Warning: Contains Spoilers for Justice Society of America #11!The reveal of the true villain pitted against theJustice Society of Americashocked many fans, especially since he’s just as dangerous asDarkseid. As two major hero teams end up fighting each other, the future hangs in the balance, but there was suspicion about whom the puppet master was on both sides. As it turns out, it’s one of DC’s forgotten and most dangerous villains, the master of the dark:Eclipso.
Eclipso returns to bring full night to the world inJustice Society of America#11 by Geoff Johns and Marco Santucci. Even though his reign has been teased many times in this series, Eclipso’s edge is that he is a spirit of possession - meaninghe can come from anywhere.
As it turns out,he’s been inhabiting the body of Wildcat, and when he bursts into his original form, it’s one of the most gruesome panels of possession in DC history. The panels go fully twilight, in the colors of Eclipso, and his rebirth sends ripples of fear that Darkseid could only dream of achieving.
Eclipso Is Officially DC’s Scariest Big Bad
Eclipso Calls Eternal Night on the World
Darkness is Eclipso’s domain, as is in his very name, referring to a total eclipse of the sun and a sudden daytime darkness. He has more than just light manipulation, as he has the ability to possess bodies and bend others to his will. The reveal of his possession powers, however, is a terrifying new addition to his lore, consideringhe ripped apart Wildcat’s bodyin order to birth himself and his eternal night.
While Darkseid has “dark” in his very name, Eclipso’s twilight powers make him a demonic spirit of possession, making him the better, darker villain.
With his black diamond,Eclipso is a forcewho requires two superhero teams to be defeated: the Legion of Super-Heroes and the Justice Society of America. Even a young version ofDC’s most powerful magic user, Mordru, is on the front lines to help defeat this darkness. In just a few panels,Eclipso shows himself to be much more haunting than DC’s main antagonist, Darkseid, has ever been.
Eclipso Does Darkness Better than Darkseid
Eclipso Corrupts the Justice Society of America
The comparison is not unwarranted, because Eclipso is known to havea secret history with Darkseid.One is a dark tyrant of a fiery planet with armies of conquest ready at his behest; the other,Eclipso, is a renegade and total lone wolf, making him intimately scarier. While Darkseid has “dark” in his very name, Eclipso’s twilight powers make him a demonic spirit of possession, making him the better, darker villain. Darkseid is just an evil mastermind; Eclipso is a demon of corruption and darkness.
Darkseid is being reinvented this fall inDC All In Special#1, a milestone one-shot by Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Wes Craig, and Daniel Sampere available October 2nd, 2024 from DC Comics.
More powerful than any Anti-Life equation, Eclipso’s Black Diamond has the capability to enslave and corrupt the entire universe, blotting out every sun and source of life. He comes close inJustice Society of America#11, but theJustice Society of Americastill has a fighting chance.Eclipsomay have been defeated - for now - but it looks like a newly costumedDarkseidis up next. DC goes from one corruption to the next.
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America is a DC Comics superhero team initially conceived during the 1940s and featured a mix of various heroes throughout DC Comics' continuity. Throughout the decades and via modern relaunches of the JSA, new members have been cycled in and out of the team, with heroes such as Stargirl, Cyclone, Wildcat, and Atom Smasher joining the ranks.
Darkseid
Darkseid is a tyrannical supervillain in DC Comics, ruling the hellish planet Apokolips. He seeks the Anti-Life Equation to control all sentient life and eliminate free will across the universe. With immense strength, energy manipulation, and Omega Beams that disintegrate targets, Darkseid is a relentless foe of Superman, the Justice League, New Gods, and free people everywhere.
