Eclipso () is a
supervillain
A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.
Supervillains are often ...
in the
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with their f ...
Universe
The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. A ...
. The character is the incarnation of the Wrath of
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
and the Angel of Vengeance that turned evil and was replaced by the
Spectre.
The character bares notable similarities to
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Eclipso appears as the main antagonist in the second season of
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
television show ''
Stargirl'' portrayed as an adult by
Nick E. Tarabay and Jason Davis and as a young boy by Milo Stein.
Publication history
Eclipso first appeared in ''
House of Secrets'' #61 (August 1963) and was created by
Bob Haney and
Lee Elias.
Fictional character biography
Originally, Eclipso was written as a generic villain with average superpowers, who would routinely enact an elaborate plot to fulfill his
hedonistic motivations. However, the 1992 ''
Darkness Within'' miniseries modified the character to be an evil and megalomaniacal entity. Eclipso's character laments the power he once had as a spirit of divine vengeance. Eclipso would frequently seek to possess beings of incredible power like
Superman,
Lar Gand, and
Captain Marvel to achieve his ends.
Bruce Gordon
Eclipso's early comics debut is tied to his first modern host, Bruce Gordon (named after
Bruce Wayne
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...
and
Commissioner Gordon as an inside joke), a scientist specializing in solar energy. While in the jungle to view a solar eclipse, Gordon was attacked by a tribal sorcerer named Mophir. Before plunging to his death off a cliff, Mophir wounded Gordon with a black diamond. Afterwards, Gordon transformed into the villainous Eclipso whenever an eclipse occurred. A blue-gray or purple circle covered the rightmost two-thirds of his face, resembling a partial eclipse. Gordon experienced many
Jekyll-and-Hyde
''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...
transformations and misadventures in ''
The House of Secrets''. During this period, Eclipso was portrayed as a conventional villain, possessing super strength, partial invulnerability, and eye blasts (aided by his black diamond). Eclipso's transformations were later altered so that any type of natural eclipse, lunar or solar, would cause Eclipso and Gordon to split from one another, while an "artificial eclipse" -- an object blocking out a light source -- would merely transform Gordon to Eclipso. Any bright flash of light would banish Eclipso back into Bruce Gordon's body or reverse the change.
''Eclipso: The Darkness Within''
In the early 1990s, DC
retconned
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subs ...
Eclipso in a company-wide
crossover built around the
miniseries ''Eclipso: The Darkness Within''. Eclipso was revealed not simply to be Bruce Gordon's dark half, but a vengeance demon who had possessed Gordon. Eclipso's soul had originally been bound inside a giant black diamond called the "Heart of Darkness" in Africa. A treasure hunter found it in the late 19th century and brought it to London in 1891, where he had a jeweler cut it into 1,000 shards. This weakened the binding spell, allowing Eclipso to possess anyone who became angry while in contact with one of the shards. He was no longer limited to possessing Gordon during an eclipse, but pretended otherwise so that Gordon would not know the truth about the black diamonds.
Over the next 100 years, the Eclipso entity gathered the diamond shards with the intention of destroying them all, freeing his true power. When
Lar Gand discovered Eclipso's palace on the moon and wandered inside, it inspired Eclipso to possess all of Earth's heroes and use them towards his ultimate goal, the conquest of Earth and revenge against God for imprisoning him inside the Heart of Darkness. Eclipso claimed he had spent the last several years "posing as a B-level villain" in order to remain undetected by Earth's heroes and had limited himself to targeting Gordon for the purpose of quashing Gordon's research into solar science. If Gordon had achieved his goal of making solar energy the planet's primary energy source, any solar-powered device could be used as a weapon against Eclipso.
In the climax of the story, several of Earth's heroes were possessed by Eclipso and transported to the moon during an eclipse. He then absorbed these heroes into his own body, gaining their mass and also their inherent powers. Gordon led a group of heroes armed with solar weapons to the moon in an attempt to defeat Eclipso once and for all. The absorbed heroes were freed in the end, but only after
Will Payton destroyed Eclipso's moon base by detonating his own solar-powered body. Eclipso's diamond shards, however, remained on Earth.
''Eclipso'' series
Following the crossover event, Eclipso appeared in a solo series. He conquered the South American country of Parador by possessing one person at a time. The United States sent an investigation team consisting of
Cave Carson, Bruce Gordon, and Gordon's fiancé Mona Bennet. Carson's legs were broken and he was left at the border.
Gordon and Bennet were taken on a tour and shown various atrocities, such as piles of children's corpses. They escaped with the assistance of the
Creeper and formed a group of heroes dubbed the
Shadow Fighters
Shadow Fighters were a group of superpowered and non-superpowered DC Comics characters brought together, under the supervision of Amanda Waller, for the sole purpose of battling Eclipso in the ''Eclipso'' comic series. They were brought together ...
. This group was led by
Amanda Waller
Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
, formerly of the
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
. In issue #13 of the series, Eclipso defeated them, killing
Wildcat II, the second
Doctor Mid-Nite, the Creeper,
Commander Steel
Commander Steel (also known as Captain Steel, Citizen Steel and Sergeant Steel) is the name of three superheroes appearing in comics by the American publisher DC Comics, all members of the same family. The first Steel appeared in ''Steel, The ...
, the
Manhunter IV (a Mark Shaw ringer), and
Major Victory. The Creeper has returned to action in his own series.
The
Peacemaker was also involved in this action. He died in a helicopter crash while trying to destroy Eclipso's
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful e ...
s. These tanks were attacking the sole surviving member of the Shadow Fighter attack force,
Nemesis.
The other survivors of the
Shadow Fighters
Shadow Fighters were a group of superpowered and non-superpowered DC Comics characters brought together, under the supervision of Amanda Waller, for the sole purpose of battling Eclipso in the ''Eclipso'' comic series. They were brought together ...
, those who had not attacked Eclipso directly, regrouped. Eclipso attacked them with a Parador missile, which they evaded using
Nightshade's teleportation ability. During the escape, Mona's father was snatched from their vehicle, but he later returned alive. The survivors arrived in the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
building, just in time to foil another plot of Eclipso by landing their vehicle on his intended victim.
Bruce Gordon and Mona Bennet led Earth's superheroes in an attack on Parador, in an attempt to destroy Eclipso once and for all. Eclipso revealed that he dares not kill Gordon and Bennet because their unborn child will time travel to the past as an adult and free Eclipso from the diamond.
Eclipso was finally defeated when the
Phantom Stranger gathered all 1,000 black diamond shards and fused them back together into the Heart of Darkness, imprisoning Eclipso again. His physical body, the adult child of Bennet and Gordon, evaporated in front of his parents.
''The Spectre'' (vol. 3)
Later in the 1990s, the series ''
The Spectre'' (vol. 3) gave key revelations about Eclipso. The Spectre was not the first embodiment of the wrath of God, but was Eclipso's replacement. Series writer
John Ostrander chose to portray this as a distinction between the Spectre's pursuit of "vengeance" and Eclipso's pursuit of "revenge". In a Biblical context, Eclipso was responsible for
Noah's Flood, while the Spectre was the
Angel of Death
Angel of Death may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
Aviation
*"Angel of Death", AC130 gunship's nickname
Fictional characters
* Adam or Andrew, in ''Touched by an Angel''
* Azrael, in ''Lucifer''
* Loki, in the film ''Dogma''
* Jaff ...
who slew the first-born Egyptian children.
The Spectre destroys the Heart of Darkness, along with the remains of Eclipso's palace on the moon, burning them to ash with the Holy Power of God and casting the ashes into outer space.
Alex Montez
Eclipso returns after several years' absence in the "Princes of Darkness" storyline in ''
JSA'' as an ally of the other villains
Mordru and
Obsidian. Alexander Montez, cousin of Wildcat II, vows revenge on Eclipso for her death. To this end, he gathers the 1,000 black diamonds, liquefies them and injects them into himself; all save one, which he keeps to evoke Eclipso. Exactly how Eclipso's diamonds had returned was unknown. Montez covers his body in tribal tattoos he claims he had learned about on Diablo Island. With these tattoos, Montez can summon all the powers of Eclipso by triggering the diamond with his anger, while remaining in control of himself and keeping Eclipso trapped within. As the new Eclipso, he joins the short-lived team of loose-cannon heroes assembled by
Black Adam
Black Adam, real name Teth/Theo-Adam, is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' ''The Marvel Family'' co ...
, which was the subject of the subsequent storyline "Black Reign".
During Adam's reign in
Kahndaq, Alex becomes romantically involved with his teammate Soseh Mykros, the female
Nemesis. During the battle, one of Alex's binding glyphs (which keeps Eclipso in control) is broken via a shoulder wound. Eclipso soon kills Nemesis. Alex commits suicide in order to prevent Eclipso from controlling him further. This story was significant as it meant that Eclipso no longer had a limitless number of black diamonds waiting out in the world for him to utilize.
This incarnation of Eclipso was never shown using any power but his eye blasts.
In ''Countdown to Mystery'' #4, Alex's body is acquired by Eclipso's followers for an as-yet-unknown magic ritual. In issue #6, all of the black diamond fragments in his body are recombined into their original form.
"Lightning Strikes Twice"
Despite the loss of the other black diamonds, the disembodied Eclipso then tries to possess Superman by antagonizing him through many deaths. He eventually possesses Superman by upsetting him via his possession of
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois ...
. At this point, the wizard
Shazam
Shazam () may refer to:
Comic book franchise
* Captain Marvel (DC Comics), also known as Shazam, a superhero character published by Fawcett Comics and DC Comics
** Shazam (wizard), a character from the ''Shazam!/Captain Marvel'' comics, who give ...
steps in by sending Captain Marvel to fight the possessed Eclipso-Superman. Thanks to Superman's weakness to magic, Captain Marvel is able to do a significant amount of damage to Eclipso. A prominent method of attack he uses is to continuously trigger his transformations in close proximity to Superman, resulting in the lightning striking Eclipso.
[''Superman'' (vol. 2) #216 (June 2005). DC Comics.]
Eventually, Shazam himself removes Eclipso from Superman by calling upon the hostless Spectre himself to do it. The Spectre forces Eclipso back into a lone black diamond. The Spectre then warns Shazam that he has made an enemy of Eclipso and that the currently-hostless Spectre will no longer be able to defend him, as he lacks the coherence necessary to effectively recall anything beyond his 'mission'. At the end of this series, the black diamond is seen appearing in
Jean Loring
Jean Loring is a character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, formerly associated with the Atom, for whom she was a supporting character and primary love interest. She first appeared in ''Showcase'' #34 (October 1961), created by writ ...
's cell in
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane (), commonly referred to as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital/prison, named after the city of Arkham which appeared first in the stories of H. P. Lovecraft, and later appear ...
.
Jean Loring
In the ''
Day of Vengeance'' miniseries which tied into the ''
Infinite Crisis
"Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordwa ...
'' event,
Jean Loring
Jean Loring is a character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, formerly associated with the Atom, for whom she was a supporting character and primary love interest. She first appeared in ''Showcase'' #34 (October 1961), created by writ ...
, ex-wife of the
Atom
Every atom is composed of a nucleus and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus. The nucleus is made of one or more protons and a number of neutrons. Only the most common variety of hydrogen has no neutrons.
Every solid, liquid, gas ...
(Ray Palmer) and murderer of
Sue Dibny (as seen in the ''
Identity Crisis'' miniseries), discovers the last black diamond in her prison cell, becomes the new Eclipso, and tricks the Spectre into attacking magic-based heroes as her revenge against Shazam, who was eventually slain while fighting the Spectre. After fending off multiple attacks upon herself, Eclipso-Loring was eventually teleported to a non-decaying
orbit
In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an object or position in space such a ...
around the Sun by
Nightshade.
In the pages of ''
Infinite Crisis
"Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordwa ...
'', it was revealed by
Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.
Publication history
Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, the character made his first appearance in '' Crisis on Infinite Earths'' #1 (Apr ...
that he had sent
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime (Clark Kent, born Kal-El), also known as Superman-Prime or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain and an alternate version of Superman. The character first appeared in '' DC Comics Presents'' #87 (November 19 ...
to recover the black diamond and that the
Psycho-Pirate delivered it to Loring on Alex's orders and manipulated Eclipso into manipulating the Spectre. This was all done in the interest of breaking down magic into raw magical energy, which Alexander could use for his own ends. The death of Shazam was particularly useful, as his various champions then became a tether of power. All Alex had to do was capture one of them, make them say 'Shazam', and they would summon their lightning bolt to power his machine.
In Week 27 of ''
52'',
Ralph Dibny, on a quest to restore his wife Sue to life and guided by the helmet of
Doctor Fate, approaches the Spectre and promises to fulfill any bargain that the Spectre demands in order to restore his wife to life.
The Spectre, desiring revenge on Eclipso for his manipulations of him during the ''
Infinite Crisis
"Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordwa ...
'', but rendered incapable of taking it owing to his present lack of a host, orders Dibny to punish Eclipso in return for his wife's life. Dibny, realizing that this meant punishing
Jean Loring
Jean Loring is a character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, formerly associated with the Atom, for whom she was a supporting character and primary love interest. She first appeared in ''Showcase'' #34 (October 1961), created by writ ...
, his wife's murderer, and temporarily granted the power of the Spectre, takes Eclipso back to the point at which she (as Jean Loring) murdered his wife and, restoring Jean's sanity, ruthlessly intends to trap her in a permanent time loop and force her to watch herself murder Sue Dibny over and over for all eternity.
Her sanity restored and Eclipso purged out of her, a terrified Loring tearfully begs for forgiveness, screaming that she was crazy when she murdered Sue and that it 'wasn't me!'. Dibny, affected by her pleas, his sense of compassion, and his own feelings on watching his wife's death, finds himself incapable of such ruthlessness and refuses to complete his pact with the Spectre, returning Eclipso to her orbit around the Sun.
She has most recently been seen in ''
Blue Beetle'' (vol. 7) #16, searching for a new host. Having come to the conclusion that her hosts' corrupted souls are the cause of her failures, she tries to possess a baby with great magical potential and a pure, uncorrupted soul. She is foiled in this attempt by the
Blue Beetle and
Traci Thirteen. She even manages to take control of the Blue Beetle and grants him his "supreme desire of power", intending to use the corrupted Beetle to kill the defenders of the baby. To her utter mortification, this means the Beetle's supreme wish, to become a dentist in order to provide for his family, is fulfilled, and is easily swatted aside.
It was revealed in ''Countdown To Mystery'' that all of Eclipso's black diamonds were mined on
Apokolips millennia ago and that Eclipso was created by
Darkseid
Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby to serve as the primary antagonist of his "Fourth World (comics), Fourth World" metaseries, and was firs ...
.
In "The Seduction of the Innocent" ad campaign for DC's ''
Countdown'', Eclipso's arm can be clearly seen with
Mary Marvel
Mary Marvel is a fictional character, a superheroine originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in '' Captain Marvel Adventures'' #18 (cover-dated Dec. 1942). ...
looking off-page and her face half-shadowed. Indeed, Eclipso is seen in ''
Countdown'' #38 watching
Mary Marvel
Mary Marvel is a fictional character, a superheroine originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in '' Captain Marvel Adventures'' #18 (cover-dated Dec. 1942). ...
and plotting to make Mary into her minion. Increasing her anger and suspicions around the other magical beings around her, she manages to warp the sunny and cheery disposition of Mary into sheer anger and distrust and then offers herself as a friend and confidante. After attempting to make her Darkseid's concubine, however, Mary rebels and attempts to kill her.
In ''Countdown To Mystery'', Eclipso corrupts more heroes, first
Plastic Man
Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brian) is a superhero first appearing in '' Police Comics'' #1, originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by cartoonist Jack Cole, Plastic Man was one of the first superheroes t ...
and then sets her sights on the
Creeper. Mary discovers Eclipso's manipulation of her, and in ''Countdown'' #17, she sacrifices her abilities and attacks Eclipso with all her power, leaving Mary and Jean freefalling into the ocean surrounding
Themyscira. Loring is last seen sinking into the ocean with a shark approaching and Eclipso returns to inhabit Bruce Gordon, declaring her lost.
''Countdown to Mystery''
In the ''Countdown to Mystery'' series, Eclipso puts a new plan into motion, corrupting the heroes
Plastic Man
Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brian) is a superhero first appearing in '' Police Comics'' #1, originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by cartoonist Jack Cole, Plastic Man was one of the first superheroes t ...
, the
Creeper, and the
Dove
Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primaril ...
, and at the same time tasking a group of magi to recover and recombine the pieces of the Heart of Darkness.
In ''Countdown to Mystery'' #3,
Crispus Allen, the Spectre's current host, tracks down Bruce Gordon. In issue #4, Eclipso once again takes Gordon as a host. Then, in issue #5, Bruce is shown to have some control over Eclipso's powers but can be overwhelmed by his persona if he uses too much at once. In issue #7, Bruce manages to free the heroes from their corruption but is overwhelmed by Eclipso when his ex-wife is threatened. Eclipso then joins with the completed Heart of Darkness, exponentially increasing his powers, and faces off against the Spectre. In issue #8, Bruce, spurred on by Crispus, finally manages to take control of Eclipso, although the two cannot be separated.
Rise of Eclipso
During the ''
Brightest Day'' event, a mysterious being known as the
Entity
An entity is something that exists as itself, as a subject or as an object, actually or potentially, concretely or abstractly, physically or not. It need not be of material existence. In particular, abstractions and legal fictions are usually r ...
tells
Jade
Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole gro ...
to help her brother,
Obsidian "balance the darkness", as he will ultimately save her friends from an unidentified threat. As the Entity says this, a grinning vision of Eclipso appears behind Jade.
Following this, Eclipso reawakens within Bruce, destroying Diablo Island and apparently killing Mona in the process. Eclipso subsequently kidnaps the
Shade,
Acrata,
Nightshade, the
Shadow Thief
Shadow Thief is the name of three fictional supervillains published by DC Comics. The first is a recurring foe of Hawkman named Carl Sands.
Shadow Thief appeared in the seventh season episode of the Arrowverse television series ''Arrow'', portraye ...
, a French supervillainess named Bette Noir, and a Canadian superhero named Dark Crow, all of whom possess shadow-based abilities. After brainwashing his captives and bringing them under his mental control, Eclipso travels to an extradimensional plane, where he frees a demonic entity known as
Sythunu, who agrees to serve Eclipso. With his small team ready, Eclipso travels to the Emerald City that
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, and the first character to bear the name Green Lantern. He fights evil with the aid of a magical ring which grants him a variety of powers. He was created by Mar ...
established on the Moon, stating that he now wishes to capture Jade. After taking over Jade, Eclipso defeats and possesses the Justice League's reserve roster (consisting of
Cyborg
A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline. ,
Doctor Light, the
Red Tornado,
Animal Man
Animal Man (Bernhard "Buddy" Baker) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily "borrow" th ...
, the
Tasmanian Devil, and the
Bulleteer), and then badly injures the angel
Zauriel. With the Justice League outnumbered, Eclipso then reveals his ultimate goal is to somehow kill God. Eclipso then tortures Zauriel, causing his screams to attract the attention of the new Spectre,
Crispus Allen. The Spectre arrives on the Moon, where Eclipso ambushes and kills him, absorbing the Spectre's powers upon his demise. With his newfound abilities, Eclipso reveals that God relies on the collective love of humanity in order to stay alive, and that by destroying Earth, Eclipso will ultimately kill God once and for all. Just as the members of the JLA prepare to wage a counterattack, Eclipso destroys the Moon, apparently dooming all life on Earth. With the Moon destroyed, Eclipso then seemingly kills
Donna Troy
Donna Troy is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is the original Wonder Girl and later temporarily adopts another identity, Troia. Created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani, she first appeared in '' T ...
, the physically strongest remaining member of the Justice League. Donna's death was later revealed to be an illusion conjured by
Saint Walker
Saint Walker is a character appearing in American comic books and other associated media published by DC Comics. He is an alien member of the galactic Blue Lantern Corps, an organization dedicated to spreading peace and harmony throughout the univ ...
, who used his blue
power ring to temporarily trap Eclipso in a state of euphoria. After the
Atom
Every atom is composed of a nucleus and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus. The nucleus is made of one or more protons and a number of neutrons. Only the most common variety of hydrogen has no neutrons.
Every solid, liquid, gas ...
and
Starman break Eclipso's link to his brainwashed slaves, the combined heroes attack Eclipso together, defeating him.
''The New 52''
In 2011, "
The New 52
The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cross ...
" rebooted the DC universe. Eclipso is depicted as the god of vengeance and once again trapped in the Heart of Darkness. A criminal organization working for Kaizen Gamorra tries to steal the item, with Team 7 trying to stop them. During the fight,
Slade Wilson is briefly possessed by Eclipso.
[''Team 7'' (vol. 2) #3 (February 2013). DC Comics.] With the help of
Essence
Essence ( la, essentia) is a polysemic term, used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property or set of properties that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it ...
, the other heroes manage to trap him again in the black diamond, which is then sent to somewhere safe. Five years later, Catwoman is hired to steal the diamond, now kept in one of A.R.G.U.S.'s secret rooms; she succeeds, although she is affected by the item's magic.
Eclipso is subsequently revealed to be an inhabitant of
Gemworld
Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld is a superhero published in American comic books created by DC Comics. Created by writers Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn and artist Ernie Colón, she debuted in ''The Legion of Superheroes'' #298 in April 1983.
Born into ...
with the powers of House Onyx and House Diamond and was once Kalaa of the planet Gilaa.
He was trapped in the diamond by the then-Princess of House Amethyst centuries ago. Now possessing Dr. Alex Montez, he is sent back to Gemworld by
John Constantine, where he seizes control of the two Houses to which he is connected. Seeking revenge on House Amethyst, he is defeated by
Princess Amaya and again trapped in the diamond.
Later, the black diamond is delivered to scientist Gordon Jacobs, who has fallen from grace. Using Gordon's rage, Eclipso from inside the gem manipulated him into cutting himself with the gem so he can possess him. After taking his body, Eclipso murders Jonah Bennet, Gordon's partner and father of his fiancé, Mona, who has come to visit Gordon, but after that, Gordon realizes that he was out of control and he must destroy the gem. But Eclipso tells him that if he does, he will also kill himself, because they are one and the same now. Eclipso also manipulates and convinces Gordon not to throw away the gem, using Mona as an excuse. Eclipso warns that if the diamond and he are destroyed, the blood bond between them means Gordon will die too. Manipulatively, Eclipso reminds him that with Jonah's death, Gordon must be there to comfort her and soon, Gordon is convinced.
''DC Rebirth''
In the ''
DC Rebirth
DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth r ...
'' event ''Justice League vs. Suicide Squad'',
Maxwell Lord
Maxwell Lord IV is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Justice League'' #1 (May 1987) and was created by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire. Maxwell Lord was or ...
uses a team of
Lobo
Lobo may refer to:
Places
*Lobo, Batangas, a municipality in the Philippines
*Lobo, Texas, a ghost town
*Lobo, Indonesia
*Lobo, Cameroon, a town in Cameroon
*Lobo Hill, near Belchite, Aragon, Spain
* Lobo, Ontario, near London, Ontario, Canada
Pe ...
,
Johnny Sorrow
This is a list of fictional characters from DC Comics who are or have been enemies of the Justice Society of America. In chronological order (with issue and date of first appearance).
Golden Age
Silver Age
Bronze Age
Modern Age
See also ...
, the
Emerald Empress
The Emerald Empress is the name of several, fictional super-villains appearing American comic books published by DC Comics. The characters associated with the name name are often portrayed as a prominent adversary of the Legion of Super-Heroes. T ...
, Rustam, and
Doctor Polaris—identified as the original incarnation of the
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
—to steal the Heart of Darkness from a vault in
Amanda Waller
Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
's base, allowing him to expand his powers to take control of the Justice League and the people of the world. Using the Heart of Darkness, Maxwell Lord 'succeeds' in bringing 'peace' across America, but it quickly degenerates into mass hysteria as the crystal corrupts those around him. Amanda Waller is able to snap Maxwell Lord back to his senses and he realizes that the Heart of Darkness is manipulating his power in order to sow rioting and chaos. Before Waller can help Lord remove the Heart of Darkness, it infects Lord and turns him into a host for Eclipso, leaving only
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...
and the Suicide Squad to stand against his Justice League in a showdown at the White House (having been transported there by Cyborg via a Boom Tube, Cyborg's mechanical components helping him resist the Heart of Darkness's influence long enough to help Batman and the Squad). Eclipso is able to take over most of the Squad by drawing on their darker desires, but Batman and Lobo are able to hold them off long enough for
Killer Frost to use her powers to create a prism, perfectly modulated to reflect Superman's heat vision at a frequency that will drive Eclipso back. With his hold weakened, Eclipso attempts to escape by drawing on Killer Frost's darkest desire, but since all she truly wants deep down is to make a difference, she is able to throw Eclipso off, leaving him trapped in the diamond once again while Lord is imprisoned.
In the crossover event "
Infinite Frontier
Infinite Frontier is a 2021 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles in 2021. It is the follow-up to the 2016 DC Rebirth relaunch. The relaunch and event was shep ...
", according to
Darkseid
Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby to serve as the primary antagonist of his "Fourth World (comics), Fourth World" metaseries, and was firs ...
, in order to contend for Great Darkness, he will fight with Eclipso, Upside-down Man,
Nekron
Nekron is a supervillain appearing in comic book, comic books published by DC Comics, specifically those related to Green Lantern. Created by Mike W. Barr, Len Wein and Joe Staton, the character, who exists as an embodiment of Death (personificat ...
, and Empty Hand.
Powers and abilities
Eclipso is the primordial manifestation of God's wrath and was responsible for the
Great Flood of Biblical fame. A magical being of incalculable strength, Eclipso has demonstrated the powers of flight, immortality, invulnerability, super speed and stamina, an advanced intellect, and the ability to emit deadly rays of dark light from his left eye and a powerful burst of paralyzing black light from his right eye by looking through a shard of the Heart of Darkness gem. He carries with him a seemingly unbreakable mystical sword and is a considerable swordsman.
[''Justice League: Rise of Eclipso''. DC Comics.]
Eclipso possesses vast magical powers that allow him to perform such godlike feats as manipulation of the weather and seas to cause natural disasters (floods, thunderstorms, etc.), increasing his size to that of a giant, absorbing the powers of the
Spectre, and projecting powerful energy from his hands that can stun or kill his opponents. As a former servant of God, Eclipso is able to "speak" the angelic language, a combination of harmony, discordance, vibration, and telepathy.
In later publishing, his powers have grown ever still, showcasing vast cosmological if not reality-bending capability at his peak, being able to cause a solar eclipse drowning the entire world in darkness.
Eclipso is able to overshadow anyone who touches or comes into contact with the cursed Heart of Darkness gem, controlling the host's powers and influencing their behaviors and memories to Eclipso's own ends. He can then strengthen his host by either enhancing their normal capabilities or bestowing them with new powers. In his later appearances, Eclipso boasts even greater possession power than previously seen and, after possessing Maxwell Lord, his abilities to possess and corrupt people were intensified. No longer needing people to physically touch the stone for him to affect them, he can remotely possess multiple hosts, providing he can corrupt them first. Furthermore, his influence can exacerbate the darker impulses of individuals who come under his sway, and those whom he possesses undergo a visible transformation, gaining a more monstrous physical appearance. He can physically shift his main host's body into his true, more powerful, physical form.
Despite his power, he is still bound by the divine laws of the
Presence
Presence may refer to:
Technology
* Presence (sound recording), also known as room tone
* Presence (amplification), used in four band equalisation
* Presence (telepresence), the scientific and technological field
* Immersion (virtual reality ...
and is subject to even greater punishment from the Presence himself if these bounds are crossed.
Other versions
''JLA: The Nail''
In the
Elseworlds story ''
JLA: The Nail'', a restrained Bruce Gordon/Eclipso makes an appearance in
Professor Hamilton's
Cadmus Labs.
''Smallville''
Eclipso and his main host Dr. Bryce Gordon are featured in the ''
Smallville Season 11'' digital comic based on the
TV series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...
. Appearing in Metropolis after a dig in Africa, Dr. Gordon becomes Eclipso and engages
Superman who is taken to the cops. He later escapes and Eclipso is tricked into possessing Superman and
Superboy, which leaves Gordon to be taken into custody and the black diamond is destroyed. Afterwards the remains are seemingly collected by
Emil Hamilton
Professor Emil Hamilton is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as a supporting character in stories featuring Superman.
The character was portrayed by Richard Schiff in '' Man of Steel''.
Publicati ...
and
STAR Labs
Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories (S.T.A.R. Labs) is a fictional scientific research facility and organization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It first appeared in '' Superman'' #246 (December ...
, which reveals the shards are sending signals to each other. One of the shards is taken by
Steve Lombard who controls the remains into Metropolis which leads a crazed Gordon and the heroes back to Eclipso. The Eclipso monster is then defeated by the heroes and
Hank Henshaw with the remains taken into space by
Green Lantern
Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness ...
.
''Justice League 3001''
In ''
Justice League 3001
''Justice League 3000'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics. Taking place in the future of the DC Universe as part of The New 52, the series features a 31st century iteration of the Justice League, with new versions of Superman, Batman, ...
'', Terry Magnus is brought to Lady Styx who transforms the former into her new servant, Eclipso. Eclipso is tasked with destroying the Justice League and forms a Legion of Death to do so. Eclipso and his Legion of Death find Paradise Island and attack the Justice League. As the
Flash (Teri Magnus) speeds away to alert the other members, Eclipso confronts her and reveals that he is her brother Terry. Eclipso is then interrupted by Wonder Woman.
In other media
Television
* Eclipso appears in the ''
Justice League
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
'' episode "Eclipsed". While he is never referred to by name, this version is characterized as the collective souls of an evil race of serpentine humanoids called "Ophidians", who imprisoned themselves in a black diamond called the "Heart of Darkness" to eventually destroy the human race. One of Eclipso's human hosts, General McCormick (voiced by
Bruce McGill), dons Eclipso's original costume worn by Bruce Gordon, having been told by one of the general's colleagues that the best way to lure out the
Justice League
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
is to "put on a gaudy costume and threaten to hurt a lot of people". Eclipso attempts to permanently darken the sun and possess most of the Justice League (Batman is absent), but the
Flash successfully escapes possession, drives the spirits out of his teammates and helps them create a wormhole to drain the black energy Eclipso was using to darken the sun. After Eclipso is defeated, McCormick is left with no knowledge of what happened.
** A variation of Mophir also appears in the episode, voiced by
Tracey Walter. This version is a member of a tribe that guarded the Heart of Darkness and fought the Ophidians whenever they managed to possess a human host.
* The Bruce Gordon incarnation of Eclipso appears in ''
Stargirl'', voiced by an uncredited voice actor in season one and portrayed by Jason Davis and
Nick E. Tarabay in season two respectively, with Milo Stein portraying a young Gordon.
This version of Gordon is a former archaeologist who found the Black Diamond on Devil Island, and he eventually allowed Eclipso to take full control of his body. After killing
Charles McNider
Charles McNider (the original Doctor Mid-Nite and a bearer of the name Starman) is a fictional superhero in DC Comics. The character appeared for the first time in '' All-American Comics'' #25 (April 1941).
Like many Golden Age heroic charact ...
's daughter, Rebecca, Eclipso ran afoul of the original
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...
(JSA) before
Starman killed Gordon and imprisoned Eclipso in the Black Diamond, which the heroes contained in their headquarters until the
Injustice Society attacked them and the
Wizard claimed the Black Diamond. In the present,
Cindy Burman finds the Black Diamond in the Wizard's storage unit and begins working with Eclipso to form their own version of the Injustice Society called Injustice Unlimited. After recruiting
Isaac Bowin and
Artemis Crock, they battle
Stargirl's JSA and
Shade until Stargirl accidentally breaks the Black Diamond. Free of his imprisonment, Eclipso betrays Burman, using a diamond shard to send her to the Shadowlands before consuming Bowin, injuring
Hourman, and causing Shade and Crock to flee before doing the same. Utilizing Gordon's likeness, Eclipso soon resurfaces to torment the JSA and Stargirl's family via their negative emotions and memories. While
Beth Chapel is able to resist, Eclipso sends Stargirl to the Shadowlands. After Shade rescues Stargirl and Burman, the pair join forces with the JSA, Crock,
Sportsmaster,
Tigress
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...
,
Starman,
Solomon Grundy,
Jade
Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole gro ...
,
Jakeem Williams, and
Thunderbolt
A thunderbolt or lightning bolt is a symbolic representation of lightning when accompanied by a loud thunderclap. In Indo-European mythology, the thunderbolt was identified with the Proto-Indo-European mythology#Sky Father, 'Sky Father'; this ...
to fight Eclipso. While Eclipso kills Grundy and possesses Stargirl, she forces him out of her with Starman's help, and they and their allies further weaken Eclipso until he is finally defeated when Thunderbolt turns him into a slice of toast, which the heroes hide for safekeeping.
** Alex Montez also appears in ''Stargirl'', portrayed by Jonathan Blanco. Debuting in the episode "Wildcat", he was the only member of
Yolanda's Catholic family not to see her as a disgrace after she was publicly humiliated due to a risqué photo she had sent to her boyfriend
Henry King Jr. being leaked to her school.
Film
* A variation of Eclipso appears in the animated film, ''
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies''. He appears as one of several supervillains that attack the eponymous heroes in order to collect the bounty that President
Lex Luthor
Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in '' Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: ...
placed on them.
* The
Jean Loring
Jean Loring is a character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, formerly associated with the Atom, for whom she was a supporting character and primary love interest. She first appeared in ''Showcase'' #34 (October 1961), created by writ ...
incarnation of Eclipso appears in the animated film ''
DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year'', voiced by
Mona Marshall.
* The Jean Loring incarnation of Eclipso appears in the animated film ''
Lego DC Super Hero Girls: Brain Drain'', voiced again by Mona Marshall.
Video games
* Eclipso appears in ''
Justice League: Chronicles''.
* Eclipso appears in ''
DC Universe Online
''DC Universe Online'' (''DCUO'') is a free-to-play action combat massively multiplayer online game set in the fictional universe of DC Comics. Developed by Dimensional Ink Games and co-published by Daybreak Game Company and WB Games, the game w ...
'', voiced by
Jason Liebrecht. He removes the
Spectre's humanity on
Circe
Circe (; grc, , ) is an enchantress and a minor goddess in ancient Greek mythology and religion. She is either a daughter of the Titan Helios and the Oceanid nymph Perse or the goddess Hecate and Aeëtes. Circe was renowned for her vast kno ...
's orders, driving the former insane. In the hero campaign, the player joins the
Green Arrow and
Green Lantern
Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness ...
to fight Eclipso before being possessed by the Spectre, who easily defeats the villain and makes him disappear. Eclipso also serves as an ally for players in the villain campaign, assisting them in a fight against
Etrigan the Demon and
Zatanna
Zatanna Zatara () is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in '' Hawkman'' #4 (November 1964). Zatanna is a stage magician with ...
.
* Eclipso appears as a playable character in the mobile games ''DC Unchained'' and ''
DC Legends''.
* The Bruce Gordon incarnation of Eclipso appears in ''
Lego DC Super-Villains
''Lego DC Super-Villains'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales. The fourth installment in the ''Lego Batman'' series of games, it is a spin-off that focuses entirely on villains of the DC Uni ...
'', voiced by
David Lodge.
References
External links
Eclipsoat
Don Markstein's ToonopediaArchivedfrom the original on June 16, 2016.
''Sequart's Comics Aficionado'' columns about Day of Vengeance and Lightning Strikes TwiceThe Origin of Eclipso at DCComics.com
{{DC Comics Mystery Titles, state=collapsed
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