| Despero | |
|---|---|
 Despero as depicted inJLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice (February 2003). Art byCarlos Pacheco. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Justice League of America #1 (Oct. 1960) |
| Created by | Gardner Fox (writer) Mike Sekowsky (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Kalanorian |
| Place of origin | Kalanor |
| Team affiliations | Injustice League Secret Society of Super Villains Time Stealers |
| Abilities |
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Despero (/ˈdɛspəroʊ/) is asupervillain appearing incomic books published byDC Comics. The character first appeared inJustice League of America #1 (October 1960), and was created byGardner Fox andMike Sekowsky.[1]
Debuting in theSilver Age of Comic Books, the character is a pink-skinnedhumanoid extraterrestrial with three eyes and psychic powers. Despero has appeared in bothcomic books and other DC Comics-related products such asanimatedtelevision series andfeature films,trading cards, andvideo games. He is an enemy of theMartian Manhunter,Booster Gold, theGreen Lantern Corps, and theJustice League.
Despero has been adapted into various media outside comics.Keith David andKevin Michael Richardson voice the character inJustice League andBatman: The Brave and the Bold respectively. Furthermore,Tony Curran portrays Despero inThe Flash five-part episode "Armageddon".
In 2010,IGN named Despero the 96th-greatest comic book villain of all time.[2]
Desperofirst appeared inJustice League of America #1 (October 1960) and writerMike Conroy noted: "It was the first of several run-ins the would-be universe conqueror would have with the superteam".[3]
Despero became a semi-regular villain and returned inJustice League of America #26 (March 1964), #133–134 (August–September 1976), and #177–178 (April–May 1980). The character madecameo appearances inJustice League of America #247–250 (February–May 1986) and then featured as the main villain in issues #251–254, dated June–September 1986.
Despero returned in an extensive story arc inJustice League America #37–40 (April–July 1990) andJustice League Europe #30–34 (September 1991–January 1992). The character's body reappeared as the host forL-Ron inJustice League Task Force #0 (October 1994), #13–33 (June 1994–March 1996), and #37 (August 1996) andJustice League International (vol. 2) #67–68 (August–September 1994). Despero reappeared in spirit form inSupergirl (vol. 4) #17–18 (January–February 1998) andYoung Justice #6 (March 1999).
Despero eventually reappeared whole in thegraphic novelJLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice (December 2002), and featured in the "Crisis of Conscience" storyline inJLA #115–119 (September– November 2005),Superman/Batman #33 (March 2007), andTrinity #4 (June 2008). Despero returned to a more human form in analternate universe storyline inBooster Gold (vol. 2) #5 (February 2008) and #7–10 (April–August 2008).
The character returned inJustice League of America (vol. 2) #38 (December 2009) and featured inR.E.B.E.L.S. Vol. 2 #12–13 (March–April 2010).
Despero first appears pursuing two rebels from the planet Kalanor, which he rules as a tyrant.[4] The rebels make contact with theJustice League of America with JLA memberFlash accepting Despero's challenge after he places the rest of the group in a hypnotic trance. However the Flash is defeated in a game similar tochess, leading Despero to transport the JLA to another dimension.[5] Despero found out about this by reading the mind of one of the rebels he had tracked down and teleported, though her father and Flash were protected by the dimensional traveller's 'blue glow'. The JLA are able to escape all the dangers on the worlds and return to Earth using a dimensional traveler one of Despero's henchmen possesses after the Flash defeats him. Despero has found the rebel and plans to use the energy-absorbing weapon they hoped to use to disable his weapons to conquer Earth, butSnapper Carr uses it to weaken the villain after pretending he has been hypnotized, though the 'blue glow' protected him. Despero is then imprisoned and Kalanor is freed.[6]
Despero has his third eye surgically removed, making him lose his hypnotic powers. Eventually it grows back, he fakes his death in an explosion at a lab and in revenge ages half of the Justice League and banishes the remainder to three other worlds, where he has caused reptile, insect, and marine life to become intelligent, planning to conquer the worlds later. When Despero attempts to deceiveWonder Woman by disguising himself as an aged Superman, she overpowers the villain with herLasso of Truth, realizing the energy should not have affected Superman, and forces him to undo his actions.[7] Despero is thwarted again when the Justice League intervene in his intergalactic plans of conquest, save theMartian Manhunter who is being forced to play in a life and death chess match.[8][9]
Despero eventually returns, having been enhanced by the Flame of Py'tar, a remnant of the nuclear energy that created his race. After defeating the Justice League, Despero reshapesGotham City to suit his purposes. Batman distracts Despero, allowingVibe to extinguish the Flame. Despero's form is dispelled and reality restores itself.[10][11]
Despero eventually reforms, and targets Justice League memberGypsy. After murdering Gypsy's parents, Despero is about to kill her when the Martian Manhunter intervenes. Despero quickly defeats the Manhunter, although fellow Justice League memberGuy Gardner arrives and hurls Despero away. Despero attacks the League at their headquarters, and killsSteel.[12] Martian Manhunter traps Despero in an illusory world, causing him to revert into afetus. He is then given toManga Khan in exchange for his robotL-Ron.[13]
A re-aged Despero is angered by this defeat and escapes from Khan, returning to Earth to battle the Justice League. Unknown to Despero, Khan hiresLobo to recapture him. Despero engages the Justice League,Justice League Europe, and Lobo inTimes Square,New York City, and keeps them all at bay. A desperateGreen LanternKilowog and L-Ron use Despero's collar to switch his mind with L-Ron's, with the latter's body being destroyed shortly afterwards. Now in Despero's body, L-Ron returns to Khan.[14]
As Despero, L-Ron had a number of adventures with theJustice League Task Force andJustice League International.[15][16][17][18] Despero returns in spirit form, and temporarily repossesses his old form before being stopped by the heroineSupergirl.[19] The villain makes a second attempt to return to a corporeal state, attacking a circus and luring out teen heroesYoung Justice. Currently jumping between bodies but able to create a psychic illusion of his true form, Despero initially sets his sights on possessingSuperboy, but ultimately manages to take possession of Martian Manhunter. However, Young Justice uses Manhunter's fear of fire against him to draw his psyche to the surface, expelling Despero from his body so thatSecret can banish his spirit.[20]
Despero's spirit eventually returns with the aid ofJohnny Sorrow and possessesLex Luthor. Together, they release theSeven Deadly Sins, who possess several members of the JLA and JSA and neutralize the wizardShazam. The remainder of the teams drive the Sins from their comrades and defeat Sorrow and Despero.[21] The villain returns as the guiding force behind a newSecret Society of Super Villains, and allows them to remember they once learned the Justice League's identities. Although Despero takes control of several members of the League, he is eventually stopped by Green Lantern and imprisoned on the planet Oa.[22]
Having allied himself with a race that destroys species unworthy of survival, Despero attempts to convince them to destroy Earth by using an alien substance known as theBlackrock to influence Earth's alien heroes to turn against humanity by playing on their occasional feelings of isolation. His efforts are foiled whenBatman exposes himself to Blackrock while under attack by Superman, the sight of his friend's contamination helping Superman to recognise what is happening to him, allowing Superman to confront the aliens directly and convince them that Despero deceived them.[23] Despero returned in his original form after being plucked from the timestream byMister Mind, and is convinced to join a group called "The Time Stealers". The villains create an alternate universe that differs significantly from the original.Booster Gold,Rip Hunter andJustice League International eventually undo the change and restore the original universe.[24][25]
Despero briefly allied with villainsMorgaine le Fey andEnigma and became god-like until stopped by the combined efforts ofSuperman,Batman, andWonder Woman.[26] Despero returns to attack the Justice League, but when teleported away by memberZatanna, is imprisoned on Oa once again.[27]
At the request of human computerVril Dox, Despero joins in the fight against the originalStarro, who is conquering the galaxy. Despero engages Starro in combat and, although easily destroyed, regenerates into a superior form, which was always the villain's intent. Dox uses Despero as a weapon against Starro and its forces.[28]
In September 2011, DC Comics cancelled all of its monthly books and rebooted its continuity in an initiative calledThe New 52. In this new timeline, Despero first appears when he arrives in the Watchtower wearing aKryptonite ring, subduingAtom andFirestorm.[29] He attacks the rest of the Justice League until he ends up defeated by Martian Manhunter.[30]
InForever Evil, Despero appears as a member of theSecret Society of Super Villains when theCrime Syndicate invade the main universe.[31][32]
Despero is an alien from the planet Kalanor, and in addition to a genius intellect possesses a third eye on his forehead capable of mind control, illusions, telekinesis, and telepathy. Despero is empowered by the Flame of Py'tar, a mystical source of power that grants him immense physical abilities and the ability to alter his size.
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