The Legion of Super-Heroes #294: The Great Darkness Saga

First a history lesson.  In the beginning there was Kirby, and he was good.  From the mind of Jack Kirby came many of the iconic characters of the sixties and seventies.  But Jack had a special love for space gods so when he left Marvel for DC in 1970 he got the chance to tell his stories.  And so there came a time when the old gods died and from their bones were born the New Gods.  And all was good.

Of course the New Gods need a villain and they got a big one, Darkseid.  Appearing first in the greatest comic ever published, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, Darkseid was the main antagonist for the New Gods and related titles like the Forever People and Mister Miracle.

But when the Fourth World series ended Darkseid seemed consigned to the dustbin of comics history.  Until Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen brought him back in a big way.  I don't think it's an exaggeration to say the Great Darkness Saga is what made Darkseid the villain of the DC Universe.  More than being an important comic historically, the Great Darkness Saga is simply a great story.  If you haven't read it, get it and read it.  You won't be sorry.

The story is rather complex and rather than go through the whole thing just know Darkseid working behind the scenes has attacked the Legion, defeated and stole the powers of Mordu and the Time Trapper, and powered up and enthralled three billion Daximites who then go on a rampage at his command.  Which brings us to this...

 

We begin with Brainac 5 spilling the beans on who the big bad is.

 To which most of the Legion responds, "who?"  Neverless Brainy put out the general alarm activating everyone, even the Subs. 

 

While the Legion mobilizes, the Daxamites continue to run wild taking down planet after planet.

 

By the way it's been a thousand years you would have thought the Thanagarians would have updated the Hawkmens' uniforms by now.  Meanwhile Dev-Em attempts to defend the Inter-Stellear Counter-Intelligence Corps from the the Daxamite attack.  And I quote, "Dammit! You guys cannot simply fly in and wreck a nerve center of the Inter-Stellear Counter-Intelligence Corps like it was a ten credit kid's toy! Get outta here!"  Dev-Em from Kryptonian bad boy to LSH Milhouse.

Just as Dev-Em is about to be overwhelmed he's rescued by the Heroes of Lallor.

 

Elsewhere the Subs fearless battle the Daxamites proving yet again that the LSH is a petty club determined to keeps the Subs down.  Also Fire Lad get's hit in the head with a rock.

 

Meanwhile Light Lass and Bloc have been told to guard a mysterious child who had been conjured by a bunch of wizards.  Unfortunately, Darkseid wants the child so one of his servants and a horde of Daxamites attack.

 

The Daxamites and the Servant destroy the Legion ship leaving the Legionnaires drifting in space protected only by the White Witch's spell.

 Chameleon Boy who at the time was in prison for treason (don't ask) is also on the run from a young Daxamite who's systematically destroying the prison planet.  Luckily he knows just enough super-karate to throw the Daxamite right into Validus's cell. (Foreshadowing!)

 

On Daxam the most powerful Legionnaires take the fight to the Daxamites. 

 

 After letting his team get beat on for a while Brainiac 5 uses his anti-Daxamite weapon and has Element Lad transform the atmosphere of Daxam to one part per thousand lead which puts the Daxamites out of action.  

The rest of the Legion converges on Daxam where they find Darkseid and the child.  But Darkseid doesn't go down easily and gives each of the Legionnaires a personal hell.

 

Then Darkseid shows the difference between villains and super-villains.  Style!

 

Shadow Lass uses her power to cloak herself and child, which isn't much of a defense against Darkseid but it buys just enough time for the plan to come to fruition.  You see that child, it was really Highfather reborn and he rescues Darkseid's clone of Orion and frees him from the thrall.  Orion attacks Darkseid.

Orion fights valiantly but in the end he was just a clone and goes down.  Highfather then disperses his power to heal the Legion and restore Daxam's red sun.  And to give a little red son insurance to two well-known Krytonians.

 

Darkseid quickly dispatches  Superboy to his own time but Kara keeps fighting and knocks him into orbit but he quickly recovers and puts the hurt on Supergirl.

The Legion attacks en masse and Darkseid admittedly weakened after a 1000 years gives up the fight.  But...

 

Epilogue #2: Supergirl plays with a mentally ill man's emotions.

 

This comic is 21 years old and it's still as good as it was when new.  The story, the art, it's a tour de force of comic writing.  More than that it, turned Darkseid into the villain we know today.  After this Darkseid was featured on the Super Friends: The Legendary Super-Powers Show.  His stature grew and grew until he became the Darkseid we know today.

Next time: Power Pack