Well, that doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t
DC let Jack Kirby finish his original run
of the New Gods?
Welcome to Comic Basics. I’m Joel and today’s
episode … Jack Kirby and the Incredible
History of the New Gods.
Jack Kirby did a lot of things during his
time with Marvel. Not only did he help usher
in the Silver Age of comics, but he also created
or helped to create fan-favorite characters
like:
• Cyclops
• Doctor Doom
• Mr. Fantastic
• Human Torch
• Invisible Woman
• The Thing
• The Hulk
• Jean Grey
• Black Panther
• Galactus
• Silver Surfer
And Thor.
However, it wasn’t until he moved to DC
and mapped out the history of the New Gods
that Kirby really fell into his own.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Jack Kirby had a way with comics that hasn’t
been or simply can’t be replicated. From
his page layouts, his character designs, and
bold use of lines to his never-ending imagination,
Jack Kirby has been rightfully dubbed the
“King of Comics”.
There’s no denying the importance of Jack
Kirby. His contributions to Marvel are well
documented and he has gone down as, aside
from arguably Stan Lee, the most influential
Marvel creator in history.
However, for everything that he did with Marvel,
he wasn’t destined to stay there for his
entire career.
Jack Kirby had been with Marvel since its
early days. He helped transform the company
from a fledgling, barely able to stand on
its own two feet outfit into the powerhouse
it would become. His work was everywhere.
Characters. Stories. Art.
During the 1950s and going into the 1960s,
it was impossible to not know who Jack Kirby
was.
Or was it?
Marvel Comics rose to superstardom on the
backs of many creators. Of them, none were
as known as the eccentric Stan Lee. Like Walt
Disney before him, Matt Groening and George
Lucas after him, Stan Lee was synonymous with
his brand. If a product, whether it be a book,
toy, or lunch kit, had the name Marvel on
it, it belonged to Stan Lee.
It was Lee who was out promoting the company.
It was Lee who coined catchy phrases like
Excelsior, ‘Nuff said, and True Believers.
And it was Lee who stood firmly in the Marvel
spotlight. Jack Kirby created, Stan Lee promoted.
For the longest time, this made sense. After
all, Stan Lee craved the spotlight while Jack
preferred to work under it.
During the early rise of superhero comics,
this was how it was. Creators didn’t get
credit for their creations. And it wasn’t
just Marvel doing it. DC, Marvel’s chief
rival, didn’t give credit and neither did
many of Marvel’s other competitors. This
is what makes Stan Lee such an anomaly in
the comic book world. He was, for all intents
and purposes, the only of the creators to
actually receive credit for what he was doing.
“Stan Lee Presents”, as each book proudly
said.
As Marvel Comics became more and more popular,
the number of artists who wanted to work for
them increased. Within a few years, eventual
well-known artists like Jim Steranko, John
Romita, Neal Adams, and Herb Trempe came on
board the Marvel machine. Artists and creators
became, for lack of a better description,
a dime a dozen.
Marvel was gaining steam and guys like Jack
Kirby felt like they didn’t fit the new
mould. So, in an effort to regain lost ground
and find out exactly what he meant to the
company, Jack gave Marvel an ultimatum…raise
his salary or he’d walk out the door.
So, when Marvel called his bluff, he left.
For Kirby, it’s wasn’t purely about the
money. For Kirby, it was about being recognized
for his contributions. Remember, he was responsible
or at least partially responsible for some
of the most loved and admired characters in
the history of comic books. Therefore, he
should be recognized, shouldn’t he? Or at
the very least, been shown gratitude for his
work.
Of it, he said this, “A lot of ingratitude.
It hasn’t left me bitter; it’s just that
it shouldn’t work out that way. If there’s
anybody who knows Stan Lee, I’m the guy
who knows him. Stan Lee as a person is no
better or worse than anybody else. I wasn’t
competing with Stan. I got along very well
with Stan. We were very good friends. And,
my God, I came up with an army of characters!
I felt that his plans, somehow, didn’t mesh
with mine. Stan was already a publisher at
that time and could call the shots. If you
can call the shots on somebody…you win.”
Imagine that for a moment. You spend your
entire life in a workplace. By the skill of
your own hands, you change a medium and usher
in an extremely profitable era for your employer.
Yet, no matter what you do, create, or think
of, you never receive so much as an ounce
of credit. Imagine how difficult it would
be to go to work knowing that, although your
work is relevant, you’re not.
When Jack Kirby packed up and left, DC was
all too happy to have him.
More than giving the best comic artist in
history a chance to draw some characters he
hadn’t drawn before, DC gave Jack Kirby
a chance to shine in a way that he had never
shined.
Certainly, DC has characters like Batman and
Superman, however, where he shined the brightest
was in his own creation, the New Gods. Although,
at the time, you wouldn’t have known it.
When Kirby jumped ship to DC, he was asked
to do one existing title and given the full
control over three new ones. The titles were,
to say the least, a giant undertaking that
the comic book industry had never seen before.
The history of the New Gods nearly ran parallel
to what was happening in Kirby’s life. Both
had little direction and both were starting
from scratch. Called The Fourth World, Kirby’s
work introduced some of DC’s most prominent
and now-known characters.
• Darkseid
• Orion
• Mister Miracle
• Granny Goodness
• Kalibak The Cruel
• Big Barda
• Izaya the Highfather
And so many more.
The work was bold, beautiful, ahead of its
time, and uncharacteristic of the era. Unfortunately,
it was also an utter failure. In fact, Kirby
had intended it to run for hundreds of issues
but it didn’t make it past year three. Kirby’s
Fourth World is, without any over–exaggeration,
the biggest tragedy the comic book industry
had ever seen. Understand that its tragedy
did not lie in its content. No. Instead, its
tragedy lied in the fact that it was never
finished.
Having worked on Thor, Kirby developed a great
fascination with Gods and Mythology. For Thor,
he wrote a story around Ragnarok or the destruction
of Asgard. It was his desire to write the
story in such a way that as a result of Ragnarok,
the Old Gods would die and in their place,
New Gods would arise. When he pitched the
idea to Stan Lee, Lee liked it but wanted
him to incorporate the new characters into
existing comics. That is, rather than creating
a whole new world with beautiful landscapes
and characters, Lee wanted him to roll the
idea into something that was already there.
When DC gave him full creative control, Kirby
took his Marvel idea and created three new
DC titles.
Kirby had become fascinated with overarching
stories that spanned through multiple books.
He wondered why, how, and if the idea could
translate to comics. Yeah, today this is commonplace
but remember, during this time stories barely
continued through multiple issues in the same
title, let alone over multiple issues and
titles.
His Fourth World spanned over Mister Miracle,
The Forever People, The New Gods, and Superman’s
Pal Jimmy Olsen. Understand that at the time,
Superman’s Pal didn’t really belong in
the group. In truth, the only reason he took
the title was that because DC asked him to
take over one of their titles. Not wanting
to step on anyone’s toes, he took a title
that didn’t really belong to anyone.
Although it failed as epically as possible,
The Fourth World has become one of the most
respected and dissected pieces of work in
comic history.
If you haven’t heard of it, or are unaware
of exactly what it is, let me explain.
The New Gods are the creation of Jack Kirby
and although they didn’t run in publication
as long as he would’ve hoped, they laid
the groundwork for one of the most fascinating
and imaginative worlds ever created.
The history of the New Gods is a little convoluted,
so I’ll do my best to explain.
The New Gods came to be after the Old Gods
were destroyed. As a result of the destruction,
the planet that housed the Old Gods was split
in two, reforming as two new planets. These
planets, Apokolips and New Genesis, were inhabited
by beings called the New Gods. While the planets
housed the New Gods and were birthed from
the same planet, their similarities ended
there.
Apokolips was a lifeless Hell ruled by a being
called Darkseid. New Genesis was a lush and
beautiful planet ruled by Izaya the Highfather.
Both planets are a part of DC’s world but
live outside the Multiverse. This means that
the Apokolips of Earth-2 is the same Apokolips
as the one for Earth Prime. Because they reside
outside the Multiverse, they require a special
form of transportation to get them to where
they need to go. This form of transportation
is called Boom Tubes.
The two planets, Apokolips and New Genesis,
house Gods that suit what the planet represents.
The Gods of New Genesis are led by Highfather
and Highfather is one of the most remarkable
beings in DC. Highfather stands for peace,
justice, and tolerance. He and his people,
while not opposed to war, would rather come
to a conclusion without it. With the help
of The Source (a giant wall of energy that
holds all of known existence), Highfather
is considered one of the smartest beings in
DC.
The Gods of New Genesis live in a city called
Supertown. Supertown is a beautifully constructed
city that sits atop, not on, but atop nature
below. The inhabitants of New Genesis are
some of the most technologically advanced
beings inside and outside the Multiverse.
In fact, their understanding of technology
has yielded them the Mother Boxes.
Not much is known about the Mother Boxes.
What we do know, however, is that they enable
their user to do practically anything. They
can, and I may forget one or two things, act
as a weapon, heal their user, provide knowledge
and guidance, activate Boom Tubes, manipulate
energy, transfer energy, communicate with
their user, merge sentient beings into a more
powerful singular being, and more.
But that isn’t all that New Genesis holds.
New Genesis also houses the Mobius Chair.
The Mobius Chair and its user, Metron, float
in and around the DC Universe collecting as
much information as they can. Metron swears
allegiance to neither New Genesis or Apokolips
but if called upon, typically sides with New
Genesis.
The history of the New Gods can’t be talked
about without talking about Apokolips, so…
The mere mention of DC’s Apokolips should
conjure up images of its villainous ruler,
Darkseid.
While Highfather promotes harmony, peace,
and justice, Darkseid promotes war, violence,
and submission to his will. Darkseid travels
from planet to planet and galaxy to galaxy
pummelling their inhabitants into serving
him. He aims to remove free will and in its
place, create beings that will do anything
he says.
Apokolips is a prime example of this. Every
creature, being, and thing on Apokolips lives
only for one reason…to serve Darkseid. These
beings, of course, include those in his armies.
Ranking just above the “commoners” of
Apokolips lie the Parademons. The Parademons
are winged creatures who make up the bulk
of Darkseid’s army. They do whatever is
asked of them and do it without any consideration
of their own lives. The Parademons, however,
don’t represent everything in Darkseid’s
army.
Of the high-ranking officers in the army,
none are as important as the Female Furies.
The Female Furies are an elite set of Warriors
led by the ironically named Granny Goodness.
Within the Female Furies lie Lashina, Stompa,
Mad Harriett, and most famously, Big Barda.
Make no mistake, the Female Furies are a force
not to be taken lightly. But even they aren’t
Darkseid’s most powerful servants. These
members, known as Darkseid’s Elite, consist
of the aforementioned Granny Goodness, his
loyal counselor Desaad, Glorious Godfrey,
Kanto, and Steppenwolf. For reference, Steppenwolf
is actually Darkseid’s Uncle and General.
Outside of his military force stand his family,
Kalibak, Orion, and Grayven. It’s Orion
who is most interesting.
For as long as the two planets were interlocked
in war, it wasn’t the fighting that shaped
their history. It was a peace agreement…albeit
an odd one.
The history of the New Gods was filled with
countless wars. After millions of years of
war, it was decided that the war benefitted
neither side. So, to curb the fighting, a
peace agreement was struck. In a gesture of
good faith between the two, they (Darkseid
and Highfather) exchanged sons. This meant
that Orion of Apokolips went to live with
Highfather in New Genesis while the aptly
named Scott Free went to live on Apokolips.
Orion was the most challenging on Highfather’s
children. Because of who his father was, Orion
was an angry child. Over time, however, Orion
was taught to control his anger and use it
in a more productive way. This, coupled with
his natural fighting abilities propelled Orion
to becoming the greatest Warrior on New Genesis.
Conversely, Scott Free had a much tougher
upbringing. Instead of being nurtured on New
Genesis, Scott was tossed into one of Granny
Goodness’s Terror Orphanages and tortured
every day. This meant that Scott was subjected
to unspeakable horror from sunup to sundown.
All wasn’t lost, however, through it Scott
met, befriended, and fell in love with his
eventual partner, Big Barda. Together the
two grew to know the power of free thinking
and will. With this understanding, they formed
a small band and escaped Apokolips.
As a side note, the relationship between Scott
Free and Big Barda was an extremely progressive
thing for Jack Kirby to do. Understand that
in terms of power, capabilities, and combat,
it’s Barda that’s superior to Scott and
not the other way around. During this era
of comics, this was not a normal occurrence.
This era often saw the man as superior to
the woman. By creating a reverse dynamic,
Kirby was not only ahead of his time, but
he also set the stage for others to follow.
Anyway…
What nobody foresaw was that Darkseid predicted
and patiently waited for Scott to escape.
And why?
With Scott’s escape, the agreement was broken
and Darkseid was able to resume his war on
New Genesis.
Knowing all that you now know about the history
of the New Gods, you’re probably asking
yourself why it failed?
For everything that Kirby’s Fourth World
was supposed to be, it caused a lot of confusion.
Because Jack Kirby was writing, drawing, and
creating it in its entirety, it was often
messy, hard to follow, and difficult to understand.
At Marvel, like it or not Jack Kirby had Stan
Lee to guide him. Stan Lee was a master narrator
and the one who pioneered the “Marvel Method”
of writing comics. The Marvel Method, for
context, saw the artists create the art without
dialogue around a central idea. Once the art
was created, the writer came in and filled
in the dialogue.
Kirby wasn’t used to scripting. Due to this,
the translation from his thoughts to paper
wasn’t as smooth as maybe he had hoped.
But it wasn’t just that. DC became afraid
of the slow sales and urged Kirby to pick
up the pace. In fact, while he was working
on what was referred to as Act 1, DC approached
him and asked him to speed things up. Worse
yet, while he had intended Orion and Darkseid
to kill one another during the final act (4,
if you’re counting), DC told him to keep
the two alive so that they could use them
at a later date.
And it was even more than that.
DC had Jack Kirby and Jack Kirby helped create
some of the greatest comic book characters
in history. To capitalize on who they had,
DC put an order out to Kirby for more. More
locations. More characters. And more superpowers.
All of this meant that the history of the
New Gods grew to accommodate the demands.
Locations and ideas were introduced even though
neither belonged. Characters began to appear
on pages and in stories for no reason. The
history of the New Gods became a breeding
ground for obscure characters.
Sadly, Kirby’s Fourth World was destined
to fail. It was audacious and inspiring but
was destined to fail. Remember, what Kirby
set out to do hadn’t been done before. He
aimed to create a comic book soap opera that
couldn’t be contained in merely one title.
I’d argue that if the Fourth World had been
created in this day and age as opposed to
the time period that it was created in, the
results would’ve been drastically different.
I’d even say that the title would’ve been
a monumental success. Think the Brian K. Vaughn
and Fiona Staples epic, Saga.
Kirby, his Fourth World and the history of
the New Gods pioneered an idea that hasn’t
been perfectly replicated yet. And in truth,
probably never will.
Only now, after nearly 50 years, is it apparent
how epic and amazing the history of the New
Gods was. Sure, it’s still a little hard
to read. And sure, some of the ideas are a
little too “out there”. But, what may
appear as difficult, can also appear as a
great and unexplored risk.
As always, I’m going to leave you with this.
Comic books are the gateway to understanding
the world just a little bit better.
So, may they be around forever.
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