After the that post-credit scene at the end of "The Avengers" everyone who hasn't stuck their nose in a comic book rushed to the internet to find out who that purple guy with the weird chin is and why us comic fans were so hype to see him appear. Yes Thanos has some incredible potential as a villain, but lets not forget where the Big T got his groove from. Thanos, Darkseid, What's The Difference?
Modelled after Adolf Hitler and given the Nazi Germany-like kingdom of Apokolips, Darkseid was created by legendary writer Jack Kirby in 1971. Darkseid-to make it simple-is DC Comic's alien equivalent to Lucifer. Once a God, Darkseid betrayed his own brother to assume power over the other Gods and proceeded to take over Planet Apokolips (DC Comic's alien Hell) and become one the deadliest forces in the galaxy. In his quest for complete domination, Darkseid hunts for an allusive mathematical equation called The Anti-Life Equation, knowing this formula would give Darkseid control over the free will of other sentient beings. While he is deep rooted into The New Gods mythos, his reign of evil has had him face heroes like Superman, The Green Lantern Corps and The Justice League. Along with a massive army of Parademons, Furies, and evil Gods, Darkseid' signature power is his Omega Beams, instant vaporization beams that follow a target like a Tron-style laser path. Superhumans can avoid these beams and sometimes withstand them, but Batman is unsurprisingly the only mortal to ever dodge the beams. Darkseid was so well received as a villain that after The New Gods comic was cancelled in the mid-seventies, Darkseid was the first and most used New God incorporated into the DC Universe. Darkseid seeks control over all worlds in the same way he controls his world and his history is sewn with the new age mythology of The New Gods. Darkseid's eventual destruction of Earth isn't often avoided, but it is rather postponed.
Thanos was created by Jim Starlin in 1973 and originally based the character after another New God named Metron. When Sterlin brought the idea to Marvel's editor, the editor insisted to beef the character up and make him a more physical threat much like Darkseid, who was extremely popular after Jack Kirby wrote The New Gods. Thanos' origin was that he was a pacifists as a child and often played with his brother Eros (the man who would become Starfox) on Saturn's moon Titan. Thanos accidentally killed a small animal and was so racked with guilt his brother Eros used his pheromone-controlling powers to make Thanos fall in love with the concept of death so that Thanos could forgive himself. Little did Eros know that Thanos' obsession with death would cause him to kill his family, destroy multiple civilizations, collect galaxy-destroying objects and become the deadliest being in the all the known universes, all to appeal to Death itself. In the Marvel Universe, Death is actually personified by a woman-shaped skeleton, she only ever appear to two people in the MU. To Thanos, she acts like a wife who's never satisfied. She also appears to Deadpool because Deadpool is in a constant state of dying and healing in a way that fascinates Death, but because Deadpool can't die theirs is a forbidden love. Thanos has notably fought The Nova Corps, The Guardians of The Galaxy, and, of course, The Avengers. He doesn't want to rule anything, nor does he even want to be evil, all Thanos wants is the love and affection of Death. What a softy.
So there you have it, Darkseid and Thanos are related in a weird way and do look similar, but their motives and backgrounds differ in a few ways. Domination or destruction? The love of one or the fear of many? Being a piss-poor boyfriend or being Hitler? I'm sure many of us have asked that question. Thanos will be coming to more Marvel movies down the line and I doubt Warner Bros will leave Darkseid untouched for any future Justice League films, so don't be confused when you see them so closely revealed. And if you hear anyone say, "Darkseid is just a Thanos rip-off" now you'll have a counter argument. Thanks for reading!
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