Warning: Contains spoilers for DC All-In Special #1!I can’t believe that DC revealed one of its classic villains is actually more powerful than Darkseid. The Lord of Apokolips, Darkseid, is considered the ultimate evil in the DC Universe. His single-minded pursuit of the anti-life equation has led him to subjugate entire populations, but now he’s dying, as seen in DC’s All-in special. This One-shot also reveals that one villain, under the right circumstances, is more powerful.
Darkseid was created by Jack “King” Kirby.
DC S All-in special #1 consists of two parts: “alpha” and “theo.” In “Omega,” written by Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson and drawn by Wes Craig, Darkseid searches the universe for the source of a mysterious power surge. Darkseid’s quest takes him to, among other places, the Dark Side of the Moon, home of Eclipso. Eclipso sarcastically asks Darkseid if he has returned to continue their chess game. Darkseid skips formalities and attacks Eclipso.
Eclipso counters, saying that here, on the moon’s dark side, he is more powerful than Darkseid.
In a clever reversal of the force that makes Eclipso so untouchable, Darkseid blasts Eclipso with pure sunlight, evening the playing field and finally destroying his opponent.
Eclipso’s role in the DC Universe, explained
Eclipso went from punching bag to dark god
Eclipso’s arc through the ranks of DC’s villains is full of twists and turns– and a lot of chaos and suffering. Debuting during the Silver Age, in 1963s House of Secrets #61, Eclipso was released as the “Lord of Black Science.” What exactly was meant by this was never revealed, but nonetheless, Eclipso proved a formidable villain in his handful of appearances. Bruce Gordon, a scientist specializing in solar energy, came under the influence of Eclipso while conducting research. Like Eclipso, Gordon gains powers during eclipses, including super-strength and the ability to blast opponents with his black diamond.
In fact, Eclipso was a powerful and vengeful god, and Bruce Gordon only contained a sliver of Eclipso’s real power.
Everything fans knew about Eclipso changed in 1992 Eclipso: The Darkness Within, An event across the annual DC appeared that year. In one issue, the Eclipso fans have known for 30 years is only a shadow of the original. In fact, Eclipso was a powerful and vengeful god, and Bruce Gordon only contained a sliver of Eclipso’s real power. The palace of Eclipsa on the dark side of the moon was also then revealed, and from there he issued an order to conquer the earth, and the heroes only narrowly defeated him.
Eclipso’s dark roots can be found in the Bible
Eclipso is ruthless and can never be truly defeated
Eclipso: The Darkness Within Repositioning him as one of DC’s premier villains. No longer a goofy Silver Age villain, Eclipso is now a god of evil. in the wake of The darkness withinDC gave Eclipso his own title, which continued his development. In the first issue, Eclipso was given biblical roots – literally, as he was created by God as an instrument of his revenge. However, Eclipso overstepped his authority, and was imprisoned in a giant black diamond. This was later cut to make the smaller diamonds Eclipso used to possess.
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Eclipso: The Darkness Within, And the subsequent follow-up series, also took steps to show just how ruthless the villain could be. Eclipso can possess multiple people at once, giving him eyes and ears everywhere. Eclipso is also immortal, and in The darkness within And EclipsoEvery victory was empty. Each loss was nothing more than a minor setback for Eclipso. In one storyline, Eclipso killed several heroes, including Wildcat and Doctor Mid-Nite, in cold blood. In another story, he possessed a dying drug dealer, only to experience death. Eclipso’s blood is as cold as the dark region where he lives.
Eclipso has few peers in the DC Universe
Eclipso’s main rival in evil is Darkseid
The two books also turned Eclipso into one of DC’s most powerful villains, able to hold his own against Superman, Shazam, and Wonder Woman. As befits his status as a dark god, Eclipso has many rivals in the worlds of magic, including Amethyst and the Phantom Stranger. When Pariah and the Great Darkness brought together the Dark Army in Dark Crisis on Infinite EarthsEclipso was pressed into their service, along with other heavy hitters such as Neron, Doomsday and Darkseid. Putting Eclipso in such company reinforces how powerful and hard to kill he is.
Darkseid would return to playing chess in the 1993s Eclipso #10.
During the early issues of Eclipso’s solo title, it was established that he and Darkseid shared a rivalry. This should come as no surprise: both are dark gods and paragons of evil, with agendas of conquest. Darkseid did not make his presence felt during The darkness within. Still in Eclipso #4, by Keith Giffen, Robert Loren Fleming and Luke McDonnell, The Lord of Apokolips finally pays a call on Eclipso. Visiting the God of Vengeance as he rebuilds his palace on the moon, Darkseid tells Eclipso he will return for their chess match, and hopefully break their draw.
Eclipso has one major advantage over Darkseid: he knows the anti-life equation!
Darkseid and Eclipso play “chess”.
The two-page exchange between Darkseid and Eclipso includes a great deal for fans to unpack. First, it put Eclipso in league with Darkseid, a huge upgrade from just a year earlier. At this point in DC history, Superman was dead, and Darkseid complained to Eclipso that none of them had the privilege of killing him. Darkseid also told Eclipso that Earth was his “for now,” but the greater universe belonged to him. Eclipso agreed to the terms, but the real bombshell came in the final panels, as only he knows the anti-life equation Darkseid devoted his life to finding.
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For years, Eclipso was able to hold this over Darkseid, but as seen in the aforementioned Dark crisisThe Lord of Apokolips has abandoned his pursuit of it. Thus, the bond between the two is now empty and void, leading Darkseid to attack. When Darkseid confronts Eclipso, the latter asks if he’s back to “resume” the chess match, picking up a plot thread over 30 years old. Darkseid wastes no time following Eclipso. Eclipso then drops perhaps the biggest bomb about him yet: that, under the right circumstances, he can overpower Darkseid.
The truce between Darkseid and Eclipso is over
Eclipso may be more powerful, but Darkseid is more cunning
The fight between Darkseid and Eclipso in the All-in special Is short, but memorable – and is a testament to the last power. Darkseid unleashes his Omega Beams on Eclipso. One of Darkseid’s primary weapons, the Omega Beams, follow their prey to the ends of the universe, destroying them when they catch up. However, Eclipso, on the dark side of the moon, can easily dodge the Omega beams. Eclipso also manages to overpower Darkseid in terms of strength, trying to choke the Lord of Apokolips into submission. Only trickery gives Darkseid the victory over Eclipso.
Eclipso is clearly stronger than Darksied – but it comes with a huge catch: he has to be on the dark side of the moon to use his power.
Eclipso is clearly stronger than Darksied – but it comes with a huge catch: he has to be on the moon’s dark side to use his power. This was already well established in DC lore, but not that he was actually stronger than Darkseid himself while there. Darkseid is synonymous with power and ambition, but Eclipso has him outstripped, at least in the power department. It’s a shocking development that upends the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe. I can’t believe Eclipso is more powerful than Darkseid.
DC All-In Special #1 is on sale now from DC Comics!