Rao (DC)
Rao is a comic character who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Rao
According to one account, Despair of the Endless once spoke to Rao billions of years ago convincing the god to make an unstable world life with the risk of it exploding at any time. The anthropomorphic being claimed that such an attempt wold be a beautiful and perfect piece of art with the idea that only a single inhabitant were to escape to remember, mourn and despair. (The Sandman: Endless Nights v1 #1)
when Krypton was a primitive planet, Rao held a war against Cythonna the Goddess Of Ice with this being referred to as the Wars of Fire and Ice. She came to lose this conflict leading to her being imprisoned by Rao in another dimension. (Superman: The Last God of Krypton v1 #1)
It was said that ages ago he had left Krypton which fell into decay but Rao brought new life and vitality to a new world. That planet was Earth where it was said that Rao had fathered the ancestors of all the gods of that world. (Superman: Man of Steel v1 #126)
During the Kryptonian deluge, Jaf-El emerged as a prophet of the one god Rao and encouraged his worship before the biblical flood that befell Krypton. Those who worshipped what Jaf-El called 'lifeless idols' demanded some kind of proof of Rao's veracity. (Krypton Chronicles v1 #3)
New Krypton
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different series of events. Rao
Around 250,000 years ago, a Kryptonian took on the name of Rao where he developed a religion that worshipped him and he had gained power by sapping the life energy from his believers. (Justice League of America v4 #6) After bringing peace to Krypton, he took thousands of his followers in the Church of Rao onboard cathedral ships that went out more followers to worship him. (Justice League of America v4 #7)
Overview
Personality and attributes
As a sun god, he was the sky father of Krypton and ruler of all the deities on that world. (Superman: Man of Steel v1 #126)
It was said that all pantheons great and small knew of Rao. (Superman: Man of Steel v1 #126)
Powers and abilities
Notes
- Rao made was created by Marv Wolfman and Dave Cockrum where he made his first appearance in Superman v1 #248 (February, 1972).
- The character made their his first Post-Crisis appearance in Superman: The Last God of Krypton v1 #1 (1999).
In other media
Television
- In Smallville, Rao was referenced in the setting of the live-action television series. A key Kryptonian religious artifact was the Book of Rao. The clone Major Zod as part of his plans established a public company on Earth named the R.A.O. Corporation.
- In Supergirl, Rao appeared in the setting of the live-action television series set in the Arrowverse first mentioned in the episode "Truth, Justice and the American Way". In the episode "Reign", it was said that the basis of Rao came from a sun god that was worshipped by the matriarchal tribal people in the continent Urrika who were polytheistic. Over time, the worship of Rao spread to the other tribes who displaced older deities including a dark god with a singular worship in the new god. In time, the people of Krypton came to believe in the sun god alone with his teachings being present in the Book of Rao. It was claimed that there was no doomsday prophecy within the Book of Rao though there were teachings regarding the Worldkiller that was part of a devil goddess said to bring about the end of days. In the episode "The Faithful", it was revealed that Rao was a peaceful deity and that Kryptonian society was deeply religious and steadfast in their belief in him. Krypton dispatched probes into space powered by Betahedrons to maintain the function of transmitters that detailed Kryptonian culture and their faith in Rao. His name was invoked by Kara Zor-El during the funeral of her aunt Astra.
- In Justice League Action, Rao was briefly mentioned by name by a Kandorian in the animated television series episode "Battle for the Bottle City".
- In Krypton, Rao was referenced in the live-action television series starting from the pilot episode. He was shown as being a sun god worshipped alongside a number of deities on Krypton. After the Cataclysm, Rao was appointed the chief deity whilst the others were tolerated though in time the worshippers of Rao began to institute a purge of the other members of the pantheon. It was shown that two generations ago that Krypton had fallen under a theocracy that worshipped Rao and the gods of their people. Central control lay in the hands of a robed golden masked figure known as the Voice of Rao who ruled from Kandor City.
Films
Video games
- In Injustice: Gods Among Us, Rao was mentioned in the story setting of the fighting video game. High Councillor Superman who led the One Earth Regime evoked the name of Rao when he announced the execution of his world's Superman.
Novels
- In Man of Steel, General Zod's rebel army was referred to as the Sword of Rao as stated in the novel adaptation tie-in of the live-action movie.
Appearances
- Superman v1: (1972)
- Superboy v1:
- Action Comics v1:
- Krypton Chronicles v1:
- Superman: The Last God of Krypton v1: (1999)
- Justice League of America v4: (2015)
External Links
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