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| Dark Circle | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Adventure Comics #367 (April 1968) |
| Created by | Jim Shooter |
| In-story information | |
| Member(s) | Ontiir Grullug Garkush Norak Kun Gorgoth Rolind Siepur |
TheDark Circle is a criminal organization appearing in media published byDC Comics, primarily as an enemy of theLegion of Super-Heroes. They first appeared in 1968, created byJim Shooter as a criminal organization founded by five members and consisting of them and their clones.
The Dark Circle concept was later modified to consist of members from five core worlds instead of clones. A later version, introduced following theZero Hour: Crisis in Time! reboot, was led byBrainiac 4 and had several known Legion enemies among their ranks instead of generic masked henchmen.
The Dark Circle first appears inAdventure Comics #367 as an insurgent group planning to conquer theUnited Planets in the 30th century. It is composed of only five people and armies consisting of theirclones.[1]
The Dark Circle launches a direct invasion of Earth during the Legion'sAdventure Comics run following an attack by theFatal Five that devastated the Legion and Earth's defenses. However,Brainiac 5 discovers the Miracle Machine and uses it to return all of the Dark Circle soldiers to their homeworlds.[2]
Following afive-year time skip, the Dark Circle is portrayed as a philosophical movement that rejects intellectual knowledge and is said to have existed for millions of years, predatingNew Genesis andApokolips. The group's members wear hoods with a prominent dark circle (zero) over the face.[3]
In post-Zero Hour continuity, the Dark Circle is an ally of the Affiliated Planets, a rival political group to the United Planets. It is led byBrainiac 4 and consists of the leaders of theKhund, theGil'Dishpan, theDominators, and theSklarian Raiders.[4]
[Kara] must contend with a mysterious group called the Dark Circle as it searches for a powerful weapon held in the Academy's vault.
[Brainiac 5] stars opposite Supergirl, Superman's teenage cousin, and together they overcome their mutual animosity to attempt to defeat the Dark Circle, a group with a nefarious plot.
In Legion of Super-Heroes, Batman investigates where Solomon Grundy obtained his high-tech gun. It's linked to the Dark Circle -- cosmic terrorists spun off from Krypton's Black Zero who try to invade STAR Labs. It turns out these same terrorists, buoyed by Mon-El, stole Brainiac's DNA from the present, growing him back in the future to fight the Legion.
