Vykin the Black was first introduced in Forever People #1 (March 1971), along with his teammates Big Bear, Beautiful Dreamer, Mark Moonrider, and Serifan. They are a group of young adventurers who oppose Darkseid, the tyrant of Apokolips, on Earth with the help of Infinity-Man, a powerful being who can switch places with them when they use their Mother Box. Vykin’s specialty is “magno-power,” an ability to control magnetic fields. He can also sense danger and communicate telepathically with his Mother, Box.

Vykin’s origin has been retconned several times. In one version, he was one of five young earthlings selected from different points of Earth’s history by Highfather, the leader of New Genesis, to be raised in his world. Vykin was originally the son of a Roman Empire legionnaire in an African country. In another version, he was the son of Valkyra, a master warrior of New Genesis who left him after a disagreement of philosophies. Vykin was selected as one of the five Genesisian kids to undergo special training to focus their minds and synchronize them with their shared Mother Box, turning them into the Infinity Man.

Vykin and the Forever People had many adventures on Earth, fighting Darkseid’s minions, such as Desaad, Glorious Godfrey, and Deviance. They also befriended Superman and other heroes. Eventually, they found themselves trapped in the Adon planet, where Vykin experimented with his Mother Box to create a utopian society called Forevertown. However, an overload caused the Mother Box to explode, killing Vykin and releasing the spirit of Maya, a former lover of Infinity Man. Vykin was later resurrected due to an attack by an evil entity called The Dark that reverted time on Adon. With Maya’s help, the Forever People returned to Earth and defeated The Dark.

Vykin also participated in several cosmic events that involved the New Gods, such as the Great Darkness Saga, Cosmic Odyssey, and Genesis. He was killed by Infinity Man during the Death of the New Gods storyline, along with most of his teammates. However, he was later revived in a new continuity after Flashpoint.

Vykin has appeared in other media besides comics. He made a cameo appearance in the Super Friends animated series and other New Gods. He also appeared in the Justice League animated series, voiced by Phil LaMarr. He was part of a team sent by Highfather to stop Brainiac’s invasion of New Genesis. He also had a minor role in the Young Justice animated series, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. He was one of the New Gods who helped Earth against Apokolips. He also appeared in the Justice League: Gods and Monsters animated movie and comic book series as an alternate version of Black Bolt from Marvel Comics.