(Justice League of America I #1) - Despero conquered his home dimension of Kalanor, but rebels Jasonar and Saranna fled to Earth where they perfected an anti-weapon device to disable Despero's arsenal. Flash aided them and summoned the JLofA and they prepared to use Jasonar's dimensional traveler to go to Kalanor, but Despero had ambushed the JLofA and held them in stasis in their hq. He planned to banish them to other dimensions, but couldn't affect Flash, who'd been exposed to the radiation of the dimensional traveler that made him immune to Despero's teleport beam. He challenged Flash to a variation of chess, using the JlLofA as pawns. he rigged the game with his mental powers, and each time Flash lost a pawn, a leaguer was teleported to another dimension. Flash lost and entered a dimensional traveler to the world of Narx. The dawn-world, Thanakon and Narx were the planets the JLofA were stranded on, and all were targeted for destruction by Despero. The JLofA saved the planets and returned to Earth. Despero caught up with Jasonar and was about to take his anti-weapon device, when Snapper Carr, who'd stowed away on Despero's traveler, turned the anti-weapon on him, sapping his energy. The League allowed Jasonar to take Despero back to Kalanor as a prisoner.

Despero exposed himself to the radioactive Flame of Py'tar, the sole remains of a once great Kalanorian city. He became more powerful and bestial, and returned to Earth to destroy the JLA. Martian Manhunter used his powers to make Despero's believe he had killed the JLA and conquered Earth. Despero thought his aims had been achieved, and his mind slipped into a deep sleep.

(Supergirl IV #17, 18) -

(JLA #115-119) - Despero restored the memories of former Secret Society of Super-Villains members Wizard, Chronos, Felix Faust, Floronic Man, Matter Master and Star Sapphire, who’d been mind-wiped years ago by the JLA after learning the secret identities of the heroes. The villains made a blitz attack on Red Tornado and Ralph Diby, and confronted the JLA before retreating. Despero confronted Martian Manhunter in the JLA Watchtower. Despero thought the mind awiping incidents would tear apart the JLA, and he didn’t want Manhunter around to bring them back together. The former Society members made an attack on the Daily Planet, trying to kill Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White. They planned to take out all the JLA’s loved ones. The JLA defeated them, and Superman revealed that Batman told him that the JLA mindwiped him. This treatment of Batman tempted Superman to quit the team, but first the JLA had to decide what to do with the villains who knew their identities. Despero defeated Manhunter in combat and subjugated his mind. Aquaman responded to Manhunter’s telepathic distress call, and Despero claimed his mind as well. He took the heroes to the Batcave and took Batman’s mind, and when the JLA responded he picked them off one by one and had them fight each other. The battle ended when Zatanna freed the JLA’s minds and put Despero in suspended animation, and the villain was handed over to Green Lantern John Stewart and brought to Oa for containment. Despero’s actions did make the JLA realize they no longer trusted each other and couldn’t function as a team, so they agreed to disband the JLA.

(Green Lantern IV #7) - Hal caged Despero and delivered him to Oa for prosecution for breaking over seven hundred laws in the Book of Oa.

(R.E.B.E.L.S. #7) - Vril Dox reached out to various planetswith a hologram to aid him in battling Starro the Conquerer. Despero turned him down, and said he wished he came in person so he could rip Vril's face off.

(R.E.B.E.L.S. Annual #1) - Starro's High Vanguard invaded Kalanor, and Despero fought them in a pitched battle, demanding single combat with Starro. Starro agreed to his demand, and while Despero blustered about his power he entered Starro's mind and found a will he could not break down. Starro beheaded Despero, saying he would have wished Despero to serve in his High Vanguard, but his peek at Despero's mind made it clear Despero would serve no man.

(R.E.B.E.L.S. #12, 13) - On Kalanor Vril Dox found the decapitated Despero, and told him he'd regenerate his body in exchange for help with Starro. He was building a weapon to separate Starro the Conquerer from his mindslaves, and had his R.E.B.E.L.S. acquire a genebomb and the remnants of Dhor's gamma gong while sending Kanjar Ro on a side-mission which would end his feud with Despero. Despero admired how Vril played his teammates against each other, and wondered why he always pandered to law and order. Vril said law was a bludgeon in his hands. Vril used a Psion science lab to grow Despero a new body, and presented him with the weapon he'd constructed from the gamma gong and genebomb that would sever Starro from his star-slaves. The last thing he needed was Despero's Flame of Py'tar to charge its' psionic matrix. Vril's son Lyrl Dox opened his transmatter portal, and snatched his father away. Starro was planning an invasion of Earth, but Lyrl had decided the warlord was beneath his 12th-level intelligence, and wanted to help Vril kill him. He'd deduced the weapon Vril would construct for the task, and broke Vril's arm, not wanting him to be the triggerman because he said he wanted him alive. Starro thought Lyrl's next transmatter portal would take him to Earth, but Lyrl said he'd be sending him to Vril's ship so he could be ambushed. The R.E.B.E.L.S. were prepared when Starro arrived, and the villain was not entirely surprised that Lyrl had betrayed him.

(R.E.B.E.L.S. #14) - Vril had a rare miscalculation; his weapon had no effect on Starro. He clashed with the R.E.B.E.L.S. saying he'd miss them when they were dead because they provided so much sport. He discovered the Psions lab of genetically altered and dissected Starros, and flew into a rage. His proximity to them gave him control over them, and within moments all of the R.E.B.E.L.S. were his star-slaves, save for Vril, who threw up a personal forcefield. The Omega Men returned from their mission, armed with darts dipped in a poison that could kill Starros. They struck the Conqueror, but missed his Starro, forcing Vril to get close enough to him to kill the creature with a dart. The Conqueror's Starro died, severing his connection to trillions of mind-slaves, and killing their Starros as well. Despero performed the coup de grace, and told the R.E.B.E.L.S. they were invited to Kalanor to witness Starro's execution. Vril sent out a broadcast proclaiming his victory, giving his intention to put L.E.G.I.O.N. back on track and finding some way for everyone he helped to thank him. Adam Strange thought that Vril might be a worse manipulator than Starro.

(R.E.B.E.L.S. #15) -Despero's approval rating jumped 20 as he made a spectacle of Starro's public execution. Starro was still in shock at having lost his empire, and refused to believe this was his ignoble end. Before Despero's ax could be brought down on his neck he was freed by Astrild and Smite, who insisted they never lost faith in him. Smite wanted to stand and fight Despero, but Astrild insisted that Starro's safety was their main concern, and they fled. Despero called them cowards and promised vengeance.

Comments: Created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky.

Despero received profiles in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #6 and Who's Who in the DC Universe #2.

Despero had a cameo appearance in DC Countdown #1, Hourman #1, R.E.B.E.L.S. #25.

A statue of Despero was seen in the JLA Watchtower trophy room in Flash II #214.