The dark and gritty '90s gave DC one of its darkest alternate futures in the form of Kingdom Come. This dour take on Superman and the Justice League showed a world in which DC's premiere heroes had almost all but vanished, leaving behind a world besieged by violent and destructive vigilantes. One of these was Magog, who was a literal satire on some of the grungy "heroes" over at Image Comics.
Magog represented the darker, far less classical heroes that had taken over the comic book industry in the 90s, putting him at odds with Superman and other more "clean cut" heroes. DC would later incorporate the anti-hero into their mainstream universe, albeit by making him far more relatable than he had been previously.
Magog in Kingdom Come
Magog was created in Kingdom Come #1, and was created by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. His name, like many of the elements of the book, was Biblical in nature. Fitting this theme was his Golden Calf design, making him a "false idol" compared to Superman. His design was meant to satirize the looks of various Image Comics characters, namely commenting on what Magog's creators disliked about Rob Liefeld's characters. Magog showcases this with a cyborg body reminiscent of Cable, while his headdress resembles Shatterstar.
Magog rose to prominence in the story's future when he killed the Joker after the clown did the same to almost all of the Daily Planet's staff. Superman, despite his personal loss, contests Magog's actions. This causes the public to turn in favor of Magog and reject Superman, who they began seeing as outdated. Superman exiled himself, with many of the other old guard heroes doing the same afterward.
Magog would lead a generation of violent superhuman vipers that waged war with each other on the streets, bearing more resemblance to superpowered street gangs than heroes. Wonder Woman eventually convinces Superman to come out of retirement, and together, they form a new Justice League to bring heroism back to the world. However, Magog confronts Superman, blaming him for the state the world is in. After lashing out at the iconic hero, the anti-hero surrenders because of a guilty consciousness over his countless murders, and seeks rehabilitation in the new world that Superman helps to bring forth.
Gog and Magog
After the monumental success of Kingdom Come, DC would constantly play around with introducing elements of the story into the mainstream DC Universe. This included concepts like Superman and Wonder Woman temporarily wearing their costumes from Kingdom Come. Despite this precedent, it would take Magog ten years after his debut to finally make it into the mainstream universe. Introduced in the pages of Justice Society of America, this version of the character was Lance Corporal David Reid, the great-grandson of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Reid would gain his iconic lance staff when he discovered a fragment of the being known as Gog while in Iraq. Years later, a revived Gog would resurrect Reid when the latter was killed by a missile. Recreating his battered body, Reid replaces his lost limbs with his classic gold armor. Renamed Magog, he would remain loyal to Gog until the god-like being's presence on the Earth threatened to destroy the planet in the future. His refusal to blindly serve Gog mirrors his opposition to the tyranny of the New Justice League's dominance in Kingdom Come.
Magog would briefly cut ties with the JSA before rejoining the team, though his militaristic methods caused conflicted with the familial nature of the group. He would split off and form a second group called JSA All-Stars, leading it with Power Girl, and showed up again with a rebooted origin in the New 52. There, he initially served as a superhero named Wonderstar, before a magical staff turned him into Magog. This new form grants him the power to gain revenge on Superman and Wonder Woman, who he blamed for his mother's death. Unfortunately, this form was under the control of Circe, who wanted her own revenge against the Amazon princess.
Since the beginning of DC Rebirth, several elements from before Flashpoint have been reasserted into continuity. Given that he hasn't shown back up, however, it's unknown what Magog's current history is in DC continuity.