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Blok (comics)
Encyclopedia
Blok is a fictional character
, a superhero
in the 30th century of the DC Comics
universe
. He has a massive, stony body possessed of incredible strength and endurance.
, where he was manipulated by the Dark Man, a clone of Tharok
, into attacking the Legion of Super-Heroes
. Blok, possibly the last of a silicon-based species native to the planet Dryad, had been convinced by Tharok that the Legion was seeking to destroy his home world, when in fact the Legionnaires were working to save it. When he learned that the Legionnaires were not his enemies, he turned on the Assassins and eventually joined the Legion. He knew very little of the rest of his race; it was not even clear to him whether his form was that of an adult or a child.
Blok was relatively slow to acclimate to life in the Legion, though he eventually forged a close bond with two of his teammates, Timber Wolf
and the White Witch
, the latter with whom he spent a great deal of leisure time perusing the Legion's voluminous archives. He remained with the team for several years, eventually choosing to leave following the catastrophic Black Dawn affair and the increased scrutiny and suspicion of Earthgov towards all Legion activities. He eventually found his way to the Puppet Planetoid
, where he spent a few years in isolated contemplation. Shortly thereafter Polar Boy
officially disbanded the Legion of Super-Heroes.
In 2994, Blok's former teammates Rokk Krinn
and Reep Daggle
began to reorganize the team, a move which immediately attracted the attention of the corrupt Earthgov. In order to discourage and demoralize the new effort, the alien Dominators
who had been secretly controlling Earthgov for years hired Roxxas
to seek out and kill Blok as a warning to his other teammates. Roxxas tracked Blok down to the Puppet Planetoid and carried out his mission with ruthless efficiency, delivering Blok's dismembered corpse to the ranch home of Garth and Imra Ranzz
on Winath
. Far from demoralizing the other Legionnaires, however, Roxxas's act galvanized them into action, and it was directly following their discovery of Blok's murder that the Legion of Super-Heroes was officially refounded.
At the moment of his death fighting Roxxas, Blok seemed to have an out-of-body experience
in which he was back on Dryad, and met Strata
of L.E.G.I.O.N.
, who he recognized from mythology. Strata promised to finally show him the truth of his ancestral history as she led him below ground into a series of caves. Filled with joy, the gentle, philosophical Blok's last thoughts were of finally reaching enlightenment.
Legion. A female Dryadian named Brika was introduced in Legionnaires #71 (May 1999), protesting a group of colonists who intend to re-settle her hibernating clan. She was then possessed by a stone elemental named Rrox, who destroyed the planet, thinking "No-one will ever colonise Dryad now."
Blok appears briefly (with several other Legionnaires from previous iterations of the team such as Tyroc
and Dawnstar
) in Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 5) #15, as a character in a 'campfire story' showing the Legion's influence, and the urban legends and myths that have sprung up around it. This appearance was a cameo, and does not appear to take place in the series actual continuity.
's Fortress of Solitude
in Justice League Of America (vol. 2) #8. He also appears as a member of the Legion in the "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes
" storyline.
In Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #2, Blok rescues Mysa from Mordru
on Zerox
, being aided in the rescue by Dawnstar
, Wildfire, and Rond Vidar
. It is revealed at this point that Blok and Mysa are in a relationship, one that was only briefly hinted at as Blok's unrequited crush in the pre-Crisis Legion. Blok helped combat the Legion of Super-Villains
until he suffered major injuries at the hand of Mordru. To save him, Mysa absorbs Mordru's magicks, becoming the Black Witch, and leaves the Legion for the Sorceror's World when the battle is over. Once his wounds are healed, Blok follows Mysa, and convinces her to let him help her utilise Mordru's black magic for good.
anti-gravity powers. In his second appearance, this was specifically stated to be an ability to increase his own mass. This power seemed not entirely under his control; when he joined the Legion, it was stated that three Legion flight-rings were required to lift him. Why his teammate Colossal Boy (who could also increase his mass and size) could make do with a single flight ring, but Blok could not, was never explained.
During Blok's Legion tenure, it was stated definitely that he had massive super-human strength. Its relative limits were never made clear; it was stated that he could not match the levels of pre-Crisis
Kryptonians
and Daxamites
or Ultra Boy
, but seemed stronger than Timber Wolf
and, possibly, Colossal Boy. Contrary to this, his durability was greater than that of the latter two heroes, though still not quite on Kryptonian levels. This may have been contradicted when he was able to hold his own against pre-Crisis Daxamites hand-to-hand during a Darkseid lead invasion of the United Planets during the Great Darkness Saga in Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 2) #294. His recuperative abilities were likewise vague. In his earliest experiences, his body included a collar-like formation around his neck which was destroyed during the Great Darkness Saga and never regrew, but he seemed unharmed by its lack. A formation on his face that resembled a nose was likewise apparently chipped away.
Blok was also written as having the ability to communicate telepathically with other silicon-based life forms. Despite his searching, he never did find any, so this ability went unexplored.
Over time, his earlier abilities to change his mass and absorb energy were de-emphasized in favor of his super-strength. Towards the end of his life he began to mutate into a different form, larger than before and possessed of several protuberances which expelled energetic plasma from time to time. It was speculated that Blok's earlier form had been an immature, possibly larval state, and the changes in his body were actually a metamorphosis like that of a butterfly. Another supposition was that he was reaching maturity and beginning to show signs of that race's indication that he was male. A 20th century Dryadian, Strata
of L.E.G.I.O.N.
, metamorphosed into a diamond-like version. When asked about the metamorphosis, she replied, "I guess that means I'm female."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
in the 30th century of the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. He has a massive, stony body possessed of incredible strength and endurance.
Fictional character biography
Blok first appeared as a member of the League of Super-AssassinsLeague of Super-Assassins
The League of Super-Assassins is a team of fictional DC Comics villains that fought against the Legion of Super-Heroes.Members of this group of super powered beings came from the planet Dryad. Tricked into thinking that the Legion of Super-Heroes were somehow connected to the destruction of their...
, where he was manipulated by the Dark Man, a clone of Tharok
Tharok
Tharok is a DC Comics supervillain and an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He is the leader of the Fatal Five. Tharok and the Fatal Five were introduced in Adventure Comics #352 , and were created by Jim Shooter....
, into attacking the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
. Blok, possibly the last of a silicon-based species native to the planet Dryad, had been convinced by Tharok that the Legion was seeking to destroy his home world, when in fact the Legionnaires were working to save it. When he learned that the Legionnaires were not his enemies, he turned on the Assassins and eventually joined the Legion. He knew very little of the rest of his race; it was not even clear to him whether his form was that of an adult or a child.
Blok was relatively slow to acclimate to life in the Legion, though he eventually forged a close bond with two of his teammates, Timber Wolf
Timber Wolf (comics)
Timber Wolf is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the and member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He comes from the planet Zoon . His powers are enhanced strength, speed and agility...
and the White Witch
White Witch (comics)
The White Witch is a fictional comic book character who exists in the DC Universe, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century. Her real name is Mysa Nal, although her name was given as Xola Aq in Silver Age Legion stories in Adventure Comics; the revelation that her name was...
, the latter with whom he spent a great deal of leisure time perusing the Legion's voluminous archives. He remained with the team for several years, eventually choosing to leave following the catastrophic Black Dawn affair and the increased scrutiny and suspicion of Earthgov towards all Legion activities. He eventually found his way to the Puppet Planetoid
Puppet Planetoid
Puppet Planetoid is a fictional planet in the 30th century DC Universe.-Description:According to legend, a race of giants created playthings on this world long ago. It is now mostly uninhabited. A number of notable events took place here for the Legion of Super-Heroes. When under attack from Satan...
, where he spent a few years in isolated contemplation. Shortly thereafter Polar Boy
Polar Boy
Polar Boy is a fictional character, a superhero from the 30th century of the DC Universe, initially suggested by reader Buddy Lavigne of Northbrook, Illinois in the letters page of Adventure Comics #304, January, 1963.-Fictional character biography:...
officially disbanded the Legion of Super-Heroes.
In 2994, Blok's former teammates Rokk Krinn
Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 . He is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and was the original leader in all incarnations of the Legion...
and Reep Daggle
Chameleon Boy
Chameleon Boy , also known as Chameleon, is a DC Comics superhero, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. He first appeared in Action Comics #267 .-Silver Age:...
began to reorganize the team, a move which immediately attracted the attention of the corrupt Earthgov. In order to discourage and demoralize the new effort, the alien Dominators
Dominators
The Dominators, collectively known as the Dominion, are a fictional alien race from the outer cosmos of the DC Universe. They are highly technologically advanced, and live in a rigid hierarchical society, in which one's caste is determined by the size of a red circle on one's forehead...
who had been secretly controlling Earthgov for years hired Roxxas
Roxxas
Kivun Roxxas is a fictional supervillain in the DC Universe. Primarily a foe of the Legion of Super-Heroes, he first appeared in Adventure Comics #307 .-Fictional character biography:...
to seek out and kill Blok as a warning to his other teammates. Roxxas tracked Blok down to the Puppet Planetoid and carried out his mission with ruthless efficiency, delivering Blok's dismembered corpse to the ranch home of Garth and Imra Ranzz
Saturn Girl
Saturn Girl is a fictional character appearing in DC comic books. A talented telepath from the 30th century, Imra first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 as a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
on Winath
Winath
Winath is a fictional planet in the 30th century .Winath is a primarily agrarian planet, settled by humans sometime between the 20th and 30th centuries...
. Far from demoralizing the other Legionnaires, however, Roxxas's act galvanized them into action, and it was directly following their discovery of Blok's murder that the Legion of Super-Heroes was officially refounded.
At the moment of his death fighting Roxxas, Blok seemed to have an out-of-body experience
Out-of-body experience
An out-of-body experience is an experience that typically involves a sensation of floating outside of one's body and, in some cases, perceiving one's physical body from a place outside one's body ....
in which he was back on Dryad, and met Strata
Strata (comics)
Strata is a fictional extraterrestrial police officer published by DC Comics. She first appears in Invasion! #2 , and was created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo, Todd McFarlane.-Fictional character biography:...
of L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N., is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes, a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Invasion! #1, and were created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
, who he recognized from mythology. Strata promised to finally show him the truth of his ancestral history as she led him below ground into a series of caves. Filled with joy, the gentle, philosophical Blok's last thoughts were of finally reaching enlightenment.
Post-Zero Hour
Blok did not appear in the post-Zero HourZero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
Legion. A female Dryadian named Brika was introduced in Legionnaires #71 (May 1999), protesting a group of colonists who intend to re-settle her hibernating clan. She was then possessed by a stone elemental named Rrox, who destroyed the planet, thinking "No-one will ever colonise Dryad now."
Blok appears briefly (with several other Legionnaires from previous iterations of the team such as Tyroc
Tyroc
Tyroc is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Superboy #216 , and was created by Cary Bates and Mike Grell...
and Dawnstar
Dawnstar
Dawnstar is a fictional superheroine in comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Levitz and Mike Grell.- Fictional character biography :...
) in Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 5) #15, as a character in a 'campfire story' showing the Legion's influence, and the urban legends and myths that have sprung up around it. This appearance was a cameo, and does not appear to take place in the series actual continuity.
Post-Infinite Crisis
Blok, along with many other pre-Crisis Legionnaires, appears as a statue in SupermanSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
's Fortress of Solitude
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis...
in Justice League Of America (vol. 2) #8. He also appears as a member of the Legion in the "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes
Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes
"Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" is a comic book story arc from DC Comics by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, featuring the Superman character and the return of the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths Legion of Super-Heroes...
" storyline.
In Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #2, Blok rescues Mysa from Mordru
Mordru
Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...
on Zerox
Sorcerers' World
Sorcerers' World, also known as Zerox is a fictional planet, a comic book location appearing in titles published by DC Comics. Sorcerers' World first appeared in Adventure Comics vol. 1 #369 , and was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan....
, being aided in the rescue by Dawnstar
Dawnstar
Dawnstar is a fictional superheroine in comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Levitz and Mike Grell.- Fictional character biography :...
, Wildfire, and Rond Vidar
Rond Vidar
Rond Vidar is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #349 , and was created by Jim Shooter, Mort Weisinger and Curt Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
. It is revealed at this point that Blok and Mysa are in a relationship, one that was only briefly hinted at as Blok's unrequited crush in the pre-Crisis Legion. Blok helped combat the Legion of Super-Villains
Legion of Super-Villains
The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They are adversaries of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future...
until he suffered major injuries at the hand of Mordru. To save him, Mysa absorbs Mordru's magicks, becoming the Black Witch, and leaves the Legion for the Sorceror's World when the battle is over. Once his wounds are healed, Blok follows Mysa, and convinces her to let him help her utilise Mordru's black magic for good.
Powers and abilities
Blok's abilities fluctuated during his career. Though his enormous size and rocky form suggested super-human strength and near-invulnerability, he did not demonstrate such abilities during his first appearance. Rather, he seemed able to absorb various sorts of energy attacks, being specifically immune to Light Lass'sLightning Lass
Ayla Ranzz, known originally as Lightning Lass is a comic book fictional character, who is a super heroine in a future DC Comics universe...
anti-gravity powers. In his second appearance, this was specifically stated to be an ability to increase his own mass. This power seemed not entirely under his control; when he joined the Legion, it was stated that three Legion flight-rings were required to lift him. Why his teammate Colossal Boy (who could also increase his mass and size) could make do with a single flight ring, but Blok could not, was never explained.
During Blok's Legion tenure, it was stated definitely that he had massive super-human strength. Its relative limits were never made clear; it was stated that he could not match the levels of pre-Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
Kryptonians
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and Daxamites
Lar Gand
Lar Gand, known primarily as Mon-El , is a fictional character in DC Comics' universe who is associated with the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superboy, and Superman...
or Ultra Boy
Ultra Boy
Ultra Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in DC Comics. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. Ultra Boy gained these powers when the space-speedster he was flying was swallowed by an ultra-energy beast , exposing him to...
, but seemed stronger than Timber Wolf
Timber Wolf (comics)
Timber Wolf is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the and member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He comes from the planet Zoon . His powers are enhanced strength, speed and agility...
and, possibly, Colossal Boy. Contrary to this, his durability was greater than that of the latter two heroes, though still not quite on Kryptonian levels. This may have been contradicted when he was able to hold his own against pre-Crisis Daxamites hand-to-hand during a Darkseid lead invasion of the United Planets during the Great Darkness Saga in Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 2) #294. His recuperative abilities were likewise vague. In his earliest experiences, his body included a collar-like formation around his neck which was destroyed during the Great Darkness Saga and never regrew, but he seemed unharmed by its lack. A formation on his face that resembled a nose was likewise apparently chipped away.
Blok was also written as having the ability to communicate telepathically with other silicon-based life forms. Despite his searching, he never did find any, so this ability went unexplored.
Over time, his earlier abilities to change his mass and absorb energy were de-emphasized in favor of his super-strength. Towards the end of his life he began to mutate into a different form, larger than before and possessed of several protuberances which expelled energetic plasma from time to time. It was speculated that Blok's earlier form had been an immature, possibly larval state, and the changes in his body were actually a metamorphosis like that of a butterfly. Another supposition was that he was reaching maturity and beginning to show signs of that race's indication that he was male. A 20th century Dryadian, Strata
Strata (comics)
Strata is a fictional extraterrestrial police officer published by DC Comics. She first appears in Invasion! #2 , and was created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo, Todd McFarlane.-Fictional character biography:...
of L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N., is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes, a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Invasion! #1, and were created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
, metamorphosed into a diamond-like version. When asked about the metamorphosis, she replied, "I guess that means I'm female."
Television
- Blok appeared in an episode of Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
titled "Far From Home". He and the rest of the Legion of Super-Heroes were mind-controlled by the Fatal Five to attack the United PlanetsUnited PlanetsIn the , the United Planets is a fictional governing body, traditionally depicted as active in the 30th and 31st century.-History of the published versions of the United Planets:...
.
- Blok has appeared four times in the Legion of Super HeroesLegion of Super Heroes (TV series)Legion of Super Heroes is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that debuted on September 23, 2006, based on characters appearing in the DC Comics comic book series. The series centers on the young Superman's adventures in the 31st century, fighting alongside a...
animated series in small cameos or crowd scenes in which he has no lines.