Galactus is one of the most terrifyingly powerful beings in all of Marvel, and DC one had a version of the planet-eater who challenged Superman and proved his better. Imperiex is a lesser-known villain, first appearing in Superman (1987) #153 and dying in Action Comics #782. He was seemingly forgotten about, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that he didn’t leave a massive scar on the superhero community. Imperiex proved to be one of the most powerful villains that Superman had ever faced, wiping out an entire galaxy on his quest to remake the universe without imperfections. He was so powerful that not even Superman stood a chance on his own. It took the combined might of not just the world’s heroes, but Superman’s worst villains to finally win the day.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Imperiex was lost for decades after his death, but the path to his return has been paved in DC All In Saga: Darkseid vs. the World, where Pandora was sent across the multiverse to find any and all who could challenge the might of Darkseid and bring an end to his plans of conquest. Imperiex-Prime might still be dead, but that never lasts long in comic books anyway. What’s truly terrifying isn’t just that Imperiex is returning from his demise at the hands of the Big Bang, but that when he’s brought back, he might be serving Darkseid himself, and thus carry even more power.
The Monster Who Decimated the Cosmos
Imperiex, in many ways, was a new take on the same concept as Galactus, while also drawing inspiration from the Green Lantern enemy, Krona. Imperiex is the living embodiment of entropy and is a being of pure energy, needing to be contained in a planet-sized suit of armor to allow him to interact with this plane of existence. Since the dawn of time, his singular goal has to been to wipe away the universe and create a better one. He detected a corruption in the universe that originated from the Big Bang, and sought to do anything to purge the universe of this blight and recreate it in his perfect ideal. Imperiex was, however, unaware that he himself was the corruption, having been sent back in time by the combined might of the universe’s strongest.
Speaking of the strong, Imperiex proved to be one of the most dangerous monsters DC has ever known. On his crusade across the stars to destroy Earth, and through it, the entire universe, he wiped countless planets away like specks of dust. One included Daxam, home to a people nearly as powerful as Kryptonians, while the rest of his march even hollowed out the core of an entire galaxy. It took the combined might of Superman and Mongul to even destroy one of his drones, of which he had a seemingly endless number. When he reached Earth, Superman formed a coalition that consisted of not only Earth’s heroes, but his greatest villains, including Lex Luthor, the future Brainiac-13, Doomsday, and Darkseid.
Even with Darkseid being given full command of the most powerful army the universe has ever seen, it was just barely enough. Doomsday was reduced to atoms, but he and other sacrifices cracked Imperiex’s armor, which unleashed his energy. Brainiac-13 absorbed it and sought to continue Imperiex’s path of destruction, but both were sent back in time to the Big Bang by a truly cosmic and unimaginably united effort from every hero and villain alike. The Imperiex War cost Earth eight million lives, being one of the deadliest events to truly stick in DC canon. Imperiex was a monster. Now, he’s back.
Imperiex Resurrected by an Even Deadlier Threat
After she survived her supposed death, the multiverse-spanning Pandora saw a secret beyond the pale of reality, which inspired Darkseid to make her his herald. He tasked her with finding the few beings capable of challenging him, either to add them to his army or be turned into fuel for his fire. In the final page of the DC All In Saga: Darkseid vs. the World special, she promised to find every threat to Darkseid from the past and future, and located Imperiex’s empty armor. It’s only a matter of time before he’s resurrected, and he’s liable to be even more destructive than ever before, thanks to Darkseid himself.
Imperiex is the literal embodiment of entropy, and thus, the more entropy and destruction there is in reality, the stronger he can become. Darkseid has spent years now decimating every reality but the Prime and Absolute worlds, which means that there’s a whole lot of entropy energy for Imperiex to add to his already mind-boggling reserves. Of course, there’s also the chance that Imperiex learns to master Omega Energy itself. Omega Energy is generated by conflict and evil, and it’s what currently makes Darskeid a multiversal threat. Given that Imperiex’s own actions generate this energy, it’s very possible he could add it to his own and become even stronger.
Imperiex’s resurrection could easily involve him being directly empowered by Darkseid, who could throw him at Superman in an attempt to either destroy him or remind him of his greatest failure. It’s all part of Darkseid’s plan to gather even more Omega Energy and potentially test the limits of what Imperiex and Superman are capable of when pushed to their limits. These are two of the only beings who have ever stopped him, after all, so pitting them against each other in a fight that will only make him stronger is the perfect way for Darkseid to ensure that he wins no matter who defeats who. Imperiex will clash with DC’s heroes and villains again, but with how powerful he is, they’re going to need something truly miraculous to stop him this time.
Which of DC’s obscure villains would you like to see make a comeback? I personally always vouch for the Eraser, but let us know your choice down below!
DC All In Saga: Darkseid vs. the World is on sale now!
5 Hyped-Up DC Comics That Dropped the Ball and How One Killed DC’s New Superman
More Comics
-
Collectibles
21 hours agoMarvel Ushered in a New Era for Comics With This Classic Horror Villain, But This Copy Come With a Catch
-
Comics
1 day agoX-Men: The Animated Series is Crossing Over With Its Underrated Successor, Thanks to Doomsday
-
Image Courtesy of DC Comics Comics
1 day agoDC Just Resurrected Green Lantern’s Most Controversial Character, but Can It Fix Her Infamous Legacy?
-
Image Courtesy of DC Comics DC
1 day agoBatman’s Most Tragic Enemies Aren’t Villains at All, and the Joker Just Proved It
