Between the DC ALL IN Special and The New Gods series, Darkseid lore has been popping off left and right. Yet, a non-Darkseid-centric comic series has just delivered another piece of lore that redefines what fans—and even the Justice League—know about their greatest foe. This revelation could have significant implications, potentially reshaping how the League combats the forces of the New God.
Mark Waid and Dan Mora’s #2 follows one of the team’s elite task forces as they travel to a small village in South America, where reports of winged creatures—later revealed to be Darkseid’s Parademons—are kidnapping children and taking them deep into the surrounding forests.
Among the heroes responding to this crisis are Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Martian Manhunter, Mary Marvel, Blue Beetle, Black Lightning, Star Sapphire, and Dr. Occult. With various mission objectives to fulfill, Martian Manhunter and Dr. Occult are assigned to locate and rescue the missing children. During their search, the two heroes make a startling revelation about Darkseid’s Parademons.
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Martian Manhunter & Dr. Occult Make a Startling Discovery About Parademons
J’onn and Richard’s search leads them into a vast underground cave network, where they eventually find a Parademon guarding the stolen children. Dr. Occult asks if Martian Manhunter can interfere with its mind to lead it away from the children. However, J’onn, well-versed in Parademon physiology, responds, “No. He’s a Parademon. Like all his brethren, he’s but a mindless beast.” For most, this response is unsurprising, as it’s widely known that Parademons are little more than thralls, completely subservient to Darkseid’s will, with no independent thought or will of their own.
However, this well-known fact is shattered moments later when the Parademon slowly turns to face where J’onn and Dr. Occult are hiding and eerily responds, “Not really.” The reply is shocking, as Parademons are typically non-verbal, and this one is clearly demonstrating cognitive abilities the League believed were beyond them. Hence, this revelation upends everything the Justice League thought they knew about Darkseid’s minions. Fortunately, as the story unfolds, Waid offers a detailed explanation of how this is possible.
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Recovering from the initial shock of the Parademon shattering his previous preconceptions, J’onn asks the creature what it is. The Parademon ominously replies, “Different. Born… Different.” Though brief, this response contains a game-changing revelation, thanks to one key word: born. Long-time Darkseid fans will know that Parademons aren’t born—at least, not in the traditional sense. In New Earth continuity, they are genetically created in Apokolips' laboratories with the sole purpose of serving in Darkseid’s army. This revelation turns the Justice League’s entire understanding of the Parademons on its head.
The Parademon goes on to explain that the first of his kind was “self-aware,” providing a reason for why he possesses mental faculties that have been absent in the other Parademons the Justice League has encountered. In his villainous monologue, the Parademon also reveals his mission on Earth: due to his higher mental abilities, Darkseid deemed him the ideal candidate to watch over a growing nest—an event set in motion “long ago.” What the Parademon doesn’t know, however, is that Darkseid is dead, and it was the surge of his death that caused the nest he was guarding to awaken.
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This exchange reveals that the Justice League has gravely underestimated the Parademons, mistakenly viewing them all as mindless creatures. The fact that some Parademons possess advanced cognitive functions significantly escalates their threat. The League now faces the uncertainty of how many such Parademons exist, and the disturbing possibility that, with Darkseid's death, they could seize the power vacuum left behind. This means the Parademons may unite and pose a far more dangerous, organized threat to Earth than previously imagined.
More importantly, this revelation forces the Justice League to reassess their approach. Before, they had no moral qualms about destroying Parademons, viewing them as soulless, genetically engineered minions. But now, with the knowledge that some Parademons are "born" and exhibit higher intelligence, the League is confronted with an ethical dilemma. Their code of avoiding killing, even extraterrestrial life, could complicate their strategy. This shift in perspective is further highlighted when Superman and Wonder Woman intervene to stop Martian Manhunter from beating the Parademon to death, signaling that the League must confront not only a powerful foe but their own values as well.
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Martian Manhunter Has More in Common With a Parademon Than You’d Think
“How Dare You! Using Your Pain to Justify the Harvesting of Children?!” – Martian Manhunter in Justice League Unlimited #2 (2024)
Some fans may have done a double take upon hearing that the typically cool and collected Martian Manhunter nearly beat a Parademon to death. This intense reaction comes after the Parademon begins lamenting his suffering. He describes his forced exile on Earth, where he was placed in charge of guarding the nest, and upon learning of Darkseid’s death, he realizes that all his suffering was in vain and he will never be rewarded. In his anguish, the Parademon cries, “No! It’s not fair! To be torn from… your home against your will… imprisoned and abandoned on another planet for years and years… Can you imagine my suffering?”
For those who know Martian Manhunter, this is a deeply triggering moment. The Parademon could not have said anything worse, as J’onn has lived through a similar torment. His own life story is defined by loss, exile, and suffering, so for the Parademon to use these same reasons to justify kidnapping children is a direct insult to J’onn. Incensed, Martian Manhunter attacks the creature, condemning him for using his pain to justify such atrocities. Hence, in this Darkseid lore reveal, we also learn the one thing capable of sending Martian Manhunter into a murderous rage is the exploitation of suffering for selfish gain.
Justice League Unlimited #2 is available now from DC Comics!
- Alias
- Uxas
- Created By
- Jack Kirby
- Franchise
- D.C.
- Race
- New God
- First Appearance
- SuperMan's Pal Jimmy Olsen
Darkseid is a tyrannical supervillain in DC Comics, ruling the hellish planet Apokolips. He seeks the Anti-Life Equation to control all sentient life and eliminate free will across the universe. With immense strength, energy manipulation, and Omega Beams that disintegrate targets, Darkseid is a relentless foe of Superman, the Justice League, New Gods, and free people everywhere.
