Lord Pumpkin
Encyclopedia
Lord Pumpkin is a fictional being from Malibu Comics
' Ultraverse
continuity. He was created and later written by Dan Danko, with additional development by Steve Gerber
, Aaron Lopresti
, and Gary Martin including his first published appearance, with which Danko was not involved. Lord Pumpkin first appeared in the comic Sludge
but he went on to trouble Rune
, Night Man
and Hardcase
. In the Ultraforce
animated TV series, he was an enemy of the Ultraforce.
, a cosmic artifact of tremendous size.
He was created by a wizard to be the playmate of a spoiled-brat prince
from a medieval kingdom. However, the prince (who liked to torture animals, among other disturbing things) found great pleasure in tormenting his new "toy," frequently burning him or chopping him up with an axe. The creature finally rebelled, slew the prince, and overthrew the kingdom. Now hungry for new worlds to conquer, the being, now calling himself Lord Pumpkin, set his sights on the Ultraverse's Earth. He felt that the great number of superhumans, or "Ultras," would prove to be an entertaining challenge.
Lord Pumpkin's reign over his kingdom would be cut down when he was destroyed by a force of invading knights. Due to the intervention of a being calling himself Mr. Mischief, Lord Pumpkin and the one surviving knight, Arielle both traveled to Earth. Pumpkin was now a frightened, abused creature, which manifested out a garbage dump and had been sold to a circus. He was now the fall man in a clown-fire-rescue scene. His only friend was a circus boy named Kenny, also abused.
Mr. Mischief appeared again, with a strange candle which altered 'Pumpy', as Kenny called him. Lord Pumpkin awoke and waited for the next routine. The dog he was supposed to jump with, he hurled to its death and the various abusive members of the circus were killed or tortured. Arielle manifested also and managed to seemingly kill the creature. Lord Pumpkin convinced Kenny to eat one of his seeds.
Kenny would later morph into Lord Pumpkin, by eating a pumpkin seed. He battles Warstrike, then becomes involved in the Godwheel
incident. During this, he kills Flygirl
, who was working with Hardcase.
-like body of straw and twigs, with a pumpkin
carved like a jack-o-lantern for a head. Inside his head is a candle
, whose ever-lit flame is often mistaken to be his life-force. He can use it to breathe a blast of fire from his mouth.
Lord Pumpkin is an extremely skilled sorcerer
, and is also nearly immortal; even if his body is totally destroyed, seeds from his pumpkin head are capable of growing a new body for him, sometimes by taking over and transforming the body of another living being if a seed has been ingested. He is not subject to pain or disease and needs no air, food or water.
His only weakness is the fragile materials his body is composed of: dry, flammable straw, and a ripe pumpkin. However, due to his strong magical abilities, attacks rarely get close enough to harm him. He can still be taken by surprise, however.
animated series. In this continuity, he is defeated by Prototype and again by Prime when both heroes remove the candle in his mouth.
Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. The company's headquarters was in Calabasas, California. Malibu imprints included Aircel Comics and Eternity Comics...
' Ultraverse
Ultraverse
The Ultraverse was the name given to a comic book imprint published by the American company Malibu Comics. The Ultraverse was a shared universe in which a variety of characters — known within the comics as "Ultras" — acquired super-human abilities.-History:...
continuity. He was created and later written by Dan Danko, with additional development by Steve Gerber
Steve Gerber
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....
, Aaron Lopresti
Aaron Lopresti
Aaron Lopresti is an American comic book artist who has worked for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Image Comics.-Career:Lopresti first published work of note was the Malibu Comics title Sludge, in 1993...
, and Gary Martin including his first published appearance, with which Danko was not involved. Lord Pumpkin first appeared in the comic Sludge
Sludge (comics)
Sludge was a comic book series from Malibu Comics, set in the Ultraverse. It was created by Steve Gerber, Gary Martin and Aaron Lopresti. Sludge ran for only twelve issues, with one special: Sludge: Red X-Mas...
but he went on to trouble Rune
Rune (comics)
Rune is a fictional vampire-like being from Malibu Comics' Ultraverse imprint. He was created by Barry Windsor-Smith and Chris Ulm, and first appeared as a back-up story in Sludge #1 .-Fictional character biography:...
, Night Man
Night Man
Night Man is an American action/adventure/sci-fi series that aired in syndication from September 15, 1997 to May 17, 1999. The series is loosely based on a comic book published by Malibu Comics and was created by Steve Englehart and developed for television by Glen A...
and Hardcase
Hardcase
Hardcase is a comic book series written by James Hudnall for Malibu Comics’ Ultraverse imprint, which lasted 26 issues. The series was about Tom Hawke, who became one of the first publicly known Ultras ....
. In the Ultraforce
Ultraforce (comics)
The Ultraforce is a fictional superhero group that appears in comic books published by Malibu, and later Marvel, as well as an animated series produced by DIC. Their purpose was to protect the public and keep other Ultras from getting out of line...
animated TV series, he was an enemy of the Ultraforce.
Fictional character biography
Lord Pumpkin originated in one of the many realms existing within the GodwheelGodwheel
The Godwheel is one of the main concepts of the Malibu Comics Ultraverse. While it lent its name to a 1994/1995 four-issue series, the Godwheel is actually the place of origin of quite a few Ultraverse concepts, characters and significant items that predate that series...
, a cosmic artifact of tremendous size.
He was created by a wizard to be the playmate of a spoiled-brat prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
from a medieval kingdom. However, the prince (who liked to torture animals, among other disturbing things) found great pleasure in tormenting his new "toy," frequently burning him or chopping him up with an axe. The creature finally rebelled, slew the prince, and overthrew the kingdom. Now hungry for new worlds to conquer, the being, now calling himself Lord Pumpkin, set his sights on the Ultraverse's Earth. He felt that the great number of superhumans, or "Ultras," would prove to be an entertaining challenge.
Lord Pumpkin's reign over his kingdom would be cut down when he was destroyed by a force of invading knights. Due to the intervention of a being calling himself Mr. Mischief, Lord Pumpkin and the one surviving knight, Arielle both traveled to Earth. Pumpkin was now a frightened, abused creature, which manifested out a garbage dump and had been sold to a circus. He was now the fall man in a clown-fire-rescue scene. His only friend was a circus boy named Kenny, also abused.
Mr. Mischief appeared again, with a strange candle which altered 'Pumpy', as Kenny called him. Lord Pumpkin awoke and waited for the next routine. The dog he was supposed to jump with, he hurled to its death and the various abusive members of the circus were killed or tortured. Arielle manifested also and managed to seemingly kill the creature. Lord Pumpkin convinced Kenny to eat one of his seeds.
Kenny would later morph into Lord Pumpkin, by eating a pumpkin seed. He battles Warstrike, then becomes involved in the Godwheel
Godwheel
The Godwheel is one of the main concepts of the Malibu Comics Ultraverse. While it lent its name to a 1994/1995 four-issue series, the Godwheel is actually the place of origin of quite a few Ultraverse concepts, characters and significant items that predate that series...
incident. During this, he kills Flygirl
Flygirl (comics)
Flygirl is a fictional character. She was introduced in Malibu Comics' Freex #10 as a member of the Academy of the New Elite, an organization created by Contrary to teach young Ultras to control their powers.-Character biography:...
, who was working with Hardcase.
Powers/Abilities
Lord Pumpkin is a magical being, usually embodied in a scarecrowScarecrow
A scarecrow is, essentially, a decoy, though traditionally, a human figure dressed in old clothes and placed in fields by farmers to discourage birds such as crows or sparrows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.-History:In Kojiki, the oldest surviving book in Japan...
-like body of straw and twigs, with a pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
carved like a jack-o-lantern for a head. Inside his head is a candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
, whose ever-lit flame is often mistaken to be his life-force. He can use it to breathe a blast of fire from his mouth.
Lord Pumpkin is an extremely skilled sorcerer
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
, and is also nearly immortal; even if his body is totally destroyed, seeds from his pumpkin head are capable of growing a new body for him, sometimes by taking over and transforming the body of another living being if a seed has been ingested. He is not subject to pain or disease and needs no air, food or water.
His only weakness is the fragile materials his body is composed of: dry, flammable straw, and a ripe pumpkin. However, due to his strong magical abilities, attacks rarely get close enough to harm him. He can still be taken by surprise, however.
In Other Media
Lord Pumpkin appears in two episodes of the UltraforceUltraforce (comics)
The Ultraforce is a fictional superhero group that appears in comic books published by Malibu, and later Marvel, as well as an animated series produced by DIC. Their purpose was to protect the public and keep other Ultras from getting out of line...
animated series. In this continuity, he is defeated by Prototype and again by Prime when both heroes remove the candle in his mouth.