Darkseid

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Prince Uxas was the second-in-line to Apokolips' throne, plotting against his older brother Drax. When Drax tried to claim the Omega Force, Uxas murdered him and claimed its power, causing his skin to turn to stone. He rechristened himself Darkseid. His family history is marked by betrayal: he had a son, Kalibak, with Suli, whom his mother Heggra ordered poisoned. Later, forced to marry Tigra (mother of Orion), he ordered Heggra's death to become supreme monarch. In Grant Morrison's 2005 Mister Miracle series, after discovering the Anti-Life Equation and destroying the Fourth World, Darkseid appeared on Earth as an evil gang leader known only as "Boss Dark Side." He even traded North America to the Sheeda in exchange for Aurakles to capture Shilo Norman, the "Avatar of Freedom."

In Their Own Story

Darkseid's history includes the "Great Darkness Saga," set one thousand years in the future where he returned after centuries of absence. Using scientific and magical methods, he transposed Apokolips and Daxam, giving Daxamites Kryptonian-like powers under a yellow sun to conquer the universe until defeated by the Legion of Super-Heroes. In Final Crisis, prophesied to be defeated by his son Orion in the fiery Armaghetto, Darkseid was killed when Orion ripped out his heart. Yet, his life essence endured, falling back in time as "Boss Dark Side." Aided by Libra and the resurrected Crime Bible, he corrupted Earth with the Anti-Life Equation, using detective Dan Turpin as a host. While Turpin's mind remained partially in control during the transformation, Darkseid eventually gained full power, compressing spacetime around Earth.

Reader's Guide

Darkseid is adapted across media, with Ray Porter providing his live-action debut in Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021). Voice actors include Michael Ironside, Andre Braugher, Tony Todd, and "Weird Al" Yankovic. Mark Evanier noted that Kirby pronounced the name as if spelled "dark side," though he once let a fan pronounce it "dark seed." Influencing pop culture significantly, Marvel's Thanos was inspired by Darkseid. His primary strategy involves using minions like Glorious Godfrey and Intergang to probe human minds for Anti-Life Equation fragments. He also established the Dark Side Club in Birds of Prey #118, where superhumans fought to the death, brainwashed by drugs from Bernadeth.

Did You Know?

• Jack Kirby modeled Darkseid's face on actor Jack Palance and based his personality on Adolf Hitler and Richard Nixon.
• Darkseid murdered his brother Drax to claim the Omega Force, which turned his skin to stone.
• In the Final Crisis event, Orion fulfilled a prophecy by killing Darkseid in the fiery Armaghetto of Apokolips.
• Marvel Comics' Thanos was explicitly inspired by Jack Kirby's creation of Darkseid.
• Mark Evanier stated that while Kirby usually pronounced it "dark side," he once let a fan say "dark seed" without correcting them.