10 Things You Didn't Know About Darkseid
8. He Was Based On Jack Palance
Given Jack Kirby's heritage, it's not surprising to learn that Darkseid was based on Adolf Hitler. However, Hitler was not exactly the most imposing figure to be around physically, so where did Kirby go for inspiration for Darkseid's design?
Simple, he went to Jack Palance.
DC fans know Jack Palance from his role in Batman 1989, but he was actually one of the most renowned character actors of his day, appearing in such films as Tango and Cash and TV shows like The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Palance's main claim to fame was that he was VERY good at playing villains or imposing figures in the protagonist's life, due to a natural commanding presence he owned by birthright.
From there, all Kirby had to do was take your average photo of the guy and make him look a bit alien, dress him up in Kirby-esque brightly colored robes and Bob's your uncle.