The Source is a metaphysical concept created by writer-artist Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series of comic books. It first appeared in New Gods #1 (February 1971). [1]
The Source is the source of all that exists. [2] Mostly associated with the New Gods, the Source is the supposed origin of the Godwave that gave the "gods" of the DC Universe their divine abilities. Lying at the edge of the known universe in the Promethean Galaxy is the Source Wall, which protects the Source, and traps all those who attempt to pass beyond it by turning them to stone and making them a permanent part of it.
While investigating the death of the New Gods, Metron encountered the Source. The Source revealed it was behind the deaths to build a new "Fifth World". [3] It revealed that the most powerful gods of three pantheons of the Second World—the "Old Gods"—attacked it and caused it to split into separate beings. The other being evolved into the Anti-Life entity. In retribution, the Source destroyed the Old Gods and created the New Gods. However, its diminished state caused the New Gods to be flawed. The Source sought to reunite with its other half and start anew. It took advantage of the actions of Lex Luthor and Rip Hunter to create the 52 worlds of the multiverse to ease the reunion. Using its agent, Infinity-Man, to kill the New Gods and store their souls in a second Source Wall and Mister Miracle as the user of the Anti-Life Equation, the Source was able to breach the primary Source Wall and reunited with its Anti-Life half. With all the New Gods dead but one, the Source traveled to Apokolips to confront the final god, Darkseid, and complete his task. Darkseid had devised a method to tap into the power of the souls of the New Gods which were being stored in the second Source Wall, giving him equal footing with the Source, until Superman intervened, allowing the Source to deploy his trump card, Orion, who shared Darkseid's access to this power. While Darkseid and Orion fought, with Orion eventually defeating him, the Source merges New Genesis and Apokolips into a single planet. [4]
The Source's origin is retold in DC Rebirth , when twenty billion years ago, the Source sent Perpetua to create new systems of life within the greater omniverse. While Perpetua complied, she also did it to bring down her masters by creating something meant to live forever. Thus, she created the first multiverse by using the seven hidden forces of the universe as a self-sustaining weapon against her masters and also created her children from the Overvoid, to monitor each realms of matter within her multiverse. Five billion years later, Perpetua merged the humans and the Martians to create an army of apex predators to prepare herself to go to war against the Judges of the Source. Perpetua's sons alert the judges of the Source, who send a cosmic raptor to seal her in the Source Wall. [5] Following the destruction of the Green Lantern Corps and having absorbed the energy of the Godstorm, John Stewart has increased his powers to a level never seen before, elevating him to practical godhood. As John overflows with power to the point it seems as though he's dissipating, a mysterious voice calls to him saying "You know me John. Everybody does". Standing before the ascended Lantern is a physical manifestation of the Source, which has appeared to John in the form of Jack Kirby. [6] [7]
