Vandal Savage

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He is as classy and charming as he is vicious and cold-blooded.

Send me your superheroes from past, present OR future. I'll kill all of them.

Vandal Savage, DC One Million Vol. 1, #2

Vandal Savage is a DC Comics super-villain created by writer Alfred Bester and artist Martin Nodell. He first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 1, # 10 (Winter, 1943) as an enemy of Alan Scott, the Green Lantern of the Golden Age. Since then, he has appeared across various DC Comics titles and clashed with individual superheroes and superhero teams.

Savage's history goes back to prehistoric times. Previously known as Vandar Adg (translated as Vandar The Stone) of the Cro-Magnon Blood Tribe, in 50,000 B.C. he encountered a meteor that fell to Earth one cold night. Depending on the version of the character, he either lapsed into a coma from its radiations or willingly slept near the meteor for warmth; either way, in the process, he was bathed in its rays and ended up as an immortal being.

Since then he has appeared throughout history under different aliases and in different positions of power among different empires, all to further his own aims of eventual global conquest. Due to his immortality, he's had several lifetimes to acquire great combat, military, tactical and leadership skills, and is vastly knowledgeable in the world's history, sciences, arts and technology--adding to this, in all versions of the character, the meteor's power also gave him Super Intelligence. He possesses superior physical strength and endurance, can heal from most wounds, is versed in magic, and is able to create inter-dimensional warps.

He is the leader of the DC Universe's Illuminati, and has also been associated with the Secret Society of Super-Villains and the Injustice Society. He was also part of the inner circle of Libra's Society during Final Crisis.

His primary archenemy is the Immortal Man, who also hails from the Cro-Magnon period and gained the power of repeated reincarnation from the same meteor Savage got his powers from. Following The Immortal Man's death, the title of archenemy for Savage went to the Resurrection Man, an unrelated superhero with similar powers.

Savage has also fought against the Teen Titans, the Outsiders, the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America, and butted heads with individual heroes such as Superman, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Hawkman, both versions of The Question, Rip Hunter and the Ray.

Savage also appeared in the DC Animated Universe's Justice League series (voiced by Phil Morris), as the Big Bad of the three-part episode "The Savage Time" and the two-part "Maid of Honor," and he also appeared in the second half of the two-part "Hereafter." He has also appeared in DC Universe Online (voiced by Brian Talbot) and more recently he has appeared in the Young Justice animated series (voiced by Miguel Ferrer) and the animated movie, Justice League Doom (with Phil Morris reprising the role).

He was ranked the 36th "Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time" by IGN in 2009.

Some of the comic book titles where Vandal Savage has appeared:
Vandal Savage provides examples of the following tropes:

Vandal Savage: (about Superman's "death" in the past) Your funeral was lovely. It was on all the networks. I used to have the DVD.
Superman: I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Vandal Savage: As a matter of fact, I did. But I've had 30,000 years to reconsider.

Vandal Savage: Say, you want to come over to my house?
Superman: (gives him a look)
Vandal Savage: Like you've got something better to do.

    • And later in the same episode:

Superman: Self-help books? You don't seem the type.
Vandal Savage: I read whatever I can find. Anyway, I've got issues, what with my destroying the Earth and all.

Green Lantern: Say your prayers, Savage!
Vandal Savage: A god doesn't grovel.

Hawkman: The liar! He was never Cheops! What a blowhard!

Vandal Savage: Who would have thought the ubermensch would be green?
Martian Manhunter: Ubermensch?
Vandal Savage: The superior man.