Darkseid’s Elite first appeared in New Gods #1 and were created by Jack Kirby. The Elite are the top chosen to Darkseid, ruler of Apokolips. The Elite became Darkseid’s most powerful band of warriors.
Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf was one of Darkseid’s elite soldiers and his uncle.
Origin:
After his Yuga Khan being imprisoned in the Source Wall, his sister Queen Heggra became absolute ruler of Apokolips and he was promoted by his sister, to the post of commander of the army. During the time of Heggra’s reign, Darkseid suggested he organize an army to invade New Genesis, so they could partake of a sadistic sport:hunting and killing the civilians.
Steppenwolf’s soldiers attacked Izaya the inheritor, until Avia intervened to save him. But Steppenwolf, sensing movement behind him, whirled and fired a fatal radion bolt at her, not realizing she was Izaya’s wife. Later Darkseid rendered Izaya unconscious with a blast from his “killing gloves”. Then Darkseid, along with a now suspicious Steppenwolf, returned to Apokolips.
After the death of his wife, Izaya led New Genesis forces against Apokolips in act of vengeance, making the two planets go to war. Darkseid gives to Steppenwolf the command of the Dog Calvary to hold the New Genesis raid, but was killed by Highfather. All this was nothing more than Darkseid’s plan to poison his mother and take over the throne without the intervention of his uncle. Sometime later Steppenwolf was resurrected through Desaad’s invention and became Apokolips, military leader under Darkseid’s command.
Steppenwolf is one of the earliest survivors of Doomsday, the monster who once killed Superman.
Powers and Abilities:
Steppenwolf is an immortal with superhuman strength, speed and stamina appropriate to his race. He is an experienced military leader, having served as the head of Apokolips’s armed forces, and when going into battle personally often commands units of the dog cavalry – warriors riding enormous dogs, known for the carnage and mass deaths he causes when he leads forces. Steppenwolf wields several weapons, including a cable-snare in which he can entrap opponents and from which he can fire lethal radion beams. His main weapon is his electro-axe. He is a master swordsman and a formidable hand-to-hand combatant.
Equipment : Electro-Axe & Cable Snare
Desaad
Sadist. Torturer. Coward. Treacherous Desaad is all of these things, and chief counselor to Darkseid. He oversees the day to day operations of Apokolips with a cruel hand.
He is one of the followers of Darkseid from the planet of Apokolips. DeSaad is a sadist and a coward. He is naturally treacherous, but is sufficiently afraid of Darkseid that he will not turn against his master unless someone else takes the lead (and will probably switch sides again if it looks like they will fail). He spent some time posing as Darkseid to keep Intergang going. While Darkseid had been involved with Intergang as part of his search for the Anti-Life Equation, DeSaad simply wanted to cause suffering.
Originally from New Genesis, Desaad wasn’t always as sadistic as he is now. He used to be nothing, but an innocent youth, until he encountered Darkseid. On one of his secret trips to New Genesis, Darkseid noticed the young lad had two favorite animals, a bird and a cat. One day the boy came home to find his bird missing. Finding feathers on his cat’s bed, Darkseid told the boy that it’s his job to avenge the bird by killing the cat. Desaad took the cat in his back yard and buried it alive. On his return, he found the bird back in his cage. In a fit of rage, he killed the bird. Manipulated and corrupted by Darkseid, Desaad accompanied him to dark Apokolips.
Powers:
Desaad was an expert with various Apokoliptian machines, several of which he developed himself as torture devices. As Darkseid’s closest assistant, he was also familiar with the planet’s workings and resources
New 52:
Superhuman Strength
Superhuman Speed
Superhuman Agility
Superhuman Reflexes
Superhuman Senses
Superhuman Stamina
Immortality
Invulnerability
Mind Possession
Mind Reading
Hypnosis
Teleportation
Illusion Casting
Mind Possession
Mind Reading
Hypnosis
Energy Absorption
Abilities : As Pre-Flashpoint version Desaad is a mastermind at creating torture devices and advanced weaponry.
Kalibak
Kalibak is one of the main enemies of Superman and the Justice League.
Kalibak is the first-born son of Darkseid and Suli. They had married without the consent of Kalibak’s grandmother Queen Heggra, the ruler of the planet Apokolips at this time. Heggra hired the lackey Desaad to murder Suli. Desaad however, waiting for the right moment, assassinated Suli shortly after she had already delivered her son, Kalibak.
Powers and abilities : Physically, Kalibak is one of the strongest gods on Apokolips, and the most loyal to Darkseid. This is what makes Kalibak an indispensable member of Darkseid’s Elite. Kalibak possesses incredible levels of superhuman strength almost on par with Superman, Orion, and even Darkseid himself.
Like all beings of the Fourth World he is immortal. Kalibak is a highly trained hand-to-hand combatant known on Apokolips for his savagery. Kalibak possesses incredibly high levels of superhuman strength, endurance, and durability. Despite his great size, Kalibak is actually fast and agile. He is armed with a Beta-Club, a weapon that fires force bolts or nerve beams that causes living beings agonizing pain beyond comprehension. It is nearly indestructable, though Orion once destroyed it with some assistance from Lightray.
He can also summon and use aero-disks which allow him to fly. Kalibak also has access to high-tech weapons of mass destruction. Physically, Kalibak is one of the strongest gods on Apokolips, and the most loyal to Darkseid. This is what makes Kalibak an indispensable member of Darkseid’s Elite.
Kalibak possesses incredible levels of superhuman strength almost on par with Superman, Orion, and even Darkseid himself. Once he had been augmented by his father in an effort to secure the Life-Equation from an elemental wielder; Darkseid had bestowed his son with vastly augmented might and menace enabling him to physically overpower his once far stronger brother Orion in combat, even granting him the ability of psi-beams which are an Omega effect like psionic blast which spikes individual minds with blinding amounts of mental agony.
Granny Goodness
One of the residents of Apokolips, Granny Goodness is in charge of training (sometimes through brainwashing) new soldiers for Darkseid’s forces. She leads the Female Furies.
Origin : Young Goodness
Granny runs the “orphanage” on Apokolips and is the chief of the Female Furies. She also raised Scott Free, the son of Highfather of New Genesis who had been traded for Darkseid’s son as part of a peace treaty. Scott Free (AKA Mister Miracle) became the first child to successfully escape one of her Orphanages.
Originally a member of the Lowlies, a downtrodden peasant class on Apokolips, a young Goodness was taken from her home and family, and given training as one of Darkseid’s Hounds. During her training, she raised and trained a dog, called Mercy, and quickly formed a bond with the animal. For her final test, she was ordered to kill the animal, but refused to do so, killing the trainer instead.
Brought before Darkseid, she defended her decision, explaining that the dog was loyal to Darkseid above all others, and would be a faithful servant to his will. To test this, Darkseid ordered Mercy to attack Goodness, which it did, requiring Goodness to kill the dog. Impressed, Darkseid informed her that she had graduated with honours, and he intended to put her to work as a trainer, since she had seen such success in training her dog.
He appointed her head of the shock troops, and also of the Female Furies. She was also given control of several orphanages, which were in fact thinly disguised military schools that favoured exacting discipline and taught blind obedience. One of her most notable pupil was Scott Free.
Powers and Abilities : The beings of Apokalips call themselves gods and live in a realm called the Fourth World which is outside normal space and time. Their strength is due to their relative proximity to the Source, an energy which fuels the powers of the beings in Apokalips. The inhabitants of New Genesis are far more stronger, faster, smarter and are said to be immortal.
Superhuman Strength
Superhuman Speed
Superhuman Stamina
Superhuman Senses: As a New God,she has all senses expanded at superhuman levels.
Invulnerability: As a New God Granny Goodness is resistant to most form of energy and physical attacks.
Immortality: As a New God Granny Goodness has an extended lifespan which allows him to exist indefinitely. He doesn’t age, wither, or degrade. After being killed by Infinity Man, she raised with the ability to possess others bodies as she does with Kraken. Immunity: New Gods have an advanced immune system, which allows him to survive on Apokolips’ environment ( which is full of diseases and toxins) and be immune to toxin and diseases from other planets.
Abilities : Granny Goodness is well experienced in most forms of combat, interrogation, tracking, strategy and weapons. She has the responsibility to bring young warriors from other worlds to fight each other, so to earn the right to be trained by her and become the Female Furies,also Granny Goodness has her own ”orphanage” where she trains and torture children,looking for potential warriors for Darkseid. Granny Goodness has great skill in the use of New God’s technology as the one who stole the powers of the Greek gods.
Big Barda
Barda is a member of the race known as the New Gods.
She was born about 250 years ago, on Apokolips. Her mother was named Big Breeda, but Barda was taken away from her at an early age to be trained as a warrior. She was a product of Granny Goodness’ Home for Orphaned Youth. Granny’s motto is “Die for Darkseid” (the planet’s evil ruler). Granny groomed Barda to one day lead the Female Fury Battalion, a ferocious pack of warrior women. However, during a raid, Barda meets Scott Free, Darkseid’s adopted son, and, sensing a peace abo-ut him, fell in love.
Bred for battle on the hellish world of Apokolips, Big Barda became one of her world’s greatest warriors and served as the leader of Darkseid’s personal guard, the Female Furies. Eventually Barda found love, and fled Apokolips with her future husband, Mr. Miracle. Barda has since made Earth her primary home and has served as member of the Justice League.
Around 250 years ago, on the hellish planet known as Apokolips, Big Breeda gave birth to a daughter whom she named Barda. The child was taken from Breeda at a very young age to be trained as a warrior in Darkseid’s army. While she was still very young, Barda was sent to Granny Goodness’ Home for Orphaned Youth, where she grew to be a beautiful, powerful young woman trained in combat and military tactician. Impressed with Barda’s (now known as Big Barda) battle prowess, Granny Goodness selected her to become the leader of Darkseid’s personal guard and most feared enforcers; the Female Furies.
Powers and Abilities:
Barda wields a high tech weapon of Apokoliptan origins called a “Mega-Rod.” The rod is capable of producing extremely powerful concussive bolts capable of felling beings as durable as Superman, allows Barda to teleport herself and others long distances, can increase gravitational forces, and can be used as an indestructible club in hand-to-hand combat. Barda also has access to other forms of Fourth World technology, including Aero-Discs that allow her to defy gravity and fly, Apokoliptan battle armor that augments her already impressive durability, and a Mother Box, which she can use to create Boom Tubes for transportation over long distances and between dimensions.
Virman Vundabar
One of Darkseid’s most favored generals and servants, he is a member of Darkseid’s Elite but remains an underling of Granny Goodness.
Doctor Virman Vundabar was an orphan who was born on Apokolips, the planet ruled by the tyrant Darkseid. Vundabar was brought up in an “orphanage” run by Granny Goodness as a harsh military school. It was Granny Goodness who named him Virman Vundabar and Vundabar patterned his life after the fantasies his mock Germanic name inspired in him. Vundabar developed a love for military precision and efficiency, and adopted the mode of dress, mannerisms, and lifestyle of the military leaders of the Prussia of 19th Century Earth.
Deeply loyal to Granny Goodness, Vundabar became a military leader in Darkseid’s elite. Granny Goodness sent Vundabar to Earth to kill Mister Miracle who had fled from Apokolips, but Mister Miracle escaped Vundabar’s cunning trap. Vundabar then returned to Apokolips.
A resident of Apokolips, Virman is a minion of Granny Goodness, having grown up in her orphanages like many of Darkseid’s soldiers. He models his personality and schemes on Prussian military appearance and precision partly because of the Earth-based name assigned to him by Granny. He had also become enamored of the Prussian history after a campaign on Earth. Like many of his associates, he is a nemesis of Mister Miracle. Virman has involved himself with many schemes to gain power, often involving many of Darkseid’s lieutenants, such as Doctor Bedlam, Steppenwolf and Kanto.
Notably, when Darkseid is missing at the Source Wall, his inner circle turn to conspiring against each other. Vundabar allies himself with Granny Goodness.
Darkseid returns from the Source Wall, but he is not in full control of his mind. Virman attempts to take advantage of this but Darkseid recovers enough to obliterate him with his Omega Beams. However, Darkseid resurrects him and he is again seemingly loyal to Darkseid despite the skepticism of Granny Goodness.
Powers and abilities:
Besides being immortal, Dr. Virman Vundabar is stronger than a human of his build and stature. He is also an ingenious scientist skilled at devising deadly traps, and is a cunning military strategist. He’s good in the hand-to-hand combatant, but is handicapped by his small size, and prefers to leave physical combat to his troops.
Kanto
He is a member of his Lord Darkseid’s Elite and is considered to be a master assassin of the Apokoliptian New Gods.
An expert organizer and strategist, Kanto’s tactics are only second to Darkseid himself on Apokolips. Kanto’s costume is based on the people’s clothing from the Renaissance period, the time in which he was trained. He is a master swordsman and can adapt to almost any weapon. He has accomplished a lot for his master, Darkseid, but has also developed a respect for other people’s arts. He once let Mr. Miracle go free for impressing him with his escaping skills.
Originally named Iluthin, Kanto was brought up in Granny Goodness’s orphanage, and was one of her most promising warriors. When he decided to steal a pair of Neuro-Skraggers from Darkseid’s then personal assassin, Kanto-13, the dread lord used his Omega Beams to blast the young Iluthin. Instead of killing him, Iluthin was transported to Italy around the Renaissance period in 1502. It was here where he learned his swordsmanship and other fighting skills. Iluthin was employed under the king at the time as a messenger.
Claudia Borgia was young Iluthin’s first love. She was the sister of Iluthin’s trainer, Cesare Borgia. Cesare and Claudia Borgia were the relatives of Pope Alexander VI. In his personal chambers, Cesare was told that his sister was seeing Iluthin. When confronting his sister about the ordeal, she denied it. Thinking to get rid of Iluthin, he sent him on a mission to deliver a message to people distantly from there. He said he feared the Orsinis is plotting against him.
On his way, Iluthin was captured and tortured. After returning with news of plots against him, Cesare gave Claudia to Iluthin as a bride. During the wedding, however, Kanto-13, still sore over Iluthin attempting to steal his weapons and tries to slay him by planting a bomb, and then fleeing. While Iluthin was distracted by Kanto-13’s leaving, Claudia covered the bomb, gave her life, and saved her lover.
After Claudia’s death Iluthin returned to Apokolips to seek out his bride’s killer. He soon found Kanto-13. After some talking and drinking a glass of water, Kanto-13 and Iluthin fought. When the assassin fell to the ground with wracking body pains, Iluthin explained how he heard him talk of assassins always having a back-up plan, and poisoned his water. Looking at the man on the floor with disgust, Darkseid soon vanquished the minion. It was at the same time he renamed Iluthin the numberless Kanto, and dubbed him his new personal assassin. The assassin refers to his job as an “art”. During the time when he caught Mister Miracle and was told to dispose of him, he created many ways in which to preform the matter. Each time, however, Mister Miracle escaped Kanto’s traps. Impressed by his techniques, Kanto rewarded the escape artist by letting him go free. It was told, as well, that Kanto would trust his talents with his life.
At one time, Kanto thought he killed a mortal with one of his daggers. While he boasted to Granny, the mortal took the dagger out of himself, and stuck it into Kanto’s back. He and the mortal fell over dead immediately afterwards. Darkseid resurrected him after. Kanto has always been an assassin of a peculiar sort. Only twice did Kanto ever kill anyone, even though he has trained for killing all his life. He refrains from putting his faith in “toys”, but instead into his skills.
Even though Kanto dresses and talks like one of the nobles, he refuses to take up any sort of throne. During the time Orion ruled Apokolips, Darkseid’s Elite where discussing what to do about it. They eventually decided to let Mantis try and kill Orion. Desaad brought up the point of who would rule Apokolips, and Kanto was the first to decline. Kanto claims to be one of the most loyal to Darkseid. Even though he has never tried to kill his leader, like other members of the dark lord’s Elite, such as Desaad or Virman Vundabar, Kanto is willing to serve whomever it is that rules.
Powers : The beings of Apokolips call themselves gods and live in a realm called the Fourth World which is outside normal space and time. Their strength is due to their relative proximity to the Source, an energy which fuels the powers of the beings in Apokolips. The inhabitants of New Genesis are far more stronger, faster, smarter and are said to be immortal.
Superhuman Strength
Superhuman Speed
Superhuman Stamina
Superhuman Senses: As a New God,he has all senses expanded at superhuman levels.
Invulnerability: As a New God,Kanto is resistant to most form of energy physical attacks, he already survives a fall into Apokolips’s fire pits.
Immortality: As a New God, Kanto has an extended lifespan which allows him to exist indefinitely. He doesn’t age, wither, or degrade. After being killed by Infinity Man, he raised with the ability to possess others bodies.
Immunity: New Gods have an advanced immune system, which allows him to survive on Apokolip’s environmental (which is full of diseases and toxins) and be immune to toxin and diseases from other planets.
Abilities : Kanto is a superb athlete, master swordsman, tracker, strategist and expert fighter. Kanto was trained, during the Renaissance in many form of armed and unarmed combat and weapons, during his stay on Earth he trained Artemis in hand to hand combat. Kanto was also trained by Granny Goodness, becoming an incomparable strategist and leader, he proved able to adapt to any type of weapon, whether modern or ancient. He considers his work his art.
Kanto is renowned as a master of weapons. He is equally adept at the use of weapons of Earth’s Italian Renaissance, such as swords, and at the use of the advanced technological weaponry created by the scientist of Apokolips. Except perhaps of Darkseid himself, Kanto is unequaled on Apokolips as a cunning strategist in devising methods of hunting and assassinating victims. He considers his work an art. As one of the New Gods, Kanto is extremely long-lived and has superhuman strength, resistance, agility and reflexes. Also, Kanto is a trained athlete and fine hand-to-hand combatant.
Lashina
Leader of Darkseid’s Female Furies.
Lashina was raised a warrior in Granny Goodness’s orphanage, and took over leadership of the Female Furies when Big Barda leaves Apokolips for Earth. Though the Furies initially stayed on Earth to aid Big Barda and her lover, Mister Miracle, they soon returned to Apokolips to take their punishment for their betrayal of Darkseid. Lashina is then given leadership over the Female Furies by Darkseid, much to fellow Fury Bernadeth’s annoyance.
Origin : Lashina’s exact background is unknown, though as a member of the Female Furies, certain key elements are common to all. She was raised on Apokolips in the Orphanage of Granny Goodness, a torturous environment where only the strongest survive. As she proved herself a strong and versatile killer she was eventually chosen as a member of Granny Goodness’s elite squad of assassins known as the Female Furies. She was originally chosen as only a member, but after Big Barda fled from the group she was chosen as its leader.
Creation
She appeared for the first time in Mister Miracle #6 in 1972. She and the remainder of the Female Furies were introduced not only as antagonists to Mister Miracle and Big Barda, but also to their romantic relationship as Granny Goodness sought the two of them to be separated forever as punishment. She was created by Jack Kirby.
Powers and Abilities:
Lashina is a great warrior with superhuman strength, durability and speed. She uses steel whips that she can charge with electricity. Lashina is a New God and thus contains the usual characteristics thereof including increased strength and endurance and invulnerability. She is also an expert in hand to hand combat. While not one of the absolute strongest characters, she is nonetheless quite powerful, at least able to fight with the likes of Supergirl and Wonder Woman, even if she cannot match their strength levels. She employs two specialized whips which are constructed of metal and which can discharge electricity to those trapped within them. She is also an expert with these whips and can do a variety of feats with them.
Apart from Steppenwolf, any of these members of Darkseid’s Elite may appear in the upcoming Justice League movie. I cant wait to see Zack Snyder’s version of these characters in live action. We are about to witness one hell of a show.
Justice League opens on November 17, 2017
CINEMA CURE 