1995 Skybox DC Villains: The Dark Judgment Lyrl Dox Trading Card #27

A 12th-level intellect locked up in the body of an alien child, Lyrl Dox is given to wild emotional rages. He seized control of the interstellar paramilitary L.E.G.I.O.N. from his father, Vril Dox, whom he hates, and commands a force that would do anything for him. Lyrl wants it all and wants it bad! He could go far.

Over two years ago, I planned to start covering the later issues of L.E.G.I.O.N. and the '90s run of R.E.B.E.L.S. in anticipation of the relaunch, and have failed to do so across two of that coverage's intended blogs. I mourn for my inability to get it together, because modern readers need to know how wonderfully malignant Lyrl Dox was. What we have running around now is a long-haired teenage Vril Dox, but the '90s Lyrl Dox lived up to the potential of his being conceived through homicidal man-rape and the worst prepartum bloat in recorded history. Lyrl was like an adaptation of the Faith No More classic "Zombie Eaters" combined with Damien Thorn. Writer Tom Peyer had the brilliant inspiration to take the vexing nature of an infant and elevate it to outright super-villainy, effective when viewed straight, but delicious when seen as dark comedy. Despite the trouble I had retaining any green in the skin of Mark Chiarello's rather jaundiced Lyrl, this painting does a nice job of illustrating the spawn of Brainiac.

Relishing New Year's Evil this week? Find more malicious pin-up fun at the following blogs:

• (unknown) by Joe Devito @ DC Bloodlines
• Cheetah by Mark Chiarello @ Diana Prince: Wonder Woman
• Circe "Gathering of Evil" by Steve Stanley @ Diana Prince: Wonder Woman
• Doomsday "Gathering of Evil" by Steve Stanley @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• Monarch by Scott Hampton @ Power of the Atom