Forever People
Encyclopedia
The Forever People are a fictional group of extraterrestrial superhero
es published by DC Comics
. They first appeared in Forever People #1 (February 1971
), and were created by Jack Kirby
as part of his "Fourth World" epic.
from New Genesis
who were on a mission to oppose Darkseid
on Earth, and talked, dressed, and acted much like the flower child
ren of the 1960s. In addition to the individual abilities and equipment of the members, the group can join together using the technology of a Mother Box
to summon the powerful hero known as the Infinity-Man
. The group travelled by use of their Super-Cycle
.
They first appeared in their own title, The Forever People, in 1971, which lasted eleven issues and ended on a cliffhanger. In the last issue, they summoned Infinity-Man, swapping places with him on a distant planet named Adon. Infinity-Man was apparently destroyed in combat with Devilance the Pursuer, leaving the Forever People stranded on Adon.
In 1988, a six issue Forever People limited series
was published, showing what had happened to the Forever People on Adon. During this series, all the things that happened to them on the planet were reversed, and they were restored to our part of the universe. This series revealed that the Forever People were Earth
born humans - infants doomed to die, but brought to New Genesis instead, and gathered to protect the human race. They returned to Earth to oppose 'the Darkness', a sentient but disembodied force of hopelessness. They were aided by a mysterious being named Maya, who was ultimately revealed to be the consciousness of their Mother Box.
The Forever People play a role in the later Fourth World stories, appearing briefly amongst the New Genesis refugees in Seven Soldiers
: Mister Miracle
.
During the events of Death of the New Gods
, one of the mini-series that attempted to lead into Final Crisis
, the human origin of the Forever People was retconned, and it was hinted that the five were to have been the first of the next evolution of the New Gods - godlings becoming more than the sum of their parts.
In 2007, Superman
and Mister Miracle
discover that The Forever People were murdered several months prior to the discovery of their bodies in Death of the New Gods
, and it is later revealed that an impostor posing as Himon
has been murdering the New Gods as an agent for the Source
; but ultimately, the murderer turns out to be none other than the Infinity Man himself.
In the Final Crisis
Sketchbook, the Forever People, along with other members of the New Gods are shown to be given updated looks, which Grant Morrison
calls "more gothic art school student than flower power". In the event itself, Japan's pop culture team, the Super Young People, are transformed into the new Forever People at the end.
. Since then, however, their marriage and daughter has been voided by a retcon
during John Byrne's Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. When last shown, Dreamer was romantically involved with Takion
, the new Highfather of New Genesis.
In Superman & Batman: Generations
3, she marries Superman, and has his children, Lar-El and Vara. All three are killed by Darkseid.
Beautiful Dreamer has psionic powers, with which she can create illusions. She has also been able, like other New Gods, to sense fluctuations within the Source.
Big Bear can mentally alter the density of objects by manipulating its constituent atoms; this also gives him immense strength and near-invulnerability. In Forever People vol. 1, #7, he was shown to have been responsible for the historical event that led to the legend of King Arthur
.
In addition to his leadership skills, Mark also has a Megaton Touch, which allows him to shoot bolts of energy from his hands.
Serifan has no super powers, but he dresses like a traditional cowboy
and always carries "cosmic cartridges" for his six-shooters
which possess numerous specific functions. Although all of the cartridges have never been catalogued, those seen in action have uses such as being able to generate an anti-gravitational force, create force fields, tune the wielder into the "cosmic Harmony" that is linked to the Source, and, in the case of the "Blue Cartridge", allow Deadman
to merge with a "Follower" and have a body of his own once again.
about such naming conventions took greater hold, the obvious racial descriptor was dropped when the Fourth World titles were revived in the late 1980s. When the Forever People were stranded on Adon, Mark Moonrider thought it would be advantageous to civilize the people of the planet. When Vykin used their Mother Box
to do so, it overloaded and was destroyed, killing Vykin in the process, but managing to create Forevertown. When the Dark overtook and reversed the effects of the Mother Box, Vykin was brought back to life. Recently he was reunited on New Genesis with his mother, Valkyra the Commander, who rode a winged robotic horse. Later on, she sacrificed her life to save her lover Orion
.
Vykin has magnetic powers which allow him to attract or repel to objects of either iron or steel. He also has an innate talent with machine
s and electronics
.
is Drax, the older brother of Uxas, who would later become Darkseid
of Apokolips, and became the Infinity-Man after treachery at the hands of Uxas while attempting to harness the Omega Force for himself. No explanation was given as to why he was involved with the Forever People other than Big Bear's offhanded comment to Superman
in the first issue of "we've got an arrangement with the Infinity Man".
are the Fifth World incarnations of the Forever People. They are influenced by American super-heroes and Japanese pop culture, and were first mentioned in 52
#6.
universe. They are a combination of DC Comics' Forever People and Marvel Comics
' Inhumans
.
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. They first appeared in Forever People #1 (February 1971
1971 in comics
This is a list of comics-related events in 1971.-Year overall:* The Comics Code Authority revises the Code a number of times during the year. Initially "liberalized" on January 28, 1971, to allow for the sometimes "sympathetic depiction of criminal behavior . ....
), and were created by Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
as part of his "Fourth World" epic.
Fictional history
The heroes are a group of young New GodsNew Gods
The New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
from New Genesis
New Genesis
New Genesis is a fictional planet in the . This planet, along with Apokolips, is speculated to be near the constellation Orion...
who were on a mission to oppose Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
on Earth, and talked, dressed, and acted much like the flower child
Flower child
Flower child originated as a synonym for hippie, especially the idealistic young people who gathered in San Francisco and environs during the 1967 Summer of Love. It was the custom of "flower children" to wear and distribute flowers or floral-themed decorations to symbolize altruistic ideals of...
ren of the 1960s. In addition to the individual abilities and equipment of the members, the group can join together using the technology of a Mother Box
Mother Box
Mother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting in the DC Universe.-History:Created by Apokoliptian scientist Himon using the mysterious Element X, they are generally thought to be sentient, miniaturized, portable supercomputers, although their true nature and origins are...
to summon the powerful hero known as the Infinity-Man
Infinity-Man
Infinity-Man is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial superhero published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Forever People #1, .-Fictional character biography:...
. The group travelled by use of their Super-Cycle
Super-Cycle
The Super-Cycle is a fictional device from DC Comics, created by Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series The Forever People. Decades after, it was appeared another Super-Cycle in 1990's Young Justice series.-History:...
.
They first appeared in their own title, The Forever People, in 1971, which lasted eleven issues and ended on a cliffhanger. In the last issue, they summoned Infinity-Man, swapping places with him on a distant planet named Adon. Infinity-Man was apparently destroyed in combat with Devilance the Pursuer, leaving the Forever People stranded on Adon.
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
was published, showing what had happened to the Forever People on Adon. During this series, all the things that happened to them on the planet were reversed, and they were restored to our part of the universe. This series revealed that the Forever People were Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
born humans - infants doomed to die, but brought to New Genesis instead, and gathered to protect the human race. They returned to Earth to oppose 'the Darkness', a sentient but disembodied force of hopelessness. They were aided by a mysterious being named Maya, who was ultimately revealed to be the consciousness of their Mother Box.
The Forever People play a role in the later Fourth World stories, appearing briefly amongst the New Genesis refugees in Seven Soldiers
Seven Soldiers
Seven Soldiers is a comic book metaseries written by Grant Morrison and published by DC Comics. It was published as seven interrelated mini-series and two bookend issues. The series features a new version of the Seven Soldiers of Victory fighting to save Earth from the Sheeda.-Publication...
: Mister Miracle
Mister Miracle
Mister Miracle is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Mister Miracle #1 and was created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
.
During the events of Death of the New Gods
Death of the New Gods
Death of the New Gods was an eight-issue comic book limited series published in 2007 and 2008 by DC Comics. It was written and pencilled by Jim Starlin.The series follows the final days of the New Gods as they are stalked by a mysterious killer....
, one of the mini-series that attempted to lead into Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
, the human origin of the Forever People was retconned, and it was hinted that the five were to have been the first of the next evolution of the New Gods - godlings becoming more than the sum of their parts.
In 2007, Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and Mister Miracle
Mister Miracle
Mister Miracle is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Mister Miracle #1 and was created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
discover that The Forever People were murdered several months prior to the discovery of their bodies in Death of the New Gods
Death of the New Gods
Death of the New Gods was an eight-issue comic book limited series published in 2007 and 2008 by DC Comics. It was written and pencilled by Jim Starlin.The series follows the final days of the New Gods as they are stalked by a mysterious killer....
, and it is later revealed that an impostor posing as Himon
Himon
Himon is a fictional character. Created by Jack Kirby, the character is one of the New Gods, a fictional race of gods in publications from DC Comics...
has been murdering the New Gods as an agent for the Source
Source (comics)
The Source was a metaphysical concept created by writer/artist Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series of comic books. It first appeared in New Gods #1, .-History:...
; but ultimately, the murderer turns out to be none other than the Infinity Man himself.
In the Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
Sketchbook, the Forever People, along with other members of the New Gods are shown to be given updated looks, which Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
calls "more gothic art school student than flower power". In the event itself, Japan's pop culture team, the Super Young People, are transformed into the new Forever People at the end.
Original members
Beautiful Dreamer
During the original Kirby run, Beautiful Dreamer had been linked romantically to Mark Moonrider, although outside of hand-holding, the exact nature of their relationship was never directly specified. In the 1988 miniseries, it was established that Dreamer had been married to Big Bear, and together they had a child, named Maya after the spirit of their old Mother BoxMother Box
Mother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting in the DC Universe.-History:Created by Apokoliptian scientist Himon using the mysterious Element X, they are generally thought to be sentient, miniaturized, portable supercomputers, although their true nature and origins are...
. Since then, however, their marriage and daughter has been voided by a retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
during John Byrne's Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. When last shown, Dreamer was romantically involved with Takion
Takion
Takion is a fictional character in the DC Comics comic book series which ran for 7 issues in 1996, and of the lead character of that series...
, the new Highfather of New Genesis.
In Superman & Batman: Generations
Superman & Batman: Generations
Superman & Batman: Generations is the umbrella title of three Elseworlds comic book limited series published by DC Comics in the United States, written and illustrated by John Byrne...
3, she marries Superman, and has his children, Lar-El and Vara. All three are killed by Darkseid.
Beautiful Dreamer has psionic powers, with which she can create illusions. She has also been able, like other New Gods, to sense fluctuations within the Source.
Big Bear
Big Bear had been married to Beautiful Dreamer, and she had been pregnant with their daughter. A shift in time resulted in the marriage never happenening and the child never having existed. This traumatized Beautiful Dreamer for a time.Big Bear can mentally alter the density of objects by manipulating its constituent atoms; this also gives him immense strength and near-invulnerability. In Forever People vol. 1, #7, he was shown to have been responsible for the historical event that led to the legend of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
.
Mark Moonrider
During the original Kirby run, Beautiful Dreamer had been linked romantically to Mark Moonrider, although outside of hand-holding, the exact nature of their relationship was never directly specified. In the 1988 miniseries set on Adon, Mark was shown to have fallen in love with, and later married one of the natives, Mina. They had 3 children together - Merry, Wendy and Starbright - but when the shift in time, caused by the Darkness' actions, undid the events which 'evolved' the natives, this marriage now never had occurred, leaving Mark with only his friends.In addition to his leadership skills, Mark also has a Megaton Touch, which allows him to shoot bolts of energy from his hands.
Serifan
Serifan is the youngest member of the group. With no super-powers, he is usually the most vulnerable. The Dark saw this and possessed Serifan, using him to conquer Forevertown and plague the Forever People. After the Dark was defeated he returned to his normal self.Serifan has no super powers, but he dresses like a traditional cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
and always carries "cosmic cartridges" for his six-shooters
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
which possess numerous specific functions. Although all of the cartridges have never been catalogued, those seen in action have uses such as being able to generate an anti-gravitational force, create force fields, tune the wielder into the "cosmic Harmony" that is linked to the Source, and, in the case of the "Blue Cartridge", allow Deadman
Deadman
Deadman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Strange Adventures #205 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino.-Publication history:...
to merge with a "Follower" and have a body of his own once again.
Vykin
Throughout the Kirby run, Vykin was referred to as "Vykin the Black". He was the first black super-hero to appear in a DC comic book, preceding Kirby's Black Racer by approximately 7 months. The use of the ethnic descriptor in his name, as in other Kirby characters such as the Black Racer, already seemed awkward at the time, but reflects the kind of labelling that was commonplace in the multi-ethnic New York of Kirby's 1930s childhood. As political correctnessPolitical correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
about such naming conventions took greater hold, the obvious racial descriptor was dropped when the Fourth World titles were revived in the late 1980s. When the Forever People were stranded on Adon, Mark Moonrider thought it would be advantageous to civilize the people of the planet. When Vykin used their Mother Box
Mother Box
Mother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting in the DC Universe.-History:Created by Apokoliptian scientist Himon using the mysterious Element X, they are generally thought to be sentient, miniaturized, portable supercomputers, although their true nature and origins are...
to do so, it overloaded and was destroyed, killing Vykin in the process, but managing to create Forevertown. When the Dark overtook and reversed the effects of the Mother Box, Vykin was brought back to life. Recently he was reunited on New Genesis with his mother, Valkyra the Commander, who rode a winged robotic horse. Later on, she sacrificed her life to save her lover Orion
Orion (comics)
Orion is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in New Gods #1 , and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby.-Jack Kirby Era:...
.
Vykin has magnetic powers which allow him to attract or repel to objects of either iron or steel. He also has an innate talent with machine
Machine
A machine manages power to accomplish a task, examples include, a mechanical system, a computing system, an electronic system, and a molecular machine. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work...
s and electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
.
Infinity-Man
Infinity-ManInfinity-Man
Infinity-Man is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial superhero published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Forever People #1, .-Fictional character biography:...
is Drax, the older brother of Uxas, who would later become Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
of Apokolips, and became the Infinity-Man after treachery at the hands of Uxas while attempting to harness the Omega Force for himself. No explanation was given as to why he was involved with the Forever People other than Big Bear's offhanded comment to Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
in the first issue of "we've got an arrangement with the Infinity Man".
- The Infinity-Man's powers were never fully cataloged other than having some direct link to the Source. He was shown capable of flight, super-strength, enhanced vision powers, and the ability to negate gravity and convert it into a repulsive force.
Fifth World
The Super Young TeamSuper Young Team
The Super Young Team is a fictional Japanese superhero team in the . The team first appears in Final Crisis Sketchbook #1 , and was created by Grant Morrison and J. G. Jones.-Publication history:...
are the Fifth World incarnations of the Forever People. They are influenced by American super-heroes and Japanese pop culture, and were first mentioned in 52
52 (comic book)
52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
#6.
Amalgam Comics
The Un-People are a superhero group in the Amalgam ComicsAmalgam Comics
Amalgam Comics was a publishing imprint shared by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters into new ones . These characters first appeared in a series of twelve comic books which were published in 1996, between issues 3 and 4 of the Marvel vs...
universe. They are a combination of DC Comics' Forever People and Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Inhumans
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
.
Television
- The Forever People appear in the Justice LeagueJustice League (TV series)Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
episode "Twilight" Pt. 2. - The Forever People appear in the Young JusticeYoung Justice (TV series)Young Justice is an American animated television series created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti for Cartoon Network. Despite its title, it is not an adaptation of Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck's Young Justice comic series, but rather an adaptation of the entire DC Universe with a focus on young...
episode "Disordered" with Vykin voiced by Kevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
, Big Bear voiced by Bill FagerbakkeBill FagerbakkeWilliam Mark "Bill" Fagerbakke is an American actor and voice actor. He is well-known for his long-running-roles as Patrick Star in the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants and "Dauber" Dybinski on the sitcom Coach....
, Beautiful Dreamer voiced by Grey DeLisleGrey DeLisleGrey DeLisle is an American voice actress, singer-songwriter, and comedienne. To date, she has released four solo albums and has featured on the tribute album Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash and film soundtrack of Loggerheads...
, and Serifan voiced by Dee Bradley BakerDee Bradley BakerDee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. He is noted as his long-running-role as Klaus Heissler in American Dad! and other various characters including Squilliam Fancyson in the hit TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance...
. They arrived on Earth in order to reclaim the "New GenisphereSuper-CycleThe Super-Cycle is a fictional device from DC Comics, created by Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series The Forever People. Decades after, it was appeared another Super-Cycle in 1990's Young Justice series.-History:...
" (the same sphere that the Bialyans found) where they run into Superboy and Wolf. They learn that Superboy had saved the New Genisphere. Superboy and the Forever People end up arriving at a nearby construction site where they stumble upon Intergang in the middle of a gold theft. The group witness Intergang using technology from Apokolips. Upon bringing their fight to the surface, the Forever People summon Infinity-Man who repels Intergang. When Superboy and the Forever People find a warehouse containing the weapons from Apokolips, they are ambushed by Desaad of Apokolips. During the Forever People's formation of Infinity-Man, Desaad throws a Father Box into the formation in order to control him. Desaad then has Infinity-Man attack Superboy and Wolf. With help from the New Genisphere, Superboy reclaims control of Infinity-Man. After Desaad retreats, the Forever People place the Mother Box in the New Genisphere to heal it and tell Superboy that they must take the New Genisphere to New Genesis. After an outburst from Superboy, the Forever People let the New Genisphere stay with him.