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One of Superman’s most dangerous villains from the Pre-Crisis DC Universe is essentially DC’s version of Cthulhu, and it may finally be returning.
The DC Universe is full of powerful entities that effectively live as gods compared to the rest of the universe. But there’s one being at the heart of DC’s ultimate prison that once encountered (and easily overwhelmed) one of the most powerful incarnations of Superman, and it might be on an entirely different level than any other threat. What is the Aethyr — the DC equivalent of Cthulhu?
The Phantom Zone, by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan, delved into the Pre-Crisis history of the titular realm utilized by the scientists of Krypton. The miniseries primarily focused on Superman and his former Kryptonian enemy Quex-Ui, an escapee from the Phantom Zone. After having a change of heart and saving Superman from a Gold Kryptonite trap, he was left powerless and without his memories — eventually taking up the human identity of Charlie Kweskill. However, his connection to the Phantom Zone allowed other prisoners within that realm to reach out to him and manipulate him into freeing them. Trapped in the Phantom Zone in the process, Superman and “Charlie” race through the interdimensional prison to find an exit. Along the way, however, they encounter the being known as the Aethyr.
While in the Phantom Zone, the duo learns that Aethyr — otherwise known as the Oversoul — is a god like being that eternally slumbers. Its dreams and mindscape actually make up the Phantom Zone, explaining the dark elements of the realm. It is because of Aethyr that the souls trapped in the Phantom Zone for extended periods begin to warp and transform into monstrous new forms. To escape the realm, the pair must get closer to the being’s core, eventually confronting the Aethyr head-on. Describing itself as a deity, the Aethyr comes close to absorbing Superman and Quex-Ui into itself. However, the latter sacrifices himself by charging directly at the entity, only to be consumed by ethereal flames and have his soul completely obliterated. This gives a weakened Superman the chance to escape back to Earth.
The Aethyr would later reappear in DC Comics Presents #97 by Steve Gerber and Rick Veitch in an “untold tale of the Pre-Crisis Superman,” when the villainous wizard Thul-Kar was able to fuse the Aethyr and the reality-warping 5th-dimensional imp Mister Mxyzptlk. Unleashing the Phantom Zone criminals onto Earth, the Pre-Crisis Superman was almost overwhelmed when Mxyzptlk attained some semblance of control in the new fusion. However, the new god-like being departed, promising to never see Superman again as it spread its power to the Fifth Dimension. The Aethyr has not appeared much since the Pre-Crisis DC Universe.
However, the Aethyr has made some minor appearances in the 21st century — albeit in other realities removed from the core-DC Universe. In the video game Infinite Crisis, the Aethyr broke loose on a world and was barely beaten back by Superman. But Metropolis (and everyone Superman loved in the city) had been reduced to a haunting phantom-like state, shattering that Superman’s mind and completing his transformation into Nightmare Superman. The Aethyr was also revealed to exist within the Future State timeline, with an extended future Superman family that was trapped within the Phantom Zone barely escaping the realm as the Aethyr awakened once more, transforming the remaining prisoners into vengeful wraiths.
The Aethyr is one of DC’s most imposing and terrifying figures. Capable of overwhelming the impossibly powerful Pre-Crisis Superman and on par with the reality-warping Mister Mxyzptlk, the Aethyr is quietly one of the most powerful threats in the entire DC universe. If it were to be fully unleashed, it could serve as DC’s answer to Marvel’s Shuma-Gorath or a superhero-tinted version of Cthulhu. If it were fully unleashed, it could bring about the destruction of everything in existence. Its brief appearance in Future State teases that it could one day awaken and become a threat to all living things.
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