrgrund(Germanfor "primeval ground" ), but it was split apart millennia ago after the death of the Old Gods duringRagnarök. The characters associated with the New Gods are often collectively referred to as "Jack Kirby's Fourth World".Unhappy withMarvel Comicsat the time, as he had created or co-created a plethora of characters without having copyright or creative custody of them, he turned to rival publisher DC Comics, with his sketches and designs for a new group of heroes and villains.As author Marc Flores, who writes under thepen nameRonin Ro,described:

The idea of the New Gods had come to Jack years earlier, when he was plotting 90 percent of the "Tales of Asgard" stories inThor.He wanted to have two planets at war and end withRagnarok,the battle that would kill Thor's lucrative pantheon. Instead, he tried the idea in hisInhumansstories. Now he was presenting it in its original context. Though he wouldn't ever say it publicly, theNew Godsbooks started right after the gods inThorkilled one another. The first page ofOrion of the New Godsshowed the same scenes fromThor—a planet torn in half and armored gods holding swords and dying on a fiery battleground.

Kirby began the "Fourth World" inSuperman's Pal Jimmy Olsen#133 (October 1970).The New Gods first appeared inNew Gods#1 (February–March 1971)andForever People#1 (February–March 1971).Another "Fourth World" titleMister Miraclewas launched in April 1971.Various New Gods, notably Darkseid, went on to interact with other denizens of theDC Universe.

New Gods#1 marks the first appearance ofOrion,Highfather,andMetron,among others. The opening sequence alludes to the presence of the "Old Gods" and the "New Gods" (e.g., "There came a time when the Old Gods died..."). Simultaneously published during this time were theForever PeopleandMister Miracleseries, also written and drawn by Kirby.

Kirby fans consider the three-issue arc inNew Gods#6-8 to be the peak of Kirby's artistic work.Jason Sacks and Keith Dallas say that issue #6, "The Glory Boat", "juxtaposes several of [Kirby's] favorite themes: the conflict between generations, the ways that pacifism is forced to confront violence, and, of course, the continuing battle between Apokolips and New Genesis, all drawn in some of the most spectacular art of his career."Charles Hatfield says that the story's conclusion:

"...is a pure example of Kirby's technological sublime, at once redemptive and seductive, healing and cataclysmic... This rhapsodic episode suggests a glorying in, but also a fearful ambivalence about, the blurring of the living and the technological."

Issue #7, "The Pact", sought to explain the backstory of the New Gods. Sacks and Keith said:

"While the story can also be read as a commentary and critique of theVietnam War(as it's all about the ambiguity and moral costs of war), 'The Pact' is a creation myth in comics form, providing readers deeper context about both the struggle between Apokolips and New Genesis and the great sacrifices that have to be made to create peace in the face of overwhelming destruction. "

Despite the creative strength of Kirby's material, the book's sales slipped steadily after a strong start.New Godswas cancelled with issue #11 (Oct-Nov 1972), and the last issue ofForever Peoplewas also #11 (August–September 1972). The Apokolips/New Genesis war was left unresolved.

Kirby's production assistant at the time,Mark Evanier,explained:

"Folks forget but the New Gods saga was intended to be a limited series... There was no intention that these characters would go on forever. After Jack's books started getting good sales figures, DC demanded that we keep them going and use guest stars likeDeadman,which we were very much against doing. So Kirby had this novel he was forever stuck in the middle of – he could never get to the last chapter.... You can spot the issues where Jack kind of gave up trying to advance the story of Darkseid and Orion and was marking time. If those books had been intended from the start to run indefinitely, they would have been done very differently. "

Despite the sales failure of the book, Kirby's work has remained an inspiration for future comics creators.Comics historianLes Danielsobserved in 1995:

"Kirby's mix of slang and myth, science fiction and the Bible, made for a heady brew, but the scope of his vision has endured."

In 2007, comics writerGrant Morrisoncommented:

"Kirby's dramas were staged across Jungian vistas of raw symbol and storm... The Fourth World saga crackles with the voltage of Jack Kirby's boundless imagination let loose onto paper."

Return of the New Gods (1977)

In 1976, the New Gods were featured in the last issue of1st Issue Special,written byGerry ConwayandDennis O'Neiland pencilled byMike Vosburg.The issue featured a new, more mainstream superhero costume for Orion, which he would wear for the next few years, but failed to lead to a relaunch. That same year,Jenette Kahnbecame DC's new publisher and decided to revive the "Fourth World" lineup in 1977.The New Godsseries relaunched in July 1977, and with1st Issue Specialstill a relatively recent publication, it picked up where the storyline of that issue left off. Although the title remained "The New Gods" in the indicia and retained its original numbering, launching with #12, the covers used the title "The Return of the New Gods".Conway wrote the series andDon Newtonprovided the pencils.

The series introduced the characterJezebelle.It was cancelled with issue #19 (July–August 1978) prior to the "DC Implosion",where a variety of market-related factors caused DC to cancel almost all of the titles launched the previous year.The final chapters of the series were published as backup features in theAdventure Comics#459–460 (1978) featured a climactic battle between Darkseid's forces and the New Gods, culminating in Darkseid's defeat and apparent "death." Conway later said that he felt the finale he provided for the New Gods saga was inadequate, though he greatly enjoyed working with Newton on the series.

The New Gods met theFlashinSuper-Team Family#15 (March–April 1978).

Darkseid's "death" would quickly be overturned in the New Gods' next appearance inJustice League of America#183–185. The three-part storyline would tell of Darkseid's return to Apokolips and his scheme to destroyEarth-Twoand teleport Apokolips into its place, so that he could conquer a new universe devoid of the New Gods. The plan would be foiled by the combined power of the New Gods, the Justice League, and theJustice Society.

Volume 2 (1984)

Cover toNew Gods(vol. 2) #1 (June 1984)
Art byJack Kirbyand Mike Thibodeaux.

Essentially a reprint series, this volume packaged two issues apiece per single issue of the original 1971 series.The mini-series' final issue was originally intended to include a reprint ofNew Gods#11 and a new 24-page story which would conclude the series and end with both Darkseid and Orion dead. DC editors prevented Kirby from using his original intended ending.Kirby instead turned in a one-off story called "On the Road to Armagetto" which was also rejected, due to the fact that it did not contain a definitive ending to the series.A 48-page new story called "Even Gods Must Die" was published in the sixth issue of the reprint series instead, which in turn served as a prologue for the upcomingThe Hunger Dogsgraphic novel, which DC editors greenlighted to conclude the series.

The Hunger Dogs

Published asDC Graphic Novel#4,The Hunger Dogswas intended by Kirby and DC to serve as the end to the entire Fourth World saga.The project was mired in controversy over Kirby's insistence that the series should end with the deaths of the New Gods, which clashed with DC's demands that the New Gods could not be killed off.

As a result, production of the graphic novel suffered many delays and revisions. Pages and storyline elements from the never published "On the Road to Armagetto" were revised and incorporated into the graphic novel, while DC ordered the entire plot restructured, resulting in many pages of the story being rearranged out of Kirby's intended reading order.

In the end,The Hunger Dogssaw the tormented, slave population of Apokolips rise up against Darkseid in a massive slave revolt, forcing Darkseid to flee his homeworld. This ending would not last, as Darkseid would reclaim Apokolips off-panel prior to the events of the 1986Legendscrossover.

Volume 3 (1989–91)

Following theCosmic Odysseylimited series byJim StarlinandMike Mignola,a newNew Godsseries was launched. Written by longtime Kirby assistantMark Evanier,with co-author and pencilerParis Cullins,this would be the most lengthyNew Godsrun yet. Coming in at 28 issues, this volume was published from February 1989 to August 1991.This series is sometimes considered volume 2, as the aforementioned volume 2 was essentially a reprinting of volume 1.

Volume 4 (1995–97)

Originally written byTom PeyerandRachel Pollack,and pencilled byLuke Ross,volume 4 ofNew Godsran from October 1995 until February 1997.It was taken over byJohn Byrnefor issues #12–15 at the end of the series; this title would be renamed asJack Kirby's Fourth World,also by Byrne, with numbering reset to issue #1, and covers provided byWalt Simonson.Walt Simonson'sOrionseries, which continued to host the backup feature "Tales of the New Gods", began in Byrne'sJack Kirby's Fourth Worldand served as an extension of it. Simonson wished to simply title his series "New Gods", but DC felt the name had been used too much recently.

John Byrne's one-shot issueDarkseid vs. Galactus: The Hungeralso appeared in October 1995.

2007–present

Cover toDeath of the New Gods#1 (Early December 2007)
Art byJim Starlinand Matt Banning

Death of the New GodsandFinal Crisis

Main articles:Death of the New GodsandFinal Crisis

Taking place in both the yearlong seriesCountdown to Final Crisis(2007–2008) and its spin-off,Death of the New Gods,written byJim Starlin,was a story-arc involving the mysterious deaths of the New Gods across the universe in preparation for the coming storylines inGrant Morrison'sFinal Crisis,published later in 2008. As elaborated inDeath of the New Gods,the mysterious Godkiller turned out to be an agent of the sentientSourceitself, which sought to destroy the imperfect Fourth World—compromised by the disruption in its creation by the Old Gods—in favor of a more perfect "Fifth World" by reuniting the Source with theAnti-Life Equation.The Source's initial attempts to recreate the Fifth World had been hampered by theCrisis on Infinite Earthswhich unified theMultiverseand forged an impenetrableSource Wallaround the Anti-Life Equation. By subtly manipulating characters such asAlexander Luthor, Jr.,andBooster Goldto recreate the Multiverse made the Source Wall less impenetrable. The Source's agent is revealed to be the New GodInfinity-Man.Darkseidacquires the powers of the Anti-Life Equation and capitalizes on the deaths of the New Gods by using the humanJimmy Olsenas a "soul-catcher" for the Gods, from which he can claim all their powers and recreate the universe in his own image, but he is killed when the Source is able to send Darkseid's resurrected son,Orion,to rip out his heart. Orion leaves the scene of the fray to die of his own wounds; and, seemingly with success, the Source entity manages to reunite with the Anti-Life entity and mergeApokolipswithNew Genesisto create the Fifth World, with the New Gods of the Fourth World all deceased.

InDC Universe#0, a bridge between theCountdownandFinal Crisislimited series, Darkseid is resurrected on Earth. InFinal Crisis,Darkseid and his minions now exist on Earth in the guises of organized criminals, with Darkseid taking the name "Boss Dark Side". Other New Gods, such asMetronand theBlack Racer,also appear reborn in newer, more elaborate Fifth World incarnations. Orion is discovered dead by detectiveDan Turpin,prompting theGuardians of the Universeto launch an investigation.Batmansurmises that Orion was in fact killed not of injuries from battling Darkseid, but by a sort of bullet sent backwards in time. Darkseid spreads the Anti-Life Equation among the human population, creating monstrous slaves out of its victims as he ushers in theFinal Crisis of Mankind.Shilo Normanbegins recruiting an army, warning of a war in heaven having occurred where evil won. Darkseid similarly claims to have ultimately come out of this war in heaven the victor. The villainLibrareappears on Earth after a long absence, making promises to the villains of Earth in the name of the deity he worships.

Grant Morrison addressed what he described as "the disconnects that online commentators, sadly, seem to find more fascinating than the stories themselves", by explaining that he provided a rough draft of the first issue, and an outline of the plot, before the writing began onCountdownandDeath of the New Gods.He outlined his thinking on the issues of continuity between the stories by stating that he "started writingFinal Crisis#1 in early 2006, around the same time as the52series was starting to come out, soFinal Crisiswas more a continuation of plot threads fromSeven Soldiersand52than anything else. "

As the events ofFinal Crisisunfold, it is revealed that the evil gods of Apokolips have been hiding in human bodies, and some have their bodies "rebuilt" for them in the Evil Factory, formerly the Command-D bunkers inBlüdhaven.Darkseid inhabits the body of Dan Turpin, after Turpin finally succumbs to the evil god. Kalibak inhabits a new body, that of a humanoid tiger, leading a team of similar creatures in battle. Mokkari and Simyan appear, looking more or less identical to their previous forms, with no explanation given to where their bodies came from.Granny Goodnesstakes up residence in theAlpha LanternKraken, using her to attack the Guardians of the Universe, whileDesaadinhabits the body ofMary Marvel.TheFemale Furiesthemselves are not shown to still exist, but they are recreated using Anti-Life controlled heroes and villains in the forms ofWonder Woman,Batwoman,Catwoman,andGiganta.

At the conclusion of the series, the essence of Darkseid is destroyed; the New Gods, are resurrected and reborn; andNix Uotanimplies that they will guide the recently destroyedEarth-51,restoring it to prosperity and peace. Nix also indicates that the Super Young Team are the new Forever People of the Fifth World.

Post-Final Crisis

See also:Fifth World (comics)

In an interview withNewsarama,DC Executive EditorDan DiDiospoke of the future of the New Gods in the DC Universe, saying, "The other thing we’ll give a rest to as well is the concept of the New Gods and the ideas surrounding them. There's a very clear conclusion to the New Gods’ storyline inFinal Crisis#7. The good part about it is that readers will see that ending, and we won't have to return to it right away. Like the Multiverse, the New Gods will be out there and available to us, and we can use them when we see fit, and feel the time is right. Just because we introduced concepts doesn't mean that we have to constantly use them. "

The New 52

In September 2011,The New 52rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Darkseid first appears inJustice League#4.DeSaadandSteppenwolfalso briefly appear in this story arc, experimenting on Superman and referring to "the search for Darkseid's daughter", explaining Darkseid's actions throughout infinite and his assault and assimilation of various worlds throughout the multiverse.In subsequent issues it is revealed that Cyborg's teleportation powers are linked to the Boom Tubes, thanks to upgrades performed by his father utilizing the Mother Box found by the team in their initial adventure, and that every 1,000 times he uses this technology, a glitch in it transports him and his Justice League comrades to Apokolips.

In the pages ofEarth 2#1, it is revealed that Darkseid's search has also resulted in his traversing the array of worlds invading this parallel Earth. Unlike his encounters inJustice League,this one is far more successful, resulting in the death of that Earth's Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman; in the midst of this war, Power Girl and Huntress somehow traverse into the realm of Prime-Earth.

It is teased that the fall of the Olympian Gods will lead to the creation of New Gods, but not stated if they mean the race of New Gods populating the Fourth World or simply newer younger gods. A figure, with Orion's helmet, appears in shadow then disappears into a Boom Tube.Orion fights against, then assists Wonder Woman in her struggle with the gods of Olympus and the monstrous First Born of Zeus, eventually leading her and the Last Born of Olympus to New Genesis and its leader: Highfather. While Highfather appears much younger than his pre-Flashpointincarnation, New Genesis appears much the same, consisting of a futuristic floating city above a mostly rural world covered in forests.

In theDarkseidspecial issue, it is revealed that he and Highfather are some of the only survivors of a previous larger world, where they were brothers and peasants. Their world was also inhabited by colossal beings known as Old Gods, who spent much of their time brawling with each other, feeding off the worship of the 'mudgrubbers', whose lives were often lost in the battles. One day the man formerly known as Uxas, having tired of his idol's destructiveness, decided to spark a war between them which would in turn devastate their world fatally wounding his sister, Izaya's first wife, after which he opted to kill all the wounded Old Gods, steal their powers and bring about a new order. One by one, the Old Gods were destroyed by Darkseid, who became more horrific in turn as he leeched their essence from them. As Darkseid's schemes started to tear the planet apart, Highfather ran with his wounded Avia in hand towards one of the last and greatest of the Old Gods, acknowledging his time had come and passed he chose to pass on the last of his power to reward Izaya's beloved's devotion to them. Empowered in a blinding flare of light, Highfather arose as a New God to battle Darkseid. The brothers, now equal, tore the world apart during their battle, leaving them to rebuild on the remains, which became Apokolips and New Genesis.

It was his search for what was believed to be his daughter Kaiyo that Darkseid came to traverse and enslave various worlds and universes throughout the 52 realities spanning existence, leading up to his first invasion of Earth 2 as well as the incursion of countless other Earths along the DCnU, up until the core world of Prime Earth where he battled and lost against the Justice League when they first formed to battle his invasion.

After countless eons of infighting proceeding after the fall of the Old World, Darkseid and Highfather would eventually be forced into conflict against their demented father and King of the Old Gods,Yuga Khan.Livid at the fact his sons ended up killing and usurping the powers of all the Old Gods of Urgrund save himself, he utilized the power of the Anti-Life Equation to reanimate his fallen subjects, while using his own powers to suppress his sons' New God Abilities, all to prevent the rise of the New Gods standing before him. When Zonuz was prepping to deliver the killing blow, Uxas crept up from behind and ended him, reducing his resurrected army back to the dust they were recreated from and sending the Old God back to the Source.

For a time, both brothers would raise their dead world back from the devastation wreaked by their previous conflicts, dubbing it Genesis with Izaya eventually remarrying, up until for undisclosed reasons Darkseid killed Highfather's new wife away from prying eyes, save those of his sibling's. Another war would commence pitting the former's faction against the self-titled God of Evil, which devastated the world they made together.With the losses tallied on both sides, a ceasefire was eventually called with Darkseid eventually slinking back into the darkness, while Highfather wept over the loss of their new home. Over time, a peace treaty would be forged in which Izaya would lose the compassionate part of himself to the Source to make him go through with it. Exchanging their sons like in the previous continuity would not stop Darkseid from waging wars of conquest across reality however, so Highfather brokered another treaty where Darkseid would only attack the Earth 2 dimension while leaving the other infinite Earths untouched.

Over time, the core universe where Apokolips first suffered defeat from would have more interactions with the New Gods of both New Genesis; created by the now-militant Highfather, as well as those of Apokolips; domain of the malevolent Darkseid and his elite followers.

Powers and abilities

The beings ofNew GenesisandApokolipscall themselves gods, living outside of normal time and space in a realm known as theFourth World.Due to their proximity to theSource,a primeval energy believed to be one of the ultimate foundations of the Universal Expression of Energy, these New Gods have evolved into genetically stable higher beings of evolutionary perfection.

All of the New Gods possess superhuman abilities of various kinds and differing degrees, including superhuman strength, stamina, reflexes, invulnerability and speed. The denizens of New Genesis and Apokolips are also immortal and endowed with a greater intelligence thanHomo sapiens,despite their resemblance. Both worlds have the finest technology that the universe can offer.

Despite their immortality, the New Gods are vulnerable to a substance called Radion. Its source is unknown and its effects are toxic only in sustained amounts or after explosive exposure. The average New God can be slain by an application of Radion from a Radion blaster or bomb.

WriterRachel Pollackintroduced the idea in "Sacrifice of the Gods" in 1996 that the New Gods were giants and that the Boom Tube would shrink them as they traveled to normal time and space or enlarge beings who traveled to the Fourth World realm. For example, ifSupermanwere to travel to Apokolips under his own power, he would be miniature in comparison to the New Gods – Orion remarked that "Earth is but a speck in an air pocket" and that the universe of New Genesis is the "real world". Proportionally, entire planets were shown to seem no larger than golf balls.

Known New Gods

New Gods of New Genesis

• Highfather– Izaya is the King and Prophet of New Genesis, husband of Avia I, father of Scott Free, grandfather of Avia II (Earth-22/Kingdom Come), father-in-law of Big Barda, brother-in-law of Big Breeda, adopted father of Orion, adoptive father-in-law of Bekka and adopted brother-in-law of Himon.
• Antinoos- Head of Commerce on New Genesis.
• Astorr– The originalInfinity-Man.
• Atinai– The builder of New Genesis' architecture, buildings, and cities.
• Avia– Queen of New Genesis, wife of Highfather, mother of Scott Free (the second Mister Miracle), grandmother of Avia II in theKingdom Comereality, mother-in-law of Big Barda, sister-in-law of Big Breeda, adopted mother of Orion, adopted mother-in-law of Bekka and adopted sister-in-law of Himon. Murdered by Steppenwolf.
• Avia II– The daughter of Scott and Barda Free, granddaughter of Izaya, Avia and Big Breeda and adopted niece of Orion and Bekka of theKingdom Comereality.
• Big Barda– Former leader of the Female Furies, Princess of New Genesis, daughter of Big Breeda, wife of Scott Free, mother of Avia II in theKingdom Cometimeline, daughter-in-law of Izaya and Avia I, adopted sister-in-law of Orion and Bekka.
• Bugs– A race ofhumanoid insects.
  • All-Widow– Queen of the Bugs of New Genesis.
  • Forager– A male warrior Bug of New Genesis and ally of Orion.
  • Forager– A female warrior Bug of New Genesis and successor of the first Forager.
  • Prime One– The leader of the Bugs of New Genesis and Forager's mentor.
• Celestia– A flier.
• Council of Eight– A group of New Gods who receive their orders from Highfather.
  • Bekka– Himon's daughter and Orion's wife.
  • Hyalt– A cybernetically enhanced blacksmith.
  • Lightray– A photokinetic warrior.
  • Metron– A supreme explorer, scientist, and inventor who rides in the time-traveling Mobius Chair.
  • Orion– The second son of Uxas/Darkseid, adoptive son of Highfather, half-brother of Kalibak and Grayvenm and husband of Bekka.
  • Shadowfall– An archer who is a general in the New Genesis army.
  • Uggha– General of New Genesis who obeys the will of Highfather.
• Council of Five– A group that works under Highfather.
  • Commander Gideon– A high-ranking general in the New Genesis army.
  • Lonar– An explorer who was the first to discover the remnants of the Old Gods.
  • Madame Nature– Security chief.
  • Teledar– A science officer.
• Desdemona– A teacher for the children of Supertown who is Metron's former lover.
• Divine Guard– The foot soldiers of New Genesis that work for Highfather and the allies of Orion.
• Enkar– Guardian of the New Gods' after-realm of Hadis.
• Fastbak– A young god from Supertown who appearedThe New Gods#5. He uses Aero-Pads that enable him to fly and have super-speed.
• Himon– The mentor of Mister Miracle.
• Infinity-Man– Drax is the older brother of Darkseid.
• Jezebelle– A New God in the Pre-Crisis comics. She is a mutant and former student of Granny Goodness who defected to New Genesis.
• Jigundus– A warrior with super-strength and enhanced durability who appeared inSuperman/Aliens.
• K'zandr– A keeper of Highfather'sOraclewith precognition.
• Magnar– An Orion-level warrior who protected Supertown as seen inSuperman's Pal Jimmy Olsen#147.
• Malhedron– A former servant of Darkseid that defected to New Genesis and a former member of the Council of Eight.
• Mister Miracle– An escape artist who is the prince of New Genesis, son of Highfather and Avia, father of Avia II (Earth-22/Kingdom Come), husband of Big Barda, son-in-law of Big Breeda, adopted brother of Orion, adopted-brother-in-law of Bekka and protegee of Himon. He is also the adopted brother of Grayven and Kalibak, the adopted son of Uxas/Darkseid, Tigra and Suli, adopted nephew of Drax/Infinity Man, adopted great-nephew of Steppenwolf and adopted grandson of Heggra and Yuga Khan.
• Monitors– The aerial police of Supertown.
• Primitives– A race ofindigenous peoplesthat live in the forests of New Genesis.
  • Mother Herrae– The leader of the Primitives and one of the original New Gods.
  • Aarden– Warrior from the Primitives.
  • Sserpa– A warrior from the Primitives.
• Seagrin– The water-loving New God. Slain by the Deep Six.
• Sister Sunlight– A New God with healing powers in the Pre-Crisis comics who originated as a "lowlie" on Apokolips before Himon emigrated her to Earth.
• Stanga– A hermit.
• Takion– The living embodiment of the Source.
• Teledar– A disembodied head in a floating orb device.
• Thunderer– Lonar's battle horse and survivor ofRagnarokfromForever People#5.
• Valkyra the Commander– Vykin's mother who rides a winged robot horse and is an expert at hand-to-hand combat.
• Vayla– The wife of Highfather and the mother of Scott Free.

New Gods of Apokolips

• Darkseid– The ruler of Apokolips and the father of Orion, Kalibak, Grayven, and Grail.
• Aerotroopers– The winged minions of Darkseid.
• Agogg– A massiveape-like minion who targeted Ellis Ames for the Anti-Life Equation that he had. He was slain by Darkseid's Omega Beams when Ames claimed that he gave the Anti-Life Equation to him.
• Antagonist– A minion of Darkseid who is an embodiment of hatred and rage.
• Berelda– A female servant of Darkseid.
• Brimstone– A being who was artificially created by Darkseid.
• Buna– A warrior of Apokolips and daughter of Kalibre that appears inSuperman(vol. 2) #104.
• Canis Major– A minion of Darkseid in dog-themed armor.
• Canis Minor– A minion of Darkseid in dog-themed armor and the son of Canis Major.
• Captain Hathak– The former lover of Tigra and the possible father of Orion. He was later killed by Darkseid.
• Commander Tusk– A commander in Darkseid's army.
• Concord&Harmon– The minions of Darkseid.
• Control– A communications officer.
• Cyborg-87– A red robot and minion of Darkseid.
• Darkseid's Elite– The elite warriors of Darkseid.
  • Amazing Grace– A master manipulator.
  • Bane of Apokolips– A minion of Darkseid fromNew Gods#18.
  • Brola– A member of Darkseid's Elite who has a "Hand of Stone."
  • DeSaad– A torturer and Darkseid's right hand and advisor.
  • Devilance the Pursuer– A hunter. He was killed byLobo.
  • Doctor Bedlam– A pure energy being with a never-ending series of artificial bodies and an enemy of Mister Miracle.
  • Glorious Godfrey– A master manipulator who is mostly adept at bending huge masses of people to his will. He is the older brother of Amazing Grace.
  • Granny Goodness– The supervisor of the Female Furies and keeper of Apokolips's horrid orphanages.
  • Kalibak– The son of Darkseid and Suli who serves as the second-in-command of Apokolips.
  • Kanto– A master assassin.
  • Lady Justeen– The second-in-command of DeSaad, a.k.a.Meteorra Mayhem.
  • Mantis– A bug-like warrior from the Bugs of Apokolips.
  • Mortalla– A servant of Darkseid who can induce sleep with one hand and death with another. She was once a mortal but was heavily modified to serve Darkseid.
  • Steppenwolf– Darkseid's uncle who is the general in his armies.
  • Titan– A massive, green-skinned warrior and member of Darkseid's Elite fromThe New Gods#18.
  • Virman Vundabar– An expert strategist and sycophant who is the father of Malice Vundabar.
• Deep Six– Thefish-like warriors who have fought the New Gods of New Genesis as well asAquaman.
  • Gole– A member of the Deep Six who wears a helmet that covers his face and wields bladed weapons.
  • Jaffar– A green-armored member of the Deep Six who can mutate other beings with his touch.
  • Kurin– A gold-armored member of the Deep Six who often wields a trident.
  • Shaligothe Flying Finback – A member of the Deep Six whose wing-like fins enable him to fly.
  • Slig– A blue-armored member of the Deep Six who can disintegrate an object or mutate other beings with his touch.
  • Trok– An axe-wielding member of the Deep Six who wears a copper helmet.
• Dog Cavalry– Warriors on dog-like mounts that are commanded by Steppenwolf.
• Ericht– A Theta drone.
• Esak– A brilliant young man from Supertown who was Metron's protégé. He was destined to take Metron's place one day as cosmic explorer and master technologist, until he was injured in an accident which damaged him both physically and mentally. His soul and faith were embittered badly and he soon turned against Metron and his New Genesis allies by joining the ranks of Darkseid's Elite. Orion finally confronted Esak and killed him; but before he died, Orion, still respectful for Esak's past self, prayed to the Source for Esak and his face was healed before he finally died.
• Female Furies– A group of female warriors that work for Granny Goodness.
  • Artemiz– The archer of the Female Furies.
  • Bernadeth– A knife-wielding member of the Female Furies who is Granny Goodness' right-hand woman and is the most intelligent of the group. Sister of Desaad.
  • Big Breeda– The mother of Big Barda, grandmother of Avia II (Kingdom Come), mother-in-law of Scott Free, and sister-in-law of Avia I and Izaya.
  • Bloody Mary– A mind-controlling vampire-themed member of the Female Furies.
  • Gilotina– A member of the Female Furies whose super-strength enables her to chop through anything.
  • Lashina– A whip-wielding member of the Female Furies. She was also known as Duchess when she was in theSuicide Squad.
  • Mad Harriet– A wild member of the Female Furies with claws.
  • Malice Vundabar– The daughter of Vermin Vundabar.
    • Chessure– A creature controlled by Malice Vundabar.
  • Speed Queen– A member of the Female Furies who roller skates enable her to have super-speed.
  • Stompa– A super-strong member of the Female Furies who wears anti-matter boots.
  • Wunda– A light-manipulating member of the Female Furies.
• Grail– The daughter of Darkseid and theAmazonMyrina.
• Grayven– The third son of Darkseid whose mother is unknown.
• Gravi-Guards– The hulking minions of Darkseid who are able to become super-dense. They debuted inJack Kirby's Fourth World#12.
• Harassers– They serve as the security guards at Granny Goodness' orphanages.
  • Marvelous Marno– An inventor and member of the Harassers.
• Heggra– The mother of Darkseid.
• Hunger Dogs– Also called "Lowlies," they are the downtrodden citizens of Apokolips who reside the Armagetto district.
  • Jovita– A rebel Hunger Dog from Armagetto.
  • Kyta– A rebel Hunger Dog from Armagetto.
• Infernus– The pyrokinetic minion of Darkseid who was sent to obtain a powerful sword that was to be delivered to Metron.
• Iota– A minion of Darkseid.
• Jet-Bow Squad– The soldiers of Apokolips who wield Jet-Bows.
• Justifiers– The slaves of Glorious Godfrey that are mind-controlled by the Anti-Life Equation that also powers their weapons. The Justifiers played a major part in the "Final Crisis"storyline as the alternative foot soldiers of Darkseid and Libra.
• Kalibre– An assassin who is the father of Buna.
• Killroy– The son of Steppenwolf.
• Lakutha– A midwife who was slain by Tigra to hide Orion's true parentage.
• Little Barda– A warrior who idolized Big Barda and fled to Earth.
• Lucifar– A minion of Darkseid who was sent by Darkseid to live with an Alaskan family.
• Master Mayhem– A minion of Darkseid. He was killed byDoomsday.
• Merritz– Atroll-like servant that Darkseid abandoned on Hawaii who was encountered byRay.Killed upon Brimstone's activation.
• Mokkari– An evil scientist who ran the Evil Factory that is Apokolips's version ofProject Cadmus.
• Necromina– A female minion of Darkseid and commander of the "Graveyard Army" who can raise and control the dead with her "Mortis Mark."
• Nurse Maggit– An assistant to DeSaad with maggot-like hair.
• Orion- Second Son of Darkseid.
• Pacifiers– Giant red robots that enforce peace through force. They appear inSuperman(vol. 2) #3.
• Parademon– The common foot soldiers of Apokolips.
  • 3g4– A Parademon that fought against its programming after an encounter with Aquaman. He was killed by Topkick.
  • Junior Jumbo– A Parademon.
  • Pharzoof– A Parademon with a mind of his own.
  • Topkick– A Parademon drill instructor.
• Photon Patrol– The regular soldiers using Parademon flying harnesses fromMister Miracle#25
• Powerboy– A friend of Little Barda who fled from Apokolips with her.
• Precious– A failed potential recruit for theFemale Furies.
• Protector Willik– The Armagetto district's protector who wields a throw-club. Killed by a bomb that was used by Himon.
• Pythia– The keeper of Darkseid's Oracle with precognition who also controls Apokolips's Garden of Hope.
• Red One– An assistant to Meteorra.
• Rip Roar– A four-armed warrior who fled toEarthafter stealing a New Genesis Super-Cycle and being trapped in stone. Rip Roar later battledYoung Justiceupon being freed from his stone prison when the Super-Cycle with his imprint on it was accidentally activated.
• Servitors– The giant armored minions of Darkseid.
• Simyan– A primate-like DNAlien and evil scientist who ran the Evil Factory which is Apokolips's version of Project Cadmus.
• Sleez– The former boyhood friend of Uxas.
• Stingaree– An arachnid warrior from the Bugs of Apokolips.
• Suicide Jockeys– A group of non-humans fitted with flying harnesses and suicide bombs that speak in rhyme.
• Suli– The wife of Darkseid and mother of Kalibak.
• Techno-Chiefs– Four of the Techno-Chiefs accompanied Darkseid in trying to get some information from Metron's Mobius Chair.
• Tigra– The wife of Darkseid and the mother of Orion.
• Tygar the Tearer– A saber-toothed gladiator.
• Tyrus– A minion of Darkseid who is one of Apokolips's greatest assassins. He later defected to New Genesis.
  • Tracker– A giant-sized three-headed hound that serves Tyrus. The Tracker was cloned and grown if the one before it was killed.
• Warhounds– The 12 ft. robotic dogs fromLegends#3 that were developed by DeSaad and his fellow scientists.
• Yuga Khan– The father of Darkseid.

New Gods from Earth

• Azrael– The New God of Belief.
• Batman– The God of Knowledge.
• Cyborg– The New God of Code
• The Flash (Barry Allen)– The God of Death (merged withBlack Racer).
• Lex Luthor– The God of Apokolips.
• Shazam– The God of Gods.
• Starfire– The New God of Fire.
• Superman– The God of Strength.

Bibliography

Outside of the original three Kirby titles, and those strictly labeled "New Gods", other characters from Kirby's Fourth World have had their own titles.Mister Miraclehas had numerous other iterations of his own comic, andOrionwas given his own title in 2000that ended in 2002. The aforementionedJack Kirby's Fourth Worldis another example, as isTakion,a New God not created by Kirby, but one that had his own series for seven issues in 1996. The New Gods and their concepts have at times played a central role in theDC Universe,in series such asJim Starlin'sCosmic Odyssey.Particularly, the characterDarkseidhas been a major force in the DC Universe, and is one of the main villains in the variousSupermantitles.

Tales of the New Gods

"Tales of the New Gods" was a backup feature that began inJohn Byrne'sJack Kirby's Fourth World,and continued inWalt Simonson'sOrionseries. In the features forJack Kirby's Fourth World,Byrne almost exclusively provided the pencils and text for the stories. In the features for theOriontitle, Simonson often wrote the story, and fellow artists would, appropriately, provide the artwork; although on rare occasions, other writers would provide the script/story.Two backup stories, though not under the "Tales of the New Gods" banner, were printed when Byrne filled in as penciller onOrionfor the main stories in issues #13 and #14, with Simonson providing writing and pencilling, andBob Wiacekinking.

Collected editions

The various New Gods stories have been collected into various volumes. All 11 issues of the original series have been collected intoJack Kirby's New Gods(ISBN1563893851).DC Comics published aTales of the New Godstrade paperback (ISBN978-1401216375) in January 2008, which collects all of the back-up stories listed above, aMark Evanier/Steve RudeMister Miracleone-shot comic from 1987, and a previously unpublished story byMark MillarandSteve Ditkooriginally meant to be printed in the pages ofOrion.In 2008, DC released a one-shot titledCountdown Special: New Gods#1, which reprintedForever People#1,Mister Miracle#1, andNew Gods#7.Death of the New Godshas been collected into a hardcover edition (ISBN1401218393).and later reprinted in trade paperback.

The entirety of Kirby's work on the "Fourth World" was collected in fourOmnibuseditions published in 2007 and 2008:

• Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus
  • Volume 1 collectsForever People#1–3,Mister Miracle#1–3,The New Gods#1–3,Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen#133–139, 396 pages, May 2007,ISBN978-1401213442(hardcover);December 2011,ISBN978-1401232412(paperback)
  • Volume 2 collectsForever People#4–6,Mister Miracle#4–6,The New Gods#4–6,Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen#141–145, 396 pages, August 2007,ISBN978-1401213572(hardcover);April 2012,ISBN978-1401234409(paperback)
  • Volume 3 collectsForever People#7–10,Mister Miracle#7–9,The New Gods#7–10,Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen#146–148, 396 pages, November 2007,ISBN978-1401214852(hardcover);August 2012,ISBN978-1401235352(paperback)
  • Volume 4 collectsForever People#11;Mister Miracle#10–18;The New Gods#11; "Even Gods Must Die" fromThe New Gods(vol. 2) #6;DC Graphic Novel#4:The Hunger Dogs;"On the Road to Armagetto!" (previously unpublished), 424 pages, March 2008,ISBN978-1401215835(hardcover);December 2012,ISBN978-1401237462(paperback)

In other media

Film

• The evil New Gods are referenced throughoutBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice(2016). In one deleted scene from the film, which is included in the Ultimate Edition extended cut,Lex Luthorcommunicates withSteppenwolfthrough the use ofalientechnology from the quarantinedKryptonianscout ship.
• The New Gods feature prominently inJustice League(2017), with the main antagonist being Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds). Exiled fromApokolips,Steppenwolf invades Earth in command of an army ofParademons,hunting down the threeMother Boxeslocated thereon. The Mother Boxes are hidden among the united forces of Earth, located inAtlantis,Themysciraand by mankind.Cyborgis created through the aid of a Mother Box, and has a connection to their power.The New GodsDarkseid(Ray Porter),DeSaad(Peter Guinness),andGranny Goodness(portrayed by an uncredited actress) were meant to appear in the film, but were cut following Snyder's departure from the project. They did appear in the director's cut of the film,Zack Snyder's Justice League(2021).Snyder intended to include all the New Gods in his plannedJustice Leaguesequels, which were never made.
• A New Gods live action film was in development from 2018 to 2021.It was planned to be directed byAva DuVernay,originally with a script written byKario Salem,but later with a script written by DuVernay andTom King.Darkseid was planned to be the main antagonist of the film, but the film was also planned to include theFemale Furiesand All-Widow,among others.
• George Lucas'sStar Warsseries has been speculated to be influenced by the New Gods. At a 1972 dinner that included comics writer/editorRoy Thomasand comic shop owner Ed Summer, George Lucas told his story forStar Wars,after which Roy Thomas noted that it sounded very similar to Jack Kirby'sNew Gods.
• An alternate universe New Gods version ofBekkaasWonder Womanappears in the 2015 animated filmJustice League: Gods and Monsters.
• Darkseid appeared in theDC Animated Movie Universeas the main antagonist, appearing in the filmsJustice League: War,Reign of the SupermenandJustice League Dark: Apokolips War.Additionally, writerJ. M. DeMatteiswas interested in scripting a New Gods film set in this franchise.

Television

• Darkseid,Kalibak,Desaad,and the planet Apokolips appear in the final two incarnations of theSuper Friendsanimated series, entitledSuper Friends: The Legendary Super Powers ShowandThe Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians.New Genesis and its residents did not appear and were not mentioned despite Orion and Mister Miracle being part of the concurrentSuper Powers Collectiontoy line.
• Various New Gods characters have appeared in the modernDC Animated Universe,with Kalibak, Darkseid, and the Fourth World characters making their initial appearance inSuperman: The Animated Series.They would appear in several episodes of that series, as well asJustice LeagueandJustice League Unlimited.
• Darkseid, Kalibak,Granny Goodnessand Darkseid's other followers appear inBatman: The Brave and the Bold.LashinaandStompaalso appear, but as female fighters employed byMongalrather than servants of Darkseid.
• Many of the New Gods characters, such as Darkseid, Granny Goodness, Desaad, and Godfrey appear in the final season ofSmallville.Orion and Highfather are also mentioned.
• TheForever People,Desaad, New Genesis and Apokolips appear in theYoung Justiceepisode "Disordered". Darkseid is alluded to, but is not mentioned by name and does not appear onscreen until the finale episode "Endgame". G. Gordon Godfrey is a recurring character throughout Season Two: "Invasion". Apokolips, New Genesis, Darkseid and Granny Goodness play a prominent role in Season Three: Outsiders, with other New Gods (such as Metron) appearing in various episodes. Highfather and Lightray appeared inYoung Justice: Phantoms.

Video games

• Several New God characters appear inDC Universe Online,including Mister Miracle, Big Barda, Kalibak, Mantis, Orion, Lightray, Steppenwolf, Darkseid, his New God/Amazondaughter Grail, Granny Goodness, and theFemale FuriesStompa,Lashina,andMad Harriet,along with several Bugs and Parademons.New Genesisis an open-world area, with two instances inApokolips.
• Apokolipsand multiple New Gods appear inLEGO DC Super-Villains,including Darkseid, Kalibak, Grail, Granny Goodness, the Female Furies, and Steppenwolf. They all play a part in the storyline, can be collected as playable characters, and Apokolips is an open-world location the player can visit.

Awards

This series, along withForever People,Mister Miracle,andSuperman's Pal Jimmy OlsenwonJack KirbyaShazam Awardfor "Special Achievement by an Individual" in 1971.

In 1998,Jack Kirby's New Godsby Jack Kirby, edited by Bob Kahan, won both theHarvey Awardfor "Best Domestic Reprint Project"and theEisner Awardfor "Best Archival Collection/Project".

See also

Other notable Fourth World characters and concepts:

• Anti-Life Equation
• Jack Kirby bibliography
• Mother Boxes
• The Source
• Source Wall

Similar Marvel Comics characters:

• Eternals,a race of godlike human beings also created by Jack Kirby

External links

• Index to the Earth-1 Fourth World stories
• New GodsNew Godsvol. 2,New Godsvol. 3,New Godsvol. 4andDeath of the New Godsat Mike's Amazing World of Comics
• Kistler, Alan (August 4, 2008)."New Gods Breakdown: An Illustrated Guide to Jack Kirby's Creations".ComicMix.Archivedfrom the original on December 30, 2014.
• New Godsfrom DC Wiki
• New Godsfrom DC Extended Universe
• New Godsfrom Dc Comics Extended Universe