WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Monkey Prince #0, available now from DC Comics.
The Monkey Prince was recently introduced in DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration #1 (by Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Chang). The DCU’s newest hero is brash and a little strange, but ultimately a force for good. Interestingly, it is his father who is the bigger mystery, despite being more reputable. The Monkey Prince is the son of the Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong, one of the main characters of the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. The Monkey King is a legendary figure in mythology and in Monkey Prince #0 (by Yang, Chang, Billy Tan of Tan Comics, Sebastian Cheng, and Janice Chiang) he got the chance to demonstrate how he stands up to figures like Darkseid, humiliating the powerful villain in the process.
Years before the Monkey Prince’s birth, the forces of Apokolips became aware of the Monkey King’s home, the Heavenly Realm. Seeing a kingdom worthy of conquest, Darkseid dispatched an army of Parademons to take over the realm. The Parademons created a nest that began spawning an endless army of creatures that began to overwhelm the forces of the Heavenly Realm. It wasn’t until the Monkey King arrived that the tide of battle reversed.
Initially, Monkey King did not understand why his kinsmen were having trouble defeating the Parademons. Then he realized that the trouble came because the demons were continuously replicating. Splitting off from his companions, Monkey King and his friend Pigsy destroyed the inside of the Parademon nest, cutting Darkseid off from his army. While this stopped more demons from appearing, it still did nothing about the creatures that were present and still attacking.
Fortunately, the Monkey King had a rather unique power that was able to even the odds. He could pluck hairs from his head and use them to create clones of himself. This gave Monkey King the ability to spawn an army of soldiers who were all just as strong as him. This odd ability actually makes him quietly one of the most dangerous beings in the entire DCU.
With his forces cut off and his army dwindling, Darkseid was forced to admit defeat. He lost to one of the most bizarre powers ever displayed, but it showcased how this new pantheon is ready to stand alongside the other titans of the universe. Darkseid has gone up against old gods before, but never before has he been so thoroughly outsmarted by someone like the Monkey King.
The Monkey Prince is still learning about his abilities under the tutelage of Pigsy. He does not regard the Monkey King as his father due to being raised by adoptive parents for as long as he could remember. But if Pigsy’s stories of the past are any indication, then the Monkey King is not only one of the most powerful beings in the universe, but also one of the smartest.
This means that the Monkey Prince, as his son and heir has a similar amount of potential. Although he is just beginning his career, he has gone toe-to-toe with people like Doctor Sivana and even Shazam. If he masters his abilities, he could one day stand alongside figures like Superman or Wonder Woman.
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