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New Gods

The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in New Gods #1.

For other uses, see New Gods (disambiguation).

New Gods

DC Comics

The New Gods #1 (February/March 1971)

Jack Kirby (writer and artist)

New Genesis, Apokolips

List of New Gods

Cover to The New Gods #1 (February/March 1971)
Art by Jack Kirby

DC Comics

Vol. 1
Bimonthly
Vol. 2–4
Monthly

Vol. 1, 3, 4
Ongoing series
Vol. 2 and Death of the New Gods
Limited series

(Vol. 1)
February/March 1971 – October/November 1972
(Vol. 1 continued)
July 1977 – July/August 1978
(Vol. 2)
June 1979 – November 1984
(Vol. 3)
February 1989 – August 1991
(Vol. 4)
October 1995 – February 1997
(Death of the New Gods)
Early December 2007 – June 2008

Vol. 1
19
Vol. 2
6
Vol. 3
28
Vol. 4
15
Death of the New Gods
8

List
List
List

ISBN 1-56389-385-1

Powers and abilities[edit]

The beings of New Genesis and Apokolips call themselves gods, living outside of normal time and space in a realm known as the Fourth World. Due to their proximity to the Source, a primeval energy believed to be one of the ultimate foundations of the Universal Expression of Energy, these New Gods have evolved into genetically stable higher beings of evolutionary perfection.


All of the New Gods possess superhuman abilities of various kinds and differing degrees, including superhuman strength, stamina, reflexes, invulnerability and speed. The denizens of New Genesis and Apokolips are also immortal and endowed with a greater intelligence than Homo sapiens, despite their resemblance. Both worlds have the finest technology that the universe can offer.


Despite their immortality, the New Gods are vulnerable to a substance called Radion. Its source is unknown and its effects are toxic only in sustained amounts or after explosive exposure. The average New God can be slain by an application of Radion from a Radion blaster or bomb.


Writer Rachel Pollack introduced the idea in "Sacrifice of the Gods" in 1996 that the New Gods were giants and that the Boom Tube would shrink them as they traveled to normal time and space or enlarge beings who traveled to the Fourth World realm. For example, if Superman were to travel to Apokolips under his own power, he would be miniature in comparison to the New Gods – Orion remarked that "Earth is but a speck in an air pocket" and that the universe of New Genesis is the "real world". Proportionally, entire planets were shown to seem no larger than golf balls.[48][49]

– Izaya is the King and Prophet of New Genesis, husband of Avia I, father of Scott Free, grandfather of Avia II (Earth-22/Kingdom Come), father-in-law of Big Barda, brother-in-law of Big Breeda, adopted father of Orion, adoptive father-in-law of Bekka and adopted brother-in-law of Himon.

Highfather

Antinoos - Head of Commerce on New Geneis.

Astorr – The original .

Infinity-Man

Atinai – The builder of New Genesis' architecture, buildings, and cities.

Avia – Queen of New Genesis, wife of Highfather, mother of Scott Free (the second Mister Miracle), grandmother of Avia II in the reality, mother-in-law of Big Barda, sister-in-law of Big Breeda, adopted mother of Orion, adopted mother-in-law of Bekka and adopted sister-in-law of Himon. Murdered by Steppenwolf.

Kingdom Come

Avia II – The daughter of Scott and Barda Free, granddaughter of Izaya, Avia and Big Breeda and adopted niece of Orion and Bekka of the reality.

Kingdom Come

– Former leader of the Female Furies, Princess of New Genesis, daughter of Big Breeda, wife of Scott Free, mother of Avia II in the Kingdom Come timeline, daughter-in-law of Izaya and Avia I, adopted sister-in-law of Orion and Bekka.

Big Barda

Bugs

Forager

Celestia – A flier.

Council of Eight

Bekka

Council of Five

Desdemona – A teacher for the children of Supertown who is Metron's former lover.

Divine Guard – The foot soldiers of New Genesis that work for Highfather and the allies of Orion.

Enkar – Guardian of the New Gods' after-realm of Hadis.

Fastbak – A young god from Supertown who appeared The New Gods #5. He uses Aero-Pads that enable him to fly and have super-speed.

Himon – The mentor of Mister Miracle.

– Drax is the older brother of Darkseid.

Infinity-Man

– A New God in the Pre-Crisis comics. She is a mutant and former student of Granny Goodness who defected to New Genesis.

Jezebelle

Jigundus – A warrior with super-strength and enhanced durability who appeared in .

Superman/Aliens

K'zandr – A keeper of Highfather's with precognition.

Oracle

Magnar – An Orion-level warrior who protected Supertown as seen in #147.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen

Malhedron – A former servant of Darkseid that defected to New Genesis and a former member of the Council of Eight.

– An escape artist who is the prince of New Genesis, son of Highfather and Avia, father of Avia II (Earth-22/Kingdom Come), husband of Big Barda, son-in-law of Big Breeda, adopted brother of Orion, adopted-brother-in-law of Bekka and protegee of Himon. He is also the adopted brother of Grayven and Kalibak, the adopted son of Uxas/Darkseid, Tigra and Suli, adopted nephew of Drax/Infinity Man, adopted great-nephew of Steppenwolf and adopted grandson of Heggra and Yuga Khan.

Mister Miracle

– The aerial police of Supertown.

Monitors

Primitives

Seagrin – The water-loving New God. Slain by the Deep Six.

Sister Sunlight – A New God with healing powers in the Pre-Crisis comics who originated as a "lowlie" on Apokolips before Himon emigrated her to Earth.

Stanga – A hermit.

– The living embodiment of the Source.

Takion

Teledar – A disembodied head in a floating orb device.

Thunderer – Lonar's battle horse and survivor of from Forever People #5.

Ragnarok

Valkyra the Commander – Vykin's mother who rides a winged robot horse and is an expert at hand-to-hand combat.

Vayla – The wife of Highfather and the mother of Scott Free.

Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus

ISBN

The evil New Gods are referenced throughout (2016). In one deleted scene from the film, which is included in the Ultimate Edition extended cut, Lex Luthor communicates with Steppenwolf through the use of alien technology from the quarantined Kryptonian scout ship.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

The New Gods feature prominently in (2017), with the main antagonist being Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds). Exiled from Apokolips, Steppenwolf invades Earth in command of an army of Parademons, hunting down the three Mother Boxes located thereon. The Mother Boxes are hidden among the united forces of Earth, located in Atlantis, Themyscira and by mankind. Cyborg is created through the aid of a Mother Box, and has a connection to their power.[68] The New Gods Darkseid (Ray Porter),[69] DeSaad (Peter Guinness),[70] and Granny Goodness (portrayed by an uncredited actress) were meant to appear in the film, but were cut following Snyder's departure from the project. They did appear in the director's cut of the film, Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021).[71] Snyder intended to include all the New Gods in his planned Justice League sequels, which were never made.[72]

Justice League

A New Gods live action film was in development from 2018 to 2021. It was planned to be directed by Ava DuVernay, originally with a script written by Kario Salem,[74][75] but later with a script written by DuVernay and Tom King.[76] Darkseid was planned to be the main antagonist of the film, but the film was also planned to include the Female Furies[77] and All-Widow,[78] among others.

[73]

's Star Wars series has been speculated to be influenced by the New Gods. At a 1972 dinner that included comics writer/editor Roy Thomas and comic shop owner Ed Summer, George Lucas told his story for Star Wars, after which Roy Thomas noted that it sounded very similar to Jack Kirby's New Gods.[79]

George Lucas

An alternate universe New Gods version of as Wonder Woman appears in the 2015 animated film Justice League: Gods and Monsters.

Bekka

Darkseid appeared in the as the main antagonist, appearing in the films Justice League: War, Reign of the Supermen and Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. Additionally, writer J. M. DeMatteis was interested in scripting a New Gods film set in this franchise.[80]

DC Animated Movie Universe

Awards[edit]

This series, along with Forever People, Mister Miracle, and Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen won Jack Kirby a Shazam Award for "Special Achievement by an Individual" in 1971.[81]


In 1998, Jack Kirby's New Gods by Jack Kirby, edited by Bob Kahan, won both the Harvey Award for "Best Domestic Reprint Project"[82] and the Eisner Award for "Best Archival Collection/Project".[83]

Anti-Life Equation

Jack Kirby bibliography

Mother Boxes

The Source

Source Wall

Other notable Fourth World characters and concepts:


Similar Marvel Comics characters:

Index to the Earth-1 Fourth World stories

New Gods vol. 2, New Gods vol. 3, New Gods vol. 4 and Death of the New Gods at Mike's Amazing World of Comics

New Gods

Kistler, Alan (August 4, 2008). . ComicMix.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014.

"New Gods Breakdown: An Illustrated Guide to Jack Kirby's Creations"

from DC Wiki

New Gods

from DC Extended Universe

New Gods

from Dc Comics Extended Universe

New Gods