The classic DC Comics supervillain Darkseid is not easy to intimidate, but tyrannical ruler of Apokolips feared one being enough to devote his resources exclusively to destroying it. When faced with an enemy who threatened his long-term goals, Darkseid created his ultimate doomsday weapon and a suit of armor to accompany it. Darkseid’s behavior, surprisingly, suggests that he actually feared this creature.

In Alan Davis' three-issue series, Justice League: Another Nail - which takes place in an alternate timeline where Superman wasn't adopted by the Kents, only becoming a hero far later in life - Darkseid creates a device known as the Omega Doom. This bomb draws power from his homeworld of Apokolips until it detonates, wiping out the planet and most of the galaxy along with it. Darkseid can survive the detonation thanks to a specially-crafted suit of armor that is itself empowered by the Omega Doom, increasing Darkseid’s powers as well as protecting him. The threat that led Darkseid to craft these devices is known as the Limbo Cell, an organism that consumes all matter indiscriminately, threatening Darkseid’s goals and explaining his strangely paranoid actions.

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Why Darkseid Fears The Limbo Cell

dc darkseid limbo cell

Darkseid is one of the most powerful villains in most DC Comics realities, yet his goals are relatively simple. Darkseid seeks the Anti-Life Equation, allowing him to eradicate free will and conquer all realities. The Limbo Cell essentially eats reality, making it a significant roadblock to Darkseid’s agenda, as it will consume territory that Darkseid seeks to conquer and remake in his image. In a way, this makes the Limbo Cell a greater threat than even the Justice League, as their victories over Darkseid at least leave reality intact.

The Limbo Cell is a unique threat because it is such a simple organism - despite being a vast threat to reality, its only real emotion is a sense of satisfaction while consuming reality. It's for this reason that only Darkseid was aware of the threat - the Limbo Cell isn't technically a source of evil, meaning Earth's magical and precognitive warning devices couldn't pick it up. Darkseid kept the Limbo Cell secret, not wanting anyone to know there was a power to rival his own until he had a way of destroying it.

The Limbo Cell Is Darkseid's Evil Opposite

darkseid omega doom armor weapon

In many ways, the Limbo Cell is Darkseid's evil opposite - a being which seeks to consume rather than control, driven by contentment rather than cruelty. Ultimately, Darkseid's weapon causes his own death, as Mister Miracle manages to overload it, causing Darkseid to expand beyond the physical plane, while the Justice League defeat the Cell through tragic sacrifice. It's rare that Darkseid acknowledges any opponent as an equal, but in building his ultimate weapon using technology devised from the Cells' own structure, he tacitly admits its world-ending strength, and is willing to sacrifice his kingdom to conquer it. It's fascinating that in DC lore, while Darkseid may be the God of Evil, there are still deadly forces beyond his power - forces which, thanks to his twisted revulsion for happiness and contentment, he's uniquely equipped to detect and destroy.

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