Since the dawn of time he’s been around to cause misery in search of power. He has outlived entire civilizations and will outlive a thousand more. He’s been some of the most infamous figures in history or assisted them in their own bids for world domination. Who is he? Vandal Savage the undying! How does a cave man become one of the world’s most dangerous tyrants? Lets find out.
Vandar Adg lead the caveman Blood tribe long ago, he was a cruel and brutal leader. A meteor would crash near his home and the radiation would grant Vandar immortality and enhanced physical and mental abilities. His new powers didn’t help him much when a new tribe was founded by a strange visitor from far away. The rise of the Bat tribe would have Vandar exiled from his own tribe and forced to find a new home.
As time went on Vandar became Vandal and he would try to sate his thirst for power and dominance. One of Vandal’s first major destructive acts was assisting in the sinking of the city of Atlantis and forming the Illuminati organization. He would find himself in ancient Egypt and working along with the sorcerer Nabu, the power behind Doctor Fate. Though he realized Nabu did not trust him and spent most of his time working against him, it would be one of the first times he would have to deal with super powered begins opposing him but definitely not the last.
As the millenia rolled on, Vandal was either the real identity behind such leaders as Caesar or Blackbeard. He consulted for other villainous men such as Hitler, anything to get him closer to ruling over all of Earth. Always he’d find failure, either having to fake his death or watching those he’d helped elevate soon plummet before him. World War 2 was the beginning of masked heroes with amazing powers beginning to protect the world, this would prove to be a constant thorn in Vandal’s side.
The Justice Society of America would become the first super team Vandal would face off against. They’d fight over the decades, members new and old would take up the fight to stop him. Soon he’d be dealing with just about every super being in the world whether as a potential ally or a sworn enemy. Failure wouldn’t be Vandal’s only constant in this age of heroes, he also had so many new opportunities to spread misery and gain power for himself. He’d help develop the super speed granting drug, Velocity 9 so he could create a speedster army of his own, until the Flash was able to stop him.
There are possible futures where Vandal is the last person alive in a universe that no longer sustains life. Alone, with no one to subjugate, Vandal becomes the perfect host for anyone flung far into the future who land in his vicinity. Only when he is one of the last few people in existence, does Vandal act like a decent human being.
In the New 52, Vandal would work with the medieval super team, the Demon Knights, as he found them to be useful for the time. In the present he would tempt a depowered Superman with the promise of granting him back his powers. Ever the opportunist, that Savage.
There you have it! Vandal Savage was recently the main villain on the television show Legends of Tomorrow. He’s always a thorn in the side of all superheroes since he can’t be killed even if you wanted to and he’s got plans in effect that have things in the works for centuries if not millenia. See you next time!
Suggested Reading
Green Lantern #10
Final Crisis: Revelations
Flash
Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne
Demon Knights
Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net
