Through Kirby’s “Fourth World,” the New Gods series brought much-needed vitality and a twist to the DC universe. As a result of this, we were exposed to a slew of new people who proceeded to tell us some wonderful tales. One of these characters brings death to our attention. Simply put, the Flash can choose to run away from anything, but there is one thing he can not avoid: death.
The Black Racer is a deity feared even by the Gods of New Genesis, a planet controlled by the benign Highfather, as the corporeal manifestation of some aspect of death. And if he can put even the Gods on edge, then we mortals have no chance against him. But what exactly is the scope of his abilities, and how cruel can he go? Let us have a look at the video to find out.
The small but impactful first comic appearance
Black Racer made his first appearance in the DC comics universe in New Gods issue #3. It was published in July 1971 and was created by one of the most loved and prolific comic book artists, Jack Kirby.
At the very beginning of the comic, we see Black Racer chasing through the cosmos after Lightray, a mighty soldier of New genesis who governs the power of light. Desperately trying to outrun him, Lightray shoots the brightest light beams, which emerge like fire in a gas explosion. But it appears as though the Black Racer is even faster than fire. All his attempts are in vain, and Lightray is almost about to meet his fate of death, but Metron of New Genesis arrives just in time to swallow Black Racer with the boom tube.
Of course, it was not that easy to defeat Black Racer. The boom tube only deflected his flight and sent him to Earth. And then he was drawn towards the man who was now going to do the devil’s bidding for him. He met Sergeant Willie Walker, who was paralyzed during the Vietnam War and became bedridden forever. As if granting Walker his powers, Black Racer shook his hand, and in an instant, the Sergeant recovered from his dysfunctions and was able to move, speak, and even stand.
It was then that the Black Racer appeared to have vanished into a pile of dust, leaving his red and blue armor behind. Sergeant Walker suddenly felt more powerful than ever, as though he was more than just himself. And so, he put on Black Racer’s armor and became a puppet for the aspect of death, gaining all of Black Racer’s powers in the process and aiming to fulfill his wishes. Willie Walker was chosen by the Source to wield this power.
He had a mission to complete, and he knew how to do it. So, he put on the authentic skis and flew towards his quarry. On the other hand, another powerful being has set foot in the same city on Earth where Black Racer is. Orion is the second son of Darkseid and a war God from New Genesis. He has arrived in order to save the people of Earth from the secret war with the enemies who serve Darkseid, the ruler of Apokolips.
These enemies are human beings, but they have been corrupted by Darkseid, and as a result, they must be stopped from inflicting the destruction that is at play. In the guise of a human, along with his human companion Lincoln, Orion finds the minions of Darkseid with the help of the mother box. The Intergang, an organized crime group, connected to Apokolips, has been paid to plant a deadly bomb in the heart of the city, which would melt all communication metals within thousands of miles of it.
Orion arrives in time to fight the gang, but one of its members has fled with the bomb in a truck to continue their task. But Black Racer is already in pursuit of the man. With the help of his ski pole, he manages to trigger the anti-gravity circuits of the bomb, and the truck, along with the man and bomb, is sent flying into the sky. After it reaches a safe distance from the city, the mother box sends out her death signal, and the bomb goes off.
Black Racer returns to the ghetto of Sergeant Willie Walker, who has been turned into one of the many messengers that make up the one entity, that is, Black Racer. He touches his helmet and returns to his bedridden paralyzed state.
A Brief History of the Black Racer
The Black Racer is the personification of death, and since time immemorial, like the grim reaper, it has been the duty of the Black Racer to collect the souls of the New Gods. After Darkseid had conquered Apokolips, he captured the Black Racer in order to have him under his control and imprisoned him by merging him with a conscious host. Thus, making him the Dark God’s most powerful weapon.
The Black Racer always has several hosts, one of which has also been Mister Miracle, Highfather’s lost son, who was forcibly linked to the Black Racer. However, he was eventually released and replaced by another. The Black Racer even took over Barry Allen for a brief time, nearly shattering the Flash’s spirit in the process.
One time, on Apokolips, the Black Racer was called by Darkseid to make sure that Cyborg does not perish since the Anti-Life Equation lives in his cybernetic body. But by corrupting the Equation itself, Darkseid succumbs to its crushing misery. DeSaad, Darkseid’s servant, was terrified by the extreme consequences of the Anti-Life Equation on his master. However, the Black Racer had a fun time upon seeing Darkseid’s plot blow up in his own face.
He declared that it was time for him to die. But due to the dire effects of the Anti-Life Equation, Darkseid managed to unleash his endless wrath on the Black Racer, murdering his avatar in the process, and then descended into Apokolips’ core which caused it to explode. But since Black Racer can’t exactly be killed, he soon assumed a new form and reappeared among the ruins of Apokolips, where he saw the Anti-Living Darkseid burst free from the cooled molten core of the dead planet.
What makes Black Racer so powerful?
The Black Racer’s deadliest ability is his fatal touch. He has the power to end the lives of even gods with just a single touch. In addition to his extraordinary strength, the Black Racer possesses abilities that help him in the pursuit of his target. Unlike the Gods who take help from the mother box, the Black Racer is able to find his quarry all by himself.
He uses his cosmic skis to fly around, quite similar to how the Silver Surfer uses a surfboard. As discussed before, we saw the extent of his superhuman speed through which he was easily able to chase after Lightray without giving him much breathing room. It is as commendable as his confidence in catching his victims.
Besides that, he was even able to effortlessly jump over a fierce, light-speed holocaust that Lightray unleashed on him. The Black Racer is fearlessly able to pass through the stars and travel the cosmos. He can detect when a god is on the brink of death and can easily hunt them down in order to fulfill his duty of collecting their souls. And that is what makes him so powerful.
Although the only thing over which the Black Racer has no control is that regardless of his own wishes, he has to submit to the will of destiny, which might also alter his journey and direct him to where he is needed the most.
The new Black Racer from Future State
The Future State has revealed the most recent incarnation of one of its most formidable beings. The new Black Racer, as introduced in one of the backup storylines in Future State: Superman – Worlds of War issue #1, is a young woman called Tanda. She used to be a racer who was distracted at a risky turn by a strange figure gazing back at her through her reflection.
This resulted in a crash, and Tanda was declared, much to the sorrow of her pals Talla and Dees. But she miraculously came back to life under unknown circumstances. She does not appear to be able to die like other ordinary people. This reveals to us the first suggestion of her having attained Black Racer’s powers. The story is juxtaposed with her present experiences in Warworld.
Tanda is determined to find Talla, who is supposedly somewhere on Warworld. But as she passes the imprisoned working class, she realizes her conscience will not allow her to just leave them there to die. This is the moment that implies Tanda has the potential to become a great hero, with the sort of instinctive morality that will also inspire confidence in figures like Superman and Batman.
If Black Racer is able to leave Warworld, it is probably that she will have the capacity to become a mighty and talented hero. However, there is still uncertainty regarding what her abilities truly entail and the obligations they may impose on her. Given her abilities and the fact that perhaps the reflection she saw during her race appeared to be Willie Walker, the previous version of Black Racer, Tanda has most certainly acquired his connection with the death.
This could account for her apparent inability to die. But let us also not forget that this also suggests that she may be forced to take over Willie Walker’s mantle as an avatar of death. So, Tanda will just have to fight back the natural urge that comes with her newfound powers if she intends to transform the Black Racer into a more heroic and noble kind of character in the world. Fans can only hope for Tanda to bring the most unlikely change to Black Racer’s character.
The Black Racer’s arrival can send shivers down the spine of even a spinless creature. And if we take the example of Lightray, it appears that it would be pointless to try and outrun him. Because one thing is certain: if an entity such as the Black Racer has chosen you as a target, he will go to any length to grab onto your soul. Riding across the vast universe in his black armor and cosmic skis, the Black Racer is also comparable to Death of the Endless.
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