Next up for the month is the Thanos/Darkseid rip-off
himself: Mongul. Well, I think he is a Thanos/Darkseid rip-off. He was created
by Len Wein and Jim Starlin, so maybe he’s an homage? Anyway, Mongul first
appeared in DC Comics Present #27 (1980).
He was a former ruler who was ousted form his planet. He eventually
became the ruler of an artificial planet called War World. He’s gone up against
Superman and the Green Lantern Corps. While he helped Hank Henshaw destroy
Coast City in “Reign of the Supermen,” he’s probably best remembered for the
Alan Moore story, “For the Man Who Has Everything.”
The character has been featured in stuff like
Young Justice and Justice League. “For The Man Who Has Everything” was even
adapted into an episode for Justice League Unlimited. Instead of another comic,
I’m going to talk about Mongul’s first appearance on Justice League. “War
World” was a two-parter (episodes 12 and 13) and it was loosely based off on
Superman’s gladiator days during the storyline, “Exile.”