The Dark Circle are a fictional criminal organization in DC Comics. They first appeared in Adventure Comics #367 as an insurgent group planning to conquer the United Planets in the 30th century. It was composed of only five people and armies of clones created from those five people. The Dark Circle remained mostly shrouded in mystery, even with its defeat by the Legion of Super-Heroes. DC Comics is one of the largest American companies in comic book and related media publishing. ... An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority, by any irregular armed force that rises up against an enforced or established authority, government, or administration. ... A governing body in the 30th Century DC Universe, composed of Earth and a large number of other planets in the galaxy. ... Molecular cloning refers to the procedure of isolating a defined DNA sequence and obtaining multiple copies of it in vivo. ... The Legion of Super-Heroes is a DC Comics superhero team. ...

They launched a direct invasion of earth during the Legion's Adventure Comics run, following an attack by the Fatal Five that had lead the Legion and Earth's defenses devastated, and were in the process of overwhelming both when Brainiac 5 discovered the Miracle Machine and used it to repulse the attack, returning all the Dark Circle Soldiers to their homeworlds. The Fatal Five are a supervillain team of the 30th century in the DC Comics universe. ... The Miracle Machine is a ficticious device in the DC Comics universe. ...

They then sought to invade earth indirectly through others, most notably the Khunds and Dominators whom they manipulated into what became known as the Earthwar. As part of their machinations, they also released Mordru, hoping to use him against the legion, but this proved to be a mistake, as Mordru instead gained control of the Dark Circle. This was not immediately apparent, though, as he continued with the plans they had already drawn up. Eventually Mordru and the Circle were defeated. In the DC Universe, the Khunds are a fictional alien race notable for extreme violence. ... In the DC Universe, the Dominators are a fictional alien race. ... The Earthwar was an ambitious 5-issue storyline in the comic book Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes that ran from issues #241-245. ... // Character Biography Mordru (also known as Mordru the Merciless) is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics Universe whose main foes are the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future world of the 30th and 31st centuries and the Justice Society of America and the Lord of Order...

The Dark Circle was referenced during the Giffen-Bierbaum continuity. Members were depicted wearing hoods with a prominent dark circle (zero) over the face. In Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #2, they were said to have existed for millions of years, even before New Genesis and Apokolips. They had little influence over events and were outmaneuvered by other factions who were prominent during this period. The Legion member Tellus joined the Dark Circle during this time. The Legion of Super-Heroes is a DC Comics superhero team. ... In comic books, New Genesis was the home-planet of the New Gods from Jack Kirbys Fourth World metaseries. ... In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips was the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirbys Fourth World series. ... Tellus is a fictional character, a super-hero and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes featured in comic books published by DC Comics. ...

Instead of five individuals cloned, now they were formed primarily from five worlds.

The Circle here was portrayed as more of a philosophical or quasi-religious movement, one which specifically turned aside from intellectual knowledge, and instead focused on emotions, primarily those termed "blood" emotions such as anger and fear. They did maintain a high level of technology however, with a renegade Dominator world supplying most of the tech. Their primary foe, as depicted in the LSH Annual #2 (v4) was Valor, who not only opposed them physically, but philosophically as well. The influence of Valor on many worlds was their main obstacle to their plans. In the DC Universe, the Dominators are a fictional alien race. ... Lar Gand, known variously as Mon-El, Valor and MOnel, is a fictional character in DC Comics universe who is affiliated with the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superboy, and later Superman. ...

When the Dominators conquered the earth, the Dark Circle was involved in helping the resistance movement, lead by Universo. In the DC Universe, the Dominators are a fictional alien race. ... Universo is the name of two Legion of Super-Heroes supervillains in the DC Comics universe. ...

The Dark Circle also played a part in the post-Zero Hour reboot of the Legion, in which it was the secret power behind the Affiliated Planets (a rival political grouping to the United Planets) and was run by Brainiac 4. Other members of the Circle included Tyr, and the leaders of the Khunds, the Gil'Daan, the Dominators, and the Sklarian Raiders. All were killed by Brainiac 4 when they realised the level of her insanity. Zero Hour: Crisis in Time was a 1994 comic book miniseries and crossover storyline that ran in DC Comics. ... Brainiac 4 was the mother of the Legion of Super-Heroes member Brainiac 5 (later 5. ... Tyr is a DC Comics villain from the planet Tyrraz in the 31st century. ...