Only days ago, DC revealed that Darkseid would be making his live-action debut in the upcoming New Gods movie. Not only will you want to collect the God of Evil's key issues, but you'll want to be on the lookout for the first appearance of his signature weapon, the Anti-Life Equation.
SUPERMAN'S PAL JIMMY OLSEN #134
The first of two cameo appearances for Darkseid, he made his first overall appearance in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134. This has always been a popular issue given Darkseid's massive fanbase. If you don't have your copy, don't fret; prices haven't begun to skyrocket, but they will once audiences get their first look at Darkseid in a trailer. The high grades are staying in the $800-$1,200 range, which is fairly typical for this issue. The best value is the mid-grades, with a graded 4.5 averaging $155.
Forever People #1 marks the third overall and first full appearance of the ruler of Apokolips. As the story goes, Jack Kirby created Darkseid to be the foil for the New Gods and the Forever People. When both those series were cancelled, Darkseid was so popular that he was folded into the larger DCU and became a Justice League adversary, which I expect will happen in the DCEU.
This is one of those rare cases when the first cameo appearance outshines the first full appearance in terms of price. Surprisingly, the 90-day averages for nearly every grade of Forever People #1 is down compared to the 2018 averages, but that's good news for collectors. Everything up to an 8.5 has a three-month fair market value under $200. Want to spend less than that? For $100, you can go all the way up to a mid-grade 6.0.
The second full appearance of Darkseid, New Gods #2 is an affordable early appearance of the "God of Evil." In the past year, just 17 graded copies have been bought and sold on eBay with only five of those sales occurring in the past three months. Three of those were 9.2s, and they have a reasonable average of $111. The 9.0 has sold twice in that same span, and it currently has an FMV under $100.
When you add Darkseid to a New Gods movie, it is logical to assume that the Anti-Life Equation will be part of the mix. A driving force for Darkseid in the comics, the Anti-Life Equation, when spoken, gives the user total control over anything that hears it. In the DCU, Darkseid spends much of his time trying to access the equation, and it would make sense that this would be his motivation as the villain for the New Gods.
While the first appearance of the Anti-Life equation isn't going to command the same prices as the debuts of key characters, it's still an issue that any Darkseid fan will want. It's basically his Excalibur and intricately tied to his legend. At the moment, this issue is flying under the radar, and no graded copies have sold on eBay in 2019. Even in 2018, only three graded copies traded hands, the highest being a 9.6 that sold for $90.
