Darkseid made his first appearance as the chief antagonist of Jack Kirby's Fourth World, going up against Superman, Jimmy Olsen, the ridiculous Newsboy Legion, and the hippie-like Forever People. With a face based on the jagged features of Jack Palance, the personality of Adolf Hitler, and the whole hellish, fiery world of Apokolips under his command, his only goal throughout all of his appearances is to harness the Anti-Life Equation.