Justice League: Steppenwolf's Secret DARKSEID Connection?

WARNING: This article contains potential SPOILERS for Justice League

The big screen Justice League has Steppenwolf to stand against in their upcoming movie... so why does the Apokoliptian general seem like a completely different villain being adapted to the DCEU? Fans of the DC movie universe will remember the confusion over the DCEU's next big bad when he made his debut in Batman V Superman, in a scene filmed as a tease of the coming battle - but ultimately released to the public following the movie's release. And from that point on, it was clear Zack Snyder would be making some changes.

It's difficult, given the excitement and anticipation over a film like Justice League, to maintain some perspective in the non-stop, 24 hour news and rumor cycle. It keeps fans informed, as seen when word that Steppenwolf, not Darkseid or his father would play the villain of the League's first big screen team-up spread like wildfire. Before long, every fan and blogger was familiarizing themselves with Darkseid's uncle, his top lieutenant and the Apokoliptian god who helped Darkseid kill and overthrow his own father, Yuga Khan.

But as more and more images of Steppenwolf's character design - and most notably, a recent render courtesy of Mattel sculptor Brodie Perkins - one thing is becoming clear, despite the confirmation of the villain's identity. As terrifying as he may look... the villain of Justice League doesn't really seem like Steppenwolf at all. So what's really going on here?

Steppenwolf of Apokolips... But Not?

We're not just referring to a design that's been overhauled, updated, or given a less-cartoon-ish makeover for the villain's live-action debut. The movie's Steppenwolf may have a recognizable humanoid face and a helmet with horn-like decorations... but that's about it. As comic fans have likely seen once or twice by now, the comic book version of Steppenwolf re-introduced as part of DC's 2011 New 52 reboot looks, essentially, like a human being (image above). Larger than a normal Earthling, but a man complete with villainous goatee, wearing armor decorated with medals, and befitting a warrior who leads from the front of his army (and needs protection).

It wouldn't be exaggerating to say that if a comic fan knew Steppenwolf's comic book design, and was shown the film's version without being told the it was the DCEU's Steppenwolf, there would be no reason to link them (and several to make him an unlikely candidate). Prior to the the New 52, he wore all green capes, had a tall, pointed hat, and looked anything but a warlord. It was a look in need of a more serious update, so it follows that it would be that more fearsome armor and actually intimidating prowess of Steppenwolf getting lifted into the DCEU.

And yet, the resulting villain has taken a different design path altogether. Why? At this point, we would ask fans and curious comic buffs to look past the name... and examine the striking resemblance that the DCEU version of Steppenwolf bears to a different member of Darkseid's family.

Darkseid's Father, On The Other Hand...

If you've never heard of the villainous Yuga Khan - or Zonuz, as he was originally named - don't feel too guilty or out of the loop. The brutal Old God of DC's Fourth World has enjoyed his own reboot in recent years as one of the cosmic entities powering Shazam, but his original story was an echo of classical (human) mythology. Like the ancient 'fathers' of Greek mythology, Yuga Khan was powerful, terrible, and opposed by his children. Eventually he was driven to end by his own ambitions, leaving the door wide open for his son Uxas to take over the planet Apokolips - a son better known to DC fans as Darkseid.

And, as most readers have likely noticed, the design of Justice League's Steppenwolf bears a shocking resemblance to Yuga Khan - the reason why many assumed he was the figure speaking with Lex Luthor in Batman V Superman (ourselves included).

The reason for the confusion, as BvS fans may remember, was that the figure speaking with Lex Luthor and holding three Mother Boxes looked explicitly alien in nature. But in DC's Fourth World, the New Gods tend to look decidedly human: that includes Steppenwolf, his sister Heggra, and her son Uxas before he was corrupted into Darkseid. It's the Old Gods like Yuga Khan who are presented with exaggerated features: massive sizes, deeply weathered and oddly constructed faces, inhuman eyes, and armor that blurs the line between organic and ornamentation.

In other words, a perfect encapsulation of comic book legend Jack Kirby's designs for beings of cosmic origin (Kirby created the Fourth World). One could argue that the design of the DCEU's Steppenwolf looks, at least in broad terms, like the exact adaptation of Yuga Khan that could be expected from Zack Snyder. The technicolor paint scheme and pop art may have been toned down and firmly planted in the organic - much like Snyder's version of Krypton in Man of Steel - but the nearly identical chin pieces, deeply grooved face, soaring horned helm and ceremonial-looking armor all keep the ties to the source material evident.

Or they would... if this was actually a big screen version of Yuga Khan, and not Steppenwolf we were looking at. The two come from completely different design traditions and archetypes of villain - so what's really going on here?

Justice League - Batman V Superman deleted scene villain and Steppenwolf

Why The Differences Matter

The reason for these discrepancies and similarities aren't necessarily scandalous, or alluding to a coming "twist" in Justice League or the DCEU beyond. Still, it's worth considering why Zack Snyder, of all people would suddenly decide to choose a villain based in DC history and cast aside all previous dedication to comic book accuracy. And it's not just Steppenwolf's appearance, either. Where the Steppenwolf of the comics was known for his boasts, taunts, and love of combat, the one presented in the Justice League Comic-Con trailer seems a more composed and wrathful antagonist.

One who came to crush Earth thousands of years in the past, but was driven back by the combined forces of the Amazons, Mankind, and Atlanteans. He was driven back... but not killed. Still, he learned his lesson well enough. And with no Kryptonian hero to defy physics or fly, and no Green Lantern to protect Earth, he's returned with an army to collect the Mother Boxes he left behind, torture the skies of Earth itself, and ensure Earth "falls... like all the others."

That could all be done by Steppenwolf, loyal leader of Darkseid's army, serving out his commander's orders (a commander who seems to be absent from the story, leaving a less powerful soldier to conquer a planet he failed to once before). We're purely speculating, but by this point, it shouldn't surprise anyone to learn that Steppenwolf's superpowers are limited to enhanced strength and combat. Yuga Khan, thanks to his origins among the Old Gods, is not only superhumanly strong, but able to physically transport himself through space across vast distances and realms, and blessed with the power needed to manipulate and consume life as energy... be it people, races, or entire worlds.

hat's definitely the kind of villain that's able to stand against Wonder Woman, Batman, The Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, and (presumably) Superman, not to mention being something of the literal 'devil' prophesied by Lex Luthor.

We're not positing that Zack Snyder and his producers are pulling a Star Trek Into Darkness fake-out with their very own 'Khan' - although that would be a thrilling reveal in the theater, since we're not counting on too many people referring to the villain by his name. Instead, it appears that Snyder is introducing a non-Darkseid enemy from Apokolips as the Justice League's (and a resurrected Superman's) first otherworldly challenge. And to ensure that villain is powerful, ambitious, ruthless, and terrifying enough to be more than 'Darkseid's lieutenant,' he's lifting from another actual ruler of Apokolips (and getting an actor like Ciaran Hinds to make Steppenwolf a formidable personality, not just a fearsome fighter).

But this combination of two Apokoliptian figures into one raises the question of 'what makes Steppenwolf Steppenwolf.' His name? His appearance? His personality? His authority? His goals? The real dilemma, as far as we see it, is how much of Yuga Khan's story and role on Apokolips may be adapted for Steppenwolf. Making him an apparent ruler, or at least a challenger to Darkseid may be seen as unfaithful to the comics... but it lays the foundations for an unexpected introduction to Darkseid's own rise to power.

Could This Be a Hint of DCEU's Darkseid Changes?

The DCEU's Justice League would have a hard enough time facing down Steppenwolf and his Parademons with even a slight boost to his strength and power set, so Snyder and co. aren't under any pressure to reinvent or re-imagine. And all things considered, hearing either him or his underlings mention the ominous 'Darkseid' they're serving is a heck of a tease. But it's also a tease that Snyder and DC have known for years would fall awfully close to Thanos of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By which we mean a possibly identical story of a rarely-seen cosmic despot operating through his soldiers until he finally arrives to finish the job in a team-up sequel.

Fans have long assumed that in the movies, like the comics, Darkseid is the supreme villain - an all-powerful nightmare existing just outside our universe. So it seems an opportune time for the villain of Justice League to be a different Apokoliptian menace who looks, acts, and possesses the powers of Darkseid's predecessor as ruler of Apokolips. It begs the question: if Darkseid truly rose to power when Yuga Khan's ambition and appetite for destruction brought his downfall... could Steppenwolf make a similar rise possible?

Ciaran Hinds has confirmed that Steppenwolf is "enslaved" to Darkseid in one way or another, but we don't yet know that the villain's ambitions on Earth aren't at least partly his own. Rather than arriving on Earth to carry out his master's conquest of the universe, it may be Steppenwolf who is seeking a way out. Seeking something Earth has that only he knows about, from thousands of years in the past.

And if Steppenwolf's plan to escape that enslavement hinges on Earth - a plan foiled by Earth's protectors and Kryptonian (and maybe even a Green Lantern) - will the effects of his actions on Apokolips and Darkseid make an appearance in the film, as well?

We'll stop short of drawing a conclusion on what fans should expect from an Apokolips tease or glimpse of cosmic armies (the opening battle scene of Justice League should do that job). But if the DCEU version of Steppenwolf is being dressed in the clothes of a powerful tyrant, and not just a goon for Darkseid, fans may want to check their expectations now. The good news? If Snyder is making Steppenwolf seem as powerful as Yuga Khan, it raises the stakes for Darkseid even higher.

So what do you think of the discrepancy between the Steppenwolf of the comics, or the similarity to Darkseid's daddy? Does a Steppenwolf on film need only his name and axe to keep you happy, or are you also curious to see what Snyder's combination of old and new will amount to come Justice League? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.