Parademons

PARADEMONS

Class: Extraterrestrial / gods (New Gods)

Known Representatives: Krassus

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Apokolips

First Appearance: New Gods I #1 (March, 1971)

Powers: Para Demons wore armored suits allowing them to fly, although some of them were genetically modified to possess actual wings. They were armed with blasters and were fanatical soldiers.

History: (New Gods I #1) -The Parademons were Darkseid's rigorously trained and heavily armed flying armada, programmed to obey and serve without question, and to offer up their lives in Darkseid's service.

(Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #9 (fb) - When Tigra was coming of term, Darkseid informed her that his mother seemed to be set on living forever, and he couldn’t have an heir before his power base as solidified. He had his Parademons seize her, and had her bio-frozen for a millenia, and when she awoke Heggra was still queen, but Darkseid had moved up in the ranks.

(Martian Manhunter II #33, 34) - To learn more about the Anti-Life Equation Darkseid sent the Parademons and Female Furies to raid Mars. The Parademons killed a number of Martian manhunters before being driven back to Apokolips, but they succeeded in kidnapping M’Yrinn J’Onzz, who’d formulated the Life Equation. J’Onn ‘Onzz came to Apokolips and saved his fellow Martians. He later fought the Paraemons and stymied Darkseid’s plans for the Anti-Life Equation.

(Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #16 (fb)) - Darkseid’s scientists found the x-element first, and Metron agreed to his demands to create space-time portals for Darkseid’s army. Metron powered his Mobius Chair with the x-element, and went off on a dimensional journey, He couldn’t stop the dimensional free-fall, and in desperation he linked his x-element with the one Himon was working on. His plan worked, and Himon admitted he was somewhat surprised that the chair worked at all. Darkseid appeared, he’d known that the x-element he’d found was unstable, and predicted Metron would have to link it to Himon’s element to work. He ordered his men to capture the hated Himon, who admitted Darkseid had surprised him, but he was prepared and phased away. Darkseid fumed that Himon was the most difficult rebel he’d ever had to deal with, and wished he’d leave Apokolips for a comfortable life on New Genesis. As long as there was evil to fight Himon would never leave Apokolips.

(New Gods III #9) - Scott Free escaped Apokolips with the help of Big Barda, fighting his way past a battalion of Para-Demons.

(New Gods I #1) - Darkseid left Apokolips to create an underground base on Earth to search human minds for the anti-life equation, and left behind a mass-director unit to transmit his orders. The Source Wall warned New Genesis that they would be at war with Apokolips, and Orion traveled to Apokolips to investigate and battled a squadron of Para-Demons.

(New Gods I #8) - Young Esak went exploring near Apokolips in search of knowledge, and was ensnared by a magna-target. Fastbak went looking for him and saved him after a battle with a roving Para-Demon troop.

(Adventures of Superman #426) - Darkseid wanted to crush any great revolt from the Hunger Dogs, so he had Amazing Grace mind control Superman and have him lead a small Dog rebellion. The Dogs suffered heavy losses battling the Parademons, but won a brief victory. As they celebrated Amazing Grace had Superman address them and tell them their hopes were about to be crushed, and a squad of Parademons slaughtered the Dogs.

(New Gods III #1) - Darkseid sent Kalibak and a horde of Para-Demons to Earth to retrieve Eve Donner, Dave Lincoln and Wilson Gillmore, three Earthlings that held a part of the anti-life equation. Orion and a host of New Genesis gods resisted them, forcing them to flee, but not before activating a Morrow Block that sapped the lifeforce of Earth. The Morrow Block killed a number of New Genesis gods, including Jezebelle, before Orion destroyed it.

(New Gods III #10) - Orion posed as a recruit for Darkseid’s army, and rose through the ranks. As an imitation he faced off against a troop of Para-Demons. The fight was to the death, because Darkseid had no use for weak soldiers. Orion succeeded in slaughtering the Para-Demons.

(New Gods III #5, 6) - Darkseid’s anti-life crystal was growing dimmer, so Desaad had a troupe of Para-Demons kidnap Eve Donner from Earth and bring her to Apokolips. Darkseid wanted to lure Orion into killing Eve, but his plans fell apart when the Dreggs, the undead Old Gods, invaded Apokolips after Kalibak attacked a stray one. Desaad took the opportunity to torture Eve against Darkseid’s orders, but Lightray and Orion saved her. Desaad sent a troupe of Para-Demons against Orion, but he slaughtered them all.

(New Gods III #19) - A battalion of Para-Demons welcomed Orion, who’d been taken as a prisoner by Necromina and her army of zombies.

(New Gods III #20) - Yuga Khan took over Apokolips, finally giving Commander an excuse to invade. Khan devastated Commander’s forces with an army of Para-Demons and killed Commander, disintegrating him.

(New Gods III #26) - Desaad sent a squad of Para-Demons to Earth to capture Randy Rodman, who possessed part of the anti-life equation, but they were turned away by Orion and Lightray.

(New Gods III #28) - Desaad sent a squad of Para-Demons to stop Orion from interfering with his plans to resurrect Anne Flaherty, who possessed part of the anti-life equation. The Para-Demons temporarily imprisoned Orion in energy bonds, but were eventually defeated.

(Lobo / Deadman: The Brave and the Bald #1) - Darkseid’s quest for godhood led him to bring Lobo and Deadman, two men who’d been to Heaven, to Apokolips, where they were attacked by Para-Demons. Lobo mauled the soldiers before Doctor Kroolman tricked him into killing himself. He used a psionic dissembling machine on Lobo and Deadman to break apart their spirits in hopes of finding the subconscious part of their spirits that knew the way to Heaven. While dragging away Lobo’s body a Para-Demon accidentally summoned Lobo’s bike, disrupting the dissembler and allowing Deadman to escape and Lobo to return to his body. Darkseid was not pleased with Kroolman’s failure and demanded he commit suicide.

(Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #5) - Apokolips and New Genesis were fused into one planet, with a barrier separating them. Lashina theorized that the barrier didn’t extend deep underground, so she gathered the Female Furies, and they recruited Parademons and immense earth-movers and drills to tunnel to New Genesis. The work was slow going, and everyone except Lashina expressed doubts it would work. This led to the usual arguments, and Lashina and Stompa started pounding each other. Bernadeth said it was no wonder Darkseid’s plans failed when he had such rabble working for him. They eventually succeeded, and opened a hole in Supertown, where Parademons snatched a passing youth.

(Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #6) - The Parademons snatched god of music Harmon, and Mad harriet butchered him. They continued building new tunnels for more surprise attacks, but Harriet stayed to enjoy her recent kill. She was discovered and apprehended by Lonar, who informed the New Gods. Big Barda felt personally responsible for the reprehensible actions of her former underlings, and joined an assault on them with Mr. Miracle and Orion. Orion slaughtered Parademons until he came upon bernadeth and staid his hand. Darkseid and Highfather recognized he had a corrupting presence in him, and with the help of Takion they removed it, the influence turning out to be Desaad.

(Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #8) - The New Gods, alongside Earth’s heroes, continued to fight Darkseid’s Parademon army, but sensed something was amiss. Only Takion knew Highfather was gone, dead at the hands of Ares, who wanted to seize the Source’s power instead of saving it, but at the advice of the last of the Okld Gods, chose to keep that a secret, so the heroes wouldn’t lose hope

(Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #15) - Himon gavew his former ward Auralie a mother box, and helped her escape her role as a lowlie, enabling her to go to Earth and become a great healer. She feared Apokolips would want her back, but found she could shield her location when completely alone, or in front of a large crowd. Developing the personality of Sister Sunshine she performed at huge faith-healing shows. One days Mrs. Weston asked for her to visit a pediatric cancer center in Suicide Slum to save a young boy named Howard. She feared for her life, but agreed. At the cancer ward she was attacked by Parademons tasked to return her home. Fortunately Big Barda and Mr. Miracle, now heroes on Earth, had been keeping an eye on her, and fought the monsters. They drove off the Parademons, but not before one of them ran Miracle through with his weapon, leaving him at death’s door. Sunlight healed him with the last of her power, having been drained by all the good work she had done, and because she couldn’t save Howard, she asked Barda to help them both enter the Source. Barda agreed, seeing it fitting that two humble, but great people should have the Source as a reward.

(Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #16) - Tigra told Kalibak he was Darkseid’s true heir, and that Orion was illegitimate, and a pretender to the throne. She encouraged Kalibak to claim his birthright and kill Orion. Kalibak assembled an army of Parademons, and after slaying one of them that questioned his military strategy, had them attack a Hunger Dog marketplace. The Dogs and their home in Armaghetto were initially razed, but they fought back hard, killing a number of Parademons. Kalibak called a halt to the battle, and congratulated the surviving Hunger Dogs for proving they were tough enough to join his army. Tigra appeared at his side to reassure him.

(Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #17, 18) - Kalibak used an energy transducer to acquire Darkseid’s power from the Source Wall, and provoked a confrontation with Orion. A fleet of Parademons accompanied him, but Orion slew them. After Kalibak’s hard won defeat he ordered his Parademons to drain the last of Darkseid’s power. Metron interfered, causing their machinery to release Darkseid. Darkseid confronted his son, and blasted him with his omega beams.

(A. Bizarro #3) - Al Bizarro came to Apokolips through a boom tube after stumbling across a mother box. Parademons apprehended him and presented him to Darkseid. Darkseid handed him over to his torturer Desaad. Desaad got little pleasure at the prospect of torturing a dim creature capable of feeling virtually no pain, so he pawned him of on Granny Goodness's orphanage to annoy her. Granny thought he was worthless, so she had one of her children warriors named Seera act as his babysitter. Serra played the Apokolute, and A. thought it the perfect backing for his rocker songs, even performing with her for the other children at the orphanage. Granny didn't like A.'s influence on ehr, and forbid Seera to see him, but she revolted, helping A. escape. They recovered A.'s mother box, and after fleeing Parademons transported to Earth.

(Martian Manhunter II #18, 19) - Darkseid sent Kanto and a squad of Parademons to attack JSA hq. Kanto exposed Star-Spangled Kid to the living death, stealing her soul and leaving her body in a coma, and took the soul back to Apokolips for use in the D.E.M. a terchnoorganic device created by Darkseid to uncover the secrets of the Source. The JSA went to Apokolips to reclaim the Kid’s soul, and allowed themselves to be captured by the Parademons while Martian Manhunter learned the location of the D.E.M. The Parademons attacked the JSA as they separated the Kid’s soul from the D.E.M., but were repulsed.

(Martian Manhunter II #29) - Kanto sent Parademons to kill John Jones, who’d busted up an Intergang drug ring. Martian Manhunter defeated them, and when he questioned them a failsafe device blew up their heads before they could reveal who they were working for.

(Adventures of Superman #595) - Darkseid declared war on Earth after Brainiac-13 launched an attack on Apokolips, and he sent an army of Parademons to overrun the planet. The Parademons battled with the Blackhawks.

(Firestorm: The Nuclear Man II #34, 35) - Prof. Stein, one half of the hero Firestorm, unlocked the mysteries of the Firestorm-matrix, a fire elemental that was a part of the life-equation. This posed a grave threat to Darkseid, so he sent Kalibak and an army of Parademons to Earth to seize Stein. Kalibak warned Firestorm and his allies Gehenna and Firehawk that he’d have Stein, and he’d kill the rest of them simply because it was in his power. He then unleashed the Parademons on Manhattan, and they wrecked havoc. Kalibak bested Orion in combat, and Firestorm was only able to defeat him by causing a nuclear explosion. Firestorm created a star to teleport the Parademons away from the city. The day seemed won until Darkseid appeared, told Firestorm he was tired of playing games, and broke the matrix, grabbed Stein, and escaped through a Boom Tube. Jason formed a new matrix with his girlfriend Gehenna and went after him.

(Martian Manhunter II #1,000,000) - Over 30,000 years in the future Darkseid and the Parademons took over Mars, making it into a new version of Apokolips in orer to avenge a wrong he suffered in the past at the hands of Martian Manhunter. Manhunter led another army of heroes to battle Darkseid and his Parademons, driving them from Mars.

Comments: Created by Jack Kirby

Parademons received a profile in JLA-Z #3.

There were pin-ups of the Parademons in the Fourth World Gallery.

Para-Demons had a cameo in Action Comics #650, Jack Kirby's Fourth World #1, Martian Manhunter II #31 and New Gods II #13

The Para Demon’s appearance in New Gods I #1 were reprinted in New Gods II #1.