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Fictional alien race

Dominators
Interior artwork from Who'southward Who in the DC Universe, vol. ane, #1 (August 1990, DC Comics), art by Chris Sprouse.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First advent	Adventure Comics #361 (Oct 1967)
Characteristics
Identify of origin	Dominion homeworld

The Dominators, collectively known every bit the Dominion, are a fictional alien race appearing in comics and other media past DC Comics. Coming from the outer creation of the DC Universe, they are highly technologically avant-garde, and live in a rigid hierarchical social club, in which one'south degree is adamant by the size of a red circle on one'due south forehead. They are master geneticists who can manipulate the metagene to raise members of their own caste.^[1]

Publication history [edit]

Their first appearance was in 1967, in Adventure Comics #361, a story written by Jim Shooter with art by Brusque Swan and Jim Mooney, in which they are presented as perchance dangerous to the Legion of Super-Heroes, but do not pose an actual threat.^[2] ^[3] They appeared once again in Legion of Super-Heroes #241–245 in the belatedly 1970s, as an adversarial race in an interstellar disharmonize with Earth in the 30th century.^[four]

In 1988 and 1989, they were revived as the villains of the "Invasion!" crossover upshot involving many of DC'southward superhero comics prepare in the present, written primarily by Keith Giffen and Pecker Mantlo and featuring fine art by Todd McFarlane. Giffen too featured the characters every bit major villains in the Legion serial he was writing with Tom and Mary Bierbaum.^[four]

Originally depicted having calorie-free blue skin with a white circle on the forehead cogent their social rank,^[5] their later more villainous designs with yellow skin and a red circle – introduced in the 1970s^[4] and accentuated in the 1980s^[iv] – has fatigued comparisons to "Yellow Peril" stereotypes of due east Asians,^[half-dozen] ^[seven] citing features such as "bald heads, slanted, narrow optics, long, claw-like fingernails, and dressed in robes".^[8]

Fictional history [edit]

20th century [edit]

The Dominators were the primary world behind an Conflicting Alliance that attacked World. Their master motivation for this was their business organisation at the genetic potential of humanity, every bit evidenced by the large number of super-powered beings on the Globe of the DC Universe, too known as the metagene. When the Invasion started to crumble, ane Dominator created a 'gene-flop' and detonated it in Earth's atmosphere that would touch on many heroes and villains that possess the metagene.

After the Invasion, a nameless Dominator played a significant role in the comic book one-shot Blasters. This comic features heroes created by Dominator testing; they had wished to examine just how humans tended to gain superpowers. This testing involved running humans through a murderous obstacle grade on the partly correct theory that the stress would active their 'meta-genes' and cause superpowers. The 'Blasters', which included former JLA mascot Snapper Carr, are the ones who did proceeds powers.

In events chronicled in Legion Annual v4 #2, Valor discovered plans for a 2d invasion of World, and thousands of humans held in genetic experimentation tanks. He led a lengthy entrada to liberate them, aided by some of the Dominators (the Diamond Caste) who opposed the policies of their ruling degree. After freeing them, Valor helped settle these modified humans on diverse worlds which eventually became many of the homeworlds of members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, such as Bismoll, Cargg, Braal, amongst others.

Several Dominators were left on World for years and appeared in various comics (usually briefly). One Dominator would come up under the control of the Queen Bee, shortly the ruler of Bialya (Justice League Europe #4). Though this conflicting does not survive for long, its technology would cause problem for the Justice League and the Global Guardians. Others appeared in Helm Atom #52 (the Dominator became a farmer), in the Outsiders #44, in Iron Heights prison in Flash ^{[ volume & effect needed ]}, a mutated Dominator with potent psionic abilities would battle members of the Dark-green Lantern Corps, including Guy Gardner in Green Lantern Corps #vii - nine, and most recently in Superman #668.

The Dominator homeworld barbarous nether siege from the massive horde of Starro the Conqueror. The Dominators at showtime put up an admirable defense of their planet, however the tide soon turned against the Dominators when Starro himself entered the fray. In the end, the Dominator homeworld fell to Starro and its entire population were converted into Starro's mindslaves, with the exception of a unmarried Dominator Fleet Admiral who had enough individuality to realize the planet was doomed and fled, and became a member of Vril Dox's R.Due east.B.E.L.S. seeking to defeat Starro.^{[ volume & issue needed ]}

30th century [edit]

The Dominators fought a long war with the United Planets in the 30th century. Several attempts to establish peace were made. During the Dominators outset advent in Adventure Comics #361, several members of the Legion escorted a Dominion diplomatic team to secret talks, and had to fend off attacks from the Unkillables; descendants of people from Earth and their leader who was another Dominator who was opposed to peace (in this advent the Dominators were depicted with bluish skin as opposed to their afterwards and current yellow hue).

Later, during the Earthwar, the war expanded involving the Khunds, the Dark Circle, and even Mordru, but at the finish of information technology a peace treaty was finally achieved with the Rule.^{[ volume & upshot needed ]}

"V Years Later" [edit]

The Dominators were the primary opposing force in Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) during its first three years of publication. As depicted therein, the Dominion was able to secretly proceeds control of the World Government (Earthgov) in the aftermath of a galaxy-wide economical collapse. Their primary motivation was all the same the genetic potential of humans, and they conducted numerous experiments in secret secret chambers. Their role was known only to a few, including Dirk Morgna (Sun Male child), a at present former Legionnaire who was hired past the Dominator controlled EarthGov as a public relations liaison.

Due to constant harassment past Earthgov the Legion somewhen disbanded, only the Dominators continued to fear its possible reformation, and so they freed mass murderer Roxxas from prison house and armed him with instructions to kill the former Legion members. He started by killing Blok, but ironically his actions actually helped crusade the Legion to reform.

Meanwhile, on Earth, there was an surreptitious resistance movement including ex-Invisible Kid Jacques Foccart, the onetime Legion of Substitute Heroes, and their unlikely ally Universo.

As safeguards against losing Earth the Dominion laced a series of nuclear explosives in the (inhabited) Moon. This backfired when an insane Dev-Em seized control of the system, and though he was prevented by the members of the Legion and a fourth dimension-lost Superman from detonating information technology, one of the Linear Men somewhen did, causing a huge catastrophe on Earth. The Rule attempted to blame the explosion on Khund saboteurs, merely their command of Earth started to slip. The Earth was eventually liberated from Dominator control, although some of the Dominators actions while they controlled World eventually pb to the devastation of the planet.^[9]

The Dominators also attempted to gain control of Daxam, hoping for an ground forces of superbeings, merely Glorith destroyed the populace to prevent this from happening.^{[ book & consequence needed ]}

Post-Zero Hour [edit]

Following the Zero 60 minutes reboot, the Dominators played a less pregnant role in Legion history. The Dominion was i of the cadre members of the Affiliated Planets ruled by the new Dark Circle. Their representative to the Circle, like the others, was killed by the Dark Circle'south leader, Brainiac iv, for opposing her plans.^{[ book & issue needed ]}

"Threeboot" [edit]

In the "Threeboot" version of Legion continuity, the Dominators were inspired to invade Earth when a time travelling Booster Gold inadvertently led them to believe that fifty-ii planets were planning an assail on the Dominion. They managed to seize control of World's technology, and sent genetically modified warriors (created using cistron grafts from the onetime members of Terror Firma) through a stargate. The Legion, with the help of the Wanderers, managed to defeat this armada.^{[ volume & event needed ]}

The Dominators yet had thousands of super-powered troops at their disposal, and would eventually regroup. Under the orders of Cosmic Boy, Mon-El detonated a bomb that seemingly destroyed them. In fact, information technology imprisoned their entire planet in the Phantom Zone.^{[ book & issue needed ]}

Culling versions [edit]

In the Western Justice Riders Elseworld i-shot by Chuck Dixon and J. H. Williams Iii, a captured Dominator is the source of Maxwell Lord's avant-garde weaponry.

In other media [edit]

Idiot box [edit]

Legion of Super Heroes [edit]

The Dominators (also referred to as the Dominion) appear on the Legion of Super Heroes blithe serial. They form an alliance with Imperiex and become part of his army throughout the season. They endeavour to assistance him build a superweapon, powered by a strange cloud of cosmic free energy. The Legion somewhen defeat them, along with Validus and Mekt Ranzz. They later helped Imperiex create a missile that volition pb other missiles to Chameleon Boy's home planet.

Arrowverse [edit]

The Dominators announced as the primary antagonists in a 2016–17 crossover outcome involving the CW TV series Supergirl, The Flash, Pointer, and Legends of Tomorrow, which takes inspiration from Invasion!. Executive producer Marc Guggenheim said that "cut-edge prosthetics and calculator effects" are used for the Dominators "to achieve a feature film-quality await which is true-blue to Invasion! artist Todd McFarlane's interpretation of the characters".^[ten] Taking control of their minds (after killing the President) and trap the Dark-green Arrow and his team in a shared simulation to interrogate them, the Dominators are revealed to have actually come to Earth considering The Flash changed history. They want him handed over to them to ensure that further disruptions cannot accept place. However, the other heroes distrust the aliens and turn down to allow him cede himself, joining forces to keep the Dominators occupied while The Flash and Supergirl institute devices on the Dominators intended to cause them great pain. The Dominators' attempts to deploy an anti-metahuman bomb are prevented when White Canary and Vibe concur the bomb in identify long enough for Firestorm to transmute the flop into water. With their efforts defeated, the Dominators are forced to abscond.
- In the Supergirl episode "Supergirl Lives", the Dominators are subsequently searching for the Daxam survivor Mon-El for an unknown party, who are discovered subsequently to be Mon-El's parents Male monarch Lar Gand and Queen Rhea of Daxam. Later, a Dominator battles Supergirl at National City during the kickoff part of the crossover episode "Crisis on Earth-X", with Kara commenting that Dominators are "so concluding year," as a reference to the previous crossover event.
- In 1988 as seen in the Legends of Tomorrow episode "Phone Habitation", a Dominator child (vocal effects provided past Marc Graue) has somehow ended upwards stranded in Ivy Town and encounters young Ray Palmer, who befriends the alien and nicknames him "Gumball". The bureau that has made an agreement with the Dominators in 1951 kidnaps both children and, in ane timeline, kills Ray. The Legends help free the Dominator child and reunite it with its mother, a Dominator queen (voiced by Cissy Jones).
- In the Supergirl episode "Reality Bytes" which takes place some time after Crisis on Space Earths, a Dominator is seen being defeated by Nia Nal as Supergirl arrives. The Dominator is arrested by the D.E.O.

Film [edit]

The Dominators make a cameo in Dark-green Lantern: Emerald Knights, every bit one of the kickoff races in the universe. They attack other worlds and the Guardians create the Green Lantern Corps in response to their threat.
In Justice League vs. the Fatal 5, it is stated that John Stewart and almost of the Green Lantern Corps are busy fighting the Dominators on Rann.

Miscellaneous [edit]

In the DC Adventures comics based on the DCAU, three Dominators appeared in Justice League Adventures #21 ("Sanctuary") by John Ostrander & Min S. Ku. They were chasing a telepathic Globe girl named Kayla Ardeen whom they had claimed to be an escaped mind controller. She seeks the Justice League's assistance, however there is a conflict about whom to trust as the Dominators as well as Kayla are new to them. Disharmonize escalates, but eventually, with the help of Batman and Martian Manhunter, it is revealed that the Dominators are manipulating the Justice League and carry out experiments on those they consider as lesser species. The Justice League with their collective willpower ultimately defeat the Dominators. Kayla decides not to seek sanctuary but have the fight dorsum to the Dominators.
Dominators are featured in the Smallville Flavour eleven digital comic based on the Tv set serial.

References [edit]

^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 95. ISBN978-i-4654-5357-0.
^ "The McFARLANE-Designed Big Bads Of The DC-CW 2016-2017 Crossover Revealed". Newsarama . Retrieved 2016-xi-thirty .
^ "Kandro Boltax | Babblings about DC Comics". ultraboy8888.wordpress.com . Retrieved 2016-xi-xxx .
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Who Are the Dominators? The Arrowverse Crossover Villains Explained". CBR.com . Retrieved 2016-11-30 .
^ "When We Starting time Met - Conflicting Races". CBR.com . Retrieved 2016-11-30 .
^ "DC CW Crossover Explained: What is Invasion and Who are The Dominators?". Den of Geek . Retrieved 2016-11-30 .
^ "Will the CW Update The Dominators, DC's Racist Asian Caricatures?". Inverse . Retrieved 2016-11-thirty .
^ "DC TV: CW Reveals Dominators/Dominion for Crossover Villain -". CAPELESSCRUSADER.ORG. 2016-09-29. Retrieved 2016-11-xxx .
^ Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #38, Belatedly Dec 1992.
^ Melrose, Kevin (September 29, 2016). "Pointer, FLASH, SUPERGIRL CW CROSSOVER VILLAINS REVEALED". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved September 29, 2016.