Mordru
Encyclopedia
Mordru is a fictional character
, a supervillain
in the DC Comics
' main shared
universe
.
Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos
who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard. While he is sometimes depicted as a present adversary of the Justice Society of America
and the Lord of Order Amethyst, Mordru's primary foes are the Legion of Super-Heroes
in the future world of the 30th and 31st centuries. He is arguably the team's most powerful enemy.
miniseries, Mordru's first chronological battle with costumed superheroes occurred during one of the numerous meetings between Earth-One's Justice League of America
and Earth-Two
's Justice Society of America
. At the time, the two teams helped the Legion of Super-Heroes
(who hailed from Earth-One's 30th century) to defeat the wizard. While these events are seemingly erased following Crisis on Infinite Earths, they are restored to continuity by the events of Infinite Crisis
, with the JLA and JSA as inhabitants of a combined "New Earth".
Mordru attempted to conquer the world (with the assistance of Eclipso
and Obsidian
), but was defeated by Doctor Fate
and the JSA. Fate imprisoned Mordru within the Rock of Eternity, where he was guarded by the wizard Shazam
. Yet Mordru eventually managed to escape, mere moments before the Spectre
(having been seduced by the Jean Loring
-hosted Eclipso) arrived and murdered Shazam. Mordru's appearance in that story arc, "Princes of Darkness", is of continuity
-interest because his defeat involved freeing the soul of Atlantean sorcerer Arion
, who revealed that he was in fact not the grandfather of Power Girl
, a foreshadowing of her backstory
revisions to come in the Infinite Crisis
story.
After escaping the Rock of Eternity and briefly battling Shazam, Mordru promptly sought revenge on Fate and the JSA. While fighting Fate, the two were thrown into different timelines, such as the Kingdom Come
timeline. Fate mocked Mordru, claiming that he was a 'cosmic fluke', a cancer, and that no other versions of him existed anywhere. Mordru was then defeated by Jakeem Thunder
, who placed him "somewhere where none of us will see him again."
Mordru returned to possess the body of Doctor Fate, only to be cast out and take on his actual form when Fate's teammates see through the facade, in Justice Society of America (vol. 2) #34.
(the fear of being buried alive), a weakness that was often his downfall thereafter.
Appearing mysteriously on Zerox
, the Sorcerer's planet, he joined their ranks and rose in power quickly until, in a coup, seized absolute power over the planet, stealing the power of the other leading sorcerers for himself. One who escaped his grasp there was an apprentice of his, Mysa Nal aka the White Witch
.
Armed with this mystical might, he embarked on a series of conquests of nearby worlds, and built a space empire using the technological might of the worlds he conquered combined with his sorcery (for example, just before a space battle every weapon in the enemy fleets would jam). This combination proved unstoppable, and he conquered over half the galaxy in short order, establishing a tyrannical grip. In these days he also came to be called the "Dark Lord". The worlds which remained outside his grasp lived in fear. Then at some point, it seemed his power, which had scaled upwards astronomically, wavered. As Shooter put it, he no longer conquered worlds wholesale, but instead picked and chose carefully, "as if selecting baubles from a jewelers tray". (Adventure Comics #369)
One of the key worlds outside his grasp was Earth. The Legion of Super-Heroes
defended it, and when he set his sights on it, a conflict was inevitable. In a titanic struggle, the Legion defeated Mordru's space armada, but then he himself entered combat personally, appearing as a 100' giant (Mordru commonly used magic to increase his size). He defeated most of the Legion, but was sealed in an airless vault at superspeed by Superboy
and Mon-El
, triggering his old phobia and rendering him comatose. The vault was placed beneath Legion Headquarters.
Shadow Lass
, exploring the headquarters, stumbled upon his vault and opened it to see what was inside. Mon-El tried to seal the vault (and in the process of warning her told the backstory related in the preceding paragraphs). Yet as air had entered the vault, Mordru roused, and proved unstoppable. The Legion fled via a Time Bubble
. This early event foreshadowed problems Mordru would have with time and those who manipulated it. Because they didn't have time to adjust the time bubble, it went to its last setting, Smallville in Superboy's time. They figured Mordru would think to look for them there, so they hid the Time Bubble, and adopted secret identities
in Smallville, assisted by Superboy as Clark Kent
.
Mordru used his magic to track them down, possessing various townspeople including Lana Lang
to act as his spies and agents. When she found the Legion, she reported them, and he arrived. They fought again, but the Legion finally triumphed in battle. As always, the end result left him trapped, comatose, but not dead.
This established the classic Mordru story cycle. Every once in a while, something would again free Mordru, he would begin his machinations against the Legion, with whom he became increasingly obsessed, and they would again defeat him, leaving him trapped until a writer sought to revive him again.
and took the name Romdur (an anagram
of Mordru). Star Boy used his mass-inducing power to collapse his castle, trapping him again.
masqueraded as Brainiac 5
's father and sent him on a series of missions to gather artifacts aimed at defeating Mordru. He even enlisted the aid of the Time Trapper
, ordering him to kill the Legion to prove his worthiness as a capable assistant in a coming battle against Mordru. When the Legion prevailed, he attempted to use them for the same purpose.
Later, an alien sorcerer named S'Den tried to trick the Legion into retrieving yet another artifact, again with the goal of toppling Mordru.
manipulated the Legion into existence in order to block Mordru's rise to ultimate power. However, when the Legion defeated Darkseid in the Great Darkness Saga, the Time Trapper realized they had become more powerful than he expected and were a potential threat to him. After Valor destroyed the Time Trapper, Mordru did indeed come to power before the previously minor villain Glorith
cast a spell, at the expense of her own life, that caused her essence to retroactively take on the role previously held by the Time Trapper as a time manipulator who would (indirectly) create the legion to block Mordru.
In this new timeline, Glorith was orchestrating a battle between the Legion and Mordru in which they would be evenly matched, destroy each other, and let her pick up the pieces as the only remaining power in the universe. Ultra Boy
however figured out her plan, and turned the tables on her, visiting Mordru in disguise and provoking him into attacking Glorith before she was ready (but still more powerful than he expected). The result was a stalemate which cost both Mordru and Glorith the bulk of their power. In this retcon, this explains the sudden drop in Mordru's meteoric rise to power referenced above. He was still powerful, but had to content himself with ruling what he had conquered thus far.
This left the timeline roughly intact, with Mordru's advance across the galaxy held in check. Defeated after one of his schemes, the Sorcerers on Zerox removed his magical might and were able to "cure" his mind, and he lived a happy life first on Zerox, then on Tharn
after Zerox was destroyed in the Magic Wars. He even married his old apprentice and later enemy (and Legionnaire) Mysa Nal, the White Witch
. In the economic collapse of the Galaxy which played a central role of the post-Magic Wars Legion, the planet Tharn was undefended and facing devastation at the hands of the Khund
. As none of their other sorcerers had ever proved effective at fighting things such as starships, the Sorcerer's council decided to restore Mordru's power to him, despite knowing its corrupting influence on him. In short order he defeated the Khundish threat and set himself up as Emperor. His power was still nowhere near his glory days, though easily enough to defeat the Green Lantern
Rond Vidar
who showed up on Tharn. The Legion turned up looking for him; he seemed capable of taking them all on but backed off when Cosmic Boy
pointed out that he couldn't afford to take them on and the United Planets
, which would happen if there was an incident. He relented, releasing them and Vidar.
Mordru eventually allied with Glorith in an attempt to further manipulate history again. These attempts weakened time and played a role in the Zero Hour
crossover event, which completely erased previous Legion continuity.
, Mordru established an empire covering a vast swathe of space (though very little of it was based in what would become United Planets space) in the 28th and 29th centuries before finally being defeated and imprisoned in an airtight vault on the asteroid Yuen by Mysa - now his daughter - after he had killed all her allies and severely aged her.
He was released (out of frame) by a mining project, a little before the new Legionnaires Sensor
, Umbra, and Magno
were called to investigate a series of accidents on the asteroid, actually caused by a "Legion of Super-Rejects", and then spent time retrieving his talismans, absorbing the power of some of his other descendents, and searching for the Emerald Eye of Ekron
- his favourite and most powerful talisman which was possessing Shrinking Violet at the time. When he first encountered the Legion, he defeated them easily and sent them away to serve as his heralds, destroying the planet Sklar in the process as a demonstration of his power.
When he found the Eye, it resisted, until he was finally defeated by a Legion-led alliance including Mysa (who he deaged and depowered during the fight), the Workforce
, and the Amazers and sealed in an airtight sphere. While the Elements of Disaster threatened to revive him at one point, he did not appear again.
's Legion of Super-Villains
. He apparently is the ruler of the Sorcerers' World and looks similar to his original incarnation. He holds the White Witch
hostage on his world after she came to him years before to be his protege. In this storyline, Mordru claims that he is in command of all the left over magic in the universe and killed fellow mystics Glorith
, Dragonmage
, and Prince Evillo
. After Kinetix
is killed by Superboy-Prime, Mordru absorbs her magical abilities and those of the other sorcerers of Universe-247. However, Mordru himself is subsequently absorbed by the White Witch, who is transformed into the Black Witch by Mordru's evil nature.
slashed Mordru's abdomen open with an energy sword, the sorcerer was able to heal the injury in seconds before ripping the Starheart from Alan's body. During his attack on the Justice Society in New York, he was able to take multiple blows from Power Girl
without serious damage, and was able to withstand a joint attack by the JSA and the Freedom Fighters
. He has also demonstrated superhuman strength sufficient to lift objects weighing several tons with relative ease.
Already vast on their own, Mordru's powers become almost invincible by tapping the power of vast repositories of magical energy such as the Rock of Eternity, Fate's artifacts, the Starheart, and Arion's body.
Mordru is also apparently ageless. In JSA: Justice Be Done, the Hourman android
attempted to de-age Mordru to a point where he was not as powerful. In the process, however, he discovered that Mordru's timeline had no beginning or end. Mordru had apparently never been born, and would never die.
In the 30th and 31st centuries, Mordru is the premiere sorcerer in the known universe, and arguably the Legion of Super-Heroes' most powerful individual foe. Only Darkseid
and the Time Trapper
(or Glorith
) rival him in terms of raw power.
portrayed Mordru in 1979's live action miniseries Legends of the Superheroes
, in which he sings an evil version of the song "That's Entertainment!
".
's first season episode, "The Greatest Story Never Told". He was portrayed in his Silver Age
incarnation, but as the episode focused on the side adventure of fame-seeking hero Booster Gold
, Mordru's backstory was not explored. However, his god-like power was noted as it took the entire Justice League (with the exceptions of J'onn
, Shayera, Flash
, and of course Booster Gold) to confront him with Elongated Man
delivering the blow that knocked him unconscious.
episode "Child's Play" as a member of the Sorcerer's World Council on Zarok
. Openly disdainful of the United Planets, he supports starting an all out war with Earth because of a minor breach in etiquette. He was voiced by Richard McGonagle
. The actual Mordru appears as the villain of the second season episode "Trials" (this time voiced by James Ward
) where he attempts to drain the magic of the wizards on the Council so he can rule the planet Zarok
. He was defeated by Zyx and the Legion.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
in the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' main shared
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
.
Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos
Lords of Chaos and Order
The Lords of Chaos and Lords of Order are complementary groups of supernatural entities with godlike powers that appear in DC Comics. They have also been retconned into the histories of Amethyst, Doctor Fate, Kid Eternity, the Phantom Stranger, Shazam and Hawk and Dove...
who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard. While he is sometimes depicted as a present adversary of the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
and the Lord of Order Amethyst, Mordru's primary foes are the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
in the future world of the 30th and 31st centuries. He is arguably the team's most powerful enemy.
Pre-Crisis (20th century)
In the continuity which existed prior to the Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
miniseries, Mordru's first chronological battle with costumed superheroes occurred during one of the numerous meetings between Earth-One's Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
and Earth-Two
Earth-Two
Earth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 , Earth-Two was created to explain how Silver-Age versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Golden Age counterparts...
's Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
. At the time, the two teams helped the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
(who hailed from Earth-One's 30th century) to defeat the wizard. While these events are seemingly erased following Crisis on Infinite Earths, they are restored to continuity by the events of Infinite Crisis
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 Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, with the JLA and JSA as inhabitants of a combined "New Earth".
Post-Crisis (20th and 21st centuries)
After Crisis on Infinite Earths, Mordru was recast as a timeless Lord of Chaos, and became a major foe of the JSA. He made several attempts to take the power of Doctor Fate for himself, and was imprisoned in Fate's amulet for a time. When he escaped, he subdued Hector Hall, stealing Hall's collar and amulet and taking on the familiar garb of Doctor Fate.Mordru attempted to conquer the world (with the assistance of Eclipso
Eclipso
Eclipso is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. The character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance that turned evil and was replaced by the Spectre...
and Obsidian
Obsidian (comics)
Obsidian is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway. According to an Infinity, Inc...
), but was defeated by Doctor Fate
Hector Hall
Hector Hall was a superhero who appeared in DC Comics's Infinity, Inc., Sandman and JSA. He has gone by the names Silver Scarab, Sandman and, before his death, Dr. Fate.-Childhood:...
and the JSA. Fate imprisoned Mordru within the Rock of Eternity, where he was guarded by the wizard Shazam
Shazam (comics)
Shazam is a comic book character created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. He is an ancient sorcerer who gives young Billy Batson the power to transform into the superhero Captain Marvel...
. Yet Mordru eventually managed to escape, mere moments before the Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
(having been seduced by the Jean Loring
Jean Loring
Jean Loring is a fictional character in comic books published by DC Comics, formerly associated with superhero the Atom for whom she was a supporting character and primary love interest. She first appeared in Showcase #34 , created by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane...
-hosted Eclipso) arrived and murdered Shazam. Mordru's appearance in that story arc, "Princes of Darkness", is of continuity
Continuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
-interest because his defeat involved freeing the soul of Atlantean sorcerer Arion
Arion (comics)
Arion is a fictional sword and sorcery hero published by DC Comics. He debuted in Warlord #55 , and was created by Paul Kupperberg and Jan Duursema.-Publication history:...
, who revealed that he was in fact not the grandfather of Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
, a foreshadowing of her backstory
Back-story
A back-story, background story, or backstory is the literary device of a narrative chronologically earlier than, and related to, a narrative of primary interest. Generally, it is the history of characters or other elements that underlie the situation existing at the main narrative's start...
revisions to come in the Infinite Crisis
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 Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
story.
After escaping the Rock of Eternity and briefly battling Shazam, Mordru promptly sought revenge on Fate and the JSA. While fighting Fate, the two were thrown into different timelines, such as the Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (comics)
Kingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Alex Ross and Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
timeline. Fate mocked Mordru, claiming that he was a 'cosmic fluke', a cancer, and that no other versions of him existed anywhere. Mordru was then defeated by Jakeem Thunder
Jakeem Thunder
Jakeem Thunder , initially called J.J. Thunder, is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe, a member of the superhero team the Justice Society of America. Jakeem first appeared in Flash Jakeem Thunder (Jakeem Johnny Williams), initially called J.J. Thunder, is a fictional character in the...
, who placed him "somewhere where none of us will see him again."
Mordru returned to possess the body of Doctor Fate, only to be cast out and take on his actual form when Fate's teammates see through the facade, in Justice Society of America (vol. 2) #34.
Gemworld
He also played a prominent role in the history of Gemworld, where he began his existence as Wrynn, one of the twin sons of Lord Topaz and Lady Turquoise. Wrynn became entranced by the study of black magic as he grew older and during a summoning ritual he had been performing, he accidentally resurrected the gemstone golem called Flaw, servant of the Child, one of the Lords of Chaos. Flaw chose Wrynn as the instrument of the Lords of Chaos' plans to retake Gemworld and transformed him, granting him tremendous magical power and renamed him Mordru. During a battle with Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, Mordru murdered his twin brother, Donal and was later sentenced with banishment from the Twelve Kingdoms of Gemworld after his defeat. However, Amethyst, not satisfied with this decree and angered over Donal's senseless murder, banished Mordru into Gemworld itself, literally merging him with the planet, where he remained for many years. This led to him developing taphephobiaFear of being buried alive
Fear of being buried alive is the fear of being placed in a grave while still alive as a result of being incorrectly pronounced dead. The abnormal, psychopathological version of this fear is referred to as taphophobia , which is translated as "fear of graves".Before the advent of modern medicine,...
(the fear of being buried alive), a weakness that was often his downfall thereafter.
Pre-Zero Hour (30th Century)
The bulk of Mordru's appearances are in the 30th century, where he rises in power to become one of the most powerful figures in the universe, and indeed at sometimes arguably the most powerful. Because of various reboots to 30th century continuity, there are varying versions of this, but there are things consistent throughout.Appearing mysteriously on Zerox
Sorcerers' World
Sorcerers' World, also known as Zerox is a fictional planet, a comic book location appearing in titles published by DC Comics. Sorcerers' World first appeared in Adventure Comics vol. 1 #369 , and was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan....
, the Sorcerer's planet, he joined their ranks and rose in power quickly until, in a coup, seized absolute power over the planet, stealing the power of the other leading sorcerers for himself. One who escaped his grasp there was an apprentice of his, Mysa Nal aka the White Witch
White Witch (comics)
The White Witch is a fictional comic book character who exists in the DC Universe, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century. Her real name is Mysa Nal, although her name was given as Xola Aq in Silver Age Legion stories in Adventure Comics; the revelation that her name was...
.
Armed with this mystical might, he embarked on a series of conquests of nearby worlds, and built a space empire using the technological might of the worlds he conquered combined with his sorcery (for example, just before a space battle every weapon in the enemy fleets would jam). This combination proved unstoppable, and he conquered over half the galaxy in short order, establishing a tyrannical grip. In these days he also came to be called the "Dark Lord". The worlds which remained outside his grasp lived in fear. Then at some point, it seemed his power, which had scaled upwards astronomically, wavered. As Shooter put it, he no longer conquered worlds wholesale, but instead picked and chose carefully, "as if selecting baubles from a jewelers tray". (Adventure Comics #369)
One of the key worlds outside his grasp was Earth. The Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
defended it, and when he set his sights on it, a conflict was inevitable. In a titanic struggle, the Legion defeated Mordru's space armada, but then he himself entered combat personally, appearing as a 100' giant (Mordru commonly used magic to increase his size). He defeated most of the Legion, but was sealed in an airless vault at superspeed by Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
and Mon-El
Lar Gand
Lar Gand, known primarily as Mon-El , is a fictional character in DC Comics' universe who is associated with the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superboy, and Superman...
, triggering his old phobia and rendering him comatose. The vault was placed beneath Legion Headquarters.
Shadow Lass
Shadow Lass
Shadow Lass is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Adventure Comics vol. 1 #365 , and was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
, exploring the headquarters, stumbled upon his vault and opened it to see what was inside. Mon-El tried to seal the vault (and in the process of warning her told the backstory related in the preceding paragraphs). Yet as air had entered the vault, Mordru roused, and proved unstoppable. The Legion fled via a Time Bubble
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
. This early event foreshadowed problems Mordru would have with time and those who manipulated it. Because they didn't have time to adjust the time bubble, it went to its last setting, Smallville in Superboy's time. They figured Mordru would think to look for them there, so they hid the Time Bubble, and adopted secret identities
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
in Smallville, assisted by Superboy as Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
.
Mordru used his magic to track them down, possessing various townspeople including Lana Lang
Lana Lang
Lana Lang is a fictional supporting character in DC Comics' Superman series. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist John Sikela, the character first appears in Superboy #10...
to act as his spies and agents. When she found the Legion, she reported them, and he arrived. They fought again, but the Legion finally triumphed in battle. As always, the end result left him trapped, comatose, but not dead.
This established the classic Mordru story cycle. Every once in a while, something would again free Mordru, he would begin his machinations against the Legion, with whom he became increasingly obsessed, and they would again defeat him, leaving him trapped until a writer sought to revive him again.
Lord Romdur
After his previous appearance, he fled to a backwater planet named AvalonAvalon (DC comics)
Avalon is the name of two fictional locations in the DC Comics universe. They are inspired by the mythical Avalon of Arthurian legend.-Original Avalon:...
and took the name Romdur (an anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of Mordru). Star Boy used his mass-inducing power to collapse his castle, trapping him again.
Relations with other Villains
Mordru was such a dominant figure in the 30th century that other would-be conquerors had to account for him in their plans, sometimes involving the Legion in their attempts to get at Mordru. Pulsar StargravePulsar Stargrave
Pulsar Stargrave is a fictional supervillain featured in DC Comics as a foe of the Legion of Super-Heroes.-Pre-Crisis origin and character biography:A native of the planet Colu, Stargrave originally claimed to be the father of Brainiac 5...
masqueraded as Brainiac 5
Brainiac 5
Brainiac 5 is a fictional character who exists in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. He is a long standing member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Brainiac 5 is from the planet Colu...
's father and sent him on a series of missions to gather artifacts aimed at defeating Mordru. He even enlisted the aid of the Time Trapper
Time Trapper
The Time Trapper is a fictional character, a supervillain in stories published by DC Comics. The Time Trapper's main enemies are the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, ordering him to kill the Legion to prove his worthiness as a capable assistant in a coming battle against Mordru. When the Legion prevailed, he attempted to use them for the same purpose.
Later, an alien sorcerer named S'Den tried to trick the Legion into retrieving yet another artifact, again with the goal of toppling Mordru.
V4 (aka "Five Years later") Legion version
In the V4 Legion, it was revealed that originally Mordru was fated to rule the universe for a thousand years. Seeing this timeline, the Time TrapperTime Trapper
The Time Trapper is a fictional character, a supervillain in stories published by DC Comics. The Time Trapper's main enemies are the Legion of Super-Heroes...
manipulated the Legion into existence in order to block Mordru's rise to ultimate power. However, when the Legion defeated Darkseid in the Great Darkness Saga, the Time Trapper realized they had become more powerful than he expected and were a potential threat to him. After Valor destroyed the Time Trapper, Mordru did indeed come to power before the previously minor villain Glorith
Glorith
Glorith of Baaldur is a fictional villainess appearing in stories published by DC Comics. Her primary foe is the 30th century team known as the Legion of Super-Heroes, and she was a major presence in Legion of Super-Heroes...
cast a spell, at the expense of her own life, that caused her essence to retroactively take on the role previously held by the Time Trapper as a time manipulator who would (indirectly) create the legion to block Mordru.
In this new timeline, Glorith was orchestrating a battle between the Legion and Mordru in which they would be evenly matched, destroy each other, and let her pick up the pieces as the only remaining power in the universe. Ultra Boy
Ultra Boy
Ultra Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in DC Comics. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. Ultra Boy gained these powers when the space-speedster he was flying was swallowed by an ultra-energy beast , exposing him to...
however figured out her plan, and turned the tables on her, visiting Mordru in disguise and provoking him into attacking Glorith before she was ready (but still more powerful than he expected). The result was a stalemate which cost both Mordru and Glorith the bulk of their power. In this retcon, this explains the sudden drop in Mordru's meteoric rise to power referenced above. He was still powerful, but had to content himself with ruling what he had conquered thus far.
This left the timeline roughly intact, with Mordru's advance across the galaxy held in check. Defeated after one of his schemes, the Sorcerers on Zerox removed his magical might and were able to "cure" his mind, and he lived a happy life first on Zerox, then on Tharn
Tharn
Tharn is a fictional planet, a comic book location in titles published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 4 #3 , and was created by Keith Giffen, Al Gordon, Tom Bierbaum and Mary Bierbaum.-History:...
after Zerox was destroyed in the Magic Wars. He even married his old apprentice and later enemy (and Legionnaire) Mysa Nal, the White Witch
White Witch (comics)
The White Witch is a fictional comic book character who exists in the DC Universe, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century. Her real name is Mysa Nal, although her name was given as Xola Aq in Silver Age Legion stories in Adventure Comics; the revelation that her name was...
. In the economic collapse of the Galaxy which played a central role of the post-Magic Wars Legion, the planet Tharn was undefended and facing devastation at the hands of the Khund
Khund
The Khunds are a fictional alien race in the DC Universe, notable for extreme violence. They first appeared in Adventure Comics #346 , as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century.-Fictional history:...
. As none of their other sorcerers had ever proved effective at fighting things such as starships, the Sorcerer's council decided to restore Mordru's power to him, despite knowing its corrupting influence on him. In short order he defeated the Khundish threat and set himself up as Emperor. His power was still nowhere near his glory days, though easily enough to defeat the Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
Rond Vidar
Rond Vidar
Rond Vidar is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #349 , and was created by Jim Shooter, Mort Weisinger and Curt Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
who showed up on Tharn. The Legion turned up looking for him; he seemed capable of taking them all on but backed off when Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 . He is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and was the original leader in all incarnations of the Legion...
pointed out that he couldn't afford to take them on and the United Planets
United Planets
In the , the United Planets is a fictional governing body, traditionally depicted as active in the 30th and 31st century.-History of the published versions of the United Planets:...
, which would happen if there was an incident. He relented, releasing them and Vidar.
Mordru eventually allied with Glorith in an attempt to further manipulate history again. These attempts weakened time and played a role in the Zero Hour
Zero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
crossover event, which completely erased previous Legion continuity.
Post-Zero Hour (30th and 31st centuries)
In the continuity established after Zero HourZero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
, Mordru established an empire covering a vast swathe of space (though very little of it was based in what would become United Planets space) in the 28th and 29th centuries before finally being defeated and imprisoned in an airtight vault on the asteroid Yuen by Mysa - now his daughter - after he had killed all her allies and severely aged her.
He was released (out of frame) by a mining project, a little before the new Legionnaires Sensor
Sensor (comics)
Jeka Wynzorr, codenamed Sensor, is a fictional character, a superheroine in the future of the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes....
, Umbra, and Magno
Magno (comics)
Dyrk Magz, codenamed Magno, is a fictional character, a superhero in the post-Zero Hour future of the DC Comics universe, and a former member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. -Fictional character biography:...
were called to investigate a series of accidents on the asteroid, actually caused by a "Legion of Super-Rejects", and then spent time retrieving his talismans, absorbing the power of some of his other descendents, and searching for the Emerald Eye of Ekron
Emerald Empress
The Emerald Empress is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain that is an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes and a member of the Fatal Five...
- his favourite and most powerful talisman which was possessing Shrinking Violet at the time. When he first encountered the Legion, he defeated them easily and sent them away to serve as his heralds, destroying the planet Sklar in the process as a demonstration of his power.
When he found the Eye, it resisted, until he was finally defeated by a Legion-led alliance including Mysa (who he deaged and depowered during the fight), the Workforce
Workforce (comics)
The Workforce is a semi-heroic super-team in DC Comics' post-Zero Hour Legion of Super-Heroes continuity. It was introduced in Legion of Super-Heroes #64 .-Fictional history:...
, and the Amazers and sealed in an airtight sphere. While the Elements of Disaster threatened to revive him at one point, he did not appear again.
Legion of 3 Worlds
Mordru was among the villains in Superboy-PrimeSuperboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
's Legion of Super-Villains
Legion of Super-Villains
The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They are adversaries of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future...
. He apparently is the ruler of the Sorcerers' World and looks similar to his original incarnation. He holds the White Witch
White Witch (comics)
The White Witch is a fictional comic book character who exists in the DC Universe, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century. Her real name is Mysa Nal, although her name was given as Xola Aq in Silver Age Legion stories in Adventure Comics; the revelation that her name was...
hostage on his world after she came to him years before to be his protege. In this storyline, Mordru claims that he is in command of all the left over magic in the universe and killed fellow mystics Glorith
Glorith
Glorith of Baaldur is a fictional villainess appearing in stories published by DC Comics. Her primary foe is the 30th century team known as the Legion of Super-Heroes, and she was a major presence in Legion of Super-Heroes...
, Dragonmage
Dragonmage
Xao Jin, known as Dragonmage, is a comic book fictional character, a DC Comics superhero and comes from New Shanghai Colony. He first appeared in Legion of Super-Heroes Xao Jin, known as Dragonmage, is a comic book fictional character, a DC Comics superhero and comes from New Shanghai Colony. He...
, and Prince Evillo
Prince Evillo
Prince Evillo is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #350 .-Fictional character biography:...
. After Kinetix
Kinetix
Kinetix, is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine in the DC Comics universe. The character is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century.-Fictional character biography:...
is killed by Superboy-Prime, Mordru absorbs her magical abilities and those of the other sorcerers of Universe-247. However, Mordru himself is subsequently absorbed by the White Witch, who is transformed into the Black Witch by Mordru's evil nature.
Powers and abilities
Mordru's sorcerous powers are among the most formidable in the DC universe. He is capable of flight, control over matter at a molecular level, generation of magical energy in the form of bolts or shields, and the formation of solid objects. He can magically heal fatal wounds sustained by himself or those of others, and even regrow limbs out of "chthonic energy." When Alan ScottAlan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
slashed Mordru's abdomen open with an energy sword, the sorcerer was able to heal the injury in seconds before ripping the Starheart from Alan's body. During his attack on the Justice Society in New York, he was able to take multiple blows from Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
without serious damage, and was able to withstand a joint attack by the JSA and the Freedom Fighters
Freedom Fighters (comics)
Freedom Fighters is a DC Comics comic book superhero team made up of characters acquired from the defunct company Quality Comics. Although the characters were created by Quality, they never were gathered in a group before acquired by DC...
. He has also demonstrated superhuman strength sufficient to lift objects weighing several tons with relative ease.
Already vast on their own, Mordru's powers become almost invincible by tapping the power of vast repositories of magical energy such as the Rock of Eternity, Fate's artifacts, the Starheart, and Arion's body.
Mordru is also apparently ageless. In JSA: Justice Be Done, the Hourman android
Hourman (android)
Hourman is a fictional character and superhero who was created by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter. Based upon the Golden Age character Rex Tyler, he first appeared in JLA #12 .-Creation in the 853rd century:...
attempted to de-age Mordru to a point where he was not as powerful. In the process, however, he discovered that Mordru's timeline had no beginning or end. Mordru had apparently never been born, and would never die.
In the 30th and 31st centuries, Mordru is the premiere sorcerer in the known universe, and arguably the Legion of Super-Heroes' most powerful individual foe. Only Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
and the Time Trapper
Time Trapper
The Time Trapper is a fictional character, a supervillain in stories published by DC Comics. The Time Trapper's main enemies are the Legion of Super-Heroes...
(or Glorith
Glorith
Glorith of Baaldur is a fictional villainess appearing in stories published by DC Comics. Her primary foe is the 30th century team known as the Legion of Super-Heroes, and she was a major presence in Legion of Super-Heroes...
) rival him in terms of raw power.
Legends of the Superheroes
Gabriel DellGabriel Dell
Gabriel Dell was an American actor and one of the members of what came to be known as the Dead End Kids/East Side Kids/The Bowery Boys.-Early life:...
portrayed Mordru in 1979's live action miniseries Legends of the Superheroes
Legends of the Superheroes
Legends of the Superheroes is an umbrella title for two one-hour and live-action Hanna–Barbera TV specials based on the Super Friends cartoon show that aired on NBC in January 1979...
, in which he sings an evil version of the song "That's Entertainment!
That's Entertainment! (song)
"That's Entertainment!" is a popular song with music written by Arthur Schwartz and lyrics by Howard Dietz. The song was published in 1952 and was written especially for the 1953 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film The Band Wagon...
".
Justice League Unlimited
Mordru made an appearance in Justice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
's first season episode, "The Greatest Story Never Told". He was portrayed in his Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
incarnation, but as the episode focused on the side adventure of fame-seeking hero Booster Gold
Booster Gold
Booster Gold is a fictional DC Comics superhero. Created by Dan Jurgens, he first appeared in Booster Gold #1 and has been a member of the Justice League, DC Comics' all-star team of heroes. The character is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, using knowledge of...
, Mordru's backstory was not explored. However, his god-like power was noted as it took the entire Justice League (with the exceptions of J'onn
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
, Shayera, Flash
Wally West
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
, and of course Booster Gold) to confront him with Elongated Man
Elongated Man
The Elongated Man is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. He is a reserve member of the Justice League. His first appearance was in The Flash vol. 1, #112...
delivering the blow that knocked him unconscious.
Legion of Super Heroes
A wizard resembling Mordru makes an appearance in the first season Legion of Super-HeroesLegion of Super Heroes (TV series)
Legion of Super Heroes is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that debuted on September 23, 2006, based on characters appearing in the DC Comics comic book series. The series centers on the young Superman's adventures in the 31st century, fighting alongside a...
episode "Child's Play" as a member of the Sorcerer's World Council on Zarok
Sorcerers' World
Sorcerers' World, also known as Zerox is a fictional planet, a comic book location appearing in titles published by DC Comics. Sorcerers' World first appeared in Adventure Comics vol. 1 #369 , and was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan....
. Openly disdainful of the United Planets, he supports starting an all out war with Earth because of a minor breach in etiquette. He was voiced by Richard McGonagle
Richard McGonagle
Richard Francis McGonagle is an American actor and voice actor.McGonagle was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Hildagard Virginia and William Francis McGonagle....
. The actual Mordru appears as the villain of the second season episode "Trials" (this time voiced by James Ward
Jim Ward (voice actor)
James Kevin "Jim" Ward is a voice actor who has contributed to a large number of video games and movies. He co-hosts The Stephanie Miller Show, a nationally-syndicated liberal radio talk show which features a number of his impersonations of political figures and other celebrities and newsmakers...
) where he attempts to drain the magic of the wizards on the Council so he can rule the planet Zarok
Sorcerers' World
Sorcerers' World, also known as Zerox is a fictional planet, a comic book location appearing in titles published by DC Comics. Sorcerers' World first appeared in Adventure Comics vol. 1 #369 , and was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan....
. He was defeated by Zyx and the Legion.