Darkseid rages an ongoing war to prevent Santa Claus from reaching Apokolips, so you know there's no Festival of Lights for Jack Kirby's fantastic look at a world where super-scientific fascistic quasi-Nazi deities rule. However, I've decided to use this year's Hanukkah celebration as an excuse to run a series of posts related to character cards and other items from Mayfair Games' long-running DC Heroes line. I've also invited other blogs to participate, so check the links below for more "Mayfairstivus" activities (with apologies to the Costanza family.)
While Darkseid was only established as the adopted god of J'Onn J'Onzz's brother Ma'alefa'ak a decade back, Mayfair helped strengthen the bond between Darkseid and the Martian Manhunter begun through their both being released (and introduced to the general public) in the second series of the Super Powers Collection. That toy line and its tie-ins (including the Legends mini-series co-written by John Ostrander) mired the Martian Manhunter in the Fourth World for much of the late '80s. Mayfair hopped onto the bandwagon, commissioning the 1985 Grenadier Models Justice League of America & Adversaries Miniatures Set for use with their role-playing maps. Batman would naturally fight the Joker, Superman against Brainiac, leaving Hawkman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, the Flash and Martian Manhunter all ganging up on Darkseid. Since most of those heroes had their own villains elsewhere, and J'Onn kept running into Darkseid throughput the '80s, there was some natural association to be made. It didn't hurt that their stats and origins were somewhat more compatible than humanoid guys wielding medieval weapons.
I'm not even going to try to break down Darkseid's obscene stats. Human heroes peak at an 8 in most respects, and metahumans are lucky to have abilities in the low teens. Your upper echelon might break 15 in something or other. 20s are reserved for gods and Superman. The Lord of Apokolips has a 30 and a 65. Get out of here!
Heyyyyyy....how come Darkseid doesn't have a Wealth stat? He rules Apokolips for free?
ReplyDeleteIn Soviet Apokolips, Darkseid can spend all money, even soda pop machine coins with Granny Goodness on face.
ReplyDeleteWhen you rule an entire planet (even one as run down as this one with firepits everywhere and stuff) and have a planet of slaves and an upper class killing each other to be in your favor, who needs money? :)
ReplyDeleteHey! When you rule an entire planet (even one in as bad of shape as this one, fire pits everywhere and whatnot), have a planet of slaves and an upper classing killing to be in your favor, who needs cash? :)
ReplyDeleteDon't you hate having to paraphrase yourself when you think a comment got eaten?
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