Yes! It's time for another piece of monthly comicdom in The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom.
Now, I was scouring my brain about who I would pick for this next category, and I may have came to this conclusion based on a technicality. Nevertheless, it still counts.
The Mast's 30 Days of Comicdom (Day 7): What/Who Is Your Favourite Creature?
We're heading into the D.C. Universe for this one!
In the world of supervillains, so many have had varying degrees of success. Dr. Doom runs and owns his own nation, has handed many heroes their asses on multiple occasions and is seen as one of the world's biggest threats. Yet, people like Stilt-Man are forced to pack up due to being tired of having their asses beat by their nemeses.
It's rare that a villain will ever do what they set out to do. Tom never gets Jerry, you know? That's why this...thing...is the winner of this category. My favourite creature is, of course...
Doomsday.
Created by an alien named Bertron, he qualifies as a creature. A creature that has possibly the most apt name in the history of comic books. Before I tell you why, let's figure out where he came from. Doomsday's origins were not told with his first appearance.
His genesis came on a far distant past version of Krypton, at a time when Krypton was basically a Hell of the universe. It was the absolute worst planet possible. Think Sakaar from World War Hulk times by a billion. So heinous and forsaken was this planet's environment that the beings who survived and adapted were considered to be the universe's most threatening. This was before what we came to know as Kryptonians inhabited it.
Bertron had a baby sent to this planet, only to meet its death instantly. Each time, long story short, he would harvest whatever was left and use it to create a superior version of itself. Essentially it was the same genetics, but build from remains. To put it in an even more compact nutshell, this being eventually evolved to come back from death, immune to whatever specific instance had killed it before.
For example: if Doomsday is killed by radiation, he is resurrected incapable of being killed by radiation again.
This creature became Doomsday and eventually killed his creator (Don't they all?).
Doomsday was perfect. He was the Great White Shark. Utterly perfect with no need to evolve. Instead of swimming, eating and making babies, Doomsday just lived to extinguish any and all life that he could. No intellect or emotions to speak of, just unparalleled destructive force. He began a killing spree across several planets, ending in his "death" and being shot into space. Naturally, he evolved past his death, but remained in stasis due to crashing on Earth.
The world was none the wiser...but then he woke up, and the horror began.
Doomsday's first appearance begins here.
In what would become the most famous debut of all time and one of the most famous stories, Doomsday awoke and began a path of destruction the likes of which the comic-reading world had never seen. Taking out a majority of Earth's heroes with one arm tied behind him, he was dubbed Doomsday by Booster Gold, as that's what it felt like to the heroes.
The combined powers of Earth's heroes couldn't scratch his surface, much less put him down. Bear in mind, this was the Justice League at the time. Just to give you a feeling of how unstoppable he was. Naturally, it was a matter of time before a certain red and blue man of steel showed up to save the day.
For a review on this actual story, by the way, go read the one I did before.
The reason I picked Doomsday is because Superman DID save the day, but at a cost nobody expected, not even Superman. Superman fought Doomsday, one-on-one, to the very death. Doomsday and Superman fought for miles, and into Metropolis itself. Superman was battered and even bleeding, with Doomsday not really showing any signs of slowing down.
It was the titanic impact of simultaneous punches that caused the death (Not technically, but that's another story) of BOTH combatants. Superman, the first superhero and the most legendary of all, was dead. He had been killed by a debuting villain.
Let me tell you, if you were not around at the time this happened, you cannot imagine the impact this had on the comic world. Superman DYING was big enough, but in a fist fight with a villain who just showed up and never even said a word? It actually got news coverage around the world. It was an event in the comics world whereby people were calling each other to inform one another. Like music fans can ask, "Where were you when Michael Jackson died?", that's what it was like (Though nowhere near as big) when Superman was killed.
The speed with which he was brought "back to life" was met with heavy criticism, and Doomsday didn't stay dead either (The whole evolutionary regenerative healing factor coming into play), but we didn't know that at the time.
When you see the image of Superman's bruised and broken body, facial welts and all, being cradles by Lois Lane as she weeps over his body, you realise it's a big deal. Even today, it's a powerful image.
Doomsday did that...with brute force. Not magic, not technology either. He beat Superman by fighting him. Sadly, after a debut like this, you can go no further. Doomsday has never quite reached the heights he did in The Death of Superman, and never will again. Just as punk rock existed because it had to, and died when it was no longer necessary, so ended Doomsday's usefulness as a character.
So, if you're still wondering why he's my favourite creature, I'll end with a piece of info to consider in the grand scheme of things.
If there's ever a supervillain convention, many will be able to claim their own countries, maybe even their own planets! They may have tasted victory over their nemesis or nemeses, sure.
Only one being in history, though, will ever be able to put his hand up in the air and say he killed Superman on his first try.
Only one being can say he took The Man of Tomorrow and ended his future.
Only one can say he took The Man of Steel and bent him to breaking point, then broke him.
That being would be Doomsday, and that's why he is my favourite creature.
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Again, as always, thank you so much for indulging me. It's always appreciated and I thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this installment, the ones before it and the ones to come.
I'm having fun doing this.
Tomorrow's installment is a fun one indeed! One I'm sure will be met with lots of opinion, and gladly so. Feel free to leave your opinions or comments as always, and special thanks to the massive six people following me OFFICIALLY!
Until next time, peace.
-The Mastr
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