Young Justice: Outsiders: So…what is Darkseid’s deal?

Young Justice: Outsiders, episode 7. Photo Credit: Warner Bros. via DC Universe.

The anti-life equation

The anti-life equation isn’t a standard calculus formula either. Admittedly, it’s a lengthy equation: loneliness + alienation + fear + despair + self-worth / mockery / condemnation / misunderstanding x guilt x shame x failure x judgment;  n=y; y= hope; n=folly; love = lies; life = death; self = Darkseid. Granted, the Darkseid part is interchangeable with any sentient being’s name who’s fortunate enough to use the formula.

We’re not sure if PEMDAS applies to the anti-life equation, but it is a pseudo-mathematic concoction for universal mind control. Since the equation is connected to all humanity, it’s no surprise that the formula is sought by others. Though Darkseid’s name is in the formula, that doesn’t mean he’s the only sentiment creature who can consciously access the equations.

Darkseid wishes he could claim credit for being an ambitious singular ruler, but he isn’t the first maniacal wannabe ruler to search for the anti-life equation, nor is he the only character who’s used the equation.

There have been other DC Comics characters who’ve subconsciously had access to the equation (despite being oblivious to its existence in their mind), such as Billion-Dollar Bates. Beyond Bates, Darkseid’s own father, Yuga Khan, used the anti-life equation to resurrect the Old Gods, defeating and killing Darkseid in the process.

Even still, Darkseid isn’t the only character to be manipulated by the anti-life equation either. Because let’s face it: the search for the equation is one of the many shrewd powers the formula possesses.

Complicated family dynamic

Would Darkseid truly be a corrupt comic character without having an equally convoluted family tree? We’re sure the tyrant would find a way, but his family introduces a lot of New God lore that can impact his success or lack thereof in regards to finding the anti-life equations and becoming an Anti-God.

You see, before Darkseid officially became the New God known as Darkseid, he was Uxas. He only became a (mostly) immortal ruler of Apokolips after he killed the Old Gods and siphoned off their powers for his own strength. When Yuga Khan reverted the anti-life process, he also reversed Uxas’ sequestered Old Gods powers back to the true Old Gods, ultimately killing him (at least for a brief period of time).

Then, there’s Grail. As Darkseid’s daughter and an Amazonian New God, Grail was raised to kill him. And she clearly took her lifelong training seriously when she ignited a war against him during the Justice League Vol. 4 comic event, Darkseid War. At the height of her reign, she used the Anti-God within the anti-life equation to take down her dad and then become the Anti-God herself.

Granted, his family drama gets even weirder after Steve Trevor, throttled by the anti-life equation, helped Grail take down the Anti-Monitor. Then, Grail resurrected her recently deceased father through Diana Prince’s baby. As we said before, it’s complicated.

Having wreaked havoc for the Justice League and multiple universes of meta-humanoids since the 1970s, there’s a lot of source material for Young Justice: Outsiders to draw inspiration from.

Because every top-tier villain and villainous syndicate deserves a reflectively powerful arc, we can expect Darkseid’s evil presence in the Young Justice universe to continue well into this season, and even afterward.