Ka-Zar
Encyclopedia
Ka-Zar is the name of two jungle
-dwelling comics fictional character
s published in the United States
. The first (David Rand) appeared in pulp magazine
s of the 1930s, and was adapted for his second iteration, as a comic book
character for Timely Comics
, the 1930s and 1940s
predecessor of Marvel Comics
. The second and more prominent (Kevin Plunder) is a heroic character in the .
vein, also known as Ka-Zar the Great, who first appeared in the pulp magazine Ka-Zar #1 (Oct. 1936) from Manvis Publishing, one of many magazine companies owned by Martin Goodman
. Writer-artist Ben Thompson adapted the pulp story "King of Fang and Claw" by Bob Byrd for Goodman's first comic book, Marvel Comics
#1 (Oct. 1939). In the 2000s, the David Rand Ka-Zar was featured in the All New Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe A-Z.
and of writer-artist Joe Kubert
's 1950s caveman
character, Tor
. Created by Stan Lee
and Jack Kirby
in The X-Men
#10 (March 1965), he lives in the dinosaur
-populated Savage Land
, which was hidden beneath Antarctica by extraterrestrials
.
Originally written as a primitive and belligerent savage who spoke in broken English, Ka-Zar later became more articulate and civilized, although he retained a certain degree of distrust toward civilization and was generally wary of outside visitors to the Savage Land. Kevin Plunder refers to himself as the "Lord of the Savage Land", a phrase others have adopted, but this is not a formal title.
He has had four self-titled series (1970–1971; three issues, mostly reprints), 1974-1977 (20 issues) by Mike Friedrich
, 1981-1984 (Ka-Zar the Savage, 34 issues) by Bruce Jones
and Mike Carlin, and 1997-1998 (20 issues) written by Mark Waid
.
Ka-Zar was one of the three Marvel titles in the early 1980s to be available only via subscription or from a direct distribution comics specialty store (the other two were Moon Knight
and The Micronauts).
from quicksand. When a criminal named Paul de Kraft discovered emeralds in Congo, John died opposing him only for Zar to scare Paul de Kraft off. With the support of Zar, David became the jungle's leading warrior within a few years challenging different animals like Bardak the Ape
and N'Jaga the Leopard
. Considered to be "god-like" by the natives, David Rand ended up named Ka-Zar (native for "Brother of Zar"). When Paul de Kraft returned to seize the emerald deposits, Ka-Zar killed him thus avenging his father.
With the help of the local animals, Ka-Zar established himself as the guardian of the jungle which involved meeting out harsh retribution to any intruder seeking to exploit his resources-but he frequently aided more benign explorers, such as when he protected Prof. Rice and his daughter Mara from the criminal pilot “Red” Skelton, rescued Rita Grey from the Wabi tribe, and helped two Scotland Yard detectives capture murderer London Jack. When Zar the Lion was captured by the vicious Rajah Sarput and a big game hunter named Bradley, Ka-Zar stowed away on a ship when Zar was shipped to the United States. Though he managed to free Zar, Ka-Zar ended up arrested when he tried to free the zoo animals. Fortunately, Ruth Wilson (another woman whom Ka-Zar had rescued during an African expedition), vouched for him. Ka-Zar and Zar were granted passage back to Africa on a British ship. Surviving attacks by entrenched Nazi forces, Ka-Zar and Zar confronted Sarput who was ultimately slain by their ally Trajah the Elephant
. Soon after, Ka-Zar learned he had inherited his father’s Transvaal diamond mines. After preventing his inheritance’s theft by John Rand’s law partner Alec Wright, donated the wealth to war relief in England.
While on an expedition to the mysterious Black River Region, Ka-Zar encountered giants and subterranean lizard people. Ka-Zar managed to befriend a giant named Bogat. Ka-Zar later waged a series of campaigns against the Axis forces in Ethiopia, Somaililand, and anywhere else in Africa where the Axis forces were camped killing them with their own weapons with help from the French and British forces. Following one such encounter, Ka-Zar was restored to health by an aged witch doctor, who gave him a brew used centuries before to grant his tribe superhuman strength, Ka-Zar’s exploits earned him such fame that he was invited to attend a meeting of superhuman champions in mid-194. Last time anyone heard from Ka-Zar, he protected his region’s wildlife when Africa was threatened by monstrous tidal waves from Atlantean warfare. The rest of Ka-Zar's life after that was left unchronicled.
, London
, England
. He is the eldest son of Lord Robert Plunder, the English
nobleman
who discovered the Savage Land
. After his mother had died and his father was killed by the barbaric Man-Ape natives of the Savage Land, Plunder was found and raised by the sabertooth cat
Zabu
, who possesses near-human intelligence thanks to a mutation
caused by radioactive mists. "Ka-Zar" means "Son of the Tiger" in the language of the Man-Apes. Ka-Zar and Zabu are constant partners. Ka-Zar became an expert hunter, trapper, and fisherman, living off the wild land.
In the Savage Land, some territories are populated by several human or humanoid tribes, and while most of them are on friendly terms with Ka-Zar, some of them consider him an outlander and an enemy. He acts more like an unofficial general protector, preventing outside commercial exploitation, such as poaching
and mining
, as well as enforcing peace between tribes and serving as goodwill ambassador to friendly visitors.
The original X-Men
discovered the Savage Land, and Ka-Zar encountered them, battling Maa-Gor for the first time. He then encountered Daredevil
for the first time, and battled his brother Parnival, who had become the supervillain
called the Plunderer
. He then encountered the Hulk
for the first time, and battled Umbu the Unliving. He was once 'tricked' into confronting Spider-Man
after J. Jonah Jameson
convinced him that Spider-Man was a menace when the wall-crawler's memory was erased and he was tricked into working with Doctor Octopus
. Spider-Man's memory was restored during the fight, with Ka-Zar subsequently apologizing for the mistake and proclaiming Spider-Man as the most valiant opponent he had ever fought. Ka-Zar then battled Kraven the Hunter
for the first time.
After the Savage Land became known to outsiders after the visit by the X-Men, many people began traveling to the territory. Ka-Zar has also become romantically involved with female visitors, the first being S.H.I.E.L.D.
agent Barbara Morse (who later became the Avenger named Mockingbird
). He first battled AIM
, and met the Man-Thing
. He then met Spider-Man once again, and battled the extraterrestrial Gog
. He next met the adventurer Shanna O'Hara
, and began a romance with her. He has battled Klaw, and visited other dimensions. Later, he first battled Magneto
's Savage Land Mutates
. and then teamed with the X-Men to battle Zaladane
and Garokk
.
Ka-Zar later discovered that the Savage Land is a part of Pangaea. He then battles Belasco
for the first time. He later marries Shanna, who has taken the name Shanna the She-Devil. His brother Parnival was apparently killed during one of his schemes (though much later turned up alive).
Ka-Zar has teamed up with several of Marvel heroes. The X-Men are recurrent visitors to the Savage Land and Ka-Zar has been a frequent ally, helping the mutant team defeat both inside and outside menaces such as Sauron
and Magneto. He has met Spider-Man on several occasions, one of which involved stopping Stegron the Dinosaur Man
from invading New York City with Savage Land dinosaurs. Ka-Zar has also assisted the Avengers
in their attempt to repel the space conqueror Terminus, but while they rescued many natives
, they were unable to prevent the destruction of the Savage Land. Ka-Zar was rescued by the Avengers, but left the Savage Land for the civilized world. Together, he and Shanna had a son named Matthew. The territory was later reconstructed by the High Evolutionary
using Garokk, and Ka-Zar and Shanna returned with their newborn and resumed their previous roles.
Ka-Zar and Shanna separated for a time, but got back together before long. Ka-Zar fought and defeated Thanos
in one of his many attempts to end life, and later sought the help of investigator Jessica Jones
for assistance locating Zabu.
Shanna and Ka-Zar find Skrull
s mining the rare metal vibranium
in the Savage Land. Soon afterward, as part of the "Secret Invasion
" storyline, a Skrull ship crashes in the Savage Land releasing earlier versions of modern superheroes (who claim to be the originals replaced by Skrulls for some time), and who have escaped. Shanna and Ka-Zar soon learn, however, that these are simply more Skrulls in disguise. Spider-Man soon encounters Ka-Zar, Shanna, Zabu, and some of the natives accusing them of being Skrulls. Just then, the Captain America from the ship attacked thinking the same for Spider-Man. Ka-Zar, Shanna, and Zabu help Spider-Man fight the Captain America from the ship until it is hit by a dart that causes it to regress to a Skrull named Pit'o Nilli. He then later goes with the rest of the Avengers to New York City to help them fight off the Skrull invasion while Shanna stays behind with Zabu to fight off anymore Skrulls left in the Savage Land.
Ka-Zar later meets Reptil
when he and Tigra have rescued Moon-Boy. After reuniting Moon-Boy with Devil Dinosaur, Ka-Zar tells Reptil that he will help him find his parents.
, and occasionally uses a slingshot
, bow and arrow, and other primitive weapons.
It was revealed in Astonishing Tales #11, scripted by Roy Thomas, that Ka-Zar's and Zabu's physical abilities had been enhanced by passing through some mysterious mist. The mists later endowed other characters (Maa-Gor and El Tigre) with superhuman abilities.
member who featured in Mighty World Of Marvel vol. 2 #13 (1984).
form on the final page of issue #3 of Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates
, along with Ultimate Shanna
.
listed Ka-Zar as the 84th greatest comic book hero of all time describing the character as Marvel's equivalent of Tarzan
; IGN also compared Ka-Zar as the protector of his land with Namor being protector of the underwater king, with the only difference being is that Ka-Zar isn't a total jerk and having a better loin cloth.
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
-dwelling comics fictional character
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...
s published in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The first (David Rand) appeared in pulp magazine
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
s of the 1930s, and was adapted for his second iteration, as a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character for Timely Comics
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
, the 1930s and 1940s
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
predecessor of Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The second and more prominent (Kevin Plunder) is a heroic character in the .
David Rand
The first Ka-Zar, David Rand, was a typical "jungle lord" in the TarzanTarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
vein, also known as Ka-Zar the Great, who first appeared in the pulp magazine Ka-Zar #1 (Oct. 1936) from Manvis Publishing, one of many magazine companies owned by Martin Goodman
Martin Goodman (publisher)
Martin Goodman born on was an American publisher of pulp magazines, paperback books, men's adventure magazines, and comic books, launching the company that would become Marvel Comics....
. Writer-artist Ben Thompson adapted the pulp story "King of Fang and Claw" by Bob Byrd for Goodman's first comic book, Marvel Comics
Marvel Mystery Comics
Marvel Mystery Comics is an American comic book series published during the 1930s-1940s period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books...
#1 (Oct. 1939). In the 2000s, the David Rand Ka-Zar was featured in the All New Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe A-Z.
Kevin Plunder
The second Ka-Zar started as a similar character, but reminiscent of both TarzanTarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
and of writer-artist Joe Kubert
Joe Kubert
Joe Kubert is an American comic book artist who went on to found The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkman...
's 1950s caveman
Caveman
A caveman or troglodyte is a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...
character, Tor
Tor (comic book)
Tor is a fictional character, a prehistoric-human protagonist who originated in comic books from the U.S. company St. John Publications. He was created by writer and artist Joe Kubert in 1,000,000 Years Ago! Tor is a fictional character, a prehistoric-human protagonist who originated in comic books...
. Created by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
in The X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#10 (March 1965), he lives in the dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
-populated Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
, which was hidden beneath Antarctica by extraterrestrials
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
.
Originally written as a primitive and belligerent savage who spoke in broken English, Ka-Zar later became more articulate and civilized, although he retained a certain degree of distrust toward civilization and was generally wary of outside visitors to the Savage Land. Kevin Plunder refers to himself as the "Lord of the Savage Land", a phrase others have adopted, but this is not a formal title.
He has had four self-titled series (1970–1971; three issues, mostly reprints), 1974-1977 (20 issues) by Mike Friedrich
Mike Friedrich
Mike Friedrich is an American comic book writer and publisher best known for his work at Marvel and DC Comics, and for publishing the anthology series Star*Reach, one of the first independent comics...
, 1981-1984 (Ka-Zar the Savage, 34 issues) by Bruce Jones
Bruce Jones (comics)
Bruce Jones, whose pen names include Philip Roland and Bruce Elliot, is an American comic book writer, novelist, illustrator, and screenwriter whose work included writing Marvel Comics' The Incredible Hulk from 2001-2005.-Early career:...
and Mike Carlin, and 1997-1998 (20 issues) written by Mark Waid
Mark Waid
Mark Waid is an American comic book writer. He is well known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America...
.
Ka-Zar was one of the three Marvel titles in the early 1980s to be available only via subscription or from a direct distribution comics specialty store (the other two were Moon Knight
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a fictional character, a mercenary-turned-superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character exists in the Marvel Universe and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin...
and The Micronauts).
David Rand
Born in South Africa in 1918, three-year-old David Rand accompanied his British parents John and Constance on a flight to Cairo to visit his grandfather. Unfortunately, their plane crashed in the jungles of Congo. Constance died in the crash and John was driven mad. Living in the jungle with his father, isolated from the local tribes, David grew under the jungle’s hardships into an unusually powerful youth and developed strong empathy with wildlife, notably rescuing Zar the LionLion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
from quicksand. When a criminal named Paul de Kraft discovered emeralds in Congo, John died opposing him only for Zar to scare Paul de Kraft off. With the support of Zar, David became the jungle's leading warrior within a few years challenging different animals like Bardak the Ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
and N'Jaga the Leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
. Considered to be "god-like" by the natives, David Rand ended up named Ka-Zar (native for "Brother of Zar"). When Paul de Kraft returned to seize the emerald deposits, Ka-Zar killed him thus avenging his father.
With the help of the local animals, Ka-Zar established himself as the guardian of the jungle which involved meeting out harsh retribution to any intruder seeking to exploit his resources-but he frequently aided more benign explorers, such as when he protected Prof. Rice and his daughter Mara from the criminal pilot “Red” Skelton, rescued Rita Grey from the Wabi tribe, and helped two Scotland Yard detectives capture murderer London Jack. When Zar the Lion was captured by the vicious Rajah Sarput and a big game hunter named Bradley, Ka-Zar stowed away on a ship when Zar was shipped to the United States. Though he managed to free Zar, Ka-Zar ended up arrested when he tried to free the zoo animals. Fortunately, Ruth Wilson (another woman whom Ka-Zar had rescued during an African expedition), vouched for him. Ka-Zar and Zar were granted passage back to Africa on a British ship. Surviving attacks by entrenched Nazi forces, Ka-Zar and Zar confronted Sarput who was ultimately slain by their ally Trajah the Elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
. Soon after, Ka-Zar learned he had inherited his father’s Transvaal diamond mines. After preventing his inheritance’s theft by John Rand’s law partner Alec Wright, donated the wealth to war relief in England.
While on an expedition to the mysterious Black River Region, Ka-Zar encountered giants and subterranean lizard people. Ka-Zar managed to befriend a giant named Bogat. Ka-Zar later waged a series of campaigns against the Axis forces in Ethiopia, Somaililand, and anywhere else in Africa where the Axis forces were camped killing them with their own weapons with help from the French and British forces. Following one such encounter, Ka-Zar was restored to health by an aged witch doctor, who gave him a brew used centuries before to grant his tribe superhuman strength, Ka-Zar’s exploits earned him such fame that he was invited to attend a meeting of superhuman champions in mid-194. Last time anyone heard from Ka-Zar, he protected his region’s wildlife when Africa was threatened by monstrous tidal waves from Atlantean warfare. The rest of Ka-Zar's life after that was left unchronicled.
Kevin Plunder
Ka-Zar is Lord Kevin Reginald Plunder, born in Castle Plunder, Kentish TownKentish Town
Kentish Town is an area of north west London, England in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The most widely accepted explanation of the name of Kentish Town is that it derived from 'Ken-ditch' meaning the 'bed of a waterway'...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He is the eldest son of Lord Robert Plunder, the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
nobleman
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
who discovered the Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
. After his mother had died and his father was killed by the barbaric Man-Ape natives of the Savage Land, Plunder was found and raised by the sabertooth cat
Smilodon
Smilodon , often called a saber-toothed cat or saber-toothed tiger, is an extinct genus of machairodonts. This saber-toothed cat was endemic to North America and South America, living from near the beginning through the very end of the Pleistocene epoch .-Etymology:The nickname "saber-tooth" refers...
Zabu
Zabu
Zabu is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe, a superhero who is connected primarily to the Savage Land, and the X-Men, and most recently the Avengers . He first appeared in X-Men #10 . He is the last known living Smilodon and is a companion and ally of Ka-Zar.-Fictional character...
, who possesses near-human intelligence thanks to a mutation
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
caused by radioactive mists. "Ka-Zar" means "Son of the Tiger" in the language of the Man-Apes. Ka-Zar and Zabu are constant partners. Ka-Zar became an expert hunter, trapper, and fisherman, living off the wild land.
In the Savage Land, some territories are populated by several human or humanoid tribes, and while most of them are on friendly terms with Ka-Zar, some of them consider him an outlander and an enemy. He acts more like an unofficial general protector, preventing outside commercial exploitation, such as poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
and mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, as well as enforcing peace between tribes and serving as goodwill ambassador to friendly visitors.
The original X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
discovered the Savage Land, and Ka-Zar encountered them, battling Maa-Gor for the first time. He then encountered Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
for the first time, and battled his brother Parnival, who had become the supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
called the Plunderer
Plunderer
The Plunderer is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics who exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
. He then encountered the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
for the first time, and battled Umbu the Unliving. He was once 'tricked' into confronting Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
after J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson Junior is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the .Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City...
convinced him that Spider-Man was a menace when the wall-crawler's memory was erased and he was tricked into working with Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
. Spider-Man's memory was restored during the fight, with Ka-Zar subsequently apologizing for the mistake and proclaiming Spider-Man as the most valiant opponent he had ever fought. Ka-Zar then battled Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Kraven's name is Sergei Kravinoff. He also appears as Xraven, with white-grey skin and red eyes, possessing the powers of X-Men. He is the half-brother of Dmitri...
for the first time.
After the Savage Land became known to outsiders after the visit by the X-Men, many people began traveling to the territory. Ka-Zar has also become romantically involved with female visitors, the first being S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
agent Barbara Morse (who later became the Avenger named Mockingbird
Mockingbird (Marvel Comics)
Mockingbird is a fictional character, a superhero in the who first appears in the Ka-Zar story in Astonishing Tales #6 written by Gerry Conway and pencilled by Barry Smith...
). He first battled AIM
Advanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
, and met the Man-Thing
Man-Thing
The Man-Thing is a fictional character, a monster in publications from Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in Savage Tales #1 , and went on to be featured in various titles and in his own series, including...
. He then met Spider-Man once again, and battled the extraterrestrial Gog
Gog (Marvel Comics)
Gog is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the . Created by writer Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, the character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #103....
. He next met the adventurer Shanna O'Hara
Shanna the She-Devil
Shanna the She-Devil is a fictional jungle adventuress in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Carole Seuling and penciler George Tuska, she made her first appearance in Shanna the She-Devil #1 Shanna the She-Devil is a fictional jungle adventuress in comic books published by...
, and began a romance with her. He has battled Klaw, and visited other dimensions. Later, he first battled Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
's Savage Land Mutates
Savage Land Mutates
The Savage Land Mutates are a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain group based in the Savage Land, a hidden Antarctic environment of dinosaurs and primitive people in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional team biography:...
. and then teamed with the X-Men to battle Zaladane
Zaladane
Zaladane is a fictional character, a sorceress from Marvel Comics and the high priestess of the sun god Garokk, the Petrified Man...
and Garokk
Garokk
Garokk, also known as the Petrified Man, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Astonishing Tales vol. 1 #2 and was created by Roy Thomas and Jack Kirby....
.
Ka-Zar later discovered that the Savage Land is a part of Pangaea. He then battles Belasco
Belasco
Belasco is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character's first appearance was in Ka-Zar the Savage #11; he was created by Bruce Jones and Brent Anderson.-Fictional character biography:...
for the first time. He later marries Shanna, who has taken the name Shanna the She-Devil. His brother Parnival was apparently killed during one of his schemes (though much later turned up alive).
Ka-Zar has teamed up with several of Marvel heroes. The X-Men are recurrent visitors to the Savage Land and Ka-Zar has been a frequent ally, helping the mutant team defeat both inside and outside menaces such as Sauron
Sauron (comics)
Sauron is a comic book character, a supervillain in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. An enemy of the X-Men, the character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Neal Adams. He first fully appeared as Sauron in X-Men #60 ....
and Magneto. He has met Spider-Man on several occasions, one of which involved stopping Stegron the Dinosaur Man
Stegron
Stegron the Dinosaur Man is a Marvel Comics super-villain, primarily an antagonist of Spider-Man.-Fictional character biography:Vincent Stegron was hired by S.H.I.E.L.D. to work with Dr. Curt Connors to study dinosaur DNA from the Savage Land. Obsessed with the experiments Connors did to create the...
from invading New York City with Savage Land dinosaurs. Ka-Zar has also assisted the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
in their attempt to repel the space conqueror Terminus, but while they rescued many natives
Savage Land Races
-Known Races:The Savage Land and Pangea are home to a number of humanoid races. Some of them were originally creations of the Atlanteans. The known tribe races of the Savage Land are described below:-Aerians:...
, they were unable to prevent the destruction of the Savage Land. Ka-Zar was rescued by the Avengers, but left the Savage Land for the civilized world. Together, he and Shanna had a son named Matthew. The territory was later reconstructed by the High Evolutionary
High Evolutionary
The High Evolutionary is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The High Evolutionary was first mentioned in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #133 , and first appears in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
using Garokk, and Ka-Zar and Shanna returned with their newborn and resumed their previous roles.
Ka-Zar and Shanna separated for a time, but got back together before long. Ka-Zar fought and defeated Thanos
Thanos
Thanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books and other media published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin....
in one of his many attempts to end life, and later sought the help of investigator Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones
Jessica Campbell Jones Cage is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos. Jones debuted in the series Alias as an embittered former superheroine who had used the aliases Jewel, Knightress, and currently Power Woman...
for assistance locating Zabu.
Shanna and Ka-Zar find Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
s mining the rare metal vibranium
Vibranium
Vibranium is a fictional metal that appears in the Marvel Universe. It is most commonly known as one of the materials used to construct Captain America's shield, but it is also noted for its connection to the Black Panther and his native homeland of Wakanda .-Publication history:Vibranium first...
in the Savage Land. Soon afterward, as part of the "Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
" storyline, a Skrull ship crashes in the Savage Land releasing earlier versions of modern superheroes (who claim to be the originals replaced by Skrulls for some time), and who have escaped. Shanna and Ka-Zar soon learn, however, that these are simply more Skrulls in disguise. Spider-Man soon encounters Ka-Zar, Shanna, Zabu, and some of the natives accusing them of being Skrulls. Just then, the Captain America from the ship attacked thinking the same for Spider-Man. Ka-Zar, Shanna, and Zabu help Spider-Man fight the Captain America from the ship until it is hit by a dart that causes it to regress to a Skrull named Pit'o Nilli. He then later goes with the rest of the Avengers to New York City to help them fight off the Skrull invasion while Shanna stays behind with Zabu to fight off anymore Skrulls left in the Savage Land.
Ka-Zar later meets Reptil
Reptil
Reptil is a character from Marvel Comics. He is best known as a supporting member on The Super Hero Squad Show and a member of Avengers Academy in the comics.-Fictional character biography:...
when he and Tigra have rescued Moon-Boy. After reuniting Moon-Boy with Devil Dinosaur, Ka-Zar tells Reptil that he will help him find his parents.
Powers and abilities
Kevin Plunder is an athletic man with no superhuman powers. He utilizes a unique style of hand-to-hand combat shaped by years of surviving in the Savage Land. He has developed great skills in hunting, trapping, fishing, foraging, and general survival in the wild. He carries a 12 inches (304.8 mm) Bowie knifeBowie knife
A Bowie knife is a pattern of fixed-blade fighting knife first popularized by Colonel James "Jim" Bowie in the early 19th Century. Since the first incarnation was created by James Black, the Bowie knife has come to incorporate several recognizable and characteristic design features, although its...
, and occasionally uses a slingshot
Slingshot
A slingshot, shanghai, flip, bean shooter or catapult is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame held in the off hand, with two rubber strips attached to the uprights. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket which holds the projectile...
, bow and arrow, and other primitive weapons.
It was revealed in Astonishing Tales #11, scripted by Roy Thomas, that Ka-Zar's and Zabu's physical abilities had been enhanced by passing through some mysterious mist. The mists later endowed other characters (Maa-Gor and El Tigre) with superhuman abilities.
Earth-8413
A version of Kevin Plunder, named Kavin Plundarr, is Gotowar Konanegg a Captain Britain CorpsCaptain Britain Corps
In Marvel Comics, the Captain Britain Corps is a league of super-heroes all known as, or appear as an alternative version of, Captain Britain. They are all essentially the same hero except they each come from an alternative reality.-Fictional team history:...
member who featured in Mighty World Of Marvel vol. 2 #13 (1984).
Earth X
In the Earth X series, Ka-Zar (as well as Shanna) have been mutated by Plague X into humanoid saber-toothed tigers. They play an integral part in Universe X- leading Captain America and the reborn Mar-Vell to the gateway to Limbo, and helping the X-Men and Wakandan refugees escape the cannibalistic hordes of Wendigo.What If?
He appears in a What If story, where the Savage Land terraforming has taken over New York. He has a son, Matthew, but it is obvious that Zabu has been killed as his skull is seen on Ka-Zar's head and his pelt, a cape. Both he and Parnival sacrifice themselves to return New York to normal, with Shanna the only survivor of his "family."House of M
Kevin Plunder appears in a short article in The Pulse: House of M Special Edition. The article explains that he has been granted asylum in the US and feature a picture of him alongside his faithful companion Zabu.Marvel Zombies
It is briefly noted in Marvel Zombies that a zombified Quicksilver managed to spread the virus to the Savage Land, infecting Ka-Zar and Zabu.Ultimate
Ka-Zar appears in his UltimateUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
form on the final page of issue #3 of Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates
Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates
Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates is a comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics that began in March 2010 as part of Marvel's "Ultimate Comics" imprint. The series was written by Jeph Loeb, writer of Ultimates 3 and Ultimatum...
, along with Ultimate Shanna
Shanna the She-Devil
Shanna the She-Devil is a fictional jungle adventuress in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Carole Seuling and penciler George Tuska, she made her first appearance in Shanna the She-Devil #1 Shanna the She-Devil is a fictional jungle adventuress in comic books published by...
.
Television
- Ka-Zar appears in the 1981 Spider-ManSpider-Man (1981 TV series)Spider-Man is a syndicated animated TV series based on the popular Marvel Comics character of the same name.-Production background:The series was created to launch Marvel Productions, successor of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, who had previously produced the 1978 New Fantastic Four and 1979...
cartoon "The Hunter and the Hunted". He arrives in New York to rescue Zabu from Kraven the HunterKraven the HunterKraven the Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Kraven's name is Sergei Kravinoff. He also appears as Xraven, with white-grey skin and red eyes, possessing the powers of X-Men. He is the half-brother of Dmitri...
.
- Ka-Zar appeared in both two-part X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
episodes "Reunion" and "Savage Land, Strange Heart" voiced by Robert Bockstael.
- Ka-Zar appears in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
episode "Stranger From a Savage Land!" voiced by Kevin SorboKevin SorboKevin David Sorbo is an American actor best known for the roles of Hercules in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Captain Dylan Hunt in Andromeda and Kull in Kull the Conqueror.-Early life:...
. Zabu is being held captive in the Super Hero City Zoo for live study after being captured by a scientist from the Savage Land. Ka-Zar arrives in Super Hero City to rescue Zabu from Doctor DoomDoctor DoomVictor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
and the Lethal LegionLethal LegionThe Lethal Legion is the name of five teams of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first version of the Legion appears in The Avengers #78 ; the second version in Avengers #164 ; the third version in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #1 ; the fourth Avengers...
with help from the Super Hero Squad.
Video games
- Ka-Zar appeared in the video game X-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is an action role-playing game released in 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, N-Gage, PlayStation Portable, and GameCube video game consoles as well as the PC...
voiced by John CyganJohn CyganJohn Cygan is an American actor, voice artist, and comedian.-Career:Cygan is notable for his television work and his voice work .-Filmography:*The Commish ......
. - Ka-Zar makes a cameo appearance in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 in AmaterasuOkamiis an action-adventure video game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. It was released for Sony's PlayStation 2 video game console in 2006 in Japan and North America, and 2007 in Europe and Australia...
's ending.
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
listed Ka-Zar as the 84th greatest comic book hero of all time describing the character as Marvel's equivalent of Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
; IGN also compared Ka-Zar as the protector of his land with Namor being protector of the underwater king, with the only difference being is that Ka-Zar isn't a total jerk and having a better loin cloth.
External links
- Ka-Zar (David Rand) at the Marvel Universe
- Ka-Zar (David Rand) at the International Catalogue of Superheroes
- The Holloway Pages: Pulp Heroes: "Ka-Zar" (Golden Age version)
- Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder) at the Marvel Universe
- Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder) at Spiderfan.org
- Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder) at Comic Vine