History: (Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #2 (fb)) - Drax was the son of queen mother Heggra, and won her favor because he was a mighty and brave warrior. Heggra was disgusted by her son Uxas, who was a schemer who refused to lift a hand in warfare. Uxas was jealous of his brother, and schemed to bring him low with the help of Desaad, one of the only gods Drax called a friend. Apokolips and New Genesis called a peace and Izaya the Inheritor visited Apokolips to visit Drax, whom he considered a worthy adversary as well as a friend. They had a rowdy arm-wrestling contest, which Drax lost after Uxas distracted him. Izaya and Drax rode their steeds under the stars, and Drax admitted he looked forward to the next war. Izaya told him that even though legend said that all the good of the Old Gods went to New Genesis, and all the evil to Apokolips, that was no reason to be slaves to prophecy. They shook hands, and agreed that so long as they were friends their worlds would not go to war.

(Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #3 (fb)) - Uxas told his mother that Drax had decided to be a peacemaker, and shook hands with Izaya the Inheritor. Heggra found this hilarious, and warned her son that he must prove his Apokoliptan worth by soon taking a wife and the god-power that was rightfully his. Drax assured his mother he’d take a wife and the god-power when the time was right, but he had reasons for his delays. Desaad got in his ear, and told him that the patience of Apokolips was wearing thin after he’d let the god-power slip through his hands five times. Drax replied that his way was difficult, he was meant to harness the Omega Force, a power that had destroyed all those who’d previously tried to wield it. Desaad said it was because the others were usurpers, not part of the royal house, and Drax reminded him that their royal house came into power by usurping those before them through treachery. Drax said he feared the dark side of the Omega Force, and Uxas got into the conversation, predicting that he’d just chosen his name, “Darkseid,” a name from the books of lore that none before dared to claim. Uxas told him he shouldn’t fear fear, because it ruled the universe. Drax had enough of the pressure from his family, and their prattle, so he agreed to undergo the rite of passage. Desaad presented him with the armor he designed to contain the Omega Force, ablue and purple military garb. Drax admitted his mind was flooded with emotion, but that by death or transformation, Drax would not exist in a day.

(Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #4 (fb) 5 (fb)) - Drax arrived at the Infinity Pit to seize the Omega Force, and Desaad and Drax urged him on. Drax was cautious, noting that the omega force had brought death to all who tried claim it, and when Uxas said his family were rulers, and of a sturdier stock, Drax replied that warfare and treachery that made them rulers did not make them superior. He told Uxas he viewed war as a last resort, even though his brother lived for it. Uxas corrected him that he lived for manipulating lives and making strategies, not war in and of itself. Drax was lowered into the pit, but found that his suit that was supposed to channel the energy was not working, and he was receiving the full brunt of the omega force. Desaad had sabotaged his suit on Uxaas’ orders, and stabbed the guards operating the pit. Uxas entered the pit to drain the omega force from his brother, who realized the treachery he’d fallen into. Desaad was at the controls of the pit, but he couldn’t stop a power surge that resulted in an enormous explosion. The only thing left of Drax was a chrysalis filled with omega energy, and Uxas had worn the proper suit that let him channel the energy properly. Desaad was pleased with their success, since the whole scheme had taken a century to plan and unfold. Uxas took his god name as Darkseid, and Heggra was pleased. She secretly hated Drax for his peace-loving ways, and had raised Uxas so he’d turn against him.

(Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #17 (fb), 18 (fb)) - Drax survived the destruction of the Infinity Pit, and his charred and broken body was hurled through time and space before landing on the idyllic planet of Adon, where he was approached by a cosmic being known as the Infinity Man. The Infinity Man tended to his wounds, and revealed that he was once the New God Astorr, who sought the power of the Infinity Pit. He was the last in a long line of gods that failed to wield the power, but the brief connection to the Source gave them cosmic powers. Infinity Man’s time and life were at an end, and he gave Drax his armor, and access to the vast stores of knowledge accumulated by their predecessors. They all knew that if someone finally claimed the power of the Infinity Pit, they’d be a cosmic menace, and their prediction was right, because the heartless Darkseid now wielded that power. Drax, now the Infinity Man, vowed to stop his brother’s reign of terror, but he would need to find a link to the finite, to the universe beyond Adon.

(Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #19 (fb)) - Highfather received a message from the Source, Infinity Man, once Darkseid’s brother Drax, needed a way to enter New Genesis from his home on Adon, and asked Highfather to gather five exceptional children. Highfather approached the parents of Beautiful Dreamer, Big Bear, Serifan, Vykin and Mark Moonrider, and told them their children had a special mission, and would need training beyond that which was given to other youths of New Genesis. He presented the children with mother boxes, and asked the children to return in five years. After that time passed the children returned and lived together, being taught to synchronize their thoughts. After another five years of training Highfather knew they were ready. By assembling their mother boxes into one unit, and speaking the word “Taruu” they switched places with Infinity Man on Adon. Infinity Man promised they were safe, and could return to New Genesis. He dubbed his new charges the Forever People.

(Forever People I #1, Jack Kirby's Fourth World #20) - The Infinity Man became associated with the Forever People, who could summon him by touching their Mother Box and speaking the word Taaru, at which point they would switch places with the Infinity Man. Darkseid kidnapped Beautiful Dreamer and brought her to Earth to force her to decipher the anti-life equation. The Forever People followed, making their presence known to Earth. Superman aided the Forever People, and when they found Darkseid's Intergang hq the Forever People switched out with Infinity Man and defeated Darkseid's Gravi-Guards. Darkseid found that Dreamer's unique mind would not submit to him, so he freed her.

(Forever People I #2) - The Forever People explored the city, and caused a traffic jam by parking the super-cycle in the middle of the street. A police officer asked the cosmic hippies to find somewhere else to loiter, and they came to an abandoned lot of buildings watched over by security guard Uncle Willie and his nephew Donnie. The pair offered the Forever People shelter in the building they lived in, but while watching television the Forever People saw Mantis running rampant in the city, claiming Earth as his conquest. The People switched with Infinity Man and did battle with Mantis, draining his power with the infini-beam and forcing him to return to his power-pod.

(Forever People I #3) - The Forever People learned that Glorious Godfrey was converting willing humans into a mindless army for Darkseid, the Justifiers. The Forever People approached one of Godfrey’s rallies to recruit more Justifiers and switched places with Infinity Man. Infinity Man disrupted the rally and destroyed the organ Godfrey used to hypnotize new candidates, but Darkseid appeared and used his omega beams to send Infinity Man back to his home space, returning the Forever People. Darkseid’s henchman Desaad subdued the Forever People, and the Justifiers took them to Desaad’s Camp of the Damned, where he was searching for a human mind that possessed the Anti-Life Equation.

(Forever People I #11) - Infinity Man found himself stranded in a remote corner of the universe surrounded by an impenetrable barrier. He constantly tried to pass the barrier, but each attempt severly damaged him, and he was forced to retreat to an idyllic paradise planet to heal. Darkseid sent Devilance the Pursuer to eradicate the Forever People, and they bravely fought him at their boarding house. When the fight went against them they used Mother Box to teleport across the globe, but they couldn’t shake the Pursuer. The Pursuer had an advantage because he knew they’d never take another’s life, and prepared to finish them off on a Pacific island. Infinity Man finally pierced the barrier of his prison and received the thoughts of the Forever People, who then switched places with him. Infinity Man and the Pursuer battled, and their cataclysmic fight blew up the island that served as their battleground, and they were both lost in the resulting destruction. The Forever People found themselves on the planet of paradise where Infinity Man had been imprisoned, and decided to make the best of their new life.

(New Gods III #25, 26) - Desaad engineered a nuclear disaster, and would only halt it if Beautiful Dreamer gave him possession of Maya, who would be a great source of power to Apokolips. The Forever people refused, and Beautiful Dreamer wondered if they were wrong in assuming that Infinity Man was dead, believing that he existed so long as they lived. They summoned Infinity Man, and alongside Orion they prevented the nuclear disaster.

Comments: Created by Jack Kirby.

Infinity Man received a profile in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #11.

There was a pin-up of the Infinity Man in the Fourth World Gallery.

Infinity Man had cameos in Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #1 & New Gods III #24

All characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © DC Comics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please visit The Official DC Comics Site at: http://www.batman.com