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Darkseid
Darkseid

Darkseid

238 appearances · Silver Age · 1970–2026 · 7 key issues
Who is Darkseid?

Born the scheming second son of Apokolips's ruling family, Uxas manipulated his way to the throne by stealing the power of the Old Gods and transforming himself into a being of pure evil — the tyrant Darkseid, obsessed with conquering all free will through the Anti-Life Equation.

Few villains in all of comics loom as large as Darkseid, the stone-faced cosmic tyrant who burst onto the scene in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134 in 1970, a late Silver Age arrival from the singular imagination of Jack Kirby. Over more than five decades — stretching all the way to 2026 — he has become one of DC's most enduring and defining antagonists, racking up 217 catalog appearances and seven collector-recognized key issues that speak to a character whose every entrance carries weight. His company is nothing short of DC's finest: Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and their secret-identity selves Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne have all shared the page with him, a testament to how completely he threads through the DC universe's grandest stories. Whether you're diving into Action Comics, the Super Powers Collection, or his landmark entry in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe, Darkseid is the rare villain whose presence elevates everything around him — essential reading for any serious DC fan.

Identity

Real name. Uxas

Teams & affiliations
New Gods
★ First appearance
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134
Dec 1970

Trivia

  • Darkseid's iconic visage was deliberately modeled on actor Jack Palance, a production detail that has since become one of the most recognized design choices behind the character.dc.fandom.com
  • Originally conceived as a threat central to Kirby's Fourth World material, Darkseid was later folded by DC into the main continuity, transforming him from a single-series antagonist into one of the company's most durable cross-title villains.dc.fandom.com

Top series

Covers through the years — 1970–2022

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134 1970
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134
Justice League of America #183 1980
Justice League of America #183
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #1 1985
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #1
Legends #1 1986
Legends #1
Action Comics #650 1990
Action Comics #650
Green Lantern #56 1994
Green Lantern #56
Wonder Woman #129 1998
Wonder Woman #129
Bizarro Comics #[nn] 2003
Bizarro Comics #[nn]
Wonder Girl #3 2008
Wonder Girl #3
DCU: Legacies #8 2011
DCU: Legacies #8
Adventures of Superman #7 2014
Adventures of Superman #7
Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner #2 2018
Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner #2
Nightwing #93 2022
Nightwing #93

Appearances (1–150 of 238, oldest first)

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen (1954)
The Forever People (1971)
The New Gods (1971)
Mister Miracle (1971)
Démon (1976)
Justice League of America (1960)
Marvel and DC Present Featuring the Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans (1982)
#1
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980)
Team America (1982)
#7
Super Powers Collection (1983)
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985)
Choc (1985)
#2
Super Powers (1985)
Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985)
#8
Legion of Super-Heroes Annual (1985)
#2
Legends (1986)
The Fury of Firestorm (1982)
#55
Superman (1987)
Adventures of Superman (1987)
Action Comics (1938)
Suicide Squad (1987)
#3
Who's Who: Update '87 (1987)
#3
Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes Annual (1986)
#5
Warlord Annual (1982)
#6
Forever People (1988)
Comics Scene (1987)
Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes (1988)
#1
Superman Annual (1987)
#2
Wonder Woman (1987)
Firestorm the Nuclear Man (1987)
#76
Secret Origins (1986)
#33
Action Comics Weekly (1988)
New Gods (1989)
Legion of Super-Heroes (1989)
Crossover Classics: The Marvel / DC Collection (1992)
San Diego Comic Con Comics (1992)
#1
Green Lantern Corps Quarterly (1992)
#7
Green Lantern (1990)
The Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans (1995)
#1
Lobo / Deadman: The Brave and the Bald (1995)
Guy Gardner: Warrior (1994)
#29
The Darkstars (1992)
Darkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger (1995)
Rogues Gallery (1996)
Superman Adventures (1996)
DC gegen Marvel (1996)
#7
The Spectre (1992)
#58
Jack Kirby's Fourth World (1997)
#10
DCU Holiday Bash II (1998)
Spider-Man (1997)
#18
X-Men (1997)
Superman: Adventures of the Man of Steel (1998)
Marvel DC Crossover (1997)
#9
Supergirl (1996)
Marvel / DC-Classics (1999)
Superman & Savage Dragon: Metropolis (1999)
Orion (2000)
#1
Spécial DC (1997)
#8
Green Lantern 80-Page Giant (1998)
#3
Bizarro Comics (2001)
JLA - Légendes (2004)
Batman (2003)
#13
Bizarro World (2005)
Green Lantern Sonderband (2006)
#2
Wonder Girl (2007)
#3
Superman: Redemption (2008)
Countdown to Final Crisis (2008)
Reign in Hell (2008)
#2
Final Crisis (2008)
#4
The Death of the New Gods (2008)
The Brave and the Bold (2007)
#18
Tiny Titans (2008)
Wednesday Comics (2009)
#10
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne (2010)
#3
Adventure Comics (2009)
DCU: Legacies (2010)
#8
Comic Book Comics (2008)
#5
DC Universe: Legacies (2011)
Justice League Dark (2011)
#5
Detective Comics (2011)
#5
The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2011)
#15