Dominus (DC Comics)

For the Marvel Comics villain, see Dominus (Marvel Comics).

Dominus
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Action Comics #747 (August 1998)
Created by	Stuart Immonen
In-story information
Alter ego	Tuoni
Team affiliations	Kem-L
Notable aliases	Destroyer of Worlds
Abilities	Telepathy, Telekinesis, Reality Manipulation, High intelligence.

Dominus is a fictional character and a DC Comics supervillain who first appeared in Action Comics #747. He appears primarily as an opponent of Superman.^[1]

Fictional character biography

Originally, Dominus was an alien priest named Tuoni, who served as one of the five custodians of his world's faith. During this time, he fell in love with his peer, Ahti. However, he was driven mad by jealousy when Ahti ascended past him and assumed the mantle of Kismet, Illuminator of All Realities.^[1]

Studying infernal forbidden magic in an attempt to gain the power to challenge his former lover and rob her of the power of Kismet, Tuoni's assault was reflected by Kismet's divine energies, and his body was incinerated. Despite Tuoni's deceit, the omnibenevolent Kismet showed him mercy and shunted his shattered, still-living body into the Phantom Zone.^[1]

Within the Phantom Zone, Tuoni encountered a holographic projection of Superman's long-dead Kryptonian ancestor, Kem-L, who was able to use his own ancient variety of arcane Kryptonian science to rebuild the former holy man as a psionic, cosmic phantasm known as "Dominus."

In this new all-powerful form, Dominus escaped the Zone via Superman's Fortress of Solitude and attacked Earth. Attempting to find Kismet to steal her cosmic powers, he was opposed by Superman. Swearing vengeance, Dominus telepathically entered Superman's mind and preyed on one of the Man of Steel's greatest weaknesses; his fear of failing the people of Earth.

mind control, Dominus convinced Superman to take control of Earth and build the Superman Robots to police the planet twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week forever. In another battle, Dominus used his reality warping powers to become Superman using the Superman Robots to search for Kismet while Superman was disguised as one of his own robots and later as Dominus.

During his captivity in these other forms Superman improved on his use of Torquasm Vo, an ancient Kryptonian warrior discipline technique where the warrior can control what they think. Superman and Dominus then engaged in a mental-physical battle with Dominus using any stray thought of Superman to reshape reality. The battle ends with Superman banishing Dominus to the Phantom Zone.

Powers and abilities

Dominus uses his "Continuum Control" to alter reality, and "Control" to make people unaware that the change occurred. He can actually create more than one simultaneous reality, each one attacking a specific character's mental attributes. Dominus' realities were also inspired by other times in Superman's publishing history (1940s, 1960s and 1970s) and the "The Superman of 2965-2966" story involving Muto.^[2][3]

Behind the scenes

In a 1981 DC Treasury Special, "Superman And His Fortress of Solitude," the pre-Crisis Lex Luthor posed as a red-armored alien named Dominus, as part of an elaborate ruse aimed at destroying the Man of Steel.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Wallace, Dan (2008), "Dominus", in Dougall, Alastair, The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, pp. 108, ISBN 0-7566-4119-5, OCLC 213309017 
2. ^ Superman 181 (Nov. 1965)
3. ^ Action Comics 338 & 339 (June/July 1966)