Steppenwolf (Earth-1352)

"Chitauri are not born, they are made. A genetically engineered parasite-assassin solely devoted to the whims of its maker. These creatures have no names, just a binary existence defined by whether they complete the task given to them, or whether they fail."

- - Steppenwolf to the Justice League

Steppenwolf is the general of Apokolips' Chitauri army and the leader of the Black Order. A ruthless and cunning military strategist, he is the nephew of Darkseid.

Early Life
Steppenwolf was born thousands of years in the past on Apokolips. His ruthlessness and cunning in combat and strategy made him the second-in-command and first herald of his uncle, Darkseid, the Mad Titan.

The Black Order
Through the ages, Steppenwolf became the leader of the Black Order, also known as the Children of Darkseid, a force consisting of extraterrestrials raised as Darkseid's brethren to do his bidding. Steppenwolf and the Order carried out Darkseid's will by arriving in planets and conquering them, ultimately using those they killed to become Chitauri. During many of these occasions, they would find Green Lantern offensive, but would destroy them after tiresome fights. They, however, chose to keep away from Oa itself and the Nine Realms.

First Invasion of Earth
At 30,000 BCE Steppenwolf and the Order attempted to conquer Earth where they found powerful defenses, a legion of armies composed of Amazons, Atlanteans and Asgardians, as well as the Olympians and two Green Lanterns. Using a Mother Box, Steppenwolf was able to transform his surroundings and murder many along the way, but he was ultimately defeated with the combined forces of Bor and Zeus, which forced him to retreat to Apokolips. There, he became the source of humiliation by his uncle.

Ultron's Communication
Following Ultron's access to the Fortress of Solitude, the rogue AI contacted Darkseid from Apokolips. Before they could contact any further, Ultron was interrupted by the Fortress of Solitude's drones, who attacked him. This led Darkseid to decide to retrieve the Infinity Stones by himself, and lead the Black Order into retrieving them through the worlds they were spread, through the help of their limitless Chitauri army.