The Controllers are a fictional extraterrestrial race existing in the DC Universe. They first appear in Adventure Comics #357 (June 1967), and were created by Jim Shooter, Mort Weisinger, and Curt Swan.[1]
In their initial appearance, the Controllers originate from another dimension that was ravaged by war and seek to protect the main universe from the same fate.[2] The Controllers primarily use their mind-control abilities to prevent intergalactic war, but also create powerful weapons, including the Sun-Eaters, gaseous beings that can devour whole planets and stars; and the Miracle Machine, a device that can turn any thought into reality.[3] In some depictions, the Time Trapper, a long-time enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes, is a renegade Controller.[4][5]
In post-Crisis continuity, the Controllers were originally part of a race of immortals called the Maltusians, who left Maltus and colonized a new world called Oa. Now calling themselves Oans, they feel responsible for the catastrophic effects on the universe caused by the renegade Oan Krona. The group argues over ways to handle the situation. One group of Oans desires to dedicate their immortal existences to contain evil, becoming the Guardians of the Universe. Another group decides that evil should be destroyed and leaves Oa for another dimension, evolving into the Controllers.[6]
The Controllers form a peacekeeping group called the Darkstars, who wield exo-mantles powered by the Controllers' energy. The Controllers later disband the Darkstars, having become concerned that their agents are looking after their own agendas rather than those of the Controllers.
In the Blackest Night storyline, a small group of Controllers search for the orange light of avarice, hoping to create their own Corps.[7] This group locates the orange light on the planet Okaara, only to be killed and assimilated by Larfleeze.[8]
The Controllers reveal themselves to be on the brink of extinction, and in order to prevent that, began kidnapping the Guardians of the Universe to use their DNA to create new conditions.[9] By trapping them in a machine, the Controllers mine the Guardians' ancient Maltusian genes and twist them into their own image, transforming them into Controllers. They also begin a new campaign of the Darkstars, which are more lethal than the previous generation and possess tactical capabilities surpassing those of the Green Lantern Corps.[10]
Similar to the Guardians of the Universe, the Controllers are immortal and possess vast psionic powers, including telepathy, telekinesis, and energy manipulation. The Controllers also have vast knowledge, which allows them to create advanced technology and weapons. Their most known weapons are the Sun-Eater, Miracle Machine, and the Darkstar exo-mantle.
A Controller appears in Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters.
