Fourth World (comics)

"The Fourth World" dealt with the battle between good and evil as represented by the worlds of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Genesis" title="New Genesis">New Genesis</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apokolips" title="Apokolips">Apokolips</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darkseid" title="Darkseid">Darkseid</a>, the evil lord of Apokolips, seeks the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Life_Equation" title="Anti-Life Equation">Anti-Life Equation</a> which will allow him to control the thoughts of all living beings. Opposing him is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_%28comics%29" title="Orion (comics)">Orion</a>, his son raised by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highfather" title="Highfather">Highfather</a> and his enemies on New Genesis. Other characters caught in the deadly battle included the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forever_People" title="Forever People">Forever People</a>, an extension of the kid gang concept from the 1940s with a group of adolescents adventuring without an adult supervisor; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Miracle" title="Mister Miracle">Mister Miracle</a>, a native of New Genesis raised on Apokolips who triumphed over a torturous childhood to become the world's greatest escape artist; and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightray" title="Lightray">Lightray</a>, the heroic warrior of New Genesis. Their adventures would take them to Earth where the war continued.

<h2>The Fifth World</h2>

In December 2007, DC Executive Editor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_DiDio" title="Dan DiDio">Dan DiDio</a> was discussing the aftermath of Death of the New Gods and said, "It’s the advent of the Fifth World... I think we’ve telegraphed so much that the New Gods are coming upon a rebirth, and the story that we’re telling with them now is a continuation of the story that was established when Kirby first conceived the concept. Talk about death — Kirby blew up worlds at the start of the series. The story started with, 'The Old Gods Died!' which made room for the New Gods — we’re picking up that thread and launching the DCU into the future."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_World_%28comics%29#cite_note-didio2007-7">[8]</a>

That series led into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Crisis" title="Final Crisis">Final Crisis</a> and DiDio clarified things further, saying "the Fourth World is over. The battle between the forces of Darkseid and those of Highfather is over, and a new direction is in place for the characters in what will be deemed the Fifth World."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_World%28comics%29#cite_note-didio2008-8">[9]</a> The series' writer, Grant Morrison, added, "In Jack Kirby’s Fourth World books... it’s pretty clear that the New Gods have known about Earth for a long time and in JLA ten years ago, I suggested that part of their interest in us was rooted in the fact that Earth was destined to become the cradle of a new race of 'Fifth World' super-divinities — an eventuality Darkseid is eager to prevent from occurring."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_World%28comics%29#cite_note-gmfc1-9">[10]</a> It was during that run on JLA that Morrison had Metron deliver a speech outlining the general principles:

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<td valign="top" >How like little children you appear to me. How small is your comprehension and yet... there is a seed in you... The Old Gods died and gave birth to the New. These New Gods, even such as I, must also pass, in our turn. Our search was long and our war continues, but we found the planetary cradle of the Gods to Come. ... you are only forerunners.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_World_%28comics%29#cite_note-jla15-10">[11]</a></td>

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Later, in the JLA storyline "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_III%28DC_Comics%29" title="World War III (DC Comics)">World War III</a>", Metron's dialog is more specific: "As New Genesis is to the Fourth World, Earth shall be to the Fifth that is to come."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_World%28comics%29#cite_note-11">[12]</a>

Fourth World (comics)

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