King Markov- Earth 2 (The New 52)

First Appearance: Earth 2 (2012) Issue 8: Lazy Sunday

King Markov was the king of Dherain, until he was deposed and killed by Steppenwolf.

King Markov offered Steppenwolf a place to stay in Dherain, saying it is “your country” for as long as he needed it. In conversation he questions Steoppenwolf about a comment he made about luggage and the fact that he didn't imagine him using conventional luggage to travel with.

Steppenwolf congratulates him on international law and the treaty he had managed to obtain that allowed him to close the borders of the country at the end of the war when he should have been trialled for aiding his invasion. Markov tells him that as long as he makes no more unrest in Dherain, then the treaty will still stand. He says that they are both fortunate for the way “things turned out.” But he changes the topic, setting up a toast and asking if Steppenwolf liked champagne, which he replies that he never had, but wasn't afraid to try, accepting a flute. He then invites his guest to dine with him. They make conversation and Steppenwolf reveals that he feels that after five years he finally accepts Earth as his home. Markov asks if there was no other way of him getting back to Apokolips, but he replies that the technology needed to create a boom tube was complex even before Batman sealed the planet off. He asks if he is devastated about not going home, to which Steppenwolf replies that he was at first but not now.

As part of the deal of offering Steppenwolf sanctuary, he would supply Dherain and Markov with Apokoliptian technology. He secretly ordered his men to kill or capture Steppenwolf and has them preparing to strike in the courtyard. He wanted to stockpile all the weapons and tech that Steppenwolf had added to the arsenal, but thought him to be a problem as the World Army would investigate if word got out about Steppenwolf's presence.

Steppenwolf comments that his men are “as good as dead”, when Fury begins her assault on Dherain and when he pretends that he does not know what is happening, he asks him not to insult him by denying that he has these plans. Steppenwolf begins to tell Markov about his most loyal associate, which leaves him puzzled by the phrase “warrior.” Steppenwolf reveals that she is the daughter of the “greatest Amazon”, which he understands immediately as Wonder Woman. He shouts that it would be impossible for that to be Wonder Woman's daughter as Steppenwolf had killed her during the battle and her daughter would have wanted revenge upon him, not join him, but he tells her that he had gotten her at an impressionable age.

Markov turns on Steppenwolf, saying that he will enjoy the poetry of the fact that he is fighting two Apokoliptians with technology they had received from Apokolips. But Steppenwolf retorts that men who find poetry in war have seldom fought in them, but he is blasted to the ground. Markov tells him that the pact is over, saying it was a means to acquire advanced weaponry, which he used to keep the World Army away, but with the strength of the World Army increasing he needed to increase his power as well. He truthfully says that Steppenwolf is most useful being a bounty that he gets a reward from. He uses a powerful suit of armour, based on Parademon schematics to try and fight him. Steppenwolf strikes at them, stating that he made a terrible error of judgement in inviting him to there. Steppenwolf complements his plan of taking him captive, stealing his technology and selling him to the World Army, but tells him that he also has a plan to take his throne. He wants to see how long it would take for the treaty to last if he was present and if it would still be honoured.

Markov orders his troops to open fire on Steppenwolf, until he is the only one left. He flies at Steppenwolf, stating a Markov had been on the throne since the country's inception and it will never be taken from him. He sneers that “Kings fall... Bloodlines end”, chucking his battle axe which cuts through and kills Markov. He is then decapitated and his head is lifted in front of his people as a trophy for Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf praises him to being a leader and a fighter and much more.

Steppenwolf commemorates him with a statue, to show him more as a worthy successor, rather than a tyrant and gaining the quick change and help of the Dherainian people.