The ruler of part of the underworld known as Kurnugihas bedeviled mankind since he was first worshiped bythe ancient Mesopotamians. Nergal was not of this Earth,but extraterrestrial rather than supernatural.When KyleRayner (GREEN LANTERN IV) and archaeologist SalaNisaba (SALA) encountered Nergal in the Syrian Desert,they learned that he was, in fact, one of the Controllerswho had departed the planet Oa millennia before.Withhis immortal kin, Nergal wandered the universe andeventually settled on Earth, assuming the guises oftyrannical gods to the Mesopotamians. However, Nergaland his kin were defeated by Ninurta, a hero who wieldeda primitive power ring and was perhaps Earth’s first GreenLantern, and Nergal’s cousin Istar who wielded a ringstaff.The rogue Controllers were imprisoned within Kurnugiuntil their discovery by Sala during an excavation.

Nergal empowered Sala with the powers of herancestor, Istar, in order to use her ringstaff and Kyle’spower ring to destroy the gateway that prevented Nergal’sreturn to Earth.After a tumultuous battle, Green Lanterncalled upon his JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA comrades to help Sala defeat Nergal and send him back to his prisonin Kurnugi. SB

N E R G A L

FIRST APPEARANCE GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL 2nd series #9 (September 2000) STATUS Villain REAL NAME None OCCUPATION Ruler of the Underworld BASE KurnugiHEIGHT 6ft 6in WEIGHT 300 lbs EYES White HAIR Blond SPECIAL POWERS/ABILITIES Immortal; mystical might derived from Oantechnology, gleaned from eons wandering in space.

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H E R O E S O F T H E F O U R T H W O R L DN E W G O D SLONG, LONG AGO, before time was even measured, thereexisted a race of Old Gods whose world was split apart in afiery holocaust, unleashing a coruscating “godwave” ofenergy that swept across the universe.This godwaveempowered the OLYMPIAN GODS and gave rise to latter-day human super heroes as it rebounded back and forth incontinued, but diminishing, reverberation, seeding worldafter world with the potential for near-omnipotent power.

FIRST APPEARANCE NEW GODS (1st series) #1 (March 1971)STATUS Good and evil beings BASE New Genesis and ApokolipsNOTABLE NEW GODS

See individual entries for powers and abilities.Bekka, Big Barda, Black Racer, Darkseid, Doctor Bedlam, Esak(deceased), Fastbak, Forager I (deceased), Forager II, The ForeverPeople, Glorious Godfrey, Highfather (deceased), Himon(deceased), Kalibak, Lightray, Lonar (deceased), Mantis, Metron,Mister Miracle, Orion, Takion, Tiggra (deceased).

Thomas Corbettwas a FrenchLegionnaire stationedin Africa in 1939. Loston a desert mission, hediscovered an oasiswhose lake was filledwith glowing water.He drank from thelake, his clothing wastransformed, and hewas able to projectenergy bolts from hishands. Corbettbecame Neon theUnknown and joined

the FREEDOM FIGHTERS, a hero team gathered by themystic being UNCLE SAM to defend the U.S. from Axisforces during World War II. On December 6, 1941, UncleSam warned several Fighters, including Neon, of a terribleimpending attack.Arriving at Pearl Harbor the next day,the Freedom Fighters witnessed the Japanese assaulton the base. Neon was killed in the bombing. PJ

N E O N T H E U N K N O W N

FIRST APPEARANCE HIT COMICS #1 (1940) STATUS Hero (deceased) REAL NAME Tom Corbett OCCUPATION Former French Foreign Legionnaire BASE Mobile HEIGHT 5ft 11in WEIGHT 167 lbs EYES Blue HAIR Black SPECIAL POWERS/ABILITIES Was able to project powerful energy boltsfrom his hands and also fly.

The deaths of five of the second FLASH’s RoguesGallery unleashed the demon Neron, a Princeof Hell, who granted dozens of villains, as wellas a few costumed heroes, increased powers inexchange for their souls.At the suggestion ofthe TRICKSTER II, CAPTAIN MARVEL offeredhis soul to Neron in exchange for Earth’sfreedom.As the Trickster deduced, Marvel’ssoul was too pure for the demon to touch,but Neron was forced to honor his end ofthe bargain. Subsequently, the Flash and hiswife (see PARK, LINDA) managed to outwitNeron and foil a rampage by the Rogues’ghosts, restoring them to life. During thisevent, known as the Day of Judgment, Neronwas imprisoned by an unholy alliance of theDEMON Etrigan, ASMODEL, and the SPECTRE.Breaking free from his prison by possessingSUPERMAN’s body, Neron attempted to claim theSpectre-Force for himself, but the Spectre insteadchose Hal Jordan, the second GREEN LANTERN as itsnew human host. Neron was sent back to Hell, andsince he had broken Hell’s rules by using its power for

his own pleasure, he was demoted from aPrince to a Rhymer by his fellow

demons. Furious, Neron realized that thishad been Etrigan’s plan all along. RG

N E R O N

FIRST APPEARANCE UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED #1 (November 1995) STATUS Villain REAL NAME Neron OCCUPATION Soul-taking demon BASE Hell HEIGHT Variable WEIGHT Variable EYES Variable HAIR Variable SPECIAL POWERS/ABILITIES A lord of lies, Neron possessesunspeakable mystic power and can alter his size and shape.

WAR OF THE WORLDSOn its fourth passing, the godwave infused the Old Gods’ divided world. Out of the ashes

arose two molten planets, New Genesis and Apokolips, collectively known as the FourthWorld. New Genesis was home to the noble, near-immortal New Gods, who lived inharmony with their lush and verdant planet. Conversely, the denizens of nearby Apokolipswere cunning and cruel, and dedicated to evil. For millions of years, New Genesis andApokolips waged war upon one another until a peace pact was negotiated with theexchange of hostages, each the son of one world’s leader.True to his nature,Apokolips’sruler DARKSEID broke his pact with New Genesis’s ruler HIGHFATHER by invading Earthin search of the Anti-Life Equation, the means to control all sentient life in the universe.

Thus, the conflict began anew, but this time with Darkseid’s own son, ORION, sidingwith New Genesis. Highfather’s heir, Scott Free, would first fend off Darkseid’s agents onEarth in the guise of MISTER MIRACLE before returning to his homeworld and joiningthe New Gods in defiance of Darkseid’s eternal enmity. Since then, the New Gods havefought tirelessly to maintain the balance of power first struck in the godwave’s release. SB

THE NEW GODS 1) Darkseid 2) Desaad 3) Glorious Godfrey 4) Heggra 5) GrannyGoodness 6) Black Racer 7) Doctor Bedlam 8) Mokkari 9) Steppenwolf 10) Kanto 11) Kalibak 12) Mantis 13) Virman Vunderbar14) Himon 15) Devilance 16) Lightray 17) Mister Miracle 18) Fastbak 19) Metron20) Highfather 21) Forager I 22) Big Barda23) Avia 24) Lonar 25) Orion 26) Simyan27) Bekka.The New Gods of New Genesis know that Earthwill one day give rise to a Fifth World of super-beings, already heralded by the abundance of superheroes, to prevent the New Gods of Apokolips fromfinding the Anti-Life Equation.

A small-time crook working forLex Luthor (see LUTHOR, LEX),Nat Tryon made a poor choicewhen he and two other thugsagreed to sabotage a nuclearreactor.The radiation sickenedTryon, and a second dose ofradiation—intended to reverse theeffects of the first exposure—turned him into a living nuclearreaction.Wearing a containmentsuit,Tryon became thesuperpowered criminal Neutron.For some reason he blamedSUPERMAN for his explosive stateand picked a fight with the Man of Steel. He lost thatshowdown and earned a term of incarceration atS.T.A.R. Labs, where scientists hoped to treat hisunfortunate condition.

Neutron gained his freedom from S.T.A.R. Labswhen PSIMON and several other super-villains freedhim. He joined the reformed FEARSOME FIVE andfought both Superman and the TEEN TITANS. Neutronremains a malevolent force of destruction. DW

N E U T R O N

FIRST APPEARANCE ACTION COMICS #525 (November 1981) STATUS Villain REAL NAME Nat Tryon OCCUPATION Criminal BASE Metropolis HEIGHT 6ft 2in WEIGHT 184 lbs EYES Blue HAIR Black SPECIAL POWERS/ABILITIES Releases withering atomic energy through hishands or by lifting the visor of his helmet.

KEY STORYLINES• SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #134 (DEC. 1970): Darkseid’s firstappearance is harbinger to the introduction of the Fourth World. • THE HUNGER DOGS (1984): Fourth World creator Jack Kirby’sgraphic novel marks his final story chronicling the New Gods.• COSMIC ODYSSEY #1–4 (1988): Darkseid’s quest for the Anti-Life Equation unites New Gods and heroes from Earth in a race to prevent universal destruction.

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