[2] The Fatal Five first appear in The Death of Ferro Lad as a band of criminals whom the Legion recruit to help destroy the Sun-Eater threatening Earth.

The first storyline in Legionnaires (1993) has the SW6 Legion face a Fatal Five comprising Tharok, Mano, the Persuader, a new Emerald Empress, and a monstrous being called Mordecai.

In DC Rebirth, the Emerald Empress comes to the 21st century to destroy Saturn Girl and forms a contemporary incarnation of the Fatal Five consisting of Magog, Brainiac 8, Selena, and Solomon Grundy.

[11] The people of his world, holding life sacred, rebuild him using robotic parts, which greatly boosts his intelligence, but leaves his evil tendencies unchecked.

[13][14][15] Validus is a monstrous member of the Fatal Five who possesses superhuman strength and durability and the ability to generate mental lightning bolts.

[16][2] He is later revealed to be Garridan Ranzz, the son of Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl, who Darkseid kidnapped and transformed into a monster shortly after his birth.

[23][24][20][21][22] After the Emerald Empress and Validus are taken to the 21st century to be imprisoned in Oa, Tharok, Mano, and Persuader travel back in time to force Jessica Cruz to lead them to their missing teammates.