Jack Kirby's greatest creation is not a hero, but a villain. Darkseid is perhaps the single greatest comics character created during the 1970's, beginning as the uber-villain in the sprawling but incomplete Fourth World saga, but becoming for DC a core malignant force who eventually ends up engaging nearly all of the DCU at one time or other.
As I was gathering up images of Darkseid and I was surprised to notice just how few times Darkseid appeared on a Fourth World cover. He only shows up twice in the whole thing and one of those is in shadow on a Mister Miracle cover. His face is first seen in Jimmy Olsen.
But we get our first good look at him in New Gods #2, where his schemes begin to take greater shape. (Note: Because of the way Darkseid is shown in New Gods #2, I spent a whole month thinking he was a giant. Perhaps that's what Kirby wanted.)
But Kirby wasn't done with drawing Darkseid.
When Kirby was asked to come back and finish up his unfinished masterpiece in the 80's, he drew Darkseid on three more covers, two issues of the reprint run.
And he drew him on the cover of Hunger Dogs, the graphic novel which is the finale of sorts for the sweeping Fourth World narrative.
He also drew Darkseid on several Super Powers covers.
This cover for Amazing Heroes #100 might well be one of the last times Kirby drew Darkseid for publication.
Here's a cover for The Jack Kirby Collector featuring Darkseid, but this was a fan piece originally.
But Darkseid was drawn by other artists at DC, some very effectively. Below is a gallery with another great Kirby example.
Below is my favorite Kirby image of Darkseid, with his banal evil writ all over his smug and craggy face.
Kirby apparently indicated he based Darkseid on actor Jack Palance. This picture of Palance really shows off the simiarity I think.
And while I'm on the subject here is the Kenner toy package for the Darkseid's Super Powers figure.
And here's Kirby drawing for the DC Who's Who series.
One thing about Darkseid, and this speaks to Kirby's genius, is that he is always with us, whenever we give in to our baser passions and desires. That's Darkseid talking.
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Nice Darkseid assortment! Other than Kirby's original. I think I like Starlin's the best. I think I have to go with Galacticus for my favorite Kirby creation (although, admitedly, Lee was a co-creator in that one - maybe). I wonder which one Kirby was most fond of?
ReplyDeleteI would imagine that Darkseid is more personal to him, but I've not read anything to that effect. Darkseid's evil is the most potent kind, whereas Galactus can just kill you, Darkseid's nature is even more insidious. He strives not just to kill you, but to make you a slave, what Kirby called in the Fourth World "Anti-Life".
ReplyDeleteAs to his "favorite" creation, I'd guess Kirby would always answer that question by saying "The next one" or something like that.
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i, for one, remember being supremely disappointed with HUNGER DOGS. it just seemed rushed and far too much crammed into the space alotted, almost as if Kirby were forced to edit out key parts of the story.
ReplyDeleteOh there's no doubt that Hunger Dogs is a tepid "ending" to the saga. But given his diminished skills at the time and the limited space, Kirby at least got to put a coda on the whole thing.
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