| “ | We fought when young, Kalibak! We fight fully grown! And we shall fight till death takes one of us!! There's something we share that's always driven us to each other! ---What it is, I cannot say!! But we shall seek each other out until it's done! Let it be now, then!! Let it be now!! | „ |
| ~ Orion. |
| “ | If we die, we die for New Genesis! | „ |
| ~ Prime Earth Orion. |
Orion is a superhero from DC comics, appearing as the main protagonist of the New Gods franchise.
He is the son of the New God Darkseid and Tigra who was traded to the Highfather as peace treaty between Apokolips and New Genesis. Becoming one of the most powerful warriors on the planet, Orion protects New Genesis from his father and has become an ally turned member of the Justice League of America. He's also the brother to Kalibak, Grayven and Grail and the adoptive brother to Mister Miracle.
He was created by the late Jack Kirby, and first appeared in New Gods #1 in February of 1971.
Biography
Background
Orion was the son of Darkseid and Tigra. His home planet Apokolips waged war with the neighboring planet New Genesis. To forge a treaty, Darkseid made a pact with the New Genesis leader High Father: they would trade their sons and raise them as their own. Orion was exchanged for Scott Free and grew up on the tranquil planet New Genesis. While growing up, Orion found a friend in Lightray, the New God of joy.
Adventures
New Gods
Orion traveled to Apokolips on the advice of the Source, the cosmic energy that gave life to the New Gods. While there he found a group of humans had been kidnapped by Darkseid's men and were being probed for the Anti-Life Equation. After battling with his half-brother Kalibak, Orion managed to rescue the humans and brought them back to Earth, where they all forged a friendship.
Orion would frequently go up against Kalibak, who was desperate to prove that he was more worthy of their father's approval. Eventually, he would team up with other heroes like the demon-bug Forager, Superman, and the rest of the Justice League.
The Hunger Dogs
Oron would invade Apokolips to finally rescue his mother. After chasing Darkseid down, he is badly injured and thrown into the slums to die. While there, Orion is revived by the scientist Himon and tended to by his daughter Bekka. Orion falls in love with Bekka and agrees to save her and her father. When New Genesis is finally destroyed, Orion escapes Apokolips with Tigra, Bekka, and Himon and they journey towards a new home together.
Death of The New Gods
After Bekka is killed by an unknown assailant, Orion teams up with Mr. Miracle (who was mourning Big Barda's murder) and Superman and they journeyed into space to find the culprit. The trio comes up to the Source Wall and discovers that it was Darkseid's brother Infinity Man. Infinity Man was erasing all the New Gods from existence to prepare for the Final Crisis. Orion would eventually engage his father in combat and tear out his heart.
Final Crisis
Orion was shot by a bullet fired backward in time. His remains were discovered by Dan "Terrible" Turpin and delivered to the Justice League for an autopsy. Batman would take the bullet found at the scene of the crime and use it to shoot the now reborn Darkseid, this being the once-in-a-lifetime exception to his rule about using guns. After hitting Darkseid with the bullet, Darkseid loaded that same bullet into a gun and fired it back in time, where it would hit Orion and set the Final Crisis in motion.
The New 52
Orion was brought back to life after the reality-warp that was caused by the Flash. He encountered Wonder Woman and teamed up with her to thwart the Greek Gods that were planning to unleash untold chaos using Zeus' newborn son. Orion has a much more boorish attitude this time, frequently making sexist comments towards Wonder Woman, who finally silences him with a kiss and a vice-grip on his genitals, threatening to tear them off if he keeps his attitude up.
Orion encountered Superman once again, this time planning on killing the Man of Steel in an attempt to save the universe.
Powers and Abilities
Like all New Gods, Orion is blessed with super strength and reflexes, a long lifespan, and ages at a much slower rate than an ordinary human. Orion is the bearer of the Astro-Force, a weapon mounted on his hovercraft that can deliver fatal blows, though Orion prefers hand-to-hand combat whenever he gets the chance.
Orion possesses the Mother Box, an enigmatic device that possesses various abilities. The one Orion uses frequently is the glamour function, which covers his hideously deformed face with a more handsome-looking one, to blend in better with the people of New Genesis and Earth.
Portrayals
Films
- In Justice League: Gods and Monsters, he was voiced by Josh Keaton, who also voiced Spider-Man in The Spectacular Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Valerian Mengsk in the StarCraft series, Anduin Wrynn in the World of Warcraft series and HYDRA Stomper in What If...?
Television
- In the DC Animated Universe, he was voiced by the late Steve Sandor and Ron Perlman, who also portrayed Hellboy in in the Guillermo del Toro Hellboy films and Hellboy Animated, and voiced Lord Hood in the Halo series, Optimus Prime in the Prime Wars trilogy and the Transformers reboot films and Floyd Campbell in Call of Duty: Black Ops III.
- In Young Justice, he was voiced by Benjamin Diskin, who also voiced Junior Healy in the Problem Child animated series, Eugene Horowitz in Hey Arnold!, Nigel Uno and Hoagie Gilligan in Codename: Kids Next Door and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Big Bird in Mad, Spook in Top Cat, Skaar in the 2010 Marvel Animated Universe and Mega Man in Mega Man 11.
Video Games
- In Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, he was voiced by Nolan North, who also voiced Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series, Desmond Miles in the Assassin's Creed series, Edward Richtofen in the Call of Duty series, Superman in Young Justice and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
- In Lego DC Super-Villains, he was voiced by Roger Craig Smith, who also voiced Sonic the Hedgehog in numerous media, Chris Redfield in the Resident Evil series, Batman in Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Shadow and Kyle Crane in the Dying Light series.
