Can you imagine a bug the shape of a human. Yeah, creepy. Luckily some bug-people are nice! Like Blue Beetle, and Ant-Man, and Spider-Man. Oh, right. Arachnids. Well, today's Z-Lister is one of the bravest and boldest bugs of them all! From DC Comics, here is The Forager!
Created by the Old God of comic books himself-Jack Kirby-in "New Gods #9" back in 1972, The Forager is a member of bug-like humanoids that live below Supertown on New Genesis. You see, in an area of space called "The Fourth World" there sits two planets-New Genesis and Apokolips. Both planets are inhabited by beings referred to as The New Gods. After one of their many wars, a mirco-lifeform began spreading over New Genesis and eventually evolved into the bug people The Forager comes from. This insect race is led by The Queen-Widow and The Prime-One. They scavenge whatever falls below the surface of The New God's home and view The New Gods as a higher power. The New Gods themselves literally and figuratively look down on them.
While the title of "The Forager" has no origin and this creature's true background is just as mysterious, it is implied that while he may have been raised by the bug people he may have Godly lineage. When the evil New God known as Mantis came to New Genesis to slaughter the bug people, Prime-One sent The Forager to the surface to ask the Gods for help. The New Gods Orion and Lightray offered to aid him and the three of them defeated Mantis. This adventure earns the bug people respect from Orion and the rest of The New Gods, as well as dubs Forager the mightiest warrior of his species. During a story called "Cosmic Odyssey", The Forager sacrifices himself to save the life of Batman from Darkseid-ruler of Apokolips. After his death, The Foragers body is carried back to the bug people by Orion and his death creates a mutual understanding between New Genesis ruler Highfather and Prime-One.
In 1989, a female bug person was selected to be the defender of the species and was given the title of Forager by Prime-One, out of respect for their greatest warrior. Appearing in "Countdown" and "Death of The New Gods", this Forager would work closely with Donna Troy, Kyle Rayner/Green Lantern, Ray Palmer/The Atom, and Jimmy Olson. She and Jimmy had a brief romance before she had to leave him to form a team known as The Challengers From Beyond and guards the borders between multiple dimensions.
The New Gods were Jack Kirby's crack at modern mythology. And while Jack, Paul Dini, and Bruce Timm may be the only writers who understand The New Gods, their stories remain timeless. The Forager and his people are another layer to the mythology that reminds readers The New Gods are high-concept. By giving their world a race of underlings you offer characters who can see them as we see Gods and Goddesses of our real-life mythologies. Essentially, The Forager represents the little people, and how the little people can make an effect on the world of Gods. Why, look at our culture. Would we have the stories and themes of religion and mythology without "the little people"? Without the mortal-the lesser of Gods-recording the history in which the Gods created. The Forager is the mortal among Gods, the mortal who gained the respect of Gods. Quite literally his people were but puny insects compared to The Gods. And yet, he had a name. A name known by The New Gods. And a name known by us.
Thanks for reading.
Look out for Forager's six-issue miniseries coming May 10th!
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