A History of New Gods Comics

Justice League (2011)

The New 52 launched with an 'Apokaliptic' bang: the secret origin of the Justice League. They were brought together by events orchestrated by Darkseid, beginning with an incursion by a sole Parademon. Batman and Green Lantern pursued the creature (which could change its shape) and found it planting a Mother Box under the streets of Gotham City. The creature shrieked "For Darkseid!" before setting off a blast and killing itself. The heroes were protected by Green Lantern's power and they recovered the Mother Box. (Justice League v.2 #1) Note: In original New Gods tales, Mother Boxes could only be used by the good people of New Genesis.

They sought advice from Superman, who was also attacked. After the Flash arrived, they learned that S.T.A.R. Labs had yet another Mother Box. Scientists Sarah Charles and Silas Stone unknowingly opened a Boom Tube with them and through the portal swept hordes of Parademons. Stone's son Victor was caught in the energies and his body was blown apart. (#2)

Elsewhere the demons engaged Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor, while more portals opened. At S.T.A.R., Silas Stone saved his son by bonding him with Promethium; Victor became Cyborg, a conduit for digital information; he saw visions of Darkseid and heard a pinging sound. (#3) Cyborg also learned that Parademons were created with harvested organic materials that were reprocessed in the service of Darkseid. Victor assimilated the Mother Box's teleportational technology and transported all the heroes together to meet lord Darkseid when he arrived on Earth. (#4)

Darkseid was several times a human's height. The Flash managed to outrun his terrible Omega Effect but Superman was struck by it and taken by demons. Batman found another Boom Tube and stepped through it to Apokolips. (#5)

There Batman found the lair of Desaad, who with Steppenwolf was attempting to turn Superman into a soldier. When Wonder Woman asked Darkseid his purpose on Earth, he said he was there "For her" (this was clarified later, in the Darkseid War). She drove her sword into Darkseid's eye, and Aquaman's trident found the other. Cyborg activated his Mother Boxes and returned the Parademons to Apokolips. Batman used the distraction to free Superman, just in time for Darkseid's return. Superman pummeled Darkseid until another portal could drag the heroes back to Earth. Darkseid vowed to return, and all the Mother Boxes on Earth were destroyed. (#6)

Wonder Woman v.4 (2012)

Orion and Highfather made their first New 52 appearances in the pages of Wonder Woman. Writer Brian Azzarello gave quite different characterizations to these New Gods. Highfather was not the peaceful sage, but a warrior king (this is explored further in the Godhead crossover). And Orion was a powerful playboy, behaving in a much more lighthearted way than in previous incarnations. New Genesis was classic: a lush planet overseen by a floating city.

Orion was the adopted son of Highfather, the ruler of New Genesis. Orion was no stranger to Earth; he took occasions to "relax" there, and had made friends and allies along the way. When Highfather learned of a disturbance on Earth, he sent Orion to prevent a multiversal cataclysm. What they had sensed was the rebirth of the god Zeus, and the ominous reemergence of Zeus' vengeful First Born. Zeus had been reborn on Earth to a woman named Zola, and they were under the protection of Diana of Themyscira, aka Wonder Woman. (Wonder Woman v.4 #12, 14)

Orion found Wonder Woman via his old friend, one of Zeus's offspring, the blind demigod called Milan. He and his brother Lennox brought Orion to Wonder Woman, who was already struggling to protect the baby from the other gods of Olympus. (#15-16)

Orion stayed with her group to monitor the baby's progress. He was unsure what to make of Highfather's proclamation, and did not care to murder an infant (now called Zeke). Orion annoyed Diana with his innuendos, eventually provoking her to threaten him with castration. They scuffled and the excitement revealed Orion's true, savage face. (#19)

When the First Born finally came into conflict with Wonder Woman's group, Orion snatched them away from the battlefield by opening a Boom Tube back to New Genesis. (#21) Highfather offered them hospitality and healed their wounds. They learned that he had ruled for millennia, and that New Genesis was a golden island that orbited a green planet. No structures were allowed on the surface; it was kept as a monument to a great war that had poisoned the planet. That war ended in stalemate.

Just as Highfather was about to send them home, he bound Wonder Woman and ordered Orion to take the child. Orion defied the order and escorted his new friends back to Earth instead. Highfather simply wished him luck. (#22) Note: Highfather was shown first in shadow, in Wonder Woman v.4 #14 (Jan. 2013), and fully revealed in #21.

In the ultimate battle against the First Born, Orion stood with Wonder Woman to the end. He took a severe blow from the Minotaur's horn and was saved by Milan. (#23-34)

After this story arc, the continuity of the New 52 Wonder Woman was retooled with DC's "Rebirth" initiative. It is unclear how the above adventures now sit in continuity.

Earth 2 + World's End (2012)

Mister Miracle's role in the New 52 began on a parallel Earth instead of the mainstream DCU (Earth-0). Scot Free and Barda fled Apokolips and sought sanctuary on Earth-2...

On Earth-2, just after Batman first met Superman, they encountered Kaiyo the Trickster, of Apokolips, who had possessed Catwoman. (Batman/Superman #1) Kaiyo foretold the coming of her master, Darkseid, and said he could be stopped by using a certain kind of crystal. (#3-4) Note: Kaiyo's origin was told in Justice League #24.1 (2013).

At some point after this, Steppenwolf seduced the Wonder Woman of Earth-2, and she bore a daughter, Donna, aka Fury. Fury was kidnapped by her father and raised on Apokolips, in the care of Granny's Finishing School. Her "teacher" was Big Barda, who oversaw the recruitment and training of Darkseid's Furies. (Earth 2 #15)

Scot Free resisted Darkseid's sinister influence and escaped from Apokolips to Earth-2. There he studied with a retired escape artist named Shilo Norman, aka Mister Miracle. Scot became Mister Miracle II and imbued his costume with advanced technology. (Earth 2 #15) Note: The spelling of his name as "Scot" was a change made by Geoff Johns in Justice League #41 (2015).

Steppenwolf sent Big Barda to retrieve Scot, but she was charmed by him, and defected from her masters. By the time Steppenwolf began preparing for Apokolips' invasion of Earth-2, he had captured the pair and branded them as traitors. (Earth 2: World's End #1)

When Steppenwolf invaded, he unleashed a mind-control known as Anti-Life, turning people into slaves. Earth's hero, Mister Eight, enacted a plot to destroy the infected cities. He detonated megabombs that left the Earth cratered and burning — much like Apokolips. (Earth 2 #0)

Wonder Woman was impaled by Steppenwolf's sword and Superman was killed by Parademons. Afterwards, Supergirl and Robin leapt into a Boom Tube created by Desaad, and followed the villain to Earth-0 (aka Earth-Prime). (Earth 2 #1)

Five Years Later: Earth-0

Supergirl and Robin became stranded on Earth-0 and took new aliases: Power Girl and the Huntress. Desaad was likewise stranded there without a working Boom Tube. He spent his time bedeviling the women and searching for any way off the planet. (Earth 2 #15.1, Worlds' Finest #10-12)

He latched onto Power Girl's own attempts to accomplish the same. She ultimately succeeded and he hitched a ride back to Earth-2. (#23-26)

Five Years Later: Earth-2

Barda and Scot escaped from Steppenwolf and lived a life on the run. They ultimately arrived in devastated Gotham City (Earth 2 #11, 15) where they were captured by the Red Tornado. (Earth 2 #15)

Steppenwolf took his time before returning. He hid in the nation of Dherain, trainied his daughter, Fury, (Earth 2 #8) and created three terrors called the Hunger Dogs: Brutaal, the Beguiler, and Bedlam. (#14) Brutaal was unmasked as a clone of Earth-2's Superman. He went berserk and unexpectedly killed Steppenwolf, opening a rift across the earth stretching from Europe into central Asia. (#16) Brutaal killed many of the World Army's troops before being destroyed by Marella (aka "Aquawoman"). (#26) NOTE: Bedlam is the reinvention of Doctor Bedlam, from Mister Miracle v.1 #3 (July/Aug. 1971)

By this time, Apokolips' attention had turned again toward Earth-2. Mister Miracle and Big Barda were enslaved by Bedlam and forced to help with building a transport device between Earth and Apokolips. (#21) They succeeded, and Bedlam's call was received by the dark god-planet. (#26-27)

Earth 2: World's End

Apokolips responded by sending four heralds, new Furies who were the last of their races: Pestilence of Czarnia, Famine of Warworld, K'li of Tamaran, and Death from Mars. (Earth 2 #28, Earth 2: Worlds' End #1) (It was later learned that Highfather had agreed to let Apokolips "feed" on Earth-2 [Earth 2: Worlds' End #11].)

As the burning planet approached, the Court of Apokolips was called together. Presiding over the Court was an entity named Apokolips that was described as its "talking throne." The nobles convened: giant Paternus, the insectoid Rectifier, diminutive Lowest, and gangly Arcanis. They were distressed, as Darkseid had retreated into a Mobius Chamber some time before. His aim was to recover (presumably from his fight with the Justice League) and empower himself by consuming the very heart of Apokolips. (Earth 2: Worlds' End #2, 4)

As Apokolips entered Earth's solar system, Fury turned on her father and allied with Scot and Barda. (#4) Apokolips destroyed Earth's moon (#7) just as Mister Miracle descended into the Mobius Chamber in search of Darkseid. (#9) Scot intended to kill him but instead his actions freed and reinvigorated Darkseid; he and Apokolips were now poised to regain their full strength by consuming Earth-2. (#10) His Court welcomed their Lord back to the throne. (#12)

On Earth, the child of Death and Darkseid, called Deathspawn, infected the heart of the planet (#17) and Darkseid unleashed his terraforming machine. (#18-19) The battle was lost; Earth was totally engulfed by Apokolips. The heroes managed to save millions of survivors on space ships, and Barda — who had apparently betrayed Scot to work for Darkseid — concealed herself among the human refugees. (#23-26) Note: Barda's defection back to Darkseid seemed genuine, but it was unexplained. In later appearances, she was again in lock-step with her love, Mister Miracle.

Future's End: Earth-0

Events from Earth-2: World's End were set in the "current day" and considered "in-continuity." However the Future's End maxi-series took place on Earth-0 and five years in the future. As such, its events are not considered a part of mainstream continuity.

In Future's End, Earth-2's escape ships came to Earth-0, where the survivors did not integrate smoothly. The heroes (including Mister Miracle and Fury) were imprisoned on Cadmus Island. (New 52: Future's End #5)

Big Barda went underground. (#21) She was recruited by Emiko Queen (Green Arrow's sister) in Vancouver, to help find the missing heroes. (#10, 13, 17, 18, 21) Naturally, Mister Miracle escaped from the prison but was savagely attacked for it. (#24, 27)

Barda was eventually reunited with her friends and they helped destroy Cadmus. In the explosion, Barda was presumed to have died. (#30)

Infinity Man and the Forever People (2014)

The Forever People of the New 52 were reconceptualized as a band of students from New Genesis. They starred in their own series by Keith Giffen and Dan DiDio, which ran for 9 issues from 2014–2015. The series also crossed over with the "Godhead" event.

Several things were different about the new Forever People:

• They were students who studied under Headmaster Himon; he sent them to Earth on a mission.
• Serifan was changed to "Serafina" — the sister of Vykin.
• The group added Azur Te, Vykin's girlfriend.
• The members' personalities were much more defined and they were not all blindly devoted to Highfather.

The series was a stage for DC to establish some of the history and principles behind the Fourth World of the New 52. Published in sync with "Godhead," issue #5 gave details about the early days of Apokolips and New Genesis.

Brothers Izaya (the firstborn) and Uxas, fought their father, Yuga Khan, who held the secret of Anti-Life and reanimated the gods they'd slain. Uxas killed Khan with a blow to the back, and their race of "New Gods" was tainted by this betrayal. Millennia later, a cult of Yuga Khan arose. It's leader, Aagog, was the champion for resurrecting Yuga Khan and reuniting the gods. (Infinity Man and the Forever People #5)

The final issue of the series told the interconnected origin of Highfather and the Infinity Man. It explained that before his ascension to "Highfather," Izaya was a naturally kind and peaceful man. During the war with his brother Darkseid, Izaya and a doomed companion undertook a mission to cleanse New Genesis of a nest of Parademons. They detonated a huge bomb that accomplished their goal, but it left their planet a wasteland.

At this point Darkseid had proposed the pact to exchange their sons. Izaya had not yet agreed and was in search of wisdom. His friend, Himon, used his powers to transport them to the Source Wall. They witnessed the motionless Promethean Giantsand found the Source shard, the only remaining piece of the original Wall. The Source ordered him to accept the pact, and it transformed him. Its power infused Izaya and cleaved him into two beings — Highfather and the Infinity Man. The Infinity Man held the peaceful essence of Izaya while Highfather became ever more warlike. (#9)

» SEE: Forever People (New 52) Profile

Godhead Crossover (2014)

"Godhead" was a three act mega-crossover among the Green Lantern titles of the New 52. It began with a special, Green Lantern/New Gods: Godhead, then ran through issues of each title, culminating in Green Lantern Annual #3 (2014).

In "Godhead," Highfather turned his attention to acquiring the secret to the Life Equation — the power to shape reality, and defeat Darkseid. Recent events involving the colored Lantern corps alerted him and Metron about certain activities involving the Source.

The crossover made several fundamental changes to New Gods lore:

• The New 52 Highfather was hell-bent on waging war to stop his brother, Darkseid, at any cost.
• As in Wonder Woman, Highfather is a warrior, not the pacifist of Kirby's creation.
• The Guardians of the Universe assert that New Gods are older than they, and that New Genesis exists on an untouchable, unreachable plane, a "capsule reality."
• The Source Wall does not conceal the Source itself, but the life energies of the universe, from which all the Lanterns draw their power. It also contains the secrets to the Life Equation.

In the beginning, the Old Gods ruled a multi-tiered firmament. Eventually they succumbed to warring and were destroyed by it. Two new worlds formed from the wreckage, Apokolips and New Genesis. Many years later two brothers — Darkseid and Highfather — came to oppose one another and after seven days of war, the dead outnumbered the living. They had reached stalemate; Darkseid retreated into the multiverse in search of power; Highfather remained and built a city above New Genesis, a golden island above his desolate world.

Highfather sought the secret to life and the power to stop his brother: the Life Equation. He found a hint of it at the great Source Wall, but never uncovered its truth. In recent times, he and Metron learned that the Wall had been breached by a team of Lanterns, in their battle with a being called Relic. Highfather believed that the combined power of the rings would create the Life Equation. He hatched a plan to collect one ring of every color, in order to create a powerful white light.

He sent his generals, his Council of Eight (including Bekka, Lightray, Hyalt, Malhedron, Orion, Shadowfall, Uggha) to rob the Lanterns, who were unprepared for the power of the New Gods. Highfather promptly combined the power of these seven rings and unleashed it on the dismal planet of Aydin. Instead of elevating the inhabitants, its people become monsters.

Highfather concluded that the White Lantern (Kyle Rayner, who had successfully traversed the Source Wall) was needed to wield the power instead. He also decreed that ring bearers were having a destructive effect on the universe and they must all be destroyed. (Green Lantern/New Gods: Godhead #1)

Metron located Rayner using the Green Lanterns' central computer on Oa. (Green Lantern v.5 #35, Green Lantern Corps v.3 #35) As it happened, Kyle wanted to relinquish the white power, so he and the Star Sapphire (Carol Ferris) accompanied him to New Genesis. (Green Lantern: New Guardians #35) But when they learned that Highfather intended to remake the universe, Carol revolted. (#36)

Bekka was sent to war on the Indigo Lanterns and John Stewart. (Sinestro #6) She was tailed by Sinestro (who suggested she should become one of his corps members). (#7-8)

Eventually some of Highfather's own Council began to doubt his plans. (Green Lantern Corps #37) Metron aided Kyle Rayner and Carol Ferris, giving them a Mother Box. (Green Lantern: New Guardians #37)

Orion's Alpha Guard failed to hold against Green Lantern Hal Jordan and the undead army of the Black Hand. In the end, they bro[ught the fight back to New Genesis where Highfather "saw the light." Rayner counseled Highfather to curb his warlike ways and Highfather conceded; he ended the war and ordered his followers to stand down. (Green Lantern Annual #3)

Justice League: Darkseid War (2015)

"Darkseid War" was a sequel to the original New 52 Justice League story, wherein Darkseid is lured back to Earth by his daughter, Grail (the product of his union with an Amazon known as Myrina Black). Grail was born on the same day as Wonder Woman and raised to hate her father; she and Myrina schemed to lure him to Earth as part of an elaborate trap — a battle to the death against the Anti-Monitor.

The Anti-Monitor's true name was Mobius, and Metron possessed his namesake, the Mobius Chair. Metron approached the titan on Earth-3, where the Anti-Monitor had destroyed the planet. Metron offered to help restore Mobius to "normal," but Mobius had already made his own plan and allied with Grail to destroy Darkseid. (Justice League #40)

Darkseid sent two assassins —  Kanto and Lashina — to kill Myrina Black. Kanto had a history on Earth-0, in Italy, and his dagger was controlled by a Mother Box. Lashina's ribbons were haunted by their victims. Elsewhere, Mister Miracle sought the help of the only people known to have defeated Darksied: the Justice League of Earth-0. (#41)

The Anti-Monitor possessed Darkseid's prize: the Anti-Life Equation. It was his eternal curse and he longed to be free of it, which would require the death of Darkseid. When the two battled, Darkseid called on the Black Racer, the herald of death. It chose the Flash as its new host. (#44)

Darkseid was killed in the clash, and the Anti-Monitor reverted back into Mobius. (#45) The dark god's death caused a cosmic ripple and Shazam's god-given powers were supplanted by those of the New Gods (#44) One of these was Zonuz, aka Yuga Khan, the original god of evil and father of Darkseid. (Justice League: The Darkseid War: Shazam)

In the course of battle, more members of the Justice League assumed the power of the New Gods. When the League took Metron's Mobius Chair, Batman climbed on and gained godlike knowledge. (Justice League #42) On Apokolips, Superman was infused with dark energy within a fire pit. (#43) Lex Luthor absorbed Darkseid's Omega Effect and declared himself the new leader of Apokolips; he met a band of lowlies led by Ardora. (Justice League: The Darkseid War: Lex Luthor)

Big Barda followed Mister Miracle to Earth and revealed that they had become married. They tried to keep this a secret from those on Apokolips, and Barda remained allied with Granny Goodness and Darkseid's Elite so that she could command their help in the fight on Earth. (Justice League #46) After Darkseid was killed, Barda returned to Apokolips to free its slaves. (#49) She returned help fight Grail, with all the Female Furies (Bernadeth, Mad Harriet, Stompa) and Darkseid's Elite. (#50)

With Mobius separated from the Anti-Life Equation, Grail exposed her true objective: to take the control of the Equation, and thereby bring Darkseid under her control. (#46) The Justice League recruited help from their rivals, the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3. (#47) Mobius killed their Ultraman, and Superwoman went into labor. (#48) Her child's father was Alexander Luthor of Earth-3, aka Mazahs. When Superwoman uttered his name, the baby absorbed all the god energies that had infused the Justice League. Grail killed Superwoman and took the child. (#49)

Grail installed the Anti-Life Equation into the baby, which also restored Darkseid. This new Darkseid was now under Grail's control. With all the Gods and the Justice League aligned against her, Grail was forced to unleash her eye-blast power fully; it cut through Myrina, killing her, and into the new Darkseid. This separated him from the Anti-Life Equation and reduced him to infant form once again. Grail disappeared with the child. (#50)

After Batman was separated from the Mobius chair, Owlman of Earth-3 stole it and disappeared. (#49) Later he and Metron were both apparently incinerated by an unseen adversary. (#50)

This story includes a flashback to the time when Metron brokered a pact between Apokolips and New Genesis. He proposed that Darkseid and Highfather exchange one of their sons (they each had more than one child). Darkseid reasoned that although the pact would not blunt his inclination toward war, it would in Highfather's case. Highfather's son, Scot, overheard the conversation and begged his father not to send him. But on neutral ground Scot was exchanged for Darkseid's son, Orion, who had no fear. Scot was met by Steppenwolf and put into slave camps. (Justice League #40)