Mongul est un personnage de DC Comics et un ennemi de Superman. Créé par Len Wein & Jim Starlin dans DC Comics Presents #27 en novembre 1980.

Jeph Loeb crée un second Mongul, le fils du premier, dans Showcase '95 #8 en septembre 1995.

Jim Starlin crée un personnage ressemblant à Thanos de la société Marvel créé en 1973. Dans le classement 2009 d'IGN, Mongul est 41e du top 100 Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.

Biographie

Bronze Age (1980-1985)
Mongul was the ruler of his own alien race until a revolution occurred, and he was exiled into outer space. In his first appearance, Mongul kidnaps Superman's friends (Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Steve Lombard), threatening to kill them unless the hero brings him the key that can activate the artificial planet Warworld. After retrieving the key, he activates Warworld. Psychically linked with its controls, Mongul tries to destroy Superman and Supergirl. Mongul is ultimately rendered unconscious by a massive mental strain caused from using its controls, but manages to escape before the heroes destroy Warworld.

Mongul then tries to conquer Throneworld, the home planet of Prince Gavyn, one of the heroes who have used the name Starman. Mongul murders Gavyn's sister and forces his love into marrying him in order to usurp the throne of the empire for himself. He uses Throneworld's planet-destroying weapon to blackmail the resident planets into obedience. Superman arrives and battles Mongul, while Starman disables the weapon. Mongul retreats. Mongul, now wanting revenge on Superman, kills a Controller and steals the Sun-Eater to devour the Earth's sun. While the Justice League of America and Legion of Super-Heroes battle Mongul, Superman finally defeats him as the Legion destroys the Sun-Eater.

Mongul eventually attacks Superman on his birthday and ensnares him with a Black Mercy, an alien plant that fed off a victims "bio-aura" while rendering the victim incapable of fighting back, giving them their own perfect "dream world" in return. In the end, thanks to Robin, Mongul becomes the plant's next victim and dreams of himself as ruler of the universe. The story "For the Man Who Has Everything" was written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons.


Modern Age (1985-Present)
After the 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC Comics retconned the histories of some major characters to update them for contemporary audiences. The original stories involving Mongul were no longer in continuity, and the character was reintroduced as the ruler of Warworld, a space empire where Mongul entertains the citizens with gladiatorial games. Mongul captures Superman for use in the games, but Superman joins forces with alien warrior called Draaga and makes Mongul flee. Mongul is then persuaded via torture to serve the Cyborg Superman to gain vengeance on Superman and to try to turn the Earth into another Warworld. In the process, Green Lantern Hal Jordan's home, Coast City, is destroyed, which leads to Jordan joining Superman and his allies to defeat Mongul.

After his defeat, Mongul is imprisoned for intergalactic criminals only to break out during a riot. His first target is Green Lantern; he learns that the one whom he faced (Kyle Rayner), is not the one he fought earlier. Mongul is defeated when Kyle's ring shows no weakness to yellow. Mongul is re-imprisoned.

Mongul breaks out of the Lunar penal colony, killing everyone there including prisoners who are left to die in the vacuum of space. His ship is almost wrecked and he is near death; he is teleported to a planet and saved. In return, he takes over the planet and ends up being left alone as the inhabitants prefer dying due to a virus than his tyranny. Until he ends up finding two babies immune to the virus (a story started in Showcase 95 #7, with the two babies appearing in Showcase 95 #8; reprinted in DC Universe Special Superman #1).

Mongul is later defeated on Earth by Wally West (the Flash) when Mongul tries to unearth a starship left from one of the Darkstars' enemies underneath Keystone City. The Flash easily defeats Mongul. The Flash seemingly uses Mongul to test his new upgraded powers. During the battle, Wally is only hit one time by the giant hulking Mongul. Flash uses his super speed to quickly confuse and defeat Mongul and has him imprisoned in the Slab, a prison for super villains (Flash #102, reprinted in DC Universe Special Superman #1).

During the Underworld Unleashed storyline, the Demon Lord Neron offers supervillains (including Mongul) enhanced power in exchange for their souls, all by lighting a candle. Mongul's pride causes him to decline the offer and threatens Neron. In response, Neron beats Mongul to death for his defiance, taking his soul in the process.


Son of Mongul
Mongul's son, also named Mongul, appears to assist and train Superman, in preparation for the arrival of Imperiex. This Mongul seems to be more powerful than his father. He appears to have been killed later in the Our Worlds at War crossover, but returns during Infinite Crisis after learning from Despero that the Justice League has apparently been destroyed. His intention is to loot their Watchtower headquarters but he ends up fighting Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. He is almost killed by Wonder Woman before escaping via a working teleporter. The teleportation transports him to Earth, to menace Hal Jordan, the newly returned Green Lantern, by using the Black Mercy on him and Green Arrow. In the meantime, he seeks his sister, Mongal, to settle family squabbles. The heroes break free and use a teleporter to transport Mongul and Mongal to their home planet. Stating family to be a weakness, Mongul decapitates Mongal with a single blow to her head.

Mongul's origins depicts him as a child who wanted to be like his father. He made journeys and he watched digital renderings where his father fought against Superman and his allies and the destruction of Coast City. He copies his father's actions when he encounters a group of aliens whose spaceship crashes on Arkymandryte, turning them into his slaves. Mongul's father returns, and discovering his son's slaves, he kills the aliens and tells him only one being on the planet is worthy of adoration.

Mongul receives a Yellow power ring after breaking a dying Sinestro Corps member's neck (a later promotional image shows Mongul with the Yellow ring as well a Green Lantern Corps ring). Mongul offers the Sinestro Corps inductees a choice: to serve him or die. He removes the ring from each one who refuses, and at one point had gained an extra five rings. He then attacks Arisia and Sodam Yat with Black Mercy plants, and takes them prisoner. He uses his ring to send thousands of Black Mercy seeds, which he had genetically engineered to bring the victims greatest fears to life, instead of their dreams, to several unsuspecting planets. In a confrontation with several members of the Green Lantern Corps, Mongul is defeated when the fly-like Lantern Bzzd flies through his eye, and he is thrown down to the Black Mercy's planet. He is last seen buried in soil, being used as food by the Black Mercys. However, he soon breaks free and escapes the planet, while keeping his rings and his right arm. His left arm had been severed in the process, but, through the power of his rings, Mongul is able to control and direct it. He attacks a nearby ship to get food for himself, killing the husband of the pilot. This inadvertently causes the woman to become the first recruit of the Star Sapphires, the violet Power Ring having been drawn to her by the void in her heart created by her loss. Mongul uses his left arm to invade the planet Daxam and establish it as the new homeworld for his faction of the Sinestro Corps under his command. However, he is challenged for the leadership by Arkillo. Defeating him in single combat, Mongul pulls out Arkillo's tongue and wears it as a necklace. In the process, he gains the loyalty of the faction of the Sinestro Corps loyal to Arkillo and complete rule over the planet Daxam, but draws on himself the attentions of Arisia and Sodam Yat, the Daxamite host for the Ion Entity. Upon the arrival of Arisia and Yat, several members of the Sinestro Corps are swiftly defeated and killed by Yat until his Superman-like powers fade under Daxam's red sun. Despite his power loss and Mongul's incredible strength, Yat does battle with him, using the Ion power to briefly launch Mongul into space, before entering Daxam's sun and transforming it from red to yellow, granting all Daxamites superpowers. The Daxamite's overwhelming attack forces Mongul to have the Sinestro Corps abandon Daxam, with the despot planning to make a different planet their home base.



Mongul takes the Sinestro Corps to Korugar, Sinestro's homeworld, having the inhabitants strung up along the streets. He also decides to rename the Sinestro Corps as "The Mongul Corps", after himself. Soon after, Sinestro is brought to Korugar and confronts Mongul. Then, using an override built into Mongul's rings, Sinestro defeats him, thus reclaiming the Sinestro Corps. Then, he imprisons Mongul in the Corps' central power battery, intending to kill him once the Black Lantern Corps is dealt with.