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Warworld
The cover of DC Comics Presents #28, featuring Mongul, Superman, Supergirl and the original Warworld (behind Mongul.) Art by Jim Starlin
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	DC Comics Presents #27 (November 1980)
Created by	Len Wein (writer) Jim Starlin (artist)
In story information
Type	Planet
Notable races	Warzoons

Warworld is a fictional artificial planet published in several stories by DC Comics. It first appeared in DC Comics Presents #27, (November 1980), and was created by Len Wein and Jim Starlin.

Contents 1 History 2 Inhabitants 3 Other media 3.1 Television 3.2 Video Games 3.3 Radio

[edit] History

Warworld was created by a very warlike alien race called the Warzoons, as their ultimate weapon. However, all the Warzoons died off mysteriously, and the last one was found dead at the planet's control chair by the Largas, an extremely peaceful alien race. The Largas buried him, then kept the key-like device that could activate Warworld hidden. But the Largas also died out over time, and the last one gave the key to the Martian race, who had once been devastated by a war, for safekeeping before dying.

The space villain Mongul (introduced in this story) kidnaps three of Superman's friends in order to force him to retrieve the key for him. Despite help from the Martian Manhunter, Mongul escaped with the key. He activated Warworld and sat at the control chair, which through a direct interface allowed the operator to mentally control the vast array of weapons. Superman recruited Supergirl to help attack Warworld, but its arsenal (including skyscraper-sized nuclear missiles) proved too powerful. The duo realized that it was the control chair itself that caused the extinction of the Warzoons, since the neurological stress eventually killed the operator. They deliberately taxed the system until Mongul fell unconscious.

Warworld's remaining automated systems still represented a threat, however, so Supergirl breached the defenses by flying through Warworld at supralight speed. Superman followed and set Warworld to self-destruct. He attempted to retrieve Mongul but the would-be conqueror had already escaped by unknown means.

After the DC Universe's history was changed during Crisis on Infinite Earths, Warworld was reintroduced in a multipart storyline in the Superman comics. In this version, Mongul had obtained Warworld from a trio of aliens who allowed him to use it to form his own space empire (by threatening other races into submission with it.) Superman, who had exiled himself from Earth at the time (as a result of mental problems caused by his execution of three Phantom Zone criminals) stumbled onto Mongul's empire, and ended up being forced to fight in Mongul's gladiatorial games. Superman defeated the ruling champion, Draaga, but refused to kill him. Eventually, Superman defeated Mongul. He also found the Eradicator during these events. Draaga ended up as the new figurehead ruler of the empire, but he soon abandoned his position to look for a rematch against Superman; he died on Earth.

Warworld was next seen years later in another multipart storyline in the Superman titles, "Panic in the Sky", in which Brainiac had taken over it and used it to attack Earth. With help from many of Earth's other superheroes, Superman defeated the attack and destroyed Warworld.

In the Reign of the Supermen storyline, Mongul and the Cyborg Superman had aspirations to transform Earth into a new Warworld. They destroyed Coast City and damaged Metropolis to set up massive 'engine-cities'. Their plans were foiled by the resurrected Superman, Supergirl, Superboy, Steel, the Eradicator, and Hal Jordan.

Years later, in yet another multipart Superman storyline ("Our Worlds at War") the space villain Brainiac 13 turns the planet Pluto into a new Warworld, but Superman, his powers incredibly boosted by diving into the sun, destroyed it.

In Legion #5, Oct 2001, which is set in the far future, this Pluto/Warworld was a focus of a backup story; in this continuity it was not destroyed by Superman.

[edit] Inhabitants

When Warworld was destroyed upon its invasion of Earth with Brainiac, its inhabitants the Warzoons went to Metropolis. In order to get the remainder of war machines activated they went underground and took control of Metropolis's Underworld, a sewer system in which rejected denizens resided. Their leader, Clawster, was defeated by Superman and they were captured by Project Cadmus. An attack by Doomsday frees Clawster and many of his followers, whom Doomsday then kills.

In Adventures of Superman #512 more Underworlders are seen killed by Parasite after setting him free.

[edit] Other media

[edit] Television

• Warworld appeared in the animated Justice League series during its first season, in two episodes aptly named "War World" (that closely adapted the first post-Crisis Warworld story).

• Warworld appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Duel of the Double Crossers." Batman (alongside other aliens) was taken there by Jonah Hex to compete in the games. This Warworld, like the Warworld from the DC Animated Universe, is more like a regular planet than a satellite. In "Death Race to Oblivion" Mongul threatens to destroy the Earth with his Death Star-like "Warmoon."

[edit] Video Games

• Warworld is featured in Superman Returns (video game).

[edit] Radio

• Mongul and Warworld are also featured in the BBC Radio adaptation of the Reign of Superman storyline.

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