Universo

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For the record label, see Universo Spa

Universo is the name of two Legion of Super-Heroes supervillains in the DC Comics universe.

1 Pre-Zero Hour
2 v4 Legion
3 Post-Zero Hour
4 Powers

[edit] Pre-Zero Hour

The original Universo first appeared in Adventure Comics #349 (Oct 1966) as a powerful hypnotist. With his "Hypno Stone", he was able to control the head of the Time Institute, and lure the Legionnaires into a series of traps. The Legion defeated him with the help of a Time Cube invented by Rond Vidar, who was subsequently revealed to be Universo's son.

Universo then managed to take control of earth by posing as the new president, using his powers of hypnosis, augmented by a chemical placed in the world's water supply. He accomplished this while most of the legion was away from earth on a mission, and they returned to find the legion outlawed. The legion fled underground and eventually, with the help of Rond Vidar, were able to thwart his plans.

Much later, he managed the feat again, this time posing as the president's right-hand man. This time he managed to mentally control the entire legion except the four members most difficult to mind-control: Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy and Dream Girl. These events were depicted in a four-issue arc termed the Universo Project.

A later retcon would reveal that Universo was a former member of the Green Lantern Corps who was assigned to prevent the Legion viewing the Dawn of Time, but attempted to do so himself, and was stripped of his ring by the Guardians of the Universe. Rond Vidar would later acquire his power ring.

[edit] v4 Legion

During the v4 legion, the Dominators siezed control of earth during its economic collapse, and Universo ended up as one of the primary leaders of the resistance movement. He was branded a terrorist by the Dominion-backed earthgov, who accused him of working with the Khund. He was in fact working with the Dark Circle, though it is clear he was not working for them. The former members of the Legion of Substitute-Heroes worked alongside him in resisting the Dominion control of earth. After earth was liberated, he used his new status to work further schemes with Leland McCauley.

[edit] Post-Zero Hour

Following the rebooting of Legion history in Zero Hour Universo was reinvented as Sarmon Ardeen, Saturn Girl's cousin. He first appeared in the Legion/Titans crossover Universe Ablaze (March 2000), set in an alternate timeline in which the Titans were in suspended animation until the 31st century. He joined forces with a recreated Cult of Blood to take control of the Titans. When this timeline was negated, the real timeline had him imprisoned on his home moon, Titan.

After the return of the "Legion Lost" from the Second Galaxy, Universo made an attempt to control Saturn Girl, and the Titanet telepathic communication network. This failed, and Saturn Girl left his mind in the same fantasy scenario he had created for her.

[edit] Powers

Universo's primary power is that of hypnosis, allowing him to control people, in a manner that lasts long after he leaves them. He is able to shift loyalties, erase memories, and even have people under his control think independently (to a degree) to accomplish the goals he sets them to. He sometimes wears a necklace which seems to enhance the power of his hypnosis. Using his mental abilities he can also appear to be someone else, so that everyone viewing him sees and remembers him as a completely different person.

At one point he may have possessed a Green Lanter power ring, but it was stripped from him. As such he had a particular grudge against OA, the planet of the Guardians of the Universe, and he had planned in the Universo Project to use the legion to attack OA.

Post Zero-Hour, his powers were of a more conventional telepathic nature, though he was considered the most powerful telepath in the history of Titan. During the Universe Ablaze, he attempted to greatly augment his mental powers through technological means.