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dc - Why was the axe in Justice League so special? What made it so?


During the Justice League movie (2017) the antagonist,



Steppenwolf




says something about his axe that implies that it has some special power. Also, when he loses this item, he seems to be suddenly a lot weaker and is shocked when it is broken.


What is the item made from and why is it special? Does it have powers that increase his strength or abilities?


There didn't seem to be any explanation for this in the movie, so I am happy to have comic or other canon material related answers.




After a little investigation I discovered a page on the DCEU wiki for the character, which includes the following under his powers and abilities:



Electro axe (Formerly): Steppenwolf's primary offensive weapon, which the New God uses to blast and obliterate much of the area surrounding him at a given time. The ax's red-hued energy is also capable of infecting humans, turning their skin a pale grey, while lengthening and sharpening their teeth, seemingly transforming them into the zombified Parademon soldiers of Apokolips. In addition, the ax is seemingly indestructible, as it can go up against Wonder Woman's weaponry. However, it was ultimately destroyed after being frozen by Superman's Arctic breath, which made it become brittle, thus allowing Wonder Woman to shatter it with her sword.



It also says that




his weapon, the ax, was the source of his godly power



which seems to contradict some other mentions in the wiki about his power being an innate part of his physiology.


As such, my question still stands, slightly refined:


What/where is the item from, and is there any canonical evidence for how exactly it augments the characters power/abilities?



Answer



Steppenwolf has had the corded electro-axe as his primary weapon since his character redesign in the 1980s. For instance, his Super Powers Collection action figure carried it. I have not ever tracked down an origin story for that weapon. However, it does bear a significant resemblance to the electro-prod used by the very minor god Brola in New Gods #2:


Brola


However, the axe is not original to Steppenwolf's character. Here he is (the green guy) in his first appearance:



New God's #7


He carried the funny-looking sword all through New Gods #7, up until his death.


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