Magog + Gog

The histories of Gog and Magog in the DC Universe are layered and confusing. Distinct Gogs and Magogs exist on both Earths-0 and -22, but their histories are for the most part contained to each of their relative universes. » SEE ALSO: Gog and Magog of Earth-22

Gog (William Matthews)

The story of William Matthews is chaotic, marked by intergalactic war and time travel. It began during the Imperiex/Brainiac 13 war, during which much of Kansas was destroyed. (Action Comics #780)

In the aftermath, Superman rescued young William Matthews in Topeka, and the boy believed that Superman would find his (dead) parents alive. (Superman vol. 2 #172) Soon after Superman left, William was approached by his elder self, as Gog. (Action Comics #813)

It is unclear how this altered young William's path, but he ultimately found his way to the Congo in Africa, and found a cavern housing the remains of an old Third World god. This was the original Gog. Gog's powers destabilized Matthews' mind, and gave him glimpses of the multiverse. Later, the Third World Gog claimed that William suffered from delusions regarding his origins. His visions were not, in fact, of his own life, but of events on Earth-22. (JSofA vol. 3 #16)

After acquiring near limitless power, Matthews set out for proper revenge against Superman and stabbed the Man of Steel with a kryptonite-laced staff. (Action #815) Despite help from Superboy and the Teen Titans, Superman succumbed to the poisoning. (#816) His own immune system eventually helped him to recover. (#818)

Gog was sufficiently beaten back, but returned very soon with a veritable army of Gogs, recruited from throughout time. (#824) Gog apparently killed Superman but secretly took him prisoner. Superman's "death" inspired an army in his name. This Superman army battled Gog for a hundred years. During this time, Doomsday developed a conscience, became a champion for Superman, and eventually hunted down Gog. Now older, Gog realized the horror of his crimes and repented his sins. Together, Gog and Doomsday agreed to correct the time stream. They returned one hundred years into the past, at the source of Gog's initial attack. There, the younger Gog simultaneously achieved his elder self's enlightenment, and called off his anti-Superman campaign. Thus, the war was averted. Matthews then escaped. (#825)

David Reid, Magog

  

Later, Matthews found a new cause and began killing would-be "gods" across the globe. (JSofA vol. 3 #10-12) This brought him into conflict with the Justice Society, who followed Gog to his master's lair in the Congo. The JSA learned that Matthews was merely an avatar of an old god of the Third World, also named Gog. Gog was the lone dissenter of the Third World's apocalyptic war. He fell to Earth long ago and lay dormant until he was discovered by Matthews. When Gog was awakened, he destroyed Matthews. (#13-15) Instead, the old Gog empowered the JSA's David Reid as a sort of new herald. (JSofA vol. 3 #18)

David Reid is the great-grandson of legendary World War II President, Franklin D. Roosevelt. His lineage is decorated with U.S. military service, and as a young boy growing up in Iowa, David also dreamt of serving his country. His resolve was hardened on September 11, 2001. After witnessing the terror attacks on America, David enlisted immediately. (Ironically, it was also at this time that William Matthews became Gog.) He became one of the first troops to go to Iraq in 2003. There, he was bonded with an ancient artifact while tracking thieves of antiquities.

The artifact enabled David to produce plasma energy, and the military fitted him with hardware on his arm to help channel it. Later, Hawkman would theorize that this hardware was actually a lost piece from the ancient Gog (I). He was asked to join a special unit of super-powered agents, but refused. Instead he joined his old friends in a black ops unit called Epsilon. (JSA Kingdom Come: Magog)

As the Justice Society was regrouping following the second Crisis, David came to their attention. As a descendant of one of their founding fathers, David was one of a number of "legacy" heroes whom the JSA hoped to mentor. (JSofA vol. 3 #12)

This was when Gog (William Matthews) came to the Justice Society's attention. Gog led the JSA to the Congo, where they met the original Gog. (#16) Gog began marching across Africa doing "good deeds." (#17) During this journey, the JSA encountered a band of war mongers and David was killed. Gog killed the warlords and resurrected David, dubbing him Magog. (#18) As Magog, David was one of Gog's foremost champions, and he joined a faction of the JSA who splintered off and followed Gog across Africa. On their way to Kahndaq, David learned that his old battalion, Epsilon, had been captured by a militia. He set out to rescue them, but was too late. David killed one of the Africans and maimed the rest. (JSA Kingdom Come: Magog)

Having crossed the line and killed, it seemed Magog would follow Gog blindly from then on. But when his JSA friends refused to worship Gog at his command, Gog punished them severely. Magog was horrified, and it was then that he also learned that Gog was destroying the very fabric of the Earth. Gog had permanently linked himself to the planet; it would be destroyed if he left. When David ultimately chose to defy Gog, Gog reclaimed his gift of life and David perished. (#21)

Notes

William Matthews first appeared in Superman #172 but was not named until Action #813. At the time of it's publication, it was unclear whether the adult Gog who visited the young William Matthews was himself from the future, or the Gog of Earth-22. In Justice Society #16, however, writer Geoff Johns asserts that Matthews had visions of Earth-22—hallucinations—and that Matthews was not of sound mind. Thus far, there is no concrete evidence to suggest that the Gogs of New Earth and Earth-22 are related.

There were conflicting accounts of David Reid's grandfather's name: "Peter" Reid or "Michael Reid." (Generation Lost #13) He was a Korean war veteran. Starman prophesied the death of the junior JSA members a the hands of Magog. (#14) Many of his ramblings proved true, but with Magog (David) dead, this one appears to have no merit.

Powers

Gog and Magog possess super-strength and invulnerability on par with Superman's. They can also