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Darkseid
Also referred to as "The Darkness" and "Our Dark Lord" (by his minions), Darkseid was unleashed when Clark used the Book of Rao to banish Major Zod and the Kandorians from Earth. Briefly spotted forming out of ravens and smoke at the end of the Season 10 premiere, he later body-jacks Gordon Godfrey, using him to spread a message of hatred and fear against vigilantes over the airwaves. Driven out of his host due to Kara's interference, Darkseid is later referenced by his agents Desaad, Granny Goodness and the newly-appointed Godfrey at the end of "Abandoned" before appearing, almost fully formed, to Earth-2 Lionel at the end of "Scion."
Without a host body, Darkseid remained a dreaded figure within Smallville's tenth season. He was said to be the ultimate evil that Jor-El warned Clark about, and was making plans to bring the Justice League and, eventually, the world, to its knees.
In the Grand Finale, Darkseid appears to Earth-2 Lionel as he lays dying of a gunshot wound, and Lionel makes a deal with the Dark Lord to resurrect Lex; Darkseid rips out Lionel's heart and puts it into Lex's new cloned body. Later, Darkseid confronts Clark, possessing Lionel's corpse. He attempts to destroy Clark, but Clark masters his power of flight and flies right through Darkseid, destroying his vessel.
- Adaptational Wimp: While still powerful and dangerous, compared to his comic self who is more than a match for a fully powered Superman, Darkseid here is more reliant on manipulation and corruption to achieve his goals. He's defeated quickly when Superman smashes through his host body. Darkseid also lacks his trademark Omega Beams. The Season Eleven comics indicate this was due to Darkseid not having fully manifested in his true physical form and being over reliant on a physical host to tether him to the mortal plane.
- Alternate Self: This isn't Darkseid's only form. He has another one on Earth-1.
- Ancient Evil: Has been around since the dawn of humanity and is a being of pure evil.
- Antagonistic Offspring: His son Orion, who was raised by his opposite Highfather and became one of his greatest enemies.
- Big Bad: Of Season 10.
- Black Eyes of Evil: When possessing someone.
- Body Surf: Possesses Godfrey in "Supergirl," then Desaad in "Masquerade," and finally Earth-2 Lionel in "Finale."
- Composite Character: Granny Goodness gives a list of his aliases which include Lucifer Morningstar, who is a completely separate character in the comics.
- The Corrupter: Apparently, as of "Patriot."
- Dark Is Evil: Is called "The Darkness", his true form is a swirling cloud of darkness; in the comics, this was a given as his name was Dark-seid, but this version really adds to the association of shadows and darkness.
- Deal with the Devil: The end of "Scion" suggests that he offers one to Earth-2 Lionel.
- As it turns out, the deal is bringing Lex back to life in exchange for Lionel's soul and use of his body.
- Demonic Possession: Can do it to anyone who has even the slightest bit of doubt or fear in their heart.
- Devil, but No God: Downplayed. While Darkseid and his forces are the only New Gods who show up in the show, his opposite number Highfather is alluded to and his heroic son Orion is referenced as having defeated Darkseid in the past.
- The Dreaded: Instills utter fear in those who know of him.
- Eldritch Abomination: The comic Darkseid was a Physical God, but this one is a living cloud of darkness and hate.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Par for the course with Darkseid, though.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: In his real form.
- Grand Theft Me: Seems to be his goal for Clark.
- Ends up using Earth-2 Lionel instead. See above.
- Historical Rap Sheet: Darkseid is indicated to have been behind some of the bloodiest eras in human history including the Spanish Inquisition and World War II.
- I Have Many Names: Lucifer and Hades are mentioned as other names Darkseid has held.
- Large and in Charge: If his size during his appearance before Earth-2 Lionel is any indicator.
- The Man Behind the Man: The monster behind Slade Wilson and the Vigilante Registration Act.
- Mythology Gag: Darkseid is heavily based off his depiction in Final Crisis with his non-corporal form, reliance on Demonic Possession, and focus on corrupting people.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Darkseid didn't set off any warning klaxons?
- Obviously Evil: He is an Eldritch Abomination that manifests as living darkness, he has a booming, deep voice, is called the "Dark Lord" by his followers, and when possessing someone, they get Black Eyes of Evil. Considering his attitude, he likely doesn't care.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Had blue eyes in his first appearance in "Lazarus," but they were retconned to this as early as "Supergirl."
- Satanic Archetype: Inverted. In "Finale," Granny Goodness claims that he's the inspiration for the legend of the Trope Namer, not the other way around.
- Truer to the Text: Darkseid in Season Eleven looks closer to his traditional comic depiction, having regained his physical form and using the Omega Beams.
- Weaksauce Weakness: He can't possess people who are "pure"—that is, free of fear and doubt. This isn't as handicapping as it might sound, though, because no one can remain in that state permanently. People he fails to control the first time may not be so lucky a second time.
- Worf Had the Flu: In his Season Eleven appearance, Darkseid states that Clark only beat him because he was nowhere near his true strength.
Gordon Godfrey
- Played by: Michael Daingerfield
A right-wing DJ with an anti-immigration and anti-vigilante stance, Godfrey is possessed by Darkseid in Season 10's "Supergirl." Under Darkseid's control, he begins attracting a vastly-expanded audience and publishes a book purported to be an exposé on vigilante activity. He also kidnaps Lois and uses her as bait to draw in Clark. Defeated by Clark and Kara, Godfrey is freed from Darkseid's control.
In "Abandoned," it is revealed that Darkseid isn't done with Godfrey yet, though, with Desaad introducing him to Granny Goodness as the third member of their "Unholy Trinity." His task, according to Desaad, is to break humanity's spirit, forcing them away from their saviors and into the dark.
- Adaptational Name Change: His real name Glorious Godfrey from the comics, is never mentioned since he's just a human here..
- Adaptational Species Change: A human minion of Darkseid rather than a New God like the comics.
- Alliterative Name: Gordon Godfrey.
- Alternate Self: Has one named Ned Foster on Earth-Prime.
- Bald of Evil: Hardly has a strand of hair on his head.
- Black Eyes of Evil: When possessed by Darkseid.
- Co-Dragons: To Darkseid, with Desaad and Granny.
- Composite Character: As a human servant of Darkseid and media personality, he takes on aspects of the comics Morgan Edge that weren't carried over to the Smallvile version of Edge.
- Dark Messiah: Seems to view himself as such, as of "Abandoned."Godfrey: So I do have a higher purpose in life.
- Demonic Possession: In "Supergirl," courtesy of Darkseid.
- Dumbass DJ: Starts out this way.
- Jerkass: To the point where Darkseid body-jacked him and liked what he saw.
- Malicious Slander: Of heroes in general, and The Blur in particular, whom he accuses of being a deformed freak.
- Mook Promotion: He's originally just another of Darkseid's host bodies. As of "Abandoned," however, he's been promoted to the same status as Desaad and Granny Goodness, acting as a villain in his own right and completing the third point of a very nasty Terrible Trio. Not bad.
- Mouth of Sauron: Brings Darkseid's message to the general public, speaking with his voice.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: A not-insignificant number of reviewers have compared his portrayal to Glenn Beck or Alex Jones.
- Propaganda Machine: Heads one.
- Villain with Good Publicity: He gets many fans.
Granny Goodness
- Played by: Christine Willes
An old woman who runs an orphanage for girls, Granny Goodness is far more than she appears. She first shows up in the Season 9 finale where she saves Tess from death by delivering her to Cadmus Labs. She later re-appears in Season 10's "Abandoned," where the full truth about her is unveiled: She is one of Darkseid's agents, tasked with recruiting soldiers for Darkseid. Indoctrinating the girls from a young age, Granny mind-wipes them, then raises them to be Tykebombs totally loyal to herself with no respect for human life.
Sweet and sugary on the outside, but with a ramrod spine, Granny is devoted to Darkseid's mission to Take Over the World, and her considerable psychic gifts make her uniquely suited to help him accomplish it.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Unlike her bulky, nasty-looking comic book counterpart, this version of Granny has the appearance of a regular old lady.
- Alliterative Name: Granny Goodness.
- Alternate Self: Has three, one on Earth-1 as herself, on Earth-Prime she's Eleanor Roosevelt, and on an undesignated Earth she's the governor of Kansas.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: In sharp contrast to the openly homicidal Granny of the comics.
- Break Them by Talking: She attempts this with Clark in "Abandoned" about his pain over his biological parents supposedly abandoning him. It doesn't exactly have an impact.
- Co-Dragons: To Darkseid, along with Desaad and Godfrey.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: She seems to genuinely care about Tess to the point that, in the Grand Finale, she gives [her one last chance to join Darkseid and therefore survive the coming of Apokolips.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Her distaste for Desaad definitely colors her attitude towards him, though not enough to stop her from working with him.
- Evil Mentor: To the Female Furies and Tess.
- Evil Old Folks: An evil granny.
- Evil Virtues: Seems to genuinely love her girls, at least in her own warped way.
- Family-Values Villain: If her disgust towards Desaad's Fetish clubs is any indicator.
- Fluffy the Terrible: Don't let her name fool you.
- Iron Lady: Despite her insanity.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Deletes the memories of her girls, leaving them open to being manipulated into becoming Darkseid's minions. She later attempts this with Clark.
- Mind over Matter: Given her ability to throw people around with a gesture, this is a pretty safe bet.
- Mind Rape: How she turns people into servants for Darkseid. She and Maxwell Lord would get along well.
- Never Mess with Granny: Evil version.
- Orphanage of Fear: Runs one.
- Straight Edge Evil: For a sharp contrast with Desaad.
- Telepathy: Has this power.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Granny actually thinks she's the good guy, and that the people she brainwashes into serving Darkseid are better off.
Female Furies—Harriet (Lindsay Hartley))
A group of girls raised by Granny Goodness to become Darkseid's fighting elite. They are led by Harriet, a psychotic girl with Wolverine Claws and a fondness for cutting people up. In "Abandoned," they manage to capture Clark, although he quickly escapes from them.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Reproducing Harriet's green hair would have probably been tricky.
- Adaptational Species Change: They are depicted as humans rather than New Gods.
- Bare-Fisted Monk: One of the girls, presumably Stompa, comes after Clark with just hands and feet during the start of the fight.
- Designated Girl Fight: Harriet vs Tess.
- The Dragon: Harriet to Granny Goodness.
- Poisoned Weapons: The girls' weapons are forged in Kryptonite flames. They don't totally de-power Clark the way regular Green Rocks do, but they can cut him and act as a poison once in his system.
- Tyke-Bomb: Raised from childhood to be Dark Action Girls. They're all pretty damaged from it.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: We never find out what became of them after "Abandoned" and they don't show up in the finale.
Desaad
- Played by: Steve Byers
The third member of Darkseid's "Unholy Trinity", Desaad maintains a series of eponymously-titled Fetish clubs. Sleazy and obsequious, he has stated that his task is to "bind their [humanity's] bodies," while Godfrey and Granny attack their spirits and minds respectively. Beneath Club Desaad, he maintains a series of torture cells in which he imprisons, breaks and then corrupts his victims, who range from club-goers to undercover FBI agents. Devoted to Darkseid body and soul, he may well be the most powerful of the ultimate evil's minions, and acts as first among equals.
First appearing at a meeting with Granny and Godfrey near the end of "Abandoned," Desaad re-appears in "Masquerade" as the target of a Serial Killer hunt that Clark and Lois are participating in. Unbeknownst to them, Chloe and Oliver are also investigating Club Desaad, which leads to the former being captured and tortured by Desaad. Though Clark ultimately saves her, Desaad has the last laugh,branding Oliver with the Omega symbol, before allowing himself to be captured. He later frees himself and is the one who presents Oliver with the Gold K ring he will use against Clark.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Comic Book Desaad was an ugly, broken-down old man. This version is played by a former Soap Opera star.
- Adaptational Badass: In the comics, Desaad's a Dirty Coward who suffers from Chronic Backstabbing Disorder and has no real powers. This version's a mind raping telepath who took on Superman on a pretty even footing.
- Alternate Self: Has two, one on Earth-Prime as a normal human named Tom and one on Earth-1 as himself.
- Black Eyes of Evil: When confronting Clark.
- Bondage Is Bad: BDSM is one of the activities that Desaad promotes at his clubs. There's a certain degree of
Fridge Brilliance here—if people have a fetish for being dominated, they just might be easier to control. - Card-Carrying Villain: Desaad has no illusions about how evil Darkseid is, and revels in the idea.
- Co-Dragons: To Darkseid, with Godfrey and Granny. He's implied to be the oldest of the trio.
- Combat Sadomasochist: Seems to get off on being punched by Oliver.
- Coolest Club Ever: Runs the Fetish-oriented Club Desaad. It's like a combination of Bad Guy Bar and Vampires Own Nightclubs.
- The Corrupter: Which, given that he works for Smallville's Satan analogue, makes a lot of sense. Tried and failed on Chloe but Oliver is a lot easier.
- Creepy Mortician: Does a great impression of one.
- Dystopia Justifies the Means: Will cross any lines to bring about Darkseid's rule over the world.
- The End of the World as We Know It: Is working towards the end of human civilization. Unlike Granny and Godfrey, he seems to grasp the implications of that.
- Evil Brit: His accent edges towards this at times.
- Flaw Exploitation: Exploits Chloe's ego and Oliver's rage, failing with Chloe but succeeding admirably with Oliver.
- If I Can't Have You…: Uses his club to brand people with the Omega symbol. Anyone he can't contaminate becomes his next target.
- Loves the Sound of Screaming: Just look at his sickening smile when he mentions that Chloe died screaming. Don't worry, he's lying.
- Man of Wealth and Taste: Wears a suit and tie while torturing his victims.
- Manipulative Bastard: Preys on his victim's insecurities and flaws.
- Mind over Matter: Can throw people around like rag dolls, induce hemorrhages with a thought, can get into people's heads in order to corrupt them, and even temporarily pins Clark with a wave of force.
- Mind Rape: When torturing his victims, he employs imagery from their minds in order to break them.
- Meaningful Name
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Named for the Marquis De Sade. You know, the one that "sadism" is named after?
- Nightmare Fetishist: Desaad practically worships the notions of horror and evil, viewing himself as a prophet of the Apocalypse and relishing every second of it.
- Older Than They Look: Hinted at. He does tell Chloe he's been in this game for a long time.
- Religion of Evil: Worships Darkseid (and notions of evil in general), sees himself as a prophet of the end, and uses a lot of (satanic) religious imagery when describing their goals. It's fair to say he's a member of one of these.
- Serial Killer: Kills anyone he cannot corrupt by causing massive hemorrhages, then dumps the bodies.
- Seven Deadly Sins: Tempts his victims with them, and references them constantly. He uses Pride to nearly break Chloe and successfully traps Oliver with Wrath.
- Strike Me Down with All of Your Hatred!: Tries it on Chloe when tempting her with Wrath; successfully manipulates Oliver into a non-fatal variant.
- Telepathy: Is able to get inside his victims' minds and unearth all their doubts and sins, unleashing them against them.
- Torture Technician: And boy does he enjoy it.
