Warworld

Infobox comics location


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caption= The cover of "DC Comics Presents" #28, featuring Mongul, Superman, Supergirl and the original Warworld (behind Mongul.) Art by Jim Starlin
publisher= DC Comics
debut= "DC Comics Presents" #27
creators= Len Wein
Jim Starlin
planet=y
residents=
races= Warzoons
locations=
subcat=DC Comics
altcat=
sortkey=PAGENAME

Warworld is a fictional artificial planet featured in several DC Comics stories. It first appeared in a three-part story that ran in "DC Comics Presents" #27 to #29, by writer Len Wein and writer/artist Jim Starlin.

History

Warworld was created by a very warlike alien race called the Warzoons, as their ultimate weapon. However, all the Warzoons died off mysteriously, and the last one was found dead at the planet's control chair by the Largas, an extremely peaceful alien race. The Largas buried him, then kept the key-like device that could activate Warworld hidden. But the Largas also died out over time, and the last one gave the key to the Martian race, who had once been devastated by a war, for safekeeping before dying.

The space villain Mongul (introduced in this story) kidnaps three of Superman's friends in order to force him to retrieve the key for him. Despite help from the Martian Manhunter, Mongul escaped with the key. He activated Warworld and sat at the control chair, which through a direct interface allowed the operator to mentally control the vast array of weapons. Superman recruited Supergirl to help attack Warworld, but its arsenal (including skyscraper-sized nuclear missiles) proved too powerful. The duo realized that it was the control chair itself that caused the extinction of the Warzoons, since the neurological stress eventually killed the operator. They deliberately taxed the system until Mongul fell unconscious.

Warworld's remaining automated systems still represented a threat, however, so Supergirl breached the defenses by flying through Warworld at supralight speed. Superman followed and set Warworld to self-destruct. He attempted to retrieve Mongol but the would-be conqueror had already escaped by unknown means.

After the DC Universe's history was changed during "Crisis on Infinite Earths", Warworld was reintroduced in a multipart storyline in the "Superman" comics. In this version, Mongul had obtained Warworld from a trio of aliens who allowed him to use it to form his own space empire (by threatening other races into submission with it.) Superman, who had exiled himself from Earth at the time (as a result of mental problems caused by his execution of three Phantom Zone criminals) stumbled onto Mongul's empire, and ended up being forced to fight in Mongul's gladiatorial games. Superman defeated the ruling champion, Draaga, but refused to kill him. Eventually, Superman defeated Mongul. He also found the Eradicator during these events. Draaga ended up as the new figurehead ruler of the empire, but he soon abandoned his position to look for a rematch against Superman; he died on Earth.

Warworld was next seen years later in another multipart storyline in the "Superman" titles, "Panic in the Sky", in which Brainiac had taken over it and used it to attack Earth. With help from many of Earth's other superheroes, Superman defeated the attack and destroyed Warworld.

In the "Reign of the Supermen" storyline, Mongul and the Cyborg Superman had aspirations to transform Earth into a new Warworld. They destroyed Coast City and damaged Metropolis to set up massive 'engine-cities'. Their plans were foiled by the resurrected Superman, Supergirl, Superboy, Steel, the Eradicator, and Hal Jordan.

Years later, in yet another multipart "Superman" storyline ("Our Worlds at War") the space villain Brainiac 13 turns the planet Pluto into a new Warworld, but Superman, his powers incredibly boosted by diving into the sun, destroyed it.

In "Legion" #5, Oct 2001, which is set in the far future, this Pluto/Warworld was a focus of a backup story, in this continuity it was not destroyed by Superman.

Inhabitants

When Warworld was destroyed upon its invasion of Earth with Brainiac, the inhabitants of War World came to Metropolis. In order to get the remainder of war machines activated they went under ground and took control of Metropolis's Underworld, a sewer system underground in which rejected denizens reside. Their leader, Clawster was defeated by Superman and they were captured first by Cadmus. An attack by Doomsday frees Clawster and many of his followers, whom Doomsday then kills.

In "Adventures of Superman" #512 more Underworlders are seen killed by Parasite after setting him free.

In other media

Warworld appeared in the animated "Justice League" series during its first season, in two episodes aptly named "War World" that closely adapted the first post-Crisis Warworld story. It also featured the first animated appearance of Mongul.

Mongul and Warworld are also featured in the BBC Radio adaptation of the "Reign of Superman" story and in "".