Jack Kirby's Fourth World
Encyclopedia
"The Fourth World" is the popular name given to a metaseries of interconnecting comic book
titles written and drawn by Jack Kirby
and published by DC Comics
from 1970
to 1973
. The characters and concepts were later integrated into the DC Universe
.
The term is a reference to the metaphysical structure of the fictional universe. In this context, the "First World" was the primal universe in which only the Source - the sentient creative force - existed. The "Second World" was the universe as initially created and in which the Old Gods lived until their apocalyptic war tore the cosmos apart. The "Third World" is the universe as perceived by mortals, in which Earth and all other normal worlds exist. The "Fourth World", then, is the world of the New Gods - they exist in a 'pocket universe' unto itself, which can only be reached from the Third World by special means.
The Fifth World is the world that is yet to come.
The three original titles comprising the "Fourth World" were The Forever People
, Mister Miracle
and The New Gods
. The pre-existing title Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen was used by Kirby to introduce the Fourth World concept and characters.
Unhappy with Marvel Comics
at the time, as he had created or co-created a plethora of characters without having copyright or creative custody of them, he turned to rival publisher DC Comics, with his sketches and designs for a new group of heroes and villains. As author Marc Flores, who writes under the pen name
Ronin Ro, described:
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"The Fourth World" dealt with the battle between good and evil as represented by the worlds of New Genesis
and Apokolips
. Darkseid
, the evil lord of Apokolips, seeks the Anti-Life Equation
which will allow him to control the thoughts of all living beings. Opposing him is Orion
, his son raised by Highfather
and his enemies on New Genesis. Other characters caught in the deadly battle included the Forever People
, an extension of the kid gang concept from the 1940s with a group of adolescents adventuring without an adult supervisor; Mister Miracle
, a native of New Genesis raised on Apokolips who triumphed over a torturous childhood to become the world's greatest escape artist; and Lightray
, the heroic warrior of New Genesis. Their adventures would take them to Earth where the war continued.
Kirby was writer and editor on each of the series. After learning that the books were going to be cancelled, Kirby attempted to tie up the storylines in the final issues of each series.
The Fourth World characters reappeared in various titles and were fully integrated into the DC Universe
. The 1982 "The Great Darkness Saga
" storyline in Legion of Super-Heroes
vol. 2 is an early example of the characters being used in other DC titles.
Ultimately, a 48-page story, "Even Gods Must Die", was published in New Gods vol. 2, #6, which served as a lead-in to the 1985 graphic novel The Hunger Dogs. The Hunger Dogs was designed to give an ending to the story of the New Gods, while fulfilling editorial mandates that the New Gods would be kept alive in order to ensure future use of the characters by later writers. It incorporated several pages from the unpublished "On the Road to Armagetto" story, brought Kirby's New Gods series to a close as the final battle between Orion and Darkseid is averted when the "hunger dogs", the tortured citizens of Apokolips, finally overthrow Darkseid and his regime, forcing Darkseid and his allies into exile.
comic book limited series for DC Comics in which he continued the Fourth World characters and mythology.
A Forever People
miniseries appeared in 1988. Mister Miracle and Jack Kirby's Fourth World series (the latter by John Byrne) were launched in the 1990s, and Orion
had a solo series with art and story by Walt Simonson
from 2000 to 2003. Mister Miracle was featured in the Giffen
-DeMatteis incarnation of the Justice League
. Giffen had been involved previously in the use of Fourth World elements in "The Great Darkness Saga
", a Legion of Super-Heroes
story appearing in 1982.
Writer Grant Morrison
also used some of the Fourth World mythology in various titles he worked on, including his run on JLA
, with Orion and Big Barda
becoming members and more recently in the Seven Soldiers
metaseries, in which the New Gods, especially Mister Miracle, played a major role. They are also seen creating Aurakles
, the first superhero.
The Death of the New Gods
limited series (October 2007 – April 2008) was written and drawn by Jim Starlin
. This and its successor, Final Crisis
, brought the Fourth World to an end and brought about the dawn of the Fifth. However, Death of the New Gods has been retconned out of continuity, with the New Gods now residing in the universe of Earth-51.
was discussing the aftermath of Death of the New Gods and said, "It’s the advent of the Fifth World... I think we’ve telegraphed so much that the New Gods are coming upon a rebirth, and the story that we’re telling with them now is a continuation of the story that was established when Kirby first conceived the concept. Talk about death — Kirby blew up worlds at the start of the series. The story started with, 'The Old Gods Died!' which made room for the New Gods — we’re picking up that thread and launching the DCU into the future."
That series led into Final Crisis
and DiDio clarified things further, saying "the Fourth World is over. The battle between the forces of Darkseid and those of Highfather is over, and a new direction is in place for the characters in what will be deemed the Fifth World." The series' writer, Grant Morrison, added, "In Jack Kirby’s Fourth World books... it’s pretty clear that the New Gods have known about Earth for a long time and in JLA ten years ago, I suggested that part of their interest in us was rooted in the fact that Earth was destined to become the cradle of a new race of 'Fifth World' super-divinities — an eventuality Darkseid is eager to prevent from occurring." It was during that run on JLA that Morrison had Metron deliver a speech outlining the general principles:
Later, in the JLA storyline "World War III", Metron's dialog is more specific: "As New Genesis is to the Fourth World, Earth shall be to the Fifth that is to come."
format in the early 2000s in black-and-white
rather than in color, although the Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen preludes were reprinted in color.
a Shazam Award for "Special Achievement by an Individual" in 1971.
In 1998, Jack Kirby's New Gods by Jack Kirby, edited by Bob Kahan, won both the Harvey Award
for "Best Domestic Reprint Project" and the Eisner Award
for "Best Archival Collection/Project".
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
titles written and drawn 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....
and 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...
from 1970
1970 in comics
This is a list of comics-related events in 1970.- Events and publications :* Denis Kitchen founds Kitchen Sink Press in Princeton, Wisconsin-January:...
to 1973
1973 in comics
-Year overall:* Dell Comics, after 44 years in the comics business, ceases publication; a few of the company's former titles moving to Gold Key Comics....
. The characters and concepts were later integrated into the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
.
The term is a reference to the metaphysical structure of the fictional universe. In this context, the "First World" was the primal universe in which only the Source - the sentient creative force - existed. The "Second World" was the universe as initially created and in which the Old Gods lived until their apocalyptic war tore the cosmos apart. The "Third World" is the universe as perceived by mortals, in which Earth and all other normal worlds exist. The "Fourth World", then, is the world of the New Gods - they exist in a 'pocket universe' unto itself, which can only be reached from the Third World by special means.
The Fifth World is the world that is yet to come.
Initial 1970s comics
Published as the newsstand distribution system for comics began to break down, Kirby foresaw a day when comics would need to find alternate, more legitimate venues for sale. Toward this end, Kirby envisioned a finite series that would be serialized and collected in one tome after the series had concluded.The three original titles comprising the "Fourth World" were The Forever People
Forever People
The Forever People are a fictional group of extraterrestrial superheroes published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Forever People #1 , and were created by Jack Kirby as part of his "Fourth World" epic.-Fictional history:...
, 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:...
and The New Gods
New 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....
. The pre-existing title Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen was used by Kirby to introduce the Fourth World concept and characters.
Unhappy with 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...
at the time, as he had created or co-created a plethora of characters without having copyright or creative custody of them, he turned to rival publisher DC Comics, with his sketches and designs for a new group of heroes and villains. As author Marc Flores, who writes under the pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
Ronin Ro, described:
New Genesis
New Genesis is a fictional planet in the . This planet, along with Apokolips, is speculated to be near the constellation Orion...
and Apokolips
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
. 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....
, the evil lord of Apokolips, seeks the Anti-Life Equation
Anti-Life Equation
The Anti-Life Equation is the equation for total control over the free will of sentient beings, for which the DC Comics villain Darkseid is searching in the Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting. It is for this reason that he sends his forces to Earth, as he believes part of the equation exists in the...
which will allow him to control the thoughts of all living beings. Opposing him is 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:...
, his son raised by Highfather
Highfather
Highfather is a fictional comic book character in the . He is chief of the New Gods of New Genesis in the Fourth World and ruled the fictional planet. Highfather first appeared in The New Gods #1 ....
and his enemies on New Genesis. Other characters caught in the deadly battle included the Forever People
Forever People
The Forever People are a fictional group of extraterrestrial superheroes published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Forever People #1 , and were created by Jack Kirby as part of his "Fourth World" epic.-Fictional history:...
, an extension of the kid gang concept from the 1940s with a group of adolescents adventuring without an adult supervisor; 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:...
, a native of New Genesis raised on Apokolips who triumphed over a torturous childhood to become the world's greatest escape artist; and Lightray
Lightray
Lightray is a DC Comics superhero. Created by Jack Kirby for the "Jack Kirby's Fourth World" meta-series, he first appeared in New Gods #1 .- Fictional character biography :...
, the heroic warrior of New Genesis. Their adventures would take them to Earth where the war continued.
Kirby was writer and editor on each of the series. After learning that the books were going to be cancelled, Kirby attempted to tie up the storylines in the final issues of each series.
The Fourth World characters reappeared in various titles and were fully integrated into the DC Universe
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...
. The 1982 "The Great Darkness Saga
The Great Darkness Saga
"The Great Darkness Saga" is a five-issue Legion of Super-Heroes story arc written by Paul Levitz, with art by Keith Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt. Published by DC Comics in 1982, the arc first appears in Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2, #290-294...
" storyline in Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
vol. 2 is an early example of the characters being used in other DC titles.
1984 reprint series
In 1984, DC Comics reprinted Jack Kirby's original 11 issues of The New Gods in a six-issue limited series. The first five issues each reprinted two consecutive issues of the original series. Issue six was originally to have included the final issue of The New Gods and a new 24-page story by Kirby intended to bring the saga to a close. However, Kirby clashed with DC editors who refused to publish Kirby's original planned ending to the series, in which Darkseid and Orion would die in a fiery battle in the streets of Armagetto. Kirby responded by producing a one-off story called "On the Road to Armagetto", which DC also rejected since it failed to bring closure to the series.Ultimately, a 48-page story, "Even Gods Must Die", was published in New Gods vol. 2, #6, which served as a lead-in to the 1985 graphic novel The Hunger Dogs. The Hunger Dogs was designed to give an ending to the story of the New Gods, while fulfilling editorial mandates that the New Gods would be kept alive in order to ensure future use of the characters by later writers. It incorporated several pages from the unpublished "On the Road to Armagetto" story, brought Kirby's New Gods series to a close as the final battle between Orion and Darkseid is averted when the "hunger dogs", the tortured citizens of Apokolips, finally overthrow Darkseid and his regime, forcing Darkseid and his allies into exile.
Later revivals
Concurrent with DC's New Gods reprint series in 1984, Kirby drew two Super PowersSuper Powers Collection
The Super Powers Collection was a line of action figures based on DC Comics superheroes and supervillains that was created by Kenner Products in the 1980s.-History of the Line:...
comic book limited series for DC Comics in which he continued the Fourth World characters and mythology.
A Forever People
Forever People
The Forever People are a fictional group of extraterrestrial superheroes published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Forever People #1 , and were created by Jack Kirby as part of his "Fourth World" epic.-Fictional history:...
miniseries appeared in 1988. Mister Miracle and Jack Kirby's Fourth World series (the latter by John Byrne) were launched in the 1990s, and 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:...
had a solo series with art and story by Walt Simonson
Walt Simonson
Walter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book...
from 2000 to 2003. Mister Miracle was featured in the Giffen
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
-DeMatteis incarnation of the Justice League
Justice League International
Justice League International is a DC Comics superhero team written by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire, created in 1987.-Publication history:...
. Giffen had been involved previously in the use of Fourth World elements in "The Great Darkness Saga
The Great Darkness Saga
"The Great Darkness Saga" is a five-issue Legion of Super-Heroes story arc written by Paul Levitz, with art by Keith Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt. Published by DC Comics in 1982, the arc first appears in Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2, #290-294...
", a Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
story appearing in 1982.
Writer 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...
also used some of the Fourth World mythology in various titles he worked on, including his run on JLA
JLA (comic book)
JLA was a monthly comic book published by DC Comics from January 1997 to April 2006 featuring the Justice League.-Publication history:The low sales of the various Justice League spinoff books by the mid-1990s prompted DC to revamp the League as a single team on a single title...
, with Orion and Big Barda
Big Barda
Big Barda is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Mister Miracle #4 , and was created by Jack Kirby....
becoming members and more recently in the 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...
metaseries, in which the New Gods, especially Mister Miracle, played a major role. They are also seen creating Aurakles
Aurakles
Aurakles is a fictional character, a superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America vol. 1 #100 , and was created by Len Wein and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
, the first superhero.
The 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....
limited series (October 2007 – April 2008) was written and drawn by Jim Starlin
Jim Starlin
James P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters...
. This and its successor, 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...
, brought the Fourth World to an end and brought about the dawn of the Fifth. However, Death of the New Gods has been retconned out of continuity, with the New Gods now residing in the universe of Earth-51.
The Fifth World
In December 2007, DC Executive Editor Dan DiDioDan DiDio
Dan DiDio is an American writer, editor and publisher who has worked in the television and comic book industries. He is currently the Co-Publisher of DC Comics, along with Jim Lee...
was discussing the aftermath of Death of the New Gods and said, "It’s the advent of the Fifth World... I think we’ve telegraphed so much that the New Gods are coming upon a rebirth, and the story that we’re telling with them now is a continuation of the story that was established when Kirby first conceived the concept. Talk about death — Kirby blew up worlds at the start of the series. The story started with, 'The Old Gods Died!' which made room for the New Gods — we’re picking up that thread and launching the DCU into the future."
That series led 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...
and DiDio clarified things further, saying "the Fourth World is over. The battle between the forces of Darkseid and those of Highfather is over, and a new direction is in place for the characters in what will be deemed the Fifth World." The series' writer, Grant Morrison, added, "In Jack Kirby’s Fourth World books... it’s pretty clear that the New Gods have known about Earth for a long time and in JLA ten years ago, I suggested that part of their interest in us was rooted in the fact that Earth was destined to become the cradle of a new race of 'Fifth World' super-divinities — an eventuality Darkseid is eager to prevent from occurring." It was during that run on JLA that Morrison had Metron deliver a speech outlining the general principles:
Later, in the JLA storyline "World War III", Metron's dialog is more specific: "As New Genesis is to the Fourth World, Earth shall be to the Fifth that is to come."
Trade paperbacks
The Kirby-produced "Fourth World" titles were reprinted by DC in trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
format in the early 2000s in black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
rather than in color, although the Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen preludes were reprinted in color.
- Jack Kirby's New Gods (collects The New Gods #1-11), 304 pages, December 1997, ISBN 1-56389-385-1
- Mister Miracle:
- Jack Kirby's Mister Miracle: Super Escape Artist (collects Mister Miracle #1-10), 256 pages, January 1999, ISBN 1-56389-457-2
- Jack Kirby's Fourth World: Featuring Mister Miracle (collects Mister Miracle #11-18), 187 pages, July 2001, ISBN 1-56389-723-7
- Jack Kirby's the Forever People (collects Forever People #1-11), 288 pages, October 1999, ISBN 1-56389-510-2
- Jimmy Olsen: Adventures by Jack Kirby:
- Volume 1 (collects Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133-139, 141), 160 pages, July 2003, ISBN 1-56389-984-1
- Volume 2 (collects Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #142-150), 192 pages, December 2004, ISBN 1-4012-0259-4
Omnibus
On September 11, 2006, DC announced that it would reprint the entire Fourth World saga in publishing order in a four book hardcover collection entitled Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus. The volumes collect the New Gods, Forever People, and Mister Miracle series along with Kirby's run on Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen. In addition, the fourth Omnibus included the remaining issues of Mister Miracle, Forever People, and New Gods, the Fourth World character entries written for Who's Who, the 48-page "Even Gods Must Die!" story published in the last issue of the 1984 Baxter reprint series, The Hunger Dogs graphic novel and the unpublished 24-page cut of The Hunger Dogs titled "On the Road to Armagetto!" The series will be reprinted in paperback starting in late 2011.- Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus:
- Volume 1 (collects Forever People #1-3, Mister Miracle #1-3, The New Gods #1-3, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133-139), 396 pages, July 2007, ISBN 1-40121-344-8
- Volume 2 (collects Forever People #4-6, Mister Miracle #4-6, The New Gods #4-6, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #141-145), 396 pages, September 2007, ISBN 1-40121-357-X
- Volume 3 (collects Forever People #7-10, Mister Miracle #7-9, The New Gods #7-10, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #146-148), 396 pages, November 2007, ISBN 1-40121-485-1
- Volume 4 (collects Forever People #11; Mister Miracle #10-18; The New Gods #11; "Even Gods Must Die" from The New Gods vol. 2, #6; DC Graphic NovelDC Graphic NovelDC Graphic Novel was a series of graphic novel trade paperbacks published from 1983 to 1986 by DC Comics.DC also published from 1985 to 1987 a second, related line called DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel. Rather than being original stories, the graphic novels of this line were instead adaptations...
#4: "The Hunger Dogs"; "On the Road to Armagetto!" [previously unpublished]), 424 pages, March 2008, ISBN 1-40121-583-1
Awards
The original metaseries won Jack KirbyJack 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....
a Shazam Award for "Special Achievement by an Individual" in 1971.
In 1998, Jack Kirby's New Gods by Jack Kirby, edited by Bob Kahan, won both the Harvey Award
Harvey Award
The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
for "Best Domestic Reprint Project" and the Eisner Award
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
for "Best Archival Collection/Project".
External links
- Review of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus, New York Times, June 2008