Behind every great hero is a great villain. He-Man had Skeletor, Batman had the Joker, and although one could argue that Superman’s equal is Lex Luthor, Darkseid makes for a perfect adversary for the son of Jor-El. Darkseid is instantly identifiable as being evil while Superman is good, and they’re a match for each other when it comes for power and brute strength.

This isn’t the Four Hoursemen’s first crack at ol Darkseid. When the DC Super Heroes line first debuted, Mattel only had the license for Batman and Superman characters. With a range of characters like Scarecrow, Bane, Parasite, and Mongul, the line bounced back and forth between the two properties with each series. It was here that the 4H had their first go at Prince Uxas, second in line to the throne of Apokolips, otherwise known as Darkseid.

Make no mistake; DCUC Darkseid is not just a rehash of a DCSH figure that has been scaled up. His sculpt is all-new with added detail, articulation and accessories that the DCSH entry was not endowed with. The Four Horsemen have always created outstanding re-imaginings of other people’s work, but now their task was to update their own design, so did they manage to school themselves?

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While removing a bullet from a witness to a crime, Dr. Charles McNider was blinded by a grenade meant to silence his patient. During recovery from his injuries, McNider was startled when an owl crashed through his window. Removing his bandages to investigate, He could see in perfect darkness. He later found out that he could not see in daylight and developed special goggles and “black-out” bombs to help him see in light and fight crime. He adopted the owl, “Hooty,” and joined the Justice Society of America to continue his fight against evil. (more…)

When it comes to DC Universe, I’m still a young Padawan, so unless a character has appeared in one of the vehicles of the DC Animated Universe or has a DCU Classics figure, chances are I’ve never heard of em. I don’t feel too badly, though, since Mattel is rolling out some really obscure characters that are making even long-time fans scratch their heads and consulting Wikipedia to find out who the heck they are.

When Wave 12 was announced, there was only one character who was a must have, and that was Copperhead. He appeared in the episode ‘Injustice For All’ of Justice League along with Cheetah, Solomon Grundy, The Shade, Star Sapphire, the Ultra-Humanite, and Lex Luthor as the Injustice Gang. Copperhead appeared in further episodes of Justice League Unlimited and has even made an appearance in the new animated series, Batman: The Brave and The Bold.

Mysterious and menacing, the man only as Copperhead first emerged in Gotham City, carrying out a series of incredible thefts. When confronted, his poison fangs and constrictor coils were enough to defeat most opponents. Copperhead increased his powers by striking a deal with the demonic Neron, becoming a truly monstrous man/snake hybrid. In this horrific new form, he took on more lethal assignments as a super-assassin. His ghastly power and inhuman abilities make him one of the world’s most frightening villains.
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