Mongul
Mongul is a male comic character who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Mongul
Eventually, he came to commandeer Warworld that was now home to another alien race whose forebears had come to settle on it and maintain the artificial planetoid. They came to form an uneasy alliance with Mongul whose desire to rule an empire aligned with their need to commandeer worlds to develop technology. Thus, he came to be a ruthless monarch that ruled Warworld where he instituted the gladiatorial games that drew a fanatical following of the matche. (Adventures of Superman v1 #455)
After witnessing the defeat of Draaga, Mongul commanded the Kryptonian to kill his foe but Superman refused with this act of defiance angering the master of Warworld. He then decided to kill both Superman and Draaga himself leading to a battle with the Last Son of Krypton. Mongul barely managed to win the fight and decided to have the two gladiators taken to a prison cell. The warlord had intended to kill Draaga before Superman but the Man of Steel broke free from his restraints and fought Mongul who was defeated. In anger, he fired an energy blast from a device on his chest that seemingly incinerated the Kryptonian as revenge for the earlier defeat. (Superman v2 #32) However, Mongul's direct intervention in the games was seen as an interference and led to widescale riots along with uprisings on Warworld. (Adventures of Superman v1 #455)
Son of Mongul
Despite his demise, he actually survived and remained active in deep space when he encountered Despero who told him that the Justice League had been destroyed. This led to him travelling to Earth where he came upon the destroyed Watchtower where he confronted Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman within the ruined hulk of their headquarters. The warlord intended to kill the trio of heroes but was defeated and nearly killed by Wonder Woman until Superman stopped her from decapitating the villain. Mongul then used this moment to escape the three where he fled the scene using a working teleporter. (Infinite Crisis v1 #1) He came to acquire something from the trophy room before he escaped whereupon he began to grow Black Mercy plants at a remote farm on Earth where the parasitic organisms began to latch onto any hosts in the area. This was until he was confronted by Green Lantern Hal Jordan and the Green Arrow. The two heroes battled Mongul II only for Black Mercy plants to attach themselves to them and trap them within a dream state. (Green Lantern v4 #7)
He came to reside on Debstam IV in Space Sector 2811 when the planet was visited by a wounded member of the Sinestro Corps. After finding the ring wielder, he killed him whereupon his Power Ring selected Mongul II as a new member of the Corps. (Green Lantern Corps v1 #19)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different series of events. Mongul MDCCXCI lineage was one where the son killed the father and took their name. (Superman: Villains v1 #1) He claimed to come from a long line of martial warriors where he was the eldest child of his parents and had a younger brother in gestation. Mongul felt threatened by the existence of a sibling with this going at odds with his instinct as a conqueror. This led to him murdering his kin whilst in the gestation tank where afterwards his parents attempted to enforce their control over their son. He was said to had gone to counselling and numerous measures were made but these did not change Mongul who by adulthood then murdered his parents. Afterwards, he proceeded to wage war on his world leaving it devastated with Mongul journeying into space to create a new empire that was ruled through conquest where he eventually came to rule the Warworld. (Green Lantern v5 #23.2)
At some point, he had a son named Jochi who was taught in the warrior like culture of his father. (Superman/Batman Annual v1 #1)
After Mongul's defeat, the tyrant was trapped within the Phantom Zone within the Fortress of Solitude. In this time, his son took over Warworld where he sought to challenge the warriors that had defeated his father and invited them to the mobile planetoid. At this point, a disagreement in the Council of Lords let to a challenge for leadership in a succession tournament. Batman and Superman along with their respective allies had arrived where they participated in the tournament with Jochi inducted into the Batman Clan. They fought against contenders and one another as the judges of the tournament had aimed Warworld's weapons at Earth. This was until Batgirl and Steel disabled the weapon whereupon the heroes with Jochi battled the Council. Warworld was damaged and fell towards the Arctic where the Fortress automatically triggered the Phantom Zone Projector sending the entire planetoid into that dimension. Batman and Superman with their allies escaped but Jochi decided to stay on Warworld. The ruined planetoid was destroyed and its remains littered the Phantom Zone where Mongul found his son and killed him for his failure. (Superman/Batman Annual v1 #1)
The Eradicator later freed Mongul from the Black Mercy where he was taken to join Hank Henshaw's Superman Revenge Squad. (Action Comics v1 #979)
He came to be killed by his son who took the name of Mongul MDCCXCIII and the newest Sovereign Supreme of Warlord. (Superman: Villains v1 #1) Afterwards, he came to learn about the formation of the United Planets that he saw as a threat to his rule. Thus, Mongul decided to strike personally at this governments first meeting where Superman himself was in attendance. The initial strike allowed Mongul to knock out the Man of Steel and he turned his attention to the United Planets delegations that he began to murder with the idea of terrifying them from ever gathering together again. Despite Superman's aid, Mongul succeeded in killing many of the leaders of the worlds gathered for the meeting thus seemingly achieving his goal. (Superman v5 #20) Superman came to pursue Mongul with their fate taking place on Warworld that had come to Earth. Their fight was led to the Kryptonian destroying the mobile artificial planetoid and he managed to defeat the alien warlord. Superman then encased Mongul in a broken piece of Warworld and sent to the Warzoon homeworld where the builders of the mobile planetoid not tolerating weakness. (Superman v5 #22)
Overview
Personality and attributes
Another one of his children that was shown as a male known as Jochi. (Superman/Batman Annual v1 #1) Whilst trapped within the Black Mercy, he came to have a 'daughter' born from the consciousness of the planets who took the name of White Mercy. She was born through a connection to the Green where she existed primarily within the dream world of the plant where she could not only channel dreams but also nightmares. (Trinity v2 #5)
Powers and abilities
On his chest was a device that could fire powerful energy blasts that could incinerate certain foes. (Superman v2 #32)
Mongul II became a member of the Sinestro Corps after killing one of its members leading to him acquiring their Power Ring for his ability to instil fear. (Green Lantern Corps v1 #19)
He made use of a number of weapons within his arsenal that included:
- Black Mercy : genetic manipulation over time was used to develop these blooms into powerful unique weapons where they came to form a bizarre symbiotic relationship with humanoid beings as it formed psychic links with a host. The first generation of plants trapped their hosts in a fantasy dream existence but Mongul found this too benign a fate and thus had a new breed created that left those enthralled in a state of dread. (Green Lantern v5 #23.2)
- Golden Fury : a plant whose blossoms could release spores and pollen increased the capacity for violence to those exposed to its effects. (Batman/Superman v1 #6)
Warworld fell under the control of Warworlders who ruled as Emperor alongside privileged representatives of each conquered world that comprised his empire. (Adventures of Superman v1 #455)
At his command was the Dread Horde that rampaged through space and conquered worlds on behalf of their master. (Superman: Villains v1 #1)
Notes
- Mongul was created by Len Wein and Jim Starlin where he made his first appearance in DC Comics Presents v1 #27 (November 1980).
Alternate Versions
- In JLA: Destiny v1 #1 (2002), an alternate version of Mongul was shown to exist within the Elseworld setting. This version encountered a space travelling Lex Luthor who was journeying through space on a Kryptonian ship. After killing him, Mongul travelled to Earth where he established himself as the mysterious warlord Khouriga Edjem who ruled the nation of Kamburu.
- In Green Lantern: Blackstars v1 #1 (2019), an alternate reality was created by Controller Mu after using the Miracle Machine to alter history. This reality saw the Blackstars becoming the prominent peacekeeping force in the universe with the Green Lanterns never having been created. Mongul was among the mighty conquerors in space who was humbled by the Blackstars after he refused their recruitment initiative. This saw him being defeated and imprisoned after he refused to submit to Belzebeth.
In other media
Television
- In Justice League, Mongul appeared as a villain where he was portrayed by actor Eric Roberts.
- In Young Justice: Invasion, Mongul appeared as a villain where he made his first appearance in the animated television series in the episode "War" where he was voiced by actor Keith David. He appeared at the trial of the six Justice League members on the planet Rimbor. Whilst there, a cloaked Vandal Savage told him that the Reach were on Earth and intended to use its Metahuman population to control the galaxy. This would prove to be a danger to Mongul's plans and he took Warworld to Earth in order to eliminate it. Captain Atom and the Reach learn of his intentions where they attempted to negotiate with him but he ignored them. Whilst the Justice League defended Earth from Warworld's attack, the Team infiltrated the warship to shut it down. Superboy, Arsenal and Wonder Girl confront Mongul who defeated the three with ease. Bumblebee managed to reroute Warworld's power core onto Mongul thus weakening him that allowed Superboy, Arsenal and Wonder Girl to knock him out.
Films
- In Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Mongul appeared in the animated direct-to-DVD film where he was voiced by actor Bruce Timm
Video games
- In Superman Returns, Mongul appeared as an antagonist in the video game where he was voiced by actor Todd Williams.
Appearances
- DC Comics Presents: (1980)
- Adventures of Superman v1:
- Superman v2:
- Showcase '95 v1: (1995)
- Infinite Crisis v1:
- Green Lantern v4:
- Green Lantern v5:
- Batman/Superman v1:
- Sinestro v1:
- Trinity v2:
- Action Comics v1:
- Superman v5:
- Superman: Villains v1: (2020)
External Links
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