First Appearance Of
New Gods #5 (1971). Jack Kirby. The Source Wall debuts as part of the Fourth World cosmology.

1st Appearance

First Appearance of The Source / Source Wall

New Gods #5

November 1971 · DC · Bronze Age

Jack Kirby's 1971 cosmic-origin entity. The Source is the cosmic energy at the universe's origin in DC continuity. The Source Wall surrounds it, with cosmic beings imprisoned in the Wall having attempted to breach the Source.

Key Issue

Created by Jack Kirby

By Atomm Updated

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DC Comics Concept DC's cosmic origin and the wall that contains it.

The Source and the Source Wall first appear in New Gods #5 (November 1971), Jack Kirby. The Source is the cosmic energy at the universe's origin in DC continuity; the Source Wall surrounds it, with cosmic beings imprisoned in the Wall after attempting to breach the Source. The framework has been the foundational DC cosmology across decades and has appeared in various Crisis events and modern cosmic storylines.

First Appearance

  1. New Gods #5 cover
    First Appearance November 1971

    New Gods #5

    By Jack Kirby

    Jack Kirby writes and pencils. The Source Wall debuts as the cosmic-scale boundary surrounding the Source itself. The framework gives DC a cosmic-origin concept that subsequent writers built on extensively, including across various Crisis events and the Geoff Johns DC Rebirth-era cosmic storytelling.

What the Source is

Jack Kirby introduced the Source and the Source Wall in New Gods #5 (November 1971) as part of the Fourth World mythology. The Source is the cosmic energy at the universe’s origin in DC continuity; the Source Wall surrounds it. Cosmic beings who have attempted to breach the Source are imprisoned in the Wall as a permanent monument to cosmic-scale hubris. Subsequent DC cosmology has positioned the Source as the foundational creation point of the DC multiverse.

Collector context

New Gods #5 trades modestly. CGC 9.4 is in the four-figure range.

Frequently asked questions

The questions readers and collectors ask most.

What is the Source's first appearance?

New Gods #5 (November 1971), Jack Kirby.

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