Forager

Insectoid alien from New Genesis who overcomes prejudice.

Forager is a character in American comic books published by DC Comics, created by Jack Kirby and first appearing in New Gods #9 (August 1972). An insectoid alien from New Genesis, Forager faces prejudice from the planet's New Gods. He was killed during the Cosmic Odyssey event in 1988 and later resurrected in the 2017 miniseries Bug! The Adventures of Forager.

Quick Facts

Publisher: DC Comics
Debut: New Gods #9 (August 1972)
Creators: Jack Kirby (writer & artist)
Species: Bug/New God
Homeworld: New Genesis

Facts from the source article.

Fictional character biography

Forager's people are humanoid bugs living in colonies beneath New Genesis, having evolved from micro-life spread during the war with Apokolips. They form a lower class and face prejudice from the New Gods, though it is implied Forager may actually be a New God. Initially treated as subhuman, he proves himself a worthy ally against Darkseid. In the 1988 storyline Cosmic Odyssey, Forager dies saving Batman's life and preventing the Anti-Life Equation from destroying Earth; Orion returns his body to the bugs.

Forager returns in the 2017 miniseries Bug! The Adventures of Forager, awakening in a dream world after death and encountering Sandman, who brings him to the real world by saying his nickname, 'Bug'. A second, female Forager appears in a 1989 New Gods series, given the name by the Prime One and Queen Widow. She appears in Countdown to Final Crisis #40 spying on Darkseid, recruits Jimmy Olsen, and later enters a romantic relationship with him.

Over the series, she witnesses the death of the New Gods and the Great Disaster, ends her relationship with Jimmy, and joins Donna Troy, Atom, and Kyle Rayner to protect the multiverse.

In other media

The original Forager cameos in Superman: The Animated Series episode 'Apokolips...Now!'. He appears in the Justice League episode 'Twilight', voiced by Corey Burton, as a modest figure who reveres the Supertown Gods; he uses his hive to shelter Supertown's inhabitants after the New Gods abandon them, and Highfather promotes him. Forager appears in Young Justice, voiced by Jason Spisak, with a more insect-like appearance, four arms, the ability to roll into a ball, and a connection to sentient technology; he does not use pronouns.

In the third season, Young Justice: Outsiders, he contacts the Team to stop a war between Bugs and New Gods, is banished by Mantis, and earns the wrath of Ma'alefa'ak. The Team takes him to Earth, where he joins them, takes the human identity Fred Bugg via a glamour charm, and attends Happy Harbor High School. In the fourth season, he becomes class valedictorian, graduates, and enters a relationship with a female purple Forager who later becomes a Green Lantern.

The original Forager makes a non-speaking cameo in the Harley Quinn episode 'Inner (Para) Demons' and appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.