The Lords of Chaos and Order (or separately the Lords of Order and Lords of Chaos) are a fictional group of contemporary, supernatural entities featured in American comic books published by DC Comics. Although alluded to in 1st Issue Special #9 (December 1975), their physical appearance was first showcased in DC Special Series #10 (1978). Typically associated with the Doctor Fate character and comic books, they are also featured across other titles and associated with other characters.
As magical beings created by the ultimate creator of the DC Universe embodying various concepts or relate to order and chaos respectively and employ other beings as agents to act in their stead, these two groups are locked in a cosmic struggle for supremacy against one another; a focal point in their struggle includes the Lords of Chaos' attempts to invoke a period characterized by the dominance of chaos in existence (described in Hindu cosmology known as the Kali Yuga), whereas the Lords of Order strive to prevent this invocation and maintain balance. Among the most notable of the Lords of Order includes Nabu, whose radical and fierce personality marks him a dissident among his brethren but is also the progenitor of Order's most powerful agent and mystic defender, Doctor Fate. At times, the two are aided by the Lords of Balance (or Lords of Eternal Balance), whose roles includes preventing the pair's struggle causing the complete destruction of one another or existence as collateral from their struggle.
The Lords of Chaos and Order have been adapted in various media, including the Young Justice animated series and the Injustice 2 video game. They play significant roles in these adaptations, with the Young Justice series featuring several characters affiliated with the group, and Injustice 2 heavily referencing their influence in the game's narrative.
Contents
Publication history
The Lords of Chaos and Order would first be alluded to in 1st Issue Special #9 (December 1975). Later, the group would make a physical appearance in DC Special Series #10 (1978).
Fictional group history
Creation
Both elemental forces were born during the creation of the universe; those who affiliated with serving "order" are known as the Lord of Order and Light (or simply the Lords of Order) and those who affiliated with serving "chaos" being known as the Lords of Chaos and Darkness (or simply Lords of Chaos). Some respective early agents and lords originate from a myriad of places, including Darkworld and Cilia, the former being home to those who would later identify with the pantheon of ancient Atlantean deities.
According to Hindu philosophy, the age of the universe and mankind is divided into four different cycles of ages in which the first age marks order ruling with perfection. In the second age, chaos begins to spread its subtle influence so that in the third age, chaos can go to war with order. In the final era, chaos triumphs and ushers in an age known as the Kali Yuga. After this age, the cycle restarts when the age ends and the universe itself also ends, resulting in a rebirth of a new universe in which Order rules once more.
Pre-history
In 500,000 BC, long after the agents and Lords of Chaos and Order from Darkworld established themselves as a pantheon existing within Atlantis, demigods Arion and Garn Daanuth were born to Calculha and Dark Majistra, agents of order and chaos respectively. The pair would later create the Zodiac Crystals, powerful objects patterned after the zodiac signs in which directed and amplified the magic on Earth. With the pair suffering marital problems due to their conflicting divine natures and their children prophesied to eternally battle for the fate of Atlantis and end the Ice Age (caused by their family feud). Arion and Garn would eventually fulfill the prophecy thousands of years later around 45,000BC with Arion recognized as Atlantis's savior when he ended the Ice Age with his magic. Despite this, Arion was unable to ultimately save his iteration of Atlantis as its king in his later years, his city eventually suffering a decline due to a combination of events: the waning magic on Earth, Garn's alliance with the immortal Vandal Savage creating the proto-Illuminati, and its actual destruction by the Lord of Chaos and God of Evil, Chaon. Although the homo magi kingdom in which Arion ruled was destroyed, contrary to his belief, other remnants of Atlantis survived.
Later, the Gemworld dimension was once among the domains controlled and owned by the Lords of Chaos until a deal was struck with sorceress Citrina when magic began to fade due to an alignment of the stars. Intending to find and populate a land where homo magi, faerie, and other magical creatures alike can live and thrive in a magical rich environment, the deal was made and the arrangement was kept secret from the history of Gemworld.
Modern age
In the 2005 Day of Vengeance crossover, Eclipso seduces the Spectre into slaughtering most of Earth's magic users after she claimed that magic was the source of all of Earth's evil. Nabu organizes a team of magical beings to stop the Spectre and seal the Seven Deadly Sins. Nabu confronts the Spectre, and the Presence binds the Spectre to a new host, Crispus Allen. Although Nabu dies, his helmet is left with its significant powers. The deaths of the Lords of Order and Chaos caused magic to break down into its basic raw state, which marks the end of the Ninth Age of Magic within the DC Universe, and the beginning of the Tenth. Amethyst and Mordru are the only known Lords to have survived into the Tenth Age.
DC Rebirth
In post-DC Rebirth continuity, the Lords of Chaos and Order are presented with a new origin; they were among the first mages on Earth and stole magic from the goddess Hecate. Unlike the classical Greek mythology stories, Hecate was a primordial spirit of magic and predates most, if not, all other godly pantheons and once settled to be affiliated with the Greek pantheon. As their power rose, they ascended to a higher plane of existence and became the Lords of Chaos and Order and began controlling the magic in the known universe. However, conflicting origins have risen within DC's canonical universe; while some stories utilize the newly revised origin, other stories utilize an origin similar to the previous one. In this origin, the Lords of Chaos and Order were created from the Source as one of the first cosmic forces in the universe before the likes of both Old Gods (gods of both fantasy and real-world inspired pantheons) and New Gods. The Darkworld also exists in this revised universe, the entity and its body that makes up the dimension having been explained to be a piece of the Great Darkness, the true embodiment and source of evil and darkness in the universe.
Several Lords of Order appear in the Blue Beetle storyline "Hard Choices". Insane Arion battled Nabu thousands of years ago, having sought Khaji-Da to save Atlantis after receiving a vision from the future where he learns of the eventual destruction of Atlantis and the scarab falsely promised him the ability to save it. Nabu succeeds in sealing away Arion and sets him in a tomb located in a dimension parallel to what would be El Paso, Texas. Arion later frees himself through his lackey, Mordecai Cull, and he is initially successful in defeating Doctor Fate and overpowering Khaji-Da's will. Jaime Reyes narrowly defeats Arion by using his connection to the scarab against him, draining him of most of his magical power before Doctor Fate arrives and seals him away. Although the initial story claimed that Arion was driven insane by exposure to Khaji-Da centuries ago, a later story clarified Arion was driven mad from being exposed to his Tear of Extinction and the Death Force as a side effect of using it against alien sea gods on Poseidon's behest.
Both the Lords of Order and Chaos would make an appearance in the "Trials of Harley Quinn" storyline, seeking a new agent to act as a galactic angel of retribution, a title bestowed to a being to act as one of the balancing agents between order and chaos and tasked Mirand'r (the spirit of a dead Tamaranean originating from seventy years prior) to fill the position. She recommends the former supervillain, Harley Quinn, as she possesses traits associated with both order and chaos. While Harley passes the trials, she betrays the Lords of Chaos and Order moments after receiving their power after mistakenly concluding her mother's death was among the trials they orchestrated. The Lord of Order and Chaos representatives explain that their trials are woven into events naturally occurring and thus her mother was destined to die. While Harley rejects the position, she appeals to the Lords of Chaos and Order by recommending Mirand'r, who understood the role. The Lords of Chaos and Order accept her proposition and revive Mirand'r, making her an agent of balance.
Membership
Lesser known and other members
Gemimn: A divine being hailing from Darkworld and the sibling of Tynan and Chaon. She holds the title of the Atlantean Goddess of Order and serves as a Lord of Order. While typically depicted as a female entity, Gemimn assumes the mortal form of an elderly African American male.
Kilderkin: A manifestation of order, Kilderkin was dispatched in order to negotiate with Dream and secure Hell after Lucifer's unexpected abdicating of the throne. Kilderkin's manifestation in the mortal plane is in the form of a cardboard box and speaks through printed messages. He also has a servant that acts as his means of mobility.
Myrath / Lord Structure: Manifesting through the arcane object known as the "Gauntlets of Myrath", those who act as his host become "Lord Structure", an Agent of Order. He forcibly once took Mark Merlin (Prince Ra-Man) as his host.
Hoku / Master Pattern: Manifested through the arcane object of lore called the "Breastplate of Hoku", those who act as his host turn into one of the Agents of Order, "Master Pattern". Cyra took Ibis the Invincible as his host by force.
Cyra / Sister Symmetry: Manifested through a host bearing the "Cloak of Cyra", they're possessed and turn into an agent for the Lord of Order, Cyra. Cyra focibly took Madame Xanadu as her host.
Ohrmazd: A fictional depiction of Ahura Mazda, among the deities invoked by Doctor Fate who has membership in the Lords of Order.
Osiris: A fictional depiction based on the ancient Egyptian deity of the same name. He is among the characters Doctor Fate invokes who has membership of the Lords of Order.
Pantagones: He was initially designated as the guardian of Gemworld, despite being considered the weakest among the Lords of Order. Despite his limited power, Pantagones developed strong feelings of love towards Lady Amethyst, the wife of Lord Amethyst. In a complex turn of events, Pantagones and Lady Amethyst consummated their relationship while Pantagones inhabited Lord Amethyst's body. As a consequence of their union, the child Amethyst inherited Pantagones' formidable powers and is considered her true father.
In other media
Television
The Lords of Chaos and Order appear in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "The Fate of Equinox!", with Typhon voiced by John DiMaggio and Nabu by James Arnold Taylor. Series original character Equinox (voiced by Oded Fehr) also appears, acting as a balancer between the two.
The Lords of Chaos and Order are both featured in the Young Justice television series:
Nabu (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) was originally the mortal son of Vandal Savage from ancient Babylon who was killed by Klarion the Witch Boy via Starro. Seeking a means to combat the Lords of Chaos following their sinking of Atlantis, the Lords of Order elevate Nabu's soul to their plane of existence and bind him to the Helmet of Fate.
Klarion the Witch Boy (voiced by Thom Adcox-Hernandez) is a prominent member of the Light and has a history with Vandal Savage.
Child (voiced by Erika Ishii) is depicted as female and created Flaw herself using an Atlantean gemstone. After Klarion falls out of favor with the other Lords of Chaos, Child is sent to dispose of him.
Arion (voiced by David Kaye) was the grandson of Vandal Savage, the first king of Atlantis, and ancestor of the Atlanteans and Homo Magi whose magic was derived from his crown. After learning of Savage's intention to sink Atlantis and further the Atlantean and Homo Magi, Arion died opposing him while Klarion fulfilled Savage's plot. In the present, Savage creates a clone of Arion inhabited by Ocean Master's mind to retrieve his crown, who is ultimately killed by the Lords of Order.
Film
Nabu makes non-speaking appearances in flashbacks in Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay.
Sister Symmetry appears on a Mural at the Hall of Justice in Superman.
Video games
The Lords of Order appear in Injustice 2. Having decided that humanity is only capable of chaos, they aid Brainiac in his campaign to conquer Earth, forcing Doctor Fate to do their bidding. Eventually, Superman frees Fate by destroying his helmet before the latter is killed by Brainiac.