This is ItsAllTrue.Net’s first Truetorial feature. Truetorials will be op/ed columns that discuss a particular topic in-depth. This column was one of the first things we wanted to do here at ItsAllTrue, but the website has had other plans for us and we’re happy to follow where it leads. But we’ve got some time now that the convention season is wrapping up and we thought it was time to give the Truetorial a spin. We’re not ready to give it a regular day yet, but if we like it, you should be seeing them on a regular basis. Just think of them as a kinder, gentler companion piece to Tuesday’s Mr. Rant.
This week we’re going to focus on Darkseid’s height and specifically how it relates to DC Classics. If you’ve frequented any toy forums that spend some time on Mattel product lately, you’ve probably heard the rumor that the next unannounced wave (DCUC12) might feature a Darkseid Collect & Connect figure. Now, technically, the toy line already has a Darkseid from it’s predecessor toyline, DC Superheroes. That Darkseid, while sculpted excellently by the Four Horsemen and generally considered to fit in by theme and articulation with DC Classics, is often regarded as being too small. He stands at 7″ and while he is taller than the 6.25″ DC Classics Superman, he may not be tall enough to be in scale. How much taller should he be? Should a taller one warrant a C&C spot? And how big is too big? Those are the questions this Truetorial will attempt to answer.
Darkseid, for most of the first thirty-five years of his existence, is listed at 7′ 6″. This height can be found in his classic Who’s Who entry and pretty much every other bio published up until at least the New Gods Secret Files in 1998. This height generally makes Darkseid a head taller than Superman and in most of his appearances during those first, formative 35 years he was drawn as such. This height translated into other medias as well: Super Powers, Superman: TAS, Justice League, even the recent Mortal Kombat game featured him only a head taller than the other DC characters. Perhaps of special importance due to the nature of DC Classics, his Super Powers figure stands at 5.5″ tall and is in scale to the 4.5″ line.
At 7″ exactly, the Darkseid is a hair shorter than he should be based on his classic height. Had the DCSH been able to grow past the 7″ cutoff and be a properly scaled 7.5″ figure, it would have looked something like this:
In 2004, Michael Turner and Jeph Loeb returned the original Supergirl to continuity in a story involving Darkseid. Now, I’ll admit some bias here. Despite the impressive artwork, I can’t stand that story. It featured a few of my favorite comic book pet peeves:
- Shunting off a Modern character for a Silver Age one: PAD’s Supergirl for Kara
- Pointless death of a character: Harbinger
- Overused plot point: Trapping Darkseid in the Source Wall (umpteenth time)
I’ll stop at three and not get into Darkseid bursting from inside the Kent’s home (it’s okay, they were out shopping!). Something else that storyline (& Michael Turner) are known for is dramatically increasing the size of Darkseid. In the 2004 DC Comics Encyclopedia, Darkseid is now listed at 8′ 9″. While this should be considered canon as the last published Darkseid Who’s Who, we have to keep in mind that it was published in 2004, during or near to that Turner storyline being published. And since his appearance in that one six-issue storyline, Darkseid has gone back to being his shorter, classic self as seen in “Death of the New Gods” and “Final Crisis”. The encyclopedia, if published in any other six month period, might still list 7′ 6″ for his height.
Still, the impact of the Turner storyline can not be underestimated. Despite being a blip in his thirty-five year history, the popularity of the intial issues of Superman/Batman’s run as well as the celebrity status afforded to Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner elevate those appearances for many fans. In fact, if DCUC12 does indeed include Darkseid as a C&C, it may be the vocalness of these fans that have pushed Mattel to go back to the drawing board on the figure.
Despite his shrinking back to 7′ 6″ in recent years, we’ll list the 8′ 9″ height as “modern” because his biographies still say that’s the case.
Finally, there is a fan contingent out there who might want Darkseid even bigger than any canon would suggest. Since we know the maximum height of a C&C, we’ve included a scaled image of a 10″ Darkseid just to see how it would look.
So, where does all this scale talk leave us? First, the DCSH Darkseid is definitely too short. But is he so short, we need a new one? My personal preference would be to have him at his classic height of 7′ 6″, but I don’t think a half-inch would warrant a new figure, let along a C&C. I’d rather grin and bear the slightly underscale Darkseid than see the DCUC12 C&C to turn out to be a new, larger version of the DCSH figure.
I also prefer the smaller Darkseid in the comics. I believe his ominousness should be portrayed through his actions or his manipulations. I think making him a larger character to brawl with a tiny Superman is not what Darkseid’s character is about – that’s what Kalibak is for. Why would someone that can kill you with his eyes ever fistfight you anyway?
But, that’s not the last word on the subject. Many fans disagree with the notion that Darkseid should be only as tall as Yao Ming and do want him bigger. If that’s what we’re going to see in Wave 12, than more power to them. I just hope he’s not too big. Maybe he can come in around 8″ so he’s big enough to warrant the C&C, but no so big that he looks ridiculous on the shelf (if he’s too big, he’ll be my first C&C going in the extras box).
And if Darkseid is the C&C will it just be a scaled version of the DCSH (with hopefully a new, larger head) or will he be made of Darkseid-specific pieces fitted around the Brimstone/Kilowog or Lobo/Despero bodies?
When Wave 12 is revealed, what do you expect to see? What do you want to see? Let us know in the comments section below.
I like the really big one! ^-^
Does it really matter if they’re in exactly proper scale?
Not perfectly maybe, but close.
Due to responses, I’ve relented on this to saying that an 8-8.5 Darkseid (Super Powersesque) would be okay.
Maybe 8.75… but anything bigger and my satisfaction level will be inversely proportionate to some of the 10″ supporters.
Have him as a standard figure in the lineup
at the classic 7.5″ with maybe a slightly wider head sculpt.
I would have been happy with him as a standard figure with a new head, but it seems he’s destined for C&Cness.
Doomsday would be a better choice for the
8-9″ C&C figure.
Absolutely. Where is Doomsday? That shrimp of a figure couldn’t kill Krypto.
I don’t care
You secretly do.
nuh huh, and you can’t prove it
The very idea they’d re-address Darkseid before Doomsday is ridiculous.
Granted, the DCSH version is too small and has a tiny head, but they don’t need to reissue him. Especially, if it’s to make him some size he was for 6 issues 5 years ago.
He’s not the big – and if you think he is you’re ignoring thirty years of history to have your opinion.
The only way, and I mean the only way, this could be interesting is if he is more Super Powers based. Loose the skirt and the complex belt and go for the classic Kirby. And yes, if Mattel’s going to keep me happy. We need a cape and a big “D” medallion.
I like the way you think!
Howdy, Jason! Thanks for stopping by.
I have to agree with you both here. This is the best of both worlds. Keep it under 9″ and that would make my day.
Even if the C&C Darkseid doesn’t work out, I would love to see the DCSH figure re-released with in his Justice League Unlimited costume. The height doesn’t really matter to me much, I’d rather have a new costume.
I did enjoy that version. Has JLU ever done one? I remember a mock-up, but I think it was fan created…
It’s such a waste to do a C&C Darkseid when there are so many more characters out there that deserve it.
Just wait til you get a C&C Massacre. 😀
my guess is that it will be a kirby-esque rendition of the figure, going with the idea that they are trying to make figs of all the new gods, it would make sense…don’t care about size, though I wouldn’t mind seeing a “Shaggy man” C & C figure out before another Darkseid
ooo… Shaggy Man.
That is cool, and the line is thought to skew “classic” (it’s closer to 50/50 modern), but I’d rather have a General.
I’d be happy with a 7.5″ or an 8.75″ Darkseid. I just don’t want him to have a tiny head.
my only gripe w/ the DCSH darkseid is the size of that head… come on, he’s huge in every other respect, but supes’ fists are almost the size of his cranium? that sucks.
i think to warrant the C&C, he needs to clock around the 8.75″ size, w/ cape and new motherbox… or omega beam attachees.
though fundamentally i agree w/ you noisy, his terror wasn’t supposed to come from his mass, it was the soulless eyes and vile disposition. doomsday was mass, darkseid was CLASS!
I’d love attachment Omega Beams – the 4H need to get on a smart way to do that.
The one heat vision Supes they tried something like that on, had a HUGE halo around his head. Wasn’t good.
And, glad to hear some echoed sentiments – he’s the villain that doesn’t need to brawl. He can kill you by looking at you!
you people need to stop underselling darkseid like him being big makes him less soulless. He maybe a brilliant creature, but he also had the power and strength to crush those opposed him. He is a physical monster as well as a villianous mastermind. HE IS BRAIN AND BRAWN!!! he is a threat because he is the mind of luthor but the body of doomsday.
In the LSH: Great Darkness Saga it took over 80 heros over 8 months to bring him to a stalemate. This is the God who moved Dexam creating Billions of Superman class, mind controlled slaves willing to use their newfound heat vision to remold their plant into an bust of Daksied, An ENTIRE planet! (and the man was drawn at about 8′)
opk, but neither of these acts of evil required him to be 10 feet tall either… he could have done those things at sonny bono size too.
judge me by my size do you?
wolverine isn’t any less an ass kicker cuz he’s tom cruise size. rocky marciano wasn’t the biggest guy at the table, neither is gsp. you don’t have to be juggernaut to be physically intimidating. russell crowe ain’t the biggest guy in the world, yet, go back and watch la confidential during the interrogation scene… when he snaps the back off the chair, you knew that guy was going to gut someone.
I don’t want a ten inch darkseid either…..just about the same height as lobo and despero.
That’d still be a little big for me, but I’m starting to think that’s what we’ll see.
If they do decide to redo Darkseid, I hope they pick a different costume — either the Super Powers and sometimes comic version (underwear and a cape) or the revived Darkseid from the end of JLU. And honestly, my main reason for wanting either of those is that they lack the skirt and thus wouldn’t be restricted at the hips.
For folks who really want a “classic” Darkseid, the DC Direct New Gods version is pretty great (despite only being 7.125″).
I would happily take a JLU styled darkseid…It was great look.
I hadn’t though about the skirt until folks brought it up. I’d be fine if they ditched it.
First off, thanks for the great writeup! Love the comparison photos which make it pretty clear that anything more than 7.5″ make him ridiculous.
I hate this mentality that Mattel’s developing, in which every C&C needs to be at the max height, and I sure hope they don’t waste a C&C with a 10″ Darkseid.
Sadly, I’m almost positive the lists are accurate and Darkseid’s coming.
Also, I’m sure Toy Biz had a “max” height, and I understand the financial figures Mattel has to deal with, but it sucks that 10″ is all we can get.
When we get to Anti-Monitor, I really want to see him hit 12″.
alright noisy, if he’s too big instead of throwing him in the box just pass himn along to me
I knew something was going to say that.
I have completist OCD. Very hard to overcome… LOL.
IF Darkseid will be the CnC in Wave 12, it’s more likely Mattel will re-use parts of LOBO – in other words he’ll be as big as the LOBO figure. Personally I have no problem with that……Ideally, the 7.5 inch version would be perfect – IF Mattel is willing to invest in that new sculpt mold – perhaps they can re-use that 7.5 inch size on a better Mongul anyways? DCSH Mongul was also underwhelming in my book…
but boy, that mongul fits PERFECTLY in w/ MOTUC… i’ve made him the newest member of the Horde.
LOL.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
This is my nightmare.
I don’t want Mattel to think it’s ok to go back and remake every damn figure from the previous line into a C&C that could have been a little bigger. We’re already wasting one on Darkseid. Probably another one on Doomsday. There are at least 20 C&C characters Mattel can do without rehashing old ones. We should get the majority of those before we go back and “fix” what they did wrong.
Great work on the scale images! Really makes it clear what we are looking at here.
I’m in the “do we really need this so soon?” camp. I can think of loads I’d rather see first. likely it’s being re-done to give others a chance at him as well as cememting the Super Powers connection with this line.
But if we must re-do this character, I think 8″ is sufficient. Not too big, but still an imposing standout. And I’m sure the 4H have already planned out changes from the previous figure– the Super Powers cape, maybe red omega beam eyes, that kind of thing. No doubt the 4H won’t disappoint on this one.
Darkseid seems to grow larger each year. Check out his first appearances by Jack Kirby and you’ll see that he’s not much bigger than Superman. He’s grown steadily larger since. Is he growing larger as he becomes more powerful?
Darkseid is fine at the size he is.
It’s just wrong to blow him up.. Turner size. That’s the WRONG SIZE.
Doomsday should be the C&C…. and, for New Gods’ sake… leave Darkseid alone.
He’s just at the right size now.!!
well, here he is. Dunno how tall he looks but this is such a better sculpt.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/Maxim816/DCUC12Toyfare.jpg
I currently have the DC Direct figure standing in my DCUC collectio
I prefer the classic height 7.5″ scale. As far as why they are making him, I can see it as a situation where the Horsemen look back at the DCSH version and are not happy. They’ve spent the past few years producing all these terrific 4th World figures and the one character who should be the crown jewel has an undersized head. I am positive they pushed for a second chance so they could attempt to channel Kirby and Mattel gave it to them. I’m not mad at that. I’m even warming to the idea of that glove, since it truly is a Kirby type of accessory. All we need now is Granny Goodnes and we should be all set.