Vykin the Black (New Earth)

Vykin the Black was a member of the Forever People.

History

Origins

A retconned version of their origin explains that Vykin was one of five young earthlings selected from different points of Earth's history by Highfather to be raised in New Genesis. These group grew up as close friends and became the Forever People.^[1] Vykin was originally son of a Roman Empire legionnaire in an African country.^[1][2]

In a subsequent continuity, Vykin was the son of the Genesisian master warrior Valkyra. Vykin was selected as one of the five Genesisian kids to go through a special training to focus their minds and synchronize them with their shared Mother Box, turning them into the Infinity Man.^[3]

Vykin's mother left him after a disagreement of philosophies and they never saw each other until a thousand years later.^[4]

Forever People on Earth

When Darkseid, ruler of Apokolips, began to use the Earth as a focal point in his war against New Genesis, he kidnapped Beautiful Dreamer, hoping to find the Anti-Life Equation inside her mind. With the help of Superman and the Infinity Man, The Forever People finally forced Darkseid to release her. They decided to remain on Earth for a time, to learn more about the planet and help protect it from Darkseid.^[5]

Eventually, they found themselves pursued by Devilance, and were forced to use their unique ability to trade places with the superpowerful Infinity Man to save themselves. In the course of their battle, though, Devilance and Infinity Man were seemingly destroyed, leaving the Forever People trapped in the planet called Adon.^[6]

Battle Against The Dark

Vykin carried out an experiment with his Mother Box to turn the primitive people of Adon into the developed society of Forevertown. The experiment was successful, but an overload led the Mother Box to explode, killing Vykin with the same blow.^[7] But he was later resurrected due to an attack caused by an evil entity called The Dark, that reverted time all around the planet Adon.^[8] The explosion also fred the spirit of Maya from inside the Mother Box, and with her help the Forever People returned to Earth and defeated The Dark.^[1]

Post-Zero Hour

The effects of the Zero Hour crisis caused some ripples in the time stream that changed the Forever People's history. In this new continuity, the Forever People never left Adon and Maya never existed. They were stranded on Adon until Highfather took the group and left them on Earth without any memories.^[9] However, Highfather kept Vykin by his side, using his knowledge for a scheme he kept secret from the other New Gods: merging New Genesis and Apokolips to heal a corruption in the Source.^[10]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

• Electromagnetism: Vykin has magnetic powers which allow him to attract or repel to ferromagnetic materials like iron or steel.
• Enhanced Senses: Vykin can mentally trace atomic patterns, being able to track any substance, element or compound.^[11][12]
• New God Physiology
  • Decelerated Aging: Every Forever People member has not aged since the Earthling Donnie was a child.^[8] In some unknown way, the Forever People don't age like humans, just like true Genesisians. It could be the result of some kind of supertraining, a special device, or a blessing from Source, but never revealed.

Abilities

• Electrical Engineering: Vykin has an innate talent with machinery and is skilled in electronics.
• Enhanced Intellect: According to Highfather, Vykin is the second smartest person in New Genesis, surpassed only by Metron.^[9]

Weaknesses

• Vulnerability to Radion
  

Paraphernalia

Equipment

• Mother Box

Transportation

• Super-Cycle

Notes

• Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.
• He was the first black super-hero to appear in a DC comic book, preceding Kirby's Black Racer by approximately seven months. The use of the ethnic descriptor in his name, as in other Kirby characters such as the Black Racer, already seemed awkward at the time, but reflects the kind of labeling that was common place in the multi-ethnic New York of Kirby's 1930s childhood.^{[citation needed]}
• It is unclear whether Jack Kirby's Fourth World stories (1997) retcons any of the Forever People history, particularly Forever People Vol 2 (1988). There is a woman named Valkyra who is called Vykin's mother, who is a true Genesisian.
  

Recommended Reading

• Jack Kirby's Fourth World Recommended Reading:
  • Forever People (Volume 1)
  • Forever People (Volume 2)
  • Mister Miracle (Volume 1)
  • Mister Miracle (Volume 2)
  • Mister Miracle (Volume 3)
  • Mister Miracle (Volume 4)
  • Seven Soldiers: Mister Miracle (Volume 1)
  • New Gods (Volume 1)
  • New Gods (Volume 2)
  • New Gods (Volume 3)
  • New Gods (Volume 4)
  • Orion (Volume 1)
  • Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen (Volume 1): issues #133-#148
  • Jack Kirby's Fourth World (Volume 1)
  • Death of the New Gods (Volume 1)
  • DC Graphic Novel #4
  • Genesis (Volume 1)

Related

• 72 Appearances of Vykin the Black (New Earth)
• 15 Images featuring Vykin the Black (New Earth)
• Quotations by or about Vykin the Black (New Earth)
• Character Gallery: Vykin the Black (New Earth)

Footnotes

Jack Kirby's Fourth World This character or group of characters are related to Jack Kirby's Fourth World, either the original concept and group of titles by Jack Kirby, or any of their subsequent adaptations by other creators. This template will categorize articles that include it into the Fourth World Characters category.