Shanzar
Shanzar is a male comic supervillain who features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Shanzar was a denizen native to a 'stranger matter' dimension within the Multiverse. As a magic user, he would come to claim the position of Sorcerer Supreme of his realm where he had held onto the mantle for millennia. Over time, he came to find his duties to be a burden and to alleviate his boredom he decided to obliterate his entire dimension leaving himself the only survivor. However, he came to find himself lonely as a result and thus sought new challenges to sate himself. (Incredible Hulk v1 #371)
At some point, Shanzar came across a portal that led into the closet of an elderly woman's apartment in New York. Around this time, the astral form of Earth's dimensional Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange was forcing Shanzar back into his dimension when the Hulk distracted the Doctor with a window-side greeting. Using giant arms, Shanzar pulled Doctor Strange's spirit into his Strange Matter dimension, with them Hulk also ending up there after grabbing onto the astral form. They pair were both pulled back into their native dimension with the aid of Namor the Submariner, who was actively seeking out Doctor Strange at the time. After this, the portal was sealed shut but unbeknownst to them Shanzar had attached himself to the Hulk's body. The heroes were then at Doctor Strange's abode at the Sanctum Sanctorum. As Doctor Strange tried to reconcile the Hulk's gray-hued and human personalities, Shanzar possessed the gray Hulk's body. (Incredible Hulk v1 #370) Shanzar then went on a rampage through the streets of New York within the Hulk's body, ending up in Central Park. It took both Doctor Strange and Namor to physically confront him whilst the Hulk's human alter ego, Bruce Banner, kept him mentally occupied. To prevent further innocents from being harmed, Doctor Strange moved the battle back to his home. Before Shanzar could mentally overtake Banner's personality, Bruce unleashed the personality of the savage green Hulk, which forced a frightened Shanzar to flee the Hulk's body. (Incredible Hulk v1 #371)
After his defeat, Shanzar explored several extra-dimensional realms, encountering the disembodied Elder God known as the Wild One. The Wild One told Shanzar that its physical form was trapped on Earth, waiting to be freed, and a bargain was struck between the two: rebirth for the Wild One through Shanzar and a permanent body for Shanzar from the Wild One following his revival. Returning to Earth, Shanzar met Lucian Aster, a minor occult dabbler who had also made contact with the Wild One. Together, they began the plot to reawaken the Wild One. (Namor Annual v1 #2)
Overview
Personality and attributes
After taking over the Hulk's body, Shanzar's host came to be referred to as the Dark Hulk. (Incredible Hulk v1 #371)
As Sorcerer Supreme, he had a duty to watch over his universe. However, this duty became bothersome to him and he grew tired of this burden. Ultimately, Shanzar would decide to destroy his entire home dimension leaving himself the only survivor. Despite that, he had a degree of pride of his dimension which he claimed was far superior to the likes of Earth. According to him, the strange matter dimension was infinitely superior and more efficient as well as more powerful with this extending to its molecular bonds. This led to him concluding that his home dimension had the right to supplant the dimension of Earth. (Incredible Hulk v1 #371)
Powers and abilities
Shanzar was a denizen native to another universe that was composed of 'strange matter' that was a made of greater molecular density. He came to be the Sorcerer Supreme of his realm where he had held onto the position for millennia. (Incredible Hulk v1 #371)
It was shown that he had the ability to possess the bodies of other people. However, the host had to be able to contain his incredible power or they would die in the process. Such was the case with ordinary humans who were crushed immediately upon being brought into the strange matter dimension. (Incredible Hulk v1 #371)
Upon first arriving on Earth, Shanzar came to take possession of the Hulk. This involved displacing Bruce Banner and taking over the Green Goliath's body as a host. As the Dark Hulk, it was said that his body was at its greatest strength when the sun had set. (Incredible Hulk v1 #371)
Notes
- Shanzar was created by Peter David and Dale Keown where he made his first appearance in Incredible Hulk v1 #369 (May, 1990).
In other media
Television
Appearances
- Incredible Hulk v1: (1990)
External Links
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