Warworld (DC)
Warworld is a mobile planetoid that features in DC Comics.
Contents |
History
Pre-Crisis
Warworld
According to one account, the creation of Warworld was traced to a war-like race called the Warzoon who existed centuries ago. Conquest was part of their way of life leading to them carving a path of death and destruction across the universe. As part of their efforts, they devoted their resources to creating a special mobile satellite that was heavily armed vessel that was the Warworld. Upon its completion, it was intended by its creators for use but then the entire Warzoon race died mysteriously. Sometime later, a peaceful race called the Largas found the Warworld where they sought to ensure no one claimed the mobile weapon. Rather than destroy it, the ultra-peaceful race programmed the defensive satellites to prevent anyone from coming to the vessel. They then created a crystal key whose sonic frequency would allow the user to come to Warworld. However, the Larga were an ancient species most of whom died off leaving only a single member who sought a custodian of the key. He came to find it in the peaceful Green Martians who had settled on the world of New Mars. After passing the key to them, the last of the Larga passed away but had left their sacred mission to be continued by others. (DC Comics Presents v1 #27)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Warworld
Warworld was a planet ruled by Mongul, which he used as a giant training camp for his conquering army.
During the Imperiex War, Brainiac 13 controlled a newly recreated Warworld remade from the dwarf planet Pluto, located in the Solar System.
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Warworld Prime was an ancient world that had been ripped from its orbit and covered in layer after layer of machinery by many generations of many different species. At some point, it came under the rule of the various Monguls some of whom claimed to had constructed it but this was a lie. There were many lesser Warworlds throughout history each an imitation created by the various Monguls crafted in the mode of Warworld Prime. (Action Comics v1 #1039) It was a massive and mysterious construct, forged by the Old Gods in the time before the fall of Urgrund as a method of hiding the Fire of Olgrun, one of the seven shattered god-aspects of Olgrun. In time, life would arise on the artificial planetoid's surface; amongst those species were the Warzoons, a savage race of hunters and scavengers who scrounged a meagre living on its surface. Though each of the Warzoons paid tribute to the Great Worms, each only served themself. One evening, an alien ship impacted on Warworld Prime. One Warzoon, Guldejo though was unafraid and instead sought out the ship that had come to this savage world. He found a great fissure, and descended into it, discovering the ancient Necropolis below its surface. Within the Necropolis, he found the ship's inhabitant, an advanced being he perceived as godlike wearing armor with a yellow gem in its chestplate. The being looked on Guldejo with disgust, and in turn, Guldjeo murdered the alien. Guldejo tore the armor from the being's chest, taking it for his own, finding that it increased his strength and his lust for conquest. He took the name Mongul, which meant Strongest in the Warzoon tongue. He would rule for the rest of his days, unchallenged as ruler by his kin until he was one day slain by his own son, who took the name Mongul for himself. (Action Comics v1 #1043) Mongul I began a millennia-long cycle, one that would be repeated by his descendants; their Warzoons would locate a resource-rich planet, wipe out all resistance, and enslave the survivors. They would strip those planets bare, using their resources to fuel its forges and their populations as a vast slave class; they would then find a new world, and begin again. (Action Comics v1 #1039)
After his fathers defeat, Jochi brought Warworld to Earth to confront the heroes that defeated Mongul. He had no intention of freeing his father but stated that the heroes who defeated him had to battle to prove their worth. Thus, Batman and Superman along with their respective allies came to the planetoid to fight for the survival of Earth. At the time, Jochi was involved in a bitter struggle for retaining control of the mobile planetoid as he was the only advocate for Earth's heroes to prove their worth as the others intended to destroy it entirely with the Warworld's weapons. This led to Batman and Superman participating in the succession tournament as contenders with Jochi being added as a member of the Bat Clan. Ultimately, Jochi decided against destroying Earth against the wishes of the ruling council who decided to kill him. Jochi remained behind to battle them as Batman and Superman along with their allies went to stop the Warworld from crashing into Earth. However, the Fortress of Solitude activated its Phantom Zone Projector to send the entire planetoid into the other-dimensional prison. Once there, the ruined Warworld resided with its population largely killed with Mongul seemingly killing his son Jochi for his part in its ruin. (Batman/Superman Annual v1 #1)
Mongul later instigated a trap by targeting the surviving Korugarians in order to draw out Sinestro. This was because Mongul wanted to usurp control over the Sinestro Corps. Despite the use of Emotional Spectrum draining technology, the warlord was defeated when the Sinestro Corps came to free their leader. With Mongul deposed, Sinestro claimed Warworld as a prize for his purposes. (Sinestro v1 #11) Later, as Thaal Sinestro had reclaimed his corps with intent on making it the premiere intergalactic law enforcement organization throughout the galaxies. His cohort Arkillo kept a seedling remnant of the fear lanterns urban ally safe in hand, merging it with the artificial planetary crust of the false astral body. Fusing the two as one whole entity. (Sinestro v1 #12) After assimilating into the planet, Ranx under it's corps leaders orders shifted its orbit towards the center of the universe. Where the guardians home planet of Oa once stood, as a testament to the fear mongers authority. (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Rebirth v1 #1) Ultimately, this lesser Warworld would later be destroyed by Hal Jordan in his battle with the Paralax empowered Sinestro whom reverted to his totalitarian ways. (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps v1 #7)
At some unknown point, Mongul would return with an all-new imitation Warworld at his beck and call. Often using it to challenge the Man of Steel from time to time in a bid to decimate the Earth. (Superman: Man of Tomorrow v1 #10) He would seek out further conflict using the siege engine as a means of disrupting the burgeoning United Planets as well as engaging in another hostile conquest of Superman's adopted homeworld again. To which after it would be subsequently destroyed in an ensuing conflict between the cosmic conqueror and the champion of justice. (Superman v5 #22) Mongul would retreat for a time founding a new Warworld where he was killed by his successor and second child, Mongul MDCCXCII. (Superman: Villains v1 #1) After the death of Mongul MDCCXCI, his son Mongul MDCCXCII claimed control over Warworld. Around this time, Superman looked to free the Phaelosians from their life of slavery on the planetoid and for this he assembled the Authority. He and his team then travelled where the fought against the world's Champions but despite their strength they were ultimately defeated with Superman being speared by Mongul. (Action Comics v1 #1037)
Overview
In appearance, Warworld Prime was a massive and mysterious construct. Its atmosphere was provided by the Great Worms, massive beasts that lived within its crust and expelled breathable gasses. Veins of the mysterious mineral known as 'Genesis' ran through its rocky body. (Action Comics v1 #1040)
Creatures native to Warworld included:
- Great Worms : massive beasts that lived within its crust and expelled breathable gasses thus creating a breathable atmosphere on the planet. (Action Comics v1 #1040)
Species native to Warworld included:
- Warzoons :
- Phaelosians :
It was armed with numerous weapons included mile high nuclear missiles and macro-laser cannons able to incinerate entire worlds. Massive engines were used to propel the satellite at incalculable speeds across space. (DC Comics Presents v1 #27)
Among the ruling body was the Council of Lords with any disagreements being resolved in succession tournaments. A tournament judge was appointed to oversee these battles to ensure that the rules were upheld. Any breach in the rules could see the offender being executed by the masses. The society on Warworld was divided into a number of clans such as the Clan of the Claw who could send any brave to participate in open tournaments. There were other groups as well such as Team Machina (Batman/Superman Annual v1 #1)
A notable class amongst the Warzoon population of Warworld were the chainsmen who operated as slave drivers. (Action Comics v1 #1030)
The primary language spoken on Warworld was Mal'tsunakal. (Action Comics v1 #1033)
Typically, the Warworld followed a set pattern of events when attacking a world. It began with the planetoid's armed force systematically eliminating any remaining resistance that survived the cataclysmic devastation to the world. It was then that harvesting of the populace began whereby the survivors were categorised and assessed. Those that were fit, intelligent and manageable were drafted into the humanoid division of the military whilst those that had attitude problems were sent to serve in the gladiatorial ranks. The remaining were pressed into serving in the domestic or custodial service whilst any others were used as raw material for medical research. After the population was sorted, Warworld proceeded to recycle the ruined world as the mobile planetoid required enormous resources to maintain its functions with these being taken from the conquered ravaged husks it had conquered. (Green Lantern v5 #23.2)
The artificial world had no sun and instead made use of giant furnaces that were fed by the planets conquered by it along with the dead. These were later replaced with Star Forges that were generators the size of warships which produced red sun radiation. (Action Comics v1 #1037)
Inhabitants
- Mongul :
- Jochi : the son of Mongul who commanded Warworld after his father was defeated by Batman and Superman. (Batman/Superman Annual v1 #1)
- Chaytil :
- Draaga :
- Teacher :
- Mother :
- Darling :
- Orphan :
- Unmade :
- Thao-La :
- Cellkeeper 385 :
- Scourge :
Notes
- Warworld was created by Len Wein and Jim Starlin where it made its first appearance in DC Comics Presents v1 #27 (November, 1980).
Alternate Versions
- In Earth 2 v1 #28 (2015), an alternate version of Warworld was shown to exist in the reality of Earth-Two in the Post-Flashpoint universe. Mongul was its ruler where one of his prime gladiatrix's was a ferocious woman who came to be known as Famine. She was known to eat her opponents and desired to live forever in order to constantly kill. At the time, Steppenwolf of Apokolips was looking for warriors to join the ranks of the Furies of Apokolips where he tempted her with the position. This saw Famine turn on Mongul where she wounded him and departed for Apokolips to become one of its great warriors.
In other media
Television
- In Justice League, the War World made an appearance in the animated series set in the DC Animated Universe in the episode "War World". It appeared as a genuine world instead of an artificial planetoid with it serving as the seat of Mongul's empire. The surface was used as a place where gladiatorial combat was made in order to entertain Mongul and his subjects. Superman was brought to the planet where his Kryptonian powers were stripped of him due to the environment where he engaged in gladiatorial combat. It was with the aid of the Justice League did they manage to defeat Mongul and left the gladiator Draaga behind as the new ruler of the planet.
- In Young Justice: Invasion, Warworld made an appearance in the setting of the animated television series second season during the episode "War". It was revealed that it was an ancient starship created by a long vanished race who made it a self-sufficient mobile planetoid. The workings of the craft were achieved by a crystal key that powered the planetoid and a headband-like crown that allowed a single user to control it with thousands of drones maintaining its systems. At some point, the warlord Mongul had become exiled from his homeworld and discovered the Warworld that he brought under his control. He would be present at Rimbor when he heard that the Reach were seeking to take control of Earth with its many Metahumans that could be turned as weapons. This would serve as a threat to Mongul's own plans to conquering the cosmos and thus he took the Warworld to Earth where he intended to eliminate it. The Warworld nearly obliterated the planet until the Justice League and the Reach moved to protect it. On the planetoid, the Team were responsible for putting Mongul in stasis leading to the Warworld inactive. Secretly, the Reach tried to occupy it for their own needs but their former allies in the Light betrayed them with Vandal Savage having his agents steal the crystal key in order to take the Warworld for himself. After the Light were defeated, Savage took the Warworld to threaten Rimbor before moving to Apokolips as he forged a new alliance with Darkseid.
- In Supergirl, Warworld was mentioned in the live-action television series second season where it was referenced in the episode "Survivors". Mon-El had gone to Warworld to guard the royal family where they watched a gladiatorial fight involving the fighter Draaga.
Video games
- In Superman Returns, Warworld featured in the video-game tie-in to the live-action film. During the return to Earth from Krypton, Superman was captured by Mongul who forced the Man of Steel to fight in gladiatorial matches on Warworld until he freed himself.
Appearances
- DC Comics Presents v1: (1980)
- Adventures of Superman v1:
- Superman v2:
- Green Lantern:
- Batman/Superman v1:
- Sinestro v1:
- Action Comics v1:
External Link
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