Kraken (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
The Kraken is a name given to several aquatic monsters inspired by the legend of Kraken
and several characters that have appeared primarily in DC Comics
and Marvel Comics
publications.
: the first in Adventure Comics
#56 (Nov. 1940), a second, land-based version existing on the planet Venus
in Flash Comics
#81 (March 1947) and a third variation capable of speech that claimed to be the actual Kraken from ancient folklore who battled the hero Captain Marvel
in Whiz Comics
#155 (June 1953).
Two versions appeared during the Silver Age of Comic Books
: a giant octopus encountered by the Challengers of the Unknown
in Showcase
#12 (Jan.-Feb 1958), and the second being a giant squid
summoned by the hero Aquaman
in Aquaman #34 (July-Aug. 1967). Wonder Woman #247 (Sept. 1978) and #289 (March 1982) featured additional versions, and in Wonder Woman vol. 2 #75 (June 1993) the character encountered a version complete with tiara in a dream dimension. In Aquaman #1,000,000 (Nov. 1998), the eponymous hero of the title encounters one of the "Krakens of Vexjor", a race of huge tentacled reptilian sea monsters that inhabit Earth's oceans in the 853rd Century. Woman Woman and Aquaman also encounter a young Kraken in Issue #1 (Aug. 2011, DC Comics) of the limited series
Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies.
called the Kraken who survives the nuclear
annihilation of humanity only to be trapped in a post-apocalyptic future with no human blood for nourishment. Kraken was also the name of a crime syndicate that appeared in The Brave and the Bold
#138 (Nov. 1977). Two extraterrestial villains called Kraken have appeared, the first being an orange-skinned minor villain in Supergirl vol. 2 #18 (April 1984) and the second an ongoing character who debuted in Green Lantern
vol. 4 #25 (Jan. 2008).
Minor characters include Prince Kraken, an Atlantean warrior,The Kraken Brothers (Hal Kraken and Kris Kraken), Mr. Kraken, the aide-de-camp
of villainess Roulette
and King Kraken, a physically powerful if deformed villain that has encountered Batman
on several occasions.
#27 (April 1966, Marvel Comics), Tales to Astonish
#93 and Sub-Mariner #27 (July 1970), before returning years later in the second issue of the limited series
Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America
(#1 - 5, June-Aug. 2007).
A Kraken appeared in the short story "When Strikes The Kraken!" in Kull The Destroyer #17 (Oct. 1976), and was reprinted in Chronicles of Kull 2: The Hell Beneath Atlantis and Other Stories.
Another Kraken (a gigantic squid
) debuted in the black and white Bizarre Adventures #26 (May 1981).
A creature called The Black Kraken debuted in the short story "Red Shadows and Black Kraken!" (based on the 1968 fantasy
novel Conan of the Isles
written by L. Sprague de Camp
and Lin Carter
featuring Robert E. Howard
's hero Conan the Barbarian
. The story is republished in the graphic novel Conan of the Isles.) in Conan The Barbarian Annual #7 (1982).
Yet another version of the Kraken (four-armed and reptilian in appearance) debuted in Marvel Comics Presents #121 (Jan. 1993). It returned in Marvel Action Hour featuring the Fantastic Four #2-4 (Dec. 1994-Feb. 1995) and in the one shot
title Namora #1 (Aug. 2010).. Another Kraken (a horned squid creature) appeared in the 2009 one-shot comic Sub-Mariner Comics: 70th Anniversary Special.
Two additional versions possessed ties to Greek mythology
. The first served the Olympian Gods
and debuted in the one shot Chaos War: God Squad #1 (Feb. 2011) before returning in Incredible Hulk #622 (April 2011). The second Kraken appeared in the four-part limited series
Wolverine/Hercules: Myths, Monsters & Mutants. Spirited away by the god Poseidon
after a defeat by Greek hero Perseus
, the creature is revived in modern times by King Eurystheus
to battle the heroes Hercules
and Wolverine
.
debuted in Sub-Mariner #27 (July 1970) and battled several of Marvel's heroes before finally being killed in Captain America
#319 (July 1986). An elite assassin and member of the terrorist organization HYDRA
also used the name and debuted in Secret Warriors
#2, March 2009. Writer/artist Jonathan Hickman
stated in an interview with Comic Book Resources
that ""Kraken" is a new character. The other HYDRA character with that name [Commander Kraken] was "a real b-list character and pretty lame. Our Kraken...has a long and elaborate history and we're going to be delving into that in a major way".
The Ultimate Marvel
imprint title Ultimate X-Men
featured an "Agent Kraken", acting as a bodyguard to the President of the United States
.
), Monster Hunters
#10 (Oct. 1977, Charlton Comics
) and Indiana Jones and the Sargasso Pirates #2 (Jan. 1996, Dark Horse Comics
), all featured versions of the Kraken.
). 2000 AD
#583, (July 1988, Fleetway
Publications) also featured the debut of a character called Judge Kraken
.
Kraken
Kraken are legendary sea monsters of giant proportions said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland.In modern German, Krake means octopus but can also refer to the legendary Kraken...
and several characters that have appeared primarily in 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...
and 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...
publications.
Kraken
Three versions appeared during the Golden Age of Comic BooksGolden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
: the first in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#56 (Nov. 1940), a second, land-based version existing on the planet Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
in Flash Comics
Flash Comics
Flash Comics was an anthology comic book published by All-American Publications and later National Periodicals . The title ran for 104 issues between January 1940 to February 1949. Although the name of the comic book was Flash Comics, the Flash was only one of many different series featured in the...
#81 (March 1947) and a third variation capable of speech that claimed to be the actual Kraken from ancient folklore who battled the hero Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (DC Comics)
Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
in Whiz Comics
Whiz Comics
Whiz Comics was a monthly ongoing comic book anthology series, which was published by Fawcett Comics from February 1940 with issue #2 and stopping at issue #155 in June 1953, best known for introducing Captain Marvel. The first issue published of Whiz Comics was issue #2...
#155 (June 1953).
Two versions appeared during the Silver Age of Comic Books
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
: a giant octopus encountered by the Challengers of the Unknown
Challengers of the Unknown
The Challengers of the Unknown is a group of fictional characters in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, or co-created with Dave Wood , this quartet of adventurers explored science fictional and apparent paranormal occurrences and faced fantastic menaces.Scripts for the first...
in Showcase
Showcase (comics)
Showcase has been the title of several comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing...
#12 (Jan.-Feb 1958), and the second being a giant squid
Giant squid
The giant squid is a deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae, represented by as many as eight species...
summoned by the hero Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
in Aquaman #34 (July-Aug. 1967). Wonder Woman #247 (Sept. 1978) and #289 (March 1982) featured additional versions, and in Wonder Woman vol. 2 #75 (June 1993) the character encountered a version complete with tiara in a dream dimension. In Aquaman #1,000,000 (Nov. 1998), the eponymous hero of the title encounters one of the "Krakens of Vexjor", a race of huge tentacled reptilian sea monsters that inhabit Earth's oceans in the 853rd Century. Woman Woman and Aquaman also encounter a young Kraken in Issue #1 (Aug. 2011, DC Comics) of the limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies.
Characters
Secrets of the Sinister House #13 (Sep. 1973) featured a vampireVampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
called the Kraken who survives the nuclear
Nuclear
Nuclear may refer to:* Nuclear DNAIn physics:* Nuclear engineering* Nuclear physics* Nuclear power* Nuclear reactor technology* Nuclear weaponIn mathematics:* Nuclear space* Nuclear operator* Nuclear C*-algebra-See also:...
annihilation of humanity only to be trapped in a post-apocalyptic future with no human blood for nourishment. Kraken was also the name of a crime syndicate that appeared in The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold is the title shared by many comic book series published by DC Comics. The first of these was published as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983...
#138 (Nov. 1977). Two extraterrestial villains called Kraken have appeared, the first being an orange-skinned minor villain in Supergirl vol. 2 #18 (April 1984) and the second an ongoing character who debuted in Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
vol. 4 #25 (Jan. 2008).
Minor characters include Prince Kraken, an Atlantean warrior,The Kraken Brothers (Hal Kraken and Kris Kraken), Mr. Kraken, the aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
of villainess Roulette
Roulette (DC Comics)
Roulette is a supervillainess in the DC Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Roulette's grandmother was a Golden Age villain of the same name, who ran a conventional casino and fought Mister Terrific . The current Roulette believes Terry Sloane to be her grandfather, but it is indicated...
and King Kraken, a physically powerful if deformed villain that has encountered Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
on several occasions.
Kraken
The first Kraken made multiple appearances in Marvel continuity, including The AvengersAvengers (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...
#27 (April 1966, Marvel Comics), Tales to Astonish
Tales to Astonish
Tales to Astonish is the name of two American comic book series and a one-shot comic published by Marvel Comics.The primary title bearing that name was published from 1959-1968...
#93 and Sub-Mariner #27 (July 1970), before returning years later in the second issue of the limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America
Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America
Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America is a comic book limited series dealing with various superheroes' reactions to death of Captain America in the Marvel comics universe after the Civil War....
(#1 - 5, June-Aug. 2007).
A Kraken appeared in the short story "When Strikes The Kraken!" in Kull The Destroyer #17 (Oct. 1976), and was reprinted in Chronicles of Kull 2: The Hell Beneath Atlantis and Other Stories.
Another Kraken (a gigantic squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
) debuted in the black and white Bizarre Adventures #26 (May 1981).
A creature called The Black Kraken debuted in the short story "Red Shadows and Black Kraken!" (based on the 1968 fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novel Conan of the Isles
Conan of the Isles
Conan of the Isles is a 1968 fantasy novel written by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter featuring Robert E. Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Lancer Books, and has been reprinted a number of times since by various publishers...
written by L. Sprague de Camp
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
and Lin Carter
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft and Grail Undwin.-Life:Carter was born in St. Petersburg, Florida...
featuring Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
's hero Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
. The story is republished in the graphic novel Conan of the Isles.) in Conan The Barbarian Annual #7 (1982).
Yet another version of the Kraken (four-armed and reptilian in appearance) debuted in Marvel Comics Presents #121 (Jan. 1993). It returned in Marvel Action Hour featuring the Fantastic Four #2-4 (Dec. 1994-Feb. 1995) and in the one shot
One shot
One shot may refer to:* One shot , a music video shot in one long take with no edits* One-shot , a comic book which is not a part of a series or mini-series...
title Namora #1 (Aug. 2010).. Another Kraken (a horned squid creature) appeared in the 2009 one-shot comic Sub-Mariner Comics: 70th Anniversary Special.
Two additional versions possessed ties to Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
. The first served the Olympian Gods
Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
and debuted in the one shot Chaos War: God Squad #1 (Feb. 2011) before returning in Incredible Hulk #622 (April 2011). The second Kraken appeared in the four-part limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
Wolverine/Hercules: Myths, Monsters & Mutants. Spirited away by the god Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
after a defeat by Greek hero Perseus
Perseus
Perseus ,Perseos and Perseas are not used in English. the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty of Danaans there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths of the Twelve Olympians...
, the creature is revived in modern times by King Eurystheus
Eurystheus
In Greek mythology, Eurystheus was king of Tiryns, one of three Mycenaean strongholds in the Argolid, although other authors including Homer and Euripides cast him as ruler of Argos: Sthenelus was his father and the "victorious horsewoman" Nicippe his mother, and he was a grandson of the hero...
to battle the heroes Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
and Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
.
Characters
A villain adopted the name of Commander KrakenCommander Kraken
Commander Kraken is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Commander Kraken first appeared in Sub-Mariner #27 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema....
debuted in Sub-Mariner #27 (July 1970) and battled several of Marvel's heroes before finally being killed in Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
#319 (July 1986). An elite assassin and member of the terrorist organization HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
also used the name and debuted in Secret Warriors
Secret Warriors
The Secret Warriors is a Marvel series featuring Nick Fury and Team White, a fictional team of superpowered agents in the . Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, the characters were introduced in Mighty Avengers #13, and debuted as a team in Secret Invasion #3, both published in...
#2, March 2009. Writer/artist Jonathan Hickman
Jonathan Hickman
Jonathan Hickman is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for the Image Comics series The Nightly News and currently writes FF , and S.H.I.E.L.D for Marvel Comics.-Career:...
stated in an interview with Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
that ""Kraken" is a new character. The other HYDRA character with that name [Commander Kraken] was "a real b-list character and pretty lame. Our Kraken...has a long and elaborate history and we're going to be delving into that in a major way".
The Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate 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...
imprint title Ultimate X-Men
Ultimate X-Men
Ultimate X-Men is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
featured an "Agent Kraken", acting as a bodyguard to the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
Kraken
Champion Comics #5 (March 1940, Harvey ComicsHarvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
), Monster Hunters
Monster Hunters
The Monster Hunters were a fictional group, appearing in comic book series published by Marvel Comics. This group exists in Marvel's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
#10 (Oct. 1977, Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
) and Indiana Jones and the Sargasso Pirates #2 (Jan. 1996, Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
), all featured versions of the Kraken.
Characters
Two one-shot publications featured characters bearing the name: a villain called "Dr. Kraken" in Web-Man #1 (1993, Argosy Communications Inc.) and a hero called Diego Hargreeves with the alias "Kraken" in Umbrella Academy #1 (2007, Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
). 2000 AD
2000 AD
2000 AD refers to the year 2000 in the Anno Domini calendar era. It may also refer to:* 2000 AD , a weekly British science-fiction comic* 2000 AD , a Singapore action movie...
#583, (July 1988, Fleetway
Fleetway
Fleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing....
Publications) also featured the debut of a character called Judge Kraken
Judge Kraken
Judge Kraken is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip featured in the long-running British comic 2000 AD. Although he only appeared in a few episodes, he was nonetheless a very important character in Tale of the Dead Man, in which he was given almost equal billing with Dredd, and in...
.
External links
- Kraken (New Earth) at DC Wikia
- Kraken (Earth-616) at Marvel Wikia
- http://www.comics.org/ - Comic Covers
- Kraken at ComicVine.com