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Steppenwolf (character)

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Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf as depicted in Earth 2 #1 (July 2012).
Art by Nicola Scott and Trevor Scott
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceNew Gods #7 (February 1972)
Created byJack Kirby
In-story information
SpeciesNew God
Place of originApokolips
Team affiliationsDarkseid's Elite
Notable aliasesGeneral of Apokolips
Abilities
  • Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, reflexes, and agility
  • Immortality
  • Weapon proficiency
  • Master warrior and military leader
  • Wields nigh-indestructible Electro-Axe
  • Armor with the capability of reshaping itself

Steppenwolf (German for "Steppe wolf") is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in New Gods #7 (February 1972).[1] A New God and military general from the planet Apokolips, Steppenwolf is Darkseid's uncle and subordinate who commands his army of Parademons.

The character is featured in the DC Extended Universe, portrayed by Ciarán Hinds via motion capture.

Fictional character biography

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Steppenwolf is a New God who is the younger brother of Heggra (Darkseid's mother) and the uncle of Uxas (Darkseid). He is also a member of Darkseid's Elite. He leads the military forces of Apokolips and rides hounds bred for battle.

Steppenwolf is one of the earliest survivors of Doomsday, the monster who once killed Superman. 245,000 years ago, Steppenwolf takes an Apokoliptian shuttle with Darkseid, Master Mayhem and a small crew to the planet of Bylan 5. The planet holds delicate natural materials Apokolips needs for weaponry, material which would be destroyed in the event of an invasion. The forcible marriage of Darkseid to the planet's princess comes to an end when Doomsday attacks. Master Mayhem is swiftly torn apart. Darkseid ignores Steppenwolf's orders to use omega beams and engages the creature in hand-to-hand combat. Steppenwolf sees that the destruction that has been wrought has doomed the planet, and all who live on it. He teleports Darkseid out of harm's way, agreeing with Darkseid not to mention this to anyone. Doomsday escapes by stowing away on the Apokoliptian shuttle.[2]

Most of Steppenwolf's appearances under the pen of Jack Kirby are in flashbacks. His debut, in New Gods #7, is a flashback story in which he helps Darkseid murder Highfather's wife. Highfather tracks down and kills Steppenwolf in retaliation, reigniting the war between the two sides.[3] However, Steppenwolf is eventually resurrected using Apokoliptian technology.[4]

Steppenwolf appears when Mister Miracle (Scott Free) gains godlike powers over life and death. Steppenwolf torments him over his role in killing Scott's mother (or alleged mother figure as is claimed) and in return is physically tortured. Free ends up healing him, instead of killing him as he desires. He is sent away with Darkseid's legions.[5]

He is seen in New Gods (vol. 2) #6, with a new costume (a Kirby redesign for the figure's Super Powers action figure). Though considered a "mockery", Steppenwolf is given the job of running Darkseid's military forces. He is later seen fighting the Flash (Barry Allen) and the Justice League of America.[6]

In Terror Titans #2, Steppenwolf appears as a member of the Dark Side Club before being killed by the Clock King. He is later resurrected in The New 52 continuity reboot.[7][8]

Powers and abilities

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As a New God, Steppenwolf is nigh-immortal and possesses superhuman strength and durability. Furthermore, he is an experienced military leader and wields various several weapons, including an electric axe and a cable-snare that can generate radion beams.

Other versions

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An alternate universe variant of Steppenwolf from Earth-Two appears in the Earth-2 comic series. He invades Earth and kills its versions of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman before being killed by Bizarro.[9]

In other media

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Television

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Steppenwolf as depicted in Superman: The Animated Series

Film

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An alternate universe variant of Steppenwolf makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Justice League: Gods and Monsters.[10]

DC Extended Universe

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Steppenwolf as depicted in the theatrically-released Justice League (top) and in Zack Snyder's Justice League (bottom).

Steppenwolf appears in films set in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).

  • He makes a holographic cameo appearance in the Ultimate Edition of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) via CGI effects.
  • Steppenwolf appears in the theatrical cut of Justice League (2017) and the director's cut, Zack Snyder's Justice League, voiced and motion captured by Ciarán Hinds.[10] For his performance, Hinds consulted Liam Neeson, who had done similar motion capture work in A Monster Calls.[11][12][13]
    • In the theatrical release, Steppenwolf is exiled from Apokolips for failing to conquer Earth a millennium prior, after which his Mother Boxes are stolen and hidden around the world. In the present, Steppenwolf returns to Earth in hopes of renewing his invasion and regaining Darkseid's favor. Despite reclaiming the Mother Boxes, he encounters the Justice League and is defeated and returned to Apokolips. This depiction of Steppenwolf was negatively received, with criticism directed at the character's poor computer-generated design and generic demeanor. It was later reported that Steppenwolf's appearance and personality were drastically altered during Joss Whedon's retooling of the film, which Screen Rant criticized for being "too family-friendly" and "forgettable".[14] Additionally, Hinds has expressed frustration with the theatrical cut, which trimmed down much of his character's development and personality.[15]
    • In the director's cut, Steppenwolf is banished from Apokolips for attempting to betray Darkseid and must conquer fifty-thousand worlds before he can return. Additionally, the Mother Boxes were left on Earth following Darkseid's failed invasion of Earth aeons ago. After the Mother Boxes are reactivated following Superman's death, Steppenwolf travels to Earth to retrieve them, discovering the Anti-Life Equation in the process. Darkseid gives Steppenwolf a chance at redemption by uniting the Mother Boxes to prepare for his arrival. Steppenwolf and his Parademon forces overwhelm the Justice League until a resurrected Superman arrives and defeats him. Nonetheless, the Mother Boxes are synchronized, allowing Steppenwolf to terraform Earth. However, the Flash taps into the Speed Force and reverses time to undo his victory, leading to Aquaman, Superman, and Wonder Woman killing Steppenwolf and returning his corpse to Apokolips.[citation needed] This depiction of Steppenwolf received a more positive reception from fans and critics, with praise directed at his monstrous and alien design, more menacing and sinister presence, and greater level of character depth and development in contrast to his theatrical counterpart.[16][17]

Video games

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Steppenwolf appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced again by Peter Jessop.

References

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  1. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 288. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. ^ Doomsday: Year One Annual
  3. ^ New Gods #7
  4. ^ Who's Who in the DC Universe #22
  5. ^ Mister Miracle (vol. 3) #4 (July 1996)
  6. ^ The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #9
  7. ^ Justice League (vol. 2) #6 (April 2012)
  8. ^ Justice League (vol. 2) #43–45 (2015)
  9. ^ Earth-2 #1 (July 2012)
  10. ^ a b c d e "Steppenwolf Voices (DC Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved March 17, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  11. ^ Kendrick, Ben (June 21, 2016). "Justice League Movie Villain is Steppenwolf Not Darkseid". Screenrant.com. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  12. ^ Muncy, Julie (October 8, 2017). "The Shadow of Superman Looms Large in New Justice League Trailer." Gizmodo. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  13. ^ Mottram, James (March 29, 2017). "Ciaran Hinds on Bleed for This, playing a supervillain in Justice League and asking old friend Liam Neeson for motion-capture performance tips". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  14. ^ Gunning, Cathal (2020-11-24). "Zack Snyder's New Steppenwolf Design Fixes Justice League's Biggest Issue". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
  15. ^ "Ciarán Hinds Not Happy With the Theatrical Cut of Justice League – DC Comics Movie". 9 December 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  16. ^ Laman, Douglas (July 5, 2020). "Zack Snyder Confirms Steppenwolf's Original Design for HBO Max Cut". CBR.com. Comic Book Resources. Retrieved November 3, 2020. Zack Snyder has confirmed that his forthcoming cut of Justice League will feature the original design of the film's villain, Steppenwolf.
  17. ^ Maverick, Myck (27 March 2021). "Justice League: 10 Ways The Snyder Cut Saved Steppenwolf". ComicBook Cast. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
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