The Black Diamond

**The Black Diamond** was an ancient artifact capable of containing powerful entities or essences. It was used to contain the entity of darkness Eclipso for many years, until it was shattered by Stargirl and the Cosmic Staff. It broke apart into shards, one of which was used to absorb Shiv. In an attempt to trap Eclipso back in the diamond, Jennie-Lynn Hayden used her ring to reconstitute the diamond, but it was destroyed for good when Eclipso used it to send Courtney to the Shadowlands.

## History

The diamond originated in Diablo Island, a small but now-forgotten island in the Pacific Ocean. It was removed from maps by 1832, as those who visited never returned. According to legend, there were two waring tribes living on either side of the island. One tribe summoned an evil entity of vengeance trapping it inside the black diamond, hoping to exploit the spirit's power to destroy their enemies. The entity of vengeance was named Eclipso, and the summoning of him resulted in the islanders' deaths.

In the mid-1800s, Richard Swift lived in London and was a notorious thief and con man. He was hired to procure a black diamond for a cabal called the Men of Tears, but instead, had a forgery made. The Men of Tears heard a story about the lost Diablo Island and a black diamond that could summon a powerful God from a shadow world. The ritual called for a sacrifice, so instead of paying Richard was he was due, the cabal kidnapped him and used him for the ritual. The diamond Richard provided the cabal was fake, with Eclipso already trapped in the real one. The ritual was botched but it opened a doorway to the dark power of the The Shadowlands. The fake diamond couldn't contain the power the Men of Tears summoned, but the dark energy still needed a vessel. The energy entered Richard and granted him power over the shadows and The Shadowlands.

The diamond and Diablo Island were rediscovered by the explorer Bruce Gordon many decades ago. He took the diamond for himself and used the power within to secure wealth and fame. Eclipso killed anyone who stood between Bruce and his dreams. Bruce became so obsessed with the power that he never put the diamond down. He reached a breaking point one day when he threatened to shoot himself to end the darkness of Eclipso and the chaos he had brought upon Bruce and others. However, Eclipso convinced Bruce to let him take full control so the pain, suffering, and guilt would end. With a host, Eclipso was no longer bound to the diamond, but still used it as a source of power.

One day, Eclipso wielded the diamond as he absorbed the soul of a ten-year-old girl named Rebecca McNider. Rebecca's father was famed JSA member Dr. Mid-Nite, and the death of Rebecca was the tipping point for the JSA, who had faced Eclipso previously. The team decided to take action and were helped by their situational ally The Shade. He revealed that the only way to stop Eclipso was to kill his current host, the human Bruce Gordon. The spirit would then be returned to The Black Diamond, where it would remain harmless as long as no one touched the stone. The team killed Bruce and placed The Black Diamond in a wooden case that was entrusted to Starman. The hero than placed the diamond in storage.

Years later, the black diamond found its way into the custody of ISA villain William Zarick, who kept it safely stored in his belongings until his death. At which point, the diamond and the rest of Zarick's artifacts were set to be entrusted to The American Dream. Cindy Burman intervened and stole the diamond from The American Dream's archives. She relished in the idea of having Eclipso at her beck and call, as she wanted vengeance on her nemesis.

Cindy carried the diamond in a necklace specially designed to house the artifact, so it was always close by her and easily accessible when she wanted or needed it. Eclipso was still able to use his powers from within the diamond, just at a weaker level. As he grew stronger, he was able to possess Cindy for brief interludes. He fed on the soul of Bobbie Burman by absorbing her into the diamond. As his powers transcended that of the diamond, he affected Paul Deisinger without Cindy's knowledge and made him change both physically and emotional. It wasn't long until Cindy put her plan of vengeance against Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl and the rest of the Justice Society of America into motion. She and her group, Injustice Unlimited, fought against the JSA until they reached an impasse. Cindy prepared to use the diamonds full power until The Shade intervened.

Cindy was adamant she knew what was inside and what it could do, but Shade assured her that she wouldn't be using the diamond so recklessly if she did. Before she could respond, Eclipso took over Cindy and fought with Shade. Stargirl foolishly intervened and rode the Cosmic Staff to the diamond, unknowingly falling for Eclipso's plan as the tip of the staff touched the diamond. As the forces met, the diamonds power was pulled back inside before it cracked. Light emitted from the diamond seconds before it exploded into four pieces, setting Eclipso free. Once freed, Eclipso tossed a shard of the diamond at Cindy's feet, and a black pool of liquid was created. Tentacles shot from the pool and wrapped around Cindy's wrists, pulling her into the darkness below.

After Eclipso's escape, Pat Dugan collected the remaining shards and kept them in a cloth in The Pit Stop. His son Mike was attracted to the glow of the diamond. He picked up a shard to examine it, setting it aside when he was done. He found that the shard was attracted to the others like a magnet. When he picked up the shard again it morphed into a leech until more leeches covered his body. Pat heard the screaming and snapped Mike out of the trance, with the leeches gone. Pat warned Mike not to touch them again as the shards are still powerful even without Eclipso contained. Mike wonders why Pat has them, and Pat explains that the diamond was Eclipso's only weakness and he hopes he can use them again somehow.

The JSA took guidance from The Shade who alleged that the diamond could be welded back together using light. Once the shards were reformed, it would serve as a beacon for Eclipso and force him back into the diamond. Desperate to get rid of Eclipso, Courtney trusted what the Shade said despite Pat warning her that the Shade could be lying. Courtney attempted to fix the diamond using the Cosmic Staff, but it was still weakened from its fight against Eclipso. She believed that Jennie-Lynn Hayden could use her power to forge the pieces together. She and Pat traveled to find Jennie, who was willing to help her old friends. She used her ring to channel her power and successfully pulled the shards back together. Thinking they had won and were about to re-imprison Eclispo, Courtney congratulated Jennie, not knowing Pat was right all along about Shade lying. As the green light healed the diamond, across the state in Blue Valley, an injured Shade began to heal from his wounds. Beth learned from her research that by fixing the diamond they weren't trapping Eclipso, but summoning him to the diamond, while also restoring Shade's access to his power. Now fully healed, Shade apologized for the deceit and vanished. Meanwhile, Jennie, Pat, and Courtney were attacked by Eclipso. The creature threw the diamond at Courtney's feet, causing it to shatter, and a black portal appeared. Tentacles shot from the pool and wrapped around Courtney's wrists, pulling her into the darkness below.

## Owners

* Diablo Island Tribes † (Formerly: original owners)
* Bruce Gordon † (Former Host)
* Sylvester Pemberton (Formerly)
* William Zarick † (Formerly)
* Cindy Burman (Formerly)
* Pat Dugan (Shards: formerly)

## Powers

* **Portal Creation:** When tossed at the foot of its victim, a shard from the diamond can produce a black pool of liquid that more or less absorbs its victim. It can sprout tentacles to keep its victim from moving, but ultimately, no one can escape the pull of the liquid. The victims are then taken to The Shadowlands.
* **Power Containment:** The diamond, when fully formed, is capable of containing powerful beings such as the evil entity of vengeance Eclipso. It kept him dormant for many years, rendering him unable to use his powers or escape his confinement.
* **Hallucinations:** The shards of the diamond can force those who handle them to suffer visual hallucinations of their fears.

## Notes and Trivia

* Most past owners of the diamond have died at some point in time, and one met a fate worse than death. The tribes of Diablo Island were found dead, William Zarick was murdered by Icicle, Bruce Gordon was killed by the Golden Age members of the JSA after he found the diamond on Diablo Island, and Cindy Burman was transported to the Shadowlands to face horrific visions when she was absorbed by the shard.
* When Courtney and her staffed destroyed the diamond the first time, it only shattered into four pieces. When Eclipso destroyed it right after Courtney and company put it back together, it was destroyed for good. This might be because after Eclipso destroyed it, the pieces of the diamond were absorbed into the Shadowlands along with Courtney; which is why the pieces were never recovered.

## Comic Comparisons

* In DC lore, the black diamond is called the Heart of Darkness and first appeared in the 1963 comic *House of Secrets* #61. It was forged to serve as a weapon to crush those opposed Darkseid, but was eventually mystically tethered to Eclipso.

## References

1. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Four*"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "*Summer School: Chapter Ten*"
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "*Summer School: Chapter Nine*"
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "*Summer School: Chapter Two*"
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "*Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two*"
6. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Three*"
7. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Five*"
8. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Six*"
9. ↑ "*Summer School: Chapter Seven*"