Starring in one of the purest romances in comics, Big Barda is a New God, fiercely loyal partner and a deadly warrior. Coming to a big screen soon (and a favorite of New Gods director Ava Duvernay), Big Barda is ready for her moment in the spotlight.
After Jack Kirby left Marvel Comics in the early 1970s, he moved to DC and brought his Asgardian Thor Saga with him. He reshaped his Ragnarok story to feature new characters called the New Gods. In the title Mister Miracle, Barda was introduced as Scott Free's ass-kicking partner from Apokolips.
Barda is tough for a reason. She was born and raised on the fiery planet ruled by Darkseid. She was taken away from her mother and raised as a warrior by Granny Goodness. She would eventually lead the Female Furies and develop feelings for Scott Free. Barda's strong as hell and among the toughest heroes in DC's catalog. Let's take a closer look at Big Barda's origin and powers.
Big Barda's Origins
Big Barda was born on Apokolips more than 250 years ago. Big Barda's real name is literally Big Barda. Her mother Big Breeda lost Barda as a child, leading her to be raised by Granny Goodness as one of her orphans. Barda is trained to lead the Female Furies, a group of women warrior supervillains trained to be incredibly loyal to Darkseid.
During a mission, Barda meets one of Darkseid's prisoners, Scott Free. Free is the son of Highfather, the leader of New Genesis, but ended up on Apokolips thanks to a trade to usher in peace between the warring planets. The two fall in love and Barda soon sees the facade in front of her. She joins the rebellion and helps Scott escape for Earth. She later joins him. The two marry and live on Earth away from their past lives.
In Tom King and Mitch Gerads' Mister Miracle run, which might be the most important superhero comic of the decade, Barda and Scott try to live a normal life on Earth, but can't after Darkseid acquires the anti-life equation. Barda and Scott are forced into action, all while starting their own family and dealing with Scott's sinking mental state. She helps hold Scott together and is the emotional core of the book.
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Big Barda's Powers
Barda is an extremely powerful individual with a menacing physical appearance. She's not just strong, she's incredibly strong. Barda is tall and chiseled with muscle. Being a New God, she has super strength, near invulnerability, and is a master in combat thanks to her training with the Female Furies. She is deadly and one of the last people you want to mess with.
Barda wears Apokoliptian armor that is designed for battle. The armor increases her durability. Barda's go-to weapon is known as the Mega-Rod, an all-encompassing device that can shoot intense energy blasts capable of taking down a God. It can also create boom tubes for fast travel. It is the advanced tech that's impossible to reverse-engineer, making it one of the most unique weapons in comics.
All-in-all, Big Barda is a fantastic character who's seen a noticeable uptick in popularity following Kings and Gerads run. Still, she's a classic Kirby character who is worth the bigger focus. Barda is a kickass warrior who is part of DC's best couple, and it will be interesting to see how Big Barda is brought to live-action.