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| Orion | |
|---|---|
.png) Cover ofJack Kirby's New Gods (1998, DC Comics). Art byJack Kirby. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | New Gods #1 (February 1971) |
| Created by | Jack Kirby (writer/artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Orion |
| Species | New God |
| Place of origin | New Genesis, formerlyApokolips |
| Team affiliations | New Gods Justice League Justice League International Justice League Odyssey |
| Notable aliases | O'Ryan Highson Okkult |
| Abilities |
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Orion is a fictionalsuperhero appearing incomic books published byDC Comics. He is the son ofDarkseid and half-brother ofKalibak andGrayven who was traded toHighfather as part of a peace deal betweenApokolips andNew Genesis. Since then, Orion has assisted theNew Gods of New Genesis against his father and was also a member of theJustice League.
Orion has appeared in various media outside comics, primarily in association with the New Gods.Steve Sandor,Ron Perlman, andBenjamin Diskin have voiced the character in animation.
Orion first appeared inNew Gods #1 (February 1971), and was created by writer/artistJack Kirby.[1]
Orion originally appeared inNew Gods #1 (February–March 1971)[2] which was part of Jack Kirby'sFourth World titles published in the early 1970s.[3] Other titles included in thismetaseries wereSuperman's Pal Jimmy Olsen,Mister Miracle, andTheForever People. When the titles were canceled, Orion and his fellow New Gods characters were unseen until DC returned to the Fourth World concept a few years later.
Following an appearance in the final issue of1st Issue Special,[4] DC revived both theNew Gods[5] andMister Miracle[6] series, continuing the numbering from the original series. The new stories were done without Jack Kirby and featured a number of changes of concept for the character of Orion. The character's "Astro Harness" and trademark helmet were replaced by a more standard superhero costume with a yellow mask.[7] TheNew Gods title was again canceled in 1978 but the story was wrapped up in two issues ofAdventure Comics featuring a "final battle" between Orion and his father, Darkseid. In this battle, Darkseid was supposedly annihilated.[8][9]
This version of Orion returned in a three-issue arc ofJustice League of America in which most of the New Gods were captured by the forces of Apokolips. Orion and his fellow New Gods,Metron,Mister Miracle, andBig Barda, summoned the aid of the Justice League andJustice Society to aid them in freeing the forces of New Genesis. This story featured the return, and eventual defeat, of Darkseid.[10][11][12]
FollowingCrisis on Infinite Earths, Orion was featured in the 1989–1990 seriesNew Gods vol. 3[13] and served a short stint in the Justice League with his friendLightray during theKeith Giffen/J. M. DeMatteis run. Orion returned as a main character inNew Gods vol. 4,[14] which was later relaunched asJack Kirby's Fourth World.[15] Orion again served as a member of the Justice League duringGrant Morrison's tenure on the title, but the character would not receive his own title until 2000.
Orion was a series penciled and written byWalt Simonson, centered around the eponymous character[16] and which ran for 25 issues (June 2000–June 2002).John Byrne filled in as penciller for the main stories in issues 13 and 14. Issues #1–5 were reprinted by DC Comics in the trade paperbackThe Gates of Apokolips. Also included as reprints were portions from theSecret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1 and theLegends of the DC Universe 80-Page Giant #2.
A backup that ran consistently in the Orion book was "Tales of the New Gods". Simonson invited fellow artists and writers to provide a short story often supplementing the issue's main action.
Orion is the second son ofDarkseid, the dictator ofApokolips, and half-brother ofKalibak andGrayven.[17] He later marriesBekka, the daughter of Apokolips resistance leader Himon. As a child, Orion was traded toNew Genesis' benevolent leaderHighfather forScott Free, Highfather's son, as part of a treaty betweenNew Genesis andApokolips. Raised as Highfather's son, Orion was taught to control and focus his rage, and grew to value his adoptive home and its ideals. Orion's friends among theNew Gods, particularly Lightray, helped him channel his Dark Side toward the protection of New Genesis. As a result of that personal struggle, Orion's inherited traits and learned focus allowed Orion to become the most powerful warrior and hero of New Genesis. His fighting skill, stamina, relentlessness, and ruthlessness have earned him the nickname "The Dog of War", who still occasionally needs the aid of hisMother Box to help control his emotions when they threaten to get the better of him. Orion counts among his closest friends Lightray,Metron,Jezebelle,Scott Free,Big Barda, andForager.
The 25–issueWalt Simonson series was designed to follow the continuity of the originalFourth World series and was published after John Byrne'sJack Kirby's Fourth World series ended. To flesh out the series, characters such as Fourth World stalwarts Lightray, Darkseid,DeSaad, and Kalibak were used in addition to lesser used characters such as Orion's mother Tigra, Mortalla, and the Newsgroup Legion (an update of Jack Kirby's 1940sNewsboy Legion). A collection of Simonson's Orion stories was released in July 2018.
During Simonson's series, Orion obtained theAnti-Life Equation, a mathematical equation that can eliminate free will. Darkseid has coveted the Equation for eons to take control of themultiverse. Orion's mother lied to him about Darkseid not being his father. He then went to Apokolips and confronted Darkseid about his parentage. They fought for control of Apokolips with Orion refusing to use the Equation as a matter of pride and his warrior's code. He defeated Darkseid and gained control of Apokolips. With the Equation, Orion went to Earth to begin creating intergalactic peace. He used the Equation to turn Earth into a utopian world by usurping all free will and following his guidance. The lack of free will began disrupting the balance of the multiverse as Earth is the linchpin holding it all together. It was then revealed that Darkseid, with guidance from Metron, allowed Orion to defeat him so that Darkseid could understand the potential of the Equation.
Orion has served two terms with theJustice League. He first demanded to join the League alongside his friend Lightray.[18] They were accepted as Leaguers and stayed on until after the battle with the Evil Eye.[19] Later, Orion and Big Barda were sent as agents of New Genesis to serve in the JLA.[20] During his time in the League, Orion helped to defeatStarro when its actions put almost the entirety of North America to sleep and aidedGreen Lantern,Steel,Plastic Man, and Barda in capturing aWhite Martian who had regained its original memory. On one occasion, Orion and other Leaguers were abducted by the temporarily insaneAdam Strange as part of a plot to defeat a telepathic race.Steel (John Henry Irons) was forced to steal Orion'sMother Box and use it as a telepathic shield. Orion was enraged that his Mother Box was devoting to much energy and focus in keeping him calm to do anything else. Orion and Barda's central mission was to help mobilize Earth's heroes against the coming of the omnipotent, Old God tech-cosmic weapon Mageddon. Orion gave his Mother Box toOracle for safe-keeping while he confronted Mageddon at full ferocity; channeling his inherited fury from Darkseid. Oracle used it to set up a telepathic, online network that could coordinate Earth's defending heroes as they fought to stop wars that Mageddon's mind controlling presence was inciting. Once Mageddon was defeated, Orion and Barda resigned from theJustice League.[21]
Years later, Orion returns to Earth for his final battle with Darkseid. During the fight, Orion kills Darkseid by ripping his heart out, fulfilling the prophecy of their final battle.[22] However, Darkseid's spirit survives the death of his body and fell back in time and space; fracturing both as he fell toward his own personal Hell inside a black hole at the center of creation. As Darkseid fell, his essence was briefly reborn on Earth as Boss Dark Side. Darkseid's Elite had been killed as well and their essences possessed human bodies as well. Using the super-villainLibra, Darkseid unleashes the Anti-Life Equation onto humanity and in the process, drags Earth outside time and space, threatening the multiverse. From this point, Darkseid sought his revenge againstOrion by firing a time travel-based gun backwards in time to kill Orion once and for all. The bullet mortally wounds Orion, who realizes that Darkseid and the New Gods of Apokolips are alive and using humans as host bodies. With his last strength, Orion warns the man who finds his dying body, DetectiveDan Turpin, that "They are not dead -He is in you all".[23]
Darkseid's murder of his son would ultimately backfire on him. Green LanternJohn Stewart recovers the bullet that was used to kill Orion and gives it to Batman, who uses it to kill Darkseid.[24]
InThe New 52, a 2011 reboot of the DC Comics universe, Orion appears as a supporting character in theWonder Woman title. After consulting with the Source, he first joins Wonder Woman in her search for a child who was abducted by the gods of Olympia.[25]
Orion also appears in theJustice League Odyssey series, rescuing the Green LanternJessica Cruz after Darkseid kills her. Initially, he is under the guise of Okkult until the ruse is discovered and he continues to appear as Orion.
Orion belongs to an extraterrestrial race of supernatural immortals known as the New Gods. As a New God, he possesses the standard superhuman attributes of strength, speed, stamina and durability on par with his fatherDarkseid as well as withSuperman; being virtually indestructible, able to run at supersonic speeds up toorbital speed, and lift weights exceeding 100 tons.[26] Although he is a highly skilled warrior, noted for a fierce warrior's instinct,[27] his great rage and inner turmoil makes him impulsive and prone to violent, almost psychotic outbursts as he has inherited much of his father's darkness.[28] He has access to aMother Box that can calm his temper and change his appearance, "smoothing" out his coarse features.[27] In addition, Orion possesses a regenerative healing factor, and is able to call upon his Mother Box to assist in healing injuries or to sustain his life energies. Like all other New Gods, Orion is vulnerable to a substance called Radion. The "Astro-Harness" is an alien artifact of unknown origin, capable of self-repair; flight atlight speed;[28] interstellar teleportation;[27] energy projection and absorption; force field generation; and possesses a tractor beam. Orion's wristbands are virtually indestructible.[29]
Orion is able to harness an interdimensional energy called the "Astro Force". While Orion himself is a conduit for the Astro Force, he can use either the Astro Harness or his Astro Wristbands as a valve through which he can project this energy. He uses the Astro Force primarily as a weapon, but once he was shown to be able to use the Astro Force to create an energy shield powerful enough to deflect Darkseid's otherwise unstoppable "Omega Effect".[30] Like his father and all members of the Fourth World, Orion is immortal.
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An alternate universe variant of Orion appears in flashbacks depicted inJustice League: Gods and Monsters, voiced byJosh Keaton.[31] This version grew up as royalty on Apokolips and was to be married toBekka ofNew Genesis as part of a peace treaty between their planets. Before the ceremony, he gives her an indestructible sword and Mother Box as a wedding gift. However, he and his family are killed by Highfather, which inspires Bekka to leave and eventually become her universe's Wonder Woman.[39]
The New Gods series and its original numbering was revived after a five-year break, with a story written by Gerry Conway and drawn by Don Newton.
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