Vandal Savage
This epic villain has existed for all of human history, but first appeared in Green Lantern #10 in 1944. He was originally a Cro-Magnon – possibly cannibalistic – tribal leader named Vandar Adg in prehistoric times. Receiving a vast dose of radiation from a meteorite, he consequently developed genius intellect and what is essentially, to all intents and purposes, immortality. He has since been invulnerable to age, disease and fatigue – although external damage is slightly more problematic in terms of healing.
Savage claims to have cropped up throughout history – including identifying himself as Pharaoh Khafra, Alexander The Great, Genghis Khan, Vlad The Impaler, and Jack The Ripper. He apparently led the Spanish Armada, and served as advisor to William The Conqueror, Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler. Living with such an impressive intellect for millennia has given him the opportunity to gather encyclopaedic knowledge and understanding in all things, and he has used this to battle The Flash and the Justice League, as well as Green Lantern.
His progeny, over the course of his seven decades of intermittent appearances, range from Scandal Savage of the Secret Six, the demon Grendel, and FBI agent Kassandra Sage. The New 52 reboot of 2011, however, has Savage guest-starring in a Demon Knights narrative, which is a story line based in Arthurian legend. Here, he is seen working as part of a larger team in the Middle Ages, which is vastly different from his appearance in the later DC Universe Presents, which features Savage as a serial killer – bringing him into professional contact with his law enforcing daughter, Kassandra Sage.
Vandal Savage is due to make his live-action debut in the new television show Legends Of Tomorrow in 2016.