#mongul

Action Comics Annual #2 - "Memories of Krypton's Past" (1989)

What did you EXPECT to happen while you two stood around patting each other's asses about how good your plan was?

I am blessed enough that I've never been on the front lines of a major collateral disaster, superhuman or otherwise. Having been born and lived the vast majority of my life in the stable weather and tectonics of New England and the greater American Northeast where my hometown hero does most of his fighting underwater and my current superhero related job is mostly in relation to dusty relics it's just never come up.

Once or twice when I was living in Metropolis for college I get a shelter in place order through my phone but all that meant was staying home from class and waiting for the all clear on the news. I've been a bystander of supervillain scuffles twice by my own recollection, both times I was even injured but nothing some hospital recovery couldn't fix and they were far from overwhelming disasters that left me traumatized or anything even if the idea of molten metal or glass still makes my hand twitch.

What I like to remind people of when they despair at the damages villains cause. Is comparing it to the damage they WANTED TO.

(A photo of the very outskirts of Coast City more than 16 months after the disaster)

Coast City is undoubtedly the greatest tragedy ever enacted by those we might call "supervillains" in this case the Cyborg Superman and the alien warlord call Mongul. Nearly 700,000 people were wiped off the map in an instant. A flash of light becoming the greatest single instance of mass death in human history. Coming directly on the heels of Superman's seeming death and soon followed by the outbreak of a deadly virus in Gotham City and the earthquake that would lead to No Man's Land it was a moment that left the entire world paralyzed. Fear of superpowers, fear of alien life, all of these things began to creep back into our collective consciousness where they had been laying dormant since...at least since G Gordon Godfrey tried using his alien woo-woo to whip up hate mobs but on a larger scale since the beginning of the modern heroic age.

Why didn't any of that fear, anger or hatred manifest itself in a downward slide for society as a whole? Because of the same reason that it never does when villains try and fail to enact their schemes. Because our heroes were here for us, and we were here for each other. Within hours of the event heroes from across the country and around the world were scrambling toward California for disaster relief, BILLIONS of dollars in aid were offered from governments, organizations and communities the world over, the Cyborg Superman and Mogul were defeated and brought to justice not only by the resurgent Superman but also Steel, Superboy and Supergirl. While hundreds of thousands were atomized in an instant, hundreds or thousands on the edge of the blast were pulled from the wreckage by a rescue effort that broke records in the time and effectiveness of response. A survivor's cold comfort perhaps, but every saved life is a blessing.

The Cyborg Superman and Mongul had wanted to turn the Earth into a blasted heath, to hollow it out and transform our blue marble into a Warworld. A class of alien weapon that boggles the mind to even imagine from a human perspective. But they failed. And they lost. Because the people in charge of protecting us from guys like them did the best they could and saved BILLIONS.

That's not to say that those 700 thousand were sacrificed for the "greater good". That's not how this, ANY of this works. But it is the most extreme example, a violent outlier that shows us how we handle being struck from the blue. Most superhero fights do nothing but damage property. Buildings, cars, ultimately THINGS that can be replaced or restored. Every time there's a massive, blasted crater in the middle of main street I want you to remember that we live in a world where there was someone making sure no one was standing there when that crater was made.

365 DC Comics Heroes & Villains Paper Cut-Outs

Mongul

The menace known as Mongul heralds from an alien world and possesses vast powers, including hugely enhanced strength and durability.  Following his exile from his home world, Mongul sought out and took over the mobil weapons engine known as ‘Warwold,’  

As the lord of Warworld, Mongul orchestrated gladiatorial games where alien combatants were abducted and pitted against one another for the entertainment of Mongul and his various minions.  

Superman ended up abducted in this fashion and would go on to lead a revolution among Mongul’s slave combatants that forced Mongul to flee Warworld.    The villain would later resurface looking for vengeance, leading to subsequent battles against Superman as well as fights with The Green Lantern, The Flash, The Martian Manhunter and the Darkstars.  Mongul briefly ruled the Yellow Lantern Corps before he was defeated by Sinestro.  

Mongul has fathered a number of children over the years.  His sons have all been named Mongul while his sole daughter was named Mongal.  Mongul has seemingly perished on occasion, where upon his son or daughter has assumed his place as a would-be interstellar conquerer.  Upon his return, Mongul usually slaughters his children for having dared to attempt to replace him.