.|thumb|leftDeSaad was originally a New God from
New Genesis who was manipulated by
Darkseid, leader of
Apokolips. Darkseid tricked DeSaad into believing that his cat had killed his other pet, a bird. Goading the boy to avenge the bird, Darkseid manipulates the youth into burying the cat alive. The bird returns, having flown off; in a rage, DeSaad kills the bird and leaves New Genesis to become Darkseid's lackey. DeSaad is seemingly killed during an attempt by Darkseid to penetrate the
Source. He is subsequently found to have "bonded" with
Orion, causing the latter to become cruel and manipulative. The two are later separated. While missing, DeSaad's second-in-command, Justeen, plots to overthrow him and become closer to her beloved Darkseid. In
Countdown to Final Crisis, DeSaad captures and tortures
Martin Stein, attempting to take the power of
Firestorm for himself. When
Jason Rusch arrives to rescue Stein, DeSaad hijacks the Firestorm matrix and takes control of it. He is defeated and separated from the Firestorm matrix by
Atomic Knight, but flees before he can be captured. After disrupting a battle between Darkseid and
Mary Marvel, DeSaad gives Darkseid a compound that was unsuccessfully used to access the Anti-Life Equation. DeSaad is then released from Darkseid's service, but he has transported the
Pied Piper to Apokolips as
Brother Eye arrives. DeSaad claims the Piper can channel the Anti-Life Equation and control the planet. Before the Piper can do so, Brother Eye finishes assimilating Apokolips. After recovering, DeSaad confesses to masterminding the Trickster and the Piper's ordeal. In
Salvation Run, DeSaad oversees the training of the New Gods of Apokolips on a planet where
Amanda Waller's
Suicide Squad had dumped the exiled villains. When he discovers them on this planet, he arranges for the
Parademons to eliminate the least powerful villains so that he can train the stronger ones for an unknown goal. Ultimately, the villains escape back to Earth. Following
Death of the New Gods, many of the fallen Apokoliptian gods had taken on human forms. DeSaad, posing as Doctor Bud Fogel, raises the public against
Lex Luthor's Everyman experiments, eventually trapping and capturing
Infinity, Inc. DeSaad makes further appearances in the series
Terror Titans, where he conditions the Infinitors to fight in the
Dark Side Club's
metahuman tournament. After the brainwashed superhumans break free of the Anti-Life Equation, DeSaad is electrocuted and captured by
Static.
The New 52 DeSaad is reintroduced following The New 52 relaunch, which rebooted the continuity of the DC Comics universe. During
Darkseid's first incursion on Earth, DeSaad appears in Apokolips discussing with
Steppenwolf about cloning the
DNA of a captured and tortured Superman to create a new race of Parademon. Five years later, he impersonates
Michael Holt, attempting to capture
Power Girl. ==Powers and abilities==