| OLD GODS | BIOGRAPHY |
| Created by Jack Kirby |
| "There came a time when the Old Gods died! The brave died with the cunning! The noble perished, locked in battle with unleashed evil! It was the last day for them! An ancient era was passing in fiery holocaust!" |
OVERVIEW
The Old Gods were an ancient race whose cataclysmic end eventually led to the creation of the New Gods.
MEMBERSHIP
| Member | First Appearance | Joined | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wotan | New Gods Vol. 3 #7 (August 1989) | Deceased | Ruler of the Old Gods | |
| Balduur | Deceased | Heroic Old God whose atoms formed New Genesis | ||
| Arzaz | Takion #4 (September 1996) | Inactive | Surviving heroic Old God | |
| Lokee | New Gods Vol. 3 #7 (August 1989) | Deceased | God of Evil | |
| The Nameless One | Takion #7 (December 1996) | Inactive | Surviving evil Old God | |
| Dreggs | New Gods Vol. 3 #6 (July 1989) | Active? | Animated corpses of Old Gods | |
| Sirius | Orion #10 (March 2001) | Deceased | Surviving wolf god | |
| Thunderer | Forever People Vol. 1 #5 (October-November 1971) | Active | Lonar's battle horse | |
| Gog | Justice Society of America Vol. 3 #13 (April 2008) | Deceased | Outcast |
HISTORY
The Old Gods were an ancient race whose cataclysmic end eventually led to the creation of the New Gods of New Genesis and Apokolips, as well as the creation of gods on Earth.
18 billion years ago, during the "First World" when the universe was still young, the GodWorld was formed out of native elements. The GodWorld – also known as Asgaard or Urgrund – is said to have been a huge planet at the very heart of the cosmos, "larger than the largest star" [Jack Kirby's Fourth World #1, March 1997]. After another three billion years, the "First World" slowly segued into the "Second World" as the humanoid lifeforms on the GodWorld attained godhood.
The so-called first gods were beings of enormous power, glory and cultural and scientific refinement. It is said that their legacy lives on to this day in the collective subconscious of beings throughout the universe. (Many of the earthly pantheons do indeed mirror the Old Gods, particularly the Norse Gods.)
After a glorious 10 billion years, the wonder that was GodWorld was torn apart by war. At the heart of this conflict was Lokee, god of mischief and bastard son of the chief god Wotan. When Wotan refused to listen to the prophecies of the GodsWorld's impending doom, and slaying the old crone who delivered the message, Lokee sensed the power of the crone and devoured her heart, thereby being transfigured into the true god of evil [New Gods Vol. 3 #7, August 1989].
The conflict between the forces of good and evil escalated until Ragnarök came, brother turned against brother and the GodWorld was torn asunder in a great explosion where the gods perished. This götterdammerung was reportedly hastened by the use of warmongering weapons known as anti-suns (one of these forgotten weapon survived to again threaten creation as Mageddon). According to another legend, the world of the Old Gods was torn asunder by Anti Matter as the gods waged war on other worlds [Cosmic Odyssey #1]. Yet another account would indicate that the annihilator Imperiex had a hand in the destruction of the GodWorld. With an event which occurred so early in the history of the universe, no-one knows what actually transpired. After the fall of the Old Gods, the universe was for a time ruled by the mysterious entities known as the Shadow Elements.
The energy unleashed by the explosion of the GodWorld spread across the universe, generating what later became known as the GodWave which seeded worlds with the potential to eventually bring forth gods of their own. Such a world was our own Earth, which produced its first own such gods 35,000 years ago. This was the beginning of the "Third World".
4.8 billion years ago, the molten remnants of the GodWorld began to cool and formed two separate planets: the dark Apokolips and the bright New Genesis. As humanoid life appeared, it became obvious that the hearts of the denizens mirrored their worlds. Said to have formed from the living cells of the old god Balduur, the denizens of green New Genesis dedicated themselves to peace and happiness. The savage Apokolips brought forth a war-like race which had originated with one of the witches of the old world. The "Fourth World" began as these New Gods attained godhood 30,000 years ago. Destined to repeat history, war eventually broke out between the New Genesis and Apokolips, and the hostilities remain to this day.
The Old Gods were long believed to be dead and gone, but it has been revealed that some of them have survived to our time. Arzaz and the Nameless One, each other's opposite number, are the only Old Gods who have remained free to roam the galaxies. Today, they are both imprisoned on the Source Wall, following the events known as"Genesis".
The largest group of surviving Old Gods today are the mindless beings known as the Dreggs, who fight never-ending battles and wander aimlessly through Necropolis, the ruins of their old world below the surface of Apokolips. The Dreggs are walking corpses without purpose. Even further below Necropolis are the Black Ways, a labyrinth which for an eternity was both the domain and the prison of Sirius, an Old God in the form of a giant wolf. Aching to be released from his eternal imprisonment, Sirius later sacrificed himself in order to save the life of Highfather's adoptive son Orion. [Orion #10, March 2001]
Some artifacts have also survived the götterdammerung. A sword from Necropolis briefly gave Earth-man John Hedley superhuman powers, which he used to challenge Orion [New Gods Vol. 3 #16, May 1990]. And even more recently, Kalibak discovered the Thunderbelt, which boosted the powers of its wearer. New Genesis also has its ruins from the age of the Old Gods; in one such city, Lonar discovered and revived the war horse Thunderer.
CHRONOLOGY
For a definitive list of appearances of Old Gods in chronological order click here